About Me

My name is Steven Nikkel.

I currently work as a Software Developer for Pollard Banknote. Prior to that, I worked as a Design Engineer at Linear Systems, developing embedded systems and linux drivers for real-time digital video broadcast.
In the past I've also worked out of theTRLabs Winnipeg offices located in Smartpark.

I also volunteer for distributed.net. Mostly as a software developer, but I poke my nose into day to day operations.

I'm an active Geocacher and currently a volunteer committee member for the MBGA.

I enjoy putting technology to work for me. I love my TiVo's and my Roomba. I've got X10 controlling the lights and some of my computers and a 1-Wire network providing temperature and humidity monitoring in my apartment.

In 1999 I graduated from the department of Computer Engineering at the University of Manitoba with a bachelor's degree (BSc Computer Engineering).

In 2000 I worked for B-Com/Starfish, based in Toronto. They provide all the technical support for Reuters Information Services across Canada, with myself as the support personnel for Winnipeg.

During the summer of 1998, I worked for Agriculture Canada (AAFC Research Branch) for the Winnipeg Cereal Research Center, but physically at the Morden Research Station.

I also volunteered at the Morden International Triathalon that year, I logged all the results for the Morden races.

My Links:

Pearls of Wisdom:

When purchasing computer hardware, don't skimp!
Why? Obviously it is impossible to test everything in the PC world, a half dozen different mainstream operating systems alone, not to mention the infinite hardware configurations.
Thus it is always wise to purchase high quality components which are popular, wide spread and built by a company with a dominant market position. This not only insures a solid company to back up the warranty and continue to produce drivers and maintain support, but a large group of peer users. It also helps insure that problems are less likely to show up due to diligent testing and any additional problems will likely show up en masse and be fixed by the manufacturer.
The extra cost typically associated with selecting these products is easily justified, especially with the competitive marketplace. Products outside this criteria often have increased ownership costs. Consider the time and effort spent isolating a single problem as well as the real costs associated with resolving the problem. Also consider more frequent replacements due to failure, lack of driver support or incompatibility, and the lost oppurtunity costs of not being able to use the product in question.
Troubleshooting:
1. Get details of the problem
2. Replicate the problem
3. Isolate and characterize the root problem
4. Try a solution
5. Check if the solution solves the root problem
Printers are so much easier to deal with if they are workgroup/enterprise class lasers, support postscript and sit on the network. The toner tends be more readily available and cheaper per page, not to mention lasting forever. The units are built like tanks and are designed to work reliably. Being a network printer, the device just prints, you don't have to worry about sharing and computers crashing. Being postscript, you don't have to worry about custom drivers. PS: the HP drivers shipped with Windows are always better than the ones you can download from HP.

Pet Peeves:

"Computer Desks" which don't fit a computer or monitor at all and a corrallary for those demonstration cardboard computers displayed on the desks that aren't anywhere near actual size
"Digital Lag", you know what I'm talking about, those few milliseconds that everyone puts into digital products that make them seem to react less than instantly, like their analog counterparts seem to
Websites that are taken down and worthless banners left up for extended periods indicating website reconstruction, out dated content is better than no content, especially when you leave it for weeks or months or years...
Websites without contact information for the company or webmaster, I wanna buy your product but I can't contact you, or I am being helpful and trying to report a website problem but can't, what is the problem, contact info should be a primary content item
People claiming a RAM module was manufactured by someone when the somone they claimed only manufactured the RAM chips. The module manufacturer is the important part, the PCB makes or breaks the module.
Sunday Maintenance: I haven't figured out why half the internet disapears for sunday maintenance. Who works on sunday, let alone, why is there a need to take all or part of your internet presence offline once a week.

Random Quotes:

"It scares me to speak my mind, it might sound self-absorbed.
I don't say half of what I think, I wonder what I'm thinking for?"
- Chantal Kreivazuk

"Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious."
- Orwell 1984 p. 70

"No one in this world, as far as I know.... has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people."
- H.L.Mencken , Notes on journalism, Chicago Tribune Sept. 19, 1926

mailbox If you want something to do, drop me an email.

Last Changed: September 29, 2007

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