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Curriculum Vitae - Jonathan Hitchcock

(Updated: 2008-02-29)

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Personal Details

Name: Jonathan Hitchcock
Home Address: 36 St Anne's, Kenilworth Road
Kenilworth
Cape Town, 7708
South Africa
Postal Address: 36 St Anne's, Kenilworth Road
Kenilworth
Cape Town, 7708
South Africa
Telephone: +27 73 254 3923
Born: 12 October, 1979, Harare, Zimbabwe
Marital Status: Single
Citizenship: South African, with British passport
Email Address: jonathan@vhata.net

Academic Record

Rhodes University
2002-2004 Masters Degree in Computer Science - "Decorating Asterisk: Experiments in Service Creation for a Multi-Protocol Telephony Environment Using Open Source Tools"
2001 Joint Honours Degree in Computer Science and Philosophy (with distinction in both) - "Investigation into self-taught artificial intelligence using games as a medium"
1998-2000 Bachelors Degree in Computer Science and Philosophy (with distinction in Philosophy)

St George's College, Harare
1992-1997 High School, obtaining two A grades and two B grades for Advanced level Computer Science, Mathematics, History and English Literature

Skills

Software Development

  • Proficient in several languages:
    • Python, Perl, PHP, C, C++ and Java
  • Proficient in several domain-specific languages, such as SQL, Regular Expressions, etc.
  • Proficient in desktop software architecture and development:
    • DBus
    • GTK and Glade (particularly PyGTK)
  • Long experience in Object Oriented Design and Programming
  • Expert in developing services, applications and extensions for the Asterisk software PBX
  • Developer of a popular modular, hot-pluggable bot: https://launchpad.net/knab/

Web Development

  • In-depth knowledge of (X)HTML and CSS standards, and standards-based web-development
  • Experience with various popular Javascript libraries and frameworks, including mootools, YUI, jquery and scriptaculous
  • Proficient developing PHP frontends backed by MySQL/Postgresql databases
  • Proficient with Macromedia Flash and Actionscript
  • Proficient in various XML-based technologies (such as XSL transformations, XSD validations, etc)
  • Experience with web services, SOAP and RESTful services
  • Experience in various web-based systems and frameworks, including TurboGears/Pylons, Django, Drupal, Joomla!/Mambo and Plone.

System Administration

  • Linux
    • Experience adminstering Gentoo, Debian/Ubuntu and RedHat/Fedora/CentOS
    • Design, setup and administration of several scalable systems running various services for the client base of Adept Internet Service Provider
    • Experience packaging software for Gentoo's Portage system, Debian/Ubuntu's dpkg, and RPM
  • FreeBSD
    • Administrator of the machines belonging to the Rhodes University Computer Users Society, providing services to a large fraction of staff, students and societies on campus

Internet Technologies

  • Mail
    • Long experience with all aspects of email, the SMTP, POP3, IMAP protocols, and associated technologies.
    • Experience installing and running Postfix and Qmail servers in various configurations.
  • Web
    • Intimate knowledge of the HTTP protocol and associated technologies
    • Experience installing and running various web servers, including Apache, Twisted/Web and Nevow
  • DNS
    • Knowledge and experience of DNS systems, the various types of records, hosting and caching, dynamic DNS, etc
    • Experience installing and running BIND and djbdns
  • TCP/IP and associated technologies
    • Knowledge and experience of networking, routing, and general internet traffic
    • Experience with various firewalls, specifically ipfw and iptables
  • Voice over IP
    • Advanced knowledge and experience of SIP, IAX, and knowledge of H.323
    • Experience with the Asterisk PBX, setup and administration
  • "Other" internet technologies
    • Lots of time spent playing with various "fun" services such as Jabber, Squid, etc

Work Experience

1999-2004: Paid tutor for Philosophy, Computer Science, Logic and Mathematics
2003: Programmer and Project Consultant for the award-winning Ten Years On Journalism project: http://www.tenyearson.org/
2004: Programmer and Project Consultant for the Telkom Decade of Dialogue project

Programmer for the iLanga Asterisk-based PBX

Asset Manager for the Rhodes University Computer Science Center of Excellence

Open Source Representative for the University of Fort Hare
2005-2007: Systems Researcher/Developer at Adept Internet, in Stellenbosch
2007-present: Development Engineer at openVOICE Limited, in Cape Town

Publications

  1. J. Hitchcock, J. Penton, A. Terzoli, "A multilanguage, open source approach to connecting user interfaces to a next-generation PBX", South African Telecommunications Networks and Appliances Conference, September 2004, Spier

  2. L. Dalvit, J. Hitchcock, S. Murray, A. Terzoli, "A Web-Based Tool for Bilingual ICT Education", South African Telecommunications Networks and Appliances Conference, September 2004, Spier

  3. J. Hitchcock, J. Penton, A. Terzoli, "The design of a frontend for a software PBX", Astricon, September 2004.

  4. J. Hitchcock, "A Survey of Methods for Implementing Behavioural Functions" (Honours thesis, 2001)

Awards and Achievements

1998-2003: Awarded Merit Awards/Academic Scholarships/Postgraduate Bursaries for academic achievements
1997: Achieved gold medal (first place) in the Zimbabwe National Mathematics Olympiad

Awarded Gradwell Scholarship towards University fees
1993-1997: Awarded various cups and prizes for achievements in Academics, Mathematics and Computer Science

Cultural Activities

1999-2004: Committee Member for the Rhodes University Computer Users Society (holding the posts of President, Vice-President, and Course Co-ordinator)
2002: Management Council Member for the Rhodes University Debating Society, and member of the organizing committee for the National Debating Championships
2006-present: Committee Member of the Cape Linux User Group (including holding the post of Vice-President)
2007-present: Chief organiser of a very successful series of community networking dinners, under the label "Cape Town GeekDinners"

Co-organiser of a series of community networking events, under the label "StarCamp Cape Town"

References

  1. Mr Alfredo Terzoli - Center of Excellence Co-ordinator, Computer Science Department, Rhodes University. Masters thesis supervisor. a.terzoli@ru.ac.za
  2. Professor Pat Terry - Lecturer, Computer Science Department, Rhodes University. p.terry@ru.ac.za
  3. Gideon le Grange - Director, Adept Internet, Stellenbosch. gideon@adept.co.za