About Me

I’m trying to get fit again, and I’ve taken up riding a bike in order to reach that goal. I’m also more careful about eating and drinking and I find the combination of the two helps. In the process I’ve become very interested in biking.

I’ve stacked on a load of weight due to spending too much time behind a computer screen, which is due to my job/vocation.

I’d describe myself as a medium geek, because nowadays life seems to revolve around this machine, the networks it connects to and what I can do while there. I have interests in education and also “social” software. Currently I deal solely with Atlassian’s Confluence as the platform of choice. You’ll notice however that this is a wordpress blog. I try and keep my hand in by occasionally delving into WordPress and Joomla.

I am part of the team over at Adaptavist.com, a company that deals solely with Atlassian software. We host, customise, develop, support and provide training, all services and products dealing with Atlassian products.

My role at Adaptavist is mainly as a trainer, although I am involved in all aspects of the company. I develop and deliver Confluence training and training for other Atlassian products as well as Adaptavist’s own plugins, Theme Builder and Community Bubbles. I blog occasionally in my space at Adaptavist.com. Please note that the emmarush.com blog is completely separate from Adaptavist and does not represent the company in any way.

Prior to working at Adaptavist I was a web developer/designer, multmedia designer and a lecturer in web-based technologies. I used to use Open Source Software and technologies such as PHP and RubyOnRails. I was also partial to a bit of Flash, video editing and DVD creation. I still dabble in aspects of those technologies in my current role.

In the past I have created web sites, eCommerce sites and set up and maintained virtual learning environments for schools, universities and also for the private sector. I’ve worked for a few companies and I taught at a Manchester college where latterly I worked as a Multimedia designer. For a while I worked for myself as Shire Hill limited, but now it’s all about Adaptavist.com

I am fascinated by all things web, design and multimedia.

My aim is to use this site to add links to interesting stuff related to my web design, web development and technology interests. I’m also developing an interest in cycling as a means of getting fit after a ten year break from fitness, which I am hoping to provide riveting and entertaining information about.

One of my other huge interests is comedy. I have a very dark sense of humour which is often peurile and bizarre. My ideal day would be spent watching Flight of the Conchords, Family Guy and Psychoville. All three, comedy brilliance.

Apart from comedy, biking and geekery, I love walking in hills and mountains, languages, literature and music. I’m also very fond of my husband, who I often ironically refer to as him indoors. The joke being it’s me who is indoors as I work from home. See? Yes, hilarious isn’t it.