My Work

Most of my professional experience has been at InquisiCorp. In addition, I have done freelance work, including developing websites, web applications, and games for clients. I have also created my own websites, web applications, games, and other side projects. You can see most of my game development and other side projects at bitwisecreative.com.

Although there isn't a whole lot to see, here are my GitHub and Stack Overflow profiles...

I worked full-time at InquisiCorp for 18 years. InquisiCorp is the parent company for sonlight.com and bookshark.com.

Here's a breakdown of my position history:

Senior Web Developer
Oct 2008 - Dec 2022 · 14 yrs 3 mos

Inherited Senior Web Developer role and hired replacement Web Developer. Assumed significantly increased workload and responsibility.

Skills: PostgreSQL · Database Design · Database Administration · HTML5 · Search Engine Optimization (SEO) · Front-End Development · Back-End Web Development · API Development · REST APIs · Full-Stack Development · Hiring · DevOps · Subversion · Git · Data Migration · System Migration · Performance Testing · Performance Tuning · Performance Improvement · Reporting & Analysis · Linux System Administration · 3rd Party Integrations · Responsive Web Design · Server Administration · Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) · PHP · MySQL · Project Management

Web Developer
May 2006 - Oct 2008 · 2 yrs 6 mos

Promoted to Web Developer and hired a replacement Web Designer. Took on more advanced development tasks.

Skills: Server Administration · Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) · PHP · MySQL · JavaScript · HTML

Web Designer
Dec 2004 - May 2006 · 1 yr 6 mos

Hired on as Web Designer, but was quickly tasked with development work.

Skills: Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) · Adobe Photoshop · Adobe Illustrator · PHP · MySQL · JavaScript · HTML

Here's a list of the work I did there and things I accomplished:

