Don Bennett

Palo Alto, CA
(cell) 415 937 1126 (fax) 206 350 2876
dpb@donbennett.org

Summary

Experienced software development professional with expert programming skills in Python. Interested in Django-based web application development and Python development in general.

SimplyHired, 11/10 - 5/11 Software Engineer

  • Created Python server for jobs database management using SQLAlchemy.
  • Supported PHP-based jobboard code.

Google, 8/09 - 8/10: Software Development Contractor

  • Created programs for analysis of HR data to compute bonus factors using Python and SQLite. Reduced commission calculation errors by 90%, saving 3000 man hours/yr.
  • Created a Django-based webapp for sending customized email messages based on a template and a csv file containing a list of recipient-specific values.
  • Created a Django-based webapp for creating customized letters (PDF files) based on a letter template and a csv file.

Verity / Autonomy 9/05 - 11/08: Principal Software Engineer

Ultraseek Server Development

  • Created python-based NTLM2 implementation for indexing and authorization checking;
  • Designed technique for testing authorization of NTLM protected documents;

  • Modified UltraSpider to send documents to Autonomy IDOL for indexing;

  • Converted URL database to use SQL and SQLite from bsddb;
  • Modified Ultraseek use Autonomy IDOL as backend for search indexes;
  • Modified database indexer to use UnixODBC
  • Exposed interface for customizing the admin UI
  • Added LDAP support for login to the admin interface

Hewlett-Packard 3/04 - 8/05: Contractor

Ultraseek Server Consultant

  • Implemented custom software to enhance the indexing and ranking of documents in the company-internal search index.

Verity 8/03 - 2/04: Consulting Engineer

Ultraseek Server Consultant

  • Custom code to support clients
  • Site-specific tuning recommendations

Infoseek / Disney / Inktomi 3/97 - 5/02: Senior Staff Engineer

Ultraseek Server Development

  • Created a common build environment across windows and unix platforms using GNU Make
  • Ported Ultraseek to Windows NT, Linux, and HPUX
  • Implemented frozen Windows python executables for Python 1.2
  • Created a collection type that could index a Database and display a Database result;
  • Implemented indexing of Exchange Public Folders;
  • Designed and implemented triggers and curfews for administrative functions;
  • Extended the search core to allow boolean operators on the full termlist for a set of search terms;
  • Performed most of the release engineering for 4 years, managing builds on Linux, HPUX, and Windows.
  • Managed Ultraseek third-party components, keeping in sync with new vendor releases
  • Developed customizations to meet customer requirements
  • Created Java libraries to connect the XPA Search toolkit to the Inktomi XML Search Toolkit(XQuery).

Skills

  • Development expertise on Linux and Solaris, win32 using cygwin
  • Languages; Python, C++/STL, C, Java
  • Web: Django, HTML, CSS, Javascript(mostly jQuery)
  • XML: XPath, XSLT
  • Version Control: git, Subversion, Perforce, CVS, RCS
  • Enterprise Search: Ultraseek, Autonomy IDOL
  • Database: SQL, PostgreSQL, MySQL, sqlite
  • Virtualization: Xen, Virtualbox
  • Unix Administration: Apache, Nginx, Postfix, Bind, Dovecot, Mailman, iptables
  • Other tools: Make, Emacs, sh

Education & Honors

  • BSEE/BSCS Rice University
  • Eta Knappa Nu Honor Society
  • Tau Beta Pi Honor Society

Software

Recreation

  • Paris-Brest-Paris ancien 2003, 2007, 2011