Computer Skills and/or What You Would Like to Learn About Computing

[feravolo]

Hello:

I was thinking a forum thread is a good way for everyone to let everyone else know what you know about "computers". Then someone could maintain the information as a wiki page under our groups wiki.

In order for anyone to help fix any bugs in the operating system, one has to know their way around the Ubuntu source code and understand the Ubuntu file system.

Creating a Custom distribution is an excellent way to learn about the Ubuntu file system, understanding the source code can follow in time. We could all help by participating in Beta Testing by running the next release and making note of problems when they happen. I am sure that would a benefit to the project and would also help people understand how ubuntu works.

For example here are some of my skills:

A Degree in Computer Science and A Windows 2000 MCSE/MCSA

Knowledge of Software Engineering Methodologies and Design Conventions,
such as the Software Life Cycle, Process Flow Models, Testing Specifications,
Technical Writing, Real Time Programming, Systems Design and Data Base Schema's

Some Programming Languages: Groovy, Java, ANSI C, Vb.Net, JavaScript, Fortran & COBOL (and others)

Experience with running a business including: dealing with the media and people who sell advertising,
including major magazines, newspapers , major Internet companies and . . . commercial land lords.

Please note that I didn't say I was a Graphic Artist or anything like that; Those of us who are should make note of that and any other skills related to doing business on line or in real life.

Peace
Mike F

[raptor2552]

Comprehensive, but not all inclusive, skill set for Mike (aka Raptor2552)
Wisconsin Telephone/Ameritech: 20 years telecommunications outside plant & engineering
• Residential and business telephone installation & repair, premise wiring & PBX systems
• Cable splicing copper communications cable, engineering drawings, cable prints, cable rearrangements
• T1, T3 copper carrier systems, intra-office telephone trunks
• Subscriber Loop Carrier (pair gain systems), remote terminal construction, wiring and maintenance
• Light wave cable and multiplexers, central office termination and interface
• Copper cable repair, test sets (open locators, VOM, pair loss )

Ameritech: 10 years computer operations, systems & network administration cumulative skills;
• AT&T Datakit admin (really cool data switch)
• UNIX System II & System V, HP-UX, AIX, Sun Solaris
• Maintenance of Sun Microsystems Ultra Spark workstations
• Numerous telephony applications including inter-office telemetry, financial, work force deployment, ACD/MIS (original spy ware I think), long distance, fraud (live system), EDI, Network Access Server (Secure ID), Platinum-Autosys, Tivoli, Clarify, Data Warehouse, Business Objects and Remedy (purchase order)
• Informix, Oracle, MySQL, and Access Data Bases
• Perl, C, Java, PHP, PerlScript, JavaScript, CGI, ASP, Basic, Visual Basic for Applications, COBOL, Smalltalk, Shell programming (Bourne, Korne, C-shell, bash), HTML, CSS
• Developed and provided training aides & documentation for new employees
• TCP/IP, synchronous asynchronous data links, X.25, multiplexer / router, data center cabling, protocol analyzer, network snoop (very fun)
• Telecommunications switches, AT&T 1 & 5 ESS, Northern Telcom, Siemens
• Member of the Systems Migration and Disaster Recovery Team (we tried but could not get charter to have a data center in Hawaii )

Harris Corp.
• Sun Solaris Admin, Netboss (SMNP Network monitor)

Self taught mostly; no formal education aside from company provided training (AT&T UNIX, Sun Microsystems) and night school at Milwaukee Area Technical College, and Brevard Community College (MCSE coursework in which I completed the first 5 of the 7 required courses. I did not take any of the MCSE tests but used to have certification from Brain Bench (now expired)

People skills; none, politically correct; not. Unable to find work after 9/11 I have tried:
• Real Estate sales (icky)
• A failed tech business
• Insurance sales (icky, icky)
• Motorcycle sales (OK but the money per hours worked, icky)
• Auto sales (too many ickies too mention and besides after 3 days was canned because according to my boss, “I was too nice a guy”. Gee, just because I refused to chase cars around the lot like some dog.)

You can take the person out of tech but you can’t take the tech out of the person. Do I know everything? Not by a long shot.

Most recently I’ve come to understand a shortfall of mine is I’m too analytical, short sighted and literal (aka left brained), reserved, and stoic, but have taken it upon myself to develop my right brain through artistic pursuits (aka right brained); drawing and acrylic painting. I also am a model railroader, currently inactive, but love detailing scenes and building models, structures, bridges and such. OK this dissertation over so you can wakeup now.

[dca]

Hmmm, I have an AS degree in Comp Info Science, however, most of my experience is in the hardware side of things: servers, PCs, printers, etc... I know my way around MS, Linux, MAC, but if you asked me which one I prefer, it would be the one I'm least proficient in: Linux.

After working for so long in IT, I don't really think I care to learn any more. I guess if the company I worked for decided to buy into some cockamamie thing I'd go to get certified in it...

