Think you know Adobe web technologies? Do you like the idea of working on some of the world’s most interesting web engineering challenges? Do you want the freedom and variety of independent consulting, but want bigger projects and more of them? Then search no further. Universal Mind, the undisputed leader in bleeding-edge RIA development, is looking for a few good developers. 

Are you up to the challenge?

Why should you join Universal Mind?  Universal Mind offers you a unique opportunity. We focus exclusively on solving hard problems in the performance and architecture of web applications based on Adobe technologies. Not only are these problems difficult, they are the problems that keep our business customers up at night. They’re also the problems that have biggest impact on users. In short, at Universal Mind you will have the opportunity to do something great.

At Universal Mind, we want you to be both hands-on and strategic. You’ll connect the dots between business priorities and technology performance. You will also write the code, configure the servers, and run the diagnostic suites.

Your interface will be IT management, web developers, database admins, sys admins and business unit managers. You’ll be the person technologists call first when they have a web technology problem. 

You’ll feel equally comfortable working onsite, anywhere in the world, or remotely via Internet and phone. The value you bring clients will be in the business advantage you deliver, not in where you sit.

In fact, if you’re really good, you have probably already thought about working at Universal Mind.

Does this sound like a challenge you'd be interested in?  Send your resume to me at andrew.powell [at] universalmind.com and we'll get the conversation started.

 

This is a follow-on to my previous post.

As CFML developers start to learn Java and move into the realm of Spring and Hibernate, it is very important to stop and ask "What Is ColdFusion?".  ColdFusion, since CFMX, has been a J2EE application running within a J2EE server (JRun, JBoss, Tomcat, Websphere, etc.).  This is important because thinking of ColdFusion like this lets us expand our mind to what we can really do with ColdFusion.  We (CFML developers) can start to leverage J2EE services and frameworks like JPA, JNDI, JTA, and others to make ColdFusion a real player in the J2EE stack.  

Java developers are quick to dismiss ColdFusion as simply a J2EE app and miss its real potential:  It is the fastest way to get data to the web.  It is the fastest way to get data to AJAX, Flex, Silverlight, and even JavaFX (the last two via XML or web service).  I think that going forward, ColdFusion will really shine in this space and make itself be known as a the leader in moving data into RIAs.

ColdFusion also provides complex services easier than Java, .Net, Ruby, or whatever wishes they could.  Let's look at a couple of examples:  CFMAIL is, by far, the easiest way to generate email from an application.  CFPDF?  Are you kidding me?  It doesn't get any easier than this.  Don't tell the Java guys this, but it integrates with JMS easier than Java does too (look at the gateways).  These specialty services are an often used, but at times, overlooked part of ColdFusion because of their simplicity.  By the same token, they're often a source of ammo for the ColdFusion detractors.  Maybe they're just jealous.  

Simply put, at the end of the day, ColdFusion is a J2EE app that enables you to be more productive than if you were writing pure Java or CFML code, alone.  Look at it, and embrace it as such, and a whole new world will open up to you, as a CFML or Java developer.

OK, so I'm really pissed off.

I'm sitting in a presentation at cf.Objective() (I will not name names) where the presenter has blatantly stolen someone else's code and passed it off as their own for the presentation. How do I know this? The person it was stolen from is sitting right next to me.

That is not cool. If you're doing a presentation, make sure you materials are you own, OR if you must use someone else's example, don't be a tool. Give credit where credit is due.

If you're going to cf.Objective this week, and want to see something you've NEVER seen ColdFusion do before, come to my session: "Enterprise Class MVC with ColdFusion And Java".

You will need to know what the MVC pattern is and nothing more. Jason Delmore's session would be a good warmup for this one, but it is not required. Oh yeah, I'll have swag to give out at my session too. I am not above bribery to bring butts into the seats.

Session Description:
This session will show you how to leverage the power of Java tools, like Hibernate, to increase the speed and scalability of your ColdFusion MVC based applications. We will look at performance differences between using Java and ColdFusion based solutions and discuss the benefits and drawbacks to both methods. The discussion will also cover when using such an approach is appropriate and why a developer would want to take this approach. Demos will also be provided to show you how to take advantage of this new technique.

I am also hosting a BOF session on Saturday night entitled: Open Source Development & Publishing. The title is a bit wack, but the premise is simple. Lots of people want to write open-source components, but don't know what it takes to publish them. Conversely, a lot of people want to know what open-source components are available to use in their applications. Well, we'll cover both of these topics and other things such as the various OS licenses available to publish under and how they work together, or with commercially released software. Come, sit down, talk. It'll be fun.

Beyond both of these sessions, I will be hanging around, going to some sessions, and generally catching up with people I've not seen since MAX. Come find me in the hall or lunch, or wherever and I promise I'll make some time to talk with you about ColdFusion, Flex, Java, the Braves, the Red Sox, whatever.

BTW, if you do come to my BOF, someone remember to bring me a bottle of scotch (single malt Islay if you have it, or Johnnie Walker Gold Label if you must bring a blend). I promise you, it will make me much more interesting.

I've known Vilas for a number of years.  He used to think he wanted to be a pharmacist, but has recently embraced his inner developer and started getting really heavy into Flex.  He came to ColdFusion a few years ago and has really taken to it quite well.  His blog is mostly Flex related, with some ColdFusion mixed in.  One more thing... if you are looking for a contract developer, I know he has recently started contracting as well, so give him a ring.

 Vilas's Blog - http://blog.vilasophy.com/