The Gray Geek

I learned to fly at Aviation Services, and became friends with the owner and his family, and eventually began looking after all their IT infrastructure. They already had a website started by another programmer who had left town. He had started it using a package called Tiki-Wiki(see technology section). When he left, I took over the website and learned how Tiki-Wiki worked. There is a little programming here, but mostly this site just involves configuring Tiki-Wiki and helping to create the content.

When I saw and learned about Tiki-Wiki, it was clear that Aviation Services needed very little of what the package had to offer. But the tool would be ideal for getting a multi-feature site up for another client, the Highland City Club's member site.

This site is almost completely done in Tiki-Wiki, which is an open source PHP based framework for building web sites. Tiki-Wiki uses a substantial backend database (using ADODB abstraction layer) that houses virtually all the content. On the administrative screens one designates what sorts of content widgets should be on the screen -- for example, forums, faqs, blogs, wiki-pages, etc.

The Aviation Services site has had a few modifications to straight Tiki-Wiki, including access to a separate database housing data about planes for rent and fuel prices. Otherwise this site is pure Tiki-Wiki.

This site was privately hosted on a linux based server located on the premises of the business. I maintained the server as well as the web site and all the other services it offers.

The main part of the graphic design was done by a designer who was a friend of the owners father. It was incorporated into Tiki-Wiki by the previous programmer. I added the Airshare logo, and changed some of the visual elements to links, but had no hand in the art.

Aviation Services had a public website which you can still visit here. No login is required, though the site offers registration.

Robert Gavlas (303)444-2041 or robert@boulderfbo.com