I designed and maintain the
Dog-Play
web site. The site is designed for rapid loading targeted
primarily for
an audience interested in information on activities to do with the
pet
dog. It does not, at present, include cgi scripts, java scripts,
animations,
frames or audio clips although I am generally familiar with the
principles
involved for including them. Because the structure and formatting
is simple
I do most of my editing on line on a UNIX platform using PICO. The
initial
design for each page has been accomplished primarily off line
either using
a standard word processor or html editor and a variety of graphics
programs.
An important element in the web site design was to maintain
accessibility
to the widest variety of browsers with a uniform and attractive
appearance
in each. The service that I offer is one that is of value to a
great
variety of ages and income groups and thus there was much to be
lost
and little to be gained in creating a design that might exclude
a portion
of the web community. Dog-Play has been a very educational and
successful
endeavor. It gets about 2000 individual visitors a day, or about
7000
"hits".
I have assisted several other web masters in adjusting their
web sites
to improve accessability and presentation to a wider variety of
browsers
and users. I have also contributed significantly to the
structure and
design of the site of my former employer
MROSD
My computer training and experience has the natural variability of
the
interested self taught individual. I have had a basic introduction
to
computer programming through college level courses taken as an
undergraduate.
The basic skills acquired have served me well in dealing with a
wide variety
of situations with both hardware and software.
I became an expert with WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS. I made
extensive
use of macros on a daily basis, and used a wide variety of
advanced
features. To assist secretarial support staff in efficient
naming and
filing of documents I created a complex interactive menuing
system using
the macro and keyboard remapping features. I used these skills
and the
general understanding of how such scripting works in subsquent
classes
and applications such as Crystal Reports 6, Excel, javascript,
perl
and CGI.
I am frequently called upon by co-workers to assist them in
accomplishing
various word processing and spreadsheet tasks for DOS and for
Windows
in WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, Quattro Pro and Excel. I also
frequently
respond to calls for assistance involving lost or damaged files,
corrupted
systems and similar disasters.
My experience with the American Red Cross has come, primarily,
during
times of crisis. In particular I acted as Office Manager for
Disaster
Health Services for the East Bay Chapter during the Loma Prieta
Earthquake
Disaster (1989), and the Oakland Hills Fire (1991). This position
involved
coordinating health care services staffing and supplies for the
shelters.
It was an unpaid, train-as-you-go, position. The position made
good use
of my ability to respond in a crisis, to be organized and skilled
in the
use of computers. I recruited, trained and supervised other
volunteers
necessary for the smooth operation of Disaster Health Services
during
the crisis period.
Kingsley Meadows was a summer camp for children under 15. I
managed the
equestrian program with twelve horses and ponies. I supervised a
Junior
Counselor, was responsible for five campers, and taught the
horsemanship
programs. It was an experience that remains influential in my life
because
I developed a variety of teaching and interaction techniques I
still use.
For example. To teach the children skills without embarrassing
them by
direct correction my assistant or I took the role of student. The
person
playing student exaggerated doing things wrong and got gentle but
direct
correction. The children would often immediately adjust their own
hand
or body positions. They also became less afraid of correction
themselves.
My work at the Rotary Natural Science Center was volunteer. It
involved
a great deal of variety with increasing responsibilities developed
over
many years. I trained and supervised other volunteers, made public
presentations,
designed and maintained natural history exhibits. This experience
was
the source of most of my most important skills. I learned to make
presentations
in front of large groups, to tailor the presentation to the
audience,
to remain tactful even when someone else was angry, to be firm
without
being rude or confrontational. Perhaps the most important thing I
learned
was to appreciate a wide variety of cultures and to expect and
account
for differences in interpersonal communication. I especially liked
devising
creative methods of introducing people to nature. For example,
people
frequently believe that snakes are cold and slimy. They often did
not
want to touch the snake. Dispelling the misconception was
important to
opening their mind that snakes might be worth protecting. So we
would
persuade a person to stroke an orange, assure them that the snake
felt
very much like that orange and encourage them to try. Most did try
and
most agreed.
Peralta Hall was a half way house for drug addicts and alcoholics.
My
work there was varied. It was a family operated program and I
filled in
whatever situation was required. I frequently cooked meals for
approximately
48 residents, managed the office, and prepared apartments for
occupancy.
My experience was very important to developing my ability to
dealing with
tension filled situations and to handle not entirely rational
people in
an effective manner.