I've been a contract programmer since '89. My early work was mostly C++ for the electronics industry, especially writing chip design software. In the early 90s, I ran a small off-shore software development business based in Moscow.

In 1994 I joined the financial sector, getting a first-hand view of risk when my client, Barings, famously collapsed (arguably due to not using our system in Singapore). Along with C++, I did a lot of Sybase and Oracle work.

But then I met Python and saw the light - this is now my favourite language. At the moment (summer 2013) I'm looking for a City contract, while writing a Bluetooth interface for CyKey and some reporting work for sports medicine.