I’ve been a computer professional since 1981 and have a wide range of experience in the computer industry, particularly in real-time software engineering (the complicated, can’t-afford-to-get-it-wrong kind of computing). For many years I’ve concentrated on domestic computer support, which means I get to meet and help a wide variety of people. However, I still do commercial work including setting up computer systems, solving all kinds of business-related computer problems, and dealing with computer-controlled industrial machinery.
My first job was working for a government research organisation, and then I moved into the private sector to work for a large telecommunications equipment manufacturer. After that I became a contractor and worked on printed circuit board design software, a trans-Atlantic optical fibre cable project, consultancy and customer support for a major semiconductor manufacturer, network management software for the UK’s main supplier of landline-based telephone services, and software to store large maps in a geographical information system. I’m now self-employed and work from home as well as on customer premises.
Unusually for a person with an engineering and programming background, I enjoy technical and other non-fiction writing, and am interested in typography, the semi-automated organisation and layout of large documents (sometimes called ‘documentation-as-code’), and design in general. I’m also interested in 3D graphics (just still images, not complex animations). However, I believe in keeping everything as simple as possible, which is why this website is very basic (web development can be painfully complicated and messy). The more complicated things are, the greater the chance that something will go wrong.