QUALIFICATIONS
Twenty-eight years experience in all facets of software engineering with an emphasis on resolving complex reliability issues in a multi-user real-time environment. Excellent debugging skills.
Exceptional language independent skills with strong algorithmic abilities. Solved difficult problems using high, medium and low-level languages. Fluent in both UNIX and PC development environments.
Data conversion expert with proven ability to adapt quickly to new languages and systems.
Strong background in project development including: analysis, specification, documentation, design, programming, testing, training and troubleshooting.
EDUCATION
B.S. – Mathematics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1979)
TECHNICAL SUMMARY
Languages: C++, SDL, C, WINDOWS SDK, DIRECT-X, JAVA, AWK, KORN SHELL, MASM, TAL, COBOL,
NEAT/3, BASIC, FORTRAN.
Databases: SYBASE, NONSTOP SQL, UNIFY/2000 – RHLI – SQL, CLARION, C-TREE.
PC Tools: VISUAL C/C++, WIN XP, MKS-TOOLKIT, BORLAND C/C++, PHARLAP 386, AWKCC.
EXPERIENCE AND RESULTS
Self-Employed Consultant and Creator of PuzzlesByJoe – www.PuzzlesByJoe.com, Binghamton, New York (2000-2004)
Created nine non-violent logic and puzzle games for Windows using Visual-C++ and Direct-X. Everything on www.PuzzlesByJoe.com was designed/coded/created by me with the exception of some artwork and background music. All products are available for download as shareware with a trial period of at least an hour. Recon is my earliest and most complex game. GemShot is my most recent and most visually compelling game.
Created Task Master which is jointly owned by myself and a local business. Task Master is an integrated task management tool that allows multiple users to all work on the same task/project list at the exact same time.
Principal Engineer – America Online (1998-2000) – WorldPlay Entertainment, Burlingame, Calilfornia (1995-1998)
Sole ownership of 3rd-party SDK and testing environment (written primarily in Visual-C++ with some MASM).
Enhanced Siera’s “Jack Nicholson’s Golf” to allow multi-player over the Internet.
Heavily involved in development of GILS (Game Install and Launch System) tool for AOL’s game channel.
Responsible for wrapping and releasing in-house libraries to 3rd-party developers.
Responsible for enhancing testing environment to keep it in-line with ‘real’ code.
Responsible for all endian conversion routines that run on the client side.
Responsible for teaching SDK classes.
Enhanced testing environment to support multiple terminals connected over a LAN using TCP-IP.
Created simplified way of switching between local and network testing.
Created automatic endian converter to help in integration of new libraries.
Software Engineer – Interactive Network, San Jose, California (1993-1995)
Created “IN-Cryptions”, “I Know, I Know”, “Math Wheels”, and “IN The Crib”.
Fully automated the porting of game code between GAS (test) and production. In my first two months at Interactive, I replaced the manual porting procedures (a 2-4 hour per game process) with a completely automated one-button procedure (that takes 20 seconds). This allowed us to go to a completely single source development environment.
Created pre-compiler to add limited data typing to GAS-code. In addition pre-compiler supports limited label-saving conventions used with ‘IF’ and ‘WHILE’ statements. This solved the multiple assembler source problem that required large programs to be broken up into small chunks in order for the macro-assembler to handle it.
Created standard commercial format to be used with all of my off-line games.
Significantly enhanced “Maze Runner” and two existing trivia games.
Software Engineering Consultant – KUB Systems Inc., IGC, and Digicom, California (1993)
(KUB Systems Inc.) In a six week period, I ported 30,000+ lines of a Borland C++ Broadcast Automation application to MetaWare High-C++. Using PharLap’s DOS Extender which allows Protected Mode portions of the application to communicate with Real Mode portions. The application communicates with a Mac and a special Digital Video board (through direct access of low memory reads and writes). The single source port allows dual compilation by the Borland and High-C compilers including extensive use of the Rogue Wave 5.1 libraries (with Template instantiation).
(IGC) Reversed engineered Windows to run as a DPMI client under IGS’s operating system VM-386. Using IGC’s assembler level debugger and the “Undocumented DOS” book, I was able to get the Windows kernel to make a DPMI call while under VM-386.
