# Andrew Shell's Weblog > Strategies for thinking, learning, and productivity. ## Navigation - [About](https://andrewshell.org/about/index.md) - [Contact](https://andrewshell.org/contact/index.md) - [Now](https://andrewshell.org/now/index.md) - [Essays](https://andrewshell.org/essays/index.md) - [Notes](https://andrewshell.org/notes/index.md) - [Wishlist](https://amzn.to/2gdI0Ua) - [Search](https://andrewshell.org/search/) - [RSS](https://andrewshell.org/feed/) - [X](https://x.com/andrewshell) - [Mastodon](https://indieweb.social/@andrewshell) - [GitHub](https://github.com/andrewshell) - [Gravatar](https://gravatar.com/andrewshell) ## Pages - [About Me](https://andrewshell.org/about/index.md) - [All Essays](https://andrewshell.org/essays/index.md) - [All Notes](https://andrewshell.org/notes/index.md) - [Cal Newport's Deep Life Stack](https://andrewshell.org/notes/deep-life-stack/index.md) - [Contact Me](https://andrewshell.org/contact/index.md) - [FedWiki River](https://andrewshell.org/notes/fedwiki-river/index.md) - [Filtering user submitted HTML with HTMLPurifier](https://andrewshell.org/htmlpurifier-article/index.md) - [Home Page](https://andrewshell.org/index.md) - [Javascript Object References](https://andrewshell.org/notes/javascript-object-references/index.md) - [My Résumé](https://andrewshell.org/resume/index.md) - [RssCloud Server](https://andrewshell.org/notes/rsscloud-server/index.md) - [Ship 30 for 30 October 2021 Cohort](https://andrewshell.org/ship-30-for-30-october-2021-cohort/index.md) - [ThothGPT System Prompt](https://andrewshell.org/notes/thothgpt-prompt/index.md) - [Unified Theory of Goal-Setting](https://andrewshell.org/notes/unified-theory-of-goal-setting/index.md) - [What I'm Doing Now](https://andrewshell.org/now/index.md) ## Posts - [Dave Winer recently wrote The web of Markdown proposing a …](https://andrewshell.org/2026/10/the-web-of-markdown/index.md): 2026-10-07. Dave Winer recently wrote The web of Markdown proposing a new simpler web. I quickly realized that much of this was already present with sites like mine that serve markdown for LLMs. - [I’m at WordCamp US in Phoenix Monday through lunch on …](https://andrewshell.org/2026/08/meet-me-at-wordcamp/index.md): 2026-08-17. I’m at WordCamp US in Phoenix Monday through lunch on Wednesday. Feel free to say hi. I have “I ❤️ RSS” stickers! - [I've been using FreshRSS for a while as a backend …](https://andrewshell.org/2026/08/enhancing-freshrss-with-rsscloud-support/index.md): 2026-08-03. I've been using FreshRSS for a while as a backend for NetNewsWire and decided to finally create an extension to add rssCloud support. - [Today, I launched I ♥ RSS, a directory for people …](https://andrewshell.org/2026/07/i-%E2%99%A5-rss/index.md): 2026-07-30. Today, I launched I ♥ RSS, a directory for people who love RSS. I've already added the badge to my footer and submitted my site to the directory. It also shows a nice live blogroll on the homepage (powered by FeedLand). If you love RSS as much as I do, take a look and add … - [rssCloud Server 4.0 Now Supports WebSub Notifications](https://andrewshell.org/2026/07/rsscloud-server-4-0-now-supports-websub-notifications/index.md): 2026-07-07. Over the weekend, I released rssCloud Server 4.0 and wanted to discuss how I added WebSub support to the server. - [Last night, I finally released the 4.0 rewrite of the …](https://andrewshell.org/2026/07/announcing-the-rsscloud-server-4-0-release/index.md): 2026-07-05. Last night, I finally released the 4.0 rewrite of the rssCloud Server. - [I just picked up my ticket for WordCamp US in …](https://andrewshell.org/2026/06/im-going-to-wordcamp-us/index.md): 2026-06-06. I just picked up my ticket for WordCamp US in Phoenix this year. I had hoped to go as an Automattician, but after two months of interviews, I got the bad news on Friday that they are not moving forward with me. - [I've been downloading public-domain books for a project, and many …](https://andrewshell.org/2026/05/a-first-with-claude-code/index.md): 2026-05-19. I've been downloading public-domain books for a project, and many of them are kindof bad OCR scans. - [Another exciting project from Radical Speed Month! Jeremy Herve and …](https://andrewshell.org/2026/05/google-api-wordpress-reader/index.md): 2026-05-05. Another exciting project from Radical Speed Month! Jeremy Herve and Matthias Pfefferle are working on the WordPress Reader feed aggregator. - [I think the marketing for this new theme missed its …](https://andrewshell.org/2026/04/blurt-marketing-gone-wrong/index.md): 2026-04-29. I think the marketing for this new theme missed its mark. Dave thinks this is a new short-form blogging app when it's really just a new theme. I was able to post to it from WordLand with no issues. It's still a regular WordPress.com website. This is just a new theme built in a week … - [My Take on WordPress Social (Blurt)](https://andrewshell.org/2026/04/my-take-on-wordpress-social-blurt/index.md): 2026-04-28. There is a new short-form blogging theme for WordPress.com called Blurt. I have a few opinions about this, so I figured I'd chime in. - [With all the advances in AI, I'd have thought someone …](https://andrewshell.org/2026/04/wheres-the-ai-max-headroom/index.md): 2026-04-27 - [Updates to RSS Cloud Server](https://andrewshell.org/2026/04/updates-to-rss-cloud-server/index.md): 2026-04-22. I've been making many gradual changes to the RSS Cloud server over the last few months. Things have stabilized enough that I feel comfortable sharing now. - [Working on the RSS Cloud WordPress Plugin](https://andrewshell.org/2026/04/working-on-the-rss-cloud-wordpress-plugin/index.md): 2026-04-08. I've been continuing to work on the modern testing infrastructure so I can make sure the RSS Cloud plugin for WordPress is up to date. - [Defending the Open Web Is Not Enough](https://andrewshell.org/2026/04/defending-the-open-web-is-not-enough/index.md): 2026-04-08. This article really gave me food for thought about what's required to support the open web. - [Learning Modern WordPress Plugin