My "digital biography"
Last update: 16.Jan.2007
On this page I'll try to write a few words about my activity, which is mostly connected with computers. I have to note, that the text below was written not at once and is replenished periodically.
Maybe the text below seems naive or even banal, but (I'm sure) it is more interesting than just a boring life story.
The story above tells about my small and big victories which have been pleasing me more that everything else. It is my "digital biography"...
The start
My computer activity began approximately in 1990 (I was 12). My father brought me to the institute where he taught and I was seated in the department of computers. It was his fatal mistake (or may be not). Since then my "disease" started. Later on, after playing with computers, I have made my mind to be concerned with something more serious. I began to code on Basic. I remember the time, when I won 2nd prize in the competition of young programmers. After a while, I began to code on Pascal. I was glued to my computer and spent all my free time with it.
The history of creating the Celestial Chancellery BBS begins from that moment. In 1992 my father bought me a home computer. 
This machine was very old IBM PC XT, made in USSR. Only initiates know what it is. With its help I developed and improved my knowledge of programming. One day my brother's classmate, Vadim Korotkov, (ex-2:461/37@fidonet.org) came to my home. He was the man who told me about the existence of FidoNet – about the network community of the computer fancies and about its abilities. Since then I was obsessed by the wish to connect to this network. I asked a lot about the specialty of the work in FidoNet, connecting, people & etc. As a result, somewhere about 1993-94, with the help of Vadim, and thanks to him, I obtained modem 2400bps and have been connected (I remember this modem very good - pocket modem, 2400 MNP/v42bis). In fact, I consider the first "fido-boss" (node) to be Minas Narazian (2:461/7@fidonet.org). It was he, who took me to his FidoNet-points and taught & primed me to start my make out with software and etc. At the start I used floppies to exchange mail instead of the modem; because of some troubles with my computer (it was called "floppy-net"). However, later on, I succeed to connect the modem to my computer. At that time on one of the Kharkov's BBS (it's name was Infocom BBS, and one of its bosses was Prool - Serge Pustovoitoff, 2:461/35@fidonet.org) I became acquainted with Konstatin Klyagin (2:461/22@fidonet.org ). He was beginning to work with computers and networks at that time also and I was considered a big prodigy compared to him :). Since then - … congregations of FidoNet-people on every Tuesdays, a lots of b-e-e-e-r, and the first “+” from the moderatorial in local conference. It was a wonderful time! Several times I went from one boss to another (because of several technical problems). In this connection I have to recall such people as Alex Efros and Serge Goudzenko.
Somewhere around September 1995, me with Konstantin Klyagin, have decided to organize our own BBSs. We needed to solve 
two problems: technical and esthetical. The former was that I had a too old computer (with 10 Mb HDD) and it was impossible to place all software on it. However I worked at my friends' office, where there was a much better computer. I asked permission to make BBS on their computer. They agreed. They had 486 SX2-80 / 270Mb. It was C00l! So, I have solved my technical problem. At Konstantin's home there was 386 SX-40 / 100Mb and it allowed keeping a small BBS.
The esthetical problem was in giving names to our BBS's. With this problem I dealt very quickly. I concocted the name to my BBS – “Celestial Chancellery” and to Konstantin's BBS “Pulse”.
What we were interested in? I was interested in programming on Pascal and various software utilities. In that time I have already collected a catalog of 100 floppies (5.25", 720 Kb), which I put immediately on HDD. Konstantin was programming on Clipper and at the start he was interested only in it. But, later, I've attracted him to start working on Pascal and that was what he has done. So, the theme of our BBS's was the most expansive. Besides, our BBS's had backroom slogan “No games!”. We decided so because of the technical inability to store games and also we weren't interested in them. No, we were playing DOOM and Warcraft, but didn't spend all our free time on this. About the success of my own BBS, - the log which I still have on one of my CD's is telling. A lot of different & interesting guys were visiting that BBS.
Later on, Konstantin suggested implementation of a project, which he invented himself and was developing for a long time. He offered to create serious BBS software on Pascal platform, because existing analogs didn't suit us. So, we began to work. We named it Tornado BBS (btw, I concocted the name). He himself was working out on the main conception (in the process, learning programming on Pascal), and I was developing concrete things (libraries, subroutines etc.) improving as a programmer.
