Joe Bowers

I do Python, Javascript, and the Web
joerbowers [ at ] gmail [ dot ] com | (828) 318-2444

Capabilities

Working Professionally with Python since 2003

Including Django for web applications, twisted python for servers, TkInter for networked desktop applications, automated agents for process support, and good old-fashioned Python CGI

Hard-Core Javascript

I've been building RIAS and AJAX applications for over 10 years, from the days before XMLHttpRequest up through jQuery

I Dig Data

I write efficient, solid SQL. I've got experience implementing, interpreting, and automating business analytics. When I give an average, I give a variance.

Real Engineering

Solid object-oriented design, thoughtful interfaces and abstractions, careful change management and deployment, and an eye on the deadline are part of all of the work that I do, especially in Javascript. I write good check-in comments.

I Bring Your Design Vision to the Internet

I work well with designers. I've built networked applications, custom client software for Mobile and 3D, used serious ActionScript, and even generated video, all to bring great user experiences to life.

Experience and Education

Technical Director/Lead Developer, Internet

10/2008 - Present: HELO Online/DenTek Oral Care - Knoxville, TN

PHP, Python, ASP.NET development of e-commerce web sites and enterprise data tools. Management of Junior Technical staff.

In May 2009, HELO Online was absorbed into its parent company, DenTek Oral Care.

Developer

5/2008 - 10/2008: DMGx.com - Knoxville, TN

PHP, Javascript, Actionscript 3.0 development of media delivery platforms, social networking web sites, e-commerce sites for national brands. Pixel-perfect HTML+CSS that shipped on time.

Projects included Actionscript 3.0/Adobe AIR + native code media player for custom hardware.

Web Developer/E-Commerce Analyst

7/2006 - 5/2008: Jewelry Television - Knoxville, TN

Javascript, XSLT, Python development of rich internet applications for $150 million/year, AJAX intensive e-commerce website. Data analysis and automated marketing strategy tools in the R statistical language.

An "evenings and weekends" data analysis project turned into an automated search marketing strategy tool that increased the return on investment of a multi-million campaign from 350% to 1100%, while also increasing total sales volume and top line.

Video Developer

1/2006 - 6/2006: BClip Productions - Asheville, NC

Ruby, Lingo, Rails development of networked digital television show production tools. Design and management of Subversion-based system for large media assets and production artifacts.

Video production pipeline automation reduced show production time from over a week to under a single day.

Student, Multimedia Arts and Sciences

08/2002 - 12/2005: University of North Carolina at Asheville - Asheville, NC

B.A. awarded with distinction.

Recognition included

Technical Director

05/2003 - 12/2004: Seventy-Two DPI, LLC - Asheville, NC

Python, PHP, Javascript, Actionscript 2.0 development of web applications. Specified, estimated time and cost, and consulted on business cases for clients.

Custom Twisted/Python HTTP service for rich, geography aware search, scaled to 60,000 hits/day on low cost hardware. Convinced graphic designers to love source control and scripted deployment.

Software Consultant

05/2002 - 08/2002: UNC Chapel Hill - Chapel Hill, NC

Java, XSLT, Apache Cocoon development on help.unc.edu, campus-wide IT help web application.

Programmer

12/2000 - 05/2002: Canopy Systems, Inc. - Chapel Hill, NC

Java development for medical informatics application service provider, with a team of seven.

Rich, Asynchronous web application before XmlHttpRequest, "Servlet Model 2" pre-MVC architecture with in-house ORM

Software Architect/Developer

12/1999 - 6/2000: Security Management Consulting, Inc. - Raleigh, NC

Web development in Perl CGI, C, C++ for physical security applications.

Brought 20 years of old, enterprise critical data to the web, used Perl regexps over card-key history data to find industrial saboteurs.

Student, Computer Science and Mathematics

1996 - 1999: Virginia Tech - Blacksburg, VA

Student jobs included

Student, Creative Writing and Mathematics

1994 - 1996: St. Andrews Presbyterian College - Laurenburg, NC

Creative writing and Honors scholarship recipient. Lived in Cuenca, Ecuador for three months.

Personal

My last open source contribution was a slightly silly pure-python module for lzw compression (http://pypi.python.org/pypi/lzw), and before that a three-line patch to Why the Lucky Stiff's "Potion" minimal language (http://github.com/fogus/potion)

I'm interested in functional programming, machine learning, and physical computing; some code snippets and ephemera related to these topics are online at http://www.joe-bowers.com

I play the accordion. Badly.