Website

Joshz.net was originally developed in the summer of 2003, with the intent on advertising my past programs I've coded. The smaller utility programs were uploaded and screen shots were provided to showcase the utility. The website site not only helped in spreading the word of the programs, but also putting my name out there for networking

A year after the opening it was closed due to the lack of time to invest in the website. Now, after four years on the bench with I've decided to reopen the site as a part time project in-between my studies and part time job.

Now, the website is strictly here to showcase my previous web designs and graphic work. The primary goal of this website, unlike many out there, isn't to become a millionaire, but to gain more experience and network with more people in the business.

Joshz.net was coded in Microsoft FrontPage and all of the graphical work was made in Adobe Photoshop 7.0

Author

A Texas native, born in Houston in the early to mid 80's I learned a quick lesson in life. It's not only what you know, but whom you know as well. I've always felt it necessary to meet as many new people as possible. Ever since I can remember I've always been interested not in why things are, but how they are and how they operate. We got our first family computer (an old Apple desktop) when I was in fourth grade.

After we relocated to Atlanta, Georgia a year later we upgraded computers, to a standard IBM desktop PC for the mere reason of the Apple being way out of date. With nothing to do with our old Apple I took a pair of screw drivers and took the computer apart to study how an electrical current can turn into a webpage or graphic on the monitor. I guess that's where my fascination with technology and computers spawned...

In my late years of middle school and early years of high school I slowly began to study computers on a more specific and intellectual level. Starting off with basic graphics rendered in an older copy of Adobe Photoshop I finally taught myself enough to start programming in Basic. I've compiled over a dozen small Window's utility programs in a couple years. After programming them in Basic, I recoded them in C++ to help me understand and learn the true principals behind computer programming.

With the programs done, I had to step on to the next challenge, advertising and sharing them over the internet (as freeware). Basic being my fall back language I easily adapted to HTML, and Java to make webpages. I quickly found out one important thing, a design can be more important than the actual coding.

Now, in school for Computer Science and graining my degree in E-Commerce I've finally been able to use everything I've learned in the past years to invest into my future.

Education & Experience

Digital5k was my first personal website, started in my early years of high school. Digital5k was strictly for self amusement, but started to quickly take off and gain popularity. The uptime of the website was three consecutive years and the traffic to the site would range from 800 - 7,000 hits a day.

Netsoft Network hired me to do their website work. A small, local company that worked in advertising I did their web design, including the banners and graphics. The webpage was coded in Microsoft Notepad and took about four days to complete.

The trophy website was Computer-Reviews, later remained to Review Source. The basic purpose of the site was to provide late breaking IT news and reviews to the subscribed members. After a year of operation the website took off, generating traffic in the 10,000+ hit mark a day. In the later years of the site we had grown so big and popular we made it an open website viewable and downloadable to the average Joe. With traffic doubling the website began to get offers from OEM company's such as, but not limited to: IBM, Asus, AMD, Intel, 3Dcool, Active Web Hosting, Nexland Networking and Logitech.

In the spring of 2004 ReviewSource got the attention of one of the first computer resellers in the metro Atlanta area. After several weeks of negotiation Review Source merged with Monarch Computer Systems, located in Tucker, GA. For Monarch Computer Systems I was head of hardware reviews and promoted to one of the system administrators for their website.

Software Knowledge

• Adobe Photoshop 7.0

• Macromedia Shockwave Flash

• Microsoft Office