Long-form notes.

Destination v Journey Engineering in the AI Age

Why craft still matters, why outcomes still win, and how to go as fast as you should.

8 min read

Some Helpful, Free APIs I Run

I run a few APIs for the various side projects I tinker on; in this post, I wanted to share a little about them.

4 min read

An Engineering Philosophy

It's been far too long since I've blogged. In this post, I want to reflect on some things I've learned as a senior engineer and try to synthesize them into a personal engineering philosophy.

12 min read

Introducing isBusy: A Personal Status Page for Remote Work

I wanted to make things a little bit easier for my family and myself with all the adjustments happening, so I started on a little nights & weekends project: https://isbusy.app. The idea is simple: come up with an easy way for my family to understand if I'm busy and have it automatically sync with all my work and personal calendars.

3 min read

MongoDB Query Performance: Understanding the Query Planner & Advanced Index Types

In this post, we'll look at a few areas that are 'beyond the basics' for MongoDB performance. You'll gain some helpful tools like working with the query planner and knowing when to use specialized indexes.

9 min read

Secure & Ad-free Internet Anywhere With Streisand and Pi Hole

8 min read

Better, Faster, More Secure Backups With Restic

7 min read

A Guide to the React Ecosystem

A Guide to the React Ecosystem

4 min read

If Else V3: from Ghost to Hugo

3 min read

50% off React in Action Today

Today, React in Action is part of Manning's Deal of the Day. You can get **50%** off your order at https://bit.ly/2fBDvlc; use code dotd110316au

2 min read

A Conceptual Introduction to React Components

In this post we learn about the idea of components in React. Want more? Check out React in Action by Mark Thomas available in MEAP from Manning Publications

10 min read

Deal of the day — 50% off the React in Action MEAP!

Today, React in Action is part of Manning's Deal of the Day offering. You can get 50% off your order here https://bit.ly/2e4j3KQ

2 min read

I'm writing a book about React!

This year, I've had the pleasure to work working on a book about React for Manning Publications. React in Action is available from Manning Publications

2 min read

Originals

Wanted to share this great TED talk about original thinking; hoping it helps developers think better about the role of procrastination in original thinking

1 min read

Type Inspection In Go

Recently I have been experimenting with and exploring Golang. Here we briefly look at type inspection in Go from the perspective of a JavaScript user

1 min read

On Starting Simply

I'm following up on my "Start Simply, Simply Start" with some more practical thoughts on starting simply and how to learn programming.

6 min read

Testing React Components with Enzyme and Mocha

Learn how to test React.js, a powerful JavaScript development tool, and learn to test simple components using enzyme and Mocha.

12 min read

Start Simply, Simply Start

In this post, I encourage you to start simply and simply start. You don't need everything for everything.

5 min read

Using Node, Redis, and Kue for Priority Job Processing

In this post we'll walk through using node.js, redis, and Kue to learn about creating an API that handles priority job processing.

7 min read

Using Event Emitter in Node.js

In this post we will look at using and extending the Event Emitter module in node.js and how we might use it to create our own event-emitting programs.

3 min read

Leave Code Better than You Found It

In this post, we look at some ways you can improve the code you come across and benefit your entire team and future self.

4 min read

Dockerizing a Node.js Web Application

12 min read

React Native: Quick Start and Including Images

In this brief tutorial on react native, we'll get up and running with react native and learn how to include or require images into our app.

5 min read

How To Check If A File or Directory Exists in Ruby

In this post we look at a few ways you can check to ensure that a file or directory exists using Ruby.

2 min read

Questions I ask in interviews

As developers we get asked lots of often difficult questions by employers. But what do we ask when it's our turn? Check out these 12 questions you can ask!

5 min read

New NPM Module: Favorites

I'm introducing a really simple npm module called favorites. It lets you maintain a list of your favorite npm modules and install them.

2 min read

Method Chaining in JavaScript

In this post, we briefly look at how you can implement method-chaining into your JavaScript APIs.

3 min read

Npm Modules I can't live without (pt. 2)

In this second post of our three part series on some useful npm modules, we go over eslint, gulp, babel, and other great npm modules you should check out.

3 min read

Modules I Can't Live Without (pt. 1)

2 min read

New Look

1 min read

Commits In Real Life: CI Builds

1 min read

Running Node.js Apps in Production

In this post I'll highlight three modules that you can use to to run your node.js app in production: It's pm2 vs forever vs nodemon. We'll look at each one.

7 min read

Server-Side Rendering with React and React-Router

This ifelse.io post helps you learn how you can advantage of node.js on the server along with React's ability to `RenderToString()` capabilities.

7 min read

Removing Unused or Untagged Docker Images

1 min read

Dockerizing A Node.JS Web App (again)

In this post, we'll look at how you might go about 'dockerizing' a node.js app.

4 min read

Knuthiness

1 min read

Installing iojs and Node.js Together

2 min read

Get Functional

Most of our programs are more complex than they have to be -- get functional and end the mutable-state madness.

4 min read

Starting From Scratch—Resources to Get You Started

Resources to help you get started if you're an absolute beginner to programming.

4 min read

Simple Made Easy (Rich Hickey Talk)

Great talk from RailsConf2012 in Austin, TX. Rich Hickey focuses on the ideas of complexity, simplicity, and ease in software development.

1 min read

Upgrading Node.js with NPM in 3 commands

1 min read

Faster Terminal Navigation with Autojump

2 min read

Send and Receive Mail Locally in Rails

1 min read

Mathematics for Computer Science (Resource)

1 min read

Writing Clean Code

2 min read

Using Mandrill With Ghost

2 min read

Coming soon!

1 min read