My name is Lee Allen. I have been actively involved with Internet developments ever since its earliest days. In fact I had one of the first web sites in the world - even earlier than the BBC.
In those days the World Wide Web was just starting and was a minor part of the Internet. Web browsers were just beginning to be developed and the early ones were full of bugs and could not even handle images. Nominet did not yet exist - to get a Domain Name you had to apply individually to the UK Naming Committee.
During the 1980s I invented a universal system by which barcode readers and similar devices could be easily interfaced to the emerging 'Personal Computers'. I called this the KeyWedge system where the output from such devices miraculously appeared to come directly from the computer keyboard. This has now evolved into the universally adopted USB interface method for attaching such devices.
Over the years I have built many web sites and developed internet techniques for my own businesses and others. In 2000 I won a Millenium prize from the UK government for a method to enable web sites to host dynamically generated barcodes. I am still known as 'The Barcodeman'. I was the first to do this - now thousands of web sites around the world rely on such techniques.
Over the years I have developed an expertise and understanding that is hard to beat. I know how to create a good web site, I know what aspects of web design annoy people. I know what it takes both asthetically and technically. I know how to make a web site resilient. I know how to connect computer programming to a web site so it can do things thought impossible a year or two back.
But most of all I like to hide all the complicated technical stuff so to the user everything just seems to work smoothly, properly and without any difficulties—so it appears that 'everything works like magic'.
After more than 50 years engaged in electronics, computers and of course the Internet I am now reducing my workload in preparation for retirement. However I still maintain a number of web sites and also find time to keep updated in evolving ideas and developments. I am a member of Nominet and have been a Nominet Registrar for more years than I care to count.