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I previously hinted at the fact that I am involved in a side project of sorts. As I finish up today, I thought I would spill the beans.

I was recently engaged by a software development company to act as an expert witness in a lawsuit they are involved in. Now, I’ve never done anything like this before, but I do have a grip of experience in software development and software development methodologies. I also happen to be good friends with a developer at that company and he recommended me for the gig.

To be honest, although I was interested from the jump, I was also a bit hesitant. Having no experience in it, I also had no idea what would be required from me. Nevertheless, I met with the CTO of the company and he explained the finer points of the case. While I won’t go into the specifics of the case, the claims brought by the other party were ridiculous. I figured it would be fairly easy to make this case. So, I accepted the job.

Basically, the work involves going through source code, writing a report to address the technical claims of the lawsuit, and making myself available for deposition and/or testimony.

Now, like I said, I know one of the original authors of the code. We consult each other on technical matters on a weekly basis – sometimes more often. Sometimes simple things – would you do A or B in this case – sometimes more complex – what are the merits of a certain framework – things like that. Even on a good team, it helps to have a bit of an outsider’s perspective. This also helped me to jump into the code and get a fair understanding of it in no time.

So now, three weeks later, I have put the report to bed. Barring any last minute changes requested by council, I get to sit back. Its a nice addition to the corporate bio, right next to the patent and the awards. It does have me thinking though. I wouldn’t mind doing this again. I guess its time to investigate how to go about getting my name out there as a potential witness for other clients. Even a couple times a year would be some nice extra scratch.

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