About

Hello, I’m Richard Hibbitts.  I’m a software developer and technology consultant who lives in Cary, NC.  I work for McClatchy Interactive, the digital/web arm of McClatchy newspapers, where I’m responsible for developing and maintaining the digital publishing system for The Raleigh News & Observer, the Charlotte Observer, the Miami Herald, the Kansas City Star, as well as numerous other publications (disclaimer).  Some of the projects that I work on are:

  • Maintaining & developing the web based search functions, using Apache Solr.
  • Integrating the publishing system with national wire feeds such as the Associated Press WebFeed system.
  • Building and maintaining various “services” in a Service Oriented Architecture, using Ruby, Rails, Python, and Object Oriented Perl.
  • Designing database schemas, and optimizing existing database operations for a highly available, fault tolerant MySQL cluster.

As lead developer for S&A Cherokee, a PR & Marketing firm, I built software and websites for:

In addition, I occasionally take on freelance projects that allow me to learn new technologies, challenge myself and improve my community.  As a freelance developer, I’ve built software or web based applications for:

My main focus is on database design and web based business tools, but I also have experience with web design, website & email hosting, integration services, 3D modelling, rendering and CAD.
I have a B.S. Degree in Applied Physics and an M.S. in Engineering Management, as well as being a graduate of the US Marine Corps Advanced Infantry Leadership Course. Some of my past projects have included:

  • Project management for the Defense Advanced Research Agency (DARPA, one of the agencies responsible for the internet),
  • Design and testing of Autonomous Vehicles for the US Army,
  • Production Planning software design for medical device manufacturers (Coming soon as a commercially available product!),
  • Project Management software design for a forensic investigations firm,
  • Customer Relationship Management software design for a regional Tutoring service.

Having spent a large part of my career as a Mechanical Engineer, I know that most small businesses don’t have the resources or the expertise to take full advantage of the opportunities that the internet has brought to the modern business world. Large enterprises with large IT departments have long been able to take advantage of increased exposure to the global marketplace through the power of Internet Marketing. They have decreased their costs and increased their profits through collaborative Project Management tools, e-commerce solutions, web based sales & marketing, ERP / MRP and Customer Relationship Management systems. Everyone can have access to these tools, and TechnoPoetic is my attempt to get these technologies into the hands of as many entrepreneurs and small business owners as possible.

You can Contact Me using the form on this site, or email me at [mailto]rhibbitts@technopoetic.com[/mailto].

This is my own private site, and nothing I say or post to this site reflects the views or policies of my employer.