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I'm Rohit Nair, a tech geek who enjoys tinkering with software development, graphics design and computers in general. I'm interested in just about everything to do with computers, from programming to networking to UI/UX design. Although I spend a significant amount of time using Photoshop and Illustrator, I'd rather design an elegant software solution than a beautiful website or wallpaper.

Apart from tech, my hobbies include weightlifting, table tennis and playing the drums. For the last, I have to thank my friend for starting a music academy and giving me a chance to discover my hidden musical talents.

If you happen to live in Dubai, you should go get some fantastic music lessons at My Music Head.

I tend to focus on web technologies, and while I started out doing PHP development, I've been working with Ruby on Rails for the last 5 years. Cleanness and simplicity are my main priorities when I'm coding, which is why I found myself drawn to Ruby, and while I may not agree with all the design decisions in Rails, it's an excellent fit for most of the web applications I work on.

I've also done minor projects and hobbyist stuff in NodeJS, Clojure, Haskell and Erlang. My approach to web development tends to be more pragmatic than ideological, and in the end, the best language is the one that gets the job done with the least hassle.

You can find some of my projects on Github. I also offer free introductory classes for web development and programming over Skype. Please check out the tutoring section to learn more.

My interests have shifted from design towards development over the years, but I still play around in Photoshop and Illustrator from time to time. Here are a few of my recent creations.

My main hobby/obsession is table tennis. When I'm not at the computer, I'm almost always at my local table tennis club practicing hard at becoming a two-wing looper. Eventually, I hope to reach a point where I'm skillful enough that posting a video of my play online won't embarass me.

I have a tendency to convert my obsessions into a coding project. When I was teaching myself the basics of HTML5 video, I created a simple "service anticipation" game for table tennis and tennis. I'm also working on an implementation of the Elo rating system along with an easy to use interface that will make it easier to track table tennis tournaments.

Before I started focusing exclusively on table tennis, my fitness regime was focused around weight training. I tended to structure my workout around the three big lifts, and my maxes are a 105kg bench, 160kg squat and 200kg deadlift. I spent a lot of time participating in fitness communities/forums during this time, and created a couple of simple web apps to try and help answer the most frequently asked questions.

Program Picker

The Program Picker was designed to simplify the process of choosing an appropriate exercise routine. Via a series of questions, it directs you to the most appropriate exercise program for your goal and experience level.

Lift Fixer

The Lift Fixer aims to provide solutions to the most common problems encountered while attempting to perform barbell exercises.

Tempo

Tempo is a simple timer app meant to be used in timing any activity that alternates active and rest periods. Although it was originally made to time exercise intervals, users have found it to be great at improving productivity during other activities as well.

Due to an extremely busy schedule, I am not offering free tutoring at present.

The only thing I enjoy more than gathering knowledge is spreading it. I've dabbled in many sub-fields of the leviathan known as "IT", and while I am particularly experienced with the items pictured above, I can teach the basics of many other topics (such as C, C++, Java, networking, etc). I may not make you a programming guru, but I can definitely get you to the point where you can Google anything you need, and comfortably understand the tutorials.

Requirements

  • You must have Skype, a microphone and a decent connection: I rely on voice chat and screen sharing for my teaching, so this is a necessity. Time zones may be an issue ( I live in the Middle East ), but I've taught over 40 people in the US so far, ranging from coast to coast, and it hasn't been an issue.
  • You must have decent English skills: I'm not asking for a BA in English Literature, but teaching, especially when it's computer related, will be much easier if we can understand each other easily.
  • You need to be motivated enough to practice a little on your own: The process of learning will be a lot smoother if, for every hour that I teach you, you spend an hour practicing on your own, just messing around with stuff. Note that I'll still teach you even if you don't practice, it's just that you'll learn faster if you do.
  • You have to want to learn: I have added 200+ "students" to my contact list, many of whom have never even bothered messaging me after the initial add (some never even confirmed the add request). Some people have given me reasons for why they're busy at the moment and wish to delay classes, and I'm perfectly okay with that, but please don't just add me on a whim. Good design and programming takes mental effort, and the least you can do in exchange for free classes is to be committed to learning.

If you're interested, and you feel you satisfy the requirements, just email me at admin@rohitnair.net. Include your Skype ID and a rough idea of what you want to learn.