Notes on building and running software, from the code to the systems it runs on.
Deep dives
AI Is a Tool, Not an Excuse
AI coding tools can be genuinely useful, but usefulness does not excuse the costs their users and companies push onto workers, maintainers, and everyone else.
SEC0 and the fundamentals problem
TryHackMe's entry-level certificate is not worth much as a credential. What it covers is worth a lot, and almost everyone skips straight past it.
Trade-off
Software design rarely has a wrong answer, just a correct one and a more correct one. The trade-offs you are willing to defend are the ones you have accepted.
Over-Researching
Why university rewards over-researching while most workplaces reward shipping.
Why I Care About Privacy
Why privacy is worth caring about, and how it ties back into your security.
We All Have Downtime
Why 100% uptime is a fantasy, and why incident response beats chasing more nines.
Short writeups
- 10 Aug 2026Hacker Holidays Day 14: Management Wants a Wordtryhackme
- 09 Aug 2026Hacker Holidays Day 13: The Guestbooktryhackme
- 08 Aug 2026Hacker Holidays Day 12: After Hourstryhackme
- 07 Aug 2026Hacker Holidays Day 11: Infinity Pooltryhackme
- 06 Aug 2026Hacker Holidays Day 10: The Hollow Shelltryhackme
- 05 Aug 2026Hacker Holidays Day 9: CryptoCabanatryhackme
- 04 Aug 2026Hacker Holidays Day 8: Towel on the Sunbedtryhackme
- 03 Aug 2026Hacker Holidays Day 7: Do Not Disturbtryhackme
- 02 Aug 2026Hacker Holidays Day 6: Overheard at Breakfasttryhackme
- 01 Aug 2026Hacker Holidays Day 5: Beach Bartryhackme
- 31 Jul 2026Hacker Holidays Day 4: Packed Lighttryhackme
- 30 Jul 2026Hacker Holidays Day 3: Complimentarytryhackme
- 29 Jul 2026Hacker Holidays Day 2: Room 404tryhackme
- 28 Jul 2026Hacker Holidays Day 1: The Concierge Knows Too Muchtryhackme
- 26 Jul 2026Hacker Holidays Day 0: The Brochuretryhackme