This blog is a place for me to share my views on a number of things that interest me. It mainly focuses topics such as integrating technology into our daily lives, changing existing technology to better suit a given problem, my software quality philosophy, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and my own thoughts on living a positive personal life.

Who Am I?¶

My name is Jack De Winter and I have been developing software since 1991. In 2011, I shifted my professional focus from being a Software Development Engineer to a Software Development Engineer In Test. In my profession, I work with teams to help them see a realistic picture of the quality of their software. Once that picture is established, I work with them to measure that quality for each project, and then improve the quality in a clear and measurable manner.

I was informally diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome in 1995 and formally diagnosed with mild Asperger’s Syndrome in early 2013, with my son being diagnosed when he was 6. As both me and my son have ASD, I am a strong proponent for people to advocate for friends, family, and colleagues with ASD. I mentor with SAP’s Autism at Work program, and encourage people with ASD and related neurodiversities to advocate for themselves.

In my personal time, on weekends in the spring and fall you will often find me coaching and running an archery range for scouts (BSA) at Camp Edwards and Camp Piggott in Monroe, WA. I enjoy volunteering at opportunities that arise to help out organizations that advocate for neurodiverse people, especially those on the ASD spectrum.

Why name it Jack’s Digital Workbench?¶

I started to write a 2-3 line description of why I chose this name. As I started writing it, I realized to do the topic justice, it would have to be an article on it’s own. Hence: The Inspiration For Jack’s Digital Workbench.