My name is Michael Burch. I am a Christian. I write code and promote cloud computing. I work out of my home office in Round Rock, Texas. I also run, hike and generally make an effort to be more active because this kind of work is very sedentary.

I started this blog to write about things that interest me - cloud computing, code, running, technology, gadgets, hiking, and open source. As such, all content and opinions here are my own and do not represent my employer's view in any way.

My participation in social media is deliberately limited, but I would enjoy hearing from you either through the comments on this blog or via an e-mail to me@michaelburch.net

I don't point out my faith because I am a model of perfection (just ask my ex-wife!), in fact I am only a sinner saved by grace. I draw attention to my faith here only to encourage other Christians in the technology field - you can have faith and succeed in this field.

Background

I've worked in technology since 1999, when I left college (and a warehouse job) to work in semiconductor manufacturing at IBM. I've worked for some really amazing companies from start-ups, to government contractors and large enterprises, a really unique R&D facility, and my personal favorite The Vermont Country Store. I currently work for Microsoft, promoting and enabling cloud and PaaS transformation.

I've learned something new through every step of my career, seeing how the chips that power computers are made, deploying large scale systems across the country, connecting remote regions with satellite uplinks in austere conditions ,writing code in Python, C# (and other .NET languages), and automating deployments in the AWS and Azure clouds. When you've been the person responsible for building servers, racking, stacking, connecting and configuring them - automated cloud deploys can give you the same feeling you get when a new Apple product is released, and you'll never want to go back. Technology is always changing and there's always something new and exciting to learn.

I spent years thinking that I was too smart to believe in Christianity, but now I'm thankful that Jesus paid for that sin of pride along with all my others. I listen to and read material by apologetics. This is the kind of stuff that helped me reconcile my love of logic with my love for God. If you enjoy technology, or any of the articles on this blog, I recommend that you also read 'Mere Christianity' - it is to the Christian faith what the KISS principle is to coding.

More

I was so captivated by the text-input graphic adventure game Space Quest, that I learned to spell at an early age just to complete the game. My first coding experience was in BASIC, where I attempted to write a game that would become more popular than Test Drive. While my ambition out-paced my skill and the capabilities of my computer it also sparked a passion for technology that has enabled me, by the grace of God, to live a comfortable life with very little formal education.

I've lived in Oklahoma, Texas, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Afghanistan to name just a few places. I have a loving wife and wonderful children, and I am motivated by anything that enables me to learn something new. I love being around other people who have a positive attitude.