Melissa Davis is an Information Technology Consultant who provides on-site and remote training and technical support to users of Apple devices and related technologies. They call her TheMacMommy because she is patient and thorough, addressing your needs in a holistic way. Melissa can teach, troubleshoot, or fix: Mac computers, iPhones, iPads, iPods, Apple Watch, Apple TV, printers, routers, backup drives, accessories, and other assorted gadgets. She can help you create custom workflows that enable you to accomplish tasks more efficiently with Apple software (apps), backups, security, password management, online services and account management, blogging, light website management, graphic design, and data organization. If you're local to Tucson, AZ, she can make a house call to your location. Remote support is made possible through the use of Apple software that comes preinstalled on every Apple device. She can get you set up to utilize these tools over the phone if you have a high-speed internet connection.
Melissa has been teaching adults and children to use the Mac, related software, internet tools, and other devices since the 1990s. It is fair to say she's been TheMacMommy for longer than she’s been a mom. She holds a BFA from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and lives in Tucson, Arizona with her physics teacher husband and two geeky boys. She considers her family and future Made On a Mac.
My blog. My rules.
This blog and associated social graph is my life journal where I document my personal experiences and write about topics that interest me. I'm a passionate person. I also live with chronic pain and inflammation. Consider yourself warned about occasional colorful language. I write for myself first above all else because I find it therapeutic. As it turns out, readers seem to enjoy my reviews, tutorials and tips or posts about what it's like to be a geeky mom living with Fibromyalgia. I really enjoy using social networking to meet new people all over the world. Please leave me a comment and let me know you've stopped by!
Background
I am originally from southeast Pennsylvania. I am the eldest of four. I've been living in Tucson, Arizona for the better part of two decades. My husband and I have been happily married since 2004. We have the same birthday which is 3 days after Christmas. He is a high school physics teacher and we have two beautiful sons together. We also have a Maltipoo dog named Opal. For all of this, I feel very blessed. Most of my friends and family still live back east. I consider myself to be a loyal friend and family member and try my best to keep in touch despite the great physical distance. I try to visit during the summers whenever possible.
I am a Mac fanatic and have been using Apple Computers since the early 90s. During high school, I attended a vocational technical school and studied Commercial Art. After graduating from high school, I worked as a typesetter and production artist in retail advertising for a number of years and then decided to go back to college to become a designer. In 2000, I got my BFA in Communication Design from Kutztown University. My professional background is in graphic design, advertising, and printing where I’ve also managed prepress. While working in the field, I fell in love with the technical side of things. I love troubleshooting and the reward of fixing a problem or making something more efficient. For many years, people told me that I would make a good teacher because they liked the way I explained things. I finally started listening to them. My new-found specialty is in user experience and human interface design.
One of the most rewarding experiences of working in the tech industry was a job as a Macintosh Computer Site Technician. I worked at two different elementary schools (K-5) and managed over 100 Mac computers on a network at each site. I loved this role before becoming a parent and it was a good job to have for someone starting a family. I felt like a super-hero much of the time.
The experience gained at this job was a valuable addition to my skill set. I designed, configured and deployed images for all of the computers and worked with a Novell infrastructure to manage staff and student data. I managed all of the Macs using Apple Remote Desktop, WorkGroup Manager and scripting with support and assistance from the district’s IT department. I taught classes in computer labs and consulted teachers looking for new technology tools to implement into their curriculum to meet benchmarks. Being married to a teacher and working as a site tech gave me a unique perspective on administrative protocols. I always tried to be an advocate for the staff and students by helping them to achieve their goals and complete tasks more efficiently. This is where I was given the nickname "MacMommy."
Currently, I work from home as an Independent Contractor. I make house calls and provide IT support and training to individual clients for an hourly fee. I am also a blogger and podcaster. I create, produce, and publish content and participate in many online discussions about technology and what it means to me as a parent and educator. In addition to that, I enjoy beta-testing software and writing reviews for compensation. I am skilled at working with children, senior citizens, medical personnel, and educators. I specialize in showing people how to use Macintosh software, multimedia, and social networking applications to facilitate organization, learning, communication and networking on a global level.
My life is never dull. I keep busy by rearing my children, consulting, podcasting, producing, or documenting my life as a geeky mom and person living with chronic pain. I enjoy: making new friends, keeping in touch with old ones, digital macro-photography, eating dark chocolate, arts and crafts, driving stick-shift, picking things up with my toes, laughing, sculpting, wearing mud masks, candles, nag champa incense, lizards, and the color purple. I love trying out new software and meeting people from all over the world. Thanks for getting to know me.
Now it’s your turn to introduce yourself!
