Tools That Just Work
Finding technology that simply works feels like a rare gem. Everywhere we turn, there are promises of groundbreaking innovation, yet the true treasures are those quiet tools that do their job without fanfare.
Archive
2025
4
My Relationship With Coffee
My relationship with coffee has evolved quite a bit, mirroring the changes I've undergone in my adult life. I've dabbled in all kinds of coffee-making methods. But after a few years, I got a little burned out and tired of all the effort. But this past year has stirred some changes in me.
Governments
Governments, if they endure, always tend increasingly toward aristocratic forms. No government in history has been known to evade this pattern.
Embracing the Moment
I can't help but notice the signs—the whispers of collapse. It's like this grand old contraption that's finally losing steam and hinting at a total breakdown. But instead of spiraling into existential dread about what the future holds, I’m sinking into the delightful pandemonium of the right now.
2024
23
Is stuff online worth saving?
As we collect bookmarks, we quickly recognize that many online artifacts have vanished. Links break, content evaporates—so, is stuff online worth saving?
The Meeting Plague
I often find myself buried under a mountain of meetings, each one chipping away at my focus and productivity. While collaboration is crucial, the avalanche of pointless discussions has become an overwhelming distraction that stifles creativity and innovation.
Reading List 9
We have been moving for the past month. It has been exhausting. Physically, of course, but also mentally. So blogging took a backseat during these weeks. And I'm having a hard time getting back into my old routines. So what better way to get back to blogging than with a link dump.
One-Thing Apps
Super-apps, with their endless features and promises of convenience, often result in a chaotic mess. While well-designed single-purpose app offer something undeniably magical. They don't try to tackle every problem known to humankind; instead, they laser-focus on doing one thing exceptionally well.
Reading List 8
Computers, with their endless streams of data and boundless capabilities, are nothing short of mesmerizing, yet most of us type away clueless about the intricate dance of circuits and code beneath the surface.
Reading List 7
I'm a firm believer that you shouldn't trust your data on the internet. A manager at some massive media company can easily destroy years of data just to balance a spreadsheet. And that often fills me with some despair. However, reading how some people find ways to preserve the things and relationships they love, does give me hope.
The Mac's Balancing Act
Over the last few years, Apple has been navigating a precarious tightrope with macOS. Striking a balance between robust security measures and unbridled functionality has long defined the Mac experience. Historically, the Mac has been regarded as a power tool; a sanctuary for creators and power users. Yet, with the increasing stringency of security protocols, many of us find ourselves at odds with an evolving ecosystem that seems more intent on restricting than enabling.
On Owning Your Music
I was a Spotify subscriber from day one. Shortly after Apple Music came out, I moved over because of the better integration. But now, I'm all in on Plex. Despite its quirks and complexities, this transition has been extremely rewarding. And I don't plan on ever leaving.
Analog Memories
I've been reminiscing about my childhood recently. This got me thinking about how we make memories. Like most people, I take a lot of pictures with my phone. But they are stored away, visited occasionally during moments of nostalgia or accidental scrolls. And this has rekindled a desire to capture life through physical photos. With this renewed passion, I boldly ordered a film camera...
Reading List 6
One of my favorite podcasts to listen to while I work is Darknet Diaries. Jack tells some of the wildest stories in the world of cybersecurity. A lot of these are what you'd expect. But some are truly insane. Here are 4 of my absolute favorites.
On Buying Physical Media
As streaming continues to dominate the media landscape, the pursuit of physical media has become an uphill battle. Not too long ago, you could easily rely on big-box retailers and generous production runs to get your hands on Blu-rays and DVDs. Now, these same avenues are plagued by scarcity, questionable quality, and the predatory practices of online marketplaces.
AI Is Ruining The Internet
The elusive enchantment of AI has cast a spell over the tech world and the unsuspecting public alike. But they are more like unscrupulous puppeteers pulling strings in the shadow, devouring online content in a feeding frenzy. They lie through their teeth about where this data comes from, eroding the ethical bedrock the internet was built on.
Reading List 5
These are some of my favorite articles I re-read recently on a long flight. I love coming across articles like these where the story isn't your flashy pop culture headline. They are fascinating and refreshing, in a way.
The Timeless Allure of Physical Media
Today, digital convenience reigns supreme. The tactile joy of physical media—a stack of DVDs, a shelf of Blu-rays, a collection of CDs—feels like a relic from the past. But for those who value quality, reliability, and a sense of true ownership, physical media still holds a compelling place.
Reading List 4
An animal apocalypse, a man notorious book thief, and the governments massive hoard of cheese. This is by far the best list I've put together.
Archiving Data for Posterity: My Move to M-DISC
I've been thinking a lot about data preservation. My ever-expanding digital collection grows exponentially. And while the average person might stream all their media and rely on some online drive for photos, I prefer a local-first approach. So what happens when my digital treasure trove is threatened by the impermanence of modern storage solutions? Enter the M-DISC.
TikTok Ban: Unmasking Meta's Machiavellian Maneuvers
Recruiting the consulting firm Targeted Victory to perform the unsavory task, Meta meticulously engineered a complex plan involving negative narratives about TikTok. The outcome was an unequivocal success. If we poke holes into how this ban was brought about, we reveal a writhing underbelly of xenophobia.
Reading List 3
I've finally settled into the new job and have some free time now to catch up on my RSS feeds and reading list. I read some amazing articles able the fragility of the web and how easily one of our most important utilities could crumble.
The Highs and Lows of GitHub Copilot: Why I Called It Quits
If you're not familiar with it, Copilot is an AI-based code completion tool, created by GitHub and OpenAI. What it does is suggest whole lines or chunks of code while you're writing. And a lot of developers initially loved this concept. But after nearly a year of heavy use, I've decided to call it quits.
Reading List 2
This week, in transition jobs. And this is my last week at the company I've worked for the last 3 years. It's a bittersweet moment, but I also had a lot of free time these last few days and I got to catch up on my RSS feed!
Echoes of Hyrule: Revisiting 'A Link to the Past'
Few games transcend time, becoming more than just a fleeting memory of digital entertainment. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is such a game, a masterpiece that has left an indelible mark on the hearts of gamers and the landscape of the gaming world.
Reading List 1
I've been hoarding a ton of bookmarks for years now and haven't found an excellent way to share some of the more interesting stuff. So, I've decided to start my own, heavily inspired by Sadiq Saif's Reading List series.
The Analogue Pocket: A Love Letter to Retro Gaming
In the quiet, pixelated corners of our memories, where the echoes of chiptune melodies linger, the Analogue Pocket has emerged—not merely as a gaming device but as a bridge across time. It's a conduit to the past, a nostalgic journey that rekindles the flames of our gaming history. It is an ode to a piece of technology that honors the legacy of handheld gaming.
2023
25
Authenticity and the Personal Blog
There's a growing conversation about the true essence of personal blogs. Should they be a polished showcase of professional achievements or a canvas for unbridled creativity?
Shadows and Data: The 2022 Blackout Legacy
The city of Los Angeles finds itself shrouded in an unprecedented darkness. The year is 2022, now defined by a catastrophic event known simply as the Blackout, marked not just by the absence of light but by the erasure of electronic data—a reset of culture and society.
Tackling Bufferbloat with L4S
Our online activities have expanded to include everything from streaming movies and music to playing video games and participating in video conferences. With such diverse uses, the quality of our internet connection is more important than ever. L4S promises to revolutionize our online interactions by addressing a pervasive yet often overlooked problem: bufferbloat.
The Case for Physical Media
Contrary to popular belief, the internet is not a permanent archive of our shared digital experiences. Instead, it's a dynamic and ever-changing environment shaped by technological advancements and corporate decisions. This reality is particularly evident in the video game preservation field and the broader context of digital content consumption.
The Myth of the 'Untalented Developer'
Navigating the constantly evolving world of web development can be challenging, especially when creating efficient yet lean web applications. Two insightful pieces, one by Baldur Bjarnason and another by Chris Coyier provide valuable insights into web developers' dichotomies and struggles.
The Unseen Cost of SEO
In the nascent era of the web, SEO was a concept as esoteric as the personal computer itself—a curiosity, a future fantasy. Today, this landscape has shifted monumentally. SEO has become omnipresent, molding the internet and social media's contours, but at a potentially steep price.
The Quiet War on Libraries
In an era where disinformation is the new currency and social media algorithms determine what is "true," the necessity of libraries has never been more pressing. Yet, here we are, watching the very foundations of these institutions crumble, not by accident, but by design.
The Web's Own Worst Enemy: The Fallacy of Google's AMP
Google has been on a long, winding road that seems to have led it far from its original mantra of "don't be evil". One of the most glaring examples of this detour is AMP. It was supposed to be the savior of the mobile web. Instead, it turned out to be more like a wolf in sheep's clothing.
On Pull Requests
In small teams, you're spread thin, constantly multitasking. Enter pull requests, the epitome of asynchronous collaboration. They're how you keep the bar high when running lean.
Refactoring's Unseen Value
Refactoring is not just about cleaning up; it's about future-proofing the codebase. It's about making it easier for the next developer (or even future you) to understand what's happening. But companies don't usually reward this.
The Plumber Problem: A Coder's Lament
Ever watched a hacking scene in a movie and cringed at how unrealistic it was? As someone who has spent years in the trenches of software development, these scenes are not just inaccurate; they're painful to watch. They're a caricature, a gross oversimplification of a complex and nuanced field.
On Climate Change
Climate change is no longer a distant, abstract threat. It's here, it's now, and it's personal. We've inherited a world on the brink of climate collapse. But it doesn't have to define our future.
The Ephemeral Web
We often take the permanence of our online data for granted. But as recent events have shown, this is a dangerous assumption. Archiving can help you regain control of your data and ensure you have a copy safe from the whims of the digital world.
On ActivityPub
I'm excited about ActivityPub. I see its potential to shake up the social web, which has long been a playground dominated by tech giants. Meta has promised to hook up Threads into ActivityPub, but I can't help but wonder about the implications for data privacy.
