Skill Set
The world of the internet and information technology is fascinating and has transformed our relationship with information in unprecedented ways. However the landscape of this new world changes very quickly. It is hard for the average consumer to keep pace with new hardware and software products. The situation presents even more challenges for professionals (and hobbyists) who actually produce these products, who wish to both be well-versed in the vast array of tools already in use, and to stay current with the rapid and frequent new developments in the field.
Because my clients rely on my decisions, I have a resolute dedication to constantly increasing the breadth of my skills. Thankfully I truly love this aspect of my profession, and each project I complete invariably requires me to learn new skills. Since I've been in web development since 1996, I've amassed a skill set that allows me to serve clients in graphic design, print design, web design, web programming, web hosting, database design, flash development and programming, data-driven applications, digital photography-audio-video, and custom tools development.
For those who like to see the gory details, below is a list of tools in my toolbox, along with star (*) strength rating out of 5. Note that all code mentioned below is hand-coded in my favorite editor: (g)vim.
Client-Side Code
- The big three:
- (X)HTML *****
- CSS *****
- Javascript (DHTML) *****
- HTML Forms (data collection) *****
- Flash Actionscript 3 ****
- Flash Animation ***
- AJAX *****
- Javascript Frameworks:
- scriptaculous ****
- prototype ****
- Mootools ***
Server-Side Code
- PHP *****
- PHP Frameworks
- Smarty Framwork/Template Engine *****
- Zend Framework ****
- Code Igniter (model view controler) ***
- Pear Repository ***
- MDB2 ***** (Db abstraction)
- DB Table ***** (Active Record / DB objectification)
- HTML QuickForm ***** (High level form generation)
- Cake PHP (model view controller) ***
- Drupal (content management) **
- Joomla (content management) **
- Perl ***
- ASP **
- Ruby **
- Ruby on Rails **
- Python *
- VBScript *
- Linux Command Line ***
- Database:
- SQL *****
- MySQL *****
- Postgres ***
- MS Access (odbc) ****
- Delimited text *****
- Database abstraction ***
- Active record model ***
- Apache Server:
- .htaccess ****
- .htpasswd *****
- mod rewrite ****
- Subversion (version control)
E-Commerce
- Paypal integration *****
- Google checkout integration *****
- Authorize.net gateway API *****
- SSL
- PCI data compliance
Coding Tools/Editors
- VIM / GVIM (my favorite) *****
- Dreamweaver *****
- NVU *****
- Go Live ****
- Eclipse ***
Graphic Design, Photography, Audio Tools
- Photoshop *****
- Gimp ***
- Freehand (vector) ***
- Fireworks (vector) ***
- Audacity (audio editor) ****
Other Skill and Experience
The following skills might be special assets on specific projects.
Language / Inter-cultural Skills
I spent many years in the language field as a teacher and interpreter. One of my undergraduate degrees is in French, and I did my Masters degree in Language Acquisition and Education (more info on my resume). I'm comfortable working in bilingual, trilingual and even multi-lingual situations. I spent 3 years working with Latinos and Hispanics as a Spanish-English medical interpreter at Mission Hospital, Asheville, NC.- English *****
- French ****
- Spanish ****
- Italian **
- Chinese *
