Profile of a Developer - Zach Gardner

I guess the best way to begin developer profiles is by starting with myself.

How did you hear about AllofE - I've known about AllofE since my senior year of high school. I was in a work study program, so I submitted my resume to several local businesses. AllofE was one of those places. I got a job elsewhere, but ended up at AllofE four years after that.

What got you into developing software - I purchased the video game Counter Strike in 2002 when I lived in California. It was the first computer video game I really got into. I was curious how a lot of it worked, so I began looking up ways to program inside the game. After making a short script that helped me jump higher, I was hooked.

How long have you been programming - My first experience with real programming came in 2003 when I took an introductory level programming class in high school. We used Microsoft Visual Basic to program. I've been doing web programming since 2005; I worked at Allen Press here in Lawrence and helped them develop their internal employee website.

What is your favorite project you've worked on at AllofE - Probably our Easy Pages Panels. Javascript is a really interesting language to use because of its expressive power and flexibility. There's just something about the creative power that goes into each panel that makes me want to keep developing them.

What do you listen to while you work - When I do have my headphones in, I'm probably listening to People Under the Stairs, Nas, or Atmosphere. I can't really explain why I like listening to hip-hop. There's just something so unique and entrancing about it.

What do you do outside of AllofE - I'm in my fifth year of involvement in the American Legion Boys State of Kansas. I'm a fan of West Ham United FC, and of KU. I also enjoy playing with my family's dog Max.