Working With Rails

I’ve been creating dynamic Web sites since early 1993, when I helped to create the first newspaper on the Web, just after graduating from MIT’s computer science department. Since then, I’ve worked with a wide variety of companies, including Hewlett Packard, Time Warner, CheckPoint, Shopping.com, and Answers.com, doing everything from training their staff in Web/database techniques to implementing a variety of applications.

I have many years of experience with Unix/Linux systems, and have worked with a wide variety of Web/database platforms, including Perl, PHP, Python, Tcl, Ruby, MySQL, Oracle, and PostgreSQL, Zope, OpenACS, and HTML::Mason. For the better part of two years, I have strongly preferred to work in Ruby on Rails and PostgreSQL.

My main work over the last few years has been with an online bookstore, helping to create and refine pricing algorithms and a implement a popular book-buyback site.

I’m also the senior columnist at Linux Journal, having written a monthly column for the magazine since 1996.

I’m a PhD candidate in learning sciences (computer science + cognitive science + design, all for education) at Northwestern University. My dissertation will involve the creation of an online learning community for people who create and use NetLogo models (i.e., simulations).

I’m married, and the father of three young children (6, 4, and 1). We live in Modi’in, Israel, the “city of the future” halfway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. I’m a native-born US citizen (and native English speaker), and frequently travel to the United States for work and school purposes.

In the little spare time that I have, I enjoy reading (particularly about history, business, and science), keeping up with the latest Israeli and US politics, walking, and cooking. I particularly enjoy making ice cream, although I admit that some flavors (e.g., persimmon) were less popular with my family than I might have hoped.