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We are at an unprecedented point in American history, and I’m concerned we may lose sight of the American Dream:

• The costs of housing, healthcare, and education have soared far beyond the pace of inflation and wage growth.
• We are a democracy, but 144 million Americans – 42% of the adults who live here – do not vote and have no say in what happens.
• Wealth concentration has reached historic levels. The top 1% of households control 32% of all wealth, while the bottom 50% only have 2.6%.

We must act now to keep the dream alive. Our family made eight $1 million donations to nonprofit groups working to support those most currently in need:

• Team Rubicon – Mobilizing veterans to continue their service, leveraging their skills and experience to help Americans prepare, respond, and recover from natural disasters.
• Children’s Hunger Fund – Provides resources to local churches in the United States and around the world to meet the needs of impoverished community members.
• PEN America – Defends writers against censorship and abuse, supports writers in need of emergency assistance, and amplifies the writing of incarcerated prisoners. (One of my personal favorites; I’ve seen the power of writing transform our world many times.)
• The Trevor Project – Working to change hearts, minds, and laws to support the lives of young adults seeking acceptance as fellow Americans.
• NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund – Legal organization with a historic record of advancing racial justice and reducing inequality.
• First Generation Investors – Introduces high school students in low-income areas to the fundamentals of investing, providing them real money to invest, encouraging long-term wealth accumulation and financial literacy among underserved youth.
• Global Refuge – Supporting migrants and refugees from around the globe, in partnership with community-based legal and social service providers nationwide, helping rebuild lives in America.
• Planned Parenthood – Provides essential healthcare services and resources that help individuals and families lead healthier lives.

I encourage every American to contribute soon, however you can, to organizations you feel are effectively helping those most currently in need here in America.

We must also work toward deeper changes that will take decades to achieve. Over the next five years, my family pledges half our wealth towards long term efforts ensuring that all Americans continue to have access to the American Dream.

I never thought my family would be able to do this. My parents are of hardscrabble rural West Virginia and rural North Carolina origins. They barely managed to claw their way to the bottom of the middle class by the time they ended up in Virginia. Unfortunately, due to the demons passed on to them by their parents, my father was an alcoholic and my mother participated in the drinking. She ended up divorcing my father when I was 16 years old. It was only after the divorce that my parents were able to heal themselves, heal their only child, and stop the drinking, which was so destructive to our family. If the divorce hadn’t forced the issue, alcohol would have inevitably destroyed us all.

My parents may not have done everything right, but they both unconditionally loved me. They taught me how to fully, deeply receive love, and the profound joy of reflecting that love upon everyone around you.

I went on to attend public school in Chesterfield County, Virginia. In 1992 I graduated from the University of Virginia, founded by Thomas Jefferson.

During college, I worked at Safeway as a part-time cashier, earning the federal minimum wage, scraping together whatever money I could through government Pell grants, scholarships, and other part-time work to pay my college tuition. Even with lower in-state tuition, it was rocky. Sometimes I could barely manage tuition payments. And that was in 1992, when tuition was only $3,000 per year. It is now $23,000 per year. College tuition at a state school increased by 8 times over the last 30 years. These huge cost increases for healthcare, education, and housing are not compatible with the American Dream.

Programmers all over the world helped make an American Dream happen in 2008 when we built Stack Overflow, a Q&A website for programmers creating a shared Creative Commons knowledge base for the world. We did it democratically, because that’s the American way. We voted to rank questions and answers, and held elections for community moderators using ranked choice voting. We built a digital democracy – of the programmers, by the programmers, for the programmers. It worked.

With the guidance of my co-founder Joel Spolsky, I came to understand that the digital democracy of Stack Overflow was not enough. We must be brave enough to actively, openly share love with each other. That became the foundation for Discourse, a free, open source tool for constructive, empathetic community discussions that are also Creative Commons. We can disagree in those discussions because Discourse empowers communities to set boundaries the community agrees on, providing tools to democratically govern and strongly moderate by enforcing these boundaries. Digital democracy and empathy, for everyone.

In order for digital democracy to work, we need to see each other through our screens.

We often behave online in ways we never would in the real world because we cannot see the person on the other side of the screen. But as our world becomes more digital, we must extend our kindness through that screen.

I’ve always felt Stack Overflow and Discourse are projects for the public good that happen to be corporations. I probably couldn’t have accomplished this in any other country, and I was rewarded handsomely for a combination of hard work and good luck. That’s what the American Dream promises us.

We built it, and people came. I earned millions of dollars. I thought that was the final part of the American Dream. But it wasn’t.

I recently attended a theater performance of The Outsiders at my son’s public high school. All I really knew was the famous “stay gold” line from the 1983 movie adaptation. But as I sat there in the audience among my neighbors, watching the complete story acted out in front of me by these teenagers, I slowly realized what staying gold actually meant: sharing the American Dream.

In the printed program, the director wrote:

This play is a reminder that strength lies not just in overcoming hardships but in staying true to ourselves and lifting up those around us.

We hope you feel the raw emotions, sense the camaraderie, and connect with the enduring themes of resilience, empathy, and unity. Whether you’ve read this story recently, long ago, or not at all, I hope you are able to find inspiration in the strength and passion of youth. Thank you for being part of this journey with us.

Stay gold.

I believe deeply in sharing The American Dream. It is the foundation of our country, the second paragraph in our Declaration of Independence, written by the founder of the public university I attended:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

But the American Dream is not always available to every American. Its meaning can be distorted. Jimi Hendrix captured this distortion so eloquently in his rendition of our national anthem.

