 Open Book Consulting is a part-time endeavor of local San Francisco IT wrangler Miles Reed, specializing in hardware and software troubleshooting, network design and support, and website coding, including content management. Imagine having one telephone number, answered by a human--the same human--when something breaks or needs to be invented. Barter and work-trade arrangements are also considered in lieu of a sliding scale hourly rate.
(Updated March 12th, 2009)
Let's pretend I'm famous and being interviewed by SFGate for the rest of this article:
SFGate: How are you different from other IT gurus?
Me: I'm nice, patient, and creative. I have a day job, which allows me to barter my time on most of these side-projects. Everybody comes away satisfied, which is why companies like this don't start wars and are not funded by the D.O.D.
SFGate: Why the name Open Book Consulting?
Me: Good question...
Bob. Names are nothing without connotation, wry wit, and corporate ingenuity.
Open, as in, I release code that I've written for clients (with their consent) which do useful things. I'm not a great programmer, but I've solved a lot of problems with some pretty cool solutions. As I update the Exhibits and Kiosk Design section, feel free to take the code and run with it.
Book, as in, a thinly veiled reference to my Educational Technology background. I'm in the armed with a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Education with a Concentration in Instructional Technologies at from SF State as of June, 2009. As the Ed Tec part of my brain evolves, my projects will tackle increasing complex goals involving training, tutorials, and interface and GUI design in the field of Education.
SFGate: What do you spend 90% of your day doing?
Me: Systems administration, including hardware support, for Windows and Mac folks.
SFGate: What is your background?
Me: I went to Lick-Wilmerding High School in San Francisco, where I built chairs, cutting boards, and computers with Marino Sichi, "updated" a Netware 4 server in the Library for Lissa Crider, (and named the computers after famous dead librarians), and programmed robots with Gaspo. I have a B.A. in Psychology from UC Santa Cruz. For two of my tender four years as an undergrad, I worked in the Instructional Computing department, first as a Student Lab Consultant, then as a Student Lab Technician. After that, I started working at the MWVCRC (linked above) and I've been there ever since. Occasionally, I've taught classes for GIIP. You should send your children to UCSC specifically so they can be enrolled in that program--after 1-4 years in GIIP, nobody wonders what they will be doing with their life and how they can help with technological inequality in developing countries. Chances are they will already be out of the country working on a GIIP-sponsored project. Yes, I'm serious.
SFGate: What will you be doing next?
Me: After completing the M.A. at SFSU in 2009, there are several tempting GUI design jobs floating around at Google, Ed Tec positions within the UC and CSU systems, and of course, the option of staying put and remaining outside of the education and private sectors. Lots of options, and all of them good. Look at the economy, silly. I'm not taking any risks until 2010. Except in Sweden and Finland.
SFGate: Do you have a resumé?
Me: Under "Who is This Miles Reed" thou shalt find a link to my CV. Venture forth and read it.
SFGate: When you're not doing projects on the weekends, what are you doing with your life?
Me: Carefully extracting feline and canine hair out of my wool coat with liberated USPS packing tape. While watching Walker Texas Ranger. Working on more Arm Clocks and writing songs. See the Art and Music sections.
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