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Nerderypublic.com is delivered with WordPress – no issues, but haven’t tried to do much with it.

Our church’s website is also delivered with WordPress. Arrgh. Not well built, quite the pain to work with. As the primary maintainer, wanting to get off of it. We have other reasons to want to get off of it, including that our hosting environment for the site + the church email has had issues. Ergo, this geek is looking for other solutions.

I’m leaning towards a GitHub page delivered solution, using a static site generator which looks at markdown files for entries. Experimenting with Nuxt.js at the moment, using GitHub Actions to push out the generated site, and hopefully integrating Netlify CMS to provide ease of use for contributors other than myself. We’ll see how the experiment turns out.

Progress tonight:

  • Set up a virtual machine with a Linux environment to work in
  • Installed npm
  • Created a “church-site” using the command npm init nuxt-app church-site, per the instructions on the Nuxt site
  • Choices of note:
    • JavaScript instead of TypeScript: I’ve had previous experience with TypeScript and thought it made things too obscured. Likely better by now, but still left a bad taste in my mouth
    • Package manager: NPM instead of Yarn: again, familiarity, though suspect Yarn would’ve worked just as well
    • UI framework: Bootstrap Vue: some familiarity with generic Bootstrap. No familiarity with the rest listed as options
    • Nuxt.js modules: eh, took ’em all: Axios Promis based HTTP client, Progressive Web App, Content via Git-based headless CMS. Maybe we won’t use ’em. Right now, I’m not worried about optimizing.
    • Linting tools: took ’em all .
    • Testing framework: have some past experience with Jest, none with the others. (Hey, I haven’t done Web app development in a bit…)
    • Rendering mode: Universal
    • Deployment target: Static (Static / Jamstack hosting)
    • Development tools: took ’em all
    • Continuous integration: GitHub Actions
    • Version control system: Git

Results:

  • a ‘Welcome to your Nuxt Application’ site available on localhost:3000 when I run npm run dev
  • npm run generate doesn’t complain, seems to have generated some content under perhaps static
  • Was able then to update some items in the components/Tutorial.vue component, as well as the site name in nuxt.config.js and see them reflected in the running website

Next goals:

  • connect it in with Git, Github Actions, and github pages
  • Pull in a collection of markdown items (ala sermon descriptions, correlated with YouTube links)
  • Netlify CMS to edit a markdown items, see flow through

Day 2

Got it pushed to Git, working with GitHub Actions, and auto-building to a GitHub page. It’s still the same starter system, but the auto-build has somehow opened 6 pull requests on my project to bump up various dependencies. Each of those pull requests triggered a successful auto-build.

Things I wrestled with:

  • commit-lint: sure, I’ve noticed that lots of git commits in various public repos follow a particular structure of late – something like “feature(build): some text here”. That said, was surprised when my commit wouldn’t push unless it followed that structure. I’m sure I could turn off that particular pre-commit hook, but for the moment I’m leaving it there and trying the new (to me) style.
  • prettifier: I left on all the linters for the source code originally. I was regretting that earlier when my code wouldn’t pass inspection and I couldn’t find info as to why. I finally turned off linting in the build steps. For my purposes, it may not be all that necessary: I’m not really trying to sustain a community of developers with a consistent looking code-base. For learning purposes, I’ll futz with it again in the future, but not going to let it block progress.
  • somehow my original git clone didn’t set up a remote? I had to manually add one, which confoozled me for a minute. Resolved, but… Note that this is the first time I’d set up an ssh key against Github, apparently… I thought I had before, and I’ve definitely done it regularly for Gitlab, but maybe that was the difference in procedure; the clone via ssh. Dunno. Got past it, regardless.

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On Thursday, Dec 16th, I turned in my last paper for my last project for my last class of my cybersecurity degree. On Friday, December 17th, my teammate turned in the last deliverable of the project. I’m done! We’ve gotten feedback on our deliverables already (“Exceeds Expectations” – a common refrain) and a hearty “best wishes in your future endeavors” from our professor. I’m done! I’m done! The grade hasn’t posted on my transcript yet, but UMGC is holding virtual commencement exercises today. I’m walking on cloud nine, just not on a stage. I wouldn’t have walked on the stage anyway – I just wanted the achievement, not the hassle of getting to some event somewhere to be announced to people I don’t even know.

Instead, I’ll spend my weekend working with balloons for a Clementine gig this afternoon and just generally being ecstatic that I’m done!

