Hello world. I'm Stephen Parker, Director of SCI. My friends and colleagues call me Steve or Sparky. I've been working the Web since 1994, and it's my passion in life.
Being a Gen-Xer, I grew up with the personal computer, computer games and the Internet. My first experience with computers started with playing Pong by Atari back in 1974. Soon after, I began tinkering with the TRS-80 and became hooked on technology. I started using a Macintosh when it came out in 1984, and I've worked with IBM PC's, Amiga's, Linux systems, and built and managed Apache servers. I witnessed first-hand the advent of so much 80's technology like the Sony Walkman, the switch to the Compact Disk format, the VHS and Betacam wars, and of course, the rise of the cellular phone and high-definition television.
I've always been fascinated with space, computers, games and technology having grown up on the Space Coast, living near NASA. My passions growing up included science research, fantasy gaming, playing chess, and tinkering with electronic gadgets and computers. I was truly a child of the 80's, and feel blessed to have witnessed the tremendous advances in technology which set the stage for the Internet.
After graduating with a degree in Communication, my career began in Irving, Texas where I worked for Memorex Telex and designed the company's first Website back in 1994. I had been designing technical marketing materials for the company's line of server products, then upon starting to use the Web on AOL, decided to learn HTML soon after I began using JavaScript and Perl. I took to the Web by nature, and began learning everything I could about working with this new medium.
In 1996 I was recruited by VHA, Inc. to manage the company's Web site as well as helping to build a large-scale extranet named VHAseCURE.net. This Website was recognized as one of the nation's largest secure extranets in 1998 by Information Week magazine. I was able to work on the project with IBM and Proxicom out of Washington, D.C.
In 1998 I became Webmaster for Blue Cross and Blue Shield working out of their Eagan, Minnesota offices. There I served to redesign the company's Web site and developed and managed the company's intranet named Blue Net. I worked on many Web-related projects for customer service applications, information management systems for the big tobacco trials, and designed and developed an activity and gaming site for a 'healthy kids' school program named FitnessFever.com.
Since then, I've honed my skills on the back end by learning SQL and PHP and working with open source applications on LAMP stack technology. The past few years I've learned a lot about jQuery and advanced JavaScript/XML working with several different organizations and some fantastic professionals at companies that include 321 Webguys, 321 Agency, Satcom Direct and Florida Today.
Space Coast Interactive was formally opened for business in 2008 (informally in 2006) with the mission of serving small- and mid-size businesses to produce top-quality Open Source Websites and Web applications to Central Florida businesses and beyond. I've found a few extremely talented people to help me, and together as a team we're building World Class Web sites for our clients for a fraction of the cost of the large agencies.
Peace!
