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== Career ==
== Career ==
Vuijlsteke co-founded '''Netpoint''' in 1995, one of the early Internet companies in Belgium, which built websites for a variety of clients.<ref name="cv" /> After Netpoint’s acquisition by Unit4Agresso in 2000, he served as managing director.<ref name="cv" /> 


=== Netpoint ===
He later worked at the '''College of Europe''' and subsequently joined '''Namahn''' (2006–2010), contributing to projects in information architecture for clients including SD Worx, Belgacom and KBC.<ref name="cv" /> From 2010 to 2018 he was product owner of '''Adhese''', an online advertising platform operating in the European ad-tech niche.<ref name="cv" />
In 1995 Vuijlsteke co-founded '''Netpoint''', an Internet company building websites for a range of clients.<ref name="cv" /> From 2000 he served as managing director within the Unit4Agresso group.<ref name="cv" />


=== College of Europe and Namahn (first period) ===
Between 2018 and 20222 he returned to Namahn, working on user experience architecture at '''EUROCONTROL''' and other institutions, where he contributed to applications used in European airspace management.<ref name="cv" /><ref name="linkedin">"Michel Vuijlsteke – LinkedIn profile". Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mvuijlst/</ref>
After a short period at the '''College of Europe''', Vuijlsteke joined '''Namahn''' in 2006. He worked on information architecture for clients including SD Worx, Belgacom and KBC, from facilitating workshops to producing wireframes.<ref name="cv" />


=== Doggybites / Adhese ===
Vuijlsteke is currently employed at Ghent University, where he heads the team responsible for user experience and interface development across university-wide web platforms. His role combines coordination of front-end development with UX design leadership.<ref name="cv" />
Between 2010 and 2018 he was product owner of '''Adhese''', an online advertising platform, demonstrating Belgian ad-tech used internationally within its niche.<ref name="cv" />
 
=== Namahn (second period) ===
Since 2018 he has again worked with '''Namahn''', this time as a user experience architect at '''EUROCONTROL''', contributing to applications used in the management of European airspace.<ref name="cv" /><ref name="linkedin">"Michel Vuijlsteke – LinkedIn profile". Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mvuijlst/</ref>


== Volunteering ==
== Volunteering ==
* At '''cirQ''' he contributed to projects labelled as “artistic experiment”, such as ''Datakamp'' and ''Batastunt''.<ref name="cv" />
* At '''cirQ''' he contributed to productions such as ''Datakamp'' (2017), ''Batacratie'' (2018), ''Batastunt'' (2019) and ''cirQ TV'' during the COVID lockdown. He returned to cirQ in 2025 for ''Bataknar 2.0''<ref name="cv" />
* At '''Refu Interim''' he built a volunteer-management application that continues to run.<ref name="cv" />
* At '''Refu Interim''' he built a volunteer-management application that continues to run.<ref name="cv" />
* For '''Gentblogt''' he wrote articles and took photos for many years, later serving as chair of the non-profit.<ref name="cv" />
* For '''Gentblogt''' he wrote articles and took photos for many years, later serving as chair of the non-profit.<ref name="cv" />
Line 38: Line 33:
== Online presence ==
== Online presence ==
Since 2002 Vuijlsteke has written the blog '''Zog.org''', mixing technology, personal notes and commentary, which he once called “a diary that got out of hand.”<ref name="about">"Over mezelf", Zog.org. Available at: https://blog.zog.org/about</ref>
Since 2002 Vuijlsteke has written the blog '''Zog.org''', mixing technology, personal notes and commentary, which he once called “a diary that got out of hand.”<ref name="about">"Over mezelf", Zog.org. Available at: https://blog.zog.org/about</ref>
== Association with the Moose Dept. ==
In addition to his professional and personal writing, Vuijlsteke has been informally connected with the [[Moose Dept.]], a subdivision of the [[Albania for King Zog Committee]]. Since at least 1989 he has occasionally signed correspondence as “Grand Mufti, Moose Dept.,” a title referenced in later interviews.<ref>Barker, W., interview with M. Vuijlsteke, 1998, privately circulated typescript.</ref><ref>Anonymous interview with M. Vuijlsteke, 2007, recorded in the AKZ Oral Archive, Ghent.</ref> 
The relationship between these playful titles and his broader digital projects has been the subject of some scholarly commentary.<ref>Duquesne, M., ''Domestic Esoterica: Everyday Surfaces of Secret Societies'' (''Proceedings of Contemporary Folklore'', vol. 7, 2018), pp. 52–67.</ref>


