I was talking with a coworker the other day about one of the new AI offerings and how well it simulated human interaction. I was asking it to summarize some notes I had taken on a book, and it did a fantastic job - but I then mentioned something I truly believe: AI is mediocre, at best It has to be, by definition. It's just repeating back to us the most common and probable things that we have said to it. Or, as Scott Hanselman describes it: "AI is a sock puppet on your own hand":...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
I was at a local clothing store with my youngest, looking at clothes over the summer. She was trying to find a good pair of jeans, so we ended up at the Levis store, which isn't cheap. She found a very nice pair that were $95, which seemed a bit high but she's in college now and I suppose that's when you start thinking about buying nicer things. She's extremely thrifty, unlike me, so she suggested: Dad we should drive up to Nordstrom and look there. They have a great selection and it's...
2 months ago • 4 min read
We invest a lot of our time learning programming languages and frameworks, but I think it's just as important to learn the "foundational" skills of our industry, including: Patterns and Principles Architectural Styles Object-oriented as well as Functional Your editor SQL I think most people absorb the first two as their career progresses, and some might dabble in the third. But how many of us take the time to learn SQL or an editing skill like Vim? SQL: The Gift That Keeps Giving Whenever I...
2 months ago • 2 min read
In my last note I mentioned that I put my precious Bullet Journal on the shelf (which really does make me sad) and switched to Obsidian as my full time journal. I wrote about this process in The Imposter's Roadmap as well. I did this for these reasons: I like to review what I've done for a given month, and often need to find a specific reference. That's difficult with a paper-based book. I like saving code snippets. I like using tags so I can roll up my notes and entries based on who or what....
3 months ago • 1 min read
I love exploring and learning new things. While fun, sharing what I've learned is even more rewarding. I spent the majority of my free time over the last year finishing off The Imposter's Roadmap, which I just wrapped up final last weekend. Everything I'm about to share is detailed in the book, and if you're interested, I have a discount for you! 1: The GitHub Project I was talking with Burke Holland a few months ago about using GitHub to run a technical project (using GitHub projects) and he...
3 months ago • 4 min read
You would think that after years of development, the act of shipping something would be nothing but joy and relief. In the moment, however, "pushing send" is terrifying and feels like running naked into traffic. That's what I'm feeling right now because today is the day! After two years of planning, research, writing, and editing - it’s ready to go: The Imposter’s Roadmap, essential practices, tools, and skills for self-taught programmers. If you click that link, I've thrown in a 20% discount...
5 months ago • 2 min read
Most people aren't aware of the power of constraints in a database. They're there to enforce data rules, and you're probably familiar with a few of them, including: The null constraint, which won't allow null values. The unique constraint, which ensures a record is always unique. The primary key constraint, which I don't need to explain. Assuming you've used these before, let me ask you a question: is this business logic? I think it's fair to say that some logic is being used here in the form...
6 months ago • 4 min read
The subject of this email is a quote from Steve Martin, one of my favorite people. I grew up in the 70s, listening to Wild and Crazy Guy religiously. I could quote just about every joke from that album, and I was only 12, which caused problems for my parents. One of my favorite jokes was about meeting a lady and falling for her cat... I won't repeat it here but I didn't stop laughing for hours. Here's a link, but volume down and be wary of little ears. Anyway, I just finished watching the...
7 months ago • 4 min read
In my last post I mentioned that I have been reading a lot of personal growth and business books, which I enjoy. Finance, emotional health, non-slimy marketing, etc. A few weeks ago I started listening to listening to Take Control of Your Life by Mel Robbins because my niece recommended it. To be honest: I didn't really want to listen to this. The title is too broad and, if I'm being extremely honest, I highly doubt a single book is going to enable me to feel like I've gained "control" of my...
7 months ago • 5 min read