In the early 90’s, I was a young, doe eyed college graduate with an education in traditional Graphic Design, ie: Code for No Computer Skills and for those of you to young to remember, it was once possible to do graphic design without the assistance of a computer. Back in the day, Cut and Paste, literally meant to Cut and Paste and a misspelling in the corporate annual usually resulted in a quick trip to the unemployment line. More often than I care to admit, I heard comments from friends and family like: “You better learn how to use a computer”, “Computers are going to change the way we do business” and the most absurd of them all “You know you’ll be doing all your design work on a computer someday” all to which I replied “GIVE ME A BREAK” I mean after all I’m an Artist and I paid a lot money to learn this specialized craft, there was no way any damn computer was ever going to take that away from me. Boy I couldn’t have been any more wrong!
Upon graduation, I hit the streets with portfolio in hand, looking for my dream job. Each interview resulted in one art director after another muttering the deafening words “Do you have any experience with MAC?” Huh? With what I would assume amounted to a look similar to a deer caught in headlights, I scratched my head and thought quietly to myself, Who was this illusive Mac and why is he trying to keep me from the job of my dreams? Was this some kind of conspiracy set in motion by my parents to force me into getting a “REAL JOB”? Or was this just a polite way for the guys and gals who held my future in their hands to politely tell me that I wasn’t cut out for a life in this fast changing industry.
With two fistfuls of rejection letters, I did what any great artist would do. I put my tail between my legs, put my portfolio in the closet and reluctantly went back to school to learn how to use a computer, more specifically, a Macintosh! I convinced myself that I wasn’t selling out, but instead buying into a new system, an easier way of doing my craft. I was trading in my rapid-o-graph pens and exacto knives for a soap shaped device they called a Mouse and an overpriced TV Set with a brain.
Truth be told this was one of the most exciting times in my career!
With my newly acquired computer skills in hand, shining brighter than a 1200ws strobe head, I began a 2 year stint working as an Art Director for a regional magazine. This job gave me my first real life working experience using a computer and my first glimpse into what the future had in store for me. In the early 90’s if you used a computer in the publishing industry, you were either considered totally crazy or revolutionary. With all this new technology and buggy 1.x versions of latest and greatest Desktop Publishing software, I needed some serious help, and more than what the underpaid tech support reps at the software companies could provide, I mean most of these guys were greener to this new technology than myself. I needed real help, so decided to join a network of Macintosh rebels who called themselves BMUG which stood for the Berkeley Mac Users Group, this eclectic group of UC Berkeley students, teachers, ex-hippies and punk rockers agreed to help me wade my way into this new digital era.
With my BMUG membership came my first introduction into the world of the BBS (Bulletin Board System) A BBS was a computer system that allowed users to dial in using a standard analog telephone line, dialup modem and terminal program to perform functions such as downloading software and data, reading news, and exchanging messages with other users. The BMUG BBS was like having a direct tap into the keg of all things Macintosh. I had hit pay dirt!
In hindsight this was the precursor to what I would come to know as the World Wide Web just a few short years later.
After completing my 2 year bootcamp in the publishing industry I had a solid foundation in the intricacies of computer technology, including all of its promises and pitfalls. In the spring of 1992 I was contacted by a close friend who offered me an opportunity working in the Corporate Education department at the headquarters in what was then California’s largest employer, Pacific Bell. I was a young twenty something with hair down to his waist and ideals just as long, I walked the halls and worked alongside employees who were mostly twice my age and who had no idea how this hippie artist made it through the screening process. My position in this department of well-educated trainers and managers was to support their small sub network of Macintosh computers and custom developed 4D database, oh yeh and provide graphic support for our internal educational degrees and training programs, again I didn’t completely sell out, after all I didn’t cut my hair.
Pacific Bells Self Directed Education department was the brainchild of one of the most visionary and motivated woman that I’ve ever had the pleasure of working for in my career, her name Constance Beutel and her list of degrees and accomplishments could fill an entire chapter in this book. Though roughly twenty years younger than my contemporary, I felt as though Constance and I were kindred spirits. In a company of mostly suit and tie politics, she was my last glimmer of hope that Corporate America could be an ok place. We shared similar interest in human rights, the American Indian movement, art and music. The only unfortunate thing was her cubicle was located directly behind mine and every time she spun around in her chair and muttered my name, I always knew I was in for one rollercoaster of a ride.
