I currently work as a technical architect at a web agency specialising in eCommerce site development.
I work with clients to determine their needs, document the solution, and assist devs working on the project.
I attended college in the early-to-mid nineties, just as the web was taking off. It was a fantastic time to be a student, as everything was moving so fast.
My school’s curriculum was still mostly focused on C++/Java development, but I was lucky enough to have a professor who recognised the web’s potential and allowed us to work on web-based personal projects for class credit.
At the time, email was exploding in popularity, and not many students had dial-up internet access.
You’d often need to put your name on a waiting list to use one of the school’s terminals.
The computer science department had a lab for CS students to work on assignments, but non-CS students were coming into the lab to check their email, making CS students wait for an open spot.
I implemented a sign-in app that would display a map of the lab showing who was assigned to which workstation, helping us to better manage the lab usage and reserve the workstations for the CS students who needed them.
After that, I was hooked, and have continued working on the web throughout my career (with a few detours here and there).
I did general web development throughout the aughts, working with the typical CMSes of the time (Drupal, WordPress), but the company I was working for pivoted into eCommerce.
I enjoy working in eCom because the stakes are higher when you need to take payments and do fulfilment.
It’s also rewarding to see how our work helps our clients grow their businesses.
Basically, just the stuff I need to do my job, some music to listen to, and a selection of books that have resonated with me over the years and I’ve wanted to hold onto.
When we first moved into this house, our kids were pretty young, so the room was used to store toys and other ephemera.
But when COVID hit, it was the only spare room with a door, so I took it over.
