Interview With Stratics Technical Director, Marizelle

**Tabbitha** · 9th August 2006, 03:38 AM

source taken from UO Stratics Community

Today I am honored and pleased to have as my guest Marizelle, Technical Director Stratics.~

Your title is Technical Director. Briefly explain that job to our readers.

Having been around Stratics for over seven years you would think that answering this question would be easy but for some reason it is not. Somedays I feel like chief cook and bottle washer since the range of things I do as Techinical director run the range from basic html to determing technology and hardware update issues to figuring out solutions for moving from old scripts and tools to new ones without major impacts to our users.

As techincal director, I (and other members of the Tech Team) focus on the software backbone of Stratics rather than hardware. Even that does not quite cover it because while my focus is the software that drives what you see on the sites the network staff so actually creates the content you see so perhaps a better way to explain it is I help to maintain, create, and improve the code that supports that content. Each site has its own flavor, its own tools, sometimes their own solutions and while I do help with those, the standard network tools, scripts, integration, and templates are what I oversee to ensure that they all work together and the same way (as much as possible that is!).

I also help guide where the network is going techincally with new solutions to old problems. Lots of folks want the lateset, greatest but Stratics has been around for a long time so some days the most challenging problem is how to improve without breaking what is already there!

When some people see or hear the word "technical" connected to a person they think "geek" right away. Respect and talent is associated with geek but so is a physical stereotype. Please describe your physical characteristics and he honest, *smiles*.
That is so true and when I first became techincal director everyone thought I had to be a guy with a girl's nickname, nope, real girl here. *grin* Physical characteristics eh? Well apart the general stuff associated with being a girl and the fact that I do work on both web and for applications software for fun and for work, I am not a typcial geek, at least I do not think so, though my husband has called me a developer-in-denial for a very long time. If you want a physical description I am 5' 7", green eyes, fun, short haircut, and wear a size 8 (sorry no vital stats!). I love to do bike road trips (usually 20 to 40 miles) and ballroom dance as much as time allows.

What do you think is the hardest part of being Technical Director?

Having to say no to the staff when they have a really cool techincal project they want to do when I do not have the time or resources to make it happen. There are so many things going on behind the scenes to both keep the network running and projects in the works to prepare for some new upgrades that I have to say no in the short-term for the good of the long term. Things always move slower than we would hope so people often have to wonder what we are doing if anything! I SO want to be able to help them with all of the stuff they want to do to make their sites better and provide more information for the people who play the games they cover but being a director usually means trade-offs and making hard calls, plus I have a day job and a family, so when it comes down to finding time to work on Stratics projects sometimes it is the big picture stuff instead of the cool single site project that has to come first.

When was your first exposure to a computer and do you remember what type it was?

My first computer exposure was a TRS-80 and the Tandy 1000. I was running a Radio Shack in Southern California when the first Tandy's came out and had to learn how they worked in order to be able to sell them. It is amazing how far things have come since then when 512Kb was enough memory! I guess I must have some geek tendencies since I did learn how to hack hexicdecimal back then.

What was the first computer game you played and do you play computer games at present?

The first computer game I remember playing was SeaStalker on the TRS-80 using a cassette player to play the tape that had the game on it. It was totally text based and my favorite part was being able to set "maximum verbosity" AKA maximum details for what you are experiencing as you move through the game. I often use that phrase with my kids when I want more information and since they love games too it gets the point across.

I still play games but not as much as I wish I could. I started out on Stratics 7+ years ago when Asheron's Call was in early beta after having been a part UO for a long time as a player and a seer then tried a number of different games from EQ2 to DAoC as well as a variety of casual games and other PC single player games like Riven, Myst, Dungeon Siege, Diablo, etc. These days, when I have the time, I usually play World of Warcraft with family and friends and Freecell.

Is Marizelle your real name and if not what was the inspiration for this name?

