Experience: Web-related
Beginnings
I was introduced to the Internet in 1995 whilst at Wits University, using Telnet clients through Unix and Netscape 2 on Windows 3.1. Learnt how to use FTP, Usenet, gopher and IRC.
Corporate Environment
Started my HTML and Javascript development in early 1998 by creating a Human Resources Intranet prototype website, while also getting to grips with the text-only browser Charlotte running on the MVS mainframe system. Development proceeded using Netscape 3 and 4, and Internet Explorer 3 and 4. Started to learn Perl, running on OS/2 and wrote a simple chat script using Perl on the backend, HTML and Javascript on the client (in a hidden frame so that it would update the dialogue window without refreshing it). Started to learn Java (JDK1.0.4 running on OS/2) and Lotus Notes during the same time.
Relocation to the UK
From 1999 onwards, I kept my skills current by learning the ins and outs of HTML development, and added to my Javascript experience during my own time while doing a full-time job as an Insure/90 developer. Learnt a bit more about Perl, and picked up enough PHP knowledge to write a simple discussion-forum manager, using mySQL on the backend.
Up to 2002
Whilst being a part of a commercial web team (since March 2000), I've retained my interest in web-development outside of work hours. I developed a "My Online Tax Advisor" application (including the administration side) for a tax consultancy that paid for itself in customers within 6 months. I'm currently the maintainer of the alt.html Frequently Asked Questions - a usenet newsgroup dedicated to all aspects of web-development, design and mastering.
Currently
Over the last year I've increasingly become involved in both web accessibility and web standards, this is part of my understanding the breadth and flexibility of the Web and part of my interest in making the World Wide Web a pervasive medium not restricted to desktops. Also, during the course of investigation I've reignited an interest in developing and using Intelligent Agents.
Accessibility has come to the fore on the Web. Business in many countries are incresingly moving toward websites that are accessible, driven by large by legal stature such as the Disability Discrimination Act in the UK, and the American Disability Act and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act in the US. We are largely moving the same direction that Australia took a few years ago.
I'm also spending time learning about webservices by participating in Sam Ruby's Atom project. This is a project about syndicating and archiving of episodic websites (like an article-based website). I've implemented both client and server implementations of the AtomAPI - an application interface that allows people to edit websites via the web.