I grew up on the beaches of southern California, in the South Bay. My first job in the computer industry was as a computer operator with Garrett Airesearch in my senior year of high school, so I've been involved in technology for over 40 years! I worked three years in telecommunications, then spent ten years on the computer side of the banking industry as a programmer and every kind of analyist. I left the corporate world in 1990 to persue my own product based business and by 1992, that had morphed into a little thing called Wondermat® which would become the livelyhood that helped us maintain our home and raise three children in southern California. In 1996, I jumped all in on the Internet. I put up a website, wrote my first eCommerse shopping cart, and started shutting down all my physical retal locations. I never looked back! That was 25 years ago, and I'm still here, doing what I do.
Rory Bresnan
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 US
(949) 742-0173 (Txt only)
rory@rawrdata.com
MySQL & PHP • Ongoing
Just taking refresher classes to keep my skills up to date. Dedicated lifelong learner!
Systems Programmer Certification • 1983-1985
IBM system architecture and a series of macro level assembler language classes.
Computer Science • 1979-1980
Assembler and Cobol language programming classes.
Computer Science • 1978-1979
Early computer classes, basic programming, accounting and general education classes.
Web Application and Database Designer • March 2013 - Present
RawrData Technology is an application and database architecture firm focused on the Internet, and is the logical outgrowth of running my own websites and the various infacturcture for the last 20 years. It is part design agency, but database and programming solutions, and a special interest in the functionality of the backend of the application are a focus, as well as SEO and Social Media integration.
President • March 1992 - Present
Popcorn International, Inc is a Californian based Corporation, founded in 1992, that is best known as the worldwide manufacturer and distributor of "Wondermat" brand interlocking foam puzzles and mats. Information Technology, logistics, design, US shipping and corporate operations are all run out of the Aliso Viejo, CA location. I oversee most of this, but I am still principally involved in web development and daily operations. We run our principal website on an ASP.net platform, using Microsoft SQL databases. Product manufacturing is based in Taiwan, ROC, and is grounded in 20+ year relationships with some of the largest foaming and foam fabrication companies, employing the most current manufacturing technologies available.
My past computer experience had always cast me into this position for our internal systems, and when the Internet became impossible to ignore around 1995, I championed our move away from traditional distribution and moved the company to a 100% Web based distribution model. We operated on external servers, but all of our development work was done internally, on our own machines. The websites, the eCommerce functionality, the payment processing, the databases, and the code that made it all work was put together and maintained here. Back-end website reporting and the integration of web generated data into our accounting and shipping systems was put in place through this period. The technology was ever-changing and improving, so these were busy, but amazing times.
Programmer / Analyist • June 1980 - June 1989
Production Control Analyst, Applications analyst, Systems Programmer and Application Programmer/Analyst. Had my hands in virtually every aspect of every major banking application through the 1980's, on the production and development sides of the shop. My last three years were in distributed systems doing back-end application and systems support for ATM networks, bank branch controllers and teller applications.
I'm a technical person at heart. It's where my roots are, but I have run a successful product-type business for almost 25 years, and been involved at one level or another in a host of other startups, so I know a lot about business too. I'm a good guy to have around in any startup situation for that alone, but then there's this technical thing. 40 years of information technology, the last 20 years of it in eCommerce on the web. I'm not the best designer by far, but I'm good with the internals and making things happen.
Wondermat.com went live in 1996 and was the first eCommerce website I developed. It has been a work in progress ever since, as technology and techniques have evolved over the years. It's core function has always been to serve as an eCommerce platform and facilitate communication between the business and their customers.
The client is switching to a Business to Business model, and there is a huge amount work being done to redefine the order process, and all the Databases are being reworked. This is a pure Asp.Net and Microsoft SQL project, with HTML5, CSS3 and Bootstrap being incorporated in the responsive front-end design.
Branding, Webdesign, Category LeadershipThere is a lot of functionality built into this site that is not apparent unless you are logged in as a Company or a Customer, including a full shopping cart, a News & Events (blog) function, a Project Management function, and Employee and Vendor management functions. Please contact me directly if you are interested in seeing those functions in action. Beyond 40 years of programming and database experience, I've been managing all aspects of setting up and running website and email platforms since 1995. I formally started RawrData in 2013 to let people know I was available for work on interesting projects - beyond my core business.
Branding, Web Development, Backend Information Management.BestBlogsEver.com is an online blogging community built on a WordPress Multi-Site platform. Other sites like Blogger.com, blog.com, squarespace.com, Tumbler.com, EduBlogs.com, Weebly.com, Wix.com, and of course, WordPress.com are all built on the same platform. bestblogsever.com isn't specifically important, but what is important is the fact that schools, businesses, non-profits and all sorts of clubs and communities have a need for these type of websites, either internally, or publicly on the Internet. I can help you set up these types of networks, manage them for you, or walk you through the process of maintaining them yourself.
BloggingThis is a working example of a small online eCommerce website set up on a WordPress platform using a WooCommerce shopping cart and processing credit card transactions using PayPal. The site design is simple here, but the features that the site has are impressive. It has a featured products slider with flipping product links across the top of the page then lists products by recently viewed. You can show products by top rated, most viewed, most sold and others or you can show products by Category. There is blogging functionality built-in. Every product page and every blog post can be shared on your own social media sites, and everyone visiting can share them on their own social media sites. Of course there are links to your main Social Media Pages on your front page.
eCommerce, WordPressThis is an example of a personal blogging website set up and running on bestblogsever.com. In this case, it is a food and reciepe blog, but it coud be anything. There are literally thousands of templates you can you use to easily design your own blog.
blogging, WordPressThis is a full blown website example for a medical business that has four separate locations. There is a lot of functionality built into this website, so check it out and be sure to look at the "about" page for the details on what the site includes.
Small Business, Blogging, Multiple locationsThis is a website for a sole practice Attorney, but it would be suitable for an accountant, consultant or other Professional business. It includes links to your social media pages and allows people viewing your services or posts to share them on their own social media sites. There is an email contact form and full blogging functionality is built-in. There is even a billing module that allows you enter client statements and accept payment through your website using PayPal or credit cards.
Branding, IllustrationThis website was designed for Real Estate professionals that are looking for a well designed website with a lot of functionality that won't cost an arm and a leg to set up and run. This website costs less than $100 a year(US) to operate (in 2016), gives you complete control of each of your listings, and is a social media sharing dream. Blogging functionality is built-in and all your listings and blog posts can be shared on your Social Media sites (Facebook, twitter, Google+, Pintress, Instagram...) by you or anyone looking at your website.
Webdesign, PhotographyThank you for stopping by. You can get in touch with me through this form, but if it's work related, please contact me through RawrData.com.