Ed Cousins

It's not all non-symbolic AI... I presented today to Accord Project Technology Working Group on recent enhancements to the Template Engine and how TypeScript expressions within templates are compiled and evaluated. Accord Project uses TypeScript over Concerto types (with Concerto also compiled to TypeScript) to provide type-safe logic/calculations for templates; ensuring that a wide array of programming errors are caught at template compilation time, not at runtime. #typesafety #soundness #typescript #templating #legaltech

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So I've decided to start updating the Wordpress blog that I started at university. This is going to be a weekly thing now, to keep upto date on what I'm doing both as a musician and as a software developer, and where the two overlap! So for those who are interested, here's the latest blog-post!

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How to spot a rubbish influencer 🔍 It's easy, really. Look for hollow, populistic statements. The one doing the rounds now is that years of experience mean nothing. This is, of course, utter nonsense. It's meant to appeal to the masses of junior developers, selling them false dreams. Saying that you only need to be a problem-solver to be a good software engineer is like saying that someone who only read about cycling can complete a marathon and maybe even win it. What years of experience give you is depth of knowledge. It gives you familiarity with more quirks of your domain, pitfalls you could avoid, ways to do things better... Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. #developerlife #softwaredevelopment #softwareengineering #developers

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Im always interested to find how things are built and really enjoyed reading the case study on Craft Cloud being built on Laravel and deployed to AWS: https://lnkd.in/eAnv5MW8 Hosting millions to scale is an interesting challenge every time but always learn something new. At Framework we have a lot of experience in deploying systems to PHP on Lambda AWS, so if you have any queries or wish to discuss then always happy to discuss. #craftcms #cloud #serverless #php #laravel #aws

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I attended an IoT seminar over the weekend here, and one of the speakers brought up the topic of workflows and stuff relating to email, had a bit of a laugh when the question was brought up to the audience about how full your inbox is. But I kinda felt like the odd man out, cause I keep most of my inboxes pretty clean (0 or 1-3 lingering emails as reminders), so I kinda wanted to share how I kinda do things. To be fair, I don't usually get emails in the 100s or even thousands a day/week (I'm not that popular :P), but think this will likely help to lighten the load. 1. Unsubscribe from Everything!! 🔥🔥🔥 - A little hyperbolic, but unsub to most promo emails, non direct-mention notifications, if you're on newsletters for coupons or community events keep those, but if you don't want them throwing off your attention, apply filters like the speaker brought up and move on with your life. 2. Read & Forget - Basically for those other emails, give them your attention in whatever slot of your day you choose to engage with them, then just delete or archive them depending on the severity of the email - To go back to the event email example, just mark it on your calendar then delete, it no longer needs your attention and likely won't be a returning thing so you won't be needing it in the future, like invoices or tax documents - The rest just archive, even if it's a reoccurring thread, it'll show back up in the inbox when someone sends a reply. I personally don't do the filtering stuff all the much, since I'm not really juggling 2-5 different things to justify the extra friction, but at the end of the day it's all about whatever you find works for you, and it's worked for me so far. #workflow #emails #productivity

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Firing Wes Streeting from a cannon aside, NHS user research is about to uncover some real gems. I love this user-led approach from the NHS. By gathering feedback and ideas from patients and practitioners they should gain valuable insights about the problems people face and the potential solutions. Of course there have been silly and satirical suggestions - like replacing Wes Streeting with a dog or putting a Wetherspoons in every hospital - but once the novelty wears off, the jokers will move on, and I expect this user research project will reveal some amazing insights. #UserResearch #UserExperience #DigitalHealth

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New article, just on how I use Polly for Retries in my site (and why all .NET Devs need to know and use Polly!) https://lnkd.in/exqS5JYi #polly #aspnetcore

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We feel deeply ashamed and embarrassed here at Pie Code... Why? Because we forgot WordPress's birthday, which was a big one, too! 😢 WordPress turned 21 on Monday, 27th May, and we completely forgot! The platform that revolutionised web development and continues to shape the internet one website at a time is the Big 21. From its foundation in 2003, WordPress has come a long way. Starting as a user-friendly blogging tool, it has become the world's most popular content management system. This open-source platform now powers 43.4% of all websites, and it's not stopping there! WordPress's success isn't just in numbers; it's in the innovation and inclusivity it's brought to the web development community. With over 60,000 free plugins and 12,000 free themes, WordPress has made website creation accessible and personalised like never before. As WordPress turns 21 and prepares for the release of version 6.6, we're excited about more innovation, improved user experience, and a faster WordPress. Updates are coming to WordPress with version 6.6 on July 16, 2024. This new version promises to elevate your WordPress experience with enhanced features and improvements. Notable changes include: - Section styles - Overrides in synced patterns - An evolved Data Views feature - Enhancements to the Font Library and Interactivity API. The design tools also upgrade with grid layout support, more powerful style variations, and more. In addition, specific blocks and attributes of patterns will be synced, providing consistency in design across different content pieces. As we look ahead, what new features are you excited to see in the upcoming WordPress updates? #WordPress #WebDevelopment #ContentManagement 

