I've worked as a software developer for over 14 years. I thrive on learning new tools and technologies, and I love finding new approaches to solving problems. This site provides an outlet for me to share the things I'm learning, exploring, and wrestling to the ground.
Java/Java EE
I've been developing with Java for over 12 years on projects large and small. This is my bread and butter. I've worked with most of the technologies in the Java EE stack and am very familiar with the surrounding ecosystem of libraries and frameworks. I've dealt with the bloat that often encumbers Java development and I enjoy exploring leaner frameworks and production targets.
Web
I cut my teeth building web applications so I'm well versed in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. I have a healthy disdain for IE and enjoy using "new fangled" libraries and tools to build responsive, cross-browser UIs. I'm the first to admit that I'm not a designer, so frameworks like Bootstrap and Foundation are my dearest friends. However, I have a decent eye for what looks good and I can certainly apply a design consistently.
Ruby on Rails
I've been dabbling in Ruby and Rails development for over 5 years. I've used Rails exclusively for all the web applications I've recently built outside my full time gig. I hope to have a few of them polished well enough to show here very soon (did I mention I'm not a designer? ). I haven't had the opportunity to work with Rails full time, so I'm still learning the finer points of the stack. But, I love the sense of productivity I feel when I sit down to solve problems with Rails.
Data Storage
I started my career building Oracle client-server applications, and I've worked with Oracle databases in varying capacities ever since. I've also worked with a number of other databases to include MySQL, PostgreSQL, and several other lighter, smaller options such as Apache Derby and h3. I strive to build ANSI compliant SQL and vendor-neutral data integration to as much extent possible. I also have experience with cloud-based data stores such as Amazon S3.
Mobile (iOS/Android)
What can I say, I'm a total noob but I'm thoroughly enjoying learning. I just completed a pair of iOS and Android development courses that I absolutely loved. I have several project ideas to explore and hope to be able to start on them soon. I'm also learning about the iOS and Android ecosystems and am keeping an eye out for related open-source projects that need contributions.