Linnea Huxford, Software Developer
I am a software developer at AlleyInteractive. My focus is on large scale WordPress web development projects. I have been a “computer person” since my first computer, which was an all-in-one Compaq Presario running Windows 95. I am fortunate that my family saw the value of computers and that I had an amazing Middle School teacher who cultivated my interest.
However, I went to college to study Neuroscience & Behavior, and only later did I realize that I should have studied Computer Science 🙂 (I have a lot of interests, so when thinking of careers, it has been more of a question as to what I don’t want to do, than what I do want to do!)
Since I’m a very self-motivated person, I decided that instead of going back to school, I would teach myself, which I did. Basically I had ideas for projects that I wanted to complete, so I went about finding out what I needed to learn. I enjoy learning by reading books, watching videos, and following tutorials. I believe that anyone can achieve their dreams, if they set out a plan to get to where they want to go. It’s all about learning the basics first and then building upon that. Thank you to all of the authors, bloggers, and fellow programmers who have helped me along the way! (And thank you in advance to all of the future people who will help answer my programming questions and give me nuggets of wisdom!)
Recent Projects
WordPress Plugins
Website Development
AsbestosBooks.com
Technology: PHP, MySQL, HTML, Javascript, jQuery, CSS
I designed this website and wrote the custom PHP application that powers it. I created the MySQL database tables, and wrote the front and back end websites. There is a custom administrative panel for adding and removing inventory that integrates with Ebay & Paypal to automate order processing. Books are removed automatically from inventory on Ebay when they sell on the site, and vice versa. I also optimized it for search engines using best SEO practices and it ranks first on google for its keywords. The result is a low maintenance site that’s easy to administer.
Online Arbitrage System Developer
Technology: Java, MySQL, Android, Eclipse, PHP, Javascript, jQuery, Bootstrap
I wrote a custom Java application (MySQL backed) that integrates with the Amazon Product Advertising API. It checks prices and notifies a client Android app when a match is found. It also keeps track of price history and renders graphs for further analysis.
I actually rewrote much of this program in PHP & Javascript (using jQuery & Bootstrap) recently and you can view screenshots here.
Formal Education
Mount Holyoke College, Earned at Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Neuroscience and Behavior
Online Education*
Lynda.com: WordPress Developer Tips: Information Architecture and the Template Hierarchy
Lynda.com: WordPress Developer Tips: Creating a Popular Posts Plugin
Lynda.com: Javascript: Functions
Lynda.com: Foundations of Programming: Web Security
Coursera Course: Programming Cloud Services for Android Handheld Systems (October 2014)
Vanderbilt University
Grade Achieved: 98.5% with Distinction
Coursera Course: R Programming
John Hopkins University
Grade Achieved: 100% with Distinction
Coursera Course: Web Application Architectures
University of New Mexico
Grade Achieved: 98.1% with Distinction
Coursera Course: Exploratory Data Analysis
Johns Hopkins University
Grade Achieved: 100.0% with Distinction
Coursera Course: Getting and Cleaning Data
Johns Hopkins University
Grade Achieved: 100.0% with Distinction
Coursera Course: Reproducible Research
Johns Hopkins University
Grade Achieved: 100.0% with Distinction
Coursera Course: Pattern-Oriented Software Architectures: Programming Mobile Services for Android Handheld Systems
Vanderbilt University
Grade Achieved: 97.5% with Distinction
* Certificates are available upon request. This is actually only a partial list. I have also taken photography courses at Lynda.com.