I have a varied work history, giving me a broad, down to earth
knowledge, which provides a useful background for many things, including
applications software development. I have been involved in applications software
development, and have studied toward a professional qualification; a university degree, in
computing, specifically Internet Programming, but my studies have not
been limited to Internet Programming. I have had
experience in developing SQL databases, and with development
using other applications, and I have experience in web site development,
and, in recent years, have been involved in developing and maintaining
web sites which I have designed to be relatively simple, for speed of
access, and for ease of access.
In software development and web site
development, I believe in and apply the KISS principle, as I believe
that functionality and efficiency are more important than gimmickry.
I primarily use, as a computer operating system, UbuntuMATE Linux (see https://ubuntu-mate.org/ ), and I have also used Debian Linux, and, computers with multiple operating systems.
I have, and, have used, Skype, for video calls, including international calls,
and I believe that it is an underused, wonderful, method of communication.
I have also tried using Ekiga, for video calls, but, it is still in development,
and I have not yet managed to get it working properly.
My personal interests include computing, LETS (Local Exchange Trading Systems; a form of barter), public speaking, genealogy and European history, and philosophy, and, human rights; the provision and implementation of human rights, and personal health and fitness. To find out about LETS, visit the WALLETS web site below.
I have a web site that I have published, about human rights, at http://www.armadale-wa.net/politics/HumanRights.html .
I am also interested in the protection of the environment, and, in the replacement of dirty energy - energy used by humans, involving the production of harmful by-products, with clean energy, for example, the replacement of electricity generated by burning organic matter, and energy involving nuclear reactions, with clean energy, such as electricity involving photovoltaic generation (the use of "solar panels"), and, the generation of electricity using wind power and tidal power and wave power, and, hydro-electric power generation. I have a web page about this, at http://www.armadale-wa.net/clean-energy.html .
I also, apart from having and using, domestic rooftop photovoltaic systems, for supplementing my household electricity supply, and, advocating the maximum possible use of solar energy, have and use, a high capacity domestic rooftop solar water heater, and I advocate the use of these, as much as practicably possible. Both the use of the domestic rooftop photovoltaic systems, and, the use of the solar water heater, apart from helping to reduce harm to the environment, help to reduce the instability of the local electricity supply, which, in previous years, has been unstable and dangerous, before the uptake of the local use of solar energy, and, the use of solar energy, through these devices, has helped to reduce the financial cost of energy, to this household, apart from the environmental cost of energy, to the world.
My studies have included history. I have written essays about King James 7 of Scotland and 2 of England and Ireland, and about the significance of the Quakers in seventeenth century England. The essays are at James 2 , Quakers 2 .
I am involved in genealogy, or family history, research, and have been, for some decades. My
personal genealogy web site is at genealogy
, and a genealogy web site, about the Busby family name, which web site links to
applicable genealogy resources is at
http://busbygenealogy.net/
.
My interest and involvement in genealogical research includes genealogical genetic testing,
as a means of finding possible links between family lines of the same family name, and, between
variations of family names. See the web site at
http://busbygenealogy.net/
for more information about this kind of genealogy research.
I had been a member of the Cornish Association of Western Australia (CAWA), and was involved in hosting and maintaining the CAWA web site until 2013, when the organisation ceased its formal existence, and, I was involved in hosting and maintaining the New Zealand Cornish Association web site, until 2014, when I was replaced.
I have also been a student of Taoist Tai Chi. Tai Chi is a gentle form of exercise for people of most ages and health conditions, where the people are mobile. Taoist Tai Chi is a form of Tai Chi that was developed to accommodate the lesser flexibility of non-asian people. It is practised by asian and non-asian people, alike. For information about Taoist Tai Chi, visit the Australian Taoist Tai Chi web site at http://www.taoist.org.au, or the International Taoist Tai Chi web site at http://www.taoist.org. If you are in Australia, you can find the nearest branch to you, at the Australian web site. If you are outside Australia, you can find the branch nearest to you, at the the International web site.
I had also started to learn target archery, and was a longbow target archer, preferring the English Longbow and War Bow styled bows, and I had undergone a training course to become qualified as a target archery instructor. I have created my own personal web sites about archery, one of which is at Bret's archery web site .
I have started a web site about philosophy, which can be found at Bret's philosophy web site .
I also administer the WALLETS web site, which is at WALLETS
I can be contacted by email at Bret
This web page was last updated on 22 July, 2016