We are still trying to live up to those ideals today. In November 2024, enough of us voted for people who interpret the dream in a way that I don’t understand.

34% of adults in America did not exercise their right to vote. Why? Is it voter suppression, gerrymandering causing indifference, or people who felt their vote didn’t matter? The 7.6% that are ineligible to vote are mostly adults living in America who have not managed to attain citizenship, or people convicted of a felony. Whatever the reasons, 42% of adults living in America had no say in the 2024 election. The vote failed to represent everyone.

I think many of the Americans who did vote are telling us they no longer believe our government is effectively keeping America fair for everyone. Our status as the world’s leading democracy is in question. We should make it easier for more eligible Americans to vote, such as making election day a national holiday, universal mail in voting, and adopting ranked choice voting so all votes carry more weight. We should also strengthen institutions keeping democracy fair for everyone, such as state and local election boards, as well as the Federal Election Commission.

It was only after I attained the dream that I was able to fully see how many Americans have so very little. This much wealth starts to unintentionally distance my family from other Americans. I no longer bother to look at how much items cost, because I don’t have to. We don’t have to think about all these things that are challenging or unreachable for so many others. The more wealth you attain, the more unmistakably clear it becomes how unequal life is for so many of us.

Even with the wealth I have, I can’t imagine what it would feel like to be a billionaire. It is, for lack of a better word, unamerican.

In 2012, the top 1% of Americans held 24% of our country’s wealth. By 2021, the top 1% of Americans held 30%. So many have so little, while a tiny few have massive, wildly disproportionate wealth, which keeps growing. Now the global top 1% hold nearly twice as much wealth as the rest of the world combined.

I grew up poor in America, inspired by the promise of the American Dream that I could better myself and my family by building things that mattered:

Work is service, not gain. The object of work is life, not income. The reward of production is plenty, not private fortune. We should measure the prosperity of a nation not by the number of millionaires, but by the absence of poverty, the prevalence of health, the efficiency of the public schools, and the number of people who can and do read worthwhile books.

Our version of capitalism delivered so much wealth to my family for my hard work in co-founding two successful companies. My partner and I gladly paid our full taxes, and we always planned to give most of our remaining wealth to charities when we pass, following the Warren Buffet Philanthropic Pledge:

More than 99% of my wealth will go to philanthropy during my lifetime or at death.

I admire Buffett, but even having only a tiny fraction of his $325 billion fortune, to me this pledge was incomplete. When would this wealth be transferred?

Last year he amended the pledge, giving all his wealth at death to a charitable trust run by his children, aged 71, 69, and 66, who do not make for natural charitable bedfellows. I am only holding back enough wealth for my children so they can afford college educations and buy a home. I am compelled to, because being a parent is the toughest job I’ve ever had, and I am concerned about their future.

November 5th raised the stakes. It is now time to allocate half the wealth I was so fortunate to be dealt within the next five years, not just for my own family, but for all my fellow Americans.

Our government seems to be slower and slower at delivering change due to the increased polarization of our two party system. The last meaningful constitutional amendment we’ve managed to pass in the last 60 years was the 26th amendment in 1971, lowering the voting age to 18 and giving more people a voice in our democracy.

Political polarization is at historically high levels and rising. In a two party system, this level of polarization is counterproductive and even dangerous. Do we all still believe in the same American Dream?

I’ve always loved the ideals behind the American Dream, though we continually struggle to live up to them. They are worth fighting for, even if it means making “good trouble”. We must come together and believe in our shared American Dream so deeply that we can improve our democracy… but which dream?

The American Dream contains the path of hate, and the path of love. Throughout our history, one hand is always fighting the other. Which path are we choosing?

Our family pledges half our wealth toward an American Dream founded on love.

Here are some starting points for longer term efforts:

• We can support organizations making it easier for Americans to vote for a new Congress in two years and a new president in four years. My concern is damage to our democratic institutions may happen so quickly that our votes could matter even less within the coming years.
• We could fund nonprofits that have a proven track record of protecting democratic institutions.
• We could found a new organization loosely based on the original RAND Corporation, but modernized like Lever for Change. We can empower the best and brightest to determine a realistic, achievable path toward preserving the American Dream for everyone, working within the current system or outside it.
• All states are shades of purple, not fully red or blue. We have more in common on specific policies than we realize. It would be very difficult to draw borders if we split. I know what divorce feels like, and we don’t want this. Let’s come together through our shared American Dream.
• We can start with change in our local communities. Vote in your own city, county, and state elections. Support local independent journalism and media. Find a local organization doing work you admire, ask what they need, and help them meet those needs. Listen to the stories of fellow volunteers, listen to the stories of the people you’re serving – that is the heart of Democracy.

We’ve already completed the eight $1 million donations listed above to help those most immediately in need. Within the next five years, half of our family wealth will support longer term efforts. There is no single solution, so let’s work together. I will gladly advise and empower others working towards the same goal.

Please join us in Sharing the American Dream:

1. Support organizations you feel are effectively helping those most in need across America right now.
2. Within the next five years, also contribute public dedications of time or funds towards longer term efforts to keep the American Dream fair and attainable for all our children.

Stay gold, America.

(I could not have done this without the support of my partner Betsy Burton and the rest of my family. I’d also like to thank Steve McConnell, whose writing inspired me to start this blog in 2004. So many people from all walks of life generously shared their feedback to improve this post. We wrote it together. Thank you all.)

With a 13 billion year head start on evolution, why haven’t any other forms of life in the universe contacted us by now?

