About Me

Interests

• Active member of several linux Forums, alpha tester for new releases.
• Reconditioning older hardware. Using newer low power machines like the RPi.
• Deejaying and collecting vinyl, composing and producing music using the computer.
• Grilling/BBQ, Cooking, enjoying cuisine from all over the world - for friends and family.
• Driving and maintaining (although mostly maintaining) a classic Citroën CX.

Curriculum Vitae

Details:

Name: Tom Hardy
Age: 46

Employment:

• 2021 - :...: Technical Support Engineer -- Kinsta Managed Wordpress Hosting
• 2013 - 2020: Technical Support Engineer -- Positive Internet Co
• 2010 - 2013: Head of production line -- Agrochanvre: Normandy, FR
• 2007 - 2009: Carossiere (coachbuilder) -- SAS Jean Chereau: Normandy, FR
• 1998 - 2006: Reproduction sculpture moulder/caster -- Wickmere Drystone, UK

Education:

• 1996 - 1998 Carmarthenshire College of Technology and Art, Gained HND in Multi-Disciplinary Computer Application.
• 1994 - 1996 College of West Anglia (formerly NORCAT) GNVQ - General Art and Design. specialised in 3D sculpture and computers
• 1991 - 1994 Reepham High School, 9 GCSEs

Experience:

• 2021 - Concentrated on delivering focused, fast paced, customer service based on WordPress installs, configuring nginx and working on Ubuntu LXCs remotely.
• 2019 - Creating clusters of machines (load blanced Firewalls, database machines and web application VMs, in ProxMox - as well as administering them.
• 2018 - Looking at differently configured systems, reverse SSL via nginx and proxy passing to apache, often with varnish (http) caching.
• 2017 - Started supporting Microsoft Active Directory and O365 MS Exchange systems remotely.
• 2016 - Started Provisioning servers, spinning up VMs and adding required software, migrating sites.
• 2015 - Continued with general syadmin tasks responding to monitoring alerts, started working remotely.
• 2014 - Introduced to apache2 and general sysadmin procedures, started on the support queue.
• 2013 - Became a member of Github and contributed to the community, moved back to the UK.
• 2012 - Top down developer for WuxMedia.com
• 2012 - Top down developer for HannahHardyArt.com
• 2012 - introduced to Concrete5 CMS, then worked out how to create my own themes from existing HTML.
• 2012 - Writing css and html mark-up for Emparel.com
• 2011 - Installed GNU/Linux on an (very, very) old IBM Thinkpad 380XD, started to understand GNU/Linux.
• 2006 - Moved to France - restored old barn. Therefore not much computer activity, apart from checking emails.
• 2000 - Built own PC, created music on it. Purchased a 2nd hand Apple G3 Wallstreet.
• 1998 - Used Quark Xpress to design Z-fold brochures for local artists, used Photoshop to retouch/restore old photos for clients.
• 1996 - Webmaster for the department's students, started using Adobe Golive - Realised it was just as quick to type the html by hand. Gained experience using FTP software.
• 1996 - Created navigation icons for Universtity of Southampton's student website.
• 1995 - First use of Photoshop 2.5, exposed to art on computers.