I started programming at a very young age (I think around 9ish) and cut my teeth writing BASIC on my Atari 512 ST. A bit later, I used STOS to write a nice sprite-based "Breakout" clone, and I've been hooked on solving problems and having fun with code ever since.

This love of computer programming grew into a general interest in communication and language and because of this I've taught myself to speak French and Japanese.

I've toured programming languages too, and am at home in PHP, Python or Ruby, with a fair bit of Visual Basic, Java and JS thrown in too. I did do a bit of C for a while too but I don't like to talk about it.

I love that our industry brings people of all backgrounds and creeds together, and particularly relate to the open, welcome attitude of the Ruby community. I've got a keen interest in localisation and internationalisation and I'm a huge advocate for spreading more cultural awareness between programming communities.

These days, I'm an avid Ruby Developer, but also fond of Python and PHP. I was one of the first 1000 Zend Certified Engineers. I closely follow the Open Web Application Security Project and have had to gain a broad knowledge of data security in order to comply with the Payment Card Industry’s strict Data Security Standards.

For hobbies, you’ll find me reading Discworld novels or brushing up on my spoken Japanese and French. I love to travel and aim to see as much of the world as is humanly possible in my lifetime. I’m an active member of the Scottish Ruby User Group.