Neale Douglas Morison

Neale Douglas Morison

Curriculum Vitae 2016

Contents

Overview

Neale Morison is a writer of words and code.

Neale Morison's recent roles have combined technical writing and development with analysis, design, project management and general management tasks. His experience includes over fifteen years in software development, IT writing, technical writing and journalism, and Internet development. Hardware experience includes electronics research and development environments and Web server, network and PC administration and support.

As a communicator, in the role of editor, journalist or web content developer, Neale is able to deliver in a large range of styles to meet the specific needs of his audience. His output includes technical books, manuals, news, features, reviews, and public relations.

In 2008 Nature Journal published two of his stories. In 2012 Neale delivered a paper at the Society for Technical Communication Summit in Chicago. Since 2010 Neale has been Documentation Manager of the ASKAP Project, a radio telescope being designed and constructed by the CSIRO. In August 2007 to June 2008 he spent a year in Cambridge, Massachusetts, writing and attending courses at MIT and Harvard.

As a developer Neale has a command of many languages and systems. His experience includes design, debugging and documentation of hardware and software. He seeks challenging roles that draw on his communication, development and management skills.

Contact Details

Skills and Background

Recent Roles

Industries

Technical Writing

G2 Microsystems, Cisco WNBU Sydney, Cisco APIDC, Bullant, Hard Copy, Quoin, Odyssey Development, Fairlight,  and many others. Technical and user manuals, specifications, procedures, for programmers, users, administrators, using a variety of desktop publishing tools

Writing

Nature Journal Futures section, 2 pieces 2008, The End column for The Australian Industry Standard, May 2000 - December 2000 - Winner of Australian Business Publishers (ABP) Award for best opinion column, 2000

Discover Windows 95, Webster Publishing, 1995, ISBN: 1-86398-175-6

News, features and reviews in The Australian Industry Standard, PC World, PC Buyer, APC, PC Week, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and others.

Marketing press releases, technical product releases, brochures. See also Technical Writing, above.

Software Development

Languages and development platforms

Microsoft Access, Microsoft Visual Basic, Microsoft Excel, Perl (preference for object oriented Perl), Python, PHP, SQL (Mysql, SQL Server, Oracle), Java, JavaScript, C, C++, HTML, XML XSL FO, ColdFusion, various microprocessor assemblers, Vignette, Matlab, Lisp-derived languages, JavaDoc, Doxygen.

Areas of development

Automated documentation producing PDF, HTML and other formats, Web design, Web database publishing, Web content management, Windows and SQL database design, desktop publishing

Operating Systems and Environments

Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows, DOS, Unix (Linux, Solaris), WWW CGI and Java

Web servers and related technology

Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS), Apache, Lotus Domino, ColdFusion Enterprise Server

Applications

  • Microsoft: Office, including Visual Basic and macro programming

  • Graphics: Adobe Photoshop, PaintShop Pro, Adobe Illustrator, Visio, Gimp, GnuPlot

  • Desktop Publishing: MS Publisher, Ventura, QuarkXPress, Adobe PageMaker, Adobe FrameMaker, InDesign, LaTeX

  • Documentation: Robohelp, Doxygen, Javadoc

  • Version Control: CVS, Subversion and others

  • Development Environments: Eclipse IDE, other IDEs, Xilinx ISE

Academic Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Science (Applied Mathematics): University of New South Wales

  • Associate Diploma of Jazz Studies: NSW Conservatorium of Music

Training

  • 1985: Scriptwriting Certificate, Australian Film and Television School

  • 1986: C and Pascal, University of NSW 

  • 1993: C++, Microsoft Institute

  • 1997: Java, Sydney University Continuing Education

  • Numerous courses in proprietary systems, e.g. Lotus Notes, TeamCenter

  • 2011: Online computer science courses:

    • Stanford: AI;

  • 2012: Online Computer Science courses:

    • Udacity: CS101 - Introduction to Computer Science,

    • Udacity: CS373 - Programming a Robotic Car (Artificial Intelligence),

  • 2013: Online Computer Science courses:

    • Udacity: CS344 - Parallel Programming

    • Udacity: CS212 - Design of Computer Programs

Employment History

Documentation and Applications Expert, Zentri

Since August 2014

Zentri develops IoT software and hardware. Zentri has been acquired by Silicon Labs

Documentation Manager, CSIRO ASKAP Project

March 2010 to June 2014

ASKAP (the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder), is a radio telescope under construction by CSIRO at the MRO (Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory) in Western Australia. As well as writing and editing project documentation, the role includes supervising all aspects of documentation, providing procedures and systems for managing documentation aspects such as version control, style, review and approval, building systems to provide access to documents, including intranet web pages and databases, and developing automated documentation.

