Author: Tiara Rea

Lunarpages staffs around 130 employees currently, and each of them have unique jobs to do that make Lunarpages #1 and keep it high in the ranks. Unfortunately, our customers do not always have the honor of chatting with some of the behind-the-scenes employees. Our interviewee from last month, Andrew, is a good example, although he does take sales calls, so many of you may have had the pleasure.

This month, we’re tackling one of the most elusive Lunarpages employees known to man: a developer. Yes, developers are a rare but impressive breed at Lunarpages – they do everything from updates to our Billing and Affiliate systems to implementing major coding changes sitewide that you guys may not even notice. Some of these changes may be as big as major reformatting of order pages or as small as fixing a link, but the developers handle all kinds of issues that may arise.

So let’s get to it – without further ado, a chat with Kaanon MacFarlane!

THE Kaanon.

Thanks for taking some time out of your busy schedule. Seriously, I know we all bug you nonstop on a daily basis. In fact, what did I just interrupt to have you answer these questions?

A new plan that’s going to rock your socks off! Our own derivative of the super-fast — no, ROCKET fast — site builder, so users can get their site up and go.

What’s your official Lunarpages Job Title?

Development Manager

How long have you worked for LP?

Just over 2 years.

Give us an example of your day-to-day tasks: i.e. what are your daily duties?

I come in each morning, and promptly get notified about everything that’s going wrong. I then fix them myself, or assign projects to another developer. I then spend a good part of the day coding and helping my staff through the projects they are working on.

When you were little, did you have dreams of becoming a developer?

Define little. When I was little, I mostly desired to be big(tall). When I got big, I mostly desired to be little(thin). Oh, the irony! I actually did decide that I wanted to program fairly early. Freshman year of high school to be exact.

Why did you choose to work for Lunarpages and was it one of the greatest decisions ever or the greatest decision ever?

I chose to work for Lunarpages because here, I have the chance to be a part of really cool projects. The things that I work on either get used by hundreds of employees or a hundred thousand customers. I also saw that, as a computer scientist, web development was the wave of the future. Being part of a growing company where I could be part of the shape of the company really appealed to me.

Do you manage any websites hosted with Lunarpages or elsewhere?

I manage kaanon.com. It’s my blog.

If you weren’t working for LP, what do you think you’d be doing (besides lamenting the fact you don’t work for LP)?

I have no idea.

Though Kaanon told me in confidence that he’d probably be a rapper. Or a wrestler. Okay, I made that last part up.

When not doing LP’s bidding, what do you do in your free time?

I’m an avid reader and video gamer. I’ve got Halo3 on Xbox360. I will roast you. My Gamertag is Sparreaux, like the bird, or the pirate (only French, so it’s got more attitude). I also have read some great books recently. “Getting Real“, an intriguing read about how the key building great web applications is stepping out of the box, and “Don’t make me think” – an essential book on web usability. I also love my church (go2faith.com) It takes up pretty much my whole day every sunday.

What websites do you find yourself constantly surfing?

Slashdot.org; Ajaxian.com; Snook.ca; fark.com/geek; heroeswiki.com; and officetally.com.

LOL Kaanon’s a huge nerd. At LP, that’s how we roll.

What websites/applications could you not live without?

My basecamp was pretty cool until it inspired me to build my own! Seriously, this tool pretty much revolutionized my entire department. We were able to organize and prioritize what needed to be done and never have any questions about “What do I do now?” As a manager, it was an essential tool in keeping track of what everyone was doing as well as what remained to be done. If you have lots to do, and find yourself without time, use it. It’s pretty much the best thing ever.

What do you think of “Web 2.0” and what do you see for the future of the internet?

Applications Applications Applications. Most of the websites we use everyday are quite simple applications. From the blogs you read, to the email that you write. All online, all waaayyy more complex than simple HTML. Web2.0 is the layer of interactivity that has become the norm for websites. I rarely go to sites where I read articles that don’t allow comments. I don’t remember the last time I went to a pure HTML page. Web2.0 is taking us from the static to the dynamic.

Who’s your hero?

My Pastor. He actually has a doctorate in physics, but decided to go into ministry full-time. Plus he’s a super cool nerd. So yeah.

And now for some extra fun: Do you prefer…

Peanut butter or jelly?

Jelly. It’s good by itself, and doesn’t stick to the roof of your mouth.

Guitar Hero or DDR?

This isn’t even a contest. Guitar Hero!!! It’s got the Trogdar song from Homestarrunner on there. You can’t beat that.

JSP or ASP?

Neither? I’m a PHP guy.

Dr. Pepper or Mr. Pibb?

23 flavors. Dr. Pepper

Windows or Linux?

Depends. If I’m surfing the internet, downloading pictures from a digital camera or listening to music, Windows. It just works. If I’m coding, Linux.

Windows or Mac?

I’ve recently been diagnosed with Apple Envy Syndrome (AES).

Atari or Wii?

Wiiiii…. I’m not old enough to remember atari.

Pffft, you’re the same age as me. We should have an Atari Party.

Subway or Quiznos?

Panera Bread Co.

Small-known fact: Panera’s was and is still St. Louis Bread Company, founded in my hometown of St. Louis, MO. Impress your friends with this sweet knowledge.

MySpace or Facebook?

Well, I had a facebook first… But my myspace is better.

Thanks so much for the interview, Kaanon! I know everyone is going to love reading it.