summary
I’m Alan, a full-stack web developer, author, illustrator, and designer. I’m best known as the founder of DamnInteresting.com (est. 2005).
bio
I have been coding software since around the time that Hypercolor shirts were a thing. Not content programming lo-fi games on my trusty TI-82 during calculus class, I moved on to bigger and better computers, eventually coding Perl, Java, and LAMP-stack, both front and back, on Windows and Mac. Most days I can be found walking and working at my trusty treadmill desk. I also enjoy writing. Probably too frequently. Yes, that sentence was 100% adverbs. This sentence no verb. Perhaps most importantly, I am one degree from Kevin Bacon. Mmm, bacon.
skills
Web Development
25+ years
- LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) web app development
- Front-end design and development (HTML, CSS, Javascript, etc)
- Python + Flask
- Responsive Design for phones, tablets, and other devices
- Interactive tools and demos
- WordPress themes, plugins, etc.
- Geolocation search services
- Automation tools (e.g., Naive Bayesian Classifier)
- Hardening web apps against exploits
- Optimizing sites for heavy traffic on mid-range servers
Graphics Design/Illustration
26+ years
- Illustrations in a variety of styles (see artwork samples page)
- Print media (posters, invitation, business cards, product packaging, etc)
- Web design
- Logo design
- Skilled with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
- Skilled with tablet & stylus
Professional Writing & Editing
16+ years
- Managing editor and head writer for a website with over 300k readers per month
- Edited a collaborative book which was published in 2009
- Extensive experience with writing and editing long-form articles
Podcast Audio Production
9+ years
- Podcast narration
- Adding music, audio clips, and sound effects (sound design)
- Composing atmospheric music for episodes
- Sample track
Browser Extensions
2+ years
- Extensions for Chrome and Firefox web browsers
Project/Personnel Management
24+ years
- Lead Web Developer at a non-profit educational research institute
- Founder and managing editor for a high-traffic website
- Organized a collaborative book (published by Workman)
- Acted as a team supervisor for a tech support call center
experience
DamnInteresting.com
Founder, Managing Editor, Designer
September 2005 - Present
- Founder, developer, and designer
- Also responsible for writing, artwork, marketing, and copyediting
- Podcast narration and audio production
- Social media engagement
- Leader of an international league of authors
- See samples page for more information
The Healthy Internet Project, Incubated at TED
Contract Engineer
October 2019 - September 2021
- Development of browser extensions
- Python-based API
- Database design
Midwives College of Utah
Web developer/IT
July 2012 - July 2021
- Sole developer and IT individual for distance-learning non-profit
- Maintenance and improvements of proprietary software
- Integration with third party apps and services
- General website development (PHP+CSS+jQuery)
- Server administration/IT
Stotion - Design Agency
Web Developer
May 2016 - October 2019
- Converting designs into interactive websites
- WordPress themes, plugins, etc.
- Webserver administration
Waterford Research Institute
Lead Web Developer
January 2012 - July 2012
- Managed web developers in foreign office (Romania)
- General website development (PHP+CSS+jQuery)
- WordPress themes, plugins, widgets, and shortcodes
- Usability improvements
- Web server management
Eli Kirk - Design Agency
Web Developer
November 2010 - January 2012
- Building custom WordPress themes based on provided designs
- Tailor-made WordPress themes, plugins, widgets, and shortcodes
- eCommerce
- Eli Kirk is now known as EKR
Freelance Developer/Designer
February 2002 - Present
- Custom website design
- Custom Logos
- Dozens of custom WordPress themes
- Developed a geolocation-aware search engine for finding nearby businesses
- Developed a Bayesian Classifier for automatically sorting messages based on their content (“spam” vs. “ham”)
- Created website security tools to prevent many types of exploits
CodeNutrition.com - Startup
Lead Developer
December 2007 - March 2010
- Developed a system to analyze DNA samples and assign nutritional supplements based on the results
- Developed the customer-facing website
- Created automated software to generate custom DNA reports, printed materials, shipping manifests, etc.
8one8 - Startup
Lead Developer, Designer
January 2006 - November 2008
- Designed and developed BounceBase, an experimental consolidated search engine (no longer maintained)
- Developed an API called “MixedResults” for third parties to use Bouncebase’s consolidated data
SirsiDynix
Java Developer, Graphics Designer
October 2000 - January 2007
- Developed Perl, Java, and PHP-based library tools such as a catalog search
- Designed custom themes for customers
- Designed/developed children’s library search tools
(Some older positions omitted)
recent recognition
hobbies, etc
Apart from the above, I enjoy cooking, drawing, music-making, technology-tinkering, and I love a little alliteration. I am married and living in Salt Lake City, Utah with a delightful young daughter and a decidedly undelightful old cat. I was also the Time magazine Person of the Year in 2006.
contact
Please feel free to drop me a line at alan@alanbellows.com.
If for some reason you need to send a physical object, I can accept letters and parcels at this address:
Alan Bellows
PO Box 16551
Salt Lake City, UT 84116
I do have a profile on LinkedIn if you’re into that sort of thing, but it’s mostly centered around my technical/programming skills.
As a last resort, dialing 801.876.0892 will cause my phone to ring, though I might be startled at the unusual noise.