This is an interview by Tink with herself. Cristian asked her if she would be so kind, and, as Tink says, it's hard to refuse Cristian anything.

A Short Intro

• Located in: Point Reyes Station, CA, USA
• Occupation: Graphic Designer
• Nickname on IRC: tink
• Claim to Fame: Interview pages
• Fav. KDE applications: KMail
• Hardware: PPC

The Interview

What is your role within KDE?

Other than supporting my husband, making the interview pages, non whatsoever. ;-)

How and when did you get involved in KDE?

I was involved from the moment Waldo started to code for KDE. Not that I physically did anything but, I listen to his complains, plans and frustration for hours. Offered my view on I/O slaves, on GUI, on fonts etc. I'm a Mac person myself so I have a different view on things than most of the KDE developers. A couple of months ago Waldo and Cristian asked me If I would do an interview series of people behind KDE and I agreed.

How much time do you spend on KDE?

That's hard to say. KDE integrated in our life for a great deal. Sometimes I get frustrated by it because it takes up too much of our personal life and other times we talk and have heated discussions about it till 2:00 in the night. On the interview pages I spend an hour a week. Most time consuming is trying to get the developers to return their questions. ;-)

What is your favorite tool? (for developers; what is your favorite editor?)

Since I do all my work on a MAC it's BBEdit. I like to code my html by hand and don't like to use the big programs like Dreamweaver.

What was your first computer?

MAC Classic. Had to leave it behind in Holland, it still hurts ;-)

Which program would you say every KDE user should have?

Kmail. It's an excellent mail program and I've used it a lot when I had to use KDE last year for 6 months when my mac broke down. Waldo made some changes in Kmail so it could fit my needs and I was quite happy with it.

Where do you see yourself and KDE 5 years from now?

Myself; I hope to improve my health and maybe work again. My visa doesn't permit me to do any paid work here in the US. KDE; I'm sure KDE will by then play an important rule in the desktop environment, and certainly in the wireless devices. I also see MS getting involved in Linux and desktops.

Are you being paid to work for KDE and if yes by who?

No, Waldo is being paid by SuSE and we're very happy with that.

Personal Questions

Where and when were you born?

In Holland, September 28. ;-)

What school/university did you go to?

School for Electronic Publishing in Den Haag in Holland

What's your status, are you single and up for adoption?

I share my life with Waldo for 5 years now and we have been married 2 years.

If married/girlfriend/partner(m/f), how does he/she cope living with a KDE addict?

Strange question, it should be "how do I cope living with a KDE addict". It's not always easy. It's fantastic that he can make it his hobby his profession. But he gets a bit carried away sometimes, gets lost in la la land as I call it. Then it's hard to lure him away from his computer after 12 hours. I do understand though, but we also need some private time and it's not impossible to find a balance in that.

Do you have children?

Yes, her name is Lydia.

Do you have pets?

Yes, 2 dogs and 3 cats.

What are the biggest turning points/events in your life?

The day I met Waldo on the internet, on IRC. We met 5 years ago and never been separated since. And the day we moved away from Holland was a big turning point. Moving away from family and friends was a big step but I'm glad we made it.

What are the elements for a perfect vacation?

Sea, lots of books(thrillers), peace and quiet, bubble bath or jacuzzi. Doing what you want with no clock and no hurry.

What do you (and your s.o) like to do in your sparetime?

Go to the beach with our dogs. They need a lot of exercise and we love to take them everywhere.

What are the things you want to have done before you die?

Made a difference in ending the suffering millions of unwanted pets have to go through on a daily basis. Visit Scotland, write my book, and be the best caring person/wife I possibly can be.

If you could be invisible for 2 hours where would you like to be?

In Hilary Clinton's room. I admire her tremendously and I would like to know how she really copes with all the stress and publicity.

What song brings back a favorite memory? And why?

"The wind beneath my wings" from Bette Midler. It was a song we played at our wedding.

It's the winter season. You're having a few friends over for a fondue in your snow cabin. You can invite 3 famous people (death or alive) who will it be and why?

John Travolta, he's cute, funny and is a good dancer. Steve Jobs because I want to know more about his 'vision'. Hilary Clinton because I admire her.

Is your best friend (no family) a real person or an on-line one?

Both, my hubby is my best friend. We're both online a lot and 'talk' to eachother on IRC sometimes ;-)

Did you ever met a fellow KDE'r in person, when and where?

Oh yes, a few when we lived in Nuremberg for 7 long months last year.

Name your favorite quote/saying.

"In order to achieve that what's worth fighting for, it maybe necessary to loose everything else."