My name is Alax Villmann, and I'm a 17-year-old self-proclaimed web designer. I love coffee, and I listen to music pretty much all day, every day.
The story behind my name change
For those of you who know me (or know of me) you probably know that I spell my name Alex, just like any other sane, normal teenager. I spelled it that way because that's how I was taught; that's how I thought my name was spelled. Apparently, I was wrong.
I found out when I turned 15. I went to get my driving permit, and had to bring identification (namely, my birth certificate). I didn't look at it; I knew my name and where I was born. I took the test, and went to get the piece of paper that would allow me to drive (well, legally, that is). The woman at the counter asked me to confirm a few things, and then write my signature. I did, and she asked why I'd spelled my name wrong. Looking at my signature, I was totally confused; I'd spelled my name correct.
That was when she handed me my birth certificate, which read "Alaxander Villmann." Thinking it was a simple mis-print, she looked up my social security. It read "Alaxander Villmann." I checked my passport. "Alaxander Villmann."
I had been spelling my name wrong my whole life.
Honestly, it was a mistake somewhere; my parents never intended for my name to be spelled with two "A"s, which explains why they were clueless as well. I thought it was stupid at first, and was set on going to get it changed. Over time, it grew on me, and I decided to keep it. So, here I am, Alax Villmann.
At least I got this sweet domain because of it.
It's still pronounced the same (you can pronounce it however you feel like), and I don't care if it's spelled with an A or an E, though if you're wondering, I spell it with an A.
Less personal, more work
You probably don't care at all about my name. That's cool. What you might care about is what I do.
I am a self-proclaimed designer, meaning I have no formal training and what I produce may or may not be considered "designs;" if you hate my work, awesome, and if you don't, I'm available for hire.
However, I do more than just design. I'm an avid PHP/Javascript/HTML/CSS coder and a *nix ninja. Regarding PHP, I tend to write using the excellent CodeIgniter framework, but am also well-versed in the likes of WordPress and Drupal. I'm a strong supporter of the XHTML serialization of HTML, because I belive in quality code, not quick turnaround. I love the 960 framework when writing CSS, and have been caught using both jQuery and MooTools (and sometimes Prototype, but less often).
Most importantly, I don't use Dreamweaver. Or anything even remotely related.
I hand write all of my code; you will never catch me using a layout utility. This is because hand-written code usually looks and performs way better, and it allows for much higher quality work. I use Coda and love it; if you're on a Mac and not using it, I definitely recommend it.
As for *nix, I run several Debian/Fedora servers, a Virtuozzo cluster based on Debian, an Ubuntu server at home, and sometimes a Snow Leopard server (terrible idea; if you like linux and all its command line glory, stay away. I was lured by a pretty UI; biggest mistake ever. But that's a long, boring story.) I also have a MacBook Pro, with Snow Leopard as my main OS.
What I'm getting at here is: If it runs on *nix, I can set it up. However, I specialize in the likes of Debian, Apache, MySQL, PHP (LAMP stacks) and a couple other things.
Back to personal
I don't use Facebook, I will never Tweet, and I loathe MySpace. I already spend a ridiculous amount of time working at the computer, the last thing I need is more distractions. However, when I am distracted, it's usually with things like Digg and Last.fm. I'm also on Xbox Live (my whole family is, we have a ridiculous amount of 360s); hit me up on the contact page if you're in a gaming mood.
And, that's about it. Keep on being awesome.