Steve

My name is Steve Cichosz. I am the founder of Technology Advocates. Considering the personal nature of what we do and how you will be using the information on this site I am forgoing listing off all the wonderful things I've done and trying to impress you with a bunch of carefully worded jargon. Instead I feel it more important that you understand who is behind all this. There's time enough for all the "tech talk." You're going to make your decisions more on your experience with the site than my resume anyway.

As a brief personal overview, I really enjoy disc golf and skiing. Playing raquetball and getting on a mountain bike are pretty cool as well. Writing poetry and attending readings has been a big part of my life. Building things like a finished basement, a large redwood canopy in the back yard or laying 1,000 square feet of pavers in a complicated pattern requiring a lot of unusual cuts have brought me considerable satisfaction.

You may ask what any of this has to do with a site called "Technology Advocates." The answer is that I find the information on this site, and the services it provides, of such importance that I have almost entirely set aside these listed activities that I so enjoy to instead make this site happen. Doing so, for me, is the only way such an enormous project could possibly be taken on. Technology Advocates, or "TekAdv" brings together a concentration of societal concerns and solutions unlike anywhere else.

I operate from a position of considering the sanctity of another's time and space being an important form of respect. This view forms the foundation of TekAdv. Technology today is increasingly being developed from a perspective of what can be drawn from a "consumer" rather than how to best serve a customer. Such technologies are invading our homes, our conversations, our relationships and even our minds. It is my personal goal to teach about this societal shift. It would be irresponsible doomsday rhetoric to simply shout out the problems without offering solutions. That would in the long run be counterproductive. With this in mind we are bringing forward alternatives that allow us all to communicate and socialize more naturally, just as the individuals we are.

But "why?" Why am I putting all this time and energy into an effort that costs more money than it makes? Because I'm a believer in the ability of good people to overcome the greed of individuals. I can't get through a day without encountering the apathy of disempowered people telling me, "there's nothing we can do." Pick a subject, people are feeling overcome and defeated. What we need as a populace is a goal and the tools to achieve it.

I am doing this for my family, for my friends, for all those I care about who used to tell me I was crazy. I am doing this for those that have told me it was pointless and couldn't be done. Most of all I do this for those who know "something is wrong," but can't quite put their finger on it. The one's who are willing to do something for themselves that will in turn collectively lift our society as a whole. I do this because I care and because I still can.

Yes, I do plan on making money at this in the long run. I can't think of a better way to make a living than to be helping others. One thing I have always been puzzled by is how we as a society have developed an attitude that to have made money doing good deeds nullifies the merits of the act. I for one would much rather make a good income doing right in the world than develop vast riches through questionable, or even nefarious acts.

For those interested I have left the boring stuff to the end.

I have long been interested in the use of technology as a social and communication medium. I have been around. I've seen technology from many perspectives and understand the power of its use. I have had an interest in the empowering potential of technology on our societies long before the explosion of facebook, Twitter, Google +, or even the now all but defunct MySpace. Over the last 30+ years I have been working in technology I have consulted to, and worked internationally for, some of the largest companies in the world. I have also had the pleasure of working in small companies and seeing them grow. Over the years I've been a mainframe operator (yes, I remember punch cards), a network administrator, A client services specialist, a database administrator, a Unix systems administrator, and application developer and a web developer. I've worked with many flavors of Unix ranging from Linux to Unicose and most of the common flavors in between like SunOS, Solaris, AIX and HP/UX. I've of course followed Microsoft's operating systems over the years and remember the release of Windows. (I just found my old Windows 3.11 disks while cleaning out a closet.) I've worked with Apple computers since the Macintosh came out and have worked with them in renewed interest since "OS X" came out. I've also worked on some interesting computers I was sorry to see fall to the way side like NeXT (another Steve jobs creation), Amiga and OS/2 from IBM. I have worked with some company names that may be familiar like IBM, Oracle, E*Trade, Federal Express, Maersk Sealand, CIBC. I have worked with other companies that may not be as familiar like Enterprise Systems, or Tanning Technologies (high end system performance analysis, not sun beds.) and others. It was a powerful experience for me to have spent my earlier years in this industry on the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), otherwise known as the "Starwars" project, working with some of the most amazing engineering minds I've ever come across.

Technology Advocates is a large and ambitious project. More can be found about the specifics on the "About Us" page and throughout the site. My goal, the only way I can see for the problems of our society to be remedied, is for each of us as individuals to take care of ourselves for the betterment of our communities. The problems of our on-line social universe are not going to be solved by the corporate and government leaders that created them through self-interested acts taken to the detriment of our society as a whole. It will only be solved by the decisions and actions of each of us.

For this goal of societal betterment I have created "Technology Advocates." It is a place to learn information you need and in turn educate others with what you know. We are working on building the tools to make a difference for those we care about most. I encourage you to use them for yourself to the benefit of those you care about most.

Journey on...
Steve