Melb PC Personality Profile

Despite the short time Allan has been involved with Melb PC he has made himself almost indispensable. This young man with his love of, and flair for communications is a mainstay of our BBS and a very willing volunteer for anything asked of him.

Born in Geelong and raised in dairy farming, completing his four year dairy farming apprenticeship in two and a half years, Allan has had an interest in computers since his high school days. His first computer, a Commodore Vic 20, gave way to an Amstrad 1512 (an XT with a 40 MB hard card) on which he started his first BBS in 1991. He was "caught by the communications bug". In 1992 he bought the 486SX25 which he is still using.

His working life has varied through a brief stint in the army (where he couldn't continue because of an ankle ligament) to management positions in pizza and chicken fast food outlets. In 1993, he decided to start his own business Echoe Consulting and work from home with the computers he enjoys.

Concentrating on OS/2, Echoe Consulting deals in hardware, software, and training networks and offers discounts to Melb PC members. He shows the excitement of a child with a new toy when talking about the new voice commander telephone system he has just installed - where you use your touchtone telephone to dial through a menu of options, including faxback. (It's incredible the quality and extent of business one can run from home these days). Allan originally started in OS/2 because there was no place locally where you could buy OS/2 applications - you had to send to the USA.

In Thomastown, Allan lives with his family. His father, Edwin and his younger brother, Russell, both work for Amatek Rocla - the former as a foreman, the latter as a forklift driver. Along with his mother, Eileen, and Grandmother, Heather - he is the only one who enjoys computing. They tolerate his computing obsession. Unfortunately, with time constraints, I was unable to visit his home and check them out for myself - I would have loved to have heard about him from them, directly. Maybe that was the plan <g>.

The number of hours Allan commits to our BBS could only come from a love for it. His own BBS - Hot Shots (then Hot Shots 2 - when OS/2 became his focus) - lost out from the lack of time to do both that and run his business. The business of course is his personal survival, but the BBS where he was a Fidonet hub (Marcus Limosani - another Melb PC member who has his own BBS, Infinity Links, was one of his nodes) demanded too much overlapping time.

Melb PC and we as members have definitely been the winners. Allan's previously quiet, unassuming, presence is being replaced by the assertiveness of confidence in his relatively new environment. Meanwhile, his practical, technological talent has contributed greatly to our ability to make the major changes appearing to us all, almost daily, on Melb PC BBS. He has been invaluable throughout the massive expansion of the message and files areas (including CD ROM), the changes in menu options (did you see Ren Benko's new, jazzy introduction screen?) and the on-going increase in the number of lines etc. Without Allan the imminent move of the entire bulletin board to the larger, adjacent room would be inconceivable.

Does it sound as though I'm impressed? Well, I am. For just $40 a year (which, of course, also includes this world class magazine), all Melb PC members now have the resources of the world at their fingertips (with more to come) in very large part, due to the voluntary contribution of time and expertise of people like Allan.

But, there's more! Since Geoff Lewis moved overseas and resigned as Executive Secretary four months ago, Allan has been taking the minutes of the Committee Meetings. He helps at most of the Swap Meets and is on hand to assist with Training. A regular attendee at the monthly meetings (often assisting with the presentations) and at the Waffle SIG following, he readily makes himself available to help with individual predicaments. Just as well he has a good sense of humour, considering some of the problems with which he's been approached (including mine!). We are very fortunate that he has nominated for the Melb PC Committee, his involvement will add a dimension to the existing talent and direction of the team.

So, who is he, this superman? For a start, he's a Trekkie!! <g> (Sorry, Colin - it's such an important quality, I had to put it up front!); a young, 26-y-o gentle giant. Rather a home-body until he found his outlet with Melb PC where he is developing valuable friendships and enjoying socialising amongst people with a common interest - namely computers. When he has the opportunity he thoroughly enjoys bushwalking and camping but time is short. With his friend Marcus, (I call them "the twins" because I've seen them together so much - although they will kick me for it!), and others (including myself), Allan is a regular at the Star Trek Sundays that have eventuated from members finding out they have yet another common interest.

Allan is looking forward to improving the physical setup of the BBS in the larger room and would like to see Melb PC expand further with more membership participation, especially the monthly meeting (which was his first contact with the Group). His personal philosophy, "What you put in is what you get out" must surely leave him with a huge credit balance. From all of us, especially the BBSers, "Thank you, Allan!"

Reprinted from the December 1994 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia