Technologies
Being a hands-on, techy type of guy, I get my best work done by doing instead of reading. That being said, my original TonyPhalen.com site design and programming was all hand-coded script. Yes, by hand. No Dreamweaver. No FrontPage; just a simple notepad and LOTS of spare time. Hand-coding gave me the great feeling of accomplishment and complete control over the site … no extraneous tags or code floating around that I would have to keep track of.

In early 2009 I was turned on to Adobe’s Dreamweaver. While I still work 100% in the Code window (still building every site by hand), Dreamweaver does automate a few of the tasks that actually move things along a little faster. I guess I’ll lower my guard enough to allow a few changes in my life.

Around 2016 I discovered WordPress and how easy it was to build and maintain a website. I took the plunge and converted CompetitionX.com over to WP - a job that took quite awhile. Since that time, WordPress has been getting better and better with more of our clients wanting to switch to it, so in late 2021 I gave in and converted this site to WP. I still try and custom code certain things to my liking so my inner-nerd continues to get a work out.

Proficiencies
Once I dabble with a resource, I usually end up wanting to know how to use it to its full potential.

My Geek Background
My techno-nerd-dom started back in 1983 when my parents purchased our first home computer, the Apple IIe. This stellar super-computer came with 64KB of RAM, an 80-column card installed in one of the slots (to give a maximum resolution of 80x48px), a pair of Disk II floppy drives and a Monitor II. Oh, and did I mention an internal modem that was capable of 600baud - I think, at that time, grass grew faster!

I worked with the Apple IIe for some time, playing games, learning assembly language (the language the DOS was coded in) and began making personal backups of protected software (yes, personal backups … anything else would be pirating). When I started High School, I took a computer class there but was WAY ahead of the curve. I ended up being the ‘teachers aid’ and, since I knew more than she did, was the go-to person for any questions in the class. That teacher lucked out; she didn’t do anything. Needless to say I got an A in that class.

By the 11th grade, I was getting itchy to really do some naughty stuff (see the bottom of this page). Also at this time, software manufacturers were getting really good with their disk encryption, something I was having a hard time getting around. On the Apple IIe, when you hit a certain keystroke, it would ‘break’ the program, allowing you to snoop around in the RAM and see how the protection worked. The manufacturers were getting smart and started installing code that reprogrammed that 'break' keystroke on disk bootup. Now, when you tried to stop the program, the system would clear the memory and reboot. Sneaky, however this was no good for making 'backups'. There was an easy fix, however! All I did was find the ‘reboot’ code that was hard-coded on the Apple IIe's chipset, rewrite that to physically stop the computer from running (and drop me into the code-editor) and burn it back to the chipset. I was back in business of 'backing up' software, and business was good...

By the time I started college I had already backed up quite a few games, met some VERY hardcore, ummm, personal-software backer-uppers, and was well on my way to a career with computers. The one problem I encountered in college, however, was that I couldn’t take the advanced computer courses until I took the basic ones first. There was no way around it ... and I soon got bored in these classes and decided a job, money and advancing my computer knowledge outside of college seemed much more attractive.

In 1993 I got a job at GTE Directories working in the Graphics Department building ads and doing layout. This job would extend for 13 years moving from PCs to Macs and back to PCs. Verizon (GTE changed ownership) was seriously looking at starting a web design department and a small crew from the Graphics Department was chosen; I was the last one selected even with my YEARS of computers and web experience over everyone else. Knowing I would obviously have to justify my worth, I volunteered to be the lead of the E-Commerce section of our group. I thrived in this world as it ended up being a lot of coding in the archaic platforms we used and learned quite a bit about online commerce.

In 2001 I left Verizon and went to work for Team Associated. My job title there was the Promotions Director, but I was also in charge of building the manuals and catalogs using a combination of Solidworks, Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. The feeling of accomplishment after completing a manual was great as there was an enormous amount of work that went into it. This was also the time I started working on my RC Racing site, CompetitionX.com, as a way to get back into design, coding and the internet.

Here we are at the present. This love for the web has created a monster in me. I now own a small website business with the wife (www.PhalenCreative.com), have several other businesses around the web and continuing to create more each day. I don’t play many PC games anymore but instead have switched over to the simplicity of the Microsoft XBox. Plus, games look better on a 60" 4K TV.

It’s a love, a passion and in some ways an insanity. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

I recently found some issues of Hardcore Computist where I wrote articles on how to back up your software. Brings back some fun memories!
Here's the list of articles and the PDF's you can download to look at.

Issue 34: Page 7 (or PDF page 9) - Deprotecting Datamost's Crazey Mazey
Issue 39: Page 5 (or PDF page 6) - Fixing the Karateka Back Up
Issue 42: Page 14 (or PDF page 16) - Deprotecting Muse Software's The Address Book
Issue 43: Page 9 (or PDF page 11) - Deprotecting Brainpower's Think Fast
Issue 44: Page 11 (or PDF page 13) - Deprotecting Avant Garde Creation's Joe Theisman's Pro Football
Issue 44: Page 25 (or PDF page 27) - Deprotecting Penguin Software's Crimson Crown

Issue 34

Issue 39

Issue 42

Issue 43

Issue 44