This is me. ^
A bit about me, specifically my history with technology:
I started in the world of software development in 1991, when I was 12. I programmed with Arexx on the Commodore Amiga, primarily working with Bulletin Board Systems (C-Net, specifically). Bulletin Board Systems were basically the internet before there WAS the internet.
You would use a modem to dial in (via a phone number) to another computer hosting the BBS. Everything was controlled through a command line interface, with no mouse control; additionally, there were no graphics/pictures, only text. So, the only design tools I had were using various colored letters, numbers and other ASCII characters.
I also attempted to develop several video games on the Amiga, which never came to fruition but they sure were fun to make...
In 1995, I took the first internet class available in MN (North Hennepin Community College) and was hooked. I started by just viewing a website's source code and changing variables to see what happened. From there, I learned ColdFusion (Adobe) and started developing large/comprehensive websites, primarily in the eCommerce space.
In 2006, I launched ShoutLife.com (now defunct), a family-friendly social networking site that quickly grew to over 200,000 members. This was a great learning curve in site-security and scalability.
My current day job is to develop and grow the eCommerce operations over at LightBulbs.com, where I have worked since 1995. I currently develop with ColdFusion and use MySQL as my back-end database. I also integrate a lot of public domain javascript/jQuery scripts to help give my site that special flair.
While I love software development, I also enjoy hitting business issues (friction) head-on and working tirelessly to come up with streamlined/simple solutions. I think there is a human tendency that tends to over complicate things, so I love the challenge to break a task down to the most effective process.
My Family
I married my college sweetheart, Laura, in 2000. As of 2022, we have nine wonderful children together.
We're not Catholic or Mormon.
We know where babies come from.
We’ll stop when we get an ugly one.
We just love kids. And we have very long winters in Minnesota.
Hobbies and Leisure
In my spare time, I REALLY enjoy getting immersed in the greatest form (IMHO) of multi-media: the video game. Let me explain:
I love books -- in video games, many times there are in-game books or items that explain the lore
I love music -- in video games, often times there is a beautiful lifting score that changes based on your locale
I love movies -- in video games, the cinematics can create a sense of realism and wonder
Video games have the best of all of these three popular mediums, but instead of being a passive observer, without the ability to change anything, you get to take on the role of protagonist and create your own reality.
I still remember being introduced to video games as a young child, initially playing (and being amazed by) Pitfall on the Atari. After that, I was hooked. We didn't own any gaming console or personal computer when I was a younger child, so I relished the opportunities to play at my uncle's house or with friends.
My uncle Steve and aunt Nancy bought me the aforementioned Amiga in 1991 and I've never looked back. I enjoyed the late nights gaming away and letting my imagination run wild! While I took a brief hiatus from this hobby after getting married, having seven children has opened up more opportunities to play once again. I love playing fun multi-player casual games with my kids but I also love diving into a huge sandbox RPG like Bioshock, Fallout or Skyrim and immersing myself in classic retro-style gaming like Minecraft and Stardew Valley..