Surfing the Cloud

Containers

The Docker Mind Shift

It is hard to miss: DevOps and Docker/Containers are here with a vengeance. But at its heart, Containers are a challenge for many people, especially those who already work in tech because they are a different paradigm. Containers help DevOps achieve its full potential when done right. But to

Leadership

Remote Work Success!

From time to time situations may call for working remotely, but working remotely comes with its own challenges — on both the remote worker and the in-office workforce. Here are some suggestions for helping this to be a positive experience for all. 1. Hyper Communicate First and foremost, when working remotely,

Developers

The Agile Deceit

Understanding Feature vs Deliverable Discord In software development, there is a challenge which, at its root, is about the difference between a feature (described from a user's perspective as something a user needs) and a deliverable (the actual "thing" that is made). If you feel these

Developers

Avoiding Calamitous Data Migrations

In the world of Continuous Delivery, data migrations are a looming challenge. A data migration is simply changing the structure of your live data, and the code to suit. The problem is a bit of a chicken-and-egg scenario. Do you push out the new code first, or do you change

MacOS

Mac OSX 10.x base config

Standard steps for making Mac OSX 10.x usable for a person who is comfortable with a Linux desktop and/or may use virtualization to run Linux Desktops. Mainly, I keep this for my own reference, but others may enjoy it as well. For some of these reference hardentheworld.org

Containers

Top Mistakes of Container Implementations

Docker and containers are the latest new tech "hot thing." But it is easy to make mistakes, and with the breadth of options the first step can seem like an insurmountable cliff. Before you begin a docker implementation, regardless of which platform you are using, you should know

Developers

The Semantic Versioning Anti-Pattern

The classic X.Y.Z style of software numbering, sometimes known as Semantic Versioning, may be hurting more than it helps. Semver.org has codified how these numbers should be used for some cases, describing what is meant by the major and minor version numbers, when to change them, what

Developers

Ideal API versioning

There is a significant conversation around how to version an HTTP or REST API. Versioning an API is good, because it helps you to sustain old API's while being able to change and adapt to future needs. But, what is the best way to handle this? A few

Developers

Don't Fear node.js console.log()

Logging is a good thing! However, there is a lot of confusion around Node.JS console.log(), and if it should or should not be used. The problem is not console.log(), but rather how 'stdout' I/O is handled. Standard Output I/O can be blocking or

Designing Tech

What is an Architect?

Technology Architects and Strategic Planners may be the most confused roles in the IT industry. Depending upon whom you ask or where you look, the definition varies dramatically. While the industry has struggled with defining the role of an Architect, an alternate label has also come into common use, which

Leadership

Delegate with Success

Delegation is something we all want to do, yet we find it challenging. We recognize that we cannot do everything, but it is hard to pass off important things to others. Can we trust they will do it right? Or they will do it at all? The deeper problem is

Leadership

Fox in the Henhouse

There is a renown rivalry in Software Development as polarized as the Hatfield and McCoy's. As long as there has been software, there has existed two factions: the Developers, and the Administrators (also known as Operations). The Developers just want to write code and get it into Production.

Designing Tech

The Power of Sustainment

I have come to appreciate a simple facet of Relationships called Sustainment. The concept is seemingly obvious, yet so often lost and forgotten. Simply put, one must always provide respect upwards to leadership, laterally to peers, and downwards to subordinates. The Withering Countermand If you have ever been in the

Designing Tech

Time

Language and communication happens at a fixed point in time. We have a thought, and a statement is made. Unlike a word processor, there is no undo feature. Time moves forward, and that statement you made or question you answered is now in the past. This creates a challenge to

Designing Tech

Leadership Domains

Effective change can only be made with a solid understanding of your organization, and this involves understanding how people behave--these are defined as Leadership Domains and Behavioral Domains. There are three common domains of leadership responsibility in a project: Motivation, Design, and Tracking. These domains come with a variety of

Leadership

Behavioral Domains

Just as leadership has three common domains, the same goes for how people within an organization tend to think and behave. These are the Behavioral Domains and are commonly described as: Operations, Engineering and Architecture. What varies is how each of these are defined within an organization. What is one

Designing Tech

Baselines, not Standards

In the IT industry, the word “standard” is loved and cherished. It is within easy reach in our toolbox, it fits snugly in our hand, and we use it on a daily basis, wielding it like a sword in both offense and defense. Our standards are the body and composition

Designing Tech

Documentation Driven Change (DDC)

A monumental task in the technology industry is to get good Execution Documentation. It is such a challenge that most systems do not even have it, or if it does exist, it is a pale shadow in contrast to what is actually implemented. This becomes a great challenge when bringing

Designing Tech

Stop Fearing IT

*“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” * Albert Einstein* If somebody were to ask a group of Information Technologists (IT) to build a house, they would start with the second-floor bathroom, regardless of the fact that there is no first floor. Those

Designing Tech

Technology Crusades

We have a serious challenge in IT. It seems just as we come to understand a new technology, it changes or becomes obsolete. It is no wonder that we develop emotional attachments to certain solutions. The struggle to reach comprehension and understanding of a technology before it is obsolete is

HowTo

Live Text a Presenter

Technical Level: Adept While standing at the podium it is nice to be able to receive messages live from your audience, but also not have to give out a private phone number, and better yet have some people help filter the messages if you have a large audience. This is

Information Assurance

Don't Fear SaaS

We are in the world of connected services, always online, always available. In this world, many software options are available online—you just need to connect these Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings into your solution. Software as a Service enables and empowers you. It allows a team of experts

DevOps

Factors of an Ephemeral App

*Note: this article is superseded by the newer Idiomatic Containers. This page will auto redirect in 5 seconds. Ephemeral Immutable Apps stand on the principals of the 12-factor app. However, the 12 factors leave unclear some of the operational and administrative factors — things which are very important if you want

Writing

Why Two Spaces isn't wrong after a period

There is a battle being waged, and most of the world is largely unaware. Every so often I come across somebody who argues, "The modern world agrees, only one space should come after a period." And they feel very strongly about this, arguing with the vehemence of a

HowTo

Setup CentOS 7 / Fedora

Technical Level: Beginner Useful quick reference for getting a viable Fedora or CentOS 7 setup. In all cases these steps should be run as root: sudo -s Starting with FC23 Yum has upgraded to Dandified Yum aka DNF. Since this guide is for either CentOS 7 or FC23... if you