I've been a software developer for about twelve years now and I still enjoy it immensely. The ability to work on a wide variety of projects keeps things interesting. I tend to be a perfectionist which is good in software development but sometimes pushes milestones back a bit. I take pride in my work and I don't enjoy putting my name on anything that is not a high quality product. I believe that web designers and developers should strive to be pixel perfect and as standards compliant as possible.
My strongest skill set is the Microsoft ASP.NET platform. I've been developing with ASP.NET, C#, and SQL Server for a number of years and have a large volume of experience that helps with building applications. I'm also very comfortable in a LAMP or MAMP environment working with PHP and MySQL. Although I do have experience with many different languages, I believe that good developers focus on patterns and practices rather than specific languages and technologies. I tend to design software using object-oriented principles and proven patterns as it results in a product that is easier to maintain and extend.
I've done contracting and freelancing throughout my career. I was able to make a living as an independent consultant about a year after I started in the computer industry. I'm comfortable being the "go to" guy that clients call when something needs to be done right. I'm able to communicate well with clients and this helps me gather the knowledge I need to build exactly what they want. I choose the projects I work on carefully and try to deliver more than promised when I can.
I was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs and currently reside in Geneva, IL which is about 45 miles west of the city. I've lived here for about six years. I am 36 years old and have been married to my wonderful wife for about seven years. We have four great kids who keep me very busy when I'm not working. Some of my hobbies include playing the guitar, reading, playing ice hockey, running, and coaching my son's little league team.