Posts

All the articles I've posted.

• Programmer Resources

  Published:May 2, 2018 |  at 03:50 PM

  A friend asked me what I've used to improve as a software engineer. When he asked for a list, I realized I didn't have one yet. Here are the blogs, books, and online courses that have helped me grow as a developer.

• Dangerous Python Functions, Part 3

  Published:Jan 30, 2017 |  at 01:33 PM

  In the final part of my dangerous Python functions series, I cover more security risks including assert statements, XML parsing vulnerabilities, and unsafe input handling. Plus, I've turned the whole series into a deck of cards!

• DevOps from Scratch, Part 2: Amazon & Terraform

  Published:Sep 20, 2016 |  at 12:32 PM

  In part 2 of my DevOps from Scratch series, we'll take our Flask app from local development to production on AWS using Terraform for infrastructure automation and Ansible for deployment.

• DevOps from Scratch, Part 1: Vagrant & Ansible

  Published:Sep 19, 2016 |  at 12:32 PM

  Ever wondered how to build and deploy a web app from scratch? This is the first part of my 'DevOps from Scratch' series, where we'll get hands-on with Vagrant and Ansible to automate our local development setup for a Python web application.

• Refactoring Analogies

  Published:Sep 12, 2016 |  at 06:54 AM

  Refactoring can be hard to explain to stakeholders who don't code. Using analogies from home improvement and organization, I share how I communicate the value of refactoring to non-technical audiences.

• Two Trains Talk

  Published:Aug 29, 2016 |  at 03:50 PM

  I gave a talk using the "two trains" analogy to explain technical debt and refactoring. The response was so positive that I wrote it up as a blog post, complete with slides and speaker notes.

• Strategies for Writing Useful Tests

  Published:Jun 11, 2016 |  at 06:54 AM

  I used to hate writing tests—they felt like a waste of time, took forever to run, and broke constantly. Now I actually enjoy it. Here are the strategies that transformed my approach to testing from dread to delight.

• How to Land the Right Tech Job for You

  Published:Jan 21, 2016 |  at 12:45 PM

  Job hunting can feel like shopping for a new car—exciting at first, then intimidating and hopeless. Having been both a candidate and an interviewer, I've put together this comprehensive guide to help you navigate the process and land the right tech job.

• How to Prepare for Talks

  Published:Nov 1, 2015 |  at 02:09 PM

  Preparing for a technical talk can feel overwhelming, but I've learned something new every time I've given one. This 11-step process covers everything from choosing a topic to handling Q&A, helping you go from idea to presentation.

• Answers to Django Security Questions

  Published:Oct 16, 2015 |  at 06:56 AM

  I found a list of Django security questions but couldn't find clear answers anywhere. So I dug in and wrote them myself, covering everything from CSRF and SQL injection to password hashing and mass assignment.