Development](https://andrewshell.org/2026/03/learning-modern-wordpress-plugin-development/index.md): 2026-03-28. I've been out of the WordPress plugin game for a while now. I closed my Nofollow Links plugin back in 2021 and haven't kept up since then. - [Testing Out WordLand](https://andrewshell.org/2026/03/testing-out-wordland/index.md): 2026-03-16. One of the reasons I migrated my site to WordPress was all of Dave Winer's evangelism. One of the things Dave has done is an external editor for WordPress called WordLand. I had tested it out briefly with a test site on WordPress.com, but now that my main site is on WordPress, I'll see how … - [WordPress Migration](https://andrewshell.org/2026/03/wordpress-migration/index.md): 2026-03-15. I just completed a major update to my website. Two things at once. I've moved my site from blog.andrewshell.org to andrewshell.org (dropping the subdomain) and migrated it from 11ty to WordPress. - [Team Lead](https://andrewshell.org/2025/12/team-lead/index.md): 2025-12-16. So far, my time at PetPlace has been a whirlwind. Although I was hired as a senior dev and have been contributing a lot of code, I've gradually moved into a more leadership role. It became increasingly clear that, due to the team composition, there needed to be a strong tech lead to keep things … - [Pausing Keto Diet](https://andrewshell.org/2025/10/keto-update/index.md): 2025-10-16. In August, I paused my Keto diet. I was traveling a lot with my daughter for summer vacation, and you might be surprised to find it's hard to eat Keto at Circus World. I had plateaued and been out of ketosis for over three months (since the new job), so I'm guessing it's related to … - [Defending Speech We Disagree With](https://andrewshell.org/2025/09/defending-speech-we-disagree-with/index.md): 2025-09-16. Just about a week ago, Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during one of his college debates. Since then, a war has erupted between people who celebrated his death (or said they thought he had it coming) and those who believe that political violence is never acceptable. - [Trying Claude Code](https://andrewshell.org/2025/06/claude-code/index.md): 2025-06-27. For the last few weeks, I've been playing around with Claude Code and have found it to be very useful. In particular, I've been leveraging it to modernize my RSS Cloud Server project, which has been on the back burner for several years. - [Tarot Journaling](https://andrewshell.org/2025/06/tarot-journaling/index.md): 2025-06-13. I decided to share my ThothGPT System Prompt, which I'll keep updated as it changes and evolves. - [When Growing Means Letting Go](https://andrewshell.org/2025/06/letting-go/index.md): 2025-06-03. Two weeks ago, I started a new role at PetPlace, and it's been incredible. The responsibility, the challenge, the potential for growth. Everything I'd hoped for. But there's been an unexpected side effect. I can feel myself getting close to burnout. - [When Everything Important Becomes Nothing Important](https://andrewshell.org/2025/05/time-blocking/index.md): 2025-05-27. At my last job, I could literally go days without accomplishing anything significant. - [The Secret To Better Parenting Is Being Nearby, Not Being Perfect](https://andrewshell.org/2025/05/just-being-there/index.md): 2025-05-19. “Hey Dad, do you want to hear some popular music?” - [How the Most Important Parts of My Life Never Made It to My Journal](https://andrewshell.org/2025/05/missing-areas/index.md): 2025-05-13. It’s 5:30 a.m. My house is still. My mind isn’t. - [I Just Quit My Job of 5 Years — And I'm Terrified](https://andrewshell.org/2025/05/quit-my-job/index.md): 2025-05-06. I just quit a job I held for over five years—and I'm walking into something I don’t feel fully ready for. - [I Didn’t Realize Growth Could Leave Me This Exhausted](https://andrewshell.org/2025/04/emotionally-drained/index.md): 2025-04-28. I thought I was just tired from a busy Easter weekend. - [How Preparing Became My Biggest Distraction](https://andrewshell.org/2025/04/meta-work/index.md): 2025-04-22. I've been working through the iCanStudy course, and while it’s packed with valuable ideas, the biggest thing it’s done is force me to confront a pattern I didn’t know I was stuck in. I thought I was just learning how to learn. What I actually found was a deeper issue that’s been driving how I … - [Why I Treat My Questions Like a Learning Compass](https://andrewshell.org/2025/04/learning-questions/index.md): 2025-04-15. This week, I’m going to circle back to a concept I mentioned in How I’m Making My Learning Actually Useful, and that’s the concept of 12 Favorite Questions. - [Why you’re great at setting bad goals — and how to fix it in 3 steps](https://andrewshell.org/2025/04/great-at-setting-bad-goals/index.md): 2025-04-14. Everyone’s talking about goal setting. - [How I’m Trying to Learn Before It’s Too Late](https://andrewshell.org/2025/04/better-learning/index.md): 2025-04-08. At 43, I’m not scared of dying. I’m scared of wasting time. - [Why I Avoid Tracking (And Why I Need To Start)](https://andrewshell.org/2025/04/fixed-mindset/index.md): 2025-04-01. I bought a course to improve my study skills and time management. I block time on my calendar to work on the course, but I keep missing my study sessions. - [How I Channeled Unfocused Curiosity Into Clear Insight](https://andrewshell.org/2025/03/project-seeds/index.md): 2025-03-25. Curiosity is desirable and powerful, but when fragmented, it becomes a liability. Every time you mindlessly consume content without context or an objective, you’re building a mental bottleneck. - [How I’m Making My Learning Actually Useful](https://andrewshell.org/2025/03/useful-learning/index.md): 2025-03-18. I’ve spent hundreds of hours reading books and taking courses, hoping they would help me grow. But most of the time, I finish and can’t remember a single thing that matters. There are no big ideas, no change, just a hollow, frustrating feeling that I wasted my time. I knew something had to change, so … - [The Discipline of Doing Nothing Helped Me Get