Welcome
I develop for the Web with an interest in cycling & keeping fit, gadgets, technology, finance, medicine, science and the outdoors.
Skills
I am competent in, but not limited to; MySQL2, LAMP2, AJAX1, ASP2, CGI1, (D/X)HTML3, CSS3, JavaScript2, LUA2, Perl2, PHP3, TCL1, Visual Basic2 and XML3 and read other languages. I’m also familiar with Adobe; PhotoShop CS42, Fireworks CS42, Illustrator CS31, InDesign CS31, Acrobat Pro3, Flash CS31 and Dreamweaver CS33.
I enjoy creating for the web with a real fondness for automated services.
I’m also a capable server administrator for installs such as bulletin boards/forums, IRC servers and associated services, Eggdrop bots, WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, game and communication servers and much more.
I am fluent in Linux & Windows, comfortable in Mac OS and competent in most applications from office suites to email clients and learn quickly when I encounter something new.
I can also repair and build hardware.
Key: 1 = Basic (further learning welcome) 2 = Competent (advanced learning welcome) 3 = Fluent
Experience
I have over 18 years IT experience; 13 years software support. 12 years programming and hardware support. 11 years server administration. 10 years online community development and support.
I co-owned Europe’s largest BotNet (a network of over 100 chat network bots (automated channel hosts)). I was the first person to write a services suite for IRCX chat servers although the project went unfinished when we moved from IRCX to IRCD. I have administrated chat networks (IRCD) of over 25 connected servers, community forums over 1,000’s of users and hundreds of game servers. I have written automated bot services for dozens of chat channels and anti-cheat bots for GSPs such as Multiplay UK. I have written online back-office systems for businesses and set-up small business networks to the Financial Services Authority guidelines. I also taught IT for 3 years, although I have been helping people with IT for over 10 years.
I have a vast experience in online communities ranging from community liaison, installing community software (such as chat servers and forums), writing staff guidelines and procedures, staff training & management and overall community management.
I am always learning and enjoy new challenges.
Hobbies
I love road cycling and can often be found on my carbon road bike. I’m also fond of Tae Kwon Do as I am a blackbelt although haven’t trained for many years due to a very bad injury. I enjoy challenges and take part in various things around the UK; if you would like me to undertake a challenge on your behalf or for a charity of your choice with partial or complete funding, please contact me.
I enjoy a wide range of technologies and more recently a patron for Linux and free software (as in beer and speech). There are many reasons to now choose free software over paid-for versions.