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For certain assignments for our class, we’re required to submit videos. I’ve done it before by saving my narration in a PowerPoint file, but this time I opted to export it to an MP4 and publish to YouTube. Why, I’m not sure. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

Replaying my video through YouTube, I’m amused to see the list of things YouTube next recommends for me, after viewing a video entitled ‘CYB670 Team2 Project3 CyberOperationsAndRiskManagementBriefing’. (Eh, I should probably have cleaned that up a bit and put in spaces at least, but…)

In order of listing:

All of those sound much more interesting than my briefing on cyber risk management. Tempted to add a few recommended links for the professor’s enjoyment! Definitely check out the Carol of the Bells!

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Bit of context: in June, I changed companies and thus changed projects. In the world I work in, it can take a bit to get new accounts and be viable as a developer, so I think by mid July I was committing code into an established baseline for a monolith service. Technical architecture: Spring Boot, providing RESTful services, interacting with JPA repositories, and a smidge of interacting via Feign clients out to another service. Code is there, can be interactively debugged, etc. Plenty of meat to dig into, plenty of tools to do it with, but a decently robust codebase for a heavily used system for our customers.

Over the summer, we changed objectives. Instead of adding new capabilities to the project, we were figuring out how to safely port it to another environment, where most of the original code for the monolith wouldn’t make it just yet. E.g., rearchitecture it a bit, figure out how we could stub some things out, borrow what we could of the build system, and make it work. Our code would be developed in the new environment and imported into the old, and the goal was to be able to develop new things while not breaking things in the old. Challenging, particularly since the old thing was still moving forward with or without us. Still the same technical architecture, but less code to work with (since not all of the production code made it into our new environment). And moving targets on versioning: is our version foo+1 compatible with the production foo+1 in the production environment? Did they change something we rely upon? Note that things don’t change often in the areas we’re dealing with, but, since the production code’s model is that all things are at the same version, there’s a bit of extra strat-eg-ery to work through. And, of course, we don’t have a strongly built out test dataset or deployment infrastructure in the new environment.

We’re not quite resolved as of early October. But now we’re pivoting to a new thing. Entirely new objectives, entirely new codebase, entirely new architecture. Switch to providing multiple microservices, using Reactive programming and API calls for the microservices. Reading up this morning on Reactive programming, I was relieved to see the statement: “If you’re familiar with Spring MVC and building REST APIs, you’ll enjoy Spring WebFlux. There’s just a few basic concepts that are different.” (1). I’ve long thought Matt Raible was a good geek whisperer, from I think well back in Struts and AppFuse development days.. Matt apparently collaborates with Josh Long (@starbuxman), who wrote much of the code Matt included in that post. So I hop out to @starbuxman and see the following near the top of his feed:

Amused that “a few basic concepts that are different” could translate to “480 pages 😯”. Recognizing that reactive style programming’s been out for a few years now and is a mature construct, I’m not super worried. I do have some development background in asynchronous programming and event handling, after all, based on an interesting websockets-based web user interface I built out a few years ago. Still hoping that 480 pages of “Reactive Spring” is really a rehash of “everything you otherwise need to generally know about Spring” with a few extra Reactive details. Else I’ll start keeping this emoji ( ☢️ ) a little closer at hand and “reactive” might start referring to my facial expression when we get the next new shift in direction.

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Between open carry laws that don’t require training or registration and a new law that incentives folks to turn in women or those who help them, Texas looks like it’s become quite the dangerous state. Churches and the government should establish refugee resettlement programs for any Texas women and their families that seek to leave. Texas is seeking to become a retirement only state. Warning: it’s hard to care for retirees without younger folks.

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In a surprise shift in my career, my customer and employer is now supporting work from home. After a few weeks of working from home 4 days of 5, here are a few surprising reflections:

  • Not commuting is wonderful!
  • I can happily wear Crocs and PJs 4 days out of 5. (We have no video meetings!) That whole idea of dress for success? Doesn’t apply when you’re in the groove in code.
  • Makeup is an optional thing
  • Jumping out to the gym in the middle of the day means fewer people => more access to the weights. And not having to be at work (and no video meetings) means showering is a thing that can be done when the work day is done… (No, you don’t want to share a home office with me on workout days…)
    • Surprisingly, old people at the gym are the ones who are getting too close for my comfort in COVID times. Guess who’s at the gym in the middle of the day?
    • Note that me being at the gym in the middle of the day suggests the logical inference that I am old, which I attempt to avoid acknowledging…
  • While there are no distractions from too loud coworkers, the puppy who wants to play can consume some significant cycles that need to be accounted for in the timesheet
  • Beer can be consumed, but should only be done (1) in the evening, (2) when you’re almost done anyway, and (3) used as a stopping function. E.g., I’m on beer #2, billable time is over!

