Bill is also Principal at Day Web Development where he provides technical writing & editing, specification development, and platform & technology evangelism services. Recent projects include writing and editing source code level documentation, articles, partner how-to materials, conference session descriptions, and blog entries for clients including O’Reilly Media, NVIDIA, Nokia, and Digital Reasoning Systems. He is a contributor to the X.commerce DevZone.

More information on Bill’s professional background and recommendations of his work are available on his LinkedIn profile (click here to view).

Bill is also a runner. He’d like to see you eat right and get plenty of exercise, too. Here’s a little motivation from an Ignite talk he gave a while back:

Here’s an excerpt from the announcement on the RunKeeper blog discussing how and why I’m so excited to join the team:

My personal journey into running, and thereby to RunKeeper, started a couple of years ago. I decided to join some family on a Colorado hunting and hiking trip in early fall 2009. As part of getting ready for that trip, I took a hard look at my fitness. I didn’t like what I saw.

I was fifty pounds overweight. I knew I needed to make some changes to both my diet and my level of physical activity. For diet, that led to colorful veggies and Greek yogurt, along with fewer desserts and seconds. For exercise, I settled on running.

Prior to this, I’d always hated running. Well, distance running, anyway. I loved baseball, but that only involved short sprints. And I’d had a long term on-again, off-again love affair with cycling, but never far or fast enough to give me any serious aches and pains. For me, running was the punishment given out by other sports.

But then I came across a plan from a gentleman named Cameron Hanes that helped me ease into running thirty minutes at a time, three or four times per week. Cameron outlined walking ten minutes, running five, then repeating both each outing for the first two weeks. Then his plan built up gradually over eight weeks to one hour per run, most of it running instead of walking.

Having a plan with specific, measurable “baby steps” made fitness achievable for me. I followed the Hanes plan, ran my first 5k race, and actually enjoyed it. I ran another, and shaved off a pretty good chunk of time. Then I went on the Colorado trip and found myself much fitter and happier hiking at altitude than I’d ever been before. I felt the benefits of the last couple of months of running. That’s when I made the decision to train for a 10k trail race, and from that came several half marathons and now a full marathon later this fall.

I’ve lost the fifty pounds and kept it off through running and eating right. Now I can’t imagine going more than a day or two without running. And I want to share my passion for fitness with everyone I can.

Enter RunKeeper. I tried several fitness apps as I got deeper into running and wanted to record and analyze my runs. RunKeeper stood out as the best for my purposes. I followed @runkeeper as a user, and was pleasantly surprised when RunKeeper CEO, Jason Jacobs (@jjacobs22), responded to some things I posted. I started following him on Twitter, and it was from that follow that I first saw the post for a Health Graph Platform Evangelist position. I immediately knew I had to apply–the role combines both my personal passion for fitness and running with my professional passion for developer advocacy and working with partners to solve real world problems.

When I spoke with Jason and the rest of the RunKeeper team, I found this same enthusiasm for fitness and improving the world’s health in the RunKeeper team. I was hooked! A couple months later and here I am, getting to spread the good word about the Health Graph API. I can’t wait to work with you!

A little bit more about me professionally: My background is in aerospace and software engineering. I leveraged that, along with passions for writing and speaking, to become a developer advocate and evangelist. I’ve been blessed to evangelize mobile, web, and OS technologies for the likes of Sun, Nokia, and Digital Reasoning Systems over the last twelve years. Most recently I’ve been working with O’Reilly Media to help developers understand and take advantage of the PayPal X payments platform.

I’d like to hear about your involvement with RunKeeper and the Health Graph API. I’m especially interested in your suggestions for making the API easier to use and more profitable for you. If there’s anything I can do for you, please let me know. You can contact me via email to bill@runkeeper.com or Twitter @billday. You can also find me on RunKeeper, and LinkedIn.

