Stuff
About Mike Magatagan
Stuff
About Mike Magatagan
Personal History
Well, unlike most people, I did not put this right up front in the first page of my web pages. That should say a lot about me (as in I'm not some one who wants the whole world to know my life story).
Birthdate June 25, 1960 (Do the Math)
I always have been and always will be a scientist. I really enjoy finding some sense of reason in what would otherwise appear to be chaos. My strength in understanding complex systems is my ability to break the system down in to smaller, more manageable and hence more understandable sub-systems. It has always seemed odd to others that a student of biology would opt for a career in the computer sciences; moving from the beach to the boardroom. I have always felt that there was a deep similarity in the inner-workings between the not-so-well understood natural systems and the well understood computer systems. In the natural systems, plants and animals perform actions for a reason. This reason can only be surmised based on an exhaustive evaluation of patterns produced by those actions. I have spent much of my time in life sciences developing tools and models in an attempt to understand these patterns. In my involvement with the testing of military digital communications, I noted that these computer systems were also not well understood. Neither the tester nor the developer really understood the full scope of its systems interaction. I continued to develop tools in an attempt to understand these systems and the tools soon became the focus of my software development.
In the course of my career I have had the opportunity to watch others grow financially, educationally and professionally. My growth has always been internally motivated. I have always prided myself on my ability to accept, understand and solve engineering challenges. I learn best when I "do". Over the years, I have developed many diverse software systems in an effort to address some of these real-world engineering problems. These systems ranged in scope from a point of sale distributed parts counter system to a real-time remote telemetry data collection system monitoring an Army tactical radio network. My career in defense communications testing has forced me to move farther from the pure science and more toward production oriented engineering. My software development strategy attempts to address all aspects of the production life cycle. This cradle-to-grave approach to systems development has forced me to use homebrewed and otherwise Ad Hoc development methodologies. Most of my systems have started with the phrase, "I think it can be done". I have lately been production oriented, enjoying the engineering effort only as long as I knew there was a finished product in sight.
I am somewhat of a creative person using the computer software to express myself in ways others would use canvas or musical instruments. I take pride in the systems that I develop and often embellish and rework areas of the code that are unseen by others and non-critical to the overall systems performance. I take pride in my work and strive to show my work to others.
Career Objectives - My Future:
I have been a software development lead for the past 6 years and have recently moved back into the development arena. This has improved my mental outlook dramatically. I am now loosing weight, exercising more and am genuinely excited about the prospect of furthering my education.
As I have illustrated earlier, my system design methodologies have been home-brewed and without formal structure. I am interested in discovering the more accepted methods of systems design, integration, testing and documentation. My software skill-set is adequate for my current employer but lacks the flexibility and diversity that I will likely need in the future.
Community college and accelerated masters programs are widely accepted by this industry. However, I am searching for a higher standard of education.
I am primarily interested in expanding my knowledge of the principles, practices, and techniques of computer programming and systems analysis and design, and all phases of software development and project management. To this objective I strive to:
Lead project teams and in organizing, directing and motivating staff to meet project goals and objectives.
Analyze problems and devise innovative and effective solutions, including collecting and analyzing complex data, evaluating information and processes, and drawing logical conclusions.
Understand the complex hierarchy of government and military organizations.
Design and develop complex computer systems and software.
Plan, organize and coordinate tasks to effectively meet frequent and/or multiple deadlines, in handling multiple tasks simultaneously, and in managing conflicting priorities and demands.
Perform detailed work with a high degree of accuracy.
Enhance verbal and written communication of complex technical information to people of varying technical backgrounds.
Establish and maintain harmonious working relationships with co-workers, government personnel, and external contacts, and to work effectively in a professional team environment.
.
This
site is constantly under construction (Last
Updated on November 17, 2011)
You are Visitor Number [an error occurred while processing this directive]
You Can:
Mail
Me (Stimpy@Fan.Net),
Page
Me or
Sign
my Guestbook
Go
back to the Home Page