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In July, I signed up to be a “fundracer” for a group doing great things in the Baltimore area. Back on My Feet is a national organization with a Baltimore affiliate. In each affiliate location, they set up running groups at local homeless shelters. They worry about making sure that running groups have structure and running partners (both residents from the shelter and from the community), help folks connect with shoes, and connect participants with employment and housing opportunities. Their model literally walks/runs alongside the folks they’re seeking to serve, committing to regularly be there with them and connect. They’ve got some impressive stats, too, in terms of numbers of folks employed and housed through the program – check out their website. The program says: “Our unique model demonstrates that if you first restore confidence, strength and self-esteem, individuals are better equipped to tackle the road ahead.” and that they “seek to engage you in the profound experience of empowering individuals to achieve what once seemed impossible through the seemingly simple act of putting one foot in front of the other.”

I’ve fundraced for BoMF before. They get entry slots in the local Baltimore Running Festival, which runs in October as a 5K, half-marathon, and marathon. I used to be more of a runner and would train for the half. I’m older and a bit less in shape than I was, with other priorities at the moment that keep me from dedicating time to build up to logging 12 mile+ training runs on weekends. But…. I can put a few fewer steps in front of the other and make the 5K (3.1 miles) happen. I’m now regularly running 2-2.5 miles during the week, with a long run on the weekend of 4 miles. I’m slow, but getting slowly faster. Using that same approach to commitment that the running club participants put in, I’m slowly seeing results. I’ll only earn success and complete the race if I keep it up, though, just as they’ll only earn their success if they keep putting in the work towards employment and housing.

If you, like me, find the approach valuable and/or inspiring, support Back on My Feet and their mission by supporting me in my fundracing. Earlier this month, I met my “goal”, which was the minimum tally to enter the race on behalf of BoMF. That said, just as your own home’s budget would appreciate any bonus amounts, so of course would BoMF’s. More $$ means abilities to support more folks and do bigger things.

Oh, did I mention? Thanks to one donor’s request, I’ll be running this a tutu, clown socks, with a clown horn and probably a goofy hat (heat dependent). Want me to up the ante somehow? Let’s talk! Want me to show up at your event in such??! Well, that’s possible, too. Although I can’t promise to run in full Clementine mode (clown shoes are _not_ a safe running option for 3.1 miles!), other events are possible…

Last link to make it easy to contribute here!

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I created a new Git project on my GitHub profile today as I began some work on a possible conference presentation. I was surprised to see a message that said I’d received an achievement badge because I’d “contributed code to the 2020 GitHub Archive Program and now have a badge for it. Thank you for being part of the program!”

Clicking through the Archive program link to find out more, I saw that “On 02/02/2020 GitHub captured a snapshot of every active public repository. Those millions of repos were then archived to hardened film designed to last for 1,000 years, and stored in the GitHub Arctic Code Vault in a decommissioned coal mine deep beneath an Arctic mountain in Svalbard, Norway.”

Which sounds kind of cool, in more ways than one. However, I’m not excited about not really getting a way to opt out of that archive. Although the message on the achievement badge notification says something about being able to opt out in settings, clicking through to settings doesn’t take me anywhere that makes it clear what setting I’d need to adjust. Further, if they’ve already “archived to hardened film designed to last for 1,000 years”, thinking any setting I list now is sort of moot anyway.

This isn’t the only usage of code item GitHub’s made public lately: their new CoPilot program uses the source of public code repositories, apparently regardless of the license used by the repository owner. Starting to wonder if I need to check more seriously into Gitlab’s offerings….

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Was dismayed to discover this morning that O’Reilly is no longer putting on in-person conferences, to include the wonderful OSCON conference I so enjoyed both attending and presenting for. I tripped across that news today when I went to find links to my previous talks (2014, 2016). Both talks were based around the idea of delivering the bad news that your build is broken by way of obnoxious Furby chatter. I had submitted talk topics for several years before that first talk got picked up – guess the conference review assessors similarly thought Furbies might be hard to look away from.

So, farewell, OSCON, Strata, and an abundance of other conferences. I’ve been finding my geek conference fix in other places of late, more related to cyber, and it’s not as if there isn’t an abundance of ways to learn in person and online. But OSCON will forever hold a sweet spot in my heart.