Yellerdog

OK, I will be the last to jump on this meme, describing how I came to be involved in Lotus Notes.

I started my career as a technical writer, working for companies such as System One and Blockbustrer Video (I wrote their store operations manual). Having done that for a few years, I observed that most managers were (and are) not especially competent. I also saw that my chosen profession had a glas ceiling when it came to salaries and promotions. So, looking for a career without a glass ceiling, I decided to get into management. The golden gateway to management is an MBA, so I got one in 1994.

However, I had always been a tech geek. I had job offers from Arthur Anderson and some other companies, but they required me to move. I did not want to for personal reasons, so without experience, a business plan, or cash, I started my own consulting company. I struggled by for a while, then finally closed up shop in 1996 and took a job at a medical services company as an MS Access developer. in mid 1996 I got a call from a grad school friend. His employer was opening a branch in my town and wanted to add some staff. I'd have to learn this Lotus Notes thing and get certified. Grumbling about how this weird product was not relational, I took the job anyway - they 60% pay raise helped a lot.

We had a Novell Netware network in the office. Our main Notes server (R4) ran on OS/2 Warp and replicated four times a day with the home office via dial-up. I went about getting certified as a developer and admin on R4, then on 4.5 when it came out in 1996. Our clients included Olive Garden, Siemens, and AT&T. LotusScript was easy -- a lot like MS Access BASIC. Formulas were not too bad, as they reminde4d me of my old 1-2-3 days. Admin - now that was hard. But I still managed to get certified on every version from 4.5 to 7 on both Admin and Dev, and have been a LotusScript pCLP since R5.

I've been involved with Notes in some way or another ever since. I've done work for manufacturers, retailers, hospitals, government agencies, telecom companies, banks, restauranteurs, and shippers. I've spoken at conferences, published artciles in The View, met some great people, and attended at least three Lotuspheres. Plus I run our famil e-mail and web server using a Domino box that sits under my desk at home. After over 8 years of service, and upgrades from 5.0.8 all the way to 8.0.1, it is time to retire that box. The new box will, of course, run Domino.

Ironicaly, I am no longer professionally involved in Lotus; I just do it as a hobby. So why am I in the middle of a three-part series of Ajax articles for The View? Well, because I can, I guess.