Assistant Professor (3/4 Time). Teach Communication Theory, Interpersonal Communication, and a variant of Public Speaking oriented to engineers in the Communication Studies department. For additional details, see my Academic Curriculum Vita. Have accepted adjunct assignments from other schools, including Adelphi and Montclair State.
Adjunct Associate Professor. Teach communicaiton theory-based courses primarily in the Television and Radio department. For additional details, see my Academic Curriculum Vita. Have accepted adjunct assignments from other schools, including Adelphi and Montclair State.
Principal. Imagining new possibilities for computer mediated communication systems that allow organizations to connect with stakeholders in new ways. Provide media profiles and assessments on a consulting basis. Architect new media systems.
Visiting Associate Professor. Taught courses on the process of human communication principly in the perspective of Interpersonal communication.. For specifics of courses taught, see my Academic Curriculum Vita.
Senior Engineer. A continuous employment during which NorthStar was spun out of Teradyne as a part of Empirix. Architect and User Interface Technical Lead for the NetFlare end to end Internet performance testing product, which determines an end users Internet configuration and diagnoses faults in their end to end connectivity. This enables the optimization and repair of system internet performance. NetFlare remains a Teradyne product. Architect and Technical Leader for the LOOKOUT web-site network performance monitoring tool, a middleware agent that determines the approximate geographic location of an end user based on network route information, a highly distributed web site load generator, and other related tools.
Senior Consulting Architect, IBM Business Partner Systems, IBM Global Services. As lead architect for IBM's Business Partner e-Business strategy, architected and built IBM's premier business partner web site. The Business Partner Systems infrastructure (described elsewhere in this hypermedia resume), is the biggest project I've ever provided leadership for, and has involved a team architects, programmers, planners, project managers, operations staff, help desk staff, writers, and others numbering in the hundreds. At the peak of development spending, about $70 million was spent on various activities within the scope of my architecture. The money has been well spent, however, with the site surpassing $1 Billion in direct orders in less than 9 months (September, 1998-May, 1999) and supported billions more in conventional orders.
Worked with the customers, owners, architects, and developers of these applications to create a strategic architectural vision for BPS out of what had, before my arrival, been a collection of individually developed applications. Provided leadership for the full range of BP Initiatives by effectively communicating, and developing support for, an overall integration architecture, including standard models for application development that helped to ensure good performance and low costs in a highly distributed system. Made the development of an overall integration architecture a team activity to which all business partner initiatives contributed. Evolved the architecture, as needed, to take advantage of new Lotus Notes and web technologies. Worked to ensure consistency with other IBM stategies, including its Global Notes architecture (GNA), Global Web Architecture (GWA), Customer Relationship Management (CRM) architecture, and e-Business strategy. Developed a stress test and performance monitoring strategies that were adopted generally by IBM. Developed capacity planning methodologies for estimating server and network requirements. Resolved fundamental application support problems relating to the exchange of Lotus Notes mail with Business Partners, the organization and management of content, the timely deployment of new and updated content, and the integrated testing of all system components. Made architecture a focal point for creating teamwork between applications.
Built a cross-functional architecture team with specific skills in Lotus Notes, Web, and database application design and development, user interface design, networking infrastructure, hardware infrastructure, performance optimization, performance monitoring, directory management, process design, application stress testing, system integration testing, electronic service and support, and capacity planning. All of these skills, and more, proved essential to the success of this effort. Encouraged teamwork between all Business Partner Systems functions, including development, testing, administration, deployment, and operations. Where appropriate, expanded the scope of Business Partner Architecture requirements to the IBM corporate IT enviornment. Successfully proposed and guided the development of an IBM corporate common registration and single logon strategy that was critical to IBM's business partners, and important to IBM. Provided strategic guidance on directions that would enhance performance, reduce costs, and otherwise improve the effectiveness of the system. An annual comprehensive review examined the Business Partner systems applications and infrastructure design with a view to identifying both potential problems and improvements that can be made to the system. Periodic task forces attacked specific problems as needed. Performance task forces identified changes that, when made, improved system performance by orders of magnitude and continuously reduced the number of servers required to meet projected capacity requirements. Capacity and infrastructure planning efforts identified and implemented over five million dollars in operational efficiencies.
