de havilland . dev

“hello, world!”

I’m Nicholas, and I would like to introduce you to four disciplines in computer science and information technology that are of particular interest me. I have accumulated a variety of knowledge and expertise as an IT technician and systems administrator, beginning as a hobbyist amateur and culminating as a trained professional.

Having recently completed my undergraduate degree in computer science, I am now engaged in a postgraduate degree in web design. I intend to continue my education in future towards further specialisations in software engineering and data analytics. My eventual aim is to establish a business providing complete frontend and backend solutions.

>systems
>administrator

--experience

My journey with computers and technology began at a very young age, during the time of the BBC’s Computer Literacy Project 🔗. Shortly after, I began assembling my own personal computers from components, and connecting them to local area networks and the Internet. Years later, these experiences afforded me the opportunity to consider pursuing it as a career.

I gained vocational qualifications and industry certifications in providing technical support and networking services. I install, configure and administer enterprise level and cloud based systems across Windows and Linux environments. I enjoy staying current with the latest advances in technology for both business and personal uses.

--platform

Linux (Ubuntu/Red Hat/OpenSUSE)

Windows/Windows Server (ADDS/GPO)

Amazon Web Services

Google Cloud Platform

--language

Bash

PowerShell

--technology

ZFS/BtrFS/NFS/Samba/iSCSI/GlusterFS

oVirt/KVM/Xen/VMware/Hyper-V

Bind, ISC DHCP, pfSense

FreeIPA, OpenVPN

Nextcloud/ownCloud

Docker/Kubernetees

>software
>engineer

--experience

Before computer and network hardware captured my imagination, I started by learning to program. I became familiar with several programming languages, but never progressed beyond simple games and utilities. When I had to write automation scripts and middleware for system administration, lacking a grounding in the fundamentals motivated me to pursue undergraduate study.

Core subjects like information and systems theory, computational logic and machine architecture, data structures and algorithm optimisation, programming language paradigms, object-oriented principles, and project management methodologies, gave me the confidence to tackle developing robust and reusable software.

--language

Assembly Language

BASIC

Visual BASIC

Object PASCAL

Python

Java

C++

--framework

Qt

--methodology

SSADM

RAD

DSDM Atern

XP

Scrum

--modelling

UML

ER (Chen, CF)

>web
>developer

--experience

I wanted to learn to construct websites after realising their advantages and versatility in e-business, particularly as web applications and services. Building on my knowledge of network infrastructure and software applications also made web development a logical next step, so I opted for introductory courses on creating static and interactive web pages, dynamic content generation, and database integration.

I am currently studying the principles of graphic design, such as layout, composition, typography, colour, branding and promotion; and the functional aspects, such as user experience and interface design, accessibility features, content management, web analytics, and search optimisation.

--language

HTML

CSS

JS/Node.js

PHP

XML/JSON/AJAX

--library

JQuery

--framework

Cordova/PhoneGap

--technology

Apache

Nginx

MySQL

OpenID/OpenAuth

RESTful API

WordPress

>data
>analyst

--experience

While studying discrete mathematics and non-relational databases, I became fascinated by the topic of graph theory because of its wide applications, such as file systems, social networks, and ‘big data’ sets. Both curious and inspired, I elected to explore the related areas of machine learning and geospatial analysis.

The latter subject became the focus of a project modelling a flood risk scenario for the population around the Thames in Central London. Applying statistical analysis and mapping tools to the problem demonstrated the value of using data to extract insights from real world problems. As I improve my mathematical skills, I intend to continue my learning in this exciting area.

--application

ArcGIS

--library

NumPy

Anaconda

--environment

MATLAB

SageMath

Mathematica