Marizelle is not my real name and when I came up with it I did not know that it is actually a name of Spainish origin. I put together Mary from my favorite Aunt's name and Elle just to make it interesting but it was not very unique sounding so I added the "z" in the middle. And since, in game communities people always try to find the shorter variation, shortening it to "Mari" was a good solution.

Do you own any pets and if so what type and names? Is there any pet you would like to own?

I have two pets, both cats. Maia (named for a goddess of Spring) and Willow (named for Willow on Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Maia is a small gray and white miniature short-hair, minature in the fact that she is about the size of a 6-7 month old kitten and weigh 5-6 pounds soaking wet. She is "my" kitty, or perhaps I should say I am "her" human. She is wherever I am in the house and never lets me be too far away. As a matter of fact she is sitting right next to the mouse on the desk and once she decides I have spent enough time working/playing on the computer she will place herself between me and the keyboard to ensure she gets some attention. Some days though I think she is part dog since she loves to have her tummy rubbed, roll around the floor, and will actually play fetch with a toy mouse - and yes, she brings it back so you can throw it again!

Willow is a Siamese mix without the Siamese meow (thank goodness) but she is the kids' cat - always in their rooms, in their laps and more of a teenager mentality, and just like the kids, always getting into stuff. Her favorite place on the couch or the chair is your lap.

I have had lots of pets and animals throughout my life but cats are my favorite so I think I am going to stick to them!

What is your favorite color?

To be honest, I do not have one anymore. When I was a kid it was yellow but as I got older it changed and these days it seems to be any color of the moment that makes me feel good. Some days it is just seeing a bright red car in the midst of all of the white, black and gray cars that makes me smile, or seeing a rose in a super soft shade of pink that makes it look so fragile but is so perfect.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

This is a hard one. There a lot of things I am really proud of - gradutating from college, getting a nomination to West Point the year the first female graduated (in the '80s when it was still rare for girls to even try for service academies), raising two great kids, keeping my marriage working after 16 years, the things I have accomplished at Stratics over the years, but I do not think I have actually had something that has earned the "greatest achievement" status yet. I hope that in my life though I will actually achieve something like that.

What is your most treasured possession?

I would have to say my engagement ring and not for the reasons most people think... though it is pretty amazing. *grin* It is more the story behind the ring because I did not get it when I got engaged. I got it when I had been married for 9 years. My husband and I were in college when we got married so we could not afford a ring and I never really wanted one. Around year 8 we started having troubles in our marriage and even got to the point where we had planned to officially separate if the counseling and our efforts to work things out did not work. Well needless to say, it did work and on our 9th wedding anniversary my husband gave me a beautiful ring that told me, in spite of all of the heartache and hell we had had to go through to get back together, he would do it all again. So for me, when I see that ring, it is usually not the diamond I notice first but what the ring represents in our marriage, how much we can endure if we do it together and I only take it off my finger when I absolutely have to.

I am happy to say we have been married 16 years now so I think we did something right!

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Wow, tough question! My idea of perfect happiness is problably the rare times that you realize suddenly, in the midst of whatever is happening around you. that you are truly happy and loved. Not wanting more than you have right at that moment. I remember the first time that happened, it was such a profound thing for that thought to come into my head. I actually called my husband and said thank you for being a part of making that feeling a reality.

If you could change one thing about your family what would it be?

Actually for my immediate family I am not sure I would change much - maybe just having more time to spend with the kids and really talk to them, actually get them to talk to me so when they do open up I do my best to be there to listen. Twenty-four hours seems so long when the day starts but by the end of it, it is amazing how little time you have for the things you really want to do. For my family as a whole though I think I would like to be able to get my extended family talking to each other again - since my grandmother died 6 years ago my uncle has not spoken to my aunt or Dad nor they to him. I think that is a real shame and they are losing out on some special connections because they cannot let go of their disagreements. It also means that "family get-togethers" are always missing someone which means part is always missing.

