Introduction
I have been working in Internet programming, networking and system administration since qualifying from DeMontfort University, England in 1997. I now specialise in UNIX/Linux, web programming, web application development, content management systems, and database driven dynamic web sites. I have lots of experince in PERL/PHP, UNIX/LINUX, AJAX over LAMP and the like and I have also developed systems for integration with the Banking systems, e-commerce and fraud prevention and detection on a large scale. I run the Perl Mongers group for the Leicester area.

Present Position
I am contracting as a web and PHP/PERL application developer the East Midlands area.

Skills | Full Time Experience | Contracting Experience | Personal Projects | Qualifications

Technical Skills

Core Languages: PERL, PHP , JavaScript, MySQL, HTML, XHTML, DOM, & CSS, LAMP and AJAX methodologies.
Experience in: Shell scripting, JAVA, Ruby, Python
Some Experience in: C#, ASP, Visual Basic / Visual Studio.

Unix - AIX, HP, Solaris, SGI IRIX.
Linux - Ubuntu, Redhat, BSD, Fedora Core, Suse, Mandrake, Slackware.
Microsoft - All Clients and Servers.
Networking: TCP/IP, Hardware and Software Firewalls, Apache, Samba, DNS SMTP & FTP Servers.
Hardware: I have thorough knowledge of building, upgrading and maintaining x86 based clients and servers and a good background in UNIX hardware and server installations.

Full Time Experience

7 - 2006 - 8-2008
Pipex Hosting - Senior Programmer
WebFusion, 123-reg, Donhost, Supanames etc
Employed by Pipex to work in Product development for the Hosting division controlling the 123-reg.co.uk, Webfusion, Hosteurope, Donhost and Supanames brands. After 6 months working in Nottingham, Pipex Hosting relocated to London and I was asked to join them in London. Specifically assigned to the Linux/Perl/PHP programming team to provide programming services across the product range, I developed the 3D Secure (Verified by Visa) Credit Card clearance system, based on the DataCash API, and developed multiple fraud and security systems across the order process, and back end systems.

I developed from scratch a significant Call Centre Support Tool for the Web Hosting Call Centre in Stokley Park London With a support team of 50 - 70 people and the call centre managers, I took the project from inception to completion in the space of 8 months. The project entailed collating data from the four hosting companies Pipex had bought and were merging. I enjoyed the chance to work with the various departments and create a solution that matched the needs of a large scale web hosting call centre.

I went on a conference or two with the Perl Community, and had some fabulous experience across a wide code base. MySQL, SOAP, AJAX, Perl 6 and much more. I worked with some of the best developers, it has been a great to develop my core code skills, and project management experience.

10-2005 – 6-2006
Google Inc. - Quality Rater Programme
I was employed remotely to research and analyse the search algorithm’s efficiency in producing search results for the Google search engine. The extensive Non Disclosure Agreement that comes with with the contract does not allow me to reveal much more. I obviously gained a detailed understanding of the Google Search Engine system and thorough knowledge of the Google page ranking rules and criteria. After several months I was put on a variety of Special Projects designed to counter SEO fraud and spamming.

4-2005 – 9-2005
Leicester College – Webmaster
A short stint as the large midlands college’s sole webmaster, adding to, and securing an existing web site. Driven by MySQL & ASP on Chillisoft on RedHat Linux externally, and on Acess DB & ASP on Windows 2000 and 2003 servers inside the college for the Intranet, the college required help managing the flow of information from the Curriculum areas to Design and Web publishing dept. for inclusion in the paper and web based prospectuses. I was responsible for the under graduate on placement year.

I did 2 courses - Management training in Interview techniques (3 days) and on The Appraisal Process (2 days). As a college of 42,000 students I enjoyed the scale and range of data that required processing. I developed some bespoke PERL apps to help information flow throughout the college and developed the database systems for the Internet and Intranet sites. A great design team behind Macs fed me graphics and style that was integrated into the web site as required.

Contracting Experience

8-2009 - 01-2010
Tomato Project - PHP Developer
Providing PHP support for commercial web sites, such as http://www.bespoke-england.co.uk/ , http://www.markleeson.co.uk/ , http://www.cawthorneandwright.com/ http://www.dubaigolfbreaks.co.uk/ . During this development I have enjoyed lots of PHP, JQuery, Shopify, CMS driven by e.g. CMS Made SImple, and developed a finer understanding of the CSS Model.

3-2009 - 6-2009
OTM Ltd. - Workflow Programmer
This contract was working in the print industry OTM use IBM based systems, AIX, Print Workflow tools and printers to control the transactional mailing for large companies such as NPower, and Severn Trent Water. I was involved in maintaing the code base of existing Perl, and to create an Email/Fax WorkFlow solution for OTM's customers. Linux based Hylafax software and my bespoke Perl controlling up to 50,000 items a month providing reporting and billing features to the customer and back to the internal account managers in OTM.

