I have been in, around and on top of computing, data processing and information technology for almost 40 years.
I have seen the hype, the brilliant but flawed products, and small things that silently work silently in the background and no one notices. I have a perspective on technology that few have, having seen it from the outset. I am interested in what really works, not flash in the pan trends. I make an effort to be objective and always like learning.
Done it
I have worked my way up. Soldered the cables, crawled under false floors, re-jigged faulty network equipment, mounted nine track tapes, smelt more isopropyl alcohol than is healthy, built and migrated data centres, managed staff, done security analysis and all of the nitty-gritty that makes up real computing. Done assembler, did C, loved Pascal, even tinkered with COBOL.
I have worked in the public sector, for charities and far too many Banks and financial institutions.
In short, been there, done it, got a mountain of t-shirts!
Learning
Although I sometimes sound cynical, I am rather optimistic. I love technology. It has freed us from so much drudgery and there is always plenty of fascinating stuff to master.
Even when you are old and wizened, it is still possible to learn.
However, nowadays I spend a disproportionate amount of my time writing. Some of it is confidential, much of which I couldn’t publish here. Even mountains of weird and wonderful research, which cannot be mentioned, openly.
Put down on paper
Still, it seems silly not to write down things I run across, have worked out or learnt before they are forgotten. I have a lot of incidental information circulating between my ears and this is just a small sample that might be of use to others.
Themes
I have a real interest in Linux on the desktop, the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and a lot more besides.
We should cover anything really technologically interesting, not just coding, although I have written code in many languages: CESIL, HP Basic, FORTRAN 77, ALGOL, COBOL, Simula, Snobol, Modular-2, Pascal, MACRO-10, MACRO-32, BLISS, Forth, C, C#, Python, and even a bit of JavaScript. Not forgetting DCL and various scripting languages.
I really want to use Go and Swift, particularly as the latter can be used as a front and back-end language.
I am lucky, if it is technology I can turn my hand to it, but not everything here will be solemn and technological.
Not too serious
In the last few years I have become keen on new ways of teaching technology, the Makers scene and the Raspberry Pi have caused a wonderful explosion of talent, so much so I am the co-organiser of the Covent Garden Raspberry Pi Jam.
Pi Jams are captivating events, a lovely mix of women, children, excitement, robotics and coding, adults, teens and kids enjoying technology. They are a nice antidote to the old fashioned sight of eight to ten beardy men talking tech in a Pub.
They are the future, we are just passing through!
Lots of Linux 