John Shirley considers himself a scientist interested in educating himself and others on the use of software tools to analyze and present scientific data. He has developed software and documentation while consulting for companies that include Digital Equipment Corporation, Concurrent Computer Corporation, Inset Systems, NASDAQ, and Tandem Computers. John's work has included the development of C programs to demonstrate not only the use of DCE remote procedure calls but also multithreaded programming, an application interface for the GEM graphics environment, and storing scientific data. These projects have spanned many operating systems, including OSF/1, UNIX, MS-DOS, and VMS. John earned a B.A. from Alfred University with a dual major in Mathematics and Geology, an M.S. in Geology from Miami University with a specialty in Structural Geology, and an M.S. in Computer Science from Pace University. Prior to consulting, John's career included six years in the oil industry as a geophysicist and international explorationist. His work included the analysis of seismic data from New Zealand, Australia, Turkey, Norway, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and the United States. John also worked as a software engineer developing programs for scientific instrument manufacturers. John lives in Newtown, Connecticut, where he maintains a consulting business specializing in documenting and demonstrating complex software.