Javier Ramírez
Software Architect with a special focus on Web development and Ruby on Rails
Since 1995 I've been earning my salt in software development, doing this and that in different places, industries and companies,
including a small java-centric shop I co-founded —and then cowardly left— some years ago.
Along these years I've delivered training on things like Robotics, Software Engineering, JAVA, PHP and Ruby on Rails. I have also participated in several workshops and conferences talking about Ruby on Rails, plug-in and games programming, XML processing, CSS frameworks, SEO or agile development.
Apart from the occasional freelancing or training gig, I'm the CTO of ASPgems, where I've been working since 2006 developing web projects with Ruby on Rails.
I'm also the author of the book “Aptana RadRails: An IDE for Rails Development” and an active member of the local Ruby scene, being a founding member of the Spanish Rails Conference, the Spanish Ruby Users Group (SRUG) and madrid-rb, the Ruby users group in Madrid. Lately I can be seen also on the Agile Madrid group activities.
I'm currently based in Madrid, but in the past I've been working in Zaragoza, Brescia, New York, Barcelona and —for a brief period— London.
The list of companies I've work for includes Fundación San Valero, Intersneter, Qarana Solutions, Genetsis Partners, Vector Software Factory, Intesys Integrated Services, Utende (I co-founded it), Fatwire and ASPgems. I'm proud to have helped clients ranging from small start ups to big banks and corporations in Spain, Italy, the US and the UK.
I have worked as a teacher for three Universities: Fundación San Valero, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria and Tracor/San Pablo CEU
Javier Ramírez on the web
javier ramirez's home
javier ramirez's blog
javier ramirez at twitter
javier ramirez at linkedIn
javier ramirez's google profile
javier ramirez at working with rails
My book about RadRails
My author page @ Amazon
javier ramirez @ slideshare
ideas4all: project I co-developed
freelancit: project I co-developed
beruby: project I co-developed
aspgems: the place where I work
interview @ infoQ
I'm a member of the organization (and regular speaker) of Conferencia Rails
I'm a founding member of the Spanish Ruby Users Group
I'm a founding member of the local Ruby group madrid-rb
javier ramirez @ EuRuKo 2009
javier ramirez @ xing
books I've read or am reading (@ shelfari)
Software Architect
Good code is not just working code. It's well-designed code, following best practices and engineered taking into account concepts such as coupling, cohesion, readibility, manteinability and scalability.
You need a vision, a passion for the detail and a craving for making things the right way; and you need to pass these values to the development team and make sure they all share them and treasure them.
And if you want to success, you have to apply it all in a pragmatic way, by following Occam's Razor Principle.
Web development
Making a web page is very easy. That's both a blessing and a curse.
On the bright side, it's great that anyone can make a personal website and be made immediately available to the whole world.
On the other side many websites, even those developed by professionals, are built in the same way it was done ten years ago, missing many of the features the modern web offers.
A good web developer needs to be continuosly learning, and to be open to try new techniques. Those not willing to embrace change are not likely to succeed.
Ruby on Rails
Ruby on Rails is my web development framework of choice at the moment.
Standing on the shoulders of Ruby, Rails provides a full-stack framework designed for productivity.
One of the features I dig about Ruby on Rails is the eagerness for incorporating all the new trends in web development.