About
Technical Background
What did you do before being a genealogist?
Intel
I spent many good years at Intel. Starting in the 90s, I retired in 2016. My title for many of those years was Senior Principal Engineer, Security Architect. At the start with Intel, I worked with the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) to create and enable the Trusted Platform Module (TPM). I was chair of the TPM working group and vice-chair of the Technical Committee. In August 2024 I got my invite to attend the 25th anniversary of the TCG and its predecessor TCPA.
Symantec / Central Point
Prior to Intel I worked at Central Point Software until they were acquired by Symantec. At Central Point I focused on PC Tools. When Symantec came around I worked for a time on Tools but then created a new product named Norton Your Eyes Only — an encryption product. Working on an encryption product in the 90s meant that you were creating weapons, at least according to US export laws, so for some time I was an international arms dealer.
Lotus Development
Prior to Symantec, I'd worked at Lotus Development, who had bought the little startup I was working at in Salt Lake City. Lotus was an amazing place to be in the mid 80s. It was growing like a weed — each quarter surpassed the next five-year plan. Best office space I ever worked in, great desk with windows overlooking the Charles River. At one time I had the office space three floors below the CEO.
Writing
It was at Lotus that I took a course in technical writing. Originally, I grumbled when my manager said that as an architect I really needed to work on my writing style. So off I went. The instructor, on the first day, asked a simple question: "How many of you spend most of your time writing tech docs, or emails, or specifications, or other items?" A good portion of us raised our hands. She then hit us with a stunning fact: "If you are spending more than half your time writing, you are not a programmer, or architect, or anything else — you are a professional writer."
I was thunderstruck. Those writing skills, continually worked on throughout my professional career, came in very handy when I created my BCG portfolio. The amount of writing didn't intimidate me. I've written two technical books and somewhat surprisingly I loved the editing process. Both the content editing and the grammar editing were fun aspects of getting the book published.
Patents
This is John Martinus Grawrock, my great-great grandfather. Born in Norway, he immigrated to the United States and was a prolific inventor. A full write-up of his life is here.
As an inventor he had issued patents and I've found three. He doesn't know it yet but we are in a competition: who has the most issued patents. My count is 83 as of August 2024. The patent office website takes an engineering degree to navigate, but searching for Grawrock as an inventor name should give the count. Make sure you separate issued from applications as that at least doubles the number of hits.
More About White Dome
Name
How and why did you pick White Dome as the company name?
Purpose
Why do genealogy and why teach genealogy.
Experience
What experience do you have in research and genealogy in general.
Level Up
Description of the level up process along with a scorecard.
Education
Where did you learn to do genealogy? How did you get your certification?
Technical
What did you do before being a genealogist?
Personal
What is your family like? What do you do besides genealogy?