[martinw89]

Ah, good idea for a thread. I graduate from High School in a month (I graduate a month early because of IB) so I haven't gotten any professional training yet. However, I've done a few things on my own:

• I administer my school's website, www.delandband.com.
  • On the website I have done a few things for usability and to make it last for a few years without the need for much change:
  • I have installed drupal
  • I installed PHPMyAdmin (my host does not provide CPanel or anything really besides SSH and FTP access.
  • I made a nice little php script that asks people if they would like to redirected to a page of the same name on our old website that is executed on the 404 page.
• I have assembled a couple of computers (I'm into the overclocking and modding thing)
• I've taught myself some really basic C++ and python, I'm teaching myself more python now
• I play around with small electronics, I've built a CMoy pocket amp
• One of my biggest hobbies outside of hardware and administration is graphic design, specifically 3D (I use Maxon's Cinema 4D). I'm not that great at Photoshop and haven't bothered getting it. And GIMP cuts it for basic stuff and I know my way around the basic stuff

After I graduate I'm going to UF to pursue a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering. I really love computers and I really can't wait to go after a career working with them.

[tcabeen]

Health care (Currently working for Medicare HMO, previously for Commercial and Medicare HMO)
Data analysis (MS SQL, Access, general concepts, etc)

I don't have a degree, and I've been on Linux (this time around) for just about a week, so my list is understandably short.

The what I'd like to learn list is MUCH longer. I plan to play with MySQL, pick up a programming language or two, continue my transition at home from Windows/Mac to strictly Linux and OSS. Eventually, I would like to contribute to the community in whatever way possible.

[feravolo]

Health care (Currently working for Medicare HMO, previously for Commercial and Medicare HMO)
Data analysis (MS SQL, Access, general concepts, etc)

I don't have a degree, and I've been on Linux (this time around) for just about a week, so my list is understandably short.

The what I'd like to learn list is MUCH longer. I plan to play with MySQL, pick up a programming language or two, continue my transition at home from Windows/Mac to strictly Linux and OSS. Eventually, I would like to contribute to the community in whatever way possible.

I good place to start is with HTML and CSS, since these are the two things that you are going to need to know to let people use an application that you will write for the internet. Also a that you need is a web browser and a text editor. The Zen of CSS is essential reading for anyone that wants to create web sites, which is also the user interface for any web based programming.

Also I found a pretty good new ubuntu book called "Hacking Ubuntu" by Dr. Neal Kraetz, he goes over just about everything in plan langauge with a lot of screen pictures. Without getting too deep in any of the subjects, some of which rate entire text books on there own.

You will also want setup a webs server on you ubuntu machine and learn some systems level stuff too, since the place to start with programming are scripting languages such as the "shell script".

I hope this is helpful

Mike Feravolo
Cocoa Beach, Florida

[tcabeen]

I hope this is helpful

Somewhat. But with all due respect, I didn't give any indication that I know HTML and CSS already, and that I have a few sites on dreamhost. I like to keep such things separate, and neglected to consider the relevance. I've been making crappy web pages for around 13 years now. They're still crappy, because I'm not much for design, but I definitely have a stick up my butt about doing it "right". i.e. <3 CSS

The Hacking Ubuntu book I'll definitely check out. I've got much love for O'Reilly books, but this one looks really good. Thanks!

[feravolo]

The O'Reilly Books are good but I am not talking about "Ubuntu Hacks" which has been around since last year. The book I am referring to is published by Wiley Publishing and is part of a series called "Extreme Tech" . It has a dark brown and orange cover.

The Hacking Ubuntu book I'll definitely check out. I've got much love for O'Reilly books, but this one looks really good. Thanks!

The O'Reilly Book you might want to take a look at is the one about "SED and AWK" which also includes "GREP", These are string processing languages that have been around since the teletype days and are still very useful in searching the the text based configuration and log files.

[ElementC]

I've been using Ubuntu since Hoary on a disconnected little workstation in my family's kitchen. However, My first fully connected machine came with the release of Edgy (bringing upon it a whole new set of fun experiences). While I may not have a lot of quantifiable experience, (this is going to sound really hippie-like, so please forgive me), my experience with Debian and apt, Gnome and XFCE, and Ubuntu and computing simply cannot be quantified with mere degrees. Ha!
I'm just kidding, treat me as general PR and complete techno n00b- unless dependency tracking is what you want.

Regards,

-E/C

[reya276]

I have about 10 years experience in the IT field mostly with Windows Servers, I have about 8 years of web development/design experience. So I'm fluent in ASP, PHP, Coldfusion, HTML, XML, JavaScript, ActionScript some .NET and C# as well.

I'm also proficient with graphics design application suchas Photoshop, Fireworks, Flash and Illustrator and ever since I made switch to Ubuntu I'm now proficient with the GIMP and InkScape.

On the Database side I'm good with MS SQL server admin/scripting as well as MySQL.

I currently develop financial software for Financial Recovery Group Inc. and we target the healthcare/HMOs and IPAs within Florida.

So if you guys need anything done on the web as far as web development goes I can help. Oh also I have my on consulting business maintaining windows servers and wed development software (www.sbnsite.com).