(Arrival is a fantastic movie. Watch it, but don’t stop there – read the Story of Your Life novella it was based on for so much additional nuance.)

This is called the Fermi paradox:

The Fermi Paradox is a contradiction between high estimates of the probability of the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations, such as in the Drake equation, and lack of any evidence for such civilizations.

– There are billions of stars in the galaxy that are similar to the Sun including many billions of years older than Earth.
– With high probability, some of these stars will have Earth-like planets, and if the Earth is typical, some might develop intelligent life.
– Some of these civilizations might develop interstellar travel, a step the Earth is investigating now.
– Even at the slow pace of currently envisioned interstellar travel, the Milky Way galaxy could be completely traversed in about a million years.

According to this line of thinking, the Earth should have already been visited by extraterrestrial aliens. In an informal conversation, Fermi noted no convincing evidence of this, nor any signs of alien intelligence anywhere in the observable universe, leading him to ask, “Where is everybody?”

To me, this is a compelling argument, in the same way that the lack of evidence of any time travellers is:

Many have argued that the absence of time travelers from the future demonstrates that such technology will never be developed, suggesting that it is impossible. This is analogous to the Fermi paradox related to the absence of evidence of extraterrestrial life. As the absence of extraterrestrial visitors does not categorically prove they do not exist, so the absence of time travelers fails to prove time travel is physically impossible; it might be that time travel is physically possible but is never developed or is cautiously used. Carl Sagan once suggested the possibility that time travelers could be here but are disguising their existence or are not recognized as time travelers.

It seems, to me at least, clear evidence that time travel is not possible, given the enormous amount of time behind us. Something, somewhere, would certainly have invented it by now… right?

So if not, what happened? The Great Filter maybe?

The Great Filter theory says that at some point from pre-life to Type III intelligence, there’s a wall that all or nearly all attempts at life hit. There’s some stage in that long evolutionary process that is extremely unlikely or impossible for life to get beyond. That stage is The Great Filter.

I liked Wait But Why’s take on this a lot, which covers three main filter possibilities:

1. Life is extraordinarily rare, almost impossible

2. We are not a rare form of life, but near the first to evolve

3. Almost no life makes it to this point

Those are three Great Filter possibilities, but the question remains: why are we so alone in the observable universe? I grant you that what we can observe is appallingly tiny given the unimaginable scale of the universe, so “what we can observe” may not be enough by many orders of magnitude.

I encourage you to read the entire article, it’s full of great ideas explained well, including many other Great Filter possibilites. But Mostly I want to share my personal theory of why we haven’t encountered alien life by now. Like computers themselves, things don’t get larger. They get smaller. And faster. And so does intelligent life.

Why build planet-size anything when the real action is in the small things? Small spaces, small units of time, everything gets smaller.

Large is inefficient and unnecessary. Look at the history of computers: from giant to tiny and tinier. From slow to fast and faster. Personally, I have a feeling really advanced life eventually does away with all physical stuff that slows you down as soon as they can, and enters the infinite spaces between:

This is, of course, a variant on the Fermi paradox: We don’t see clues to widespread, large-scale engineering, and consequently we must conclude that we’re alone. But the possibly flawed assumption here is when we say that highly visible construction projects are an inevitable outcome of intelligence. It could be that it’s the engineering of the small, rather than the large, that is inevitable. This follows from the laws of inertia (smaller machines are faster, and require less energy to function) as well as the speed of light (small computers have faster internal communication). It may be – and this is, of course, speculation – that advanced societies are building small technology and have little incentive or need to rearrange the stars in their neighborhoods, for instance. They may prefer to build nanobots instead.

— Seth Shostak

Seth delivers an excellent TED talk on this topic as well:

If we can barely see far in the universe as is, there’s no way we could possibly see into the infinite space and time between.

That is of course just my opinion, but we’ll see.. eventually.

If you haven’t been able to keep up with my blistering pace of one blog post per year (if that), I can’t blame you. There’s a lot going on right now. It’s a busy time. But let’s pause and take a moment to celebrate that Elon Musk destroyed Twitter. I can’t possibly say it better than Paul Ford (how could I?) so I’ll just refer you there:

Every five or six minutes, someone in the social sciences publishes a PDF with a title like “Humans 95 Percent Happier in Small Towns, Waving at Neighbors and Eating Sandwiches.” When we gather in groups of more than, say, eight, it’s a disaster. Yet there is something fundamental in our nature that desperately wants to get everyone together in one big room, to “solve it.” Our smarter, richer betters (in Babel times, the king’s name was Nimrod) often preach the idea of a town square, a marketplace of ideas, a centralized hub of discourse and entertainment—and we listen. But when I go back and read Genesis, I hear God saying: “My children, I designed your brains to scale to 150 stable relationships. Anything beyond that is overclocking. You should all try Mastodon.”

It’s been clear for a long while now that the social media strategery of “jam a million people in a colosseum and let them fight it out with free speech” isn’t panning out, but never has it been more clear than now, under the Elon Musk regime, that being beholden to the whims of a billionaire going through a midlife crisis isn’t exactly healthy for society. Or you. Or me. Or anyone, really.

I tried to be fair; I gave the post-Elon Twitter era a week, thinking “how bad could it possibly be?” and good lord, it was so much worse than I could have possibly ever imagined. It’s like Elon read the Dilbert pointy-haired-manager book on management and bonked his head on every rung of the ladder going down, generating an ever-growing laundry list of terrible things no manager should ever do. And he kept going!

