All the Many Things I Build!

As a Software Developer, in many ways and in many jobs I've been a "one man band" for development.  I tend to be given ("thrown at") the tough and challenging problems where I'm often expected by some to fail...And then I succeed...Often all by myself but sometimes with the interaction of some very good and very competent developers, testers, and project managers and such.

This here is my software services company where I talk about and showcase all the many things (software) that I've built recently and over my career.

I'm multi-talented, a polymath with multiple skills...Which seems to be very rare in the industry.  I learn very fast and can visualize software solutions extremely easily - Something that many/most(?) people apparently cannot.  I believe that this factor is the most critical fact in the success or failure of software development projects.  If you can't envision/visualize the end result of your software development project (The Software Deliverable and Product/Service) then you will most like fail.  Often times spectacularly!  I have some interesting Grant's Software War Stories about this...And more.

But here, starting out this website, I've adapted an excellent blog service - Ghost.org - Into a vehicle and form to present my Projects and Ideas.  We'll start this out proceeding in a linear fashion and then use tags to categorize the blog posts into meaningful and useful categories and groups.

I will post my resume here elsewhere so you can puruse it.  To me, it seems a good, solid resume...But to others they are amazed and impressed with all the many different skills and accomplishments that I have on it.

Let me summarize my skills and abilities:

• I am primarily a C# .NET developer.  I do a smattering of other languages such as Python and R as necessary and needed but really...C# is a Katana compared to the pocketknife that Python is.  Python is good for little programs and scripts, but it really doesn't scale well and is not very suitable for large and complex programs...Although that does not stop people from trying to use it for those.
• To me, developing software is...The Software Wars...Of modern times.  And for my tools/weapons I naturally want to use the best.  C# is to me a Katana in that it is very well suited to build almost anything.  And nowadays with .NET Core that anything can be built multiplatform - Windows, Windows Server, and all the Linux and Unix variations as well the Mac.  And of course, the Clouds!  I will use a pocketknife when and where it is useful...But for battling in the Software Wars...Nothing comes close to or beats the Katana and the Claymore of C# and .NET.
• Wielding C#, I develop a myriad set of software including:
• Azure Functions, Azure Tools, and Azure Apps and App Systems.
• AWS Lambdas in C# as well as AWS Tools and App Systems.
• Database Development in both Relational and NoSQL/JSON flavors of multiple database including SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL/Redshift, SQLite, and others.
• I also build Database Tools, both for Relational DBs and NoSQL/JSON DBs, in C# which leverage ("Force Multiply") my skills by automating and saving time.  When I see the need for a tool...Which is when I find myself doing the same thing multiple times when it could be automated... I will build it, often/mostly on my own time.  The DB tools I build/have built are mostly Windows Desktop winforms apps because they are the most flexible and easy to use, especially for others who use my DB tools.  I also create CLI (Command Line Interface) utility tools.  I've also done SQL Server CLR functions when useful.
• Windows Tools and Apps - Yes, I build them and I'm very, very good at them.  We as developers as well as most computer users (when they are not using Linux) use Windows...Why shouldn't the tools be very, very powerful and also very easy to use?  I will detail a lot of these tools here because I can't very well show you all that I've built for others due to confidentiality and IP restrictions of course.  But the tools that I've built on my own time with my own resources I can and will show here.  And, yes, I do part time side projects building Windows Apps and Tools.  It's fun for me and brings in some extra money that I use for building my retirement home on a far away island at the base of an active beautiful volcano.
• I do a lot of difficult and challenging back end work in C#.  This takes a variety of forms and nowadays almost always either is in the Azure/AWS Clouds or connects to databases or web APIs or other resources in those clouds.  I primarily concentrate on Azure when possible by choice but I also do AWS development in C#.  I do restrict what I do in AWS and to a lesser extent in Azure because they both are in race to inundate us and the world with more and more Cloud services.  At present, they both have over 700 cloud services with more coming along steadily.  How can ANYONE be proficient let alone knowledgeable on 700 cloud services?  The simple answer is that no one can!
• This is one of the good reasons that I haven't really moved into Azure or AWS architecture work...It's just way too difficult/impossible to be really good or even so-so competent on either cloud service...Let alone both.  I've let my Microsoft Azure Architecture certification lapse and I do plan to get around to renewing it.
• But...I really, really like to code!  And develop outstanding software!  This is a passion for me, something I naturally gravitate towards, and I enjoy it.  So...From here on out I'm going to focus and concentrate on it.  Some years ago I talk to a recruiter who taught me the term "Whiteboard Architects". These are people who can talk a good game and make pretty diagrams on whiteboards...But couldn't code or properly design (or architect) anything to save their lives.  Me...I can do both within my focus areas and limits...But most Azure/AWS Architect positions are not for people with actual coding skills.  So I'll stick with actual coding myself.
• And I do more...

There's more to talk about...But I'm already rather long winded in writing.

The next posts will be a listing of various Things I've Built.  I will later organize these in a more cohesive and organized fashion.  

For now...Enjoy!