Software developers - tell us about your skills

[Kym]

I'm interested in finding out what software developers are also into photography.

I'm also wondering what skills we have on the forum in this area.

So please tell us about your IT skills!

[I @ M]

Sorry, I only know how to log in to AP and haven't a clue about spreading sheets out in Java ( only ever been to Bali ) to lay a lamp on for the competent development of Christmas dinner for Linus Torvalds.

[CherylB]

Not really enough options there Kym! In a former life I was a programmer, but I don't see much call for Cobol these days! (especially on punched cards )

I have dabbled a bit with html and VB, and I can do anything I like with a Remedy system. I do a fair bit of coding within a Crystal Report from time to time.

[Kym]

Options - Well I could have had 20 more but just wanted a really broad gauge of current relevant skills

Andrew - you should take over primary tech support!

[Tannin]

Where is the option to vote for I am an incompetent LAMP developer?

[CherylB]

Options - Well I could have had 20 more but just wanted a really broad gauge of current relevant skills

Yep, story of my life! Always out of date, and completely irrelevant!

[farmer_rob]

Reasonably currently, I know my way around SQLserver, Oracle, ASP (less so .net, but have worked with it) mainly revolving around web-to-database coding and database design.

In a past life, I knew lots about Unix, C, Informix, SQL in various flavours, 4GLs, machine code real-time programming and data acquisition, as well as broadcast video standards and video encoding.

(I can also pull calves and fix pumps - but that is another story...)

[campo]

A lot of people i know in photography do have IT backgrounds whether it be programming, sys admin, BA/PM etc etc. For me I've come from support desk to web development and now into BA/PM style work although I'm strongest with backend databases. It would be interesting to know why so many photographers seems to have come from and IT background. Any researchers out there?

For me personally, i picked up a digital P&S camera after playing with a film P&S and enjoying it which rules out the "I want a cool technology gadget" thing...

[jev]

My business card says: "Project Manager", but in reality I spend my days 90% of the time designing and implementing embedded software and programmable hardware (FPGA's mostly). I've just finished the implementation of an SD-host peripheral (both peripheral and device driver) and started working on a brand new Bluetooth stack last week.

I've done my share of kernel development, programmed in numerous languages, burned more fingers on hot soldering tin and was shocked by more power-components than I care to remember. I've designed and built hardware for the automotive, medical and consumer market, including development on still- and moving camera technology. Some of it provides ethernet connections to hook it up to local networks (or the internet if you prefer) for which I've developed websites and databases.

So yeah, you could say I'm a techie . I don't do a lot of desktop programming but can if needed.

[clm738]

I make a mean dress. Is this any help? 'cause it's all double dutch to me.

[Sleeper]

"Linus Torvalds asks my advice on Linux kernel development" <- that's me.

Ok, jokes aside, I'm really just a asp.net developer.

[seastorm]

I'm a software test team leader, so I do a bit of spreadsheet programming for stats and stuff like that from raw data off SQL tables.

[maccaroneski]

It would be interesting to know why so many photographers seems to have come from and IT background. Any researchers out there?

No research being done here but I would have thought that if you're IT savvy you're just more likely to be in the net - in forums, and on Flickr etc as you know your way around those things a whole lot better than Joe Average.

I have no software skills per se, unless you count being able to draft and negotiate long boring a complex contracts for a wide range of enterprise software solutions (i.e. I can talk a good game about enterprise software licensing and IP rights, but no idea how to use the software itself) - otherwise then it's "log on to AP only" for me.

[Kym]

It would be interesting to know why so many photographers seems to have come from and IT background. Any researchers out there?

No research. But AP has quite a low number of members with serious IT development skills.
Within my work environment a team of 28 IT people, 6 have DSLRs, one of them has 2 (me).
Nikon 3 x D40x, 1 x D80, 1 x D90, Canon 1 x 400D, 2 x Pentax (K20D, K-7)

[gcflora]

Well I don't know what to vote. In my pervious career I wrote using C and C++ (depending on the task). I've also coded in M68K asm and x86 asm. I know quite a few other languages as well but most proficient in C. I do not know .NET very well (although I wrote a quick'n'dirty win forms c# app a few months ago for my personal use). So I guess I can't choose any of the poll options

[gcflora]

Not really enough options there Kym! In a former life I was a programmer, but I don't see much call for Cobol these days! (especially on punched cards )

I have dabbled a bit with html and VB, and I can do anything I like with a Remedy system. I do a fair bit of coding within a Crystal Report from time to time.

Well, you can probably find work maintaining COBOL but there are few things less pleasant LOL

[Miaow]

Have a dip in computer tech (96/7) that involved doing C,C++, VB, COBOL etc - wouldn't remember too much of it now apart from VB. Can do HTML and a little basic Java. Have done quite a few spreadsheets last job.

[trigger]

First full time job wams a DB developer, was sub-contracted in 99 by a telco for the LNP program. Coded stuff in VB, Java and PLSQL. The most borring job in my life, I'll never be a code monkey again

[peterb666]

I work for a software development company but I am not a programmer. I take the incomprehensible technical documentation and turn it into something remotely resembling English.

I write the occassional macro in VBA and play with HTML & stylesheets but I would generally rate my skills in the 'I can program a spreadsheet'.

Most of our programmers (some of whom I consider very good) cannot program a spreadsheet and come to me to get help which I find quite amusing.

[SRR33]

A lot of people i know in photography do have IT backgrounds whether it be programming, sys admin, BA/PM etc etc. For me I've come from support desk to web development and now into BA/PM style work although I'm strongest with backend databases. It would be interesting to know why so many photographers seems to have come from and IT background. Any researchers out there?

For me personally, i picked up a digital P&S camera after playing with a film P&S and enjoying it which rules out the "I want a cool technology gadget" thing...

+1.. in the IT field too.

Maybe because we love technology and playing with new gadgets.

For me my inspiration for photography came from my cousin brother (who is a professional wildlife photographer). He is also into IT (well he is the boss of his many companies). If it wasn't for him I would have never got into it.