Clarity](https://andrewshell.org/2025/03/doing-nothing/index.md): 2025-03-11. The trail was covered in ice. Where people had walked, the snow was compacted and slick, and I was heading downhill over a lot of rocks. It’s easier to be present when you’re just trying not to slip and crack your head open. - [How I’m Deciding Which Projects Are Worth Pursuing Right Now](https://andrewshell.org/2025/03/shell-framework/index.md): 2025-03-04. I’m overwhelmed, tired, and not getting anything done. - [Think You Can’t Turn It Around in Your 40s? Read My Story](https://andrewshell.org/2025/02/turn-it-around-in-40s/index.md): 2025-02-25. In September, I stepped on the scale, and I felt like I would puke. I clocked in at 307.1 lbs, an all-time high. - [Tackling Database Migration to Restore a Legacy Site](https://andrewshell.org/2024/11/legacy-site-db-migration/index.md): 2024-11-04. I've taken on the challenge of resurrecting a website that's been offline for more than a decade. - [30 Years of Scripting News and My Blogging Journey](https://andrewshell.org/2024/10/scripting-news-30/index.md): 2024-10-07. Today is the 30th anniversary of Dave Winer's blog, Scripting News. - [A Brief History of Me Programming](https://andrewshell.org/2024/08/a-brief-history-of-me-programming/index.md): 2024-08-21. I've been programming in one form or another for as long as I can remember. Since my family got its first computer when I was five, I couldn't have programmed much before that. However, I knew DOS well enough to help teachers with their computers in first and second grade, so I was probably already … - [How To Build A Time Tracking App In React](https://andrewshell.org/2024/05/how-to-build-a-time-tracking-app-in-react/index.md): 2024-05-29. In 2018, I built a time-tracking demo in React for a job I was applying for. - [Transforming Fitness Goals: From Lag to Lead Metrics](https://andrewshell.org/2024/05/fitness-goals/index.md): 2024-05-08. Have you ever felt like no matter what you do, the scale just won’t budge? This might be because you're focusing on the wrong type of metric. - [First Define, Then Refine: How Goals Shape Successful Systems](https://andrewshell.org/2024/04/goals-vs-systems/index.md): 2024-04-17. Many have told us that to achieve our goals, we should focus more on building effective systems rather than setting specific objectives. But this advice skips a crucial first step: setting goals is essential because it guides how we create those systems. Let's look closer at why starting with clear goals can make all the … - [WebFinger for ActivityPub Feed Discovery](https://andrewshell.org/2024/02/webfinger-for-activitypub-feed-discovery/index.md): 2024-02-07. The first question I had while reading the ActivityPub specification was, "How do I find the different feeds and documents defined by the spec?" - [What does "done" look like?](https://andrewshell.org/2023/07/define-done/index.md): 2023-07-23. I define a project as something I do with an outcome I want. The problem is when I keep starting projects, then one day, I realize I have created dozens of projects. Every week the list grows longer. - [Andrew Shell Headshot 1](https://andrewshell.org/2022/02/andrew-shell-headshot-1/index.md): 2022-02-05. Today I created my first NFT. I'm not really sure how useful it is, but what the heck. - [That's All Folks](https://andrewshell.org/2021/11/thats-all-folks/index.md): 2021-11-07. Today is the last day of my Ship 30 for 30 cohort. - [Don't Ask for Permission](https://andrewshell.org/2021/11/dont-ask-for-permission/index.md): 2021-11-06. Early in my career, I worked for an SEO company. I was pretty low on the totem pole but had a lot of chutzpah. - [My Weekly Checklist](https://andrewshell.org/2021/11/my-weekly-checklist/index.md): 2021-11-05. Previously, I discussed reducing friction by using the simplest system that will get the job done (see Small Pieces, Loosely Joined). I briefly described (at the end) that I used a weekly checklist to get through my week. - [Fostering Confidence](https://andrewshell.org/2021/11/fostering-confidence/index.md): 2021-11-04. Today I interviewed for a leadership position at work. During the interview, the interviewer asked what my philosophy was for leading and mentoring people. - [My 3 Favorite Productivity Books](https://andrewshell.org/2021/11/my-3-favorite-productivity-books/index.md): 2021-11-03. Here are three of my favorite books about productivity and goal setting. - [How To Get Things Done](https://andrewshell.org/2021/11/how-to-get-things-done/index.md): 2021-11-02. Once you have your goals in mind and know what you want to do, the next trick is to get yourself to do it. - [Finding Clarity in "Why?"](https://andrewshell.org/2021/11/finding-clarity-in-why/index.md): 2021-11-01. The number one thing that sabotages me regularly is a lack of clarity. - [Small Pieces, Loosely Joined](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/small-pieces-loosely-joined/index.md): 2021-10-31. If you're a software developer, you probably at one point or another have heard of the Unix philosophy of "small pieces, loosely joined." - [Goal Brainstorming](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/goal-brainstorming/index.md): 2021-10-30. Goal Funnels (see You Need a Goal Funnel) can be overwhelming. So here is another strategy to use to help flesh out your Goal Funnel. - [Don't Fight Inertia](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/dont-fight-inertia/index.md): 2021-10-29. When you focus on the past (positive or negative), you're creating inertia. That's what habits are. They require effort to get started but then require minimal effort to keep them going. - [Don't Burn Out, Level Up](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/dont-burn-out-level-up/index.md): 2021-10-28. When you're driving, you shift into a higher gear so you can continue accelerating. If you continue accelerating at the current gear, you'll wear out your engine and burn up a lot of gas. - [How to Make Intentional Choices](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/how-to-make-intentional-choices/index.md): 