In 1979, I purchased my first computer, one of the original Radio Shack Model I personal computers with 16K of memory and a cassette tape drive to load programs into memory. At the time I was a real estate broker doing market analyses that required extensive mathematical calculations. I programmed the TRS-80 to do the calculations for me, reducing my manual calculation time from over four hours to 30 seconds. This was the beginning of my experience with computers.
Over the years, I’ve transitioned from the original TRS-80 Model 1 to a Model III, then into a Tandy 2000, my first IBM PC compatible system, then to a succession of PC compatible systems. My PC experience led me into networking, accounting systems and database design. I developed a system for my construction business to produce pro formas and job estimates.
Later I left the construction business to pursue a career in computers. I took classes and became certified on Novell networks. This certification landed me a job with a major California health care provider, where I ultimately became a database administrator, and did substantial database programming.
More recently I was employed by a provider of information technology services to a well known Texas university as a system administrator. My duties include system administration, database administration, virtual machine and Docker administration as well as software stress testing.