Donald Firesmith

I write paranormal, fantasy, and science fiction books

I provide independent training and consulting is system and software engineering concentrating in the areas of requirements engineering, system/software architecture engineering, object-oriented design, testing, resilience, safety, and process engineering.

I helped the US Department of Defense acquire large complex software-intensive cybersystems.

I provide short-term, high-impact consulting in development processes including: - Producing and using an organization process framework based on the OPEN Process Framework. - Producing and using an endeavor-specific process framework using the OPEN Process Framework. - Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) of ongoing projects and process development efforts. I provide training in the OPEN Process Framework and all associated aspects of systems development. Working with Brian Henderson-Sellers of the OPEN Consortium, I updated and extended the OPEN Process Framework, especially in the areas of metamodel, work products, producers, and web development. I architected, designed, implemented, and tested the initial version of this website.

I contributed to Cambridge’s company-specific process framework, the Integrated Solutions Framework. I led the technology effort to produce a set of reusable reference architectures for Web-based applications.

I was the lead technical architect on a major e-Commerce Web application for a dot.com startup. This high-security, highly-scalable website with continuous operational availability allows customers to buy from merchants without letting the merchants have access to the customer private information such as credit card numbers. I helped several projects get started properly by taking part in initial client meetings, leading their initial requirements engineering efforts, evaluating architectures, and mentoring and advising the project architects. As chief methodologist, I was responsible for providing technology input to the corporate delivery process framework during which I developed numerous process standards, procedures, templates, and checklists as well as a large initial internal website for it. I provided company internal consulting and training in requirements engineering, systems and software architecting, design, testing, and modern project management.

I was chief OO technologist (the top technical position) on a multiyear 50+ person project to produce a distributed, embedded application to control large robotic tape libraries. The application was written in server-side Java (EJB with RMI) and persisted data in the Versant object database. As technical leader, I fought numerous fires at various times during the project by leading several teams including the software requirements engineering team, the architecture team, the process team, the project estimation team, the quality assurance team, and three software package development teams. I led a top-level team that evaluated a project in trouble and made recommendations to bring the project back on schedule.

I solicited authors and computer book proposals. I administered the technical review process I aided the Editorial Director. I performed technical reviewing and editing tasks.

I reviewed book proposals. I performed technical reviewing and editing tasks.

I provided top-level consulting, training, and mentoring in project management, requirements engineering, application architecting, and object-oriented development methods. I helped companies estimate the size and duration of future applications. I authored books and technical articles. I spoke at international technology conferences.

I provided training in object-oriented requirements analysis, design, and testing. I provided project-level mentoring and consulting.

Studied Point Set Topology and Statistics

Primarily studied mathematics, physics, and German. Spent a year abroad at Ludwig Maximillian Universitaet in Munich.

Studied mathematics.