It’s undeniably sad. I really liked Twitter, warts and all, from 2007 onward. In fact, it was the only “social network” I liked at all. Even when it became clear in the Trump era that Twitter was unhealthy for human minds, I soldiered on, gleaning what I could from Twitter. I’m not alone in that; Clay Shirky’s moribund signoff at the end of 2022 was about how I felt:

Indeed, Twitter was murdered at the whims of a billionaire high on Ketamine while it was (mostly) healthy, because of the “trans woke virus”.

I encourage you, all of you, to disavow Twitter and never look at it again. No one who cares about their mental health should be on Twitter at this point, or linking to Twitter and feeding it the attention it thrives on. We should entomb Twitter deep in concrete with this public warning on its capstone:

In the end, I begrudgingly realized, as did Paul Ford, that Elon unwittingly did us a favor by killing Twitter. He demonstrated the very real dangers of becoming beholden to any platform run by a king, a dictator, a tyrant, a despot, an autocrat. You can have all your content rug-pulled out from under you at any time, or watch in horror as your favorite bar… slowly transforms into a nazi bar.

I’ve been saying for a long time that decentralization is the way to go. We can and should have sane centralized services, of course, but it’s imperative that we also build decentralized services which empower users and give them control, rather than treating them like digital sharecroppers. That’s what our Discourse project is all about. I propose collective ownership of the content and the communities we build online. Yeah, it’s more work, it’s not “free” (sorry not sorry), but I have some uncomfortable news from you: those so-called “free” services aren’t really free.

Which, again, is not to say that “free” services don’t have a place in the world, they do, but please don’t harbor any illusions about what you are giving up in the name of “free”. Grow up.

I take a rather Tron-like view of the world when it comes to this stuff; in the software industry, our goal should be to empower users (with strong moderation tools), not control them.

So I encourage you to explore alternatives to Twitter, ideally open source, federated alternatives. Is it messy? Hell yes it’s messy. But so is democracy; it’s worth the work, because it’s the only survivable long term path forward. Anything worth doing is never easy.

I’m currently on Mastodon, an open source, federated Twitter alternative at https://infosec.exchange/@codinghorror – I urge you to join me on the Mastodon server of your choice, or quite literally any other platform other than Twitter. Really, whatever works for you. Pick what you like.

To encourage that leap of faith, I am currently auctioning off, with all funds to benefit the Trevor Project which offers assistance to LGBTQ youth, these 10 museum quality brass plaques of what I consider to be the best tweet of all time, hands down:

(Blissfully, @horse_ebooks is also on Mastodon. As they should be. As should you. Because everything happens so much.)

If you’d like to bid on the 10 brass plaques, follow these links to eBay, and please remember, it’s for a great cause, and will piss Elon off, which makes it even sweeter:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/225895658859
https://www.ebay.com/itm/225895658395
https://www.ebay.com/itm/225895657953
https://www.ebay.com/itm/225895656856
https://www.ebay.com/itm/225895655560
https://www.ebay.com/itm/225895655243
https://www.ebay.com/itm/225895654889
https://www.ebay.com/itm/225895654391
https://www.ebay.com/itm/225895654002
https://www.ebay.com/itm/225895653408

I will sign the back of every plaque, because each one comes with my personal guarantee that it will easily outlive what’s left of Twitter.

AWS stands for Amazon Web Services. AWS is the leading cloud infrastructure service maintaining 32 percent of the the market in the 2nd quarter of 2023. The top competitors of AWS is Microsoft and Google with their own cloud service platforms.

A subsidiary of Amazon, Amazon Web Services, Inc. offers pay-as-you-go on-demand cloud services architecture, consisting of platforms and APIs for individuals, businesses, and governments. These services include:

• Hosting Applications (mobile and web)
• Content Delivery
• Database Storage
• API Gateways
• and many other services

A Cloud service architecture comprises of the front end platform, back end platform, and a cloud based delivery over a network.

What is an AWS Solutions Architect?

An AWS solution architect is one of the most sought after careers in the cloud domain as many large corporations and even small businesses are running on the AWS cloud platform.

Companies are always on the lookout for professionals with competence in AWS Cloud architecture or the ones who have done an AWS Developer Associate Certification Course. So, if you are looking for a lucrative career as an AWS solutions architect, the prospects are promising.

You will require to design a technical and practical application using the cloud platform for your business problems as an AWS associate. One example could be to build the most cost efficient systems based on cloud architecture. Global Companies like Siemens and Shell have efficiently leveraged the AWS platform to beef up their cyber security against viruses, malware and other malicious threats. This is most exciting part of becoming an AWS- associate developer. You get to creatively solve business problems by using your expertise in cloud technology.

Your skills become valuable to a business when you give them value by generating efficiencies to it. A competent AWS solutions architect can earn a maiden salary of 1 lakh dollars on an average in United States of America and Canada.

What skills do you need to become an AWS solutions architect?

Business Acumen

Understanding the needs and problems faced by your business is the first skill you need if you want to work as an AWS solutions architect. A commercial sense more or less serves you well in any career.

Great communication and interpersonal skills

AWS solution architects work within teams so having great people’s skills is of utmost importance. The secret to getting projects done lies in your ability to communicate effectively with the team and managing your time properly.

Understanding customer needs and aligning them with business goals is also crucial. Therefore one needs to be very good with customer interactions and communicating objectively.

You must be adaptable in switching between tasks that may involve writing scripts, troubleshooting, and taking care of migrations amongst other things throughout the day.

Technical expertise

You need to have a working knowledge of one operating system at least. The most preferable is Linux. Prior knowledge of specific programming languages along with understanding of network security will make the path of becoming AWS professional potentially sound.

