About

I started my software career at University in Cardiff where my first program was crafted in Algol W on punched cards which were fed into an ICL System 4 mainframe using a 'cafeteria' job management system. This basically meant jobs (programs) were queued and when you got your slot the code had better compile and work or you were in for a long time revisiting the process.

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These days we can download a whole Integrated Development Environment using technologies like Eclipse, Visual Studio or XCode and a variety of frameworks and package management technologies like composer, npm, laravel, symphony, docker, git-hub, homebrew, nodejs, vuejs, go, jquery, react, webpack, to name a few, in a fraction of the time it took write the exalted "Hello World" program in Algol W! I love this and always get a thrill from playing with new technology whether it be an Amazon Alexa Lamba function or Windows for IoT on a MinnowBoard Turbot maker board.

 

Why I do this

 

I have spent my career building a broad and deep skill set applicable to most IT focused organisations and programs including:

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• Software Developer

• Software Architect/Designer

• Technical Field Software OEM Sales Support

• Technical Software Marketing

• OEM Software Sales

• IT Director

• Strategic Alliances manager

• Wine Store Proprietor (a slight twist here!)

• Software Global Supplier Manager (OEM Software Procurement)

• Software Product Lifecycle and Compliance Management (SAM)

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Along the way I have experienced the software technology and business innovation in multiple dimensions. A fascinating and mandatory requirement for many of my roles is to stay on top of technology innovation, remaining proficient and relevant in the rapid IT technology (r)evolution happening around us. Today's innovation would not be possible if it wasn't for the ever increasing speed and capacity of computer hardware,  processor capabilities, memory, storage and network at an increasingly lower cost. This has enabled many different levels of software and system abstraction that has lead to the app explosion and sophisticated and highly scalable server architectures. 

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All this presents massive opportunities for people as well as a daunting uphill challenge to some. While working at Cisco we were conditioned in the ways of Geoffrey Moore's classic 'Crossing The Chasm'. Where main stream use of anything, especially technology, requires a brave few to adopt and wring out the bugs of new products, ideas and technologies paving the way for large scale adoption.

 

I have always been someone willing to jump the chasm and then help people jump after me or help them build bridges to make the adoption easier!

 

What I can do for you

 

I don't profess to be able to do anything for you. Let's face it - at this point in time I might not even know you. What I can do though is share my own thoughts and opinions on all things Software.

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I plan on pointing to and highlighting important technologies, the companies or projects behind them, passing my own comments on them as necessary.

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I plan on highlighting training materials and reference information that I feel provide great resources for new technologists and those of us with a little more grey hair! Along the way I may also deliver my own tutorials, code snippets to help aid understanding.

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I plan on highlighting important resources for news and commentary on IT. Whether these are news focused, standards focused or analysts delivering reviews.

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This remit is broad and so I am going to start with things that interest me, hence my Soliloquies, and as my audience grows (if it grows) I'll take my lead from the audience members and adjust accordingly.

 

I want this site to become a go to site for things software related, news, opinions, help and training guidance. My goal is to help folks become enthusiastic and undaunted by the technology revolution happening around us. Let's see how I do :-) .    August 17, 2018.