Sep 06 2020
Light as a Feather: Removing Google Analytics
Gathering analytics data is becoming increasingly difficult for publishers. uBlock is commonly used by the average internet user and Pi-hole is quickly growing in the technologist space. I applaud these privacy-concerned folks for taking personal agency in a time where internet privacy is more difficult than ever. From a publishers point of view, users ghosting analytics is simply a case of “rolling with the punches”.
Aug 31 2020
Light as a Feather: Improving CSS Page Weight
Performance is a software cornerstones that tends to be left behind. It’s easy to get distracted while pushing through countless features. Let me be clear about something though: Performance is a feature too! Not only is it a feature, but it also leads to great user experience. The UX of this blog will hands-down beat the UX of any ad-bloated recipe site.
Jul 18 2020
I Deleted Social Media
If I wrote a 140 character tweet, could I persuade you to change your opinion on which you disagree? If I read a 140 character tweet, could I change my opinion on which I disagree? If I respond angerly to a 140 character tweet, am I improving myself mentally? morally? If I see a wall of text on Facebook expressing an opinion, but don’t feel like arguing in the comments, was this beneficial? This is my criticism of the not-so social media
Jun 27 2020
Bring Back Webrings
The current outlets for consuming content is very poor. It seems that right now we rely on social media and Google to quench our thirst for information. Unfortunately, this information feels more like loading up on donuts instead of some fresh vegetables. How can we rediscover high quality content?
Jun 13 2020
Name That Algorithm #4
One project that I have been working on recently is gathering property tax information. While the reason isn’t particularly interesting, what is interesting is my recent optimization. Previously, I had been archiving the raw html files. To get the information in a human readable CSV format, I ran a Node.js parser which utilized cheerio. I was only concerned with a couple of the fields, so I just plucked those out and plopped them in a CSV.
Jun 06 2020
From Vimwiki to One Big File
I was laying in my hammock on one sunny day and began to think about text files. If you’re someone that knows me, you are probably well aware that I am a hardcore text file user and advocator. Anyways, I became bored and Googled “Hacker News text files” to feed myself with some confirmation bias. While reading the comments I realized that I either practice what is preached, or have refined it.
May 30 2020
Maintaining Blog Cadence
These last couple of months, I’ve been able to hold a steady blog release schedule. Three things have helped me release a steady stream of content. First, I am a part of a mastermind group that holds me accountable to making releases. Next, I keep a backlog of posts so that I don’t feel pressured to write, edit, and release on a single day. Finally, I follow a pipeline to iron out the kinks between stages of publishing. Maintaining these three habits guarantee a steady flow of content.