Projects

Decision Engine: I architected and developed a tool that identifies companies & buildings based on multi-variable custom weighted metrics.

Internal Reporting Tools: Built front and backend of an application mashing up Google Analytics data with internal statistics.

iOS Mobile Initiatives: Directed two major mobile initiatives including an HB iPhone application & dedicated, dynamic iPad applications for premium organizations wanting to highlight the projects they have performed on buildings.

Tech Overview

I fix bugs, improve user interfaces and build new features for the Honest Buildings platform. This includes the destination honestbuildings.com website, a white-label enterprise platform, internal administrative tools and an API that powers mobile applications.

Primary technologies in use at Honest Buildings include Amazon EC2, PHP, MySQL, MongoDB, Apache Solr, Javascript, jQuery, Highcharts, {{mustache}}, HTML, CSS

PHP

I love writing code in PHP. It's a flexible language that is great for rapid prototype development and strong enough to power long term, robust solutions.

Some great code that I've written at Treemo Labs:

• Data Model: An active record type object for rapid ORM with automatic integration with our memcached layer, along with a Data Model List object to generate cacheable, pageable, scalable, itterable lists of Data Model objects.
• Generic Collections: for storing and grouping anything (a photo album, a friend list, a todo list, anything!). This has proven to be very valuable for development of client applications, providing a generic API based object store.
• Generic Comments: comment on anything. Includes comment nesting, authenticated comments, anonymous comments, comment moderation and spam detection.

API

As Treemo Labs grew, the need for a generic platform to power rapid development of commonly requested features arose. Out of that need, the platform API was born.

• Feature rich: Full featured API for end-to-end features needed to power a social website including: registration, authentication, social graph management, media uploads, media privacy, data collections, tags, events, rss aggregation, commenting, leaderboard, analytics, messages, polls, reviews, disk quotas, searching, and more.
• Output Agnostic: XML and JSON data responses for every API method. API was architected so we can add new output formats by writing a simple plugin.
• Tested: Full php-unit test coverage for core API features. Test coverage was extremely useful to ensure public facing API didn't change when underlying code was refactored.
• Usable: Documentation and sample libraries in multiple languages for custom client integrations with the Treemo API. I also built an internal use API test console to plug in values for any API method and get a response in the browser.

Javascript

I write a ton of javascript on most days. Functional javascript, object-oriented javascript, jQuery plugins, you name it in javascript.

• Treemo API: javascript layer (written as a jQuery plugin) for integrating with the Treemo API.
• Jiffy: a javascript framework (mvc with server side controllers) for rapid mobile app development. Auto-caches templates and last-good data response so views can be rendered without a data connection.
• Touchable.js: jQuery plugin to bring mouseup and mousedown type interactions across mobile and desktop browsers - https://github.com/joshs633/touchable.js

iOS Distribution

When the iPhone SDK first came out, creating Ad-Hoc builds was difficult - I dove in head first and learned the ins and outs of Ad-Hoc building, distributing, installing, and testing. The process for creating Ad-Hoc builds has become much simpler as the tools have evolved and I've moved my focus to distribution of builds.

I wrote an API binding in the Treemo Platform to upload and analyze Enterprise and Ad-Hoc builds. To compliment the upload API, I wrote a consuming API and a web based front-end tool where you can point clients to an easy URL and direct them to enter a generated (or custom) passphrase. The build is then installed on their device. If Apple allowed it, my system could easily power a full application store for iOS.

Content Aggregator

This was a fun ongoing project at Treemo Labs. As a feature of our the platform, we added a content aggregator that is designed to have full access to all content on a network of 3rd party sites, constantly monitor those sites for changes and then present an interface for exploring the aggregated articles in an interesting way.

• Specification: The content aggregator has a real-time notification API participating sites need to implement along with an API service they need to open up for historical querying for new, modified and deleted content. You can read the specification that 3rd party sites wanting to be included in the aggregator need to implement at http://treemolabs.com/aggregator/.
• WordPress Plugin: Based on the JSON API plugin, the Treemo Labs Content Aggregator plugin automatically syncs all posts to the subscribed aggregator - available in the WordPress plugin repository. The Wordpress Plugin is the reference implementation for 3rd party sites looking to implement the aggregator specification.

Analytics

I am passionate about making it easy to collect, display and understand data. Data is a beautiful thing. I would be elated to do this all day long.

At Treemo, I wrote a generic framework for collection and display of application usage in our mobile apps and websites. As new dimensions are tracked by an application, new graphs appear in the frontend application. Decision makers can compare historic usage of the application, devices used, and how often users return.

Products Developed

Appafolio: a work in progress with huge potential. Targeted at creative professionals and brands, create a native iPad application containing your portfolio content directly from your iPad or on the web. After the initial load, all of your content is cached to the iPhone or iPad and available offline. Web based creation tool enables you to create new screens, pick and customize your theme, upload your pictures, movies and text, and manage your sharing options. Try it out at appafolio.com

Appazine: online tool developed to help make the life of an app developer easier. For example, it handles build distribution, 3rd party library configurations, design files, etc. Appazine was also extended as a content management tool for the Jiffy powered applications to manage permissions, content, promotions, twitter and facebook integrations, app color schemes and more.

Clients

I have built communities for clients such as Unlimited Justice, Treemo.com, The Source, Global Modal Search, Infield Parking, and CBS EyeMobile.

I have been involved in building apps such CBS News, Rick Steves' Audio Europe, CNET, 60 Minutes, Tic a Tac Poker, Cool Japan, and Nirvana: Nevermind.

I have worked on mobile web campaigns for brands such as Sony, Samsung, Verizon, CBS, Vaseline, Gamespot, Intel, MTV, Ecko Unltd, and Pepsi.

You can see a pretty complete list of apps and websites Treemo Labs has produced at http://treemolabs.com/work/. I haven't directly worked on every one but I've had my hand in the large majority of everything shipped at Treemo Labs.

Clients

At Ascentium, I worked primarily enhancing multiple microsoft.com web properties such as their science and big data sites as well as some internal Microsoft web properties.

Also while at Ascentium, I implemented full site redesigns for companies such as InfoSpace, California Strawberry Commission and the King County Library System.

Tech Overview

As a Web Developer for Ascentium, I wrote html, css, javascript, classic ASP and a little ASP.NET.

I did quite a bit of PSD to HTML where a designer hands off a Photoshop file containing a new design for a website and I converted it to a pixel perfect website by slicing images, writing markup in HTML and styling it with CSS.

University Residences

During my entire 4 ½ years at Western, I worked for University Residences' Web Team as a Web Developer.

While working at University Residences, I focused on user experience enhancements across web applications for dining, roommate matching, universal search/frequently asked questions and housing signup. I made web applications that look great and are easy to use.

Tech Overview

I formed my LAMP foundations at Western. I went through a Gentoo phase until I discovered the wonders of OSX but it helped form a solid 'nix understanding. Development at University Residences was in PHP/MySQL along with a utilizing some LDAP, CAS and Oracle adapters. I formed my strong understanding of semantic XHTML and became passionate about the future of micro-formats while at WWU.