2021-10-27. When you're trying to change your behavior, it's easy to fall into old habits. You've practiced these bad habits for a long time and it's foolish to think you can just decide to change and make it happen. - [Why I Use a Daily Log](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/why-i-use-a-daily-log/index.md): 2021-10-26. How often do you find yourself on autopilot? - [Feedback Loops](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/feedback-loops/index.md): 2021-10-25. The best way to grow is to implement systems that incorporate feedback loops. - [Changing Direction](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/changing-direction/index.md): 2021-10-24. "You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction." — Jim Rohn - [Validate Your Lead Metrics](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/validate-your-lead-metrics/index.md): 2021-10-23. Yesterday, I talked about the difference between lead and lag metrics and why they are essential parts of your goal-setting funnel. - [Lead vs Lag Metrics](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/lead-vs-lag-metrics/index.md): 2021-10-22. Yesterday, I mentioned (see You Need a Goal Funnel) that the 5th stage of your Goal Funnel is Lead Metrics. - [You Need a Goal Funnel](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/you-need-a-goal-funnel/index.md): 2021-10-21. Whether it's on January 1st or some other schedule (I recommend quarterly) it's a good idea to regularly do a deep dive goal planning session. - [Margin Helps You Live Life](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/margin-helps-you-accomidate-life/index.md): 2021-10-20. Today my essay is a little later in the day. There are a lot of things going on right now. I have an accepted offer on a house I'm buying and my daughter is sick with a stomach bug. - [My Favorite Useful and Weird Book](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/my-favorite-useful-and-weird-book/index.md): 2021-10-19. Yesterday I mentioned one of my favorite books. It contains many practical and useful practices for helping your subconscious help you. The book is "Ask and It Is Given" by Esther and Jerry Hicks. - [Aligning with Success](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/aligning-with-success/index.md): 2021-10-18. Yesterday, I discussed how to leverage your subconscious mind (see 5 Ways to Leverage Your Subconscious Mind). Today, I want to give special attention to one aspect of the subconscious. - [5 Ways to Leverage Your Subconscious Mind](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/5-ways-to-leverage-your-subconscious-mind/index.md): 2021-10-17. Do you ever have a problem that no matter how hard you work at, you just can't figure it out? My inclination has been to power through, trying one thing after another until I figure it out, but usually, that leads to resistance and frustration. I've found another way that more often than not helps … - [Are You Productive?](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/are-you-productive/index.md): 2021-10-16. How do you define productivity? For example, if I asked you if you've had a productive week, what criteria would you use? - [Teaching is an Unfair Advantage](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/teaching-is-an-unfair-advantage/index.md): 2021-10-15. I was very fortunate to stumble into my number one career hack earlier on. - [The Importance of Margins](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/the-importance-of-margins/index.md): 2021-10-14. Every weekday morning I either take my daughter to school, or meet her at school (when she’s with her mom.) That way, I can see her, give her a hug, and send her off to first grade. - [The 3 Enemies of Shipping](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/the-3-enemies-of-shipping/index.md): 2021-10-13. You have things you want to do, but probably not enough time or energy. You can only do one thing at a time (multitasking is a lie), and switching between projects eats time and energy for lunch. - [8 Steps to Decide Project Priorities](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/8-steps-to-decide-project-priorities/index.md): 2021-10-12. You have a great idea for a new project. You're so excited about this project that you immediately drop everything else you're working on and focus on nothing else for the next few days, maybe weeks. - [20 Questions for Overcoming Procrastination](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/20-questions-for-overcoming-procrastination/index.md): 2021-10-11. One area I've studied a lot is the area of personal productivity. If left unchecked I procrastinate like crazy. I focus on what I'm interested in and all those other pesky things that I "need" to get done just don't get done, or at least until the last minute. - [Letting Go of Toxic Stories](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/letting-go-of-toxic-stories/index.md): 2021-10-10. "I can't lose weight! No matter what I try, I sabotage myself. I have no self-control." - [Why I'm Shipping 30 for 30?](https://andrewshell.org/2021/10/why-im-shipping-30-for-30/index.md): 2021-10-09. Today marks the first day of the October cohort of Ship 30 for 30. It's a writing challenge to publish an atomic essay (like this) every day for 30 days. - [My iPad Setup](https://andrewshell.org/2021/05/my-ipad-setup/index.md): 2021-05-30. This morning I read Peter Akkies Newsletter and he asks: - [FedWiki Demo](https://andrewshell.org/2021/03/fedwiki-demo/index.md): 2021-03-27. This is the first of a series of screencasts I want to do demoing different writing and collaboration tools I find interesting. - [Avoiding the Final Death](https://andrewshell.org/2021/03/avoiding-the-final-death/index.md): 2021-03-27. I talked to a friend yesterday about all the artifacts I collect and want to collect. - [Douglas Engelbart and Linked Data](https://andrewshell.org/2021/03/douglas-engelbart-and-linked-data/index.md): 2021-03-27. In this video, Douglas Engelbart answers a question about issue-based structured argumentation. - [Personal Productivity: Through the Lens of Executive Functions](https://andrewshell.org/2021/02/personal-productivity-through-the-lens-of-executive-functions/index.md): 2021-02-24. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmtaARlUmMY Notes Bullet Journal TomatoTimer Pomodoro Technique - [Async/Await for callback users](https://andrewshell.org/2021/02/async-await-for-callback-users/index.md): 2021-02-09. I have a friend that writes node.js code with callbacks. There are some cases where I think using promises or async/await syntax might be advantageous. Here, I'm going to try to connect the dots. - [The Federated World Tesseract](https://andrewshell.org/2021/01/the-federated-world-tesseract/index.md): 2021-01-07. The more I look at FedWiki, the more overlap I see with the work Dave has been doing with outliners and publishing. Especially with Trex and the World Outline. - [Alternate Linked Data Syntax](https://andrewshell.org/2020/12/alternate-linked-data-syntax/index.md): 2020-12-23. Following my intuition keeps leading me to fun coincidences. - [Linked Data and the Semantic Web](https://andrewshell.org/2020/12/linked-data-and-the-semantic-web/index.md): 2020-12-10. When I took Building a Second Brain, one of the concepts was "knowledge byproducts." The idea that as you're doing your work, you're creating things that could be useful later on in a different project. - [Fediverse of Federated Things](https://andrewshell.org/2020/12/fediverse-of-federated-things/index.md): 2020-12-06. I'm pretty new to the idea of the Fediverse and Federation in general. I recently signed up for Mastodon to participate in the Podcast Index Community. - [My Growing ThinkTank Collection](https://andrewshell.org/2020/11/my-growing-thinktank-collection/index.md): 2020-11-08. I have a bunch of saved searches on eBay looking for interesting things. One of those things is "Living Videotext". Today my latest addition, a copy of ThinkTank 128 arrived. Still need ThinkTank 512, Ready, and MORE. - [Developing Better Developers](https://andrewshell.org/2020/11/developing-better-developers/index.md): 2020-11-02. Just read Developing better developers it sounds like a great idea. I think a similar idea could also be bootstrapped outside of universities. Something that combines an open-source project with a meetup group. Senior devs can teach and work with the junior devs for the benefit of the project. - [Philosophy in re RSS 2.0](https://andrewshell.org/2020/11/philosophy-in-re-rss-20/index.md): 2020-11-02. This morning I read Philosophy in re RSS 2.0 - [How Frontier got started](https://andrewshell.org/2020/10/how-frontier-got-started/index.md): 2020-10-30. Interesting timing. I've been talking to Dave lately about nodeEditor and how things worked in Frontier. Then I opened Instapaper today and was scanning through pages I had bookmarked to read later and came across a How Frontier got started which had an attached podcast that was super interesting. - [Free standing rssCloud testing tool](https://andrewshell.org/2020/10/free-standing-rsscloud-testing-tool/index.md): 2020-10-25. I deployed the new rssCloud v2 to a temporary port and I'd like to have a way to poke at it and make sure it's doing what it should be doing. Today I plan on building a simple tool that will allow me to zip through the various combinations of pleaseNotify and ping and check … - [My thoughts about rssCloud](https://andrewshell.org/2020/10/my-thoughts-about-rsscloud/index.md): 2020-10-22. One of the reasons I continue to work on the rssCloud server is that I see it has untapped potential. - [Little Outliner and rssCloud?](https://andrewshell.org/2020/10/little-outliner-and-rsscloud/index.md): 2020-10-21. Idea: Could we include a cloud tag in an OPML headline and have Little Outliner ping an rssCloud server with the public OPML url when it's updated? That way if we wanted to use an OPML file as a data source (blogging for instance) the consumers could subscribe to the file. - [Rethinking Blogs](https://andrewshell.org/2020/10/re-thinking-blogs/index.md): 2020-10-18. My site has been a blog since at least 2006. It literally uses the blog subdomain. I don't know how much I like that anymore. - [Music, Media, and Mood](https://andrewshell.org/2020/04/music-media-and-mood/index.md): 2020-04-07. When I was in high school and early college, I suffered from depression. Since then, I've relapsed from time to time but overall have been much better. - [Updating rssCloud Server](https://andrewshell.org/2020/02/updating-rsscloud-server/index.md): 2020-02-17. I've been slowly but surely working on version 2.0 of the rssCloud server I built back in 2015. - [Feeling School Nostalgia](https://andrewshell.org/2020/01/feeling-school-nostalgia/index.md): 2020-01-22. My daughter started 4K back in September. This school year is her first year going to elementary school. When I'm visiting her classroom for conferences and such, I'm overwhelmed by feelings of nostalgia. - [Understanding Javascript Object References](https://andrewshell.org/2019/11/understanding-javascript-object-references/index.md): 2019-11-12. Today I was in a class learning about Kinvey and my instructor was stuck on a problem in a node.js app he was working on. - [What is the best way to inject a logger?](https://andrewshell.org/2017/03/what-is-the-best-way-to-inject-a-logger/index.md): 2017-03-06. I'm working on several projects right now that I'd like to be able to generate logs from. - [What is the best git branching strategy for small teams?](https://andrewshell.org/2016/11/what-is-the-best-git-branching-strategy-for-small-teams/index.md): 2016-11-04. In my development, I use Git all the time. It was a little tricky to figure out at first but, I feel like I have a good understanding of how to use it. - [Using Action-Domain-Responder on the command line](https://andrewshell.org/2016/10/using-action-domain-responder-on-the-command-line/index.md): 2016-10-22. Yesterday I was working on a project