Zane Ashby

Web and Software Developer, IT generalist

About

I've been building software and websites as a "full stack" developer for over 15 years, using a range of languages and platforms. I dabble in design and creative projects as well. I'm a proponent of Open Source software and the Free Software movement.

My commercial expertise is foremost in web development but I also have professional experience working on mobile apps (native iOS and Android), back-office software and automation, as well as a multitude of unreleased side-projects (with mostly older work released on GitHub). I enjoy graphics and other "real-time" programming and working with compiled languages (C, C++, Rust); offering a nice contrast to the scripting languages (PHP, Python, Common Lisp) that I'm using in other areas.

I love learning about new domains, and I keep an eye on emerging and trending technology. Like many others I am looking carefully into AI and machine learning to expand software abilities, and have experience running many freely available models on Linux (both in ROCM and CUDA environments) and using these in practical applications.

Skills and Technologies

• .NET
• Android
• Ansible
• Apache
• C#
• C++
• C
• ComfyUI
• Common Lisp
• CSS
• Debian
• Docker
• Front-end
• Git
• HTML
• Java
• JavaScript
• Linux
• Lisp
• Memcached
• Mobile Applications
• MySQL
• Nginx
• Nix
• NixOS
• Objective-C
• Open Source
• OpenGL ES
• OpenGL
• PHP
• PostgreSQL
• Python
• RabbitMQ
• Ruby
• Scheme
• Silverstripe
• Software Development
• SQLite
• Stable Diffusion
• Symfony
• T-SQL
• Ubuntu
• Unix
• Vagrant
• Web Development
• Win32 API

Experience

• Senior Developer and Sysadmin

  Springtimesoft Consulting Limited

  Jul 2013 – Nov 2022 Auckland, New Zealand

  Building websites, software, and managing the infrastructure it runs on.

  Website implementation with PHP (5.3-8.0) for a range of client sizes and backgrounds, primarily using the open source SilverStripe 4 CMS. Previously e-commerce and bespoke development using Magento, Symfony 2.x, Drupal 7, and WordPress. Custom integrations built for payment, shipping, and ETL into existing client systems and workflows. Consulting on technology and architecture.

  Managing a fleet of Linux machines (Ubuntu), and local development environments through Docker.

• Co-founder, Developer

  Thumbs Up NZ — Startup Weekend Taranaki

  Nov 2015 · 1 mo New Plymouth, New Zealand

  Worked with a small team on a ride-sharing/hitchhiking style app idea, placing third at Startup Weekend Taranaki (November 2015).

• CodeShack Limited

  3 yrs

  Lead Developer

  Jul 2011 – Dec 2013 · 2 yrs 6 mos Gisborne, New Zealand

  Responsibilities including project management, implementation of systems (web, software, and mobile apps) for clients, and setting up and maintaining team infrastructure (servers, git and issue tracking).

  Mobile work including native Android (Java) and iOS (Objective-C) apps, alongside JSON based APIs (PHP).

  Director, Web Developer, Designer

  Jan 2011 – Jul 2011 · 7 mos Gisborne, New Zealand

  Developed a brand for this small startup in the first half of 2011 including a logo, web site, and business cards. Also responsible for implementation of web projects for clients.

• Web and Software Developer

  Business Applications Limited

  2006 – 2012 · 6 yrs Gisborne, New Zealand

  Part-time work fulfilling web design and development projects (PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript). Implementation of back-office software projects (Chicken Scheme, C, GDI, WIN32 API).

Notable Projects

• HashTWM

  The first automatic tiling window manager for the Windows operating system, as well as being one of my first (and poorly written) C projects. Uses the classic WIN32 API to manipulate window frames and efficiently lay them out on screen. Inspired by some well-known tiling window managers on Linux such as dwm and Xmonad. Several hundred "stars" on GitHub and some large users. I previously had plans to rewrite this into a small core that handles layout logic, while allowing for platform "drivers", including a dummy driver, making HashTWM testable in the future.

  Github

Formal Education

• Tairāwhiti Polytechnic (now Eastern Institute of Technology)

  National Diploma in ICT Level 5, Computing

  2009 – 2011

Languages

• English
• Some familiarity with German and Afrikaans

Organisations

• Mensa