Operating as a "volunteer" in the IBM CIO's office, continued to play a leadership role in enhancing IBM's forum and package repository support. Deployed, with the Globenet team deployed a high performance combined Web and NNTP forum infrastructure capable of supporting hundreds of simultaneous read and write transactions on relatively low end server hardware (stress testing against a live production server proved that upwards of 500 users could access a single server while maintaining subsecond response times that are unusual in the Web and NNTP environments). The Globenet team also deployed Web and FTP based package support from the same servers. New function has been added steadily since deployment, including site personalization capabilities and support for corporate INEWS and MYNEWS content.
Provided initial architectural leadership to IBM's XPRS stress testing center, which deployed the stress testing and capacity measurement methodologies we had developed for BPS broadly within IBM's Global Web and Global Notes architectures. Consulted to a number of IBM web sites and to Lotus Notes development (Iris) on creating high performance, high function web sites with Lotus Notes. Did successful performance enhancement consultancies to several projects, including ShopIBM and the IBM Corporate Survey application. Participated in ACT sessions on e-Business enablement and Business Partner portals. Received a Research Division award for prior work on TurboConferencing. Honored as a member of the 1998 IBM Golden Circle. Prepared dozens of presentations and gave hundreds of talks to customers, application owners, executives, and various technical communities on the Business Partner Systems architecture, the TR/2 forum and package strategy, web architecture and design, and the evolution of new media.
Senior Programmer, IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center -- Conceived MultiMedia Digital Community (now TurboConferencing), which enhances audio teleconferencing with a Web-based data channel. Architected the Web data application, including the "meta-browser" server and client. Designed a flexible client user interface, oriented around a tag-based user interface language ("UIML") and a small client-based proxy that controls the user interface and maintains a duplex persistent stream communication channel to the server. Built the client-based proxy and UI using JAVA. Created a network installation and maintenance framework that allows automated updating of the client proxy. Provided continuing vision of new ways in which this standards based distributed multimedia system might be enhanced and usefully applied.
Separately, provided continuing architectural leadership for and general oversight of Globenet on behalf of IBM ISSC. Globenet's existing gateways and infrastructure were improved to the point where failures are exceptional events (up time is in excess of 99%). Globenet's Toolsrun/2 infrastructure was moved into service to shadow conferences, supporting both traditional ForBrows access and Internet-based NNTP and HTTP access. The Globenet team also extended TOOLSRUN to enable direct communication between TOOLSRUN and Toolsrun/2.
At invitation of IBM CIO council, architected and led the effort to implement a gateway and associated databases, catalogs, and views that extends IBM's existing TOOLSRUN enterprise computer conferences and package repositories system into the Lotus Notes environment.
Consulted on software projects with IBM Internet Division, IBM PC Company, IBM SWS, IBM Corporate Communications, and the IBM Corporate Strategy office.
Program Manager, Intelligent Market Support Architectures -- IBM Networked Application Solutions Division -- Primary responsibilities focused on preparation of the ROME customer support system for release to customers. This effort, based on the prior Globenet work, included the completion of Toolsrun/2, ForBrows, ForAgent, the ROME gateways, and the ROME analytics for customer release. Worked in every facet of product delivery, including programming, testing, functional specification, market analysis and research, and marketing. The funding for this project was discontinued just weeks before initial external IBM customer deliveries were to start, but the project still made money overall.