You need to pass the AWS solutions architect certification to become a certified AWS solutions architect.

Don’t worry; it is possible to become an AWS solutions architect even if you don’t have a prior any prior experience of AWS. In any career, learning the core concepts, getting certified or passing an exam and honing your skills through practical exposure is the most standard way to becoming a professional.

So, you can divide your journey to become a AWS solutions architect into 3 steps as follows:

1. Learn the fundamentals of cloud computing with deep knowledge of the AWS cloud platform

You need to learn all the cloud computing concepts to know the nitty gritties of a career in cloud computing industry. There are plenty of free and paid learning resources available online to get you started with learning the theoretical aspects for the right building cloud solutions on a AWS platform.

Cloud technology is in a state of flux. It is a constantly evolving field. Make sure you choose the right learning resources that focus on a case study based learning environment to help you understand the practical application and implications of the cloud computing concepts and AWS fundamentals.

It is very important to keep yourself abreast with the latest developments in the field of cloud technology. Learn why companies are using the AWS enabled cloud platform to solve business

problems. What kind of benefits it offers to businesses. Make knowledge of cloud technology your forte to proceed on acquiring the technical skills and competencies to become an AWS solutions architect.

2. Ace the AWS solution architect certification Exam

AWS certifications stand out as they lay emphasis on hands on experience and best practices. The evaluation is a testimony of candidate’s thoroughness in working with AWS cloud platform. There are different certifications under the AWS certification umbrella. AWS solution architect-associate certification is the most sought after one for a fresher looking to venture in the cloud solutions industry.

The test is conducted in an MCQ format and lasts for 130 minutes. it tests a candidate’s knowledge on using AWS cloud architecture for application based project implementation using best practices and design principles to address customer needs and solve business problems.

You have already done your ground work in the first step by acquiring the fundamental knowledge of how cloud technology works. Now you need to focus on acquiring niche skills and practical knowledge to get a thorough understanding of how cloud computing works in AWS enabled environment. The step may look a little challenging but it is definitely the most rewarding for starting out your developer journey in this field.

If you are looking for online courses to prepare yourself for the exam, make sure you choose the courses which blend practical hands on training along with learning the concepts. You must make it a point to cover each module included in the certification. A pro tip would be to take a one year free trial with AWS and play around with as many AWS services as possible with the trial version.

Look for resources that provide mock tests to help you practice in a real time simulation before taking the certification exam. Finding the right mentorship and learning will help you in clearing the certification exam with ease and confidence.

3. Make practical experience your priority when you start

It is advisable to get hands on experience with the AWS cloud service platform. Look out for entry level positions in the cloud architecture domain as soon as you decide to take the AWS certification.

Even Amazon recommends a desirable one year experience for taking the exam. An AWS certification can give you an added advantage at the pre screening stage of a job interview but bear in mind that it is your practical experience that takes you forward towards your dream 6 figure career from the interview cubicle.

Even after clearing the AWS certification exam, you must strive to find the right opportunities in the job market. Take the initial few months of your job as an extension of your learning. Look for training opportunities under senior solutions architect who have experience of handling a lot of projects and will give you opportunities to learn and grow.

The cloud computing field is always moving and you will always have something new to learn. It brings tremendous opportunities to grow as a professional. You can move ahead and take up the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional module after working as an associate for atleast 2 years with multi application based hands on experience of designing and deploying cloud architecture on AWS.

You should always know the pulse of the industry. Learning about other platforms like Microsoft Azure or Google cloud will help you getting a broader perspective and streamline your knowledge as an AWS solutions architect.

Final Thoughts

Now that you have a good understanding of what AWS is along with the career options as a Solutions Architect, it’s time to decide if this cloud infrastructure platform is where you’d like to pursue a career. We hope you found this blog post helpful and please comment below!

The post What is AWS & A Solutions Architect? first appeared on WebDesignDev.

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The topic of whether or not designers should learn to code is probably the most debated one in the industry. There are numerous forum threads and blog posts supporting both sides. Additionally, the steps to actually learning how to code are not always so clear. In this featured post we will run through some important steps to becoming a designer who codes along with the many benefits of combining your design skills with coding knowledge.

Introduction

Some say that a professional should have one focus only and not spread themselves too thin. Their main argument is – a jack of all trades can’t have a deep understanding of every field they operate in, so they can’t be a true professional.

Others believe that in the modern world, a multi-skilled professional is a huge benefit for business and there shouldn’t be any obstacles for a designer to get as many valuable skills as they deem necessary. After all, knowledge is power.

In this neverending debate on whether a designer should be able to code, we are definitely on the “yes” side. In this post, we will share our arguments on why being a designer who codes is great for everyone involved and give you a few tips on how to become one.

What kind of designers would benefit from learning programming languages or coding? If you are a web designer, UX designer, game designer, or app designer, then you will definitely expand your ability to design and open additional opportunities in your current vocation.

How to become a designer who codes

Learning to code might seem like an impossible thing to do. The code looks gibberish, and the task of learning to understand it seems boring and tedious. Yes, it won’t be a walk in the park. But it won’t be as difficult as you imagine. With enough motivation, you can master the basics of any programming language you choose in mere weeks.

Image credit: Adobe Stock

6 Tips On How to Learn Coding For Designers:

Why learning to code is a good idea for designers

The design industry is ever-evolving and competitive. In this environment, a professional has to maintain their edge, become more agile, strive to progress, and seek to innovate. The alternative is stagnation.

