daniel john mccartney coder, lawyer, scholar

As a kid, I learned to code from a curmudgeonly gang of nerds online. I made small-business websites; fiddled with quartz-crystal oscillators; printed money; built kiosks for the homeless; recognized speech for a defense contractor — then I went to law school on a dare. I became a lawyerly internet freedom fighter. I've since stopped playing with law and lately I've been feeding the hungry, measuring influence, telling everyone's story, fixing the radio, and tending a fruit stand.

I'm comfortable with many languages, platforms, and problems.contact me

  • Apple engineer

    2020 – 2021

    • podcasts engineering
  • Scout FM founder, CTO (acquired by Apple)

    2017 – 2020

    • full-stack engineering [ node, mysql, react ]
    • created the Scout FM Android app [ java, android, react ] (Award: Google's "Most Entertaining App 2018")
    • created the Scout FM iOS app [ obj-c, react ]
    • created dozens of Scout FM Alexa Skills [ node ]
    • created Scout FM Action for Google Home [ node ]
    • created Scout FM Voice Assistant apps [ flutter, java, android, obj-c ]
    • created backend podcast aggregation system [ k8s, gcp, node, react ]
  • Medium engineer

    2014 – 2017

    • full-stack engineering [ node, go ]
    • created the Medium Android app [ java, android ] (Award: Google's "Editor's Choice")
  • Klout engineer

    2013 – 2014

    • created the Klout Android app [ java, android ]
    • created the Cinch Android app alpha  [ java, android ]
  • GrubHub engineer #5, full-stack

    2010 – 2013

    • created the GrubHub Android app [ java, android ]
    • created the GrubHub mobile website [ java, jquery-mobile ]
    • full-stack engineering [ java, jquery, nodejs, mysql, rails ]
    • helped build the GrubHub iPhone app [ obj-c ]
    • helped build the OrderHub Android app for restaurants [ java, android ]
  • 1871 startup mentor

    2013

    • help startups clarify product and sort out their technology and talent
    • advise on intellectual property strategy
  • chasm rewrite of reverse-engineered abandonware game

    1998 - current

    • I spent much of high school working with a worldwide team of hobbyists to reverse-engineer and expand the original game. But these days, young developers don't muck around with SoftICE and Ethereal captures. So building this in Python is my attempt to create a more accessible playground. [ code , game ]
  • Patent Attorney patentability research, filing prep, small business strategy

    2009 – 2012

    • “No you needn't worry overmuch, you can avoid their patent by …”
    • “Yes you should worry, unless you can afford a massive lawsuit, negotiate a license.”
    • “Hmm, you can probably snag a patent on that, let me put you in touch with a friend”
  • Open Internet Review academic cat-herding to chew through FCC filings

    2010

    • I designed and implemented Python tools to acquire and organize all comments filed in a massive FCC proceeding.
    • And then, after building a wiki of all the comments, I managed a group of lawyers, students, and law professors using the wiki to review and analyze each comment for reply. [ original comment , reply ]
  • Show-Me-The-Love who is lobbying at the FCC

    2010

    • I developed Python tools to automatically acquire, parse, and organize the "ex parte notices" (i.e. lobbying notices) and to also fetch company logos and commissioner photos. Then I wrote a PHP/MySQL/HTML/jQuery application to make a colorful display of each commissioner, who they met with, and what they talked about. [ now offline :-( ]
  • Post-Graduate Research Fellow read big books and write about ‘em

    2009 – 2010

    • devouring the complete works of George Orwell
    • reading/writing articles on intellectual property and internet policy
  • Public Knowledge internet freedom fighting

    2009

    • public interest research, journalism, and advocacy
    • drafting filings for congress, court, and federal agencies
  • DigiLore software developer at defense contractor

    2006

    • creating field devices with speech recognition for battlefield medics [ java ]
  • Digital Millennium software developer at nonprofit

    2004 – 2005

    intern

    • building interactive kiosks to help the homeless find help [ c, php, mysql ]
  • Diebold software developer at large financial security company

    2003 – 2004

    intern

    • writing software for ATMs and component devices [ c#, xslt ]
  • MIR Technology software consultant at small electronics company

    2001

    • translating legacy code for a quartz crystal oscillator [ hp basic, c ]
  • XcelNet Communications web developer at local ISP

    2000 – 2001

    • making websites for small businesses and community groups [ php, mysql ]
  • Michigan State University College of Law

    2006 – 2009

    J.D., cum laude

    King Scholar Fellowship, Full Merit Scholarship, Studied abroad in Guadalajara, Mexico

  • University of Cincinnati College of Engineering

    2002 – 2006

    B.S. Computer Science, cum laude

    Honors Scholar, Engineering Department Scholarship

  • Stanford University School of Engineering

    Summer 2001

    Programming Methodologies & Abstractions, Design & Analysis of Algorithms

  • St. Ignatius High School Cleveland, OH

    2002

  • Law and the Open Internet Federal Communications Law Journal

    Winter 2012

    Academic article criticizing existing theoretical models for internet regulation and proposing, instead, a system of case-specific adjudications to build a common law of acceptable network practices

  • Network Transparency: Seeing the Neutral Network Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property

    Spring 2010

    Academic article exploring the engineering and economic underpinnings of network management, and proposing a disclosure regime to inform both policymaking and the market

    • International Symposium on Global Information Governance (Prague, CR Sept. 2009)
    • Telecommunications Policy Research Conference (Washington D.C., USA 2008)
  • In re Preserving the Open Internet Federal Communications Commission

    Urging the FCC to require that ISPs make complete, consistent, and flexible disclosures to enable end-users to be better informed consumers

  • Intellectual Property & Communications Law Blog

    Editorializing current events in intellectual property and communications law

  • On behalf of Public Knowledge in the matter of DRM Federal Trade Commission

    Feb 2009

    Advocating for the public interest in front of the FTC and proposing a labeling requirement when a technological protection measure would surprise consumers

  • Public Knowledge Policy Blog

    Outreach and advocacy on current events for “a public interest group working to defend your rights in the emerging digital culture”