I’m a software engineer, side-project enthusiast, hobbyist game developer, sometimes writer, and full-time wheelchair user.
LLMs don't actually understand us. But, maybe a facsimile of understanding is good enough to make computers easier for everyone.
This is the story of how the dreaded flash of unstyled text drove me to purchase some new fonts.
I bought this domain as a college student using a friend’s credit card. Twenty years later, it’s one of the best decisions I've ever made.
Six years after launching it, I introduce Minimal Character Sheet and its features.
Damn.
I gave a talk at MagnoliaConf in Jackson, MS today about how I am sick of frontend build steps (and what to do instead). I'm probably going to turn it into a three-part blog series. But for now I do have my talk in text form. https://blakewatson.com/magnolia2025
You’ve tried Inbox Zero, but have you tried Inbox 404?
I make this mistake in some of my own side projects, but...
When you are building user registration for a for an online service, take care that you aren't leaking membership information. Like if I try to sign up with an email (or do a password reset) and that email is already taken, don't tell me the email was already taken. Say "If this email address is available, you will get an email with a confirmation link."
That sort of thing.
It's not necessarily a huge security vulnerability, but it protects your users' privacy by not revealing that they've signed up for your service.