RFC Basics for Developers
This note explains how to read RFCs without drowning in them, which RFCs are most relevant for web developers, and the …
blobstreaming
Developer journal & engineering lab notebook
Recent Notes
SVG Diagrams for Documentation
This note covers the practical use of SVG for technical diagrams in developer documentation. It walks through the …
Blob Storage Patterns in MySQL
This note covers the three main approaches to storing binary data alongside MySQL — inline BLOBs, external file …
HTTP Caching for Static Sites
This note covers the HTTP caching headers that matter for static sites, how CDN edge caching interacts with browser …
Recent Essays
Blind Developer Interviews
The standard developer hiring process is broken in a specific and measurable way: we evaluate candidates based on …
Google Layoffs Continue as Cuts Hit Flutter, Dart, and Python Teams
Google’s multi-year wave of layoffs, which began in January 2023 with 12,000 positions eliminated, continued to …
Former Microsoft Developer Says Windows 11's Performance Is 'Comically Bad' Even with Monster PC
When a former Microsoft developer publicly states that Windows 11’s performance is “comically bad” — …
Programming Jobs Will Go Away
Every few years, someone predicts the end of programming jobs. Visual programming was going to eliminate coders. …
Ada Lovelace: What Did the First Computer Program Do?
In 1843, Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace — known today as Ada Lovelace — published a set of notes on Charles …
Poor Code Quality Due to AI Assistants: GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT
AI coding assistants — GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Amazon CodeWhisperer, and their growing list of competitors — have …
The Struggles of a Young Developer
The first two years of a software development career are uniquely difficult. Not because the technical work is the …
Software Engineer Burnout
Burnout is not tiredness. Tiredness goes away with rest. Burnout is a state of chronic emotional exhaustion, …