Looking forward to helping you succeed with the Health Graph!
Bill

More about my path into running from my Ignite talk “Run for Your Life!” recorded early last year, when I was about eight months into my journey:

• Nice @Launch coverage of FitnessKeeper's growth, @HealthGraphAPI, and prospects http://bit.ly/qpwmDy (more: http://bit.ly/rtKwS4 @RunKeeper) #

PayPal X Platform

• For @PayPalX, @Magento, and other developers sizing up the new X.commerce world: eBay developer resources http://bit.ly/qOlYrj #
• My latest: @X_commerce #Android Apps the Easy Way, Part 1: Understanding App Inventor http://bit.ly/pbIic3 http://bit.ly/pzyiN1 #
• Part 2 http://bit.ly/rlbtEt of my @X_commerce #Android series http://bit.ly/rkxjTU focuses on accessing web APIs in @AppInv apps (@PayPalX) #
• How to build native #iOS #Android #Blackberry & other apps with @PhoneGap and @PayPalX http://bit.ly/r35dlO using HTML, JavaScript, & CSS #

Wireless and mobility

• "An iOS Developer Takes on Android" http://bit.ly/pojAfc by @nfarina should be read, and re-read, by #iOS and #Android developers alike #
• Strong words from Google against Apple, Microsoft, and Oracle: "When patents attack Android" http://bit.ly/mTMIS1 #AndroidFTW #
• Microsoft's response to Google's #Android patent related claims does make the GOOG look pretty stupid, though: http://tcrn.ch/mPGx7D #
• "How to find the perfect Blogs and Websites to tell the World about your App" http://bit.ly/qikZNm via @appbackr (hint: Google @AdWords) #
• No more Symbian in North America. As @rww puts it: "The death spiral of Nokia's smartphone brands continues." http://rww.to/n7WO1A #
• Designing for #Android tablets http://bit.ly/qCKLyK from @smashingmag (follow-up to previous Android design article http://bit.ly/qL1FuV ) #

APIs and development

• Tips on designing command line interfaces http://bit.ly/n4wYVC #
• Seven handy new API consoles from @apigee http://bit.ly/njzavH including consoles for @bitly and @nytimes #
• Google+ Platform blog launched by the GOOG http://bit.ly/q0dXhi #

Personal things

• "The jobless future" http://bit.ly/oWfUnR by @jeffjarvis needs to be read and brainstormed by our best and brightest; pay attention D.C. #
• Tips on running a software business http://bit.ly/o1p8Qq applies equally well to writing and many other endeavors #

Running

• Dream run: Down the South Kaibab Trail into the Grand Canyon http://bit.ly/o2CkMG preferably all the way rim-to-rim #IWillMakeItSo #
• Hot 10mi run. But marathon long, slow distance run #1 completed! http://t.co/OEGoAaW #
• Here's the exact same 10.00mi run recorded on my @Garmin 405cx for comparison http://bit.ly/pfzNKV #RunKeeper #
• 5k recovery after yesterday's 10mi. 92 deg F at start, 98 at finish. http://bit.ly/r1yEx7 #RunKeeper http://bit.ly/qI77Vb #
• 4mi running in the 70s is much nicer than 90s or 100+ deg F! http://bit.ly/oG47aK #RunKeeper http://bit.ly/pwuwgY #
• Ran 5 miles in 51 mins and felt great. Temps in 70s after much needed 4in of rain this morning. Pure joy! http://bit.ly/q7L8LY #
• Great fun running 4mi in the cool rain! Splits 10:17, 9:57, 9:27, and 8:56. http://bit.ly/qGH5dO #RunKeeper http://bit.ly/n8zOkC #
• 12mi cool and cloudy. Saw another runner fall, roll to his left, and pop up running! http://t.co/U5byy1B #RunKeeper http://t.co/VjeCnyq #

