@23i - @Aalasteir (Q) - Index

Q: What is it like living in Sweden?

Sweden is a good country, but like all western countries we get increasing wealth inequality which causes both child birth rate declines and increasing difficulty getting into the housing market for first-time buyers. The municipality is not doing too well deciding to spend $500 million on a healthcare system from 1997 which when deployed didn't work and for instance removed words in the diagnostics comments such as "no bleeding" became "bleeding". Now it has been withdrawn from production and will probably not be deployed 2024, if ever. So it feels good paying a lot of tax knowing that it's being spent responsibly.

However, there are good things about it as well. Our air, nature and in general happiness is good. I am about to become a father and I think that's one of the best feelings in the world. I really hope my child can grow up in a good society though, and I will do my best to make sure my child is safe. I am really interested in attachment theory and I've been listening to Psychology in Seattle to get a better idea of what it is and how I can incorporate this into my own parenting. I'm excited nontheless.

- Hardware Story

Something I remember from when I was younger was the release of Battlefield 2. It was an incredibly beautiful creation, and I desperately wanted to play it on our computer that Dad had bought through his work. I decided to purchase the game at the nearest GAME store. When I finally got home, I took the disc out of the game case and placed it in the computer's CD drive. As the installation program started and chugged along, it felt so wonderfully close.

Once the files were in place on the computer, I found the .exe file for Battlefield 2 and launched it. As usual, the program seemed to create a black screen while waiting to load further. However, something happened - the game didn't continue loading but instead closed back to the desktop. It was my first experience of having hardware that was too weak for the software.

Q: Have you had many experiences with hardware issues? What are your thoughts on hardware in general? How do you feel about computers and technology?

I've been interested in technology for as long as I can remember. My first game I played was probably Super Mario Bros 3 on NES while getting my hair cut by my mother because it was the only way I could sit still. My interest continued but my parents, well mostly my father, was sceptical of technology and in particular didn't like that me and my younger brother spend so much time at the computer. We had some allowance though and that was really awesome. Either way, I had a chat with my father about my future and what I wanted to do. He told me that because I like computers so much I shouldn't work in an occupation where I sit at computers all day, because I will not do anything else. I felt like this resonated with me and it made sense. However, it wasn't the best of advice because this made me pursuit less optimal routes for me, and I ended up working in IT anyway after a detour.

Q: Your opinion and experiences of the Internet

As for my internet experience, I started out with the classic modem, connecting through the phone line simultaneously locking the phone line so no one could call in our out. One fond memory I have is playing Need For Speed 3 online with one of my classmates when I was around seven or eight, where we called each other on our father's mobile phones in order to chat. It was incredibly laggy and almost unplayable, but also glorious at the same time.

Q: The story of your username: 23i

My username stemmed from me discovering FL studio when my friend had it installed on his computer and I was at his place. I started producing and boy was I a beginner. At the very least I had played some piano from before so I had an idea of what notes fit together, but the mix was just all over the place. Either way - when I finished the song on his computer, I wanted to upload it somewhere. Since I had used Newgrounds for the majority of the 2000's, it was finally time to become a member so I could spread the music. 23i was really nothing but a random sequence of characters that I thought looked and sounded cool, so that's what it became.

Q: How did you discover the Newgrounds website? What inspired you to join the community? Do you feel differently about the site now compared to when you first joined? In what ways would you say the Newgrounds community has changed over the years, and why?

Alright here we go, haha. Some of these questions really make me think about how it was back when I first discovered Newgrounds as a site. I think it was searching for flash games while also learning how to install and use flash player. It was a hassle but once I got the hang of it I really enjoyed my time here. I remember playing Pico's school a lot and being really impressed with what people could come up with just using Flash 3. For me, the abstraction was a little too big for the time I was allocated by my parents to spend at the computer to actually be able to produce something worthwile.

Q: What would be your advice for creating music?

As for my advice for creating music, basically, do whatever you're comfortable with. Install some DAW and play around with the interface. There are tonnes of tutorials on youtube for instance now, and it should get you going. Or find a friend that has it on his/her computer and bother them until they help you make a song and learn in the process.

Q: What's the story behind you creating music for @Hyptosis's Relic?

Hyptosis Relic is really cool. I was actually approached by Hyptosis himself in DM asking if he could use my song A Figure Approaches. It was an awesome experience and I am still very thankful for Hyptosis DM and it's super cool seeing something I made in a game on the website that really meant so much to me over the years.

Q: Your favourite food and drinks

I love Kung Pao Chicken, but really, meatballs all day.

Q: What is your advice for being happy

For me, being happy is really about having your family close. It doesn't mean close in distance, but just close contact. I also make sure to keep myself active and in shape so I can play with my child(ren?) when they grow up, and in extension, live a happy and long life.