In winter 1996 I became a Fido-node 2:461/113.
In February 1996 I quarreled with people, who gave me opportunity to keep my BBS on their computer (God knows, it wasn't because of me) and I was obliged to go away. But there was no way to go (with my entire software library) – at home my own old XT waited for me. So, I addressed to Kharkov's FidoNet to bestow me with all my values. Thank God, there are a lot of kind people in the world. Valery Volovelsky 2:461/222@fidonet.org phoned me and offered me his help. As I (cleared up) found out later, he was my neighbor. My BBS was carried to him and he became CoSysOp.
Time passed rapidly. Konstantin and I continued to write Tornado. But in the summer of 1996, I had to sell my old computer and moved with my parents to Russia, Petropavlovsk-Kamchtsky, where I had lived for 1.5 years. There was no FidoNet there and the price for using the Internet was measured in dollars per minute. It was too expensive.
There I met with one good guy, Ivan Bakulin, which became my very good friend. I worked in a small computer company, KiT Computers, as an engineer of computer equipment. I was seriously engaged in computer repairing and assemblage. So, I added to my knowledge in software the skill in hardware. There I restored my Celestial Chancellery BBS, which turned out to be the 1st BBS in this city (there was one more BBS in the city, but it wasn't BBS in the usual perception, because it worked under Win NT and didn't provide all the possibilities of BBS). Besides, I was keen on computer sound and music processing. All these things were very interesting to me. In Kamchatka I worked on 386 DX-40, later on 486 DX2-66 (it was sent to me as a present by Valery Volovelsky and my brother Eugene), then I bought CPU and motherboard Pentium-90.
On New Year Eve 1997-98 I returned to Kharkov, kissed my relatives and FidoNet-friends and at the first time in my life I carried my BBS from Valery to my home (sweet home). At that time Konstantin advanced Tornado and I turned up useless in this project. However, I didn't stop working and from March onwards, I was writing a book “Computer sound processing”. Actually, I didn't intent to do it. The idea of writing this book was suggested by Oleg Antilikatorov (thank him very much). In short, in September, I finished writing it (it was rather thick, approx. 200 pg.) and I gave its original for publishing to Valery. There you can read a Table of Contents of the book (only in Russian, sorry).
In October 1998 I said Goodbye to my Motherland and moved to live in Israel. Since then, I'm describing all this now. I hope that this story isn't finished…
To be continued...
Addition from 11.Nov.2000
After moving to Israel, many things have changed in my life. There is no sense in describing all the historical milestones; we shall deal only with what is closer to creativity and computers. In September, 1999, after having already despaired to publish the book which was finished before my departure, I have written to my old friend from FIDOnet, Eugene Muzychenko, (he helped me a lot during the writing of the book). I have asked him for any help. And Eugeny has responded by telling me that he was asked recently to write a book on a similar subject, but he was not ready to execute the order. Afterwards he has sent me an e-mail of the customer and promised all patronage (many thanks to Eugeny for all the things he did for me). I have contacted the customer - a director of Moscow publishing house "Knowledge" Leonid Derevjanko and have explained to him in details about my situation. Leonid has reacted unequivocally and said that hw will publish the book. Then began a work on continuing and correction of the book which lasted rather long. The book was issued in June 2000, in Moscow and some other cities. I am sincerely grateful to the director of this publishing house, Leonid Derevjanko, for the trust, assistance and the help rendered to me.
My computer activity during my adaptation to the new country became notably silent. However, only for a while. In May, 1999 I have decided to devote the site to computer sound and music. As practice shows, from all directions of human activity, I was always striving after computers and sound / music. When both directions merge together, - I can't resist. So, the idea was good, but there was a small problem to solve: where to place the site? Here, a good idea has come to my mind... to write to the author of electronic weekly magazine "Cooler" - Alexander Chizhov, and to ask for his help. I have written him and Alexander has kindly agreed to give me some space on his server and to support my project. He has given me domain name http://sound.irk.ru (and a year later has presented me http://websound.ru) and a space of 100 Mb. That's the story. Today (11.Nov.2000), when I write these lines, 26 issues of my own electronic magazine were published already (my magazine was named "Celestial Chancellery: computer sound"). On this site I carry out the old dream: I acquaint people with all sorts of interesting and useful ideas, connected with sound, music and their technical aspects. I am very glad that my work had a strong impact – the amount of visitors on it is stable and many of my visitors even bookmarked me in their "Favorites" :-).