Full Stack Development
- Design
  - Implemented multiple complete redesigns for sonlight.com
  - Implemented responsive layouts for sonlight.com
  - Created and implemented designs for new sites
  - Converted numerous mock ups to responsive web layouts
  - Created numerous web graphics and graphical components
- Integrations
  - FootPrints Service Desk
  - Instagram Feed (custom)
  - Google Shopping Feed (custom)
  - Facebook Catalog Feed (custom)
  - ERP API (PHP to IBM i5)
  - Post-Purchase Survey
  - Pre-Checkout Alerts and Upsells
  - MailChimp (custom)
  - Klaviyo (custom)
  - Ingram Ebook Database
  - LivePerson, LiveEngage, and LiveCall (custom)
  - TaxJar
  - TaxCloud
  - ZenDesk (custom)
  - ARPReach
- APIs
  - Address validation (FedEx)
  - Credit score (Transunion Net Access)
  - Snippets and Chunks
  - Email Signup (MailChimp/Klaviyo)
  - Product Data (Product Database)
  - Order History
- Product Database
  - Admin interface for managing product data
  - Advanced attributes system (data types, multi-types, enums, metadata, etc.)
  - Syncs product data to Acumatica and Magento 2
  - Import/export capabilities
  - Powers multiple APIs and external systems (e.g., Package Builder and custom product feeds)
  - Diagnostics system
  - Package management
  - Category management
  - Configurable product management
  - Specialty edit-in-place table/grid display with data and column filtering
  - Simple and efficient database design provides high performance, quick and easy bulk updates, and simple reporting
- Package Builder
  - Admin interface and configuration system for providing customizable packages support in Magento 2 via bundled products
  - Extremely performant advanced frontend interface allowed customers to configure their custom packages based on level
  - Automated syncing and system diagnostics
- Video DB
  - Admin interface for managing in-house video products
  - Integrated with ecommerce systems for access control
  - Advanced frontend interface included custom responsive video player, video filtering, and watched/completed tracking
- Custom Search Engine
  - Built a custom search engine for sonlight.com
  - High performance
  - Capable of advanced and tailored matching
  - Internal analytics
- Custom Shopping Cart
  - Co-developed complete proprietary shopping cart system
  - Integrated with proprietary ERP
  - Controllers included Addresses, Admin, Carts, Customers, Export, Orders, PaymentPlans, Promos, Returns, Shipping, Taxes, Users, WishLists
  - Libs included CartAPI, CreditCards, CreditScore, DB, IBMDB, Log, Reports, Response, Settings, Token
- Digital Products Admin
  - Admin interface for implementing order-history-based digital products access
  - Integrated with proprietary ecommerce system
- Flex Kit Admin / Customize
  - Admin interface for managing flexible packages functionality
  - Integrated with proprietary ERP and ecommerce systems
  - Frontend customized packages tracking
- Redirects Manager
  - Admin interface for entering redirect data (regex enabled)
  - Integrated with CMS for performant 301 redirects
  - Internal unhandled 404 analytics
- SEO Admin
  - Admin interface for tracking SEO issues and various SEO analytics (automated and manually entered)
  - Internal custom spider
- Order History
  - Migrated ~20 years of order history details
  - API with cached responses
  - Integrated with Acumatica ERP
- Customer Tools
  - View current shopping cart contents
  - View combined order history details
  - View digital product access
- ERP Bulk Price Updater
  - Admin interface for bulk price data updates
  - Support for date ranges and customer types
  - Integrated with proprietary IBM i5 ERP
- Photos and Testimonials Admin
  - Admin interface for receiving, viewing, editing, and scoring customer-submitted photos and testimonials
  - API for providing relevant (e.g., product-related) output on the website
- Work Log
  - Custom work log application for tracking daily work
  - One-click combined reporting output
- Curriculum Updates/Corrections Admin
  - Admin interface for tracking curriculum updates and corrections
  - API output widget for frontend
- Catalog Requests
  - Admin interface for receiving, viewing, editing, and reporting catalog requests for customers
- IG Links
  - Admin interface for tracking and editing external links in instructor guides
  - Scheduled spider reported link status
- Rewards Admin
  - Admin interface for managing and reporting customer rewards points system
  - Integrated with proprietary ERP and ecommerce systems
- Transactional Emails
  - Custom integrated automated transactional emails system
  - MailChimp and Klaviyo
- Bulk Sales Tax Update Admin
  - Admin interface for bulk sales tax data updates
  - Integrated with proprietary IBM i5 ERP
- Conventions Admin
  - Admin interface for tracking homeschool conventions
  - API output widget for frontend
- Custom 404 System
  - Auto-search/match
  - Auto-301
  - Internal analytics
- IG Assembly
  - Built a custom interface for customers to configure their binder contents
- New Ecommerce Websites
  - MathTacular (Magento 1)
  - Ascendo (Proprietary)
- Etc. System Customizations and Widgets
  - Forgot Password system for proprietary ecommerce system
  - NotFound Handler module for Magento 2 (automated 301 redirects)
  - Product listing sorting/filtering system
  - AJAX add to cart functionality for proprietary ecommerce system
  - Voting systems (for customers)
  - Cart upsells (configurable)
  - Age/grade indicators
  - Custom CAPTCHA
  - Slideout cart
  - Site feedback
  - Item alerts (e.g., shipping restrictions)
  - Checkout alerts (e.g., missing required items)
  - Product quick info popups
  - Product samples and attachments
  - Custom forum badges system
  - Advisor cart review system
  - Custom GDPR compliance implementation
  - Shipping calculator (FedEx integration)
  - Payment Plans calculator (Ecommerce integration)
  - Downloadable book descriptions
  - Required resources indicators
  - Custom audio player
  - Shipping rate tables simplification and bulk import/update tooling
  - Custom product stock system with real-time integration
  - Automated microdata and rich snippet implementation tool
  - Promo editor and launcher
  - Custom automated image optimizer (crusher)
  - Automated download tracking
  - Advisor call scheduler
  - My Account system for proprietary ecommerce system
  - Automated abandoned carts reporting system for proprietary ecommerce system
  - Backorders display system for proprietary ecommerce system
  - Magazine tracking system for proprietary ERP
  - Product reviews system
  - Virtual convention booth system
Systems Administration
- Servers
  - Provisioned, configured, and managed numerous servers from database servers to production web servers
- Security
  - Installed SSL certificates
  - Configured web application firewalls
  - Applied security patches
  - Reviewed vulnerabilities and determined false positives
  - Tightened application security
  - Worked with 3rd party evals and scans (TrustWave, TrustedSite, ScanAlert, HackerSafe, etc.)
  - Application upgrades
- Monitoring
  - Built custom system monitors
  - Built an ecommerce monitor that checked each stage of checkout through a virtual browser
- Performance Testing and Optimizations
  - Setup and performed system benchmarking and stress testing
  - Made significant performance improvements to proprietary ecommerce system
- Data Management
  - Bulk data imports/exports and manipulations/fixes
  - Built custom rotating backup systems
- Migrations
  - Legacy Order History
  - Postgres Database Servers
  - MySQL Database Servers
  - WordPress Sites
  - vBulletin to IP.Board
  - Article Manager MODX
  - MODX to Shopify
- DevOps
  - Implemented SVN version control
  - Migrated version control to GIT
  - Designed deployment procedures
- Reporting and Analytics
  - Provided custom reporting from various systems
  - Provided generated reports, such as abandoned carts
Management
- Projects
  - Lead numerous large development projects, such as Product Database, Package Builder, Custom Shopping Cart, and Video DB
- Hiring
  - Lead four rounds of hiring that resulted in employing one web designer and three web developers
  - Reviewed hundreds of resumes
  - Developed, administered, and scored multiple custom web developer tests (interactive tests on a VM)
  - Participated in interviews
- 3rd Party Developers
  - Managed development projects, tasks, and priorities for 3rd party development company
- Yearly Catalog Update
  - Planned, managed, and refined technical aspects and processes of yearly catalog update
  - Performed bulk product data and site data updates
  - Orchestrated deployment
Marketing and SEO
- Promos and Sales
  - Implemented and launched hundreds of custom promotions and sales, such as Christmas, Black Friday, and Clearance sales
  - Extended system functionality to accommodate desired promotional features
  - Built custom administration interfaces for managing promotions
  - Provided data work, such as mass cloning for clearance sales, and custom reporting
- SEO
  - Worked with multiple 3rd party SEO consulting firms, such as Oneupweb, BrightEdge, and Kern Media
  - Implemented thousands of recommended site and system updates, such as mass 404 resolutions, microdata implementation, custom sitemaps, rich snippet implementations, and "PageSpeed" improvements
- Testing and Analysis
  - Implemented various A/B and Multivariate split tests
  - Provided web statistics and reports