Who are they?
Liqwid Networks no longer exists. It was a tiny firm, headquartered in Arlington, VA, making software for "Real-Time Enterprise Computing and Communications (RTEC2) technology".
What did I do, when, where?
I worked there from June through August 2004, and January through March 2005, on a project they were doing for Anteon, a small government contracting firm that also no longer exists. (They are now part of General Dynamics.) Initially this was through KSI Staffing (who, as you may have guessed, also no longer exists), but later directly.
The work involved LiqwidWAM, which was essentially an SMS group messaging system, whereby users could sign up, create groups, join and leave groups, and send messages to groups. (Like Yahoo Groups, except nowhere near so feature-rich, you sign up with a mobile phone number instead of an email address, and so far all messages had to be entered via the web.) It was being funded and rebranded by Anteon as SIRIXS (Secure Infrastructure for Rapid Information eXchange Solution), for use by first-responders. You might have even spotted the branded SUV at their Springfield, VA office.
My main task in 2004 was to implement features and fix bugs, mostly onsite at Anteon (in Springfield, VA). For instance, I added, among many other features:
- Configuring various things in the UI (site name, logo, etc.)
- Sending email to individual users, not just groups
- Uploading a file of new users (as an admin)
- Forwarding a message, to users or groups
- Optional automatic deletion of forwarded messages
- Automatic emails to admin and new user when a new user signs up
- Monitoring users' WAM email addresses for messages to forward, using IMAP
- Generating more reports
- More intuitive screen-flow
- Assorted security restrictions
- Assorted robustness
I also roadmapped (detailed and prioritized) future feature additions; refactored code for clarity, robustness, and efficiency; updated the documentation; and provided support to our primary beta client (New York Cares). In 2005, I also hosted the server at my own house, and did some liaising with ISGroup, a company attempting to integrate LiqwidWAM with their collaboration platform. (They also seem not to exist any more.)
What did they say?
What did I use?
Technologies, techniques, tools, etc. I used there included:
- Python
- mod_python to make Apache serve up a Python-based web application
- OpenLDAP / slapd LDAP server software
- IMAP