Author: Ross Wintle

I often wish I had stayed in an industry where building software carefully was paramount. (I worked in safety-critical software for a while)

It seems I’m unable to skip on thoroughness.

Standards and automation is what fixes this, but you have to bake it in from the beginning.

Otherwise you have to slow down in the short term to speed up in the long term.

And if your goal is always to move fast, you’re stuck! Which makes you (well, me) slow in the short term and even slower in the long term.

Tax return done. Taxes paid. Quite a lot this year.

✅ Healthcare

✅ Social care

✅ Education

✅ Roads and transit

✅ Foreign aid

✅ Emergency services and police

✅ Environmental agencies

✅ Arts and culture

Yay for contributing to society!! 😃

I have a real issue with statements like “If [the regulation] is anything like GDPR it’s really going to stifle innovation.”

GDPR protects people!

Innovation does not require privacy-invading tracking and complete freedom to do what you want with people’s data.

It’s like saying “seatbelts stifle innovation” or “food safety standards stifle innovation”.

True innovation would be making the new things while respecting privacy so that GDPR isn’t even an issue!!

Interesting UK job working for Justice Digital. Might be a good fit for someone. Python / Go / PHP (“or similar” 🤷) plus some front-end and SQL experience.

Full-time/part-time/flexible working. 24 month contract.

https://www.jobtrain.co.uk/justicedigital/Job/JobDetail?jobid=206

To be clear: I love strong types. I think they make code WAY more understandable, robust, and you get static analysis and autocomplete!

But strict strong types on a code base that you don’t 100% own in a dynamic language is gonna bite you.

So JSDoc is a really nice, pragmatic enhancement. (And it avoids a build step!! 🙌)

It’s interesting that there’s more chatter about using JsDoc instead of TypeScript these days.

I hear it on podcasts. I see it in social posts. It seems it’s “a thing”.

So here’s what I’ve found:

If you’re going _strong_ types you gotta go all in. This is hard when you’re pulling in dependencies as you’re not in control.

So you either:
– build from scratch
– use a language that is strongly typed throughout
– or: consider types pragmatic enhancements

Otherwise you’ll be fighting!!

The Syntax FM chaps are under Sentry now so SURELY they know their site is totally broken if you have ad blockers?

Surely?

Some more little improvements to my notes app overnight:

– A changelog
– An about page
– Show modified dates
– Show last saved time (this may be annoying/distracting)
– Order notes by descending last save time

So fun to work on. Desktop and Chrome/Chromium only (for now).

https://notes.veryuseful.app/

This is an important 5 minutes of audio. Y’all should listen. Taps into so many thoughts I have about playfulness and embracing your own character.

https://thedaily5.xyz/s2/18

Thanks, @aurooba !!

P.S. This is 5 minutes of excellent audio wisdom EVERY day. Highly recommended!

Popped over to Twitter the other day. Kinda can’t believe how many people are still over there sailing on Elon’s ship.

It’s their choice. I respect it. But with ALL that happened it’s just surprising to me.

My weekend-project Notes app now has some… err… design? And the ability to archive notes.

Still not mobile friendly (may never be).

Discovered the file writing API is not in Safari. 🙁

But… actually used for notes at work today. Perfect!!

https://notes.veryuseful.app/

You know how designers get no-code solutions?

Are there any no-design solutions for coders to use?

So. I’ve built my own static site generators, todo lists and Wordle clones. It’s time for a notes app, right?

Right? 🤔

I approve of this message from @chriscoyier

https://chriscoyier.net/2024/01/11/a-weird-thing-that-happens/

I know I’ll be accused of gatekeeping. But I don’t care. I am convinced…

There’s one skill that all senior software developers should have …

The ability to make up crazy ad-hoc metaphors for complex processes, on the fly, on Zoom calls, with 6 other people watching you.

😉

(This is a joke… by the way)

(Well…)

(Sorta…?)

Also. My last Heart Internet domain is set to expire. And I’ve closed another re-sold hosting account. There are TWO accounts left. And then I can be free of reseller hosting forever!!!

😅😅😅😅

Why do all the headlines about the absolute travesty of injustice served to hundreds of UK post office managers start “Faulty software caused…” or “Errors in accounting system…”

NO!

They were relentlessly pursued for something they didn’t do. They were lied to. It was covered up. Their lives were ruined.

Computers and software didn’t do this. People did!!

🤬

I have finished a book!!

I like to read, but I’m terrible at actually finishing off a book.

I have read “Doughnut Economics”. It’s a bit academic at times, but I’ve learned a lot about the kinds of things economists study and how they think. And what some alternatives might be.

I fear it doesn’t have much practical application for the everyday person.

But a very interesting read.