RFC Basics for Developers
This note explains how to read RFCs without drowning in them, which RFCs are most relevant for web developers, and the …
blobstreaming
Developer journal & engineering lab notebook
Welcome to blobstreaming - a collection of notes on building software, maintaining systems, and navigating the culture of development. This site documents patterns, tradeoffs, and practical insights from working with databases, caching strategies (including edge caching, object caching, and opcode optimization), static site infrastructure, and the day-to-day realities of writing code.
The entries here are organized into Notes (technical memos on specific engineering topics) and Essays (longer reflections on developer culture, career decisions, and burnout). Browse by topic or search for what you need.
Recent Notes
SVG Diagrams for Documentation
This note covers the practical use of SVG for technical diagrams in developer documentation. It walks through the …
Blob Storage Patterns in MySQL
This note covers the three main approaches to storing binary data alongside MySQL — inline BLOBs, external file …
HTTP Caching for Static Sites
This note covers the HTTP caching headers that matter for static sites, how CDN edge caching interacts with browser …
Recent Essays
Blind Developer Interviews
The standard developer hiring process is broken in a specific and measurable way: we evaluate candidates based on …
Google Layoffs Continue as Cuts Hit Flutter, Dart, and Python Teams
Google’s multi-year wave of layoffs, which began in January 2023 with 12,000 positions eliminated, continued to …
Former Microsoft Developer Says Windows 11's Performance Is 'Comically Bad' Even with Monster PC
When a former Microsoft developer publicly states that Windows 11’s performance is “comically bad” — …
Programming Jobs Will Go Away
Every few years, someone predicts the end of programming jobs. Visual programming was going to eliminate coders. …
Ada Lovelace: What Did the First Computer Program Do?
In 1843, Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace — known today as Ada Lovelace — published a set of notes on Charles …
Poor Code Quality Due to AI Assistants: GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT
AI coding assistants — GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Amazon CodeWhisperer, and their growing list of competitors — have …
The Struggles of a Young Developer
The first two years of a software development career are uniquely difficult. Not because the technical work is the …
Software Engineer Burnout
Burnout is not tiredness. Tiredness goes away with rest. Burnout is a state of chronic emotional exhaustion, …