The Useless Web
It's a tale as old as the web itself—a realm where practicality takes a backseat, and uselessness reigns supreme. Countless websites, often dismissed as trivial or bizarre, cater to specialized niches. However, amidst the chaos and clamor, the spirit of uselessness perseveres. It seeks refuge in the hidden corners of the web, in communities that revel in the delightful absurdity.
Unplugged Productivity
Working remotely as a web developer offers incredible flexibility, but let's face it, distractions are a struggle for us all. Dave Rupert's thought-provoking piece, Bag of Distractions, got me pondering the allure of the digital realm and how it impacts our productivity as we toil away in our home offices.
Google Reader's Unseen Potential
In 2013, Google Reader was deemed unnecessary and was cast off into the void. But as users scramble to escape the clutches of algorithm-driven feeds, they’re running back to RSS.
The Future Is Disabled
Let's dig into Ashley Shew's piece on tech and accessibility from MIT Tech Review. It's all about the real deal with assistive tech and how we can shape a more inclusive future.
On Large Photo Libraries
Taking and sharing photos is a cornerstone of the iOS experience. Yet Apple has inundated us with features without ensuring the user experience is improved.
Looking Back On My Lockdown Experience
I was a remote worker before 2020. But I think I speak for most pre-COVID WFH folks when I say that the lockdown destroyed our way of life.
Data Hoarding and the Death of Collecting
It's easy to lose sight of the physical relationships we once had with the media we consume in the digital age. The ease with which we can collect and store data has altered our relationship with media and how we organize it. We can reclaim this relationship by developing better systems for organizing and prioritizing information.
Location-Based Things Reminders
Things v3.17 was released and brought a much-needed overhauled Shortcuts integration. This means you can now create your location-based reminders with the help of travel triggers.
Tools of the Trade
A Pen Addict episode discussed the importance of having the right tools for optimal productivity and simple elegance to them. Here's a list of the most important tools I use daily as a web developer.
Surfing The Old Web
I was given open access to the internet at a young age back in 1999-2002. It was the early web. A digital garden where anyone could express their creativity with a hand-crafted digital persona, often completely disconnected from their true selves. And I miss the sense of discovery more than anything. But in today's hyper-connected web, there are still a few places where you can still experience this feeling.
Back to Blogging
Blogging has been something I've struggled to do consistently for longer than a few months at a time. But as I've matured and my relationship with the internet has matured, I've developed a healthier relationship with the online communities I frequent. And I'd love to share more of my thoughts.
2022
5
Better Coffee, Better Life. Papa Juan.
I come from a long line of coffee lovers. My ancestral land in Central America has been growing delicious coffee for centuries. On the other hand, I am stuck looking for sub-par coffee from some overpriced online vendor claiming to have _the best coffee known to humankind_ for the low price of $39.99/bag.
Rediscovering A Love for Gaming
I recently resurfaced a nostalgia for my childhood gaming days. And maybe I should do something about it and hunt down the stuff I used to play with as a kid.
Internet Access For All
A utility we take for granted daily is hardly accessible to a large portion of the country. So many of these underserved communities are taking matters into their own hands.
Spreadsheets Revolutions
I was dissatisfied with the current bookmarking solutions, so I made a custom one instead. This started with a myriad of Airtable bases, and then—for some stupid reason—I decided to roll my own hosted database.
Owning Your Data
When your data is the source of revenue, whoever has it will do anything to protect it and reassure you that it is best placed in their hands. But when it isn't at risk of being lost, it's being utilized to violate your privacy.
2021
2
2021: I forgot what happened...
After a rough year, 2021 was shaping up to be rough as well. And it was. But somehow, I cannot recall much about it. Every day was more or less the same.
The WET Codebase
Early in our careers, we're exposed to several principles which are thought of as hard rules one must abide by. And while constraints can yield innovation, they shouldn't be at the cost of having a maintainable codebase.
2020
4
March Notes
Most of us spend much more time at home than usual. I'm used to spending weeks indoors without seeing the light of day. Although being told I can't go out makes things far more stressful for some reason.
February Notes
So much happened in such a short amount of time. I've occupied myself with work to the point that I hardly did anything else but code this month. But I still managed to squeeze in some interesting stuff.
January Notes
This was a solid start to the Year of Focus. I've been working hard this month on optimizing the site and cleaning up my feeds (podcast and RSS).
Year of Focus
Last year's theme was a success. This year, I want to take advantage of the extra time I carved for myself and focus on the things that matter.
2019
3
Spreadsheets Reloaded
In this second installment of Spreadsheets, I want to detail my attempt at making a database for all my lists. I don't recommend this approach; there are plenty of more user-friendly solutions to this problem. But that's no fun.
Spreadsheets
I like lists. I make them all the time to help me keep track of just about anything I need to know. After some time, these became spreadsheets. And now, it's a sizable amount of Airtables.
Year of Quality
Every year, the guys over at the Cortex podcast develop a theme that sets an overarching idea guiding their decisions. That got me thinking of recent media consumption changes I've made recently.
2017
1
On Procrastinating
For many of us, procrastinating is the norm, and getting some work done is the day's accomplishment. I have no idea how to solve that problem. And that's not what this post is about. But let's talk about it anyway.
