Gimli
Our victim guest for interview today is Gimli…
Real name:
Kevin Ian Smith
Date of Birth:
3rd July 1981
Sex:
Male
Approximate location:
Exeter
You have a variety of nicks e.g. KevDaDrum, Andromache, Kev and Gimli. Why do you change nick so much and how did you chose each one? (Submitted by Greeneyez)
OK, in order of use:
- KevDaDrum: My first nick, used for pretty much everything. I chose this one because at home (Wales), in school all my friends were musicians, so it seemed appropriate, being a percussionist. I stopped using it when I realised no-one in #exeter knew me from my percussional tendencies.
- Kev: KevDaDrum without the drumming reference. This on seemed to make sense.
- Andromache: The nick I used when connecting from my linux box during final-year project work. A project I was working on at the time was called Astyanax (a suggestion from an ex-girlfriend), so I named my desktop Hector (Father of Astyanax (Homer)), subsequently I got a linux box so I named it Andromache (wife of Hector). When connecting from Andromache I used the nick Andromache.
- Gimli: When Lord Of The Rings fever struck and people started using names from the books/films. The only character that seemed reasonable was the short fat welsh one, thus my nick became Gimli
How did you discover #exeter?
Matryx dragged me in there for no good reason one day.
How long have you been chatting in #exeter?
Since my second year [at university] I believe, 2000.
What things frustrate you the most? How do you usually cope with them?
People being silly. I attempted to avoid this by studying in a PhD lab, but this didn’t actually help. Running out of pizza is another big frustration, I cope with the aid of dominos.
Explain Wales in 10 words or less. (Submitted by Scorponok)
Wales; where men are men and the sheep are worried.
How long have you been online and how long have you been on IRC?
I’ve been online since 1996, and IRC since 2000
What do you consider to be your greatest achievements to date? Why?
erm. I was quite proud of my A Levels/S Papers and my degree too. I guess getting onto the four counties youth orchestra was a high point too. I was very pleased a couple of weeks ago when I completed a climbing route I found very tricky. Very pleased not to have failed a grading yet too (tkd).
You are quite famous in the channel for liking pizza. What’s your favourite topping and how would your pizza be cooked to perfection? (Submitted by Greeneyez)
Barbecue sauce, tandoori chicken and onion. I hadn’t considered how I like it cooked, the way dominos do I suppose.
Do you have any interests in real life? If so what are they and how involved are you with them? Do you find your online life hinders or compliments them?
Music, TaeKwon Do and climbing are my main irl interests and they’re more or less independent of my online life, they more hinder each other as there isn’t enough time in a weeks to do everything I’d like.
How do you think other people perceive you in the channel? Do you think your online persona mirrors your real life persona?
I’ve no idea how other people see me, that’s for someone else’s interview I’d suspect. I’d pretty much hope nobody had any great opinions one way or another.
What size do you like your chips? (Submitted by Greeneyez)
Depends on the type of chips. Fries are good but so are nice chunky chips, as long as the outside’s crisps and the inside’s nice and fluffy.
Can you draw a picture of a potato? Please attach evidence in the form of an image file.
If you could go on holiday anywhere and any when where would you go and who would you take with you?
I suppose Florida (Orlando/Disney area) back in the first year with various family members, some friends from home and some of my friends from my floor in Birks I’d have just met (including Cath2 and thesnark/mittens)
Where would you like to see yourself in five years time? Do you think you will be able to achieve it?
Tricky, tricky. Probably somewhere up a really tricky route on a crag, having passed my black belt, my PhD finished, and working in a nice lab somewhere doing interesting research for good pay. By then I’ll have met Miss Right too.
What was the least complimentary thing a teacher wrote about you in a school report?
The examiner for a music grade once wrote “Has no sense of pitch” on a report which was a little harsh.
If you could sum up your experience of #exeter in one word, what would that word be?
heh
Finally, who do you think I should interview for next months ‘chatter’?
Who’s already been ‘had’? One of the filthy scots (Scorponok) if he’s still available.
Thank you Gimli for offering your often enlightening answers to my questions. Next month I will look forward to interviewing Scorponok.