Hello Swan, ready to get into things?
Sure. Ask away
When you joined Sythe.org, did you ever expect to get to the level you are at now?
I never really thought about becoming moderator to be honest. Sythe was just a site I visited in my spare time.
When was the first time you realised you had a chance at becoming a moderator, or did it come before you gave much thought?
Well, I actually didn't realize I was a moderator until I saw one of my posts and started wondering why my name was suddenly green.
What was your aim when you joined Sythe.org, and did you ever achieve it?
I didn't actually have an aim when I joined. I actually joined looking for RS cheats and whatnot. Now I don't play the game.
How did you get into programming, and what was the first language you learnt?
Incidentally, if it wasn't for RuneScape I wouldn't be a programmer at all. I found a piece of Visual Basic code by mistake, asked my father about it (a seasoned programmer in his time, mind you) and he was the one that got me started on it.
I started learning with the old Visual Basic 6, and eventually I just moved up to harder languages like C#, Java and C++.
Programming seems so hard to some people, what is some tips you can give to people who want to get into programming?
Prepare for some late nights and get used to the taste of bitter black coffee.
But in all seriousness, Programming can be hard work, so just stick to it and try and understand it as best as you can.
If you don't understand something, come back when you know a little more.
How do you spend your spare time?
Reading, programming, studying, playing guitar or pretty much anything else that tickles my fancy. Recently I've been doing a bit of boating and fishing with my Uncle, for example.
Oh, and can't forget watching Anime ^_^
What is something that upsets you and makes you feel angry?
I'd have to say racism and other forms of prejudice.
Although in jest depending on the situation it doesn't bother me.
Just look at IRC! ^_^
One thing that has been annoying me recently is the people who are judging Finn for his sexuality. It is his life and he can live it the way he wants to.
Was there ever a moment in your life that changed it forever, if so how?
Puberty.
Well, to give a serious answer I guess it would be when I started learning how to program.When I started in the 6th grade, I really didn't think it would amount to much. Most 11 year olds don't tend to take those things seriously.Now however I see my career being in the programming field, and I've started to like a lot more logical things such as sciences.
So you see programming as a career, not a hobby. What types of jobs can $programmers have?
There are a lot of different fields of programming. I can see myself creating applications for a company like Microsoft, developing games as a company like Sony, or even starting my own company. One thing I definitely enjoy is games development, though I can't say I'm that good at it right now - I'm still learning.
Tell us one thing about yourself we don't know.
I have a rare genetic syndrome called Marfan Syndrome, which among other symptoms makes the long bones (such as limbs) in my body longer than usual. I'm currently just under 15 years old, and I'm 6 feet 7 inches tall.
How does you illness effect your life, and is there a cure for it?
The only main impact it has upon me apart from being tall, is that I have a dilation of my aorta. This means I have to take medication to keep my blood pressure down twice a day, and it also means I will die younger than a normal human being.
As of now, there is no cure for such a syndrome.
An upside is it makes my fingers longer, which is actually quite helpful for playing guitar in my opinion - though I'm not one to judge that because I don't know what it is like to be a normal size
What do you seeing yourself do from here?
Who knows? If my programming career fails I have a rather large interest in physics and astrophysics, so I may well become a scientist. I suppose only time can tell though.
Who is one sythe user you really respect, and why?
Lets see ... I really like Finn. Probably because of his personality. A lot of people don't like him (probably prejudiced from his homosexuality) but I respect him quite a lot. Another person would have to be Shredderbeam because of his debating skills and overall general knowledge.
There have been alor of users who have left Sythe.org. Name the one you miss the most.
This is a tough one really. Some users I can contact on IRC such as Verts or Atomic, but the way I see it I don't really MISS anyone. I would have preferred that some people stay, but in the end it is their choice to leave and I have to respect that.
Well, except for in Atomic's case, he was banned.
Is there ever a time you have felt alone, or unwelcome, if so when?
Well, I feel unwelcome whenever I participate in an activity I'm not normally doing or something I don't know much about - I suppose you're familiar with the word newbie? - but as for feeling alone, I actually prefer to be alone. When I'm alone in a silent place I can think better and I just like it like that.
What does the word Swan mean to you, and why did you choose it as your username?
I originally chose it after watching the 1976 cult classic movie called The Warriors, in which one of the main characters' nicknames is indeed Swan. However, my last name is Vogel which in Dutch means "bird", so I figured it fitted quite nicely.
If you could change one thing on Sythe.org, what would it be and why?
A more intelligent userbase. I'm not insulting anyone in particular, but I have seen some REALLY stupid threads recently.
Thanks for your time.
No problem.
It was interesting to read about Swan because he seems to be a nice hardworking moderator.
