tl;dr: ads are everywhere and aren’t so fun everyone is trying to track you (for better or worse) Pi Hole is awesome; it’s a network-level adblocker and runs on a Raspberry Pi streisand gives you a quick way to set up a censorship-resistant and secure server running a number of VPNs/proxies (OpenVPN, Shadowsocks, Wireguard, and more!) you can combine them to get a secure & resilient connection with network-level ad-blocking everywhere you go (iOS/android, linux, mac OS, windows, etc.
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Better, Faster, More Secure Backups With Restic
8 minute read
Hello again! It’s been a while since I’ve written on this blog and I am resolving (pre New Year’s!) to write more. I’m starting easier by writing about a backup setup that I put in place while I’ve been on paternity leave. A few highlights of my current setup: encrypted at rest + nice threat model incremental snapshots deduplication of data fast! written in Golang (++ style points) support for tons of backends ⛅️ multi-cloud ⛅️ Backups 🤷 Let’s just get it out of the way: if you’re not backing your files etc.
A Guide to the React Ecosystem
4 minute read
tl;dr: I’ve written a book about React, React in Action for Manning Publications! I’m thankful to have been able to work on it and fulfill a life-goal of mine. If you’re reading this post, you probably either made your way here from somewhere on the internet or you’re reading React in Action and were directed here from the book. One of my goals for the book is to give the reader a sense of React that isn’t bogged down in jargon and is instead rooted in solid concepts and practical examples.
If Else V3: from Ghost to Hugo
3 minute read
It’s been a while since I’ve revisited the design of my site (pssstt. you’re here!). I was pretty happy with the second version of it, but felt like it needed a change. It’s overall design is still utilizing the Tufte-CSS project, which based on the work of Edward Tufte (a renowned statistician noted for his expertise and work around the presentation of data). I have a copy of The Visual Display of Quantitative Information and really enjoy the technical precision of his work as well as the overall aesthetic.
50% off React in Action Today
2 minute read
You might have seen my post from the other week about my upcoming book on React. Today, React in Action is part of Manning’s Deal of the Day. You can get 50% off your order here (make sure to use code dotd110316au!). What’s in the book? React in Action is broken into several major parts. In the first section, you’ll meet React. We’ll dive into some of the fundamental ideas in React and work with components.
A Conceptual Introduction to React Components
11 minute read
I’ve had the pleasure to work on a book about React — React in Action — for Manning this year. It’s been a lot of fun and I’m so excited that it’s starting to be publicly available now through the MEAP program! You can download the first chapter for FREE here. For a short while, you’ll be able to use the discount code mlthomas to get 50% off the MEAP!
Deal of the day — 50% off the React in Action MEAP!
2 minute read
You might have seen my post from the other day about my upcoming book on React. I’m so excited to be working on this project and would love for you to be able to take part in learning about React and improving the book as it comes together. Today, React in Action is part of Manning’s Deal of the Day offering. You can get 50% off your order if you follow this link (make sure to use code DOTD102016LT).
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