Listed below is a small sampling of the more challenging projects that I am able to document and feel are noteworthy. I will be adding to, detailing, and reorganizing this page as time allows between projects in the near future.
HotLipsCycle Online Store
Having done work for him in the past, I was approached by the lead designer of this project to assist his team in development of the HotLipsCycle on-line store. My tasks included everything from server management, emergency bug-fixes, CSS design improvement, and implementing the credit card payment processing layer for their site. Though it was an enjoyable project, there were many challenges in the involved tasks. Many challenges required a great deal of dedicated research, learning and taking control of proprietary server setups within hours, and generally needing to think fast. All in all I am proud of my work on this project and encouraged to see how successful this on-line store has become.
Check them out at http://hotlipscycle.com
Create A Band
This was a project brought to me by a brilliant entrepreneur seeking to start a social networking site specifically for musicians. The ideas were great, but the resources were very limited, and deadlines were rough as promotion had begun almost the instant I started. Coding an engine from scratch was out of the question given the time I had. To deal with the needed time-frame, I obtained and overhauled a PHP engine originally developed for a dating service and began molding it into shape for the job. Even given a difficult primary deadline of only a month, and also participating in everything from promotion to t-shirt design, I managed to get a working model on-line with most essential features working in that time.
The project was sadly short-lived due to a lack of funding, but it was a very unique opportunity I enjoyed working on.
Veranda Bed and Breakfast
The goal sounded simple: make sure every guest on the motel property had access to Wi-Fi. The caveat however was that the property is protected by the Historic Society, and I was to accomplish the task without drilling holes, running wires, or doing anything that might damage the property in any way. This meant essentially that the solution needed to be 100% wireless. Additionally, I had to work with a very finite budget for the project. I was able to deliver the needed results by using a set of 5 inexpensive commodity routers. Out of the box they did not have the needed power or features. I stabily modified them with boosted antenna power far outside of the stock specifications, and configured them to support draft mesh networking protocols. Though a primary DHCP/firewall machine was not in the budget, and that put a serious strain on the setup which occasionally affected stability, the property was successfully blanketed with Wi-Fi using these methods. The primary router was set up to handle all DHCP/NAT traffic for the property through their existing cable connection. This was a very challenging project, however it was also an enjoyable one due to my opportunities to push the limits of low-end inexpensive hardware in order to get the job done to the highest standards possible.
AdullamIRC
Another side project I began, and currently help maintain. It is a unique network with a very diverse group of people from all walks of life. Regulars include everyone from casual computer users to skilled hackers. I am very social and collaborative by nature, and AdullamIRC has been a place I both give and seek help on many levels. I also often recruit regulars to assist with complex projects. The other volunteers and I have gone through what some would call insane measures to keep the network alive and on-line over the years. We are proud to help home the unique group of people that gather there, and of the hard work and skill required to maintain the network.
FaithNoise
A famous record producer who goes by "ThomMac" came to me seeking to start a wiki for faith-based bands. I took the reigns setting up the site, securing hosting on our servers, and helping promote it. It is now one of the largest index of faith-based bands on the Internet, and I am pleased to watch it continue to grow.
Check it out at http://faithnoise.com
Tractor Factory INC.
I love this company, if for no other reason than the diverse array of projects they send my way. Tasks for them have included web design, graphics design, setting up email systems, developing data-mining software, and designing mass snail and e-mail systems.