roland_hughes.html

Author

About the Author - Roland Hughes

Roland Hughes is the president of Logikal Solutions, a business applications consulting firm specializing in VMS platforms. Hughes serves as a lead consultant with over two decades of experience using computers and operating systems originally created by Digital Equipment Corporation (now owned by Hewlett-Packard). With a degree in Computer Information Systems, the author's experience is focused on OpenVMS systems across a variety of diverse industries including heavy equipment manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, stock exchanges, tax accounting, and hardware value-added resellers, to name a few. Working throughout these industries has strengthened the author's unique skill set and given him a broad perspective on the role and value of OpenVMS in industry. Mr. Hughes' technical skill sets include the following tools that enable him to master and improve OpenVMS applications: DEC/VAX C, DEC/VAX C++, DEC BASIC, DCL, ACMS, MQ Series, DEC COBOL, RDB, POWERHOUSE, SQL, CMS/MMS, Oracle 8i, FORTRAN, FMS, and Java, among others. Being fluent in so many technical languages enables Hughes to share his knowledge more easily with other programmers. This book series is an effort to pass along some of his insights and skills to the next generation.

An Interview With the Author

Why did you become an author?
I’ve always enjoyed solving IT problems. Writing books about problems or techniques used in IT gives me another avenue to solve problems.

What kind of impact do you hope your writing will have in general or on readers?
That OpenVMS will finally get the recognition it deserves. That somewhere, someone just starting out in IT will find the information they need to either have a rewarding career in IT, or choose a different career while there is still time.

What is your greatest challenge as a writer?
Finding topics of sufficient interest to write about. One must avoid writing about anything the major publishing houses are writing about. Those places crank out oatmeal for the masses. Sadly, there is at most, one book on IT topics published each year worth buying, yet hundreds, if not thousands, of titles are cranked out by the major publishing houses. A major publishing house would have split a book like “The Minimum You Need to Know to Be an OpenVMS Application Developer” into at least 9 books, all of which so watered down they would be useless.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing? What are your interests?
Writing is a hobby. My profession is software consulting on the OpenVMS platform. When I’m not doing either of those I enjoy being back on the family farm, restoring my house, and drilling water wells.

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