My.Opera Spotlights

Profile:
Name: Ole Kasper
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Location: Opera HQ
Occupation: Information Systems Developer
Member since: Jun 2004
Web site: http://www.olekasper.no
Complete profile: http://my.opera.com/olekasper/about/

Opera stuff:
1. When did you start using Opera?
I started using Opera when they released version 6. I had up until then been using Netscape in various incarnations and was at the time pretty excited about Mozilla Seamonkey and used daily builds as my primary browser. The relative sluggishness of Mozilla though, in relation to Opera 6 was simply too much to ignore, and I finally started to get to know Opera. Haven't looked back since, even though I still consider Seamonkey a fine piece of software.
2. When did you start working for Opera?
I approached the manager of the Information Systems department at Opera for a summer job in 2004, which I for some reason got. Apparently I did an adequate job, because they took me back in the summer of 2005 after I finished my MSc.
3. What do you like about it?
My work? I love my work. Considering the opportunity of being a part of building the Opera Community was the main reason for applying a job at Opera, I couldn't be more happy
4. What is your Job Title and in which Department do you work?
I am an Information Systems Developer, in Opera's Information Systems Department.

In our department we develop and maintain most of Opera's internal systems as well as the backend for the official Web sites, so together with the sysadmins we like to think of ourselves as the backbone of Opera

Personally, I work on the Opera Community and one other internal system (which unfortunately is taking more and more of my time). I am quite enthusiastic about what we have done with the Opera Community, and what we are going to do with it, which makes it a joy to go to work every morning.
5. Who do you work with?
Well, to "out" the rest of the department, they are soumitra, willisof, kjetilk, vetler, jnoehr, wargamez and pseen.
6. What is your favorite part of the community?
I'd have to say the forums, having been quite active on these forums (as fractalgp) before joining Opera Software.
7. Do you use Opera on other platforms too?
I use desktop Opera on Windows and Linux, and Opera Mini on my retarded, although Java capable, phone.
8. What is your favorite skin for Opera?
Hands down non-troppo's Breeze Simplified MICRO. Anything else is simply a waste of space.
9. Name a few blogs you read often on Opera Community?
Actually, I'll have to admit that I don't really follow blogs that much.
10. Which five members would you like to spotlight this time?
Well, it's difficult to spotlight only five community members.

But, I'll start by spotlighting Fred, even though he also works for Opera, for his extremely hard work and wonderful designs. Without him, none of this would be.

Also, I'd like to thank everyone who stops by the Community Feedback forum to report errors and give constructuve criticism and the occational whinge. If something annoys you - let us know! And if we don't fix things within a reasonable time frame, let us know again!
11. What hardware do you have there?
I have a P4-HT 3.2GHz Dell box. Comes with a nice 17 inch LCD, which I guess is a rebranded Samsung or something.

olekasper@vingthorr:~$ lspci
0000:00:1e.2 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) AC'97 Audio Controller (rev 03)
0000:00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 03)
0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV370 5B60 [Radeon X300 (PCIE)]
0000:01:00.1 Display controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV370 [Radeon X300SE]
0000:02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5751 Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express (rev 01)
0000:04:01.0 Multimedia audio controller: Creative Labs SB Audigy LS

(lspci output edited down for relevancy)
12. Why should someone try Opera?
To experience the difference, really. People can't possibly fathom how much and in what ways Opera differs from other browsers, without trying it. If the differences suits you, fine - if not, then that's fine as well, really.
13. What do you drink on "Friday Night at the Opera"?



Personal stuff:
1. Where are you from?
I'm from a tiny place in Akershus county, Norway.
2. Who do you live with?
Noone..
3. How many languages do you speak?
Only those I was taught in school; Norwegian, English and (some) German.
4. Do you smoke or drink?
I don't smoke, but I do drink.
5. Do you like sports? If so which ones?
Not really. I like seeing Norwegians win So in the winter I do actually enjoy the occational biathlon or ski jump on the telly.
6. What do you normally wear?
Considering people around here always complain I only wear a t-shirt even though it's -20 degrees outside.. ahem.