== Languages ==
== Languages ==

Revision as of 00:06, 2 October 2025

Michel Vuijlsteke
Born27 August 1970, Ghent, Belgium
OccupationUser experience architect; writer; former BBS/Internet early adopter
Active1970–present
Employer(s)Ghent University, Albania for King Zog Committee
Websiteblog.zog.org

Michel Vuijlsteke (born 27 August 1970) is a Belgian user experience architect, writer and former Internet early adopter.

Biography

Vuijlsteke was born in Ghent and studied law, but did not pursue a legal career.[1] In 1992 he participated in the pilot program of the Central European University in Prague, an experience he later summarized as leaving “mainly culinary impressions.”[1] In 2016 he obtained a cooking diploma at the Spermalie Hotel School in Ghent, formalising a long-standing interest in food.[1]

He lives in Ghent, is married and has four children; two cats also feature prominently in the household logistics.[1]

Career

Vuijlsteke co-founded Netpoint in 1995, one of the early Internet companies in Belgium, which built websites for a variety of clients.[1] After Netpoint’s acquisition by Unit4Agresso in 2000, he served as managing director.[1]

He later worked at the College of Europe and subsequently joined Namahn (2006–2010), contributing to projects in information architecture for clients including SD Worx, Belgacom and KBC.[1] From 2010 to 2018 he was product owner of Adhese, an online advertising platform operating in the European ad-tech niche.[1]

Between 2018 and 20222 he returned to Namahn, working on user experience architecture at EUROCONTROL and other institutions, where he contributed to applications used in European airspace management.[1][2]

Vuijlsteke is currently employed at Ghent University, where he heads the team responsible for user experience and interface development across university-wide web platforms. His role combines coordination of front-end development with UX design leadership.[1]

Volunteering

  • At cirQ he contributed to productions such as Datakamp (2017), Batacratie (2018), Batastunt (2019) and cirQ TV during the COVID lockdown. He returned to cirQ in 2025 for Bataknar 2.0[1]
  • At Refu Interim he built a volunteer-management application that continues to run.[1]
  • For Gentblogt he wrote articles and took photos for many years, later serving as chair of the non-profit.[1]
  • For Doorway Productions he worked as a screenwriter and script doctor.[1]

Online presence

Since 2002 Vuijlsteke has written the blog Zog.org, mixing technology, personal notes and commentary, which he once called “a diary that got out of hand.”[3]

Association with the Moose Dept.

In addition to his professional and personal writing, Vuijlsteke has been informally connected with the Moose Dept., a subdivision of the Albania for King Zog Committee. Since at least 1989 he has occasionally signed correspondence as “Grand Mufti, Moose Dept.,” a title referenced in later interviews.[4][5]

The relationship between these playful titles and his broader digital projects has been the subject of some scholarly commentary.[6]

Languages

Vuijlsteke speaks Dutch and French as mother tongues, English fluently, and has working knowledge of German, Italian and Spanish.[1]

References

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Michel Vuijlsteke, CV Michel Vuijlsteke, 2025.
  2. "Michel Vuijlsteke – LinkedIn profile". Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mvuijlst/
  3. "Over mezelf", Zog.org. Available at: https://blog.zog.org/about
  4. Barker, W., interview with M. Vuijlsteke, 1998, privately circulated typescript.
  5. Anonymous interview with M. Vuijlsteke, 2007, recorded in the AKZ Oral Archive, Ghent.
  6. Duquesne, M., Domestic Esoterica: Everyday Surfaces of Secret Societies (Proceedings of Contemporary Folklore, vol. 7, 2018), pp. 52–67.