About

Karl A. Krogmann - Aging Uber Nerd

Karl A. Krogmann - Aging Uber Nerd

Karl A. Krogmann is a highly experienced PC Systems Specialist, network security expert, and web application developer. He lives and works in the Lake Geneva, WI area.

For those of you actually wonder about such things, this website was created entirely with open source tools. The server platform, hosted by HostGator, is CentOS, an enterprise-class Linux distribution derived from sources freely provided to the public. The web server is, of course, Apache. Apache “httpd” has been the most popular web server on the Internet since April 1996, and celebrated its 15th birthday as a project this February. Database management is provided by MySQL, the world’s most popular open source database management system. Server-side scripting is performed by PHP. PHP is a widely-used general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for Web development. Ever wondered how popular PHP is? See the Netcraft Survey. The application platform is WordPress. WordPress is a state-of-the-art publishing platform with a focus on aesthetics, web standards, and usability.

Development and editing tools used to design this site include Quanta Plus, a highly stable and feature rich web development environment, used primarily for working with HTML and XML files. Image editing was done on the Gimp. GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. PHP scripting was done with ActiveState’s Komodo Edit. Komodo Edit is a free and open source editor for dynamic languages based on the award-winning Komodo IDE. File transfers are handled by FileZilla. The development workstation is powered by Ubuntu 10.04. Super-fast and great-looking, Ubuntu is a secure, intuitive operating system that powers desktops, servers, netbooks and laptops. Ubuntu is, and always will be, absolutely free.

Some recent projects include:

Some ongoing projects include:

SohoThemes – Custom build and development site for whatever commercial project I happen to be working on at the time.

SohoThemes currently hosts the rebuild of 3S USA’s home page and Joomla portal system.

DarkTangos – The new novel from Lewis Shiner

Dark Tangos is a celebration of the upcoming publication of the latest novel by acclaimed novelist, Lewis Shiner.

Shiner is the author of the award-winning novel Glimpses, now in trade paperback from Subterranean Press. Available in the same series of Definitive Editions are his novels Black & White, Deserted Cities of the Heart Frontera, Say Goodbye, and Slam. Subterranean has also published his career-spanning short fiction volume, Collected Stories. Coming on August 31 of this year is the long-awaited political thriller, Dark Tangos.

Publisher’s Weekly says…

The versatile Shiner (Black & White, Glimpses) plunges into the dark recent history of Argentina in this thriller that tells a gentle love story against a backdrop of sheer terror.

Rob Cavenaugh, an American computer programmer, has sought solace in Buenos Aires after the breakup of his marriage.  While tangoing one night in a dance club, Rob meets Elena, a beautiful but troubled woman who’s been followed for the past several weeks by a tall, gaunt man who stays in the shadows. Under pressure from Rob, Elena finally reveals that the stranger may be a hit man sent by her stepfather, whom she recently discovered was a leading figure in the murder of thousands of political dissenters in the mid-1970s. Finding himself now a target, Rob must scramble not only to protect Elena but to elude danger himself. Shiner gracefully and efficiently tells his moving tale within a tight frame. Along the way are short tutorials on tango, Argentine history, and torture techniques.

Pre-order now from Amazon.com or order directly from Subterranean Press.

Some things you may be interested in: