TechJam

Robbie Ferguson and Christa Wells

Robbie Ferguson has been an active member of the tech community now for over 10 years, his show Category5.tv, has been around for almost 4 years. His show has a format that lends itself very kindly to community, it allows for users to submit questions either via e-mail or through the chat room to try and get his help with resolving specific issues.

I think you will find after reading this interview that Robbie has quite a bit more technical knowledge and experience that many people may know, I found the interview very informative and interesting insight into the popular Internet television show host.

This is the second interview in our series of interviews with influential tech community members, our first was with Steve Heywood, which is the host of the popular series of tech pod-casts, the Tech Buzz.

First, a little bit of information about how I interview somebody, to make things easier. I use a template of interview questions that I have made, when I know who the potential interviewee is then I modify the template for that specific person, so do not be surprised if future interviews follow a similar question pattern. Each interviewee is asked 10 questions, of these 10 questions they are given the choice of which ones they want to answer and which ones they don’t. However, in most cases. All 10 questions are answered.

Now without further delay here is the interview!

Below are the questions that I asked Robbie, the questions will be emboldened and the answers will not be in bold.

How long have you considered yourself a tech savvy person?

I have surrounded myself with computers and a variety of computer-related technologies as far back as I can remember. I began programming verbatim from books at four years old, and developed my first application at five in the BASIC language.  To label myself as “tech savvy” is really just a label to say I know some things about tech.  There is always more to learn, and there will always be people who know more than myself.  What I consider myself instead is a person with a thirst for knowledge, and a knack for troubleshooting.  Rather than necessarily having to know every piece of technology, it’s about understanding the inner workings of that technology so if a problem arises, I have the ability to troubleshoot, diagnose, repair, or whatever.  It’s something I have always done and so if you look at it that way, I’ve been “tech savvy” all my life, based on the knowledge I had at each point.  I couldn’t build a computer at seven years old, but I could build the skills that it took to develop the skills necessary to build one when I was 12.

As a side note, I remember as a kid completely disassembling home electronics, but what made me a little different from my peers was that I understood it, and was able to reassemble it without difficulty.  These skills developed and grew my entire life, and continue to grow even still.

When did you first realize that you had a aptitude for technical stuff?

When did I first notice? Hmm, that’s a tough one.  I mean, the actual “realization”… I suppose once I was in high school.  I mean, that’s when I probably had that actual realization.  In Grade 9 (first year of high school), I was taking Computer Science.  It was meant to be an introductory course.  About three weeks into the course, the teacher pulled me aside and basically said “This is pointless having you here”, and he asked me to be a teacher’s assistant for the Grade 11 Advanced Computer Science course.  I did that for the rest of the semester and received a perfect mark for the course I was actually enrolled in.

If you could do anything outside the technical field what would it be and why?

I try to surround myself with hobbies to keep myself level, and I make a special effort to try to make sure a fair amount of them are “non-technical”, otherwise I feel like I’m working all the time.  I love to sing (www.youtube.com/RobbieSings4U) and that has always been a dream of mine that I’ve never had the opportunity to really realize.   I also adore cooking, especially with wholesome ingredients.  I find much joy in traveling to a farm, buying the ingredients for a dish, and spending several hours preparing and cooking that dish.  The pleasure of “creating” and then enjoying is very fulfilling.  This is also why I enjoy making my own wines.  Ultimately, it goes without saying that I love spending time with my wife and kids.  If I could spend my time doing something outside tech, it would be these things.  But alas, one must pay the bills.  So I try to find a good balance between everything.

Did you find it hard growing up with a passion for technology during a time when it was not as present in everyday life, I know I did?

IBM XT Computer

I had to hide an XT under my bed, with the monitor under a blanket in my closet, because I wasn’t allowed to have a computer.  And if you remember the XT, that was no easy feat! Technology, as it is, has always been a part of my everyday life, even if not in its present form.  I can’t say I’ve found aspects of technology’s limitations as something I’d call “hard”.  I had much harder things to deal with, growing up.

Why did you decide to work in Web development, and host Category5.tv once a week?

Web development is one of the skills I’ve cultivated for the better part of my life.  I was coding BBS’s before the modern Internet was publicly available.  As a previously self-employed all-round computer go-to guy, I wanted to specialize–to be able to work standard hours and focus on one major task, rather than a large assortment of smaller ones.  A position opened up at a local firm, and they hired me.  I was a good fit for the company, and very much enjoy working with the people in my office.  So the “switch” to web development is not really how it went down.  It’s more that, I was already doing web development, along with many other things.  Now, I’m just more focused, and able to leave work at work.  For the most part.

You had experience working in the radio industry, did this impact your decision to start Category5.tv?

Absolutely.  Having left radio in 2003, I missed being a broadcaster.  Category5 TV was a natural extension of that, and I’ve always been comfortable with web-based broadcasting technologies, having run an Internet radio station for many years prior to my involvement in FM broadcasting.

What would you consider to be your greatest strength as a person, it can be either technical or not?

I persevere, never give up.  When facing rejection, I keep my chin up and fight to remember that worry, anger, or being hard on one’s self never helped anyone–it can get better, or it can get worse.  It’s my choice.  And if it’s out of my hands, then it’s out of my hands.  Why fret over it?

How does knowing Category5.tv will have an impact toward influencing younger generations make you feel?

In many ways, it’s my legacy.  I hope there’s enough non-tech stuff in there that when the tech stuff is obsolete, there’s still something to take from the show.  If I can inspire, if I can uplift, then that makes me feel like I’ve made some small difference in the world.

How has doing Category 5 changed your outlook on the tech community if at all? Has this helped you to relate to people of other technical skill levels?

Hmm… I guess my “outlook” hasn’t changed per se, but my ability to articulate thoughts on-the-fly has improved greatly through the course of the show.  I have always hoped to make Category5 a fluid, conversational show, and that tends to bring with it an interesting side effect of being very quick on your toes.  I think I do well with people of a varying technical skill level, and being able to relate to them quickly and effectively is a big part of what Category5 does, and what it has done for me.

When your not doing Category 5 what is your favorite thing to do?

I came to a point in my life where I realized I needed to establish hobbies that omitted technology, otherwise, I’d end up sitting at my computer 24/7.  It’s part of the reason I’ve never really gotten into gaming.  So, I enjoy maintaining my indoor garden, which I grow each spring from seeds.  Every year, I get better and better, and this year (2011) my garden is flourishing.  I get a certain satisfaction from making my own wine, and have gained a certain level of respect in the local wine community as a bit of an expert after one of my 2009 vintage was selected as the “best” wine at a local wine tasting against many store-bought wines.  Recently, someone I respect as a wine expert labeled me a “vintner”, which meant a lot to me.  I also, of course, positively adore spending time with my wife and three children.

Lastly, If you were approached by a Network to take your show on a “Professional” level what do you think would change about the show?

So much would change, but so much would also stay the same.  The stations want us to lose the brown drape and go with a more “technical” backdrop, so that would be one thing.  I think because Category5 is so deeply focused on community involvement, not a lot could ever change “at the core” of the show.  Sure, we could get better cameras, a nicer set, but the content and our attitudes toward what we do will always remain the same.  If we’re lucky though, the studio might buy me some hair.

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