• How @RunKeeper could become the Facebook of fitness http://bit.ly/rhEGod (*intriguing* Health Graph API http://bit.ly/pJ6NAG ) #
• Congrats @RunKeeper on 11 new @HealthGraphAPI partners http://bit.ly/o2ZbMT and the press from it http://tnw.co/q0V9iD http://bit.ly/oZ1prW #
• More on the @HealthGraphAPI enabling DIY electronic medical records http://bit.ly/of3MXl via @bryce #
• How to import @Garmin data into @RunKeeper http://bit.ly/riyDn8 #

PayPal X Platform

• Summertime, and the @PayPalX, payments, and developer news highlights are easy http://bit.ly/r2I5IN #

Wireless and mobility

• #Android development resources: @AppInv materials http://bit.ly/q4VISS including a new book http://amzn.to/o6G8yl from @OReillyMedia #
• Apple and Samsung are eating Nokia's smartphone lunch http://engt.co/nVlik6 #iPhone #Android #VeryBadNokiaStrategy #

Personal things

• The temperature just dropped 30 deg F as a strong thunderstorm passed our house. Blessed rain! #

Running

• My training last week: 2 workouts for 8.44 mi and 1047 calories burned http://bit.ly/mTiWGu #
• Ran 4.2 miles in 48 mins and felt good. First run of 16wk marathon training. Why does it have to be 112 deg F today?!? http://bit.ly/qDtCOk #
• Just posted 4.10mi (4mi run plus some cooldown at the end). http://t.co/wze3oCP #RunKeeper #
• 4.19 mi run – Blessed cloudy morning! http://t.co/JFxoB0n #RunKeeper #

• Free @PayPalX #Android webinar http://bit.ly/hnLfSK (register now for March 30th event) #
• It seems @PayPalX Express Checkout bumps merchant sales up 18% on average http://tcrn.ch/h0Wror via @TechCrunch #
• "Selling Digital Goods in Data Markets: Part 1, Innovators" http://bit.ly/eLy8Ob is my latest @PayPalX @OReillyMedia DevZone article #
• News and links for recently announced @Apigee to Go embeddable consoles http://bit.ly/fJ91Zn including one for @PayPalX Adaptive Payments #
• Following my @PayPalX Apigee-to-Go post http://bit.ly/fJ91Zn @Apigee posted a video to help you get up and running: http://bit.ly/gyKvQZ #

Big data

• Al Jazeera "Region in Turmoil" Twitter dashboard http://bit.ly/f3kxVH via @ptwobrussell #
• Good news for data geeks, bad news for everyone else http://rww.to/hdxMwK via @rww #bigdata #
• New API calls from @infochimps http://rww.to/hnQs9m includes some examples to get you started; via @rww #sxsw #bigdata #
• User info @infochimps http://www.infochimps.com/me (includes Query API key and dashboard link) #

Wireless and mobility

• The Register's article on the collapse of Nokia's technologies http://bit.ly/ggrFDK is the best I've read on why NOK failed #
• Does Starbucks' card mobile program work precisely because they control five key elements described here? http://bit.ly/ee5awH via @mFoundry #

APIs and development

• Facebook Python client lib options http://bit.ly/fMin5S via StackOverflow #
• Using #YQL to obscure your OAuth keys http://bit.ly/98fd6p via @Nectarineimp #
• New @dreasoning Synthesys demo video http://bit.ly/hQ0GjC (entity oriented analytics) #
• Testing code is hard, but data is harder http://bit.ly/erFom9 from the @factual Dev Blog #
• There are now more than 3,000 public APIs which @ProgrammableWeb has used to call out trends http://bit.ly/edXEDO #
• Using HTML 5 to transform WordPress' TwentyTen theme http://bit.ly/eAid6y via @smashingmag #
• ActivePython AMI http://bit.ly/dFT7G2 includes python plus MySQL and SQLite, Apache, Django, Memcached, Nginx, and more for @awscloud apps #
• Visit @LinkedIn Today now at: http://linkd.in/hFe3Yj #
• TechCrunch coverage of @LinkedIn Today launch http://tcrn.ch/edx0Ap #
• Add @GitHub to your @LinkedIn profile http://bit.ly/htzD7x with more discussion from @nytimes http://nyti.ms/f2rx3Q #

