Ruby On Rails


I started with Ruby On Rails in 2006 – I was really impressed by Ruby as a language, and the simplicity of Rails as a framework. I hadn’t programmed for the prior 15 or so years, but it was really easy to slip back into it with RoR!

The first site I built is a flickr/youtube mashup with google maps (like everybody else!). Of course, this stuff is now ubiquitous, but Blue Okaapi was one of the first of its kind! I still use it to "document" trips or vacations. This was also my first experience with open source technology – amazing how quickly you can build thing using free software others have contributed.

In November 2006, I organized – with my surfing buddy Max Dunn – the first Bay Area RubyOnRailsCamp. We ran it as an UNconference, charged a nominal 25$ per person, got IBM Alamaden Labs to provide the venue and raised sponsor money to fund the barista and the sushi dinner. 200 people showed up, and we got a nice, edgy write up in Infoworld. Besides a rich, participant-generated program, we had a speed geeking session, where I demoed Blue Okaapi and sliki (this a very simple on-line slide editor; I built it because I needed a short presentation for opening and closing remarks at the RubyOnRailsCamp, and I felt it only appropriate to create the slides in RoR!). One of the most fun things I've done in my life!

I also work with Max on MaxWiki, an RoR-based wiki (it runs the menhardt wiki also). MaxWiki is OpenSource, and used by a variety of commercial and non-commercial entities. It’s main differentations are (1) that it is easy to add additional functionality (eg plug-ins) using Ruby and (2) that we built connector technology so it can server as a publishing front-end to enterprise document management systems. More details at www.maxwiki.com.

A Data Mining project I have mostly implemented in Ruby is Okaapi, an automated document indexer. I’ve used wikipedia as a sandbox for it, it’s also available as a MaxWiki plug-in.

Finally, I’ve done work as a RubyOnRails and data mining consultant (under the name The New Unicorn Group) for several Web 2.0 start-up including www.adbidcentral.com, www.vuvox.com and www.ourmesh.com.