Berin Loritsch wrote:
>
> Gerhard Froehlich wrote:
>
> > +1 wanna hear
>
> I guess I only needed one :)
God, talking about ego show-off :)
> My name is Berin Loritsch, knocking on 30's door (I'm young aren't I?).
> I live in Virginia in the good ol' USA. I started out typing in programs
> from Commander magazine for the Commodore 64. It didn't take long to
> realize that BASIC was too slow, and the programs written in assembly
> were much faster. So I got an assembler, a dissassembler, and got to
> work reverse engineering some software and making some of my own. Since
> I like graphics more, I was one of the first to get GeOS (Graphical OS)
> for the C-64. It's Assembly API was the best I've seen yet. My first
> corporate job was an R&D assistant for Systar, Inc. (a French company).
> While I was there I goofed off, wrote my first game, and had my introduction
> to designing a database application. I left that job to go to school.
>
> I've always been into the musical arts, but I can't sing and I can't
> play any instruments--so I learned to record. I went to Full Sail
> Center for the Recording Arts, which has nothing to do with programming--
> although the section on practical troubleshooting was better than I've
> heard for any other course of study. When you are paying over $200 an
> hour and some equipment breaks, you have to fix it fast.
>
> When I got back from school, I set out to find a job in the field I studied
>
> for (don't we all?). In the mean time, I was temping as an administrative
> assistant. Then I had two offers: studio manager for $6.00/hour or admin
> for $22500/year. Being the smart person I was, I went for more money. It
> didn't take long to get bored with the job, so when they introduced the
> internet to the office, I found out about Linux, the Free Software Foundation,
> and Open Source. I knew I needed some new skills, and I have been itching
> to learn C++, so I got a copy of Linux to learn. I couldn't see spending
> over $600 for a compiler back then. In the process I learned UNIX
> administration, how to compile a kernel, and how to really skrew up a
> Linux install in five easy steps.
>
> Professionally, I got involved in the PC service center, became an
> "environment specialist" (not an admin, but not a full fledged technical
> person either) and set up the processes for borrowing computers, and keeping
> inventory. I got another division interested in me, and I designed 3
> database systems and a software defect tracking tool. I got my first
> official experience as a professional programmer there--though I didn't
> go beyond making simple tools.
>
> I moved from that company (woefully underpaying me), to the one I work for
> now, that is very sympathetic to OSS--especially when it helps us make better
> products. I helped them with a coldfusion application, and after a painful
> migration of no less than 3 different styles for the same app to one I found
> out about Cocoon. I did a quick demo of what Cocoon could do for them, and
> got their interest. I went from Cocoon to Avalon and back to Cocoon (version 2).
> From that point on, I have been involved in Avalon, Cocoon, JMeter, Axis,
> and a couple projects that I started.
One day, one day, I'll show how I managed to stack 20 years of computer
programming in my 26 years-old brain :)
[I know, I know, this is a shameless plug but Berin asked for it :)]
--
Stefano Mazzocchi One must still have chaos in oneself to be
able to give birth to a dancing star.
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Friedrich Nietzsche
--------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
For additional commands, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
