Hackdiary

My name is Matt Biddulph. Since October 2005, I’ve been an independent freelancer, open to new work. I’m currently based in London but I’m open to travel and have worked remotely for clients in a number of countries. I specialise in the design of software systems for the internet. I have a particular interest in digital media, social software and data on the web.

I’m an experienced developer in most of the languages and systems you’d expect from more than ten years of work in the industry: Ruby (and Rails), Python, Java, Perl, Unix, databases, web servers and so forth. These days I spend as much time consulting on the design and modelling of systems as I do writing code for them. I write about my personal experiments in technology here on hackdiary, and it’s always a good reflection of my interests at any given time.

Before I went freelance, I spent several years working at the Press Association and the BBC. There’s a lot more about that period in my CV.

Notable freelance projects

The Venice Project

I consulted on the data model for programmes in this new social TV platform from the founders of Skype and Kazaa.

Nature publishing group

I created a system in Second Life for importing 3D models from real-world data created by the European Molecular Biology Lab.

I also developed a number of patches to Movabletype and modules for Ruby on Rails to enhance Nature’s ability to publish over XML/RPC and Atom Publishing Protocol in their internal editorial systems.

Ruby on Rails training

Edd Dumbill and I developed a two-day Ruby on Rails quickstart training programme which we taught at the XTech 2006 conference and at the BBC.

BBC Programme Catalogue

Using Ruby on Rails, I was the developer and information architect on the first public experimental prototype of the BBC Programme Catalogue. The site exposes the database of the BBC’s enormous archive to the internet via a search engine and web APIs.

Thinglink

Consulting on the technical architecture and implications of Thinglink, the free product code for creative work.

Mobbu

In just 5 days, built a prototype of a mobile application for local government in Ruby on Rails.