Languages and standards: C, XML, Perl, Python (including CGI applications), Javascript (including AJAX, JSON, jQuery), SQL with ORM, HTML5, SVG

Technical Writer, G2 Microsystems

August 2008 to September 2009

G2 developed low power Wi-Fi chips. Responsible for user documentation and some internal documentation. Produced datasheets, user guides, example applications. Since aquired by Broadcom.

Freelance Writer, Musician, Student

August 2007 to June 2008

MIT and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Senior Programmer, Analytical Models

March 2007 to August 2007

Developed optimisation engine for cellular phone provider CRM system in Perl.

Manager, Testing and Release Group, VaST Systems Technology

August 2005 to March 2007

Managed software testing and release group. 3-4 reports. Handled management, procedure documentation and automation of testing and release systems, some responsibility for IT.
Developed intranet, testing and utility applications in PHP, Perl, Python and MySQL.

Technical Writer, Solutions Developer, VaST Systems Technology

June 2004 to July 2005

VaST Systems Technology creates solutions for modeling and simulation in embedded systems design. Responsibilities included managing technical documentation, writing and editing of hundreds of documents including tutorials, user guides, technical references, application notes and design specifications, and providing documentation automation.

Projects included:

  • Processing, graphical and tabular presentation of software simulation results

  • XSL Transformation to produce reports on simulation structures  and models

  • XML/XSLT Document Management System

  • SQL reports

  • Producing CHM Html Help files from Word documents Visual Basic, Perl

  • Automated source documentation with Doxygen, with XSLT and Perl processing.

Technical Writer, Applications Developer, Cisco WNBU Sydney

June 2002 to February 2004

Cisco WNBU (Wireless Networking Business Unit) developed ICs and apps. I worked with hardware and software engineers, writing and automating documentation. Projects included processing and presentation of software simulation results - graphs and tables, automatic PDF and HTML documentation, redesign of the intranet to prepare for ISO auditing, test boards database - A Perl/CGI intranet application, Python unit testing a testboard GUI.

Languages, platforms, applications and technologies: HTML, JavaScript, Perl, Python, CGI, XML, XSLT, XSL:FO, FOP, PDF, Windows/Apache/Mysql, Linux/Apache/Mysql, Solaris/Oracle, Perl, Oracle, Ocean, Matlab, CVS, Adobe FrameMaker, gnuplot.

Senior Technical Writer, Bullant

May 2001 to November 2001

Documentation, development of automated electronic documentation systems and sample applications. JavaDoc, Perl, XML/XSLT, Javascript

IT Manager, Project Manager, Intermedia.com Pty Ltd

April 2000 to February 2001
Web development, project management, IT management. Planning strategy, managing development and building hundreds of supplier websites. Six direct reports.

Web Communications Manager, Fujitsu Australia Limited

March 1999 to April 2000
Development, production and management role in the marketing department, involving management of Fujitsu Australia Web site at www.fujitsu.com.au and intranet.

Editor in Chief, Electronic Publishing, IDG Communications

November 1996 to December 1998
Build and manage IDG Communications' award winning (APB 1998) web presence providing  online services for magazines including ComputerWorld, PC World, ARN, PC Buyer, IT Marketer, CIO and online services such as IT directory, email newsletters, PR  publishing.

Editor, PC World, IDG Communications

May 1996 to November 1996
Manage editorial budget, hire staff, oversee content, design covers with graphic artists, liaise with display advertising sales staff, report to publisher. Two direct reports plus contributors.

Technical writing, journalism and editing roles, freelance, contract and permanent

Quoin, Hard Copy, PC Week, APC, PC World, Sydney Morning Herald, Age, Computer Magazine Group, IDG Communications, Cisco and others: 1987 – 2004

Fairlight Instruments

1982 to 1986

Fairlight was an electronics research and development company. Products included the CMI digital synthesiser and CVI video effects unit. Debugging of PCBs, lab work, technical writing. Worked in testing and development labs, documentation manager, one report.

Neale Morison CVneale@nealemorison.com