“Hello World” – two simple words that perfectly capture the essence of this website. For those unfamiliar, developers often start with a “Hello World” program to demonstrate their understanding of a new environment. It’s a symbolic moment where an idea is brought to life, much like this website. This site represents the spark of my own creativity and expertise as a developer.

Why Make This Site?

I found that my résumé couldn’t fully convey the breadth of my skills and experiences. After a long career wearing many hats, it’s challenging to summarize everything without being overly verbose. Sharing a link to a website is much more convenient than sending documents or LinkedIn profiles. Imagine you’re a recruiter or interviewer – would you prefer to:

• Download and sift through a document each time?
• Sign in to LinkedIn, navigate to your profile, and possibly download a file?
• Simply click a link and easily navigate to the information needed?

This site eliminates the need for cover letters by providing an interactive landing page that lets visitors explore relevant information at their own pace. It allows me to keep my data updated more efficiently and I don’t have to compete for the reader’s attention for the next post in their feed.

Why Not Use Platform XYZ?

You might wonder why I chose to build my own system instead of using platforms like about.me or Squarespace. The answer lies in the freedom and control it offers. Owning my website means I can implement any feature I want without waiting for platform developers or searching for plugins. I’ve faced the challenges of migrating data and dealing with platform limitations while helping clients set up their sites. This experience taught me the value of having a customized solution tailored to my needs.

This is a Developer’s Blog

The ideas I want to share may not fit into the predefined molds of existing platforms. Breaking away from those molds often requires costly and tedious migrations. For instance, many site builders have their own analytics solutions, which might not integrate well with my preferred tools. By developing my own system, I ensure it works seamlessly with the tools I choose. Many times you have to work against the guardrails set up by the platforms against malicious actors for your perfectly safe actions.

…And it is Versatile

Currently, this site is static pre-rendered HTML, designed to run on a budget. The static assets are cached by a CDN, ensuring fast load times. Despite being a static site, I’ve integrated a static site generator and an editor/asset manager that commits changes directly to Git. This approach eliminates the need for a dedicated content server. As my needs grow, I can add more complex features, consume compute resources more efficiently, and scale dynamically. I can also embed dynamic content using JavaScript and code samples.

Then There is Me

In the coming weeks, I’ll document my infrastructure and tech stack decisions. This site is ready to grow with me, demonstrating my ability to use the right tools for the right job. I could have built a complex service with multiple caching layers and microservices, but I’ve learned to find the right solutions for each problem.

I hope this space will interest you, whether for its successes or its unique quirks and failures. Thank you for visiting, and have a great day!