Personal things

• Researching pulmonary embolism http://bit.ly/fkY1ov for a family member; thank God for warfarin http://bit.ly/g5DMKQ #
• S#*! my wife says: "Toby Keith is the male Cher" (then sings "God love her" in Jack 2000-imitating-Cher voice) #

Running

• Ran 6.74 miles in 1 hour and 6 mins and 46 secs and felt great. 3-to-1 run, finishing final quarter at 8:16 p… http://dailymile.com/e/O8Se #
• Ran 3.11 miles in 26 mins and felt great. Fast 5k. I "raced" my St Pat's today so I can enjoy running Saturday running with my wife. http://dailymile.com/e/OOTJ #
• Ran 3.28 miles in 44 mins and felt great. Baby stroller and eldest on her scooter to top of hill. http://dailymile.com/e/OTNu #
• Ran 3.11 miles in 26 mins and felt great. Mile split paces 8:45, 8:17, 8:18. http://dailymile.com/e/Obzl #

• Now that @PayPalX Digital Goods is out of beta http://bit.ly/gd5JZm here's a refresher on how to use it: http://bit.ly/hqPf1E #
• New @PayPalX DevTalk newsletter http://bit.ly/i2x3z0 includes free @OReillyMedia epayments report http://bit.ly/fh6ysK (login required) #
• Fav line from this new @PayPalX ecommerce article http://bit.ly/hRBoRg "If you're paying for things upfront nowadays, you're doing it wrong" #

Big data:

• Looking for a succinct description of the Big Data harvest and analysis process? Here you go: http://bit.ly/esUeQJ by @hmason on dataists #
• Nice report on the final day of #StratConf http://bit.ly/dSSmim again from @JanWillemTulp #BigData #
• Working through the #StrataConf Data Bootcamp http://bit.ly/fceOVi asap (ZIP of materials is at http://bit.ly/campyslides) #
• More #StrataConf recap http://bit.ly/dHaAah including the Data Bootcamp #
• An oldie but a goodie: Sensors smash social networks in creating Big Data http://bit.ly/ebunOV (the flight data numbers are incredible) #
• Congratulations to Digital Reasoning @dreasoning on their public beta of the Synthesys Platform http://bit.ly/hlxfed at http://bit.ly/gu5hdj #
• NPR discussion with Bitly dataist @hmason http://n.pr/hFd06e delves into divining emergent props from data, plus what happens if Bitly dies #

Wireless and mobility (never would have thought Nokia would pick Microsoft):

• Please let Nokia's announcement tomorrow *not* be that they're going with Windoze Phone http://tcrn.ch/fVPbxS #
• PC mag got the key points of Nokia's Microsoft deal spot-on. Big winner: MS. One of the big losers: Nokia
  http://bit.ly/fA4ZeK #
• More on the Nokia-Microsoft two turkey marriage http://bit.ly/g2hPbd & NOK heads are already being replaced by Softies http://tcrn.ch/ftjyEm #
• The End of the Nokia Raj http://bit.ly/gIF2TS by @om gets the key details, including the importance of Indian and Chinese hardware, spot-on #
• Mobile World Congress trends to watch http://bit.ly/hMLa1p via @gigaom (mobile payments is a big one, @PayPalX fans) #

APIs and web development:

