Greetings Everyone!

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Marc Garrett ( aka Daos on The Darkening Sun & Dawn of Time ). I am no stranger to TopMudSites.com but this is the first time I have registered a forum account here and I look forward to participating in the many topics that will pop up here and there.


About Me:

In real life, I am an insurance broker and I do financial planning for people - especially when the unexpected occurs and someone loses a member of their family. I am a MGA ( Managing General Agent ) with Senior Life Insurance Co. and I love what I do.

About Me & MUDs:

I was introduced to The Dawn of Time in 1999 by a long time friend from High School. Prior to that I had no MUD experience. After a few months, I fell in absolute love with the concept of text-based gaming. Anything that induces a person to use their imagination based on what is read rather than visually imprinted through graphics is a winner in my book.

How I Participate with MUDs:

Dawn of Time sadly came to a closure around my birthday in May 2000. I saw there were several people that seemed displaced so I took it upon myself with what I learned from August 1999 to May 2000 to try and build a new MUD from scratch. Simply NO EASY TASK. Thankfully, I had the assistance of Michael Garratt (the developer of DoT codebase) and he helped me launch The Darkening Sun.

On the MUD I operate, I act as the primary developer and have a wonderful team of people that work with me to make it a great place. It is so hard to believe it has been 10 years this week that we opened to the public.

Insurance Man a Coder?!?!?!?

YEP!!! I wasn't always into insurance. Originally, I was in the computer field. I acquired certifications through CompTIA (A+, Server+, Network+, Security+) and also received my certifications from ICCP (Institute of Certified Computer Professionals) in various assembly languages (c, c++, coldfusion, tcl & perl scripting, and j++) as well as my MCSE. I was going to take it a step further with the CCNA (Certified Cisco Network Associate) but that is a VERY hard course and I was getting burned out with programming and computers in general very quickly. So I now treat my game as a hobbyist development and I happily privately fund the site for the sake of people enjoying themselves.

My Goals:

I have several life goals and MUD goals. My life goals involve success in business and in my personal life. If I know I have helped a family during their time of need, I know I have done my job. With the MUD,,, as selfish as it may sound - I actually want to have the largest non-commercial MUD the internet has to offer. Yes, it is a long shot because there is a lot of talented people operating great sites, but I want to show many folks what can be done where most people have said "it can't be done." I have always opted to pioneer and test out new things and better yet, making them work! (ie. having 50+ colours available to use on the MUD breaking the boundaries of ansi limitations)

More About Me:

I am thick skinned when it comes to criticism. I don't care if its from members of any internet community to my very own company, I am not bothered by what people may say. In fact, I take it into account so that way I can grow beyond my own set boundaries & capacities. Bottom line is critiquing is the only way people can grow - whether it be light or heavy criticisms, I tend to accept it and do what I can to make myself, my practice, or even my MUD a better entity.

Pet Peeves:

People talking behind other people's backs is my ultimate pet peeve. If someone has something to say, SAY IT! There is an old saying, "If you talk behind my back, you are in the perfect position to kiss my @$$". People that are rude, clipped or act as elitists also tend to rub me the wrong way. In my humble opinion, everyone should be treated equally and with fairness.

Finally:

To briefly conclude my little introduction, I again do look forward to participating in this community. Despite the many differences all players have in any text gaming community, we all share a common passion - the passion of having the warm glare of text being printed before your very eyes.....maybe it is a pkill fight, or maybe you found your lover to find content in the arms of another....or maybe it is a mystery immortal sending you a warm greeting. Whatever the case may be, we are united by that passion! Cheers mates!

Special Thanks:

Special thanks to Derek of who has helped me get re-established on this site! Thanks a million!

- Marc / Daos