Image credit: Adobe Stock

Top 4 Reasons Designers Should Consider Learning How to Code:

What programming languages can I benefit from?

The choice of which programming language to learn largely depends on the industry you’re currently working in. Obviously, a web designer would need a different set of skills compared to an app designer or a game designer.

Image credit: Adobe Stock

How many programming languages are there?

Around the globe, there are literally hundreds of different types of programming languages and as we stated, they are industry-specific. So, for our web design friends, you should stick with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Java.

The Programming Languages You Should Start With

Wrapping Up

Becoming a designer who codes is not an easy path, but the benefits are definitely worth the time and effort you’ll put into it. Choose the right language, apply the knowledge you get in your day-to-day tasks, and you will see how your design career sky-rockets!

The post How To Become a Designer Who Codes appeared first on Web Design Dev.

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How To Become a Designer Who Codes was first posted on June 17, 2022 at 12:07 pm.
©2022 “Web Design Dev“. Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at jc@ventureupwards.com

The topic of whether or not designers should learn to code is probably the most debated one in the industry. There are numerous forum threads and blog posts supporting both sides. Additionally, the steps to actually learning how to code are not always so clear. In this featured post we will run through some important steps to becoming a designer who codes along with the many benefits of combining your design skills with coding knowledge.

Introduction

Some say that a professional should have one focus only and not spread themselves too thin. Their main argument is – a jack of all trades can’t have a deep understanding of every field they operate in, so they can’t be a true professional.

Others believe that in the modern world, a multi-skilled professional is a huge benefit for business and there shouldn’t be any obstacles for a designer to get as many valuable skills as they deem necessary. After all, knowledge is power.

Should designers learn to code?

In this neverending debate on whether a designer should be able to code, we are definitely on the “yes” side. In this post, we will share our arguments on why being a designer who codes is great for everyone involved and give you a few tips on how to become one.

What kind of designers would benefit from learning programming languages or coding?

If you are a web designer, UX designer, game designer, or app designer, then you will definitely expand your ability to design and open additional opportunities in your current vocation.

How to become a designer who codes

Learning to code might seem like an impossible thing to do. The code looks gibberish, and the task of learning to understand it seems boring and tedious. Yes, it won’t be a walk in the park. But it won’t be as difficult as you imagine. With enough motivation, you can master the basics of any programming language you choose in mere weeks.

Image credit: Adobe Stock

6 Tips On How to Learn Coding For Designers:

Why learning to code is a good idea for designers

The design industry is ever-evolving and competitive. In this environment, a professional has to maintain their edge, become more agile, strive to progress, and seek to innovate. The alternative is stagnation.

Image credit: Adobe Stock

Top 4 Reasons Designers Should Consider Learning How to Code:

What programming languages can I benefit from?

The choice of which programming language to learn largely depends on the industry you’re currently working in. Obviously, a web designer would need a different set of skills compared to an app designer or a game designer.

Image credit: Adobe Stock

How many programming languages are there?

Around the globe, there are literally hundreds of different types of programming languages and as we stated, they are industry-specific. So, for our web design friends, you should stick with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Java.

The Programming Languages You Should Start With

Wrapping Up

Becoming a designer who codes is not an easy path, but the benefits are definitely worth the time and effort you’ll put into it. Choose the right language, apply the knowledge you get in your day-to-day tasks, and you will see how your design career sky-rockets!

The post How To Become a Designer Who Codes first appeared on WebDesignDev.

The post How To Become a Designer Who Codes appeared first on WebDesignDev.

---

How To Become a Designer Who Codes was first posted on June 17, 2022 at 12:07 pm.
©2022 “WebDesignDev“. Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at jc@ventureupwards.com

Hard to believe that I’ve had the same PC case since 2011, and my last serious upgrade was in 2015. I guess that’s yet another sign that the PC is over, because PC upgrades have gotten really boring. It took 5 years for me to muster up the initiative to get my system fully upgraded! ?

I’ve been slogging away at this for quite some time now. My PC build blog entry series spans 13 glorious years:

• Building a PC, Part VIII: Iterating (2015)
• Building a PC, Part VII: Rebooting (2011)
• Building a PC, Part VI: Rebuilding (2009)
• Building a PC, Part V: Upgrading (2008)
• Building a PC, Part IV: Now It’s Your Turn (2007)
• Building a PC, Part III: Overclocking (2007)
• Building a PC, Part II: Burn in (2007)
• Building a PC, Part I: Minimal boot (2007)

The future of PCs may not necessarily be more speed (though there is some of that, if you read on), but in smaller builds. For this iteration, my go-to cases are the Dan A4 SFX …

And the Streacom DA2 …

The attraction here is maximum power in minimum size. Note that each of these cases are just large enough to fit …

• a standard mini-ITX system
• SFX power supply
• full sized GPU
• reasonable CPU cooler

… though the DA2 offers substantially more room for cooling the CPU and adding fans.

I’m not sure you can physically build a smaller standard mini-ITX system than the DAN A4 SFX, at least not without custom parts!

DAN A4-SFX
200mm × 115mm × 317mm = 7.3 liters

Silverstone RVZ02 / ML08
380mm × 87mm × 370mm = 12.2 liters

nCase M1
240mm × 160mm × 328 mm = 12.6 liters

Streacom DA2
180mm × 286mm × 340mm = 17.5 liters

(For comparison with The Golden Age of x86 Gaming Consoles, a PS4 Pro occupies 5.3 liters and an Xbox One S 4.3 liters. About 50% more volume for considerably more than 2× the power isn’t a bad deal!)