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MVPs shouldn't go to the bin, unless the business pivots to something else. Way too often I've seen agencies & devs building MVPs in a 'poor' way (and that's a nice way of putting it), because 'who cares, it will go to the bin anyway when you get PMF and fundraise'. I disagree. There's absolutely NO reason that your MVP should go to the bin, unless your business model or product change dramatically. And even then, a lot of boilerplate (like signup, subscriptions management, emails, etc) - can and should stay the same. If done right, that should be a given, with 0 extra effort on the dev side. If someone's quoting you to do a poor job, don't work with them. You can stay agile & lean (as a startup should) without compromising on quality, and forcing yourself to rewrite the next version of your app. When you're investing in something, especially at an early stage when money is tight, it's important to NOT buy garbage.

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Great to see that CDDO / GDS have updated their guidance page on the use of Progressive Enhancement on UK Government services 😍 https://lnkd.in/esuSVb29 Keep fighting the unnecessary bloat that JavaScript has brought to the modern web! ✊ #a11y #accessibility #webperf #progressive #enhancement

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Market update; June 2024.   I’m still receiving DMs from developers either out of work or struggling to find something new.   Here’s a bit of a random dump from me, based on chats I’ve had with clients that might help. Definitely not all doom & gloom but I'm being honest also; - Applying to recession proof businesses; If you’re looking for a role, think about industries like health funds/insurance/utilities/superannuation etc; strong industries needed in our society that always have cash (usually). Whereas SAAS/product/Fintech seem to be trying to stay lean.. - CTOs; are telling me they have projects they need to kick off (platform re-architectures etc) but their CEOs aren’t giving them the budgets they need. It’s a case of doing their best with the team they have. This is another reason were seeing less roles advertised. - Doing more with less; There’s more pressure on senior & staff engineers to be able to demonstrate they have a solid understanding of tech but can also deliver at speed, meaning they have to focus on quality AND shipping, which in theory improves profit. Also with less hiring on-shore due to budget constraints, this means a leaner team, meaning existing teams have to deliver. - Junior engineers; To land roles, juniors need to show proactiveness and the ability to get things done. This would position them closer to the expectations of a mid which is what hiring managers want right now (theyre just not telling you). - Consultancies; A few businesses have reduced their local teams, to move to an outsourced model as they minimise perm headcount. This means these consulting businesses are busy and are hiring. So your Accentures/TCSs of the world could be good places to apply if you're looking? - New fin year; is approaching meaning new budgets & usually more roles. However this doesn’t mean from July 1 you’ll see a huge influx of roles posted. One CTO I chatted to has been given the same capex budget as he was for last year (not great). - Fully remote roles; becoming rarer. Most businesses require 2 days a week in office (some, not all). If remote is your jam, try to find work in startups/small businesses wheres theres flex (that said, I do know some corporates contradicting what they’re saying; letting some of their high performing contractors work interstate). - Ignore job boards; Roles are getting filled quickly due to so many candidates on the market & not even making it to the internet. Just because you don’t see a live role in a companies careers page, doesn’t mean they’re not hiring. If it’s a solid business, send them your details. - “I’m applying for roles and not hearing anything” and the likelihood is you never will unless selected for interview. Some companies will be getting 1000 applications a week for 1 role. They cant reply to everyone. Don’t take it personally. - The green banner debacle; it doesn’t make you look desperate. Stop worrying about it 😊 Hit me up if you need to chat; [email protected]

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A few years ago, whilst chatting with another developer, he suddenly made the statement that women didn’t make good coders. This massively shocked me, he was not someone I would have expected to hear this from. I quickly rebutted his comment, pointing out that I currently work (and have worked) with some excellent female coders. I then went further to highlight that women were behind some of the significant milestones that had enabled him to become a programmer. For example, Ada Lovelace who recognised that machines could be used for more than just calculations. Ada is now recognised as having written the first computer program. Another example I gave was Grace Hopper. Grace invented the first compiler, enabling us to write code using English terms that would be converted into machine code. Programming has become male-dominated, but that wasn’t originally the case. In the early days, women were typically hired as programmers as it was seen as clerical work. There was a shift in perception of the role during the 60s and 70s that resulted in men being drawn into the industry, and women discouraged from applying to work as programmers. Today, things are slowly progressing towards a more diverse workforce. The industry is all the better for this. A lack of women in the industry is not because women are unsuitable for the roles, it is the result of society, its prejudice and misogyny. The other day, I came across the excellent https://lnkd.in/eEJvAk_Q. It celebrates some of the key achievements that led to today’s Web that we have women to thank for. I hope I never have to have another conversation about whether women should be programmers, but if I do this would be a good place to point them at.

