From the far south to the far north, this week we meet a programmer from Montreal.
As always, this person is interesting -- a licensed hypnotherapist! -- and has worked
on cool projects. He's also a newlywed, congratulations, Ray & Marsha! Also, we would
like to thank this gentleman for some good suggestions
when we were getting started with our bios, including the addition of the favorite
food, drink and music questions. :)
First, how do you pronounce your last name?
It is pronounced "Gow'-dy". I'm so used to having it mis-pronounced that I feel
*my* pronunciation is in the minority. :)
Who do you work for?
I work for Mingus Software,
a relatively new Montreal-based company that
specializes in Hotel industry software. I've been with Mingus
since late March. Our flagship product is called Hotello.
We expect to roll out the first version sometime in January,
with a few beta tests being launched this month. Don't be too
surprised if, the next time you check-in at some hotel, you
notice a Clarion program running on the front desk computer.
That'll be ours in action! :)
The website is currently only in French. I'm sure that Bernard Grossperin,
Didier LeDuc and Andrew Guidroz will not have much problem reading it.
Hmmm, should we include the fact that I am bilingual, speaking English and French?
What do you like best about what you do now?
What I like best about what I do now is the fact that I get to program
in the language that I love in my hometown, Montreal. It is also
satifying that my employer allows me the freedom to be innovative.
During the summer, it is very convenient to have the office directly
on a main bike path that I like to frequent. I can cycle to work
in less than twenty minutes.
The bike path on the way to work.
Do you use any computer languages besides Clarion?
I've always been a C fan. I started programming in C years before I
discovered Clarion, and my C skills are virtually still on par with
my Clarion skills. I've been picking up Perl 5 and Java. I just
wanted a few more tools in my toolbox. Lately, since I've been
designing a website for a charitable organization, I've been busy
studying JavaScript.
When did you start using Clarion?
After my Commodore Amiga died, in 1993, I was deciding on how to best
proceed with my programming future. I could no longer deny that
PC-platform Windows programming would become the way of the future,
so I knew I had to go with the flow. I gave in and bought a PC clone.
I started researching on the Internet for a programming language
that was RAD and that would permit me to develop applications that I
could distribute to customers without too much hassle. It ended up as
a tie between some product called Clarion, that I had never heard of
before, and FoxPro. After discovering that FoxPro programs required
an engine, I took a leap of faith and bought the pre-release of CDD 3.
I fell in love with the way it allowed me to develop almost as fast I
could think up concepts. I have never looked back since.
My very first job as a professional programmer happens to have been
using FoxPro on three platforms (DOS, Windows 3.11, SCO UNIX), but
every job and/or contract ever since has been with Clarion for Windows.
What's the coolest project(s) you've worked on using Clarion?
During the summer of 1998, I was fortunate enough to have been able to
spend ten weeks in Surabaya, Indonesia, installing our flagship
software in a pulp and paper mill. My particular piece of the
application was the wrapline. The wrapline is the mechanism that
moves the rolls around after they have been created. The rolls needed
to be weighed and tested for tolerance, wrapped and perhaps bundled
with other rolls until finally making their way to the warehouse for
storage. It is the wrapline software that controls the manner in
which the rolls move along the conveyors and where they eventually
end up.
The paper mill in Indonesia showing part of the conveyor system that I had to interface with.
Editor's note: See the people along the wall in back? Those rolls of paper are BIG!
I had to interface with the programmable logic controller
(PLC) and a host of other peripherals. I enjoyed the challenge of
working with colleagues from Finland to get this whole system working.
The project was also special because I got to meet a bunch of truly
wonderful folks in Indonesia. They are indeed a wonderful people.
Those ten weeks were spread over three trips to Indonesia. During one
of those trips, I had the good fortune to spend two days in Singapore.
At the time, I did not know of Kelvin Chua or Peck, else I would have
surely gotten in contact with them! :)
What it looks like driving to the paper mill in Indonesia, on
the left side of the road.
Have you done anything for a living other than software development?
Since becoming a software developer, I have done nothing else as a
profession. During the early '90s, I did complete my study of
hypnotherapy, even going so far as becoming certified by the
National Guild of Hypnotists down in Merrimack, NH, in 1995.
