The Internet is an information forest and we are its hunter-gatherers...
This web site contains a few information resources I use in my research and practice of information science and information engineering. Occassionally I develop original utilities and release them as open source software.
I started publishing some components I have written in PHP and Java. You may find something useful available for download from my fledgling open source code library.
I also use this site to present resources I create, collect, or reference for courses I teach at the University of Baltimore, School of Information Arts and Technologies. Last fall I added Database Design & Implementation to my teaching schedule. This spring I have The TCP/IP Protocol Suite on my schedule along with my regularly scheduled graduate course, Dynamic Web Sites.
Now in its ninth year, Dynamic Web Sites introduces graduate students from information and visual design disciplines to the three states of networked information systems: persistence, processing, and presentation.
Throughout the course, I strive to challenge students' perceptions of information systems as unapproachable, mysterious, or abstract technical fortresses.
I encourage familiarity and personal contact through exploration, analysis, design, and construction of concrete software examples. Using little more than a robust text-editor (TextPad is my favorite) and a mix of popular, open source technologies students immerse themselves in a personalized experience with software engineering.
Naturally, Apache, provides our foundation for server-side presentation and delivers rock-solid, indefatigable HTTP services.
Object-oriented PHP enables agile construction of sturdy, compact programs. PHP's syntax and rich function library make it an approachable language for developers representing a wide range of skill and experience levels.
Leveraging PHP's object-orientation, students gain the immediate benefits of (a) practical experience with OOD-OOAP principles, (b) achieving competency in OO program design and construction, and (c) acquiring skills equally applicable to software construction using Java or the .NET family of languages.
The MySQL relational database server and SQL relational database language offer powerful persistence capabilities and extensive XML support. Finally, XHTML, CSS, and JavaScript permit rapid prototyping of visual interfaces, event models, and other presentation constructs.