In 1993 Constance returned from a visit to Stanford University and made one of those ever-famous spins of the chair, one that changed my career forever. Constance explained to me that on her recent trip, the professors at Stanford had exposed her to global network of information originally developed by the military and now made available to the educational sector and though in its infant stages only consisted of text, it would one day be able to display pictures, motion graphics, music and even video, and my mission, if I so chose to accept it, was to get our internal education department up on this thing she was calling the World Wide Web. In my head it sounded impossible. In reality it was intriguing. I thought to myself, should I just cut my losses and run like the wind or hunker down and take the challenge like a man. Recalling my days back on the BBS, I knew that it was possible to connect to other users via dialup modem but the thought of viewing pictures and hearing music just seemed a little far-fetched, like something out of the science fiction movie.
In early 1994 Pacific Bell both internally and publicly began running ad campaigns touting the arrival of “The Information Superhighway”, these vague ads left the public wondering what the heck this Information Superhighway was exactly and if you live in California like myself, the last thing you wanted was the promise of anything that sounded like it was going to cause more traffic. Like most typical sales and marketing departments, the message shared with the public was vastly different from the one internal employees were privy to and as a full time employee working in the companies San Ramon, Ca Corporate Headquarters with access to just about everyone who was anyone (including Scott Adams creator of the now famous Dilbert comic strip) I struggled for nearly 6 months to find the ONE illusive employee, who at that time was responsible for granting all access in and out on the Pac Bell internet backbone. Most days I felt like I was caught up in a real world version of Where’s Waldo. With the persistence of a bull in a china shop and the clear lack of understanding in corporate protocol, I finally uncovered this keeper of all things Internet hiding in his darkened lair. I can still see the flashing lights of mainframe computers and hear the sounds of fans and modems wafting through the stale re-circulated air.
After repeated pestering and a trip or two directly to the head of the IT department, remember if you don’t know there is a protocol they can’t hold you accountable to it… right? J I finally got the powers that be to grant our band of educational misfits access to Pacific Bells Internet backbone, shortly thereafter the miles of Cat 5 cable began to flow into the halls of our department. Hippie Artist 1 / Corporate America 0
After what amounted to weeks, but felt like months, the big day had arrived. The computers had been wired and Mosiac 1.0, the only WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) web browser at that time had been installed. The group huddled around me while I drove. I typed in an unintuitive string of numbers called an IP address, took a deep breath and then hit the enter button. After a brief pause the screen filled with black text on a white page and I turned to my boss mumbling under my breath something to the effect of “This is what I just spent the last year of my life for?” Oy Vey! Constance tried to ease the sting by assuring me that graphics and music were just around the corner, but at this moment I was totally deflated.
Within six months things began to explode and FAST! Shortly after Tim Berners-Lee put up the first real Website in 1994 while working with CERN, other sites including the first online music site IUMA.com, created by a group of students from the University of Santa Cruz started popping up all over the web, IUMA.com (internet underground music archive) allowed independent bands and musicians to promote there music global audience. I could now see clearly just how the Internet was going to change the music and motion picture industries in ways that no other technology had done before it.
I was sold and needed to be part of it.
In the spring of 95, I turned in my notice to the phone company, packed my bags and moved to Sonoma County where I started one of the first web design and consulting businesses in the area. I’ve since gone in and out of the 9 to 5 working world taking on positions with companies such as Seattle based micro-payment solution company eCharge Corporation, software localization specialists Encompass Globalization as well as heading up the international web efforts for professional audio manufacturing company Mackie Designs. In 2002 I returned to California, where I now own and operate a digital media production company called Coastal Fog Productions, CFP specializes in Graphics, Web, Audio and Video Production and Digital Photography services. I also currently publish ProPhotoResource.com an online educational resource for photographers, currently boasting over 8k+ members and over 100k page views monthly.
