Welcome to OpenSolv. My name is Hans Bakker, “owner and operator”. I started OpenSolv in 2006 so that I could help out friends, family and their referrals with their technical needs. Most had companies of their own and having one myself makes it easier to do business. Lately, I’ve been helping my clients by implementing and maintaining web sites for their business. I’ve also helped with computer related issues. No problem is too small or unusual, so long as it involves a computer. There was a time when I helped someone with converting dvd movies (home videos, not motion pictures of course) to other movie formats and vice versa. I spent a lot of time reading and learning about dvd “ripping” and the different digital formats. I can see why someone would just rather pay someone to do it for them. I actually enjoy the challenge and reap the benefits of learning about something new, plus, I get paid for it.
OpenSolv is not my only source of income nor was it inteded to be originally. My current day job is an Applications Developer. I’m currently working in an Agile, Java shop that uses a Struts, Hibernate and Spring framework. I’m very happy there for the time being and learning new things every day. Previous to this job, I was working as an Integration Developer for a large B2B office supply company. I mainly worked on integrations pertaining to webMethods, but was really a Jack of All Trades. The nice thing about working in the integration layer is that you get to work with all sorts of applications. As an Application Developer I get to be a little more specialized.
My first goal for this website is to write about technical subjects used in my line of work and pass along the information. These subjects may be related to java, php, rails, or just general web site development such as css tips and tricks. My hope is that it will help others and help me remember how I solved something. I will provide articles that have detailed instructions and example code. I encourage readers to leave comments about their experience related to the subject or ask questions. My second goal is to make it easier for my clients and potential clients to contact me.
Thanks for visiting and I hope you learn something new!
-Hans