in Radar and needed to create a command line tool for it. - [Introducing Cadre.Module](https://andrewshell.org/2016/10/introducing-cadremodule/index.md): 2016-10-20. Today I published a new component Cadre.Module. - [Tracking Multiple Connections with PHP Debug Bar and Atlas ORM](https://andrewshell.org/2016/10/tracking-multiple-connections-with-php-debug-bar-and-atlas-orm/index.md): 2016-10-18. On Friday I talked about a new library I created that helps integrate Atlas.ORM with PHP Debug Bar. - [Collecting Data from Atlas ORM with PHP Debug Bar](https://andrewshell.org/2016/10/collecting-data-from-atlas-orm-with-php-debug-bar/index.md): 2016-10-14. In my last article, I talked about how I found an N+1 bug in Atlas ORM. - [Complex Database Relationships with AtlasORM](https://andrewshell.org/2016/10/complex-database-relationships-with-atlasorm/index.md): 2016-10-10. In my side project I'm working with a very well normalized database with many relationships. - [LazyArray Officially Part of Aura.Di](https://andrewshell.org/2016/10/lazyarray-officially-part-of-aura-di/index.md): 2016-10-04. In my prior posts about integrating Symfony Forms with Radar, I created a helper class called LazyArray. - [Symfony Forms and Radar - Part 2](https://andrewshell.org/2016/09/symfony-forms-and-radar-part-2/index.md): 2016-09-28. In Part 1 I talked about the difficulties in getting Symfony Forms to play nicely with Aura.Di and Radars ADR model. - [Symfony Forms and Radar - Part 1](https://andrewshell.org/2016/09/symfony-forms-and-radar-part-1/index.md): 2016-09-26. I have several projects I'd like to build soon. One thing they have in common is there will be a lot of data entry via forms. Back in the day I used to use HTML_QuickForm but I haven't used it for a long time. - [Discovering Clean Architecture](https://andrewshell.org/2016/09/discovering-clean-architecture/index.md): 2016-09-23. Several years ago I came across the following video. It was a keynote from a Ruby conference by some guy named Robert "Uncle Bob" Martin. It's really worth your time to watch. - [Radar Under the Hood](https://andrewshell.org/2016/09/radar-under-the-hood/index.md): 2016-09-21. Radar is a project that I really like. - [FutureProof Your Code](https://andrewshell.org/2016/09/futureproof-your-code/index.md): 2016-09-16. Frameworks, libraries, and components are great. They can greatly simplify the process of writing applications. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. However what happens when the landscape changes? Your favorite library is no longer supported. The framework you've built your application on is no longer receiving updates. How you react to this news … - [Getting started with Radar](https://andrewshell.org/2015/12/getting-started-with-radar/index.md): 2015-12-17. I recently needed a quick tool to track and generate invoices for my small random freelance jobs. I thought this would be a good project to try out Radar, a PSR-7 compliant Action-Domain-Responder (ADR) system created by Paul M. Jones. - [What is rssCloud?](https://andrewshell.org/2015/06/what-is-rsscloud/index.md): 2015-06-03. Jeffrey Kishner asks: - [Rebooting rssCloud](https://andrewshell.org/2015/06/rebooting-rsscloud/index.md): 2015-06-02. I recently built an rssCloud Server implementation in node.js - [Facebook Comments](https://andrewshell.org/2015/05/facebook-comments/index.md): 2015-05-23. Dave Winer uses Facebook comments on his Liveblog and today I wanted to comment on his post about liveblogging. However before I did this I had to check something out. - [Identifying my priorities](https://andrewshell.org/2014/01/identifying-my-priorities/index.md): 2014-01-21. Lately I've been overwhelmed. This is not unusual for me ever since my heart surgery I've been more aware of it. - [What is a social network?](https://andrewshell.org/2013/10/what-is-a-social-network/index.md): 2013-10-28. Dave Winer says in What's missing in our social networks?: - [Building a better Meetup](https://andrewshell.org/2013/10/building-a-better-meetup/index.md): 2013-10-04. This post is a request into the aether for something I'd really like to see and would be willing to pay for. My hope is that someone reads this and decides to build it (maybe even Meetup). I unfortunately don't have the time to build this as much as I'd like to do so. - [The future of PHP (and JavaScript)](https://andrewshell.org/2013/08/the-future-of-php-and-javascript/index.md): 2013-08-16. As a developer, I'm always reevaluating what tools I use to do my work. This can be what language I'm using, but also what frameworks, libraries or editors I'm using. - [Improving My Code](https://andrewshell.org/2013/08/improving-my-code/index.md): 2013-08-02. I'll be honest with you. I had kinda stagnated over the last couple years when it came to improving my skills as a developer. When I first started developing professionally I went from not knowing much PHP to being well regarded as a developer in a few years. - [Can You Be a Reading Roll Model With an iPad?](https://andrewshell.org/2013/07/can-you-be-a-reading-roll-model-with-an-ipad/index.md): 2013-07-26. My wife Andrea and I have no immediate plans to have children, but the topic has come up a couple of times. One area that we disagree on is the topic of homeschooling. - [Fourth of July in New House](https://andrewshell.org/2013/07/fourth-of-july-in-new-house/index.md): 2013-07-04. It's been a crazy year since the last 4th of July. Andrea and I got married in October. Then we went on our honeymoon to Disney World and of January. On our way home I got pneumonia (the first time) and that started a chain of events that led to having heart surgery. Then 10 … - [Heart Surgery](https://andrewshell.org/2013/05/heart-surgery/index.md): 2013-05-02. I had been diagnosed with a heart murmur back in 2005 at which time the cardiologist said it was unremarkable and that I just needed antibiotics prior to dental work. Two years ago I had a second ultrasound of my heart and no red flags were raised. - [Joining Hyperboria](https://andrewshell.org/2013/03/joining-hyperboria/index.md): 