Took a leadership role in evaluating the applicability of agent technology to the electronic commerce arena. Participated in the IBM agent technology task force. Conceived the Common or Shared Agent Architecture in which very different kinds of agents share the same API, allowing them to be used interchangeably and/or cooperatively. Participated in the design of the RAISE generalized rule-based agent. Assisted in technology assessments and decision making for electronic commerce offerings, the Internet mall, the individual financial offering, and others. Evaluated the data entry methodology for the electronic procurement offering and designed a Lotus Notes based workflow system to assist in timely preparation of electronic catalogs. Projected future shape of the digital value landscape, showing how existing financial instruments, repositories, transport and tracking mechanisms might be enhanced with new digital financial instruments, containers, transport mechanisms, and tracking systems. Participated in a series of due diligence reviews of potential acquisition candidates.
Advisory Programmer and IBMPC Administrator -- IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center -- Developed initial design for Yorktown OS/2 LAN support, which was released internally under the name CORE and to customers under the name NetDoor. Participated in continuing design and implementation of CORE. Participated in the early design of Magic Paper, a network computer conferencing and groupware system. Participated in an ESD task force on adding the REXX programming language to OS/2 based on development of RXPM and REXXTRAN. Consulted to Hursley on the early implementation and prospects of Object REXX during the 1989-90. Consulted to PSP and IBM PC company on bulletin board support issues from 1987 to 1994.
Administered IBM's IBMPC conference disk during period of explosive growth and declining administrative resources. Usage grew from about 600 appends a day to about 3000 appends per day. Created software to automate routine monitoring, maintenance, and administration of IBMPC master, reducing administrative overhead requirements from 2 headcount (1988) to .1 headcount (1994). Formed volunteer IBMPC administrative team, including a European administrator to handle overnight problems. Suggested and helped organize corporate "Computer Conference Review Board" that provides advice in IBMPC crisis situations and which has oversight of the IBM Computer Conference Guidelines. Completed a major rewrite of the IBMPC RULES that became basis for data conferencing rules across IBM. Participated in writing IBM Internet participation guidelines.
Completed a major long term study of the IBMPC conference disk which has been widely cited. Invited participants in several conferences including a National Academy of Science Conference on the "Rights and Responsibilities of Participants in Networked Communities." Continued studies of computer conferences, including IBMPC and Internet conferences. Conducted 1988 IBMPC user survey. As visiting Professor at the University of Utah and adjunct Professor at Marist College, taught courses on computer mediated communication systems.
Implemented a wide array of programs, prototypes, and products, including Protocol Hider (1988), HSHELL (1988), FSORT (1988), Mirror Backup (1989), COREUP (1990), OS2BBS/TALKLINK (1991), Globenet (1993), Toolsrun/2 (1993), Genre-based identification of computer conference content (1994), ForBrows/2 (1994), and ForAgent (1994).
User Interface Designer -- IBM ASD Bethesda Lab Designed and developed working prototype of the user interface for an ASD word processor product. Conceived and prototyped innovative user interface components, including the BBMODEL tag-based user interface description language and E2TEXT, which demonstrated my patent on "Active Intent Interpretation", in which a software agent infers document structure during normal typewriter keyboarding of a document. As project leader for word processor prototype development, completed prototype development tool which allowed the function and style of the working prototype to be changed interactively as the application was running. As design team project leader, fully documented complete user interface design for word processor. This design survived intact until, after the initial word processor implementation was complete and in shrink wrap, the product was abandoned in favor of vendor technology (also abandoned).
Separately, worked with IBM NSD on the IBM3363 optical disk drive software (based on BURT and STP). Delivered finished product documentation as a part of the product offering. Participated in early OfficeVision design discussions. Co-wrote, with ASD Information Development, the specification for the OS/2 HELP Manager. Organized, and represented Endicott to, task force that decided direction of REXX product development for OS/2 and AS/400. Conducted research on the operation and use of the IBMPC computer conferencing facility, but without any formal association with IBMPC conference disk administration. Developed the E2DRAW intelligent editor drawing tool, the E2XEDIT emulation of XEDIT editing and the E2SURVEY workstation survey administration tool. Consulted to IBM FSD on design of workstation based electronic mail system.