• I'm giving ActivePython community edition http://bit.ly/ezmHTv a try after "fun" with Cygwin Python #
• Investigating BeautifulSoup for HTML scraping in Python http://bit.ly/hctlSS on the recommendation of @ptwobrussell #
• "Paul's Python Pearls" @OReillyMedia webcast recording is now available at http://bit.ly/epX0c4 (12min preview at http://bit.ly/fIWeeG ) #
• Git in 5 minutes http://bit.ly/fPrYIp has been useful in getting my first project up on github http://bit.ly/hMYMRS #
• My github feed: http://bit.ly/hclz8Y (includes commits, new follows, etc.) #
• Using PHP, YQL, and RSS to add living data to your site http://bit.ly/e9AOG1 by my friend Peter Mancini @nectarineimp writing for @wpmods #
• I am *loving* the elegance of @CoffeeScript code vs JavaScript http://bit.ly/i1wvmL (worth trying Node just to fire up 'coffee') #
• Understanding prototypal inheritance in JavaScript http://bit.ly/hNE3ht #
• Google's new 2-step sign-in security http://bit.ly/gxvOlP; I wonder if they've managed to keep it simple or not #
• I'm looking forward to seeing more details on @RedDirtRubyConf posted Monday http://bit.ly/hS82ev #
• Research on Scala http://bit.ly/gkPUMT and Lift http://bit.ly/e4czbK turned up this Manning sample chapter http://bit.ly/fR12uj #
• I'm also looking forward to this SproutCore webcast http://bit.ly/fLkjEW to be hosted by @OReillyMedia on February 22nd #

Personal things:

• Trying out the LinkedIn Labs "Resume Builder". What do you think? http://bit.ly/g3VGGe #
• Contact information from the top of my resume, available in HTML and PDF formats http://bit.ly/bundles/billday/1j http://twitpic.com/3ydcjb #
• The people of Egypt have their liberty. I pray they see this through to protecting it with a just democractic government. #Jan25 #
• Great @FortuneMagazine piece on how @ConanOBrien resurrected himself via @TeamCoco and other #SocialMedia http://bit.ly/ibGjyN #

Running:

• Ultramarathon training for beginners http://bit.ly/eP1YhV via @dailymile #
• Ran 5.01 miles in 1 hour and 2 mins and 25 secs and felt great. Slow, slippery run with family as the snow starts to… http://bit.ly/gCw8Td #

My PayPal X DevZone writing:

• My new @PayPalX technical article http://bit.ly/fEjEK4 discusses data mining web content just in time for #StrataConf #
• My latest @PayPalX post, how to plug content into Facebook via Open Graph http://bit.ly/gtL89j #
• Learn how to use Facebook's rich social graph data via my latest @PayPalX DevZone post http://bit.ly/i97D5I #

Big data (this week, a focal point was the first ever O’Reilly Media “Strata” conference):

• The rise of data markets continues with, wait for it, DataMarket.com http://bit.ly/egTIq2 via @flowingdata #
• Who to follow at #StrataConf http://bit.ly/gEzLGO courtesy of Jason Sundram http://bit.ly/hTlplI #
• The Guardian in Britain is doing brilliant data journalism and visualization http://bit.ly/gXwMNG (American journalists, please take note) #
• LinkedIn launched a new Skills search and analysis interface today at #StrataConf http://linkd.in/dXfipb (use it to see what's hot) #
• Attendee write-up on the #StrataConf "Data Bootcamp" http://bit.ly/ggPNUD including a link to the source and slides http://bit.ly/fceOVi #
• The same attendee, Jan Willem Tulp, on day 2 of #StrataConf http://bit.ly/gO3LiI (focuses on visualization people, sessions, and tech) #
• Blip video archive of @OReillyMedia @StrataConf http://bit.ly/gVKsXo (watch at least Hilary Mason of Bitly) #
• My answer on Quora to the question: "What is a good definition of Big Data?" http://bit.ly/idd2zf #

Wireless and mobility:

• Android's rising http://bit.ly/ejdnXA Apple's making the money http://ind.pn/hTh1Hk & Nokia's suffering from both http://on.wsj.com/gFbRLu #
• Amazing look at mobile data usage skyrocketing http://bit.ly/hDCz6t via @gigaom #
• Google launches shopping app for iPhone (iOS 4 and above) http://on.mash.to/equ3BT @PayPalX #
• How-to for the new web-based Android Market http://lifehac.kr/eCtT8e via @lifehacker includes this demo video http://bit.ly/e6uZcQ #

