about ryan higdon

This is Me...

I am currently a software engineer in San Francisco. I work for IGN Entertainment doing Java development. In my spare time I build software like this! I write it in whichever language I think the business market is headed. Currently that is Python / Django, but I think Scala is the next best thing. I started coding this site as a hobby then I realized if I thought about the code I write and document it correctly I could actually make a product people might want to use. Of course it had to start with blogging software... Joel Spolsky has said "If it's a core business function -- do it yourself, no matter what".

I grew up using linux and love developing on it. I also love Apple's Leopard ( OS X )! Those two camps are usually on opposite sides of the fence but I think they both have a lot to learn from each other. Linux is secure, efficient, and scalable. OS X has wonderful software, fantastic UI's, and is easy to use. If only everyone would work together! Either way, I do all my deployments using Debian linux. I love Ubuntu on the desktop and think that apt-get is a wonderful application. Even OS X realizes that with Mac Ports! When is Windows going to wake up and smell the package management? Also I like to ramble on and on about technology...

This is the OLD Me!

Not only do I write software, I enjoy a bunch of other stuff too. Fitness is one of them! I used to be oblivious to diet and exercise then I started hitting the gym and eating healthy. I lost plenty of weight and a gallbladder in the process! Losing all that weight felt great and made me über productive... I ran my first two half-marathons last year and this year I am learning about weight-lifting, yoga, and racquetball.

This is My Dog King :)

I live with a very nice girl, my girlfriend and front-end developer ( score! ). You can visit her site at www.artispassion.com. She brought along her dog Askum, a 12-year old Jack Russel Terrier. My pug named King lives in Pennsylvania with my parents. Unfortunately, I had to leave him there when I headed out west.

Hope you enjoy the site and drop me a line if you live in San Fran and want to hack!