Scott: I have always loved working with computers since I was about 10 years old. My first real computer was the TRS-80 from Radio Shack that had a whole whopping 16K of main memory and had support for color monitors, and used an old cassette player to store its programs and data. WOW ! What a killer machine that was. : )…or so I thought. A lot has changed…

Now I own and operate at least 25 computers each day, and my collection keeps growing. I build many of them myself, to help me learn about the newest technology for PC's. I am an independent computer consultant who enjoys working in various areas of computer technology. For the past five years, I have been working as a web developer on various intranet, Internet, and B2B e-commerce websites. I also handle some of the security aspects of operating systems, firewalls, and routers. I am also learning Linux and running it on several machines in my home office network. My skills cover a wide range of technology, hardware, software, and applications. I use tools like Visual Basic, Visual Interdev, ASP, Site Server, IIS, Index Server, SQL server, Commerce Server and NT Server. And of course I work with HTML and DHTML. I occasionally work with other supporting applications such as Dreamweaver, Adobe ImageReady and GoLive.

I experiment with cool and upcoming technology such as "tiny web servers." Go here to see the one I am working with: http://www.picoweb.com. I believe these type of devices will be used in a great many applications in the future. You can see one in use, that I have created as my Web Fish Cam at http://tinyweb.acecomputer.com. In my spare time my wife and I enjoy golfing, and fishing for the "Muskie" in Northern Wisconsin and Michigan, USA. My wife is teaching me how to play the piano. And I am learning how to compose music using MIDI, sequencing software, and a Roland JV90 Synthesizer Keyboard that we own.

Scott: There are several reasons that I decided to write a Reviewnet test. First of all, it sounded like an interesting and challenging assignment. Because of my five years of web development experience I knew that I could plan and create a comprehensive test.

I think that anyone looking to hire a new employee or consultant, or just evaluate their current skills, should always! use a tool such as Reviewnet. I cannot stress that point enough. I believe that too many people "claim" that they know how to do web development. But if you ask them to take several Reviewnet tests, you will quickly find out their skill levels, and the depth and width of their knowledge. Using Reviewnet gives employers real-world assessment of the candidates' skills. And since all Reviewnet tests are written by experts, the tests are much better than standard college tests which are based more on theory than real-world scenarios.

RN: Tell us about your latest book.

Scott: I actually have not written a book, yet. I have been so busy working on projects and also working on my own software that I have not had time to write a book. I have thought about it several times, and I believe I have good ideas for a new series of books. A few book publishers have approached me, but I know that writing
a book on technology must be a very intense and time-consuming task. Since my schedule looks pretty hectic for the next 6 months to a year, I do not think I will be writing a book in the near future. Unless someone does an awful lot of convincing, that is.

RN: How do you keep up with technology?

Scott: A big problem we have today is that there is just "too much information". We are bombarded from every direction with information. I set goals weekly or monthly and try to identify major areas where I should be spending more time learning. I try to filter out the information that does not apply to my goals. I gave up watching TV over seven years ago, so I do not have that major distraction to contend with. You cannot believe how much more time you have when you give up TV, unless you try it for yourself. Start with 2 weeks, and see for yourself what a difference it makes in your life. You can use this time to achieve your goals.

I read as much information as I can from online websites and have discussions with other consultants in newsgroups. I also subscribe to a range of different technical magazines and business publications and I try to scan as many of the articles as time allows. Occasionally I visit industry seminars on topics related to the field of web development.

RN: What did you enjoy most about writing the VBScript tests?

Scott: It was exciting to complete the whole project from beginning to end. I like the feeling of accomplishment that you get when your test goes "live". I was asked to submit my test design, and sample questions. And from that point on, I worked closely with several individuals at ReviewNet to make sure the questions in my test matched the Reviewnet standards. It was enjoyable writing the test from the comforts of my home office and working with the Reviewnet staff.

I wanted to give Reviewnet a comprehensive and real-world test for my chosen topic of VBScript. I think that if someone passes my test, with high scores, and low response times for each question, that you can be sure they know VBScript quite well.

RN: What did you enjoy most about writing the VBScript tests?

Scott: It was exciting to complete the whole project from beginning to end. I like the feeling of accomplishment that you get when your test goes "live". I was asked to submit my test design, and sample questions. And from that point on, I worked closely with several individuals at ReviewNet to make sure the questions in my test matched the Reviewnet standards. It was enjoyable writing the test from the comforts of my home office and working with the Reviewnet staff.

I wanted to give Reviewnet a comprehensive and real-world test for my chosen topic of VBScript. I think that if someone passes my test, with high scores, and low response times for each question, that you can be sure they know VBScript quite well.

RN: What do you see as the future of web development?

Scott: I believe we are only seeing the beginning of what the Internet will become some day. So if you feel like its too late, or you have "missed the boat," please don't feel that way. The Internet will expand into many more areas of life, in an exponential fashion. And I think it will be engrained into almost everything we see, touch, and feel in the world. From light switches in your house, to your refrigerator, to the car you drive, the cell phone you talk on, the stores you shop in, and so on. It will be everywhere. And eventually when the technology settles down a little bit and stabilizes, people will have more time on their hands instead of less, as is the case today. Technology will make peoples lives more convenient.

What this means is that there will be a greater demand for skilled people in all kinds of Internet technology.

RN: What advice would you give to others?

Scott: It is a great time to get involved in a career in technology. I think you need to have a clear picture in your mind of where you are going in your career. You need a strong desire to succeed, and also to accept failure and learn from it. You also need a good work ethic, and to set goals of how to get to your ultimate career. Talk to people in the field you want to get into and make new friends because networking with individuals and groups is very important. And since the Internet connects people from every walk of life, you are just a few clicks away from having discussions with those people who can help you the most.

Of course this applies to men and women alike, and I think it shows the outcome of hard work. That your work will really make a difference in this world!