Short Bio:
I am technology generalist focused on solving problems. Some of things I have done include: authoring standards for exchanging spam reports, developing visual SQL tools, contributing to mobile apps to help people get healthier, documenting technical things people use every day (CSV and SQL), helping non-profits preserve books, finding security vulnerabilities, building CRM software, tracking packages via RSS, finding new ways to use Bluetooth, writing technology news articles, etc. I also dabble in hobbies including gardening and cooking.
Longer Bio:
I was born and raised in the Soviet Union, specifically Kyiv, Ukraine, until arriving in New York City as a teenager. My teen years were spent in Brooklyn, which I followed by moving to Baltimore for college and post-graduate work, and I currently reside in the Baltimore metro area with my family.
My involvement with technology started at age 11 when I encountered my first two computers – an IBM mainframe and a Soviet Vector computer. Since then I have expanded my interests across many areas including bioinformatics, Internet standards, mobile apps, software development and others. My focus has been on analyzing and solving real world problems using technology, which I have done over and over again, as a software architect and engineer, system administrator, and technical adviser and mentor.
I also have a keen interest in cybersecurity. As a teenager. I remember trying to figure out conceptually how a virus was spreading between computers through a floppy disk. I got involved more during my college years while developing anti-spam standards. Most recently, I have been investigating and reporting security vulnerabilities while also writing research articles on various topics in cybersecurity.
Besides technology, books are my other passion. I have been a voracious reader since the age of 6 and some of my earliest memories revolve around books. While in high school, I served as a volunteer school librarian while also writing a program for automating the school library. I have also been privileged to work on and advise multiple book related projects, startups and non-profits. I also have a keen interest in writing and have published on a wide variety of topics, both technology and non-technology related.
Last, I have also dabbled in many hobbies over the years including cooking, gardening, genealogy, and others.