My name is Wes Dean and I live and work in Syracuse, New York, USA.
My career has been focused in and around Development (writing software and systems), Operations (running software and systems), and Security (making software and systems safer). Therefore, my career title is generally "DevSecOps Engineer" or some variation of that. I started working in the field in the early 1990s. Since then, the vast majority of my career has revolved around UNIX and its variants and decendents (e.g., BSD, Solaris, Linux, etc.).
I derive great satisfaction from using "basic" tools that have been around for a while and are often over-looked, under-appreciated, or just plain forgotten.
I enjoy mastering a system from the ground-up and from the inside-out.
My goal is to assist, support, and mentor folks and, in the process, help create opportunities for people.
I'm happy to help with containerization (e.g., Docker), deployment mechanisms, shell scripting, documentation, and compliance.
Much of my technical knowledge around concepts that typically relate to front-end / interface development is largely outdated at this point. This includes CSS and JavaScript. I also know very little about Node outside of the very basics of how it works from a systems development perspective. I also don't use Macs or Apple products personally or professionally (I have nothing against them -- they're just not my tools of choice).
I'm very, very introverted. Interacting with others represents an energy expenditure for me. As a result, I tend to prefer tooling that allows me to work asynchrynously (e.g,. Slack, email) over those that are more synchrynous (e.g., Zoom, Huddles, etc.).
When in meetings, I tend to think before I speak and I generally don't care to inject myself into fast-moving conversations artifically. As a result, I tend to come across as quiet, shy, aloof, distant, etc.. That is not my intent. Typically, if I don't have what feels like a clean entry into a conversation, I'll usually observe, process, and respond afterwards. If you're curious to know more, searches for "introvert" and "highly sensitive person" will likely be fruitful.