My goal was to hang out a shingle and start a new career, but the
immense satisfaction of coding drew me back and I still enjoy that
feeling - that I'm sure we all feel - when the "perfect" algorithm
pops into my head that will solve the problem that I've been working
on for the last while.
What are your hobbies/what do you like to do when you're not using
Clarion?
After working a full day coding in Clarion, there's nothing I like
better than coming home, having supper, then sitting in front of my
computer and coding in my "hobby" languages, or researching some new
technology. When I finally do turn off the computer to do something
else, that something else is usually watching a bit of television;
I'm addicted to those reality-cop-chase shows.
I am a big fan of chess and play a few games per week on FICS, the
Free Internet Chess Server.
Of course, while doing everything, I listen to music. I can always
be found listening to music while doing everything except perhaps
sleeping... and perhaps one other thing. Life would be less satisfying
without music to fill in the background.
You can also catch me reading books on hypnotism and metaphysics.
Married, children, grandchildren, other close family you want to mention?
I am married to my soulmate, Marsha. We've known each other for a
little bit less than six years, in this lifetime, but have only been
married for a little over two months. We do have four "children",
but not children as most people would recognize. We have four cats
and they are, in effect, our children. A bit furry, perhaps, but our
children nonetheless.
Where were you born?
I was born right here in Montreal, Canada, in the winter of 1964.
Where do you live now?
I still live in Montreal, although with yet another Montreal winter
looming, I fantasize about anywhere else that is more tropical. :)
What do you like or think is interesting about where you live?
I like that my family is here in the Montreal area. What I do not like
about Montreal are the extreme winters that we have. Montreal has one
of the largest ranges of temperatures of any city on Earth. We can reach
over 30 degrees Celsius in the summer (86 degress Farenheit for the
Metric-impaired) down to -30 degress Celsius in the winter (-22 degress
Farenheit). That is a range of 60 degrees. I was definitely born in
the wrong climate. Give me tropical any day.
From left to right: Boo Boo (brown and white female);
Okie (black female); Gallahad (grey and white male); Pumpkin (orange female).
Have you lived any other interesting places?
Well, having spent six whole weeks in Indonesia, I consider that
"living" there. The whole experience was positive and I cherish
the memories that I have of the people I met there. The wonderful hotel staff in Indonesia. My colleague and myself are also included.
I also enjoyed my thirteen-month stay in the state of Maryland, working
for a Baltimore-based company. I made some friends there, as well, and I
still keep in contact with a couple, one of which is a frequent contributor
to the Soft Velocity newsgroups. He has problems with his Shift key, but
is a nice guy nonetheless. ;)
Other than these two sojourns, I have never lived anywhere other than Montreal.
What is your favorite food?
I have a narrow palette. My favourite food is pizza, but don't put any
meat on it! My wife is doing a fine job of expanding my tastes. She
enjoys cooking exotic dishes, so I am fortunate that I get to sample
different dishes without having to cook anything myself. I don't know
how to cook; I even burn water! ;)
What is your favorite drink?
I dislike any type of alcoholic drink, so you won't be seeing any
mention of them here. I enjoy juices and bottled water... and the
occasional cola.
What is your favorite type of music?
I have always been a fan of rock. As a teenager, my favourite rock was
very heavy and very loud. Lately, it has gotten softer and more mellow.
I have also fallen in love with Celtic music. I enjoy medieval-themed
Celtic music or New Age-themed Celtic music. I'll also admit to having
a weakness for modern country music. Garth Brooks' "Ropin' The Wind" is
currently one of my favourite albums. Sorry, Pratik! :)
If Clarion never existed, what do you think you would be doing at this time?
I might very well be practicing hypnotherapy somewhere. I still feel
this might be my true calling, but I am still enjoying coding much too
much to leave now. Perhaps in ten years or so, I might switch careers.
First, how do you pronounce your last name?
The bike path on the way to work.
Married, children, grandchildren, other close family you want to mention?
From left to right: Boo Boo (brown and white female);
Okie (black female); Gallahad (grey and white male); Pumpkin (orange female).
