Simon Wacker

Programming

I made my first steps into web development at the early age of 12, describing a link in HTML. Still enhancing my HTML and CSS knowledge I stumbled upon Flash and soon ActionScript and fell in love. When ActionScript 2.0 was released I started to work in a small team on As2lib, one of the first open source ActionScript 2.0 frameworks, and also entered the almighty world of Java. After finishing my work on As2lib I learned to program Ruby and used Ruby on Rails instead of PHP to develop my web applications.

On my way I learned to program HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, ActionScript 1/2/3, Flex, ColdFusion, Java, JSP, C++ and Ruby. And used the following libraries and frameworks: script.aculo.us and Prototype (JavaScript); As2lib (ActionScript 2); Mach-II (ColdFusion); J2EE, JUnit and Spring (Java); Ruby on Rails (Ruby). I also gained experience with MovableType, phpBB, Wordpress, DokuWiki and Joomla.

Juggling

In 1996 at the age of 10 I began juggling on the streets with Felix and Martin. After some years of training we started to perform in front of audiences and called ourselves Flik-Flak. To improve our skills and our performance we regularly went to juggling conventions.

We are still on stage as Flik-Flak with our new performance Agents 2010. Give us a visit or book us on flik-flak.de.

During the years I have learned to juggle with balls and clubs, and to play diabolo and devilstick. My goals for 2008 are to juggle 7 balls, 5 clubs and 3 diabolos easily by the end of the year.

Reading

Reading helps me to relax and gives me the necessary foundation to improve my development skills. I like poetic, philosophical and thought provoking, as well as technical literature.

My favorite poet is Goethe who wrote the beautiful tragedy ‘Faust’. Schopenhauer dominates my philosophical world, next to Kant and Nietzsche. Thought provoking literature is among others from Hesse and Rushdie. And Fowler is one of the best authors for technical books.