2013-03-13. Yesterday I joined Hyperboria. - [A better social news experience?](https://andrewshell.org/2012/12/a-better-social-news-experience/index.md): 2012-12-31. A number of years ago when I worked for Brazen Careerist I had an idea for the company. We could create a white label social news site that was a window into a larger network of social news sites. Management didn't see this as a useful direction for the company so it didn't happen. - [Dead Drops 'How to'](https://andrewshell.org/2012/09/dead-drops-how-to/index.md): 2012-09-12. I just came across this video and thought it would be great to share. According to the map on deaddrops.com there aren't any listed in Madison, WI. I might have to change that. - [PHP Functions on the Fly](https://andrewshell.org/2012/06/php-functions-on-the-fly/index.md): 2012-06-14. I've been a big of a laggard when it comes around to the latest and greatest in the world of PHP. Only recently have I been using the new functionality of PHP 5.3 even though 5.4 just came out. Today I had an idea for a proof of concept and I thought I'd share it … - [Introducing DocCloud: Using RSS Cloud for more then just RSS](https://andrewshell.org/2012/05/introducing-doccloud-using-rss-cloud-for-more-then-just-rss/index.md): 2012-05-28. Dave Winer discusses in his post A simple proposal for discussion software makers an idea where instead of having to only publish content inside of the application (Ex: WordPress, Tumblr, Quora), you could specify a URL for your content and the application would fetch that content and through a process it stays updated with pings … - [World Outline Podcast #7](https://andrewshell.org/2012/03/world-outline-podcast-7/index.md): 2012-03-20. Yesterday on the World Outline Podcast with Dave Winer and Adam Curry they mentioned me and my projects RT Proxy and TwitOPML. - [RT Proxy](https://andrewshell.org/2012/03/rt-proxy/index.md): 2012-03-16. RT Proxy is a little site I created to support Dave Winer's RT standard. This is fresh on the heels of my Radio2 RT WordPress Plugin which adds RT links to a WordPress site. Now anybody even if they don't have a website or link blog can RT to many popular social networks including Twitter, … - [Apple and the future of TV](https://andrewshell.org/2012/02/apple-and-the-future-of-tv/index.md): 2012-02-18. I just came across Dave Winer's post Samsung is wrong about TV which is a response to the earlier TechCrunch article Samsung Not Worried About Apple’s TV: "TVs are ultimately about picture quality". - [Digital Decentralism](https://andrewshell.org/2012/01/digital-decentralism/index.md): 2012-01-23. I've been very interested in thinking of clever ways to help myself and other people avoid digital sharecropping. Especially with the recent hoopla around SOPA. - [Rock-It at Work - Start a Group](https://andrewshell.org/2011/06/rock-it-at-work-start-a-group/index.md): 2011-06-29. At Brazen Careerist where I work we're having a series of posts by Brazen employees with tips about how they got ahead in their careers. My post about starting a group was just posted today. Check it out. - [What does it mean to have character?](https://andrewshell.org/2011/05/what-does-it-mean-to-have-character/index.md): 2011-05-26. Today I came across a wikipedia page about the Seven Social Sins which was a list created by Frederick Lewis Donaldson. As I went through them one particularly stuck with me. That was "Knowledge without Character" particularly because knowledge is something I strive for. The problem was although I had a sense in my gut … - [Developers and the Growth Mindset](https://andrewshell.org/2011/05/developers-and-the-growth-mindset/index.md): 2011-05-09. Recently I've been reading the book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck and it's really making me think. - [Following Outside of Twitter](https://andrewshell.org/2011/05/following-outside-of-twitter/index.md): 2011-05-01. I've been working as part of the blork community lately. What is a blork? It's basically a decentralized Twitter like app that runs on RSS. You post status updates that get posted to your RSS Feed, then you follow other RSS feeds. The problem? RSS is not particularly user friendly. You have to find the … - [Shipping is Scary](https://andrewshell.org/2011/04/shipping-is-scary/index.md): 2011-04-22. Today I shipped a little app of mine called TwitOPML. I'm now freaked out. What if a ton of people start using it? What if nobody uses it? I shot an e-mail about it to the EC2 for Poets mailing list, so most likely somebody will try it out. In fact, I pretty much developed … - [Nofollow Links](https://andrewshell.org/2011/03/nofollow-links/index.md): 2011-03-29. Note: As of March 23, 2021 I've closed the Nofollow Links plugin. It had some use, but since the links panel wasn't enabled by default in WordPress anymore, I decided to put it to rest. - [Data Minimalism](https://andrewshell.org/2011/03/data-minimalism/index.md): 2011-03-17. I previously railed against the trend of digital sharecropping in my post Giving Up On Web Ownership. The task of taking ownership of your digital identity can be very difficult when you try to replicate the functionality of all the different sites you might use. - [Rebooting The News #86](https://andrewshell.org/2011/03/rebooting-the-news-86/index.md): 2011-03-14. Today's episode of Rebooting The News Jay was out of town so Dave had on Adam Curry and yours truly! I wish I could say I was invited to be a guest, but Dave was just taking calls and picked me. On the show I talk about my work trying to use WordPress as a … - [Giving Up On Web Ownership?](https://andrewshell.org/2011/02/giving-up-on-web-ownership/index.md): 2011-02-18. Last year when I was helping organize BarCamp Madison 2011 I was busy getting the website set up. I set up a WordPress site and planned on getting modules installed to handle registrations and session tracking. Before I even got a chance to do anything other members of the group set up an eventbrite event … - [Putting your life on