FAQ

Who are you?

My name is Mitchel Haas. I've been a developer for 30 years, and specializing in web development over 15 years. I founded my company, Datasoft Solutions in 1989. From the onstart, I've specialized in PHP, Javascript, html, css.

Are you a company or individual?

Both! You could say that currently, I'm a one-man company. I've been in the web development business for over 15 years, working under the company name Datasoft Solutions. I started my development carreer as a C++ developer, but over the years transitioned to web development.

Where are you located?

I'm currently living in Lincon, Nebraska, in the United States. Nebraska lies in the middle of the US, and is considered a midwestern state. Please see my contact page for more info.

Do you perform web development freelancing work full time?

Depending on my workload, I'm either performing freelance work for various clients, and development work for local clients. The amount of freelance work I do varies thoughout the year, depending on my client's needs.

What areas / technologies of web development do you specialize in?

Being in the business so long, I can now pick up on any web technology quickly if I'm not already familiar with it. My main focus is in the following areas.

  • PHP
  • Javascript
  • HTML5
  • jQuery
  • jQueryUI
  • MySQL
  • CSS
  • Ajax
  • Bootstrap
  • PostgreSQL
  • Laravel
  • CodeIgniter
  • Smarty
  • Git, Subversion
  • MS SQL Server

The list above doesn't cover all aspects of web development that I'm familiar with. The list of web technologies is vast, so a complete list of what I'm familiar with would be long. But in general, the list above describes what I do most and do best.

Do you do Wordpress developoment?

Although I do not specialize in Wordpress development, I am familiar with the Wordpress framework, and can create or modify Wordpress plugins and themes to your needs. This is not my main focus, however.

Do you still perform C++ development

Although I started my career as a C++ developer, and have published a number of well known C++ open source libraries including Tree Container Library, and XPort.

Do you prefer to use PHP Frameworks?

Yes, PHP frameworks provide many advantages over non-framework environments. They provide all developers who work on your site, structure, standard components, security features, tools to get things done quickly, debugging tools, and common time tested libraries, so developers are not re-inventing the wheel. Plus, frameworks speed up development time, saving you money. You want to insure your site uses a framework that is well written and bug free, well known, and lightweight.

My preference in PHP frameworks is Laravel, which is currently the most popular framework of choice for php gurus for many reasons. It is one of the latest of the PHP frameworks, supporting the latest features of PHP version 5. It is very robust yet very versatile.

Another good framework that I occasionally use is CodeIgniter. It is very lightweight, and is easy to learn. It is very well known and popular amoung web developers.

Are you available now for hire?

I'm currently not available for full time work, but may have some time for occasional part time work, less than 10 hours a week. Please contact me via Upwork if you have an oDesk account, or email me directly.

Do you know when you'll be available to take on full time work.

Unfortunately, no. Work varies with my current and ongoing clients, so I do not usually know when I'll be available to take on a major project far in advance.

What is your rate?

Please contact me directly or sign into your Upwork account to view my rates.

Do you exclusively work through Upwork (previously oDesk).

Yes, currently I am only accepting projects via Upwork.