So yeah, some rock or metal band t-shirt and jeans.
7. What is the color of your eyes and hair?
Brownish-green-gray-something eyes I guess Hair is quite dark, without being black. heh.
8. Have you ever broken a bone?
No, but that's more due to a solid build rather than lack of trying.
9. How many keys are on your key ring?
As few as possible. Three at the moment.
10. What time do you go to bed? What time do you wake up?
I'm usually up by 07:15, that way I get time to drop by the gym before work. As for going to bed; that's very dependent of how much sleep I got the night before
11. What is the craziest thing you've done?
I don't do crazy stuff. When I was in the army they tricked me into jumping into a whole in the ice on a lake fully dressed with an empty backpack. But that was more stupid than crazy. Was kinda cool looking up while submerged though. Slush. Cyan. Cold!
12. What is your favorite food? Drink?
It's been a long time since I had one "favourite" dish.
13. What is your favorite cartoon character?
Cartoon as in comics? Marv from Sin City obviously!
14. Favorite movie / actor / actress ?
I do enjoy a good movie, but I don't really keep track of which one is my favourite. Come to think of it, I don't relate much to the concept of having a "favourite" something, as is revealed by the next couple of answers
15. Favorite book / writer ?
Ah, dunno. I'm not very criticising when I read books. I even enjoyed myself halfway into Clancy's Rainbow 6, and that man can't %"#¤@$ write. Though I think I have to reread Peter Hamilton's 3200-page sci-fi mamoth The Night's Dawn trilogy, mostly for the psycho story.
16. Favorite song / group / singer ?
Now this is difficult. I'm usually never "loyal" when it comes to music. I'm all over the place. Lately I've been really into doom, gloom, ambient black and drone metal (slow, massively heavy and occationally extremely repetitive) such as Sleep, Disembowelment, Skepticisim, Nortt, Graves at Sea and SunnO))).

There's always my profile on last.fm, which reveals a certain attention to ..ahem.. the darker side of metal: http://last.fm/user/fractalgp
17. Who do you admire? Why?
There are a lot of people I admire, however I don't go around remembering who they are at all times..
18. What is your favorite quote?
I don't really dig quotes. Maybe because I'm never able to remember who said them?

Geek stuff:
1. How many hours a day do you spend on the computer?
8+ hours at work. Maybe a couple of hours at home. I have noticed that after starting to work in front of a computer screen, I much rather do something else when I'm at home. Go to concerts for example
2. Which operating system do you use at home?
I'm quite pragmatic when it comes to my choice in OSes. So I use both Linux (Debian Sid) and Windows XP - whatever works best for the purposes I need it for.
3. What hardware do you use at home?
A deadbeat Duron 1200 as fileserver, a nice Compal CL56 laptop and a P4 2.8GHz with an ancient Radeon card stuffed into it
4. When did you start using computers and which was your first PC?
Don't remember when, but I guess when I was around 13-14 years old. Quite late compared to most people I know. Got my first, payed for by my own money, at 15. It was a 486DX2 66MHz beast.
5. Do you use instant messengers and if yes, which?
I use MSN and Jabber, through either Gaim or Miranda.
6. What computers skills do you have?
Mad skillz! I do know a thing or two about Web programming and databases ( even though I might not look like it sometimes ).
7. What would you like to learn / improve in future?
Making a site such as the Opera Community is difficult. I need to gaim more knowledge with regards to running large sites such as this, and program with scalability and expansion in mind.
8. What is your favorite computer game?
My favourite game of all times must be Quake. I've played more QuakeWorld (the dedicated multiplayer version) than is healthy. Oh, and TIE Fighter.
9. What is your home page?
http://www.olekasper.no -- nothing interesting I can assure you