mike harris: freelance internet and technology consultant, online project manager, streaming specialist and event producer based in oxford, uk
+44 (0) 781 167 1893 / please text me for my email address / pgp key / ssh key / 101 / XHTML 1.1
portfolio: on-line : event connectivity : arts & production : rôles & positions : articles : past events : cv
24/10/09: I ran a one-day workshop on computer networks for the members of Bristol Wireless at Coexist in Bristol on Saturday 25th October.
14/11/09: I took part in a series of day schools for the Trapese Collective at the Arnolfini as part of the C Words season of events concerning climate change and the social and environ organised by PLATFORM: On the 14th November from 3 - 5 pm I ran a workshop How free software and free media are changing the future. You can download the course details here.
20/11/09: With my work at People & Planet I was responsible for technical resource facilitation at their annual Shared Planet conference, taking place at Manchester University and Manchester Metropolitan University from the 20-22 November. The conference featured workshops, debates and discussions and speakers and panelists from the world of politics and environmentalism. Around 600 people attended.
27/07/09: On the week commencing the 27th July 2009, I was to be involved in running a workshop space at the Big Green Gathering in Somerset with Bristol Wireless and Be the Media. However under intense pressure with the threat of a court injunction hanging over them, the directors of the Big Green Gathering were forced to hand the licence for the event back to Mendip District Council on Sunday 26th July: the event was therefore canceled. Many people have either lost or come close to loosing their livelihoods over what I feel was a wholly irresponsible action by an uncooperative and unsympathetic Mendip District Council.
24/07/09: It is with much sadness that I received this week the news of the death of Richard Rothwell, who was coming to the Big Green and involved in the Transition ICT project. His good friend and collegue Matthew Edmondson has set up a web site for those wishing to leave a tribute to Richard.
Here is a choice selection of some of the on-line projects that I have been involved in. Please contact me for further details or for a complete list.
Co-designer, developer, technical project manger
1999 – 2008
I started on this project as one of the co-designers and lead developers of a tiered content management system that provides an administrable back-end to manage over 800 dealership websites for BMW and MINI in the UK. Over the years I have been responsible for the day-to-day analysis and specification of new functionality and improvements to existing functionality as well as the project management of the technical side, planning of resources and liaison with third-party suppliers. The project has proved a great success and recent analysis shows that 15% of all visits to the MINI sites lead to actual sales.
Technical project manager
2006 - 2007
Based on the success of the BMW and MINI Dealer On-Line Network, I was involved in providing systems analysis and specification for a similar system for Alfa Romeo in the UK. As the project progressed I was focussed on day-to-day technical project management of the implementation and resources of both in-house and third-party developers. The network is new and still growing but proving to be an invaluable resource for customers, dealerships and head office alike.
Technical lead
2006 - 2007
I was responsible for building a team of web developers and designers and technically managing the project through regular technical design meetings to guide the overall implementation. We delivered a web portal where new mums and mums-to-be are able to share their experiences with friends, family and peers, as well as receive strategic targeted email marketing. The site currently has over 420,000 members.
Technical director
Autumn 2006
During a transitional period in this company's operations I was responsible for defining and implementing technical policy as well as auditing and streamlining the existing on-line business where I was able to make significant improvements to service whilst at the same making cost savings. I was also jointly responsible for assessing new freelance staff and their applicability to work on future projects.
Technical lead / analyst
July - August 2008
Working for Mason-Zimbler as technical analyst on this project to produce a detailed technical specification for the implementation of a new web site for Toshiba's Consumer Products division in the UK.
Technical project manager / Drupal developer
September 2008 - present
I took over jointly managing the project to roll out street level wireless access to the area of Knowle West in Bristol in September and was responsible to meeting with the various stakeholders, including Bristol City Council, Knowle West Media Centre and Knowle West Web, to establish a working model to deliver the project. In addition I also took over the customisation of a Drupal based web site that provides a portal into the Bristol Wireless network and local online content for Bristol residents living in the Knowle and St Werburghs regions.
Here is a choice selection of some of the events and projects where I have been involved in providing on-site technical infrastructure. Please contact me for more details or for a complete list.
Internet connectivity consultant
August 2007 to date
In a supporting rôle to the Imperial War Museum London, I have provided solutions for wireless internet connectivity and on-site technical support at the museum for a number of professional conferences for clients including the University of Birmingham, University of Oxford, Pitney Bowes MapInfo and the AESC.
Production and site internet infrastructure
2003 to date
Working with Psand.net and Bristol Wireless, I have been involved in providing on-site internet access via wired and wireless networks using satellite technology for public and production purposes since 2003. In 2007 I planned and implemented a large scale network that facilitating connectivity for approximately 50 production staff, as well as public wireless internet access over the main areas of the 50 acre festival site of the Big Green Gathering.
Co-founder and co-producer
May 2005
As a founder member of both Psand and Bristol Wireless, it was a pleasure to bring two projects together to collaborate at the HesFes home education festival in 2005. I coordinated the development of a twenty terminal suite of recycled computers to facilitate a cybertent that was used to run workshops about free software and the internet for educational purposes for children and parents.
Here is a choice selection of arts-based projects and events where I have worked in the capacity of planning and production. Please contact me for more details or for a complete list.
Co-concept and production
February 2008
The idea we had with D.R.O.I.D was to experiment with and experience a live link-up with avatars in the on-line 3D virtual world of Second Life. A live video stream of a top-notch line-up at the Trinity (Bristol, UK) was sent to a venue in Second Life that was specially dressed for the event. Live feeds from Second Life were then beamed back into the venue onto huge projector screens and interactive kiosks were provided for those who came to the event to experience Second Life in real life. My key rôle in the project was the production and the co-ordination and planning of the live streaming, as well as liaising with the Second Life team who were based in Barcelona.
Co-founder and producer
2004 to 2007
I was delighted to become one of the co-founders of the Barcelona wing of the global Dorkbot project. During my 3-year involvement, I was jointly responsible for the production of the bi-monthly events, took charge of the day-to-day management of the trilingual website and coordinated the video streaming during the events. Towards the end of my collaboration with Dorkbot Barcelona, I was involved in a 3-day presentation of digital projects as part of the Observatori Festival in Valencia, Spain, where I was responsible for the planning and production of the event.
Collaborator, workshops
Spring/Summer 2004
I was one of many invited to collaborate in this ambitious project that focussed on producing an event using a completely horizontal structure. My rôle in the project was to be jointly responsible for the design and implementation of the on-site network for a temporary media lab as well as coordinating a wireless link across the Gibraltar Strait, and the co-production of the technical set-up during the event.
Collaborator, workshops
April 2007
Following on from my previous work at Fadaiat, I was invited back with my colleagues from Psand to collaborate in 2007's project that took place near an abandoned Nuclear Power Station in the heart of rural Extremadura, Spain's poorest province. I was involved in helping with the co-production and technical planning for the event as well as presenting a series of workshops tacking the topic of satellite for internet access to groups of local primary school children.
The following is a list of positions that I currently hold in the projects that I am involved in.
The following is a selection of on-line articles that I have written.
Below is a complete list of events that I have worked on in in recent years, and the activities I was involved in for each. Please contact me for more details on any specific event of interest.