Do you collect anything and if so what?

I collect a few things though lately I have been on a down-sizing kick to control the clutter so I have not added to the collections in a while. When I was a kid I collected white teddy bears of all sizes and shapes, at last count I had over 40 but most are stored away with only a few of my favorites - for special memories connected to them - out for show. I also collect Wee Forest Folk, these adorable figurines in the shape of mice. My husband started the collection for me years ago and usually adds to them for differenct occassions from anniversaries to Valentine's Day. My favorite is a mouse fortune teller that he got for me when I was a seer in UO to remind me of my role-playing character, Tarina Faa, a gypsy fortune teller who used to do readings for the players on Napa Valley.

What is your greatest extravagance?

I think that would have to be my scrapbooking/crafting hobby. It is something I do for me to be creative but also for my family to chronicle the passing of our time together. I love what I can create but I am a paper and supply junkie - I love accumulating cool new stuff even though I do not seem to use it as soon as I expected I would. My craft room is packed with cool stuff I have yet to use.

What are your favorite names?

Favorite names, eh? I have never thought about it. Though I guess my most favorite are the names of my kids, Allyssa Melanie and Nathaniel Scott, as well as some of the names that I have created for characters in my writing or for game play. Tarina, Tallene, Jerra, even Nytemarra (an Undead warlock in WoW) - I love coming up with a unique name that helps me envision the type of character they are or will be.

What is your motto?

"No worries" or "Don't sweat the small stuff" or even "If it is meant to be it will be" because it is SO easy to get overwhelmed by all of the little things and the distractions that happen in a day. It is amazing how some days even spilling a little water on the floor can just set you off. Letting little things slide really and putting priority on the right stuff really does help you focus on the bigger things that deserve your passion and energy to solve or get through.

Thanks for including me in your series Lady Lava!