During my absence in FIDOnet I have had time to start missing of an old way of dialogue with old friends. My friend Ivan Bakulin, which I have been acquainted with when I lived in Kamchatka, did not leave me and we corresponded as often as possible, but invisible strings enticed me to connect to FIDOnet :-). I had to obey my internal voice and to connect to FIDOnet. I have addressed for help to my old friend Vlad Bakaev and asked him to take me to his fidonet-points. He has agreed with pleasure. Now I have an opportunity to read FIDO mail and to enjoy it like before, in the beginning of "all this". By the way, during my absence in FIDO, I was transferred to the category of rarities of the Kharkov network. An example:
- [13] KHARKOV (2:461/76.113) --------------------------------------- KHARKOV -
Msg : 420 of 449
From : Alex Pasichnichenko 2:461/8 08 Nov 00 20:11:00
To : Minas Narazian
Subj : cable TV
--------------------------------------------------------------------
---- OS/2 Hello , Minas!
Wed, Nov 01 2000, 08:53, Minas Narazian -> All:
[skip]
PS: Wow! It is the first time I see a mail from Ì. Narazian /7 !
But when I've seen that Alex Radzishevsky has answered, I got a real shock... =;-)
... SY, Alåõ
---
* Origin: • (2:461/8)
Afterwards the subject of this thread was changed to "Rarities" :-)
To be continued...
Addition from 11.Nov.2000
Interesting thing. I haven't planned to write there my memoirs or something like that. Although, it becomes clear that it is more comfortable to write there about all important things that happened to me since last update of this page. Almost one year ago I updated this page and actually there is nothing important to tell you about this year. My project http://www.websound.ru is alive and has almost 2000 visitors per day from more than 50 countries. I'm very happy that my the site grows and I continue working on it bringing to my readers news, info and software. Here one of those heartwarming mails, which support me in my work:
===8<==============Original message text===============
Hello, Alex!
Thank you for your site. In 4 days I learned about computer sound / processing more, than I have learned in all my life.
[skip-skip]
--
With the best regards, Andrey
===8<===========End of original message text===========
Last year also bring me a small surprise: I fall in love with Ñ /C++ thank to me lecturer in Technion . I even bought THE book of Bjarne Stroustrup - the father of C++.
To be continued...
Addition from 2.Feb.2003
Past 2002 year hadn't added something very new to my life.
WebSound.Ru, my electronic magazine grows. I succeed to publish some new articles in Russian magazines "Chip" and "Popular Mechanics" and also in some electronic magazines and sites. I get many mails from different readers with questions, comments and also with gratitudes. This signals that my work is needed and I'm happy that I can help somebody.
Unfortunately, despite Websound.Ru success, I don't see now any serious applications of my (minimal) professional knowledge in digital sound. I want to develop as a specialist and I hope that someday my hobby will become my profession.
In 2002 I decided to recall my programming skills and wrote my own data compression utility, which I called RDC. This utility is written on C++. I implemented there many interesting data compression and even steganography algorithms. I hope I will be able to continue its developing.
To be continued...
Addition from 11.Feb.2005
There was nothing special in my "digital life" since last update of this page. I continue working on my WebSound.RU (it will be 5 years old in May!) and I still write articles for different magazines. Last year I started to specialize in web-design and Flash/Flash programming.
Really, nothing special. My guestbook fills up by many heartwarming feedback and appreciations. It signs, that somebody need what I'm doing.
To be continued...
Addition from 16.Jan.2007
Main news since the last update, list:
1. The project "WebSound.Ru::reTracked" was launched; "WebSound.ru::reTracked #1" CD has been released;
2. I've published my second book "Analog and Digital Sound Basics";
3. Since Jan 2006 I'm working as Application Engineer in Alango company. I'm dealing with digital audio technologies.
4. WebSound.Ru is alive "and kicking".
eng verified by T., Nov 19, 2005