I know. I know. Settle down. No, I’m not advocating you should ignore writing tests. I’m simply saying there is a time and a place for everything and, if you want to actually ship a product, instead of just talking about shipping a product, you need to know when to execute. And, that includes the question of when to add tests. This conversation came up when talking to a non-technical project manager this morning.

Seriously? Those three words are a joke. Unfortunately, I am still constantly bombarded by recruiters trying to use the “pandemic” as an excuse to shoehorn candidates into positions they wouldn’t normally take. It’s so much of a pain that I actually set up an autoresponder to direct those incoming recruiters to a dedicated domain I setup: http://remotetilcovid.com Part of the job search for most people is asking yourself if you want to tackle that morning commute.

For the past few years, I’ve been using Gatsby as the main tech behind several of my blogs. I love the fact that I can edit simple Markdown and my site is magically updated on the server with a fresh React-based static website. Unfortunately, as cool as the end result may be, it’s far too complex and cumbersome for the end result. What’s worse is that, even with the complex back-end tooling in place and functioning flawlessly, the act of posting new content is far more tedious than what it needs to be.

If you’re not in computers for a living in 2021, you’re nuts. It’s fun. It will improve your life (if you let it). And, it’s pretty dang recession proof. I’ve repeated these words countless times over the years and, in some of those questions, am often asked how to get started. So, I figured I’d sit down and write a quick “how to” page to help the people I care about tap into this world.

Every once in a while I end up sending a message to someone that probably makes them feel a bit uncomfortable. Someone noticed a message I sent to a friend this past week and said, “You really sent that? Isn’t that a bit gay?” (It was to a guy.) It wasn’t anything special… just a message letting them know how much I appreciate them and that I’m glad our paths crossed.

Quick script to Dockerize and tag your Node app with the current version number without having to dig through files for values. For me, this is important as I use Docker with EC2 and ECS on AWS. Using the project version number and name, from the project.json file, allows me to automagically tag the Docker image… which, in turn, allows me to easily deploy specific versions of the app or service for various release methods (blue/green, etc.

Panic. AbEnd (or “abend”). GPF. Blue Screen o’ Death. There are many names for it but I’m certain you’ve seen one of those situations where your computer throws a fit, gives up, and basically checks out on you. In the world of web programming this is essentially what a “500 error” is from an application’s standpoint. I’d like to take a moment to explain what it is and why you should never send it.

Photos, screenshots, audio recordings … there are countless files that are stored (or should be stored) with the event’s date in the name. And, as it becomes easier to create these, they accumulate at an ever-increasing rate… usually in one folder without any type of organization. Of course, we could take the time to organize those folders, move files into proper folders, and delete what we don’t … oh, nevermind. Who am I kidding?

Welp… it happened again. I fell in love with a bike. This happened once before, in 2007, when I sat on my GSXR-1000 for the first time … 2007 GSXR-1000 Back in ’07 I had zero interest in buying my “Gixxer”. Originally, I had stopped by a Harley dealer to grab a V-Rod. However, Glenda and I were ignored in the showroom and walked out. It felt as if we did not “fit in” with the “good ole boys” who were hanging out pretending to be salesmen.

Why do I write code? That question, and many others, answered here … How long have you been programming? Can’t believe I’m about to say this, but going on 39 years (38 professionally). This all started back in 1981 because of a pompous jerk who insulted my dad. One of my older sisters visited with her boyfriend. While getting to know our dad, he mentioned how my father “would not understand” how great it was that he sat in an air-conditioned office all day “programming.