The pleasure is all mine.~

9th August 2006, 03:38 AM	#1
Tabbitha Administrator Join Date: Mar 2006 Shard: Europa/Snowbourn Posts: 5,896 Gold: 49,150 Blog Entries: 6 Thanks: 208 Thanked 205 Times in 116 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 1	Interview With Stratics Technical Director, Marizelle source taken from UO Stratics Community Today I am honored and pleased to have as my guest Marizelle, Technical Director Stratics.~ Your title is Technical Director. Briefly explain that job to our readers. Having been around Stratics for over seven years you would think that answering this question would be easy but for some reason it is not. Somedays I feel like chief cook and bottle washer since the range of things I do as Techinical director run the range from basic html to determing technology and hardware update issues to figuring out solutions for moving from old scripts and tools to new ones without major impacts to our users. As techincal director, I (and other members of the Tech Team) focus on the software backbone of Stratics rather than hardware. Even that does not quite cover it because while my focus is the software that drives what you see on the sites the network staff so actually creates the content you see so perhaps a better way to explain it is I help to maintain, create, and improve the code that supports that content. Each site has its own flavor, its own tools, sometimes their own solutions and while I do help with those, the standard network tools, scripts, integration, and templates are what I oversee to ensure that they all work together and the same way (as much as possible that is!). I also help guide where the network is going techincally with new solutions to old problems. Lots of folks want the lateset, greatest but Stratics has been around for a long time so some days the most challenging problem is how to improve without breaking what is already there! When some people see or hear the word "technical" connected to a person they think "geek" right away. Respect and talent is associated with geek but so is a physical stereotype. Please describe your physical characteristics and he honest, smiles. That is so true and when I first became techincal director everyone thought I had to be a guy with a girl's nickname, nope, real girl here. grin Physical characteristics eh? Well apart the general stuff associated with being a girl and the fact that I do work on both web and for applications software for fun and for work, I am not a typcial geek, at least I do not think so, though my husband has called me a developer-in-denial for a very long time. If you want a physical description I am 5' 7", green eyes, fun, short haircut, and wear a size 8 (sorry no vital stats!). I love to do bike road trips (usually 20 to 40 miles) and ballroom dance as much as time allows. What do you think is the hardest part of being Technical Director? Having to say no to the staff when they have a really cool techincal project they want to do when I do not have the time or resources to make it happen. There are so many things going on behind the scenes to both keep the network running and projects in the works to prepare for some new upgrades that I have to say no in the short-term for the good of the long term. Things always move slower than we would hope so people often have to wonder what we are doing if anything! I SO want to be able to help them with all of the stuff they want to do to make their sites better and provide more information for the people who play the games they cover but being a director usually means trade-offs and making hard calls, plus I have a day job and a family, so when it comes down to finding time to work on Stratics projects sometimes it is the big picture stuff instead of the cool single site project that has to come first. When was your first exposure to a computer and do you remember what type it was? My first computer exposure was a TRS-80 and the Tandy 1000. I was running a Radio Shack in Southern California when the first Tandy's came out and had to learn how they worked in order to be able to sell them. It is amazing how far things have come since then when 512Kb was enough memory! I guess I must have some geek tendencies since I did learn how to hack hexicdecimal back then. What was the first computer game you played and do you play computer games at present? The first computer game I remember playing was SeaStalker on the TRS-80 using a cassette player to play the tape that had the game on it. It was totally text based and my favorite part was being able to set "maximum verbosity" AKA maximum details for what you are experiencing as you move through the game. I often use that phrase with my kids when I want more information and since they love games too it gets the point across. I still play games but not as much as I wish I could. I started out on Stratics 7+ years ago when Asheron's Call was in early beta after having been a part UO for a long time as a player and a seer then tried a number of different games from EQ2 to DAoC as well as a variety of casual games and other PC single player games like Riven, Myst, Dungeon Siege, Diablo, etc. These days, when I have the time, I usually play World of Warcraft with family and friends and Freecell. Is Marizelle your real name and if not what was the inspiration for this name? Marizelle is not my real name and when I came up with it I did not know that it is actually a name of Spainish origin. I put together Mary from my favorite Aunt's name and Elle just to make it interesting but it was not very unique sounding so I added the "z" in the middle. And since, in game communities people always try to find the shorter variation, shortening it to "Mari" was a good solution. Do you own any pets and if so what type and names? Is there any pet you would like to own? I have two pets, both cats. Maia (named for a goddess of Spring) and Willow (named for Willow on Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Maia is a small gray and white miniature short-hair, minature in the fact that she is about the size of a 6-7 month old kitten and weigh 5-6 pounds soaking wet. She is "my" kitty, or perhaps I should say I am "her" human. She is wherever I am in the house and never lets me be too far away. As a matter of fact she is sitting right next to the mouse on the desk and once she decides I have spent enough time working/playing on the computer she will place herself between me and the keyboard to ensure she gets some attention. Some days