Clean Host

My journey to ColdFusion stared in 2001. I was working at getting a BA in order to escape the inability to break into the "computer" world. As part of my internship for school, I got to choose where I got the privilege of paying $300 to work for free (yay education system), and that place was EXTOL International Inc. in Pottsville, PA. My in-laws worked as AS400 developers there (still do), and it seemed like a great place to start out. At any rate, it was a "foot in the door" situation that I couldn't pass up, and just 15 minutes up the road.

I started work under Mark Dempshey, the then current product manager and webmaster, and was given the task of learning about ColdFusion and the network in general. So for 40 hours a week, which was double the requirement, I spent 9 weeks working full time (for free) learning the ropes in the computer world, as well as my 3-11 paid job. It was a challenge, but well worth it as I was able to translate that internship into a paid position.

We started out on ColdFusion 4.01 and Access (good lord, why??), and when I left in 2006 we had moved to ColdFusion MX 6.1 against MSSQL. We grew from a home grown, gnarly CMS, to the FarCry CMS. I've discovered that I have no real ambition to EVER work under the NJ/NY mind-set again (you didn't read my mind and make that webform already?? We sent it to print!! We'll send you a graphic soon). Sadly they've since moved to a hosted solution that's either ASP or PHP, but that's just the way the ball bounces sometimes. There really wasn't anywhere to go "up", so I had to leave PA in order find better prospects. Still, they kept me on for 9 months as a consultant. I miss the area, but the opportunities presented in the Triangle area should keep me covered for a good number of years to come.

Where would I be without ColdFusion? Probably as a java/php/asp developer. I personally like being a CF dev and wouldn't change it for the world.