Work
Leisure
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Full Skill Set...
A Curriculum Vitae never quite says enough does it?
Below are listed all my skills broken down into relevant categories.
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DBA & Programming...
My IT skills are as follows:
Oracle & PL/SQL- I have been using Oracle since version 7i and I have over 4 years expereince as an Oracle DBA through to version 10g. I currently create packages and procedures and carry out all usual day to day admin tasks for a database that in its production version contains over 3 terabytes of highly sensitive data, and am responsible for much of the RMAN scheduling, data modelling and performance tuning of 3x10g databases containing well over 100 separate schemas.
Linux Sysadmin- I started using Linux in about 2004, since then I've taken the time to learn as much about it as possible. My main experience has been with Red Hat AS/ES v3 onwards, but I've also made extensive use of CentOS, Fedora 4 and Ubuntu. Securing multiple websites using Apache configuration and OpenSSL, Mail servers, DNS management, Vim, Grub all the the usual stuff really.
ColdFusion- I have been using ColdFusion since 1999 starting with version 4.01 ongoing to version 8 and all the new functionality. If ColdFusion can do it then I've most likely used it, LDAP handling, Ajax, Verity, XML, components and functions, charting, image manipulation etc, etc, etc. I think ColdFusion is absolutely marvelous for rapid web service and application development. Not only that but it's easy to both teach and learn (see training below).
SQL / T-SQL... Although I am chiefly an Oracle DBA, I also have SQL Server and MySQL skills that are predominantly based around MS SQL Server from v7 to 2003. I have a great deal of experience in writing Stored Procedures with user defined function based error handing, T-SQL in financial transactions, Triggers, Constraints, DTS packages and relational database design.
C++- I have around 3 years experience in using C++ with the Win32 API and MFC. My professional experience has mainly been in a subsiduary role of updating existing software developed to enable flat file data structures to be imported into a 3rd normalised relational db system.
Java- I have used Java in growing amounts over the last 10 years ranging from simple applet development in the 90's to writing an NT Service that used a multithread FTP class handling over 100Mb a day (back in 2001), accepting connections from specific IP ranges and implementing the required security (whisper: This was used by D*sney but don't tell anyone). I have also completed the Sun SL-275 programming course.
PHP- Ahhh, PHP. I currently code and maintain a small datadriven PHP site for the Belgian government in conjunction with Apache running on Red Hat AS 4.0. It's a very nice little project, multi-lingial too.
ASP.NET- Not my favourite but we have to learn why we dislike things. My main gripe with .NET is that MS constantly changed the standard component set with each Windows release so the scripts were constantly having to be updated. I've created a few applications using .NET but don't particularly enjoy it.
JSP- Why do we need EJBs? So that banks, corporations and other large organisations can have trackable RMI components, improved security and an average payroll for software engineers that would scare the living daylights out of NASA.
Javascript- I've been writing Javascripts for over 5 years and it still makes me laugh when I see the average Dreamweaver rollover code. Web Designers seem to give you a glazed stare when you tell them it's rubbish and ColdFusion novices look at their generated source code with a gasps of astonishment at the 500kb of completely useless script they've managed to produce. Long live getElementByID() and CSS.
XML- Dynamic XML creation and object based data transfer are the name of the game in many respects these days. The multithread FTP NT service mentioned the Java section above is a good example, and since then I've moved into XSLT as well, it's very good when it's well structured. But if it isn't... eeek!
D/HTML- All a bit old hat now but when I fisrt started playing with computers in about 1984 I realised how difficult it was to do simple things like create a nice screen output from a Spectrum/Amiga (remember "Depth Charge"?). Somethings never change do they? It would be fair to say that in the last 10 years HTML and all its dandy children have had me gazing at the ceiling wishing that the internet would just go away. It never happened so I've had to hone my skills for all browser types with an eager nod of the head to the W3C accessibility guidelines. This can be difficult when your trying to fulfil a request for dynamically generated realtime interactive video content for display on a Japanese Spec PDA.
CSS- Why CSS has taken so long to become the de facto standard layout control mechanism is beyond my ken. I'm a big fan. You may have noticed that most of this site's look and feel is achieved using CSS1. My next task is to make a version that is entirely compatible with the W3C usability requirements using CSS2, so you may hear me cursing the Mac Safari browser some time soon.
Visual Basic- Hmmmm. The thing is I now work with the security object enrollment APIs for all the main clients and servers, and MS being what they are, VB is an absolute must if you want to work with older versions and have reliable request and certificate installation routines. Except on Vista of course....
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Training...
Up until around 5 years ago I delivered numerous different training programs on a range of subjects. These are listed below:
Marketing for the web... For over 18 months I worked with Andrew Walker, who is the Professor of EBusiness at the École Supèrior de Grenoble, France. My role involved travelling around Europe delivering training to corporate clients, SMEs, university lecturers and others on effective marketing strategies for online business. Notable corporate examples include the ACCA, the EMI Music Group and Telemark Music o.b.o. Sony Music Entertainment UK. I was part of a 3 person team who created a modular 5 day course which was eventually expanded to be accepted as a modular section of 3 MSc courses in Ecommerce and Business Studies run by Leeds Metropolitan University, the University of Bradford and the University of Huddersfield.
Ecommerce... As the sole trainer for Shopcreator I demonstrated, instructed and aided dozens of individuals and companies in creating their online stores, portals and standard websites. This involved hands on help and advice on optimization, search engine registration methods, web spider methods and effective business rule implementation.
HTML... Not only was I cursed with learning how HTML works in half a dozen broswers but I had to teach lots of youngsters the same thing in my first year after leaving university. They were delighted as I'm sure you can imagine.
VRML... At the same time as the HTML teaching role I also began training selected junior developers how to make 3d worlds using VRML, including spacial audio effects, surface mapping, linking and detail level control. This was much more interesting for them than staring at a 1 pixel difference in an IE/NS HTML test.
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Design...
I always liked the idea of art, I wasn't very good at it so I took up design instead!
I have a professional understanding of the following design environments:
Adobe Flash... Moving Pictures? On the internet? Oh yes, we can do it all with Flash, plus the new FLV stuff gets video up there too. I've used ActionScripting to create data driven Flash applications and mulitimedia presentations.
Macromedia Fireworks... As opposed to Dreamweaver which I have "issues" with I love Fireworks as long as designers aren't allowed to export the HTML it produces.
Adobe Photoshop/ImageReady... From optimal 256 colour website design to billboard size CMYK images I have plenty of experience here. I find the batch prosessing capabilities to be a great help when receiving large product catalog image libraries.
3d Studio Max... The great 3d design software from Discreet. I used this to create a lot of 3d scenes which were imported into Flash to create cool looking (but bandwidth hungry) websites for several clients on request. I'm in the processing of digging some examples out of my archives and getting permission to use them here. In the mean time just look at the Design [3Mb! bb] section under Leisure. These are some test objects to see how many surfaces I could use without the file size getting silly, but it did.
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