though I think she is part dog since she loves to have her tummy rubbed, roll around the floor, and will actually play fetch with a toy mouse - and yes, she brings it back so you can throw it again! Willow is a Siamese mix without the Siamese meow (thank goodness) but she is the kids' cat - always in their rooms, in their laps and more of a teenager mentality, and just like the kids, always getting into stuff. Her favorite place on the couch or the chair is your lap. I have had lots of pets and animals throughout my life but cats are my favorite so I think I am going to stick to them! What is your favorite color? To be honest, I do not have one anymore. When I was a kid it was yellow but as I got older it changed and these days it seems to be any color of the moment that makes me feel good. Some days it is just seeing a bright red car in the midst of all of the white, black and gray cars that makes me smile, or seeing a rose in a super soft shade of pink that makes it look so fragile but is so perfect. What do you consider your greatest achievement? This is a hard one. There a lot of things I am really proud of - gradutating from college, getting a nomination to West Point the year the first female graduated (in the '80s when it was still rare for girls to even try for service academies), raising two great kids, keeping my marriage working after 16 years, the things I have accomplished at Stratics over the years, but I do not think I have actually had something that has earned the "greatest achievement" status yet. I hope that in my life though I will actually achieve something like that. What is your most treasured possession? I would have to say my engagement ring and not for the reasons most people think... though it is pretty amazing. grin It is more the story behind the ring because I did not get it when I got engaged. I got it when I had been married for 9 years. My husband and I were in college when we got married so we could not afford a ring and I never really wanted one. Around year 8 we started having troubles in our marriage and even got to the point where we had planned to officially separate if the counseling and our efforts to work things out did not work. Well needless to say, it did work and on our 9th wedding anniversary my husband gave me a beautiful ring that told me, in spite of all of the heartache and hell we had had to go through to get back together, he would do it all again. So for me, when I see that ring, it is usually not the diamond I notice first but what the ring represents in our marriage, how much we can endure if we do it together and I only take it off my finger when I absolutely have to. I am happy to say we have been married 16 years now so I think we did something right! What is your idea of perfect happiness? Wow, tough question! My idea of perfect happiness is problably the rare times that you realize suddenly, in the midst of whatever is happening around you. that you are truly happy and loved. Not wanting more than you have right at that moment. I remember the first time that happened, it was such a profound thing for that thought to come into my head. I actually called my husband and said thank you for being a part of making that feeling a reality. If you could change one thing about your family what would it be? Actually for my immediate family I am not sure I would change much - maybe just having more time to spend with the kids and really talk to them, actually get them to talk to me so when they do open up I do my best to be there to listen. Twenty-four hours seems so long when the day starts but by the end of it, it is amazing how little time you have for the things you really want to do. For my family as a whole though I think I would like to be able to get my extended family talking to each other again - since my grandmother died 6 years ago my uncle has not spoken to my aunt or Dad nor they to him. I think that is a real shame and they are losing out on some special connections because they cannot let go of their disagreements. It also means that "family get-togethers" are always missing someone which means part is always missing. Do you collect anything and if so what? I collect a few things though lately I have been on a down-sizing kick to control the clutter so I have not added to the collections in a while. When I was a kid I collected white teddy bears of all sizes and shapes, at last count I had over 40 but most are stored away with only a few of my favorites - for special memories connected to them - out for show. I also collect Wee Forest Folk, these adorable figurines in the shape of mice. My husband started the collection for me years ago and usually adds to them for differenct occassions from anniversaries to Valentine's Day. My favorite is a mouse fortune teller that he got for me when I was a seer in UO to remind me of my role-playing character, Tarina Faa, a gypsy fortune teller who used to do readings for the players on Napa Valley. What is your greatest extravagance? I think that would have to be my scrapbooking/crafting hobby. It is something I do for me to be creative but also for my family to chronicle the passing of our time together. I love what I can create but I am a paper and supply junkie - I love accumulating cool new stuff even though I do not seem to use it as soon as I expected I would. My craft room is packed with cool stuff I have yet to use. What are your favorite names? Favorite names, eh? I have never thought about it. Though I guess my most favorite are the names of my kids, Allyssa Melanie and Nathaniel Scott, as well as some of the names that I have created for characters in my writing or for game play. Tarina, Tallene, Jerra, even Nytemarra (an Undead warlock in WoW) - I love coming up with a unique name that helps me envision the type of character they are or will be. What is your motto? "No worries" or "Don't sweat the small stuff" or even "If it is meant to be it will be" because it is SO easy to get overwhelmed by all of the little things and the distractions that happen in a day. It is amazing how some days even spilling a little water on the floor can just set you off. Letting little things slide really and putting priority on the right stuff really does help you focus on the bigger things that deserve your passion and energy to solve or get through. Thanks for including me in your series Lady Lava! The pleasure is all mine.~ Last edited by Tabbitha; 9th August 2006 at 03:51 AM.

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