Roger Bourke White Jr. Research Projects

Selected Research Projects

Business Plan for GNS-ROK, 1995 (a proposed off-shore technical support business)
Writing "Surfing the High Tech Wave: a History of Novell 1980-1990" (published on White World web site)
Market research on market size and competitive conditions for terminals and protocol converters compatible with IBM's SNA architecture, Beehive International, 1983
Market research on software needed for a software ensemble to sell with the Novell Terminal Computer, Novell Data Systems Inc., 1981
Business Plan for a ComputerLand store, 1977 (used by me to open the Computerland of Salt Lake retail computer store -- a store which lasted for twenty years.)

Designing a humidity seal for the open end of an Atlas Delta solid fuel rocket motor being subjected to thermal cycling tests, Thiokol, 1977. This was a tricky mechanical problem because the seal had to “blossom out” reliably after being pushed through a hand-width-sized hole. I solved the problem using tongue depressors, foam rubber and nylon string.
Determining the cause of (and a cure for) O-ring "blowby" in an injection mold O-ring maker, Parker Seal division of Parker Hannifin, 1976. The results of my researching were used to improve the quality and production efficiency of many Parker manufacturing processes.

Measuring the effect on file server performance when various real time anti-virus programs were run on a Netware file server. The challenge here was designing a controlled network situation, and selecting the right tools to performance stress the server while the different anti-virus packages were being run. Results published in an Intel white paper, 1990.
Using bottleneck theory to develop a spreadsheet that would let administrators determine how many workstations a Netware file server could support in different LAN hardware and different application software environments, results published in Novell company literature, 1987.
Market research on features needed for Netware file servers that would support Macintosh computers as well as IBM compatibles, 1987.

Learning to use various Novell products, and then writing up my insights in monthly columns and feature stories for the LAN Times and Novell sponsored white papers, 1986-89.
Learning how to use Wordstar well and writing "WordStar with Style" (20,000 copies sold), 1984. Writing this involved not just learning WordStar, but a suite of programs that would work well with it. This was pre-Windows era, when applications did not seamlessly move data between them. Part of the book was explaining what programs worked well, and how to move the data.

Interviewing administrators and IT executives to get "in the field" reports on how well various software products performed in Netware environments. Results published in various magazine articles and white papers. Three of these articles won annual awards from the Society of Technical Communicators, Utah Chapter.
Interviewing executives and employees of Novell to write "Surfing the High Tech Wave: a history of Novell from 1980-1990".