 I never imagined myself as a blogger. For that matter, I never imagined one day I'd be writing blogs for a dog named ALF or a dog named Gus. I'm reminded that one should never say never.
My wife and I met on New Year's Eve in 1977 and we rang in New Years Day 2014 together. I enjoy laughing with friends and exploring new ideas. My interests include a deep appreciation for [good music], graphic design, art, woodworking and photography.
Throughout the nineteen eighties I refused to buy into the notion that everyone needed a personal computer at home. The growing PC market seemed like a new fad that I could do without. It was several years before I determined how a computer could fit into [our] personal lives -- In the beginning I wondered why the average household needed a computer invading their homes. Checkbooks had been balanced accurately with pen and paper for decades. I owned an actual hands-on chess board for ocassions when I wanted a challenging game of chess.
My wife and I wandered into a local flea market during the summer of 1996 and spotted an early nineties model Macintosh Plus computer priced at $75.00. I tried to come up with a justifiable reason to purchase that computer -- a Macintosh Plus with 4 megabytes of ram memory and a meager 20 megabyte external hard drive. Later that same day, after a return trip to the flea market, a nineties model Mac Plus computer sat like a chauffeured passenger in the back seat of our car as we drove home. One month later to the day I located a compatible Apple printer for $99.00 -- my wife and I had found our path to the computer age!
That outdated computer provided my first introduction to an operating system that opened programs in virtual windows. Of course, Bill Gates generally receives credit for the concept of a windows-based operating system. In a matter of weeks that very basic and inexpensive computer system sparked my creative interests. I actually learned how to use a word processor, refill ink jet printer cartridges and began expressing my artistic side through a paint software program. I had artistic images saved in binary code - amazing.
My wife and I explored all the possibilities known to us at that time on our modest Mac Plus computer. After three months we began shopping for a more modern/updated system - our computer adventure had begun. We purchased two more computer systems over the next twelve months. Each system better than the previous one - each new system operating on the IBM format even though in my opinion Apple had a better operating system. The problem in those days - an abundant of Apple software wasn't readily available.
Our next logical leap was the exploration of the Internet and the World Wide Web. I soon realized that computers and the Internet provided a great opportunity for artistic expression. After two failed attempts to design some form of a Web site I came up with the concept for Mark's Online Graphics Site (MOGS). The idea was a simple one -- share my interests to a wide and varied audience and [just maybe] people will visit the site. The toughest part of attracting visitors to the site has been coming up with inventive ways to promote a personal Website.
Mark's Online Graphics Site (MOGS) began as a vehicle for artistic expression and opportunity. MOGS was eventually renamed Mogswebsite.com to entice visitors to explore other sections within the site. Through the years the site has offered me a unique opportunity to meet people from around the world. Several of those people became friends that I'll never forget.
- Mark McKinley - a.k.a., MOGS
  Photo Gallery Design - 2019 mogswebsite.com
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