My MacBook Neo review:
webartisan.info/jd-s-2026-ma...

@custom-variant dark (&:where(.dark, .dark *):not(:has(.light), .light *));

🔥 Want to use light mode on just one flux component in your otherwise dark-mode app?

html { background: repeating-conic-gradient(#808080 0% 25%, #0000 0% 50%) 50% / 20px 20px }

Want a checkerboard pattern? No need to use multiple `linear-gradient()` layers anymore. `conic-gradient()` has been supported cross-browser since 2020!

PS: if you can, upvote stackoverflow.com/a/65129916/1... to make it the top answer and get more people (and AI) to use modern, well supported #CSS

It's official!

I'm releasing "The Web Dev's Guide to Freelancing" next week on Tuesday (14th Jan 2025) 🎉

👉 Pre-order: webdevfreelancing.com

There's also an audiobook version that's been recorded by @jdlien.com! Let me tell you now, it sounds amazing! 🔥

Articles - Mastering Postgres A guide to successfully migrating a large, complicated database from SQLite into PostgreSQL. This includes tips, advice, and a comprehensive migration checklist to help you create your own migration p...

If you work with databases enough, you’ll eventually need to migrate a database from one RDBMS to another. This can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be!

My latest article for @aaronfrancis.com covers planning migration of a DB from SQLite to Postgres.

masteringpostgres.com/articles/mig...

Personally, I’ve been happy running a Linux droplet (VM) on DigitalOcean. Costs me around $15/mo.

I have experience as a Linux sysadmin but I feel like administering a server is easier than it used to be with generative AI to help figure things out. There’s lots of good documentation now!

JD's 2024 Year in Review 2024 was a strange year for me that was a mix of trying new things, accomplishing the best work of my career, and stark transitions into unexplored territory. I think it's important to take a moment every once in a while to step back and look at one'...

It's that time of year when we look back at all the things we've done to remind us that maybe we've actually come further than we think we have.

Here's my 2024 year in review going over a bunch of the crazy things I've done this year!

webartisan.info/jds-2024-yea...

I kind of assumed they were marked like national parks here are or something, but is it a bit more arbitrary than that?

I didn’t know you are from Edmonton! Hope your family had fun!

The Law on Metal Detecting in Ireland | National Museum of Ireland Welcome to the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin & Castlebar covering Archaeology, Decorative Arts, Folk & Country Life, & Natural History.FREE Exhibitions

My understanding is that metal detectors aren’t illegal in Ireland, but using them to search for archaeological items without permission is! Non-archaeological use should usually be fine.

www.museum.ie/en-IE/Collec...

Yeah, basically: “Are you human? What’s the name of the person you’re trying to email (which is mentioned several places in the form and site).

The honeypot field is a neat idea.

What I did on my contact form that eliminated 100% of spam is that I require people to fill any variant of my name into a field. I suppose this could confuse a few people, but if they can’t figure that out, I probably don’t want to hear from them anyways.

Also, yipes! What a freaking shady company!

Amazing YouTube thumbnail! (And I sure don’t say that often!)

I love these sorts of handy reference sheets when trying to learn a new skill. Regex is so handy to have down cold as a programmer or sysadmin:

media.datacamp.com/legacy/image...

Going with your real name always seems like a safe bet. I think people know it and it has brand equity. Heck, you're even mentioned in Ash's new book for that reason!

In such a case I'd probably make more money than most actual professional engineers do here. Neat!

It still feels wrong to me, though. You can't call yourself a doctor just because you read a book about drugs or something, so it kinda feels similar to that. 🤷🏼‍♂️

By these standards, I am definitely not a "professional engineer". I have a BSc., but not an engineering degree. I haven't fulfilled the four years of experience under a licensed engineer, etc., etc. But I guess with my 20+ years of experience I could get a job as a "Software Engineer" in the US...

My stepdad, ex-gf, and some friends are professional engineers. In Canada, that means something very specific: You need a specific education, 4 years experience working under an licensed engineer, have to be a member of a professional eng. association, etc.. You're also obliged to wear an iron ring.

I'm reading @joshwcomeau.com's newsletter and it's fascinating seeing the difference between US and Canadian pay for developers as well as this interesting stat: If you call yourself an "Engineer" you make almost double what you do as a "Developer". And it's the same job. Ha!

Sounds fascinating. I’m in!

It’s always interesting, that’s for sure!

I don't know what it is about me but it's almost like sprawling, messy legacy systems hunt me down and find me. How lovely it would be to just spend all my time on a beautiful, shiny greenfield Laravel app or something!

Twenty-some years into my career as a technologist and there are days I still feel I have no clue how JS works. It took me a decade to feel like I was pretty competent (given it wasn't what I mainly worked on most of that time). There are SO many things to learn and much of it takes a LOT of time.

I fucking love it. 🕺🏼

I hear you about the winter weather; we’ve had a pretty cold snowy winter here so far and it’s not particularly enticing to go out at the moment!

I'll add that I also have an amazing, loving wife with me, although she often works long hours. It'd be pretty darned lonely if I didn't have her.

How do those of you working entirely from home cope with loneliness and isolation?

I've been freelancing from home for over six months. I have to say—the feeling of social isolation in this situation is a real thing, even for very introverted people like me. Some days I really miss how easy it was to chat with a coworker or grab a coffee. I'm bad about making a habit of that.

I've been writing a ton of stuff about databases lately, but I'm seriously considering a diversion into comedy writing. Heck, why not combine both? 🤔