BLURRING THE LINE BETWEEN WORK AND FUN ARE:

Internet and Computers - my introduction to the Internet was using an FTP program to collect visibility sensor data from a Canadian test site at work back in 1994. The site was chosen because of its frequent incidence of blowing snow, not to mention frequent fog events. Soon, I was using the World Wide Web at work - first with Mosaic then with Netscape, more recently, with MS Internet Explorer.

Before and since that, I used various types of computers - from mainframes such as Digital Equipment DEC-10 and Prime to Sun and HP workstations to PCs and laptops (mostly IBM clones, a little bit of Mac used at my church and also checking e-mail at the 1998 American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting in Phoenix, AZ..) and PDAS (personal data assistants - HP Palmtops - used for getting visibility sensor data from several Alaskan sites, USR PalmPilot)...

The first computer I ever used was the old DEC-10 mainframe when I was at WPI in the late 1970's where I learned FORTRAN and a little BASIC.  Yes, I still use FORTRAN at work, so FORTRAN is not yet extinct.  I also have since learned PASCAL and some C. I use C on occasion at work.

As for building websites, I started with Netscape Composer in late 1997. I learned its limitations with its wizzywig editor and soon began to learn HTML. I used Composer to build my first personal site and my church's website and posted both in February 1998. By late 1998, I assisted with the MIT Club of Boston website and became their webmaster in March 1999.

I also have been playing around with JavaScript and Java off and on. I am also going to play around with DHTML now that I have Dreamweaver up and running. Soon, I also want to learn how to use databases to dynamically generate web pages because I have used such database programs as dBase, Paradox and Access over the years and have learned how to write scripts in Paradox and dBase. I have also used Paradox Engine as well. I am beginning to teach myself PHP, a server side language something like ASP or JSP that can connect to databases. I already used it to get a form working on my brother's website. I now have Dreamweaver MX which has database capabilities.

Because I am into digital photography, I am also learning how to use Paint Shop Pro and Macromedia Fireworks. I now use both Internet Explorer and Netscape. If you see a new look to this web site in the near future - that's done with my new tools/toys. I do almost all of my web site stuff on my laptop.

Another thing I'd like to try soon is Macromedia Flash because I have been making animated image files both on my websites and also at work. Besides, I think it's a logical thing to learn for someone into analyzing lightning data and into digital photography!!:-)

Besides my Internet related stuff, I am also interested in learning how to use mathematics related applications. I have played around with Mathcad a little and use Matlab regularly at work, mostly for generating graphs and animations. I have used several statistical applications such as MINITAB and BMDP durng my college years.

This site is constructed and maintained using Macromedia Dreamweaver - it's the best out there!! I got the program as recommended by a fellow MIT Club of Boston member. I hope you don't find navigating this site to be 'haze-y' especially until 'all' of the site is built!!:-)