BIG dumb cat: Our Staff

Our Staff

Cottenhamr

Owner / CEO / Editor in Chief / Software Engineer

I purchased my first computer at the age of 12, a Tandy 1000 HX from Radio Shack. Within the first month I felt that I had well surpassed the capabilities of the computer. Searching around locally and through Computer Shopper I was able to amass enough parts to build a 386 SX/16 with a 40mb hard drive. I ran a BBS from my bedroom in my parents’ house, meeting all kinds of geeks just like myself. From that point forward I started programming and building computers. I started a profitable computer building business at 16 while at the same time becoming the first sophomore in my high school to work as a coop. I worked for a fortune 500 company as a tech lead. From there I worked for other large corporations such as Mazda, DTE Energy, and Autodesk, all in the System Analyst / Software Engineer capacity. I am fluent in many different development languages and have a great deal of knowledge regarding computer hardware.

I have owned and operated many businesses and sites revolving around technology. I have been invited by Microsoft to their Redmond campus for insight and direction on the Windows Mobile platform. Some of my sites have included TinyTechNews.com, SmartGeek.com, TechGeekly.com, littlewhitedog.com, and IsThereTruthToTheRumor.com (digg before there was digg).

I am driven to technology and have a passion for the undiscovered. I am a software engineer at heart but my knowledge of hardware and the evolution of it throughout my 17 years in IT make me a very well rounded Information Technology professional.

Enjoy the BIG dumb cat.

Peaches

Jack of All Trades Writer

For the last 11 years I have been married to the most awesome tech-geek I have ever met. I have two children, one boy and one girl. I also have a BIG dumb cat, his name is Willie G.

For the majority of my career I have been involved in child care and started a website called the Child Care Exchange. CCE allowed parents to share information about local child care centers. The site lasted a good deal of time before it was sold to another group. I currently own and operate PossibleShowers.com, a site focused on Bridal and Baby shower ideas. The site is free for the web user and is only funded by donations and ads.

There are writers on BIG Dumb Cat that have a lot more experience in the technology arena than I do, so I will leave that to them. My focus is going to be bringing a personal, “non-tech” touch to the website. I will be paying more attention to the everyday news, entertainment world, and the crazy stuff happening on the web. My specialty will also be to searching for the Deals of the Day that are just too good to pass up. I want to help our readers and their families by finding discounts and freebies.

PcGamingGuru

Tech Writer / Gaming Genius

Bio coming soon.

Want To Play A Game? - OnLive, the "non-console" way to stream games to any Mac or PC, is looking for Beta testers to ignore the world of reality and sit for hours on end playing video games and letting them know what users think. The pricing has not been announced, but is rumored to be less than the price of a Wii. Prices lower than consoles f...

Dvorak A Genius? - In my opinion John Dvorak hit the nail on the head and built the entire house with one hit. I am so tired of all the different versions of Microsoft Windows. Microsoft would make so much more money if they sold Windows Desktop and Windows Server. My opinion is not because people are confused about what version to buy but more because the software industry doesn't need the...

Apple Blocks Google Voice - Right now I am on a big "I hate Google" kick. I just changed my email from gmail to another provider because I can't stand their email scanning practices. I will NEVER use Chrome or Chrome OS.

Computer Hardware Chart - I have said it before, today's young techies just somehow aren't as educated as the previous generation. Most of us that built our first or second computer from parts gained at computer shows know a bit more. I honestly believe that CS students should be forced to take a DOS Course, Unix Course, and Hardware Build Course before they are ever allowed to take a progr...

Crytek: No Crysis 2 This Year - A post over on Crytek's official modding forum reveals that the company does not anticipate a release of Crysis 2 this year, reporting that Crytek currently has no official ship date schedule despite the game's estimated October 30 release. Serving as the first title built upon Crytek's new CryEngine 3 (an...

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Windows 7 Screenshots - For those of you who haven't gotten a chance to use Windows 7 yet Paul Thurrott has posted a very nice archive of Windows 7 screenshots. Paul is blunt and tells it like...

Microsoft Ordered to Stop Selling Word - This is a joke. The legal system is overstepping their bounds. They usually get a witness or an "Expert" that doesn't know crap or is a fanboy of a co...

Microhoo!! - I have been hoping this deal would happen for so long now. It appears Microsoft has struck a deal with Yahoo. Expect some sort of announcement within 24 hours.

Computer Hardware Chart - Lifehacker has a chart that might help the techies that know less than they think they know. This isn't a put down, I am just tired of seeing so many posts on other si...

WoW Signs Director - Sam Raimi has signed on to direct the movie version of World Of Warcraft. He did an excellent job with the spider-man movies, so this should turn out to be a big deal.