Dave Voorhis

Email: dave@armchair.mb.ca

My name is Dave Voorhis. I write code in a variety of computer languages and one human language. These are my contributions to the world's largest vanity press -- the Web.

At present, these pages are read-only. Email me if you wish to comment, contribute, or correct.

In 1976, at the age of eleven, I wrote and hand-entered my first program on a COSMAC ELF, via toggle switches and (I think) a hex keypad. The program didn't do anything useful -- in fact, I recall it consisted of less than ten instructions -- but it started an obsession (read: addiction) with computing that has continued to this day.

While in high school in the late 70's and early 80's, I developed games and educational software, including animated geometry and physics tutorials for the Apple II and Commodore Pet. None of these were commercially distributed, but the tutorials were still in use at a local high school well into the 1990's.

In 1986, I attained a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Brandon University -- where I'd achieved dubious distinction (or at least the ire of Computer Services) for creating a bulletin board system that used a self-modifying TSO script to virally distribute itself (with human assistance) on the university's Amdahl mainframe.

A year after graduating, I founded Armchair Airlines Computer Services Inc. to develop custom software for small to medium size enterprises. In partnership with Richard Whidden, Bob Green, Clayton Wozney, Dave Shust and others, I helped evolve the company from its humble beginnings in a 15'x15' basement office to owning a storefront office building and a client list spanning North America.

Armchair Airlines Computer Services boasts a long history of successful maintenance contracts, network installations, and software development projects including computer-aided software engineering tools, employee scheduling systems, vehicle maintenance databases, accounting programs, inventory systems, research tools, education administration utilities, e-Commerce Web sites, and private Intranets.

As a part-time sessional lecturer at Brandon University, I taught Software Engineering, Information Systems and Databases modules and supervised student projects. I have also worked, at one time and country or another, as a research assistant, motorcycle salesman, mechanic's helper, and inbound telesales representative.

I am a co-author of the "Biz!" business simulation game (published as an adjunct to a business textbook), and several academic papers on systems analysis and development team selection methodologies.

In April 2003, I accepted a post as a lecturer in computing at the University of Derby, U.K.

In addition to my teaching responsibilities, I conduct applied research into facilitating the development and maintenance of vertical market and custom business applications, with particular interest in:

• Software development methodologies;
• database languages and relational programming;
• metaprogramming, program generators and software visualisation;
• programming paradigms;
• coupling between relational database query languages and application implementation languages.

I am the developer of two open source projects designed to explore some of these areas -- Rel and Tomato.

I am the founder of Wings on the Internet., an Internet-based motorcycle touring club; and a co-founder of and contributor to Creatist, a Web-based art gallery.

My hobbies include photography and more photography, motorcycling (I have a BMW K1100RS), old cars (more BMWs, a 525i, a 535i, and a 318i), vintage audio and electronic equipment, extemporaneous music composition and creative writing.

McMaster, G. E.; Voorhis, Dave. "Forms Based Analysis and Interview Method." Proceedings of the Western Decision Sciences Conference, San Francisco, California. 1995.

Anderson, C. W.; McMaster, G. E.; Voorhis, Dave. "The Formation and Management of Teams: A Proposed Quantitative Approach." Proceedings of the Western Decision Sciences Conference, Seattle, Washington. 1997.

Rel -- an open source true relational database, based on Date and Darwen's Tutorial D database language. http://dbappbuilder.sourceforge.net/Rel.html

Tomato -- an experimental visual programming language for the Java VM. http://tomatoide.sourceforge.net

Miscellaneous goodies: Here!

Using CRM114 and qmail to Filter Spam

Dave's Quick-But-Unproven Graphical Normalisation Method

PHP Gotchas

An early experiment into publicly-writable Web pages: The Wall.

Dave Bags A Spamster: Interview With a Spam-pyre

Of all the sites on the 'net, this is one of them. The LEDSign is the most unspeakably nifty thing on the planet.

I'm not sure what to say about this: The Illustrious Page of Non-Knowledge.