Tanner Helland Writes: #4

This is one of a series of personal letters written to / from Tanner Helland during 2003–2005. These letters cover—in immense detail—events in my life during that period, including many unfinished and aspiring designs and creations. As a person however, I have changed from the inexperienced, often immature person I was and my skills in programming and web-design have changed just as radically.

These letters have been republished to give deep insight into the way I tick, and to show a lot of background work that lead up to the concepts and skills needed to produce this website, which ultimately I failed to do so back then.

Kroc, my friend—
Ah, how I love to get your letters :) They are the best part of my mail. If only smail weren’t so slow…

Well since there’s a whole crapload for me to reply to (and it would probably take 21 months for me to reply the way it deserves :)) it will take me a little bit of work to find time to reply to all of this. I love to do it, though :) Seriously, your letters are my favorite to receive. There’s something reminiscent in seeing the Kroc watermark and 15 pages of info :) he heh.

BDA

I’m loving it!! The website and forums look absolutely amazing. BDA is such a brilliant idea. I just wish I had some part in it! :P I’m still in shock that you wrote an entire forum yourself. Typical Kroc—take a good idea, and make it 100× better by doing it yourself. Hats off to the design, though. Absolutely brilliant. I’d be proud to have any lowly music of mine dwelling on such a page :) I love the left panel. So, so good. You, my friend, have an incredible talent for design. Don’t even let anyone tell you otherwise. When I get back home I’m paying you however much it’ll take to get a redesign and hosting of tannerhelland.tripod.com. I don’t care about the cost—when I have the money, you’re the only designer I’d even consider going to. Brilliant! I wish I could click around it!! Please keep sending screenshots, provided the ink doesn’t cost too much. I’ll reimburse you if need be :)

CamenDesign.com

About time you did this. I’ve been wondering how long it would take you to start making money from independent design. Only concern is a stupid one you’ve already thought of I’m sure—make Sonic a Kroc :) Then you’ll be good. Keep me updated on

this one. I may just have to forward you some cash and have you fix up tannerhelland.tripod.com while I’m away. Let me know ballpark prices and I’ll see what I can work ;)

Music

Don’t know Feeder. I’ll look them up in 2005, lol. So much to do then. I enjoy Debussy & Rachmaninoff for classical music. Beethoven & Chopin have some good stuff too. I also have the FF S Generation† CD that is semi-classical :) he he it is a very good CD.

LDS Church music actually contains some good stuff. It’s all independent and is one of the largest Christian music markets around. There are some talented guys in the field—Kurt Bestor, Michael Mclean, guys like that. Sam Cardon is another. I just miss hardcore alternative and rock music. <sigh> But it’s for a good cause so I’ll endure :)

E-Mail

If I had the time to e-mail you, I probably would. Rules have very little meaning to me unless they are intended to help make me a better person. :) But I only have access to a computer for ~ 1 hour a week, and that’s barely enough time to write the family, so I guess we’re stuck with smail for now. Oh well!

Future Projects

What are the odds of you ever moving to the states? :) I figure that’s better odds than me moving to England. I would probably only want to do a co-op project if we could meet in person, like you said. What I’ve been thinking is that you could be a mean movie director. Directing is mostly design work, anyway. Think about it. I could hook up equipment if we had a good high-quality script planned out. Book, also a definite possibility provided we could meet in person. Game is harder; I’d probably only do music if I were ever to work on another project.

I’m glad to hear you planning for RL though. To be 100% honest, I sometimes worry that we get too caught up in non-RL stuff and forget about the necessities of real life.† Non-RL stuff is only

fun if you have the financial stability & security to back it up. I guess that’s why I spent 4 years of my life at college when I could have been playing.

It would sure be easier to just have you move to the states!! (Hint hint) Find a job in Utah or at least western USA, okay :)

MSP5

Ah, thank you to Vegeta. Unfortunately, comments like …the part between 1:18 and 1:29… don’t do me much good but it was nice to hear about the MSP. I’d forgotten about it completely! :) Thanks for cc-ing those my way.

CBUK

Definitely keep me updated. I’m expecting big things out of this site! :) Hopefully it will get you at least some money in return for all that work. Knowing your work, I have high hopes for its success :)

A section was removed here that doesn’t belong on the Internet (e.g. personally identifiable information).

Thanks again for the letters. I really do love to get them. So keep ’em coming! :) And let me know how things go with the missionaries. Hopefully there will be good ones in your area.

I will try to write more before receiving your next letter to answer specific questions. But for now, my hand is friggin exhausted. Time for a break :P

Peace and God bless.
Elder Tanner Helland
aka DemonSpectre