David Long * My history

I was born in London, England in 1947, went to Orange Hill Grammar school  in Edgware, North London and studied Physics at Manchester University. I was awarded a Bachelor's Degree (BSc) in Physics in 1968.

My first job after University was for ICL Computers in Manchester (at that time UK's largest semi-state-owned computer company), where I wrote assembler programs for benchmarking mainframes. Later at ICL, I tested computer hardware using ultra high-speed oscilloscopes from Tektronix. In a following job at another company in Manchester, I designed digital circuits (TTL) for various automation tasks. I built the hardware prototypes myself and designed the multi-layer PCBs for the production process.

I have been living in Hannover, Germany since 1976. A lot of my time here has been spent as a technical author and technical translator (German-English). I particularly like writing hardware and software manuals and working closely together with software development teams, but I also write and translate texts about many other technical subjects including process automation (PLC), geology, mechanical engineering, oil production etc.

From 1985 to 1987 I was a freelance consultant to Mobil Oil's MPN offshore oil production facility at Qwa Ibo, near Eket, Cross River State, Nigeria, responsible for installing computer networks and a maintenance database in the jungle in Africa. From 1991 to 1992 I worked as a full-time on site technical writer for IBM in Hannover and in 1992-1994 as the marketing and export manager for a software manufacturer in Hannover.

From 1996 to 2000 I participated in the EU TEMPUS/TACIS Project "Foreign Languages and New Technologies". This project was an academic exchange between Zaporozhye University, Ukraine and the Universities of Hannover, Hildesheim and Rouen. Zaporozhye University awarded me an honorary doctorate (Dr. honoris causa ) in April 1999.

For more details of the project in the Ukraine, see www.davidlong.de/interests

See also Membership of professional associations.

David Long, Hannover * Technical Translator, Author, IT Consultant * Home