My alias is JW Smythe. In my years of working with people, I've found it can be dangerous to give too much information to the general public. There are just too many people of questionable mental status out there to give my real name freely. It's probably nothing personal against you, and in a business situation, you will receive all my real information.

I came to this decision a long time ago, after coworkers were harassed by customers outside of work. What's it like to have a customer who is dissatisfied with the company you work for, calling you at home; showing up at your house; sending threatening letters; making threatening phone calls? These were all because that company didn't live up to that particular customer's expectations. That wasn't a gray-market company. The product and services were clearly outlined, and provided in accordance to that. Still, the same people who yell at cashiers in the grocery store because the line was too long, will take unexpected measures in the professional world too.

Now, in this age of identity theft, the privacy of your own information is that much more sacred.

Selecting my alias was a very careful process. Everyone should select theirs very carefully too. I feel that mine is anonymous enough to give me privacy, vague enough to be the "every man", yet it clearly identifies me. As far as I know, there are no other "JW Smythe"'s running around on the Internet. At least no one has ever mistaken me for anyone other than me.

Who Is JW Smythe

JWSmythe in the news
I am the owner, editor, and publisher of Free Internet Press. I came up with the original concept, do all the programming, and technical maintenance for the site. This site has been in a hiatus for a while, but will be alive again soon.

JWSmythe at Slashdot
I am a frequent reader of Slashdot.org, and sometimes I'll even post. It depends on my mood, time on my hands, etc. Slashdot, although a huge geeks club, is (sometimes) a great source for information.

JWSmythe first site on the Internet
This is an old site, which still exists because it was my first.

JW Smythe At Work

For many years, I have worked in roles ranging from "Senior Systems Administrator" to "Director of IT". Exciting titles for sometimes interesting work. Most frequently, we are tagged for what we do. I am a high level guru/geek. That label is usually dependent on what you need. "Oh Guru, fix this for me...", or "He's the geek that makes everything work."

People ask for what I know how to do. I try to explain that it's easier to go through their list of expectations, and see if there's anything I don't know yet. Even the exceptions in my list are far from a problem. I know what I do because I've needed to learn.