Ben Johnson: The Internet Janitor
Ben Johnson was born the same year that Coke attempted New Coke, and Microsoft released Windows to the world. He's Percipi's big kahuna.
He started learning HTML and the principles of design back in Grade 8, but he didn't really go into the business until 2003. He graduated with a Masters in Philosophy from the University of Western Ontario, which he claims actually helps with web design. His personal mission is to fight the good fight: to help rid the Internet of bad design. Sometimes, he likes to write in the 3rd person.
Allen Hebden: He Solves Problems
Allen Hebden is a firm believer in the idea that the more you can find wrong with something, the better off you’ll be when it comes time to do it right. He doesn’t believe in problems that have no solutions and he absolutely will not stop, ever, until your website is live. His main areas of expertise are project management, client communication, creative solutions to usability issues, and quality control.
He is also a graduate from the Masters program in Philosophy at The University of Western Ontario and really does buy that philosophy is useful for anything and everything. In his spare time he enjoys computer games, novels, and keeping up to speed on what's new in the world.
Katie Postma: Managing Communities
Katie Postma (shown right) has worked in online community management for more than 9 years and has worked with Myst, Uru, Prince of Persia, Serenity, Stargate Worlds and Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall communities. She is currently the North American Community Manager for Jumpgate Evolution.
Katie co-authored Massively Multiplayer Online Gaming II as well as Myst V: End of Ages Prima Official Game Guide. She has consulted for MMORPG development teams in Asia, India and North America doing online PR, Marketing and Community work. She also produced and directed the creation of the Children’s Gaming Community Portal, TenTonHamster.com. She has participated in Community Panels at several conferences including OGDC 2007, and ION 2008.
The Name
George Berkeley was an idealist philosopher born in 1685. A significant influence to David Hume, he strived to solve several problems of metaphysics and perception. His principle dictum was, "Esse est Percipi", or "Being is Being Percived".
Berekley believed that objects in the world, like a tree, exist only as a "bundle" of sensations like color, taste or smell. The tree is only a physical object inasmuch as it has those sensations tied to it. Since the existance of those sensations rely on someone percieving them, the object ceases to exist if there is no perciever.
Percipi has taken part of his dictum as our name to represent the importance of perception and sensation in new media. The "objects" of the internet have no material existance, but they can still have an enormous impact.