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Thanks Paul Moore for the original - copied rather than shared to not give the game away. Think you can spot a #security issue quickly? Here's a PHP #password example. Ignoring the fact we're supplying our own salt to bCrypt (which subsequently salts it again), which version is best? Is v1 better or worse than v2, or are they basically the same? Look carefully & give yourself 20 seconds to answer

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🧑‍🏫 Got a couple of hours on a Friday afternoon and keen to see how you can use Zapier to create no/low code process automation from Pinpoint Applicant Tracking System (or any system that has webhooks and an API!)? * Send new starters to IT * Find out when a specific applicant is hired * Add new jobs to a Google Sheet * Update status of jobs in internal project management tools https://lnkd.in/eeGye6bn 🤓 (API key has been deleted!) #RPA #integrations #ats #lowcode #HR #HRTech #zapier #talentacquisition

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https://lnkd.in/ei3FCeZA Here is a blog post for my on-going rewrite of my Uni dissertation project. I was trying to implement an example of Type-Safe Builder Patterns https://lnkd.in/ebkEusU3

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Did you know that you can join the Innovate UK Immersive Tech Network for free and use our Community Hub to post anything you are looking for from the community? This includes collaborators for current & upcoming funding opportunities - https://lnkd.in/eZuipCGK Two week ago we hosted an online collaboration event for people looking for partners to apply with for the Mindset Funding competition (deadline Jan 15th): https://lnkd.in/eA76G7P2 Here is a summary of what some of those participants have posted on our Community Hub since then: - MIDA, University of the Arts London Screen School program, specializes in XR, AR, VR, and game development, focusing on health, inclusivity, and sustainability. They're keen to partner with researchers, universities, and XR companies to tackle mid-to-severe mental health challenges. Contact Susi Wilkinson or Kim Noce. Emails can be found in their Community Hub post. - The Combat Stress Centre researches trauma-linked mental health conditions (e.g., PTSD) and explores XR's potential for managing anxiety in public spaces and chronic pain. They offer expertise in clinical trials and access to clinical populations. For collaboration, contact Gavin M Campbell. - Access All Areas seeks a partner for a funding application to develop sensory-adaptable headphones for an immersive 360° theatre production with learning-disabled and autistic artists. Nick's contact details can be found in the Community Hub. The full posts with further details can be found on the Community Hub. I monitor the posts regularly and will continue to amplify anyone looking for funding partners here. *The image is ChatGPT's first interpretation of a community hub. What do you think? 😂 I'm a big fan of the rainbow motif. #innovation #collaboration #networking #immersivetech #XR #VR #AR #spatialcomputing #health #healthtech #mentalhealth #funding #NHS Innovate UK Innovate UK Business Connect

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🎉Introducing the Delivery Dashboard 📈 https://lnkd.in/eQi23Fqj Our team at the Department of Delivery for Impact (DFI) has been hard at work creating a powerful tool to drive progress towards WHO’s Triple Billion targets and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 🌍 🔍 What is the Delivery Dashboard? The Delivery Dashboard is a visual representation of our internal progress, using simple traffic-light symbols. 🚦 At the global level, it tracks WHO’s activities in support of Member States to achieve SDG outcomes. 🌎 And at the country level, it adapts to monitor progress specific to each WHO Country Office’s priorities. 🏥 🔑 The ACDBE Approach To enhance the impact, we’ve integrated the ACDBE approach into the Delivery Dashboard: ·       Acceleration: Used data to project the road to impact. ·       Countries: Specified where to focus the effort ·       Delivery plan: Agreed on the plan for implementation; ·       Budget: Resources are available to capacitate delivery; ·       Execution: Routines in place to track progress and solve problems; 🔧 Feedback Mode Initiated We’re thrilled to share that the Delivery Dashboard is now available for exploring! We welcome hearing from you on impressions and suggestions. Let’s streamline our efforts and accelerate progress towards the Triple Billion Targets. 💪 #deliveryforimpact Read more: https://lnkd.in/eQi23Fqj Anastasiya Bugnon Amy Sy Claire Chaumont Mustafa Bahadir Sucakli Molly Biehl Melanie Bertram Pavel Ursu

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Where are the most attractive places to live in the UK? We can finally answer that question - if we prioritise location by the affordability of public library overdue fines. Using data on how much is charged per day for an overdue book, I shaded a hex map to show the most expensive UK library services (upper tier local authorities). Grey is free from any fines, then ranging from light to dark red as fines get more expensive. Fine levels peak at a massive 60p per day if you live in Bracknell Forest. #30DayMapChallenge Thanks to Open Innovations for the hex map definition for local authorities

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Code readability: prefixes. If you've got a method which checks if a status is true or false, instead of calling it 'status', why not try 'isStatus' or 'isPending'? If you've got a method which checks if someone has replied, don't call it 'replied', call it 'hasReplied'. In my opinion, it's better to hint at whats being returned. Lots of micro-improvements like this make your code easier to read.

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