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Why I Run

One of the questions that I get the most often is “why do you run?” or similar variations. And it has finally pushed me to actually think about that question. Why do I run? Quick disclaimer: I am not claiming that this will work for others. Mental health and physical health are important, complex, and personal journeys. Please consult professionals. TL;DR: I find running to be great for my mental health and for feeling a good sense of progress in life....

January 13, 2024 Â· 3 min Â· 519 words Â· Devin Ward

Kicking Off the New Year

So 2024 just began and I still feel like it is 2020 somehow. But “new year, new me” and all of those other sayings and things. We (being family and I) have made it a year out here in the mountains, and we are quite enjoying it. 2023 was a hell of a year. Even though it may be cliché, I quite like setting goals for myself and the new year....

January 4, 2024 Â· 1 min Â· 198 words Â· Devin Ward

When to Refactor

Abstract: Many software engineers struggle with trying to fit in time to refactor and better the code - especially in environments where a product team is driving ticketed work and features. In times of lower workload, pay off some of your tech debt; in times of lots of feature work, leverage tech debt. Understanding how and when to leverage technical debt is an important skill to have along with knowing when to pay it off....

April 11, 2023 Â· 3 min Â· 441 words Â· Devin Ward

AI Writing Code

AI seems to be everywhere. The super hot topic. LLMs, or just generally known as AI, creeping into software development. Will it take our jobs? It can be scary to think about that. Hell, the current climate around tech jobs is scary in and of itself as the economy decides how many tech jobs the world really needs after a huge inflation during the pandemic. And that does seem to be the use now....

March 24, 2023 Â· 4 min Â· 788 words Â· Devin Ward

Importance of Readability

This post goes into my thoughts on Readability in code. Though it is a bit of “you know it when you see it”, there are some guidelines I like to try and follow. Because I often write go, my guidelines are informed by this language but I attempt to keep it general. I am also heavily influenced by this book by Dave Cheney, Go in Practice book, and my experience. Obligatory “these are my opinions” and “context matters”....

March 19, 2023 Â· 5 min Â· 880 words Â· Devin Ward