About me

Overview

I'm a JavaScript and PHP developer and at different times have sold myself as either or both. (See also: Skills). If you put a gun to my head and made me choose I'd pick JavaScript as my forté.

I'm currently Head of Development at Guide Education, where I built a video-based VLE (virtual learning environment) from the ground up, as well as various other platforms and tools. I elaborate on all this over on Linked In.

I've worked in Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod (also Russia), London and elsewhere. I was Senior Developer at Espresso Education (later bought by Discovery Education) and later Guide Education, so I know a fair bit about e-learning systems and associated UIs.

Read more on the project pages.

Skills

At different times of my career I've been a JavaScript developer, PHP developer or, most often, both.

I'm been writing JavaScript since 1999 and am conversant with the vast majority of the native JavaScript API including up-to-date ECMAScript versions. I also use Vue.js and React, and know jQuery inside out. I dabble with Node.js, too.

I'm comfortable with all versions of PHP, up to and including the current PHP 7, as well as MySQL and MariaDB. I also use no-SQL databases occasionally like MongoDB. I routinely work with a plethora of PHP libraries such as GD, cURL, DOMDocument and others. I'm also au fait with MVC frameworks like Code Igniter.

I'm a REGEX sadist (various flavours) and love working with XML technologies such as XSLT, XQuery and XPath.

I'm familiar with more APIs than I could mention and assorted JS/PHP SDKs, including YouTube, Vimeo, CloudFlare, SendInBlue, Facebook and more.

As you'd expect from any web developer, I'm strong on HTML5, semantic mark-up, as well as hybrid methodologies such as JSX. I'm useful with CSS and related tech e.g. SASS/LESS.

Writing

Back when I used to have time, I wrote articles and tutorials around the net, for publications including .NET Magazine and Smashing Magazine.

These days I blog here and write deep-dive JavaScript guides, such as this one about JavaScript promises.

I've featured a couple of times in JavaScript Daily. I was also technical editor on the (terrible) Smashing jQuery.

I also used to maintain a much larger blog and JavaScript tutorial site at mitya.co.uk (now defunct).

Personal

I'm a passionate vegan and animal lover. I'm involved with animal-related charities and have a beautiful rescue Staffie named Rollo.

I'm a musician, principally a pianist (YouTube; SoundCloud). I have a degree in piano and composition. I adore classical and electronic music and also dabble with synthesisers.

I lived for four years in Russia, initially going there to experience the home of Soviet composer (and a huge influence on me) Dmitry Shostakovich. I speak Russian.

I am a former tennis coach and also do a lot of swimming and badminton.

You can contact me at [email protected].

I don't tweet.