Staff Programmer -- IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center -- Continued development of the Yorktown PC User's Workbench and its associated applications, including ME, FILEMAN2, E2, RTSTP, MC2, HELP2, and BURT. Widely used new applications conceived and developed during this period included LOADEMUL, PAGE, and a variety of DOS filters. Worked with product divisions, including FSD, to move several programs, most notably HELP, into a variety of IBM customer offerings. Worked with ESD to define early OS/2 applications and toolkit. Co-wrote, with IBM Entry Systems in Boca Raton, the design specification for OS/2 System Editor, which was specifically designed as a low function member of the E family of editors. Provided the finished product documentation for OS/2 System Editor. Set up the initial deal that eventually put the most functional E family editor, EPM, in OS/2. Consulted to Hursley on the early design of Presentation Manager. Provided Hursley with STP and FILEMAN source code (used as partial basis for PM API's and File Manager function). Served (because of STP work) on IBM CUA and PC-GUI boards. As adjunct faculty member, taught courses on PC Assembly Language programming IBM Systems Research Institute.
Conceived and developed a variety of prototype applications, including ME and DARWIN advanced user interface prototypes. Continued to act in a backup role for IBMPC conference disk administration. Conducted first IBMPC user survey as a part of continuing computer mediated communication research efforts.
PC Consultant -- IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center -- Worked with users (at times up to 70 per day) to solve PC-DOS operating system and application problems. Organized and taught weekly PC Symposiums (often two per week) on PC applications and use. Acted as a backup IBMPC conference disk administrator and started long term study of the facility. Conceived, designed and developed a number of widely used programs including SUBDIR, SUBTREE, FILEMAN, EASYMENU, STP, HELP, SHOW, E, MENUCALC, BURT, and others. Conceived and developed, using these tools, the Yorktown PC User's Workbench, which pioneered the concept of a menu driven toolkit of applications and system maintenance applications.
Self-Employed writer/programmer/systems analyst -- As consultant to IBM Instruments, designed and implemented IBM CS/9000 test cases, provided operating system modifications, and designed and led implementation of a multi-instrument communications protocol that allowed a personal computer to control an array of laboratory instruments through a single serial port daisy chain. Consulted on a variety of personal computer communications and systems issues to a range of customers. Wrote free-lance articles on computing for several magazines, including PC Magazine and Lifelines. Created the prototype for and first issue of PC Reference Magazine (then called Reference). Experimented (unprofitably) with electronic newsletter delivery on CompuServe. Organized the Connecticut IBM PC User's Group, served as first president, and wrote monthly CPC Newsletter. Wrote a number of terminal emulators that allowed me to experiment with various forms of computer mediated conversation
Editor -- Electronic Mail and Message Systems -- Wrote over 200 articles on then nascent computer mediated human communications media. Wrote and/or edited a number of research reports on the future of electronic communication systems, workstations, and personal computers.
Assistant Professor -- Human Communication -- Taught courses on Mass Media, Organizational Communication, Persuasion, Interpersonal Interaction, and Speech.
Graduate Assistant and self-employed statistical analyst. -- Performed surveys and/or analyses for the Miami Desegregation Project and a variety of other customers, including banks and student dissertations. Taught or assisted teaching courses in speech, small group interaction, persuasion, interpersonal interaction, and research methodology.
Department Store Clerk and Department Manager, Gas Station Assistant Manager, and Supermarket Night Stockman. Memorable only for my young family and the day Popular Electronics published its article on the Altair 8080.
Camp Counselor, first for the Boy Scouts (Onteora Scout Reservation, Livingston Manor, NY) and later for a Presbyterian church camp (Westminster Camp and Conference Center, Holmes, NY). Most memorable moment: hiking into Woodstock from the Boy Scout camp on my day off (the traffic on Route 17 wasn't going anywhere anyway).