autopilot](https://andrewshell.org/2011/02/putting-your-life-on-autopilot/index.md): 2011-02-09. My life needs fixing. There are a lot of things going on that I need to repair. Some of which are: - [What would you do with 60 hours?](https://andrewshell.org/2010/12/what-would-you-do-with-60-hours/index.md): 2010-12-30. I'm not a huge fan of new years resolutions. I think most people throw out some big vague goal like "lose weight" or "start my own business" then forget about it by the end of January. - [Technology delegation vs abdication](https://andrewshell.org/2010/12/technology-delegation-vs-abdication/index.md): 2010-12-15. This is a reply to Why Gen Y is Smarter, From a Gen X - [Structured data via RSS](https://andrewshell.org/2010/12/structured-data-via-rss/index.md): 2010-12-15. I've been rolling around in my head for a while now about the best way to publish structured data via RSS. My primary use case is with syndicating data between websites, especially social networks like Brazen Careerist. I like the idea of pulling in a feed that has more information in it then just the … - [Interview with Ryan Healy and Ryan Paugh](https://andrewshell.org/2010/10/interview-with-ryan-healy-and-ryan-paugh/index.md): 2010-10-01. I sat down with Ryan Healy and Ryan Paugh, co-founders of Brazen Careerist. We talked about how they created Employee Evolution, met Penelope Trunk and started Brazen Careerist. - [Conflict with Minimalism](https://andrewshell.org/2010/09/conflict-with-minimalism/index.md): 2010-09-03. I've been trying to be more minimalist lately. I deleted the vast majority of blogs I follow in my RSS feed (I only follow 5 now). One of the blogs I still follow is Far Beyond the Stars by Everett Bogue. Everett is a guy who lives his life with a ridiculously small number of … - [Expanding Your Passion](https://andrewshell.org/2010/08/expanding-your-passion/index.md): 2010-08-23. Here's an exercise I just came up with as a method to expand and pivot my passions. Start out with something that excites you, something that you're really passionate about. Visualize that this activity or idea is just a lake that's part of a big network of lakes, rivers, streams and oceans of passion. An … - [RSS, FlipBoard and Me](https://andrewshell.org/2010/08/rss-flipboard-and-me/index.md): 2010-08-11. Recently I privately declared RSS bankruptcy. I had managed to tame my feeds in such a way that I could usually get through everything and some days I'd just clear out my low value feeds in order to keep up. Then on June 30th, I attended an online webinar "Escaping the Techno ADD Loop" and … - [Interview with Greg Tracy](https://andrewshell.org/2010/06/interview-with-greg-tracy/index.md): 2010-06-29. I sat down with Greg Tracy, co-founder of Sharendipity and creator of SMSMyBus to talk about how he got into technology and what he's learned along the way. - [Kickstart Madison Coworking](https://andrewshell.org/2010/05/kickstart-madison-coworking/index.md): 2010-05-18. When I was out in California I was somewhat involved with the group of people starting Hacker Dojo. I've been interested in creating a similar type of space in Madison. I started looking around at spaces when I was telecommuting for PBwiki but the issue is always how to fund it. It's a chicken and … - [How do you know what you stand for?](https://andrewshell.org/2009/12/how-do-you-know-what-you-stand-for/index.md): 2009-12-11. I'm someone that likes to think of himself as pretty driven and goal oriented. I think this is why it's bothered me so much that lately I've been floundering without any great direction. Some of it is probably the "Quarterlife Crisis" but it could also be that I've been getting lazy. - [PHP Frameworks are Governments](https://andrewshell.org/2009/03/php-frameworks-are-governments/index.md): 2009-03-05. I was e-mailing a friend the other day talking about PHP frameworks. He's been writing one for himself and I've written many many frameworks and CMSs through the years. I've also looked at a lot of existing frameworks out there like Zend, CodeIgniter, CakePHP, Solar, Symfony and I've come to a conclusion. There are a … - [Yahoo and the semantic web](https://andrewshell.org/2008/08/yahoo-and-the-semantic-web/index.md): 2008-08-29. At Netconcepts I've implemented microformats in order to optimize content for search engines. An example of this would be the hCard microformat which we're using in the Allen Edmonds store locator. We marked up the content with classes like street-address and region. We're hoping that this will be used for local search. - [Drains of Canada: An Interview with Michael Cook](https://andrewshell.org/2007/08/drains-of-canada-an-interview-with-michael-cook/index.md): 2007-08-27. I just came across this article today. It's very interesting. I've always had an interest in exploring storm drains and tunnels and such. I wonder if Madison has drains like this. That would be really cool to see. I'd be worried about slipping and drowning though. - [PHP Works 2006](https://andrewshell.org/2006/09/php-works-2006/index.md): 2006-09-20. The conference this year was a lot of fun. I found the talks to be weaker then I remember from previous years. Perhaps I chose poorly. Two of the best talks I attended were "The State of AOP in PHP" by Sebastian Bergmann and "Organizing Your Projects" by Paul M. Jones. - [PHP/DB | Works 2006](https://andrewshell.org/2006/09/php-db-works-2006/index.md): 2006-09-12. I just arrived in Toronto yesterday for the third PHP Works conference I've attended. The last two years were incredible and I have no doubts that this year will be great as well. I will try to post several entries while I'm here detailing what talks I've attended and such. Today is the all day … - [First PHP Meetup](https://andrewshell.org/2004/12/first-php-meetup/index.md): 2004-12-16. Well, tomorrow is the first meeting of my PHP Users Group. I'm pretty excited about that. Right now I have 9 people RSVPed Yes and 3 RSVPed Maybe. Certainly a larger crowd then I had originally expected. The group is being organized through meetup.com.