Alex Popescu
Who is Alex Popescu?
I am a software engineer/architect/code hacker and co-founder of InfoQ. I’m also running the myNoSQL blog which is focusing on all things NoSQL.
Why NoSQL?
There are many different ways to look at this question, but probably the best I can come up with is that NoSQL gives us an alternative and makes us think again about data modeling and storage.
A more “scientific” explanation for NoSQL would be that it offers a way to address the exponential growth of digital data, its connectedness and our need to separate the signal from the noise in this pile of data.
MySQL vs NoSQL?
There’s no such thing. The whole idea is to have more options around us so we can create better products. Or as per the old saying: use the right tool for the right job.
What does your typical day look like?
Most of the time I’m starting pretty early on with an email session, followed by calls with my dev team colleagues. Once these are done, I normally switch between the many hats I’m wearing while working for InfoQ.com (product management, platform and infrastructure development, support for other departments, etc.).
What do you do in your free time?
Since I’ve started contributing to open source projects years ago and also maintaining the myNoSQL blog, the definition of free time has kind of disappeared. But having in mind that both open source hacking and NoSQL are fun, I’m thinking of them as my free time.
Current favorite apps?
I don’t think I can name only one. I have an environment with lots of apps that are mostly doing one thing well. One that I’ve started to really enjoy later is BetterTouchTool, a MacOS utility that allows you to customize both the trackpad and the Magic mouse.
What OS do you prefer?
I’ve been using a Mac for more than 5 years now, so I’d say Mac OS.
Small picture for your Workplace?
Favorite: Color, Font, Language, JS Framework?
Language: I’ve been working or experimenting with quite a few languages. These days I use Java and Python quite a lot and I’m looking for a chance to introduce Clojure in my projects.
Font: I haven’t figured that out yet, but I’m constantly looking for more. For example I like the Droid fonts for coding, Reanie Beannie for writing emails, Monaco for quickly reading code.
JS Framework: I’ve tried to spend more time with JS, but for now I’d say jQuery is the tool that helps me get things done.
Name something that has inspired you recently?
In the tech field, there are tons of things to get inspiration from. Take for example the whole NoSQL space. And then there is Twitter were you can continuously find information and inspiration.
What are your personnel projects and goals for 2010?
My goal for this year and not only is to make sure InfoQ.com becomes the number 1 site for software architects and dev leads. I’d also like to see myNoSQL establishing itself as the main source of good quality NoSQL related content.