APIs (lots of information on Yahoo Query Language aka YQL):

• Access free Open Data Tables http://bit.ly/eTKRQY via YQL console http://yhoo.it/e5FjQB (you can get REST queries from your YQL too!) #
• Fantastic SlideShare presentation "YQL: Select * from Internet" http://slidesha.re/i07liT (really good stuff from slide 46 onwards) #
• Very nice YQL howto http://bit.ly/ehRYyQ from @codepo8 via @smashingmag (great examples to help you grok the possibilities) #
• Another nice YQL tutorial http://bit.ly/eVZC7M via @envatowebdev #
• Another great #YQL tutorial http://slidesha.re/hhY4AA #
• #Python #YQL http://bit.ly/eBPt56 (my gears are turning…) #
• Get answers to #YQL questions http://yhoo.it/fLc0mf via the Yahoo! Developer Network forums #
• jQuery is really slamming other JavaScript libs based on this survey of approx 1M sites http://rww.to/fXdsUR #

Web development and site stuff:

• Techniques for mastering cURL http://bit.ly/eJyW1P especially from PHP (another @envatowebdev howto) #
• Got deep pages to mine? Extracting HTML content with XPath in @YQL might be a good answer http://yhoo.it/hT61vA #
• Need a filtered StackOverflow feed? Here's mine for you to clone: http://bit.ly/gxT7M8 (tag, description, & title filtering; DM questions) #; once you clone the feed, you can change what terms are passed along by editing your cloned Pipe #. Want to filter a different feed instead of StackOverflow? Just change the source feed in the Pipe. #
• A good explanation of event driven programming and the benefits of Node http://bit.ly/goZujV via @rww http://rww.to/gErLpQ #
• Streamlined @PayPalX app approval process is a very good thing http://bit.ly/f3v8eO via @ppalavilli #
• My answer on Quora to the question: "What are the advantages/disadvantages of payment processing providers?" http://bit.ly/fJp9hT #

Personal things (the Blizzard of 2011):

• Battening down the hatches for a big storm in a couple of days http://bit.ly/eeI19R #
• A foot of snow, 30+ mph winds, 5 deg F and falling. Reminds me of my winter in MN! http://twitpic.com/3vi2d2 #
• The snow drifts in front of our house are taller than my first grader! http://twitpic.com/3vi31q #
• Until yesterday, there was a thriving mum in this pot. http://twitpic.com/3vi3or #
• All time single day snowfall record and windchill's below zero and dropping. Anybody have a Tauntaun I can borrow? #
• Snow drifts 3+ ft, windchill tonight of 12 to 17 deg F *below* zero. Crazy for this part of the country! http://bit.ly/g6FRLO #
• Very high on my to-do list this month: Updating my marketing plan. Good tips http://bit.ly/gt9ipj and http://bit.ly/dPRn87 from @gigaom #
• Q&A with @stevenrinella of @intowildwithin http://on.fb.me/dIVndJ (fantastic show btw that explains very well why and how I hunt) #
• My girl loves Pub-D-Hub cartoons http://bit.ly/g74vD8 on our @rokuplayer while I'm enjoying @amazonvideo, @pandora_radio, & @therealmp3tunes #
• If you do this in an email, I hate you. http://bit.ly/guEwQv Indeed! #

Some resources to get you started with Ovi app wizard:

• Introduction to Ovi app wizard http://bit.ly/cUNsby from Ovi blog http://bit.ly/a2EhHR #
• Mobile Industry Review on Ovi app wizard http://bit.ly/dz0mh3 #
• Ovi app wizard discussion board http://bit.ly/cPzBKU from @forumnokia #
• Ovi Marketing Tools give you a free and easy way to create professional quality ad banners for your Ovi Store applications http://promotions.ovi.com/omt/
• Follow my feed on your Nokia phone via my Ovi store application available from http://bit.ly/c9nNSq #