10-2008 - 11-2008
Arm PLC Cambridge - Perl IT Engineer
I tried out for a role at Arm in the Engineering IT department, supporting the processor design engineers in the Cambridge center, but connected to the many Arm offices round the world. Over the time I was there I worked with CPAN Perl module intergration and updates to the Cluster of Unix and Linux machine in the development environments. Arm are a great company to work for and the people in the support team are a great bunch of lads. The quality of the code and documentation is fantastic and the company seems to understand and support coders really well. All of which made harder the decision that the role, although really nice, wasn't quite right for me in my current career path. While there I also introduced some new juggling tricks into the office habit of 3 ball juggling including the concept of passing between two jugglers :)

3-2006
Leicester Wholefood Coop Web Site
AJAX over LAMP development: database design for the companies data, online ordering gearing up for the delivery service. Tasks including building installing a mirror of the web server (Linux/Fedora Core 4, Apache, MySQL etc) locally in the retail premises that allows customers a fast secure way to browse and locate stock. Provide an Internal intranet for staff, for order reconciliation and product updates, web site updates and editing. Accessibility features include reach restricted users being able to identify and list out products out of their reach for staff to pick the inaccessible items only.
http://www.wholefoodcoop.co.uk

9-2002
Criterion Auctions, London. Dynamic Web Sites
Inheriting a previous web site I was asked to add dynamic content so that these London Auction houses could add their weekly catalogues online complete with pictures and an online bidding system. The administration area designed for the client allows full control over the online catalogue and the associated pictures and bidding system. A real time auction viewer was also built to allow web users to watch the auction as it happens every Monday afternoon.
http://www.criterionauctions.co.uk

8-2001 – 12-2001
Jaguar Cars / Valley Forge Technical Information Services (SPX)
Programming
Working on contract via the Computers Futures agency for Valley Forge (SPX), I was initially employed to help develop the HTML, JavaScript and graphical elements of a Computer Based Training package for Jaguar Cars. As the contract was overdue the work was intense at up to 95 hours a week. After the first months initial Dreamweaver and Photoshop work was completed the project moved into translating the CBT into five European languages and I developed some custom tools in PERL, JAVA, Visual Basic and JavaScript to help the translation process, which help cut the original workload significantly. Following the translation process, I joined the CBT team using Macromedia Director to arrange the various elements of the project for completion, and helped finish the Lingo programming code, and develop the Installers for the various language versions using the Install Shield products. Once the project was clearly not going to meet it’s deadlines, I arranged and project managed a team of programmers to complete the CBT work. Using Java and PERL tools I had written we completed the project, finishing in 4 weeks what would have otherwise taken 3 months.

7-2002
Dubai Police Dept. (on location in Dubai)
Multimedia Technician, System Administration
On location in Dubai, I was contracted to build and maintain a network of multimedia based systems for the use in entertainment for children and adults in Dubai.  This included Video capture and output, sound recording and 3D modeling and rendering systems. Whilst there I developed a small web site for the Police advertising their next series of entertainments.

2-2001
Sly Community Arts
Multimedia Network Design and Implementation
This company runs multimedia services for the local community and education.  They run a music recording studio, video workshops and web training programmes.  I have been involved with setting up their network and servers providing live online streaming of music and video, for both the recording studio and an online radio station.  The problems of dealing with these types of networks and the file sizes involved, and the cross platform environment have stretched my knowledge of networks and the Internet and provided an excellent place to develop new theories regarding the transport systems need for this type of data transfer.  Mostly dealing Microsoft IIS 4, and now 5, we have written add on software to help the process and tailor it to their specific requirements that allows the members of the team to keep the system running with the minimum of knowledge.

10-2000
Formation Records
E-Commerce Web Implementation
http://www.formationrecords.com
This local record company required a web site that allowed them to sell music on-line and provide information to drum and bass fans around the world regarding upcoming gigs and events.  Their web site is completely controlled using Web Modules that allow them to update all areas of the site themselves from a very simple browser interface.  The site houses hundreds of MP3 music samples, their entire back catalogue and forthcoming and latest released music, which are all served up using streaming technology.  The Online Store interfaces with one of the major Online Banks to provide secure transaction and the site has greatly improved the worldwide sales of their products.

3-1999 – 8-2000
Worth Global Style Network –
Web Programmer
http://www.wgsn.com
Working in Leicester and London for one of the top e-commerce ventures in the UK provided great experience in sheer scale. The site was vast, with more than 1/3 million pages of industry related design and fashion analysis and daily news. I personally published over 11,000 pages in my time there. While doing considerable HTML work, I supported the networks, NT LANs and WANs, with UUNet connection to the Web servers in the Docklands network. The network consisted of over 500 users in several countries. I also developed Visual Basic applications for daily news content management and production. This was excellent design and style training putting me in touch with the cutting edge trends and fashions, the site itself reflecting the most modern look and feel. I experienced, and enjoyed, a fast moving, often high-pressured environment that developed my speed and efficiency as a web developer.

2-1998 – 12-1998
Loughborough College
Webmaster
As the first Webmaster of the college, I introduced systems and practice to the development and maintenance of the college Web site. I also wrote and maintained the site, promoting the college and its courses nationally.
I was given the chance to set up the technical parts of a new cyber cafe / service provider / training centre for industry, situated away from the college in the town centre. I built all the servers from scratch and designed, and configured a 3-domain 50-node network with 2 Class C IP pools, and full connection to the Internet via fibre optic (super JANet) and leased lines.  Servers, included Web, FTP, Mail, News, and DNS (primary and secondary), connecting via 128k-backbone commercial connection (BT). This was a mixed platform of Windows, and Linux and as such MS Internet Information Server Services, and Unix security, became my bedtime reading for a long time!  Subsequently I'm used to communications equipment and Telnet sessions in router/switch/hub configurations.

9-1997 – 2-1998
Systems Administrator
Coming to the college at a time when the network was barely in place, I was given a nice opportunity to set up from scratch. The college system supported around 700 clients computers, running Microsoft Domains, NT Server and Novell networks, web services via a fibre-optic Super JANet connection. Client machines were MS NT workstations and largely NT4, Windows 3.11 and Windows 95, some Linux, Mac and Unix.  Over the course of the next year, we introduced to the college network, User accounts, MS Policies and Profiles, shared and individual user Server space, centralised management via System Management Software, and networked printing solutions, WAN connections to two remote sites and began the college Intranet. I project managed a team of technicians to oversee the networks maintenance and the roll out of the colleges migration from Novell and UNIX to MS NT servers and workstations.

12-1998 – 3-1999
De Montfort University
Network Engineer
Some work for my old university maintaining the networks there. A mixed platform of UNIX and IBM PCs, and the Super Janet Internet connection, my work was mostly completing the upgrade to NT workstation for the network clients. I also developed a college Intranet solution for the new Help desk system.

Personal Projects

6 – 2003
Easy Profiles - White Label Social Networking
http://www.easyprofiles.co.uk/
EasyProfiles offer a set of software tools designed to allow individuals, organisations, and industry partners such as Web Hosting companies to offer social networking sites to thier customers. Each Social Networking site comes complete with all the options and features needed to create a huge range of social networking areas, from a totally secure and private groups with no more than a dozen members, to large public sites with hundreds of thousands of networkers.

8-2005
www.familywebsites.co.uk
Secure photo albums, and family time lines, contacts and birthday reminders.

9 – 2003 to 9 – 2004
Birmingham Conservatoire of Music / Personal Development
Having passed an audition, & been offered a place at this prestigious Classical Music Conservatoire to study Classical Composition under Richard Leigh-Harris, I took a years break from contracting to pursue this hobby as it was a rare opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Whilst there I also developed an interactive PERL and HTML web system for the college to promote students, musicians and composers online.

Traveling - many years working, trekking and enjoying Asia, and Australia & Europe.
Scuba Diving, trained in Australia and dived mostly in Indonesia, Thailand and Egypt.

I'm a musician, primarily a guitarist. I did an apprenticeship as an instrument builder when I left school and more recently took a year out (2003-2004) to study Classical Composition at the Birmingham Conservatoire of Music.

I have a teenage son, a house that I’m renovating and finally a clean driving licence (damn those speed cameras :)

Musical Instrument Retail and Sound Recording
Fiddlers Green Music,
Leicester Sheehan’s Musical Instruments Services, Leicester
Musimex Distribution, London
Teaching Music theory and practice
Sound Recording and Live Engineer
Band and Session Musician

Qualifications
De Montfort University, Leicester 1994-1997
BSc Degree Computing & Law (2.1)

School Education
Woking VIth Form College, Surrey 1981-1983
Farnborough Salesian College, Hampshire 1977-1981
A levels (3), O levels (8)

Sheenhan's Musical Instruments Services, Leicester 1985-1987
Craftsman’s Apprenticeship (18 months served under Bob Dayfield and Paul Windridge)
Musical Instrument Building

Cairnes Australia 1992
PADI Open Water Scuba Diving