Well, where to start 🙂 it’s always difficult to do the about section of anything, but here goes…
As you can see my name is “Peter Shaw” (I generally just go by my nickname ‘Shawty’ to those who know me), I’ve been into programming and technology since the early 1980’s when I wrote my first bit of code on a ZX81 in Sinclair basic (For those youngsters out there, this was at the time one of the best home computers available, with 1k of memory – expandable to 16k and a 2mhz CPU)
I rapidly moved onto the Acorn range of computers, starting with an Acorn Electron swiftly followed by a BBC Model B. Before long I was writing regular articles for magazines such as BBC Acorn User and various PD & Shareware libraries; I was a proud member of the 1980’s back bedroom, home programmer hobbyists scene and loving every minute of it.
The inevitable move to the IBM Compatible PC came soon after, when I got my first job as a computer Network Engineer, while studying part time at a local college. My first PC was an IBM PS2 Model 50Z running MS-DOS 6.22, this PC soon became a generic 386 then a 486 and onward, originally running Windows 3.11.
Some of my first forays into professional programming and software engineering on the PC platform came in the form of languages such as Turbo Pascal and later Borland Pascal for Windows. This lead me further into windows development using Borland Delphi before moving onto C and C++.
Today I write mostly using C# and Visual Studio and related technologies, but I do also do PHP, Perl, Ruby, Python, C, C++, JavaScript and some others, covering pretty much all the major platforms such as all the Linux’s and various versions of Windows.
I’m a general technologist who likes to be out there exploring new technologies, and new software development choices, which like any great developer these days I have to work manically at to keep up with the pace.
I’m also a trained GSM communications engineer and have worked for quite some time for one of the UK’s big four mobile phone companies. I also have specialist domain knowledge in Credit, Debit and Bank card processing and was one of the original principle architects for the banking software driving the payment systems on Perl Island Tourist Resort in Qatar.
I’m an experienced GIS (Geographic Information Systems) practitioner and routinely do domain specific work on transport and fleet management systems for companies in the vehicle tracking industry. As well as all this I’m also just as much at home on computing hardware and am an experienced server/data center admin and PC/Server repair/Maintenance person.
My blog pretty much is my little corner of cyberspace where I can dump whatever snippet of tech is currently running riot in my grey matter and any articles I get the notion to write.
Just in case you’re wondering what the “Digital Solutions” logo is all about, thats my company name for anything I do under my own steam, it’s stems from my original “Scene” group name way back when I was still at uni, and well it’s pretty much stuck with me ever since, there’s a link to my corporate web page in the “My_links” to the right, if you want to talk shop or hire me, then please visit that page.
As you’ll note from my Bio and the links on the page, I’m also a Group Manager for “Lidnug” (Linked.NET users group) based on Linked-in, Lidnug is the largest INETA certified .NET users group on the internet, we have backing and sponsorship from some big players in the .NET arena including Microsoft themselves, if you want to find out more please feel free to use any of the links leading there.
Finally I’m also available on Twitter, you can find my stream at http://twitter.com/shawty_ds/ if you decide you want to follow me.
If your interested in talking to me about working with you, then please click my company logo, or my Linked-In profile badge and feel free to contact me.
Hope you enjoy my Technical ramblings
All the Best
Shawty
Shawty's Live Space 