(Digicom) Completed a Stereo Rack system prototype to go with an audio-visual card to run in the Windows environment. Had never programmed in Windows before but I got the prototype up and running during my initial four-day stretch.
Software Engineer – Tandem Computers Incorporated, Cupertino, California (1990 – 1992)
Constructed a low-cost Unix workstation integrated with multiple Tandem hosts. Responsible for several successful quality IPMs for the Transaction Monitoring Facility.Responsible for designing new testware, as well as TPR verification and Softdoc Review.
Senior Programmer Analyst – Triad Systems, Livermore, California (1984 – 1990)
Designed and implemented –
Auto-generation of 120 programs to port COBOL files from a TI to a UNIX platform.
Q/A database interface verification tool for comparison of multiple file systems.
Report Queue Management system with support for Data Communication and Spooling.
Automated file rebuild system saving over $100,000 during the first two years.
System wide changes to increase the terminal capacity by 40%.
Bisynchronous Communication Test Utility for Field Service Personnel.
Automated customer conversion for 4 software release levels. Estimated savings of 15,000 man hours per release.
Space saving methodologies which reduced disk usage by 20%, permitting release of several software levels.
Programmer Analyst – Shoney’s South Incorporated, Memphis, Tennessee (1983 – 1984)
Created an on-line tax credit tracking system saving $250,000 the first year.
Cut run times of several existing programs (Payroll Batch System) by as much as 80%.
Programmer Analyst – Victory Markets, Norwich, New York (1982 – 1983)
Teacher (Evening Classes) – Ridley Lowel, Binghamton, New York (1982-1983)
Programmer – Albany Savings Bank, Albany, New York (1981 – 1982)
I bought Clutter Infinity: Joe’s Ultimate Quest just last week and I think I have spent more time with it than any other game I own. Thank you. It’s wonderful.
I looked up your website because I think we have two close connections. I grew up in Penacook, NH and after years of moving around as a technical writer (with a bit of programming) I now living in Kennesaw, GA, just down the road from Acworth. A small world indeed.
Just started playing Clutter Infinity. Excellent game so far. Thank you for sharing your talents and some of your life story.
Thanks Cindy:
So glad you’re enjoying the game.
Joe
Peace Joe!
Was just playing the newest Clutter, and reading the in-between-screens information. I was amazed to realize that you grew up very near … I’m in SW Maine, and Penacook is about an hour away. Was great seeing all of those Franco last names in your info …
Also good to find out that you now live in Georgia, where I spent a number of years when I was younger. I love GA, and would love to go back. Eat a few muscadines for me, will you? They should be beginning to think of ripening …
Keep the games coming! If you ever come up this way, I’ll treat you to pizza.
Thanks Moofie: I don’t get up north too often, but you never know. Glad you’re enjoying the games. Joe
hi Mr. Joe,
I am addicted to Clutter! When I am exhausted from work or need a rest I play your games. My brain is then busy but not stressed by out running time etc. like in other games, it sharpens my sight of the things and I love especially the game with the mixed up letters which are to be set in right words. I love to play at the computer, hidden object games, jump & run, mahjongg etc., but nothing is more relaxing than Clutter without being simple or annoying.
I am an elderly lady, just in pension, but love to work with computers since around 30 years. My hobby is to make “speaking cats” for Youtube in English language with German speech bubbles (gigi101060), I am from Austria/Europe, our language is German. Earlier I tried to create animated gifs with (old) photoshop – see my website!
Thankyou for giving me so much fun!
Gigi
I don’t know where to start……………because to say that Clutterville V is AMAZING just doesn’t do it!!!!! This is a new “game” to me, and it is FAST becoming my absolute favorite. (With the number of games currently residing on my computer, that IS an accomplishment!!)
What I find interesting is that someone with your resume’ has produced such a FUN game………and it IS fun – to the point that I lose track of time, and little gets done that needs to be done. (My “bad” – as well as yours!)
By the way: I LOVE the picture ?sliders? – especially the ones with a quilt motif. They are much more difficult than I originally thought – and I quilt.
My hand is in the air – in the event you are looking for more beta testers!!
THANKS for HOURS of enjoyment!!!!!!
Diane