2018
Why I scribe notes by hand
Take a break from the keyboard and scribe your notes by hand
For years I used Evernote to scribe meeting notes, capture ideas, and itemize my to-do items. Several years ago I started keeping a bullet journal to give myself a break from the glare of a computer monitor, and I've not looked back.
The Importance of Story
Gain influence and get your way with a good story
Creating a compelling story is one of the most important skills a technology leader must develop. You'll use storytelling to convince your boss that your ideas are good ones, and influence your peers to take your advice.
Deploy Wyam to an Azure Web App
Easy deployment with Git and Kudu
Now that I've got Wyam running on my workstation, I need to work out the deployment methodology for publishing content to my Azure Web App. My objective is to have a painless, largely automated process that allows me to focus on writing.
Blogging with Wyam
The evolution of my blogging platform
This weekend I ported my blog from static content generated by Octopress to the static site generation platform, Wyam. After several years ignoring the site based on the Jekyll derivative, I felt it was time to move to a generator based on technologies that allow me to focus on writing.
2013
Git Tips and Tricks
A few helpful tips to make life with Git easier
I've been using Git for quite some time and I've come to really enjoy it. It might be a little weird to say that I enjoy my source control system, but it makes development so much easier in so many ways. Now, I will admit that our relationship wasn't always awesome; working with Git can have a steep learning curve. I've invested a lot of time in learning to use Git, so I've put together a few helpful tips for you.
Git Aliases Will Set You Free
Git yerself some aliases
Using Git from the command line can be both liberating and daunting. Once you appreciate the power that some of the more verbose commands give you, it is easy to get overwhelmed if you're not super comfortable on the command line. When you start digging into the formatting functionality of "log" you'll quickly find yourself looking for a better way to reuse several log formatting options.
Streamline Git with Powershell
Why hello, posh git
You've installed the latest version of Git, read some tutorials and have been merrily branching, commiting and having a jolly old time enjoying the freedom that Git gives you. At some point Git "clicked", and you picked up your laptop to show a co-worker how bad ass this new thing you did was; It was probably when you did your first reintegration merge without angering the gods.
2012
Cracking Visual Source Safe Passwords
Yes, VSS still exists
Several months ago I was approached by a project manager asking for help with some truly legacy code; stuff that was so old it existed only in an ancient source safe database that hadn'tseen the light of day in years. Unfortunately no one had (or remembered) credentials to get in and this project update wasn't going away any time soon. We needed a solution to crack the database and get access to our client's code. Needless to say, this was one of the last projects I wanted to work on.
2011
Setting up a Home NAS
Network storage doesn't have to be hard
There was a time when I was more than happy to sit inside on a warm summer weekend with some spare computer hardware and a healthy amount of nerdy ambition. Those days were filled with triumph, frustration and more than a little swearing as a finger would be neatly splayed open by the sharp metal edge of a computer case.
2010
IEnumerable<T> Paging with LINQ
Simplify your LINQ pagination
I am a big fan of LINQ to Objects, especially when it comes to working with collections.