Just another dev doing dev things.
Started my programming journey on the Commodore 64 back in the early 1980s, eventually leading to Electronics Engineering Tech at NSCC and discovering both Allen Bradley ladder logic and Motorola 68HC11 microcontrollers. My first job was at a local sawmill, where it was quickly discovered that I was 'a computer guy', (I made a couple VBA macros for Excel with DDE plugs into a couple PLCDirect 240s - a big deal back then apparently.) A few courses later, add in Visual Studio 6 Enterprise Edition, SQL Server 6.5, and I started my journey as (25 years later defined as) a Full Stack Microsoft Developer writing n-tier line of business applications with production floor data acquisition and reporting solutions. This was a far cry from the technology they were used (DECServers, long haul modems and VT320s). Past projects include lumber tally systems, tracking machine efficiency, quality check applications, mobile metric checkscaling app. Windows CE!
14 years later, the local forestry industry finally succumbed to a decade long economic slide and I joined a local manufacturing plant; first as a Reliability Maintainer learning the mechanics, robotics and computerization (... well, VB5 and Access97...) underbelly of said manufacturing; and then resuming my previous role as a full stack Microsoft dev and developing line of business applications that interfaced with the production line PLC infrastructure. Projects include design and implementing AD + MSSQL2008R2 + IIS, plant server infrastructure design, machine cycle time analysis, recipe management, quality control, efficiency and production tracking, mobile asset inspection and tracking (NoSQL!); C#, MVC design pattern web applications coupled with supporting SSIS and SSRS automation, multi-tenant and multi-lingual to support plants around the world.
Fast forward 14 years later to Nov 2021, I left the world of industrial machine automation and corporate supported infrastructure to became a remote Senior Systems Analyst. While it is fulfilling work in its own right, I do miss creating web solutions of warm, rich user interfaces for machinery and automation. This YARG project serves as a scratch for that itch, and this blog serves as a place where I can put down thoughts, pics and ideas; remain motivated to continue pressing forward. No need to smash that Like button, nor subscribe to any channels, or even email forward this to 10 other users in the next hour else suffer eternal consequences. I'm not sponsored in any way, I'm just a guy that has a couple crazy ideas and doing a thing. You're more than welcome to stay and watch the madness unfurl.
Some of the technologies I'll be using here might not be considered cutting edge. I mean, c'mon, .Net5 C# MVC web apps are not mainstream - but they are my bread and butter. I'm hoping that phase 2 (or 3, or 4...) will be a complete UI overhaul with some slick SPA looking, all singing and all dancing thingy, but let's concentrate on crawling before we start running.
Some of the tech I'll be using is completely new to me, mistakes will be made and hilarity will ensue. I cannot commit vast swathes of time to this, I do have a regular life with regular work and regular garbage to take to the curb every second week, the regular dog needs to be fed, don't get me started about the chickens. Usually the late evenings and weekends, I'm found wrapped in the glowing warmth of 1s and 0s.
I can be reached via email chris at chrisross dot name.