So who is CZ?
Sigh. Well, this is my first crack at a personal web page. It's kind of interesting actually; I have spent years and years writing about pretty much everything under the sun, yet I have never written very much about myself. Oh of course I have my resume, but that tells what I've done; it doesn't tell who I am...
So who am I? How does one define themselves?
Well, let's start with the basics.
My name is Christopher Zach. I'm six foot eight, about 220 lbs, born in 1968, which makes me now over 33. I am married to Alex, a beautiful woman who is also an incredible graphics designer. I have two children, six cars, and a house in Maryland.
My favorite material possessions are my Porsches, my 84 VW GTI (which will last forever) and my collection of computers. I am currently the "keeper of the flame" for ITS, as I rescued the MIT AI/MC/DX Decsystem-20 computers from their destruction after they were decommissioned in 1991. AI is currently sitting in my downstairs computer room; I am working on restoring it. MC and DX are also quite safe; waiting for the time when they will be needed again to reform the CHAOSNET.
Actually I've been working on the Internet since I was about 17, after being kicked off the Vax-8600 systems at UMBC back in 1986. From that ignoble disaster, I had to complete my semester projects, so I befriended a professor of Biology at UMBC, hooked my PDP-11/23 system into the UMBC Decnet, and managed to attach to the TAC gateways to the ArpaNet. From there I found the ITS systems at MIT, where I was granted an account.
Since then I bombed out of college in 1988, and went into the business world. Everyone was just starting to look at networking PC systems, and my DECNet experience translated well to the fledgling WAN market. I worked at a variety of consulting firms, founded my own company (crystelcom), and finally went off to work at the IEEE Computer Society, where I was the head of Network Operations for five years.
In 2000, the Executive Director of the IEEE Computer Society was fired over a political move from the IEEE. My greatest mistake was in not resigning when this all happened. However I decided that I did not want to work in the new structure, and resigned in October of 2000.
I then went to CounterPane for a few months, where I implemented a number of project management applications. However I really missed working in Washington DC, and I finally decided to look for another job. One fell out of the sky (thanks to a recruiter) and I joined on with the American Association for the Advancement of Science as Network Operations Manager.
To be quite honest, I love the AAAS. It's an amazing place, with a lot of tech, and a number of smart people. I'm looking forward to making the AAAS run as smoothly as the Computer Society. It will take time, but now I'm waking right up in the morning and I *LOVE* going to work.
Who could ask for more?
So that's a bit about who I am. Next thing to write is where I am going. In the meantime, check out the links on the site. More info will be posted as time goes on.
Christopher Zach
November 2002