Information Technology

I have a wide range of hardware knowledge that covers:

• Key components and hardware (interior and exterior hardware and peripherals)
• Major architectures and their differences (x86-32/64, PowerPC, ISA, PCI, AGP, PCI-E)
• Troubleshooting and replacing failed hardware
• Upgrading computers (add-in cards, CPUs, RAM, disk drives, optical drives, motherboards)
• Building entire systems from scratch

I have built systems for myself and for friends and am comfortable rooting around the internals of a PC with a screwdriver.

I have installed, tried and worked with many operating systems - open, free and commercial - and have watched them grow and develop (though not always improve) release after release, my experience covers:

• Microsoft DOS from version 5.0 through to 6.22
• Microsoft Windows 3.1/3.11 and Windows for WorkGroups
• Windows 9x series (Windows 95/95b, 98, 98-second edition, ME (millennium edition)
• Windows NT series from NT Workstation 4.51, 2000 and currently XP (soon to add: Vista)
• GNU/Linux - many flavours including RedHat/Fedora, Mandriva, SuSE, Debian/Ubuntu and even Gentoo
• FreeBSD (based on the original BSD version of Unix)
• Apple Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" - my favourite (soon to add: 10.5 "Leopard")
• BeOS Personal Edition R5 (now no longer developed commercially)
• QNX Realtime OS - because it looked neat

My system of choice is Mac and OS X - because you can't be taken seriously in design if you use anything else.

I have come across a wide range of software, from the normal office productivity suites, graphics and web suites to very specialised mathematical and scientific packages:

• Office (the ubiquitous Microsoft Office, Lotus SmartSuite, KOffice, OpenOffice/NeoOffice, Apple iWork, WordPerfect Office)
• Macromedia Studio - for web and print design work (Dreamweaver and Fireworks, a little experience in Flash)
• Blender 3D modelling, rendering and ray tracing (with YAFRay)
• Pangolin Laser Light Show Designer - one of the most difficult pieces of software I have ever worked with
• A little programming (C++/Objective C, (X)HTML/CSS, JavaScript, PHP)
• LabVIEW - flow-control graphical programming with icons, wires and diagrams, used in industrial and research environments
• Origin Pro - advanced graphing and technical data presentation software

I work with the Macromedia Studio Suite for my web and print design work. Websites I have created were created in Dreamweaver and the graphics and mock-ups in Fireworks.

I am saving up for the Adobe Creative Studio suite (now that Adobe bought out Macromedia). I would love to get my hands on PhotoShop and InDesign.

I have many years experience of web site building and design. Initial static sites with FrontPage templates have now progressed to rich, visual data-driven sites that look stunning and consistent in any browser but are also easy to maintain and develop. Attention to detail and accessibility are my strongest points, which lets me build sites that:

• Have beautiful, pixel perfect graphics alignment, style and precision with a strong and consistent look and feel
• Are simple to navigate and intuitive to the user
• Comply with the W3C for standards compatibility and accessibility ensuring the site looks the same in any browser on any platform
• Can be data-driven from a back end database, templated and personalised to your company or brand
• Takes advantage of the latest web technologies such as XHTML, PHP, JavaScript and AJAX
• Can span online bulletin boards, Content Management Systems, eCommerce sites, Wiki's and blogs
• Would be classified as "Rich Web 2.0"

My knowledge of networking covers both the hardware required for small/medium networks, and the software/settings required for a heterogeneous computer environment to co-operate:

• Hardware: routers, bridges, switches, (patch) cabling, network cards
• Wireless: access points, encryption (WEP 64/128-bit and WPA), WDS points/repeaters, 802.11b/g/n, RADIUS Authentication
• Networking protocols: TCP/IP, SMB (Windows file-sharing - NetBIOS/NetBEUI), IPX, NFS, XDMCP
• Security: Firewalling, NAT, wireless security, share and user level security, setting up DMZ zones and port forwarding
• Network Services: Windows file-shares and printers, remote logins through SSH, rlogin, FTP server, web server, News server, DHCP server

I have set up and trouble-shooted networks more times than I can remember. Though most of it was my own fault for playing with the settings and hardware configurations and seeing what they did. I learned a lot this way.

The security of systems and data is an increasingly active field. Much has changed since the days when anti-virus products for servers were optional. Now each device connected to a network has to be well protected. I have good knowledge of:

• Anti-virus products
• Network security (see 'Network')
• Secure File Vaults and partitions for encrypting sensitive data
• Password administration
• Encryption and tunnels (SSH, VPN)
• Intrusion detection systems
• SPAM message detection and removal
• Network Firewalling and DMZ's for public services

I know several measures and steps that can be taken to deter the vast majority of opportunists, ensuring that systems and networks are protected from all but the most determined of hackers (because few people should call themselves security "experts").

A valuable skill in anybody's book is effective troubleshooting and repair of a broken system. I have done much trouble shooting not only for my own PC's, but also for those of my friend's and family and at University. From intermittent crashes due to faulty RAM or overheating, to tracking virus-like activity caused by bad hard-disk clusters, I have come across a wide range of problems and have diagnosed and fixed the majority of them.

Troubleshooting is something that I come across not only in IT, but frequently while working with the Light Express Roadshow and of course, a Physics PhD requires constant diagnosis and troubleshooting of experiment and equipment - "what is research if it isn't problem solving?" I have learned the steps needed to precisely locate, diagnose, track, repair and post-test a problem quickly and effectively. Situations I encounter in everyday work continually build on and improve my skills.

IT progresses rapidly, which is why it is important to stay ahead and learn new technologies in hardware and software as they are developed. I enjoy browsing online technology sites (/., wired, ArsTechnica the Register and Inquirer) and reading reviews of new products and software, I keep myself informed of new developments, particularly in the GNU/Linux, Apple and PC hardware areas.

Playing the administrator and keeping computer systems up-to-date with the latest patches and anti-virus definitions is less enjoyable, yet that needs to be done too and I keep aware for the latest internet worms, trojans and scams.

Over the years I have spent huge amounts of time giving people technical support for all manner of IT problems in all manner of ways. I have played the "on-site technician" and helped people build systems and repair and replace components. I have given email support, live online text chat support and I have written extensively in newsgroups, helping people who post their problems. The most common is technical support over the phone from family and friends.

Each method can be difficult and challenging, by not being able to directly work with the problem, it takes much knowledge and skill to narrow down on the trouble from the user's description, diagnose it and propose a solution - which you have to then guide them through.