My Christian faith colors every other aspect of my life and role that I hold, and so this descriptor for me rightfully belongs first in the list, if only for the sake of efficiency. Contrary to what you might have heard, being a Christian doesn't mean than I've checked my intellect at the door, that I'm anti-science, that I need a coping mechanism, or that I'm afraid of dissenting opinions. It doesn't mean that I necessarily subscribe to the full range of beliefs espoused by all the various individuals who have called themselves Christians over the past two millenia. It doesn't mean that I'm perfect, that I think I'm perfect, or that I expect anyone else to be perfect. At a theological level, it does mean that I subscribe to the statements of the Apostle's Creed. And at a practical level, it means that I will try to treat you and others the way I believe Jesus Christ would.
Hey!
I'm Mike Pilato, and if you're looking at this page there's a good chance you are wondering how to communicate with me. Please feel free to do so via email at:
cmpilato@red-bean.com
I get alot of junk email — so much so that I'm not even concerned about posting my email address on this web page — but it's still my preferred communication method. If you've got privacy concerns, though, consider sending me encypted mails using my public key.
Breaking Me Down
I have been married to an amazing woman — my best friend — since 1998, and have the great privilege of sharing this life with her. Amy is beautiful inside and out, and complements my strengths and weaknesses well. Oh, ours is not a fairy tale romance or a perfect union, of course, but it is a happy, strong, and sincere one.
I get be called "Dad" by three amazing children: Gavin (born in 2003), Aidan (2005), and Kaelyn (2013). Each of my children are unique individuals with their own talents and interests. We have several interests that overlap, and a few that don't — and that's all pretty cool.
By day, I'm a software engineer, employed by Digital.ai (formerly CollabNet) since 2001 to (as described in the common tongue) "make computers do stuff". My tenure there has afforded me many wonderful opportunities, such as the ability to participate early and widely in the development of Apache Subversion and to become the primary maintainer for ViewVC. In the past few years, my attention has been a bit more inward-focused instead of on the open-source world, but this has also had the effect of greatly broadening my technology skill set. I remain ever grateful for my relationship with this company.
I love music. I love to listen to music, to sing music, to play music (on guitars, primarily), to write music, to record music, to … well, I really love music. Some years ago, my primary musical outlet was as part of a modern rock band in the Chicago area. But since 2009, I've been using the gift of music to encourage and lead Christian worship by the members of Providence Baptist Church. My wife and both sons share in this wonderful privilege with me — Amy is a vocalist, Gavin plays guitars, and Aidan is a drummer. (Kaelyn loves to sing, but only time will tell if there's as much aptitude as interest here.)
Incredibly, despite being rather consumed with all the other hats I get to wear, I still manage to find time to do other things:
- When I had fewer children and was closer to the development of Subversion, I co-authored O'Reilly's Version Control With Subversion book. I still maintain it as best as time allows.
- I've always been interested in graphic design, so I employ my artistic talents from time to time in the design of logos and T-shirts and such for various folks that need them.
- I both coach and play soccer, having renewed my love for the sport in recent years as my sons embraced the sport.