Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain. -- The Wizard of Oz, 1939 It's mind boggling. The more you understand about how The Internet and computers work, the more you begin to appreciate the intricate relationships between all of the hardware and software components. It all comes down to communication, with each piece communicating with another in a complex chain, until a desired outcome is achieved. Yet, at the end of the day, only one thing really matters. Does it work? The end user rarely cares about how and why it works. When it works, nobody notices. When it fails, everybody just wants it fixed. All of those carefully planned sequences of communicating pieces are totally lost to them. For those who develop, maintain, and modify those hidden but oh so vital pieces, there is rarely any openly advertised praise. Often times, there isn't even tangible evidence of their handiwork to the end user. That's the nature of the work that Nolan Data Services does. I know that I've done my job when you are able to do yours, and forget all about mine. So often I'm asked, "Just what is it that you do?" Wow. What a difficult question. Well, to be honest, it really depends on what day you ask that question. Some days, it's mostly web-based PHP programming, while on other days it's all about SQL databases. Occasionally, things like custom VOIP and email solutions rule the day. Once in a while I even take on the role of teacher and teach others these skills. A boring day consists of going through log files and updating software to keep a Linux server up-to-date. An exciting day might involve working with programming languages like C, Python, or Java and seemingly mysterious protocols with 3 and 4 letter acronyms. On occasion, I might design and wire up an ethernet network for somebodys office. Below are some keywords and phrases to catch your attention. This list is far from complete. Some things I'm REALLY good at. Others, are from long ago, but the ability to get back up to speed exists. When more expertise is needed, I can always use my existing knowledge to work with others to get the right blend of skills. Low level protocols: TCP, UDP, SMTP, HTTP, XML, and SIP Extensive knowledge in programming with low-level C in UNIX environments. Other procedural languages: Perl, Pascal, Fortran, TCL/TK, Bash, and assembly Although I'm quite rusty when it comes to specifics, I understand what is needed to write REAL code in OOP languages -- many folks out there are "fluent" in an object oriented language, but can't seem to "think" using OOP principles. Languages: C++, JAVA, and Python. SQL Databases: Lots experience with MYSQL. I've used SQLite for several projects. I've used PostgreSQL a few times. I understand real relational database concepts. Lots of experience writing applications that communicate with networked remote databases via low-level programming language APIs. Web based programming: Extensive PHP experience Linux OS: extensive system programming skills using C. System admin and networking skills. Limited kernel module programming experience. I've been known to do kernel compiles in my sleep. Can install using various distributions (such as Gentoo, Debian, Redhat, Slackware, etc) Embedded Programming: I've written low level web and smtp mail servers from the ground up using C for stripped-down embedded-style linux systems. Still interested? Great! Click here to send me a message. Not sure if I'm what you're looking for? No problem, just ask. Keep in mind, I may not be the best person for your project. If that's the case, I'll say so. There's no point to wasting both of our time and money on something that's not going to work well from the start. But, on the other hand, I may have just what you need.