38 Park Avenue
Greenfield MA 01301
413-230-9451
paul@bissex.net
Python Web Development With Django
Published by Addison-Wesley, November 2008 (co-authors Jeff Forcier and Wesley
Chun). One of the first books on the leading Python web programming framework.
408 pages, ISBN 978-0132356138. www.withdjango.com.
Principal Software Engineer
MassChallenge, Inc., January 2017 to Present
Developed and maintained the Accelerate platform, which runs all MassChallenge
startup accelerator programs globally. Scale: 10,000 industry experts, 25,000
startups, 60,000 entrepreneurs. Led the conversion of our 100,000-line Python
2 codebase to Python 3, completed four months ahead of deadline. Also led
subsequent migration from Django 1.x to Django 2.x. Implemented NIST 2017
standards for password security. Improved performance of key reports and
interfaces. Participated in daily code review, weekly ticket estimation and
grooming, and biweekly sprint planning and retrospective. Mentored junior
developers.
Senior Developer
Lionbridge Technologies, Waltham MA, April 2016 to November 2016
Developed and maintained Lionbridge OnDemand, a translation services platform.
This included a web-based UI as well as an extensive API used by customers to
integrate with their CMS platforms. Implemented a system for dynamic service
rates based on specific source and target language combinations. Reviewed code
changes from junior and senior developers.
Software Developer
Cox Media Group Technology, Atlanta GA, June 2011 to March 2016
Developed and maintained Medley, the web/mobile publishing platform for
Cox Media Group's properties (newspaper/radio/TV), serving tens of
millions of pageviews per day. Integrated Medley with third-party vendor
systems. Designed second-generation REST API. Maintained ad-serving
infrastructure. Did a development spike to add content versioning to the
CMS. Researched NoSQL data stores (key-value and graph based) for use
with next generation of the product. Assisted with hiring; mentored new
developers; evaluated contractor work.
Senior Developer
Nextown Technologies, Miami Beach FL, Dec 2010 to May 2011
Member of core five-developer team for a "penny auction" startup.
Application stack included Django, Flask, nginx, RabbitMQ, and
PostgreSQL. Worked with a large, rapidly changing codebase. Wrote and
maintained code in Python and Javascript. Wrote and maintained automated
tests. Assisted new developers in setup of local site instances. Daily
participation in code-review process using ReviewBoard.
Director of Software Development, Instructor
Hallmark Institute of Photography, Turners Falls MA, Jan 2005 to Jun
2010
Taught web development skills to 150-200 students per year as part of
intensive photography and business curriculum. Developed and maintained
multiple web applications and websites. Administered web server and
created server monitoring tools. Developed and maintained attendance
tracking and reporting system. Created electronic grading system.
Instituted project tracking and source code management. Wrote
documentation. Trained assistant in Python programming and Django
development. Advised management on web technology decisions.
Web Developer, Owner
E-Scribe New Media, Greenfield MA, Dec 2000 to June 2011
Developed database-backed websites. Created administrative interfaces
with an eye toward use by non-technical personnel. Provided code review
services for Django-based startups. Debugged and enhanced existing
sites. Integrated with third-party services for e-commerce, email list
management, and search. Hired and managed contractors and interns.
Prepared proposals, managed customer accounts.
Education Director
YES Computer Learning Centers, Northampton MA, Dec 1997 to Dec 2000
Created class concepts, outlines, and handout materials. Grew operation
to two dedicated classroom locations. Hired, trained, and managed all
instructors.
Technology Writer
Sep 1995 to Sep 1998
Published weekly syndicated column on internet technologies and culture.
Wrote magazine articles and reviews. Clients included Chicago Tribune,
Wired magazine, Salon.com.
Page Designer
FamilyPC Magazine, Northampton MA, Jun 1994 to Nov 1996
Designed editorial pages for high-circulation monthly national magazine.
Assigned freelance art and photography. Supported users of networked
publishing system.
Agile Software Engineering Process in Real Life — UMass Amherst COMPSCI 320, October 2019
Porting 100,000 lines of Python 2 to Python 3 — Django Boston meetup, Boston MA, September 2019 / NERD Summit, March 2020 (video)
Move Fast Without Breaking Things: Testing Python Applications — NERD Summit, Amherst MA, March 2019 (video)
True Tales of Python at Web Scale — NERD Summit, Amherst MA, March 2017
A Cautionary Tale of Analytics and Caching — Django Boston Meetup, Cambridge MA, October 2016
20 Million Pageviews a Day with Django — NERD Summit, Amherst MA, September 2015
Introduction to Python/Django for Experienced Web Developers — NERD Summit, Amherst MA, September 2014
Using Django to Replace Proprietary Database Tools — Django Boston Meetup, Cambridge MA, December 2010 (video)
NodeJS Two-Day Intensive with Sequoia McDowell, Williamsburg MA, February 2016
Franklin County Technical School, Turners Falls MA — Active member of Program Advisory Board for Web and Programming shop
Tech Foundry, Springfield MA — Volunteer Instructor
dpaste.com — Programmer pastebin site written with Django, used by the Django community since 2006. Standard Django debugging page and iPython ‘%pastebin’ command target this site. REST API, user accounts, responsive layouts, 474 syntax choices, TLS. Analyzes code snippets in the background before submission and suggests syntax setting.
B.A. in Languages and Literature, Bard College, Annandale NY