About Joe Jepsen

I Like Knowing How Things Work

I’ve never been completely satisfied with simply knowing that something works.

I want to know why it works.

That curiosity has taken me through computers, Linux, websites, servers, networking, online business, writing, publishing, and countless experiments that began with some variation of, “I wonder what happens if I do this?”

Sometimes the answer is exactly what I expected.

Sometimes I learn something new.

And occasionally the answer is, “Well, we’re restoring from backup.”

Those experiences are usually the most educational.

I tend to learn by doing. I read the instructions, ask questions, experiment, make mistakes, fix them, and eventually understand the subject far better than I would have by simply watching someone else do it.

Writing and Ideas

Technology is only one of my interests.

I enjoy writing about ideas, business, everyday life, personal growth, technology, and whatever else happens to capture my attention.

I don’t believe every subject has to fit neatly into one category. Life certainly doesn’t.

Sometimes I’m writing about servers and websites. Other times I might be thinking about mindfulness, economics, an old television show, something happening in the community, or why a piece of technology that supposedly makes life easier has somehow made everything more complicated.

Writing gives me a place to think those things through.

Old Technology, New Technology, Same Curiosity

I remember when having a computer in the house was unusual.

I remember when connecting computers together required a telephone line.

I remember when being “online” was something you did for a while and then disconnected.

Now the internet is woven into almost everything we do.

That transition has been extraordinary to watch.

I appreciate the convenience of the modern digital world, but I also think growing up alongside the technology gave me a useful perspective. Technology is a tool. Sometimes it is an incredible tool, but understanding the tool is still more valuable than simply owning it.

I’m just as fascinated by what comes next as I was by that Atari computer decades ago.

These days the experiments involve Linux, artificial intelligence, servers, websites, automation, and whatever technology appears next.

Same curiosity.

Much faster modem.

Life Beyond the Screen

I’m also a husband, father, son, pet owner, traveler, science-fiction fan, and resident of one of the most beautiful parts of the country.

I enjoy the Great Smoky Mountains, cruising, old television, Star Trek, strange bits of history, and conversations that wander into subjects nobody expected when they started.

I’m interested in personal growth and mindfulness, but I also believe life should include curiosity, humor, and the occasional ridiculous idea.

Probably more than occasional.

Still Tinkering

I don’t know what technology will look like twenty years from now.

Someone sitting in front of a 300-baud modem in the 1980s probably couldn’t have imagined carrying a powerful computer in a pocket, talking naturally with artificial intelligence, or operating a server hundreds of miles away from a phone.

That is part of what makes technology interesting.

There is always something else coming.

And when it arrives, I’ll probably want to take it apart and see how it works.