Blog
Biography
Brian has been developing web sites and web applications since 1995 when he founded his consulting company, New Auburn Personal Computer Services, LLC. Brian specializes in small business web sites, web applications, Ruby on Rails training, and accessibility for the visually-impaired. His clients were one of the first to deploy Rails applications in a Microsoft Windows environment.
When he’s not busy on the computer, he enjoys watching The Simpsons, playing piano and guitar, and spending time with his wife and daughters.
Interests
Music, technology, accessibility, interface design, teaching, and learning.
Featured Items
Portfolios
My Web Projects
I’ve been working with the web since 1995 and have developed web sites and applications for many clients. These represent a small sample of the work I’ve done.
My Photographs
I’ve always had an interest in photography, and while I am not a professional photographer, I have taken pictures for use on web sites and in publications. Here are some images which I feel represent my best work.
Adobe Illustrator Camera Modeling
Work from a college design course where I made a rendering of a Kodak digital camera using Photoshop and Illustrator. This portfolio shows the stages of development and the final outcomes of the project.
My Open-Source Projects
Giving back to the community is something I feel that every developer should try to do. These are my open source projects.
Skills
Each 
represents a portfolio item where the skill is used.
- Over 16 years of HTML
- Over 17 years of Photoshop
- Over 6 years of Ruby on Rails
- Over 6 years of Ruby
- Over 2 years of Cucumber
- Over 9 years of Training and Mentoring
- Over 2 years of SASS
- Almost 2 years of jQuery
- About 2 years of Sinatra
- Over 2 years of HAML
- About 3 years of RSpec
- Over 5 years of Test-driven development
- Over 9 years of Project management
- Over 7 years of Public speaking
- Over 11 years of Microsoft SQL Server 2000
- Over 7 years of MySQL
- Over 3 years of Docbook
- About 12 years of Illustrator
- Over 9 years of CSS
- Over 11 years of ASP
- Over 8 years of PHP
- About 5 years of Technical writing
- About 1 year of Development editing
Professional Experience
Owner - New Auburn Personal Computer Services LLC (1995 to Present)
I operate a consulting business that develops web sites and web applications for small businesses. I also offer remote mentoring and on-site training services to developers looking to expand their knowledge of Ruby, HTML5, CSS3, and jQuery.
Development Editor - Pragmatic Programmers (2010 to Present)
I work with authors to guide their books through the development process, from concept to publication. I provide feedback and guidance on content, and ensure that books adhere to house style. I also keep the books on schedule by keeping the authors on track.
Author - Pragmatic Programmers (2008 to 2010)
Author of two books for Pragmatic Programmers
Application Developer - University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (2003 to Present)
Developed, deployed and maintained web applications used by thousands of unique users- Managed and mentored student developers as they brought projects from conception to implementation
- Developed a system to alert faculty, staff, and students of campus emergencies via SMS, RSS, Email, IP phones, and PC-based messaging.
- Developed web-based interfaces to grade submission and grade checking.
Instructor - SkillBuilders (2010 to 2010)
I developed and taught a training course on Ruby, Rails, Sinatra, jQuery, and Cucumber for a client of Skillbuilders, a Rhode Island-based technology training company. This four day course took students through buidling basic Ruby scripts to developing a Ruby on Rails web application with Cucumber and RSpec tests and a Sinatra app that used jQuery for AJAX features. Students learned accessibility concepts, BDD techniques, and the basics of developing with the Ruby programming language.
Technical Lead / Consultant - DecisionHelp, LLC (2006 to 2008)
I lead the development of http://www.mydecisionhelper.com/, working closely with the company’s founder to build a powerful decision engine that could be used by businesses and individuals. My duties included- Ruby on Rails mentoring, training, and coding
- Deployment
- Assistance with design implementation
Developer - Consultant - SocialBrokerage.com (2009 to 2010)
I assisted with the development of socialbrokerage.com, a web site to help user groups find venues for meetings. I built a testing harness with RSpec and Cucumber, set up development and production servers, and wrote backend code to create and manage events, organizers, organizations, and venues.
Education
Degrees
- BBA - University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI (2001)
Professional Contributions
Presentations Given
- "HTML5 and CSS3 Today" - Twin Cities Code Camp 8 (2010-04-10)
- Presented by Brian Patrick Hogan
- "Testing in Plain English With Cucumber" - Chippewa Valley Code Camp 2009 (2009-11-11)
- Presented by Brian Patrick Hogan
- "Rails and Legacy Databases" - RailsConf 2009 (2009-05-06)
- Presented by Brian Hogan
- "Learning To Walk in Shoes" - Twin Cities Code Camp VI (2009-04-04)
- Presented by Brian Hogan
- "Becoming a Documentation Ninja" - Twin Cities Code Camp 5 (2008-10-11)
- Presented by Brian Hogan and Chris Johnson
- "Design for Developers" - RailsConf 2008 (2008-05-29)
- Presented by Brian Hogan
- "Introduction to Rails" - Chippewa Valley .Net Users Group (2007-10-25)
- Presented by Brian Hogan and Chris Johnson
- "Deploying on Windows - It's Actually Possible" - RailsConf 2007 (2007-05-19)
- Presented by Brian Hogan
- "Getting On Board Ruby On Rails" - HighEdWebDev 2006 (2006-10-25)
- Presented by Lillian Hillis and Brian Hogan
Publications
Books
- Web Development Recipes - Brian P. Hogan, Chris Warren, Mike Weber, Chris Johnson, and Aaron Godin
- Pragmatic Bookshelf (August 2011)
- HTML5 and CSS3: Develop With Tomorrow's Standards Today - Brian P. Hogan
- Pragmatic Programmers LLC (December 2010)
- Web Design For Developers - Brian P. Hogan
- Pragmatic Bookshelf (December 2009)
- Deploying Rails Applications - Ezra Zygmuntowicz, Bruce Tate, and Clinton Begin, with Geoffrey Grosenbach, and Brian Hogan
- Pragmatic Programmers LLC ( 2008)
- Rails for Windows - Curtis Hibbs and Brian Hogan
- O'Reilly and Associates ( 2007)
Articles
- "Better CSS with Sass" - Brian Hogan
- Pragpub Volume 1 Issue 8 - Pragmatic Programmers LLC (2010)
- "HTML5: Accessibility For All" - Brian Patrick Hogan
- Pragpub Magazine Volume 1 Issue 10 - Pragmatic Programmers LLC (2010)
Awards and Honors
- Best Presentation - Technical Track - "Getting On Board Ruby on Rails" - HighEdWebDev 2006 (2006)