I chose the Streacom DA2 as my personal build, because after experimenting heavily with the DAN A4 SFX, I realized you need more room to deal with extremely powerful CPUs and GPUs in this form factor, and I wanted a truly powerful system:

• Intel i9-9900KS (8 core, 16 thread, 5.0 GHz) CPU
• Samsung 970 PRO 1TB / Samsung 970 EVO 2TB / Samsung 860 QVO 4TB SATA
• 64GB DDR4-3000
• Cryorig H7 cooler (exact fit)
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 280 Ti GPU

Compared to my old 2015-2017 system, a slightly overclocked i7-7700k, that at least gives me 2× the cores (and faster cores, both in clock rate and IPC), 2× the memory, and 2× the M.2 slots (two versus one).

The DA2 is a clever case though less perfect than the A4-SFX. What’s neat about it is the hybrid open-air design (on the top and bottom) plus the versatile horizontal and vertical bracket system interior. Per the manual (pdf):

Check out all the bracket mounting options. Incredibly versatile, and easy to manupulate with the captured nut and bolt design:

Note that you can (and really should) pop out the top and bottom acrylic pieces with the mesh dust net.

I had dramatically better temperatures after I did this, and it also made the build easier since the case can fully “breathe” through the top and bottom. You’ll note that the front of the DA2 is totally solid, no air holes, so you do need that extra airflow.

I only have a few criticisms of this Streacom DA2 case:

• The side panels are tool free, which is excellent, but the pressure fit makes them fairly difficult to remove. Feels like this could be tweaked?
• (Don’t even think about using a full sized ATX power supply. In theory it is supported, but the build becomes so much more difficult. Use a SFX power supply, which you’d expect to do for a mini-ITX build anyway.)
• My primary complaint is that the power extension cable gets in the way. I had to remove it and re-attach it during my build. They should custom route the power cable upwards so it blocks less stuff.
• Less of a criticism and more of an observation: if your build uses a powerful GPU and CPU, you’ll need two case fans. There’s mounting points for a 92mm fan in the rear, and the bracket system makes it easy to mount a 140mm fan blowing inward. You will definitely need both fans!

Here’s the configuration I recommend, open on both the top and bottom for maximum airflow, with three fans total:

If you are a water cooling kind of person – I am definitely not, I experienced one too many traumatic cooling fluid leaks in the early 2000s – then you will use that 140mm space for the radiator.

I have definitely burn-in tested this machine, as I do all systems I build, and it passed with flying colors. But to be honest, if you expect to be under full CPU and GPU loads for extended periods of time you might need to switch to water cooling due to the space constraints. (Or pick slightly less powerful components.)

If you haven’t built a PC system recently, it’s easier than it has ever been. Heck by the time you install the M.2 drives, memory, CPU, and cooler on the motherboard you’re almost done, these days!

There are a lot of interesting compact mini-itx builds out there. Perhaps that’s the primary innovation in PC building for 2020 and beyond – packing all that power into less than 20 liters of space!

AWS stands for Amazon web services. It is the leading cloud service platform occupying 47.8 percent of the public cloud services market.

AWS solution architect is one of the most sought after careers in the cloud domain as many businesses are running on the AWS cloud platform. Companies are always on the lookout for professionals with competence in AWS Cloud architecture or the ones who have done an AWS Developer Associate Certification Course. So, if you are looking for a lucrative career as an AWS solutions architect, the prospects are promising.

A Cloud service architecture comprises of the front end platform, back end platform, a cloud based delivery over a network.

You will require to design a technical and practical application using the cloud platform for your business problems as an AWS associate. One example could be to build the most cost efficient systems based on cloud architecture. Global Companies like Siemens and Shell have efficiently leveraged the AWS platform to beef up their cyber security against viruses, malware and other malicious threats. This is most exciting part of becoming an AWS- associate developer. You get to creatively solve business problems by using your expertise in cloud technology.

Your skills become valuable to a business when you give them value by generating efficiencies to it. A competent AWS solutions architect can earn a maiden salary of 1 lakh dollars on an average in United States of America and Canada.

What skills do you need to become an AWS solutions architect?

Business Acumen: Understanding the needs and problems faced by your business is the first skill you need if you want to work as an AWS solutions architect. A commercial sense more or less serves you well in any career.

Great communication and interpersonal skills: AWS solution architects work within teams so having great people’s skills is of utmost importance. The secret to getting projects done lies in your ability to communicate effectively with the team and managing your time properly.

Understanding customer needs and aligning them with business goals is also crucial. Therefore one needs to be very good with customer interactions and communicating objectively.

You must be adaptable in switching between tasks that may involve writing scripts, troubleshooting, and taking care of migrations amongst other things throughout the day.

Technical expertise: You need to have a working knowledge of one operating system at least. The most preferable is Linux. Prior knowledge of specific programming languages along with understanding of network security will make the path of becoming AWS professional potentially sound.

You need to pass the AWS solutions architect certification to become a certified AWS solutions architect.

Don’t worry; it is possible to become an AWS solutions architect even if you don’t have a prior any prior experience of AWS. In any career, learning the core concepts, getting certified or passing an exam and honing your skills through practical exposure is the most standard way to becoming a professional. So, you can divide your journey to become a AWS solutions architect into 3 steps as follows:

1. Learn the fundamentals of cloud computing with deep knowledge of the AWS cloud platform

You need to learn all the cloud computing concepts to know the nitty gritties of a career in cloud computing industry. There are plenty of free and paid learning resources available online to get you started with learning the theoretical aspects for the right building cloud solutions on a AWS platform.

Cloud technology is in a state of flux. It is a constantly evolving field. Make sure you choose the right learning resources that focus on a case study based learning environment to help you understand the practical application and implications of the cloud computing concepts and AWS fundamentals.

It is very important to keep yourself abreast with the latest developments in the field of cloud technology. Learn why companies are using the AWS enabled cloud platform to solve business

problems. What kind of benefits it offers to businesses. Make knowledge of cloud technology your forte to proceed on acquiring the technical skills and competencies to become an AWS solutions architect.

2. Ace the AWS solution architect certification Exam

AWS certifications stand out as they lay emphasis on hands on experience and best practices. The evaluation is a testimony of candidate’s thoroughness in working with AWS cloud platform. There are different certifications under the AWS certification umbrella. AWS solution architect-associate certification is the most sought after one for a fresher looking to venture in the cloud solutions industry.

The test is conducted in an MCQ format and lasts for 130 minutes. it tests a candidate’s knowledge on using AWS cloud architecture for application based project implementation using best practices and design principles to address customer needs and solve business problems.

You have already done your ground work in the first step by acquiring the fundamental knowledge of how cloud technology works. Now you need to focus on acquiring niche skills and practical knowledge to get a thorough understanding of how cloud computing works in AWS enabled environment. The step may look a little challenging but it is definitely the most rewarding for starting out your developer journey in this field.

If you are looking for online courses to prepare yourself for the exam, make sure you choose the courses which blend practical hands on training along with learning the concepts. You must make it a point to cover each module included in the certification. A pro tip would be to take a one year free trial with AWS and play around with as many AWS services as possible with the trial version.

Look for resources that provide mock tests to help you practice in a real time simulation before taking the certification exam. Finding the right mentorship and learning will help you in clearing the certification exam with ease and confidence.

3. Make practical experience your priority when you start

It is advisable to get hands on experience with the AWS cloud service platform. Look out for entry level positions in the cloud architecture domain as soon as you decide to take the AWS certification.

Even Amazon recommends a desirable one year experience for taking the exam. An AWS certification can give you an added advantage at the pre screening stage of a job interview but bear in mind that it is your practical experience that takes you forward towards your dream 6 figure career from the interview cubicle.

Even after clearing the AWS certification exam, you must strive to find the right opportunities in the job market. Take the initial few months of your job as an extension of your learning. Look for training opportunities under senior solutions architect who have experience of handling a lot of projects and will give you opportunities to learn and grow.

The cloud computing field is always moving and you will always have something new to learn. It brings tremendous opportunities to grow as a professional. You can move ahead and take up the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional module after working as an associate for atleast 2 years with multi application based hands on experience of designing and deploying cloud architecture on AWS.

You should always know the pulse of the industry. Learning about other platforms like Microsoft Azure or Google cloud will help you getting a broader perspective and streamline your knowledge as an AWS solutions architect.

The post What is AWS? appeared first on Web Design Blog | Magazine for Designers.

AWS stands for Amazon web services. It is the leading cloud service platform occupying 47.8 percent of the public cloud services market.

AWS solution architect is one of the most sought after careers in the cloud domain as many businesses are running on the AWS cloud platform. Companies are always on the lookout for professionals with competence in AWS Cloud architecture or the ones who have done an AWS Developer Associate Certification Course. So, if you are looking for a lucrative career as an AWS solutions architect, the prospects are promising.

A Cloud service architecture comprises of the front end platform, back end platform, a cloud based delivery over a network.

You will require to design a technical and practical application using the cloud platform for your business problems as an AWS associate. One example could be to build the most cost efficient systems based on cloud architecture. Global Companies like Siemens and Shell have efficiently leveraged the AWS platform to beef up their cyber security against viruses, malware and other malicious threats. This is most exciting part of becoming an AWS- associate developer. You get to creatively solve business problems by using your expertise in cloud technology.

Your skills become valuable to a business when you give them value by generating efficiencies to it. A competent AWS solutions architect can earn a maiden salary of 1 lakh dollars on an average in United States of America and Canada.

What skills do you need to become an AWS solutions architect?

Business Acumen: Understanding the needs and problems faced by your business is the first skill you need if you want to work as an AWS solutions architect. A commercial sense more or less serves you well in any career.

Great communication and interpersonal skills: AWS solution architects work within teams so having great people’s skills is of utmost importance. The secret to getting projects done lies in your ability to communicate effectively with the team and managing your time properly.

Understanding customer needs and aligning them with business goals is also crucial. Therefore one needs to be very good with customer interactions and communicating objectively.

You must be adaptable in switching between tasks that may involve writing scripts, troubleshooting, and taking care of migrations amongst other things throughout the day.

Technical expertise: You need to have a working knowledge of one operating system at least. The most preferable is Linux. Prior knowledge of specific programming languages along with understanding of network security will make the path of becoming AWS professional potentially sound.

You need to pass the AWS solutions architect certification to become a certified AWS solutions architect.

Don’t worry; it is possible to become an AWS solutions architect even if you don’t have a prior any prior experience of AWS. In any career, learning the core concepts, getting certified or passing an exam and honing your skills through practical exposure is the most standard way to becoming a professional. So, you can divide your journey to become a AWS solutions architect into 3 steps as follows:

1. Learn the fundamentals of cloud computing with deep knowledge of the AWS cloud platform

You need to learn all the cloud computing concepts to know the nitty gritties of a career in cloud computing industry. There are plenty of free and paid learning resources available online to get you started with learning the theoretical aspects for the right building cloud solutions on a AWS platform.