%7ESilverSlayer

= David C. Haley =

**IRC nick(s):** SilverSlayer

**Role in SMGL:** General Developer

**Age/Birthdate:** 28

**Location/Country:** Dallas, Texas, USA

== Common ==

**When did you first start using Linux and why?**

Being a computer science major I 'try' to keep my eyes open to new things. During the end of my senior year in high school I started looking into various alternatives for operating systems. Partially because I was a bit tired of just always dealing with Windows, and partially because I was just curious what was out there. From that point I knew that there was something called 'Linux' out there, however I really didn't get a scope of all the distributions out there until a year or two later.

I first started using Linux in January of 2001. As part of my schoolwork I had to learn how to do simple bash scripting and things like this in Linux. Liking to keep a leg up on the teachers I started looking around at all the distributions out there. Red Hat, Mandrake, and a dozens more were out there. It was enough to make your head spin. But I eventually went with Mandrake, staying with it for probably three months. From Mandrake I moved over to Red Hat. I was with Red Hat for some time, until they released Fedora. It was at this time that I decided it was time to try something new. It was at that time that I started looking at Source Mage. Since than that is all that I have used.

**How long have you been using the [[About|SMGL]] distribution?**

I've been using SMGL since end of November, beginning of December 2003. First version that I used with this distribution is 0.7.1.

**What piqued your interest in SMGL initially?**

I think that it was the sorcery system that first got me interested in this distribution. The scheme of casting, dispelling, etc was interesting to me. Just because perhaps I never seen an implementation like this before.

**What future do you personally see for SMGL?**

I'm not one to normally make predictions about things. But I definitely think that SMGL is on the right track. As the projects moves along, and the user base grows I think that the future for SMGL is looking good.

**Tell us a little bit about yourself. Education/Career/Skills?**

Education: Currently hold an Associate's Degree in Network Administration, and have one year left towards earning my Bacholar's of Applied Science in Database and Software Engineering.

Now what does this mean I have learned in school. In short, not a damned thing. Mostly what I know is all self taught. From Computer languages, databases, web design, and security to name a few is all stuff that I have tinkered with over the years, and continue to do so to this day. I have to admit that some of these areas I did not get into until I started playing with Linux. With that said it's hard to pin down any skills in particular. I am a jack of many skills and tend to pick up new ones rather easily.

Now onto the career. Unfortunately this will be a bit short as well. I worked in a computer lab at the college I went to for a short time. After that I was hired by a company called Tamsco that brought me to the middle east. I've been here working with satellite systems, and networking equipment that I never had access to in the States.

**Any personal messages for the Source Mage users out there?**

If you are a user already, I would say that I am glad that you are giving SMGL a try, and I hope that you like what you see and decide to continue to use it. For those that are not currently users...what are you thinking!? LOL :-) Come and give SMGL a try. Who knows, you might get as hooked on it as me. ;-)

**What other OS programs/software have you worked on?**

Working with the Source Mage distribution is my first venture into actually helping the open source community in some way. I have been using the end products of open source for some time, but as far as helping out and 'giving something back'...this is the first, and to I love it :-)

== Flamewars ==

**vi or emacs?**

Neither, nano for me :-P

**KDE or GNOME?**

Neither again, OpenBox is preferred for the time being. :-)

**BSD or GPL?**

GPL

== Strictly personal ==

**Do you have any family?**

We all have to come from somewhere don't we. ;-) The usual parents, one younger sister, and a whole bunch of pets. They are family too, right? 5-8 dogs (we foster so it goes up from teh 5 we have normally), 2 fish, 1 hamster...hmm. We used to have a horse. Thinks that's all for family right now. I'm sure one day I will add to the family tree but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

**What kind of car do you drive? Or what is your dream car?**

What kind of car do I drive. LOL, to be blunt a crappy one. :*( As far as a dream car, it's not even a car. But a bike, a fast one. HEHE

**Please attach a recent photograph of yourself -- if you're brave enough ;=)**

Soon as I can dig up a good one. I promise, really ^_\~