I am a computer consultant who serves the Greater Houston Area. I provide a variety of services, including installation and set-up, tutoring and teaching, decommissioning and data destruction (via software), hardware repair of desktops (assuming parts are provided or are still commercially available), data transfer, updating software (such as normal operating system components and anti-virus software), software design and implementation, and advising about infrastructure or security planning, among other things. Due to my lack of artistic ability, I do not generally do graphic design or layout work for websites, although I am happy to consult on technical aspects and matters of infrastructure.

I work on machines running Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and other Unix systems. I am also familiar with a variety of programming languages, including C, C++, Perl, Python, Java, and C#. Besides general desktop support, I have significant skills in RDF and XML, as well as related areas such as XSLT 1.0 and XInclude. If you have a question about whether I would be a good match for your needs, please feel free to contact me by phone and we can discuss the matter.

My services are normally priced at $30 per hour, billable in half-hour increments; however, prices can be negotiated. The minimum charge for each session is the longer of one hour or my total transit time. For example, if it takes me forty-five minutes each way to your location, but I solve your problem after one hour, you will be charged $45 (because the total travel time is one-and-a-half hours). I do not charge for travel time to and from your location; however, time spent purchasing software, hardware, or peripherals, as well as transit to and from the store, is billable.

I will generally answer specific questions by email from existing clients, and in some cases, I can troubleshoot problems over the phone. Generally, this involves using a remote viewing program so that I can make necessary changes to fix the problem. This is not suitable, however, for all types of problems. Also, if you have a brief question and want to determine whether or not my services will be needed, you can feel free to call me; I can guide you through a short debugging process.

I have a variety of times that I am available; please call me to find a time that works for both of us. All services are scheduled on a first-come, first-serve basis. When scheduling a time, providing information about the services you expect to need will allow me to bring the appropriate tools and software. Also be aware that some services (for example, data destruction) involve lots of waiting; if you have other machines that need service at the same time, this may optimize the use of my skills and minimize the time I will spend simply waiting for the computer.