I have been self-employed since June 1991, operating as a sole proprietorship. I am also a partner in Maksystems Inc. Both businesses serve clients primarily in the Document Management Industry. I do programming and web design, electronic forms, and graphic design and desktop publishing.

I am experienced with Linux, Unix, Macintosh, iPhone, Newton, Palm OS, DOS, and a little bit of Windows. I have been working with computers for most of my life. I wrote my first business application software (a commissions-calculation program used to pay professional sales representatives) when I was 14 years old, on a Digital Equipment Corp. DEC Rainbow running CPM86/80.

Since the beginning of 2005, I also work as a Sales Representative for Proforma Creative Concepts, a distributor of printed business products and a franchise in the Proforma network.

Computer Programming in the D³ / FlashConnect programming languages.

Web-site Creation & Management using HTML, CSS, Perl, Javascript, PHP, and MySQL.

Electronic Forms Design using DocForm, by Prism Software.

Desktop Publishing & Graphic Design using Pages, Appleworks & GIMP.

Multimedia Presentations using Keynote.

Consulting, on topics ranging from systems analysis to connectivity.

Systems Design & Analysis: I have designed and implemented several complete turnkey solutions to meet clients’ specifications, utilizing many of the skills and services described above.

Systems Administration: I manage a Linux web server, two Linux / D3 database servers, an email and electronic forms server, and several workstations, for Maksystems Inc.

Network Administration: I manage networks at Maksystems Inc., as well as the offices of several other clients.

Technical Support: I manage tech support queries by telephone and email, assisting my clients with any problems they encounter with their custom software or hardware.

Documentation: I am the author and editor of various User Manuals and Technical manuals, and design training schedules for new clients / new software systems.

Sales & Customer Service: I am responsible for looking after a current sales assignment as well as acquiring new accounts in an Industry / Business to Business sales environment.

Business Management & Administration: I have taken on the top-level decision-making and administratve role for Maksystems Inc., Proforma Creative Concepts, and Proforma Hard Copy Data Management.

• January 2007, I did some freelance writing for the May 2007 issue of Make Magazine.
• From mid spring of 2006 through mid autumn 2006, I created a modular, turn-key e-commerce system that manages multi-level pricing for retail, wholesale, and distribution levels, with integrated inventory management, pre- and post-billing options, and customized modules designed to solve the requirements of two very different clients.
• In spring of 2006, I designed, programmed and implemented a web-based tracking system for handling large-scale list-based marketing programs, including both email and traditional snail-mail applications.
• From August 2005 to February 2006, I designed, programmed and implemented a web-based centralized Logging system and time management system, integrated with the purchasing system built previously for Condomanager.net
• In November / December 2004, I designed, programmed, documented and implemented a cost-effective web-based system for processing and tracking Gift Cards for the retail industry.
• From September to November 2003, I migrated Maksystems’ electronic print systems from an older hardware-based solution to a new centralized server-based system. This project included learning the new environment, a new programming language, designing a new printing system, as well as the actual creation of the electronic forms layouts. The finished system outputs over 30 different electronic forms, via the internet, in either PDF format or as hardcopy to more than a half dozen remote printers located up to 100 kilometers away.
• From 2002 through 2004, I designed and programmed online purchasing systems for Service It All and Purchasing Power Group.
• From October 2001 to January 2002, I worked with one of my clients to build a web-based company store for one of his customers, to facilitate the ordering, picking, shipping and billing of custom printed products.
• In Summer 2001, I designed and built a prototype of a custom electronic product, which required me to learn some electronics engineering skills, and hone my assembly-language programming skills. It was a great learning experience, even though it didn’t pan out.
• From July 2001 to September 2001, I upgraded our D3 server and web server to current versions of Red Hat Linux. For the web server, this included a migration from Windows NT onto Linux.
• Through June and July 2001, I converted Maksystems’ core software system from its original centralized design into an ASP (Application Service Provider) solution that could be shared and used remotely across the internet.
• From January 2000 to June 2001, I developed a real-time web-based system for my clients, using a product called FlashCONNECT. It ties into their databases, and allows their clients to have live real-time access to product, inventory, and order information. This system first went live in April 2000, and is currently in its third incarnation. It continues to evolve and develop to this day.
• November and December 1999 were spent setting up and learning about Windows NT and IIS, as well as setting up a network in my customer’s office. This was in preparation for the project mentioned above.
• From March 1999 to October 1999, upgrades and improvements continued on my client’s applications. Several older programs that had been hurriedly transfered to D³ were re-engineered to take advantage of the newer system’s capabilities, and new applications were written. Additionally, some precautionary measures were taken to ensure there would be no surprises for ‘Y2K’.
• From August 1998 to February 1999, I was hard at work updating all the software for my main customer. The Pick System had evolved into D³, which runs under Linux / Unix. So I had to learn Linux, learn the differences between the new system and the old, then dive into the task of rewriting and rebuilding all of the applications.
• Prior to this, my client had been running their computer system since 1989 on a 486-33. As a testament to that old box, it supported a 33-user version of PICK (R.83) and it performed pretty well until the system was finaly retired. As a testament to Pick Systems, that 33-user system ran pretty good, considering it was on a 33 MHz box with 8 Mb Ram, and two 16 serial port Digi boards. I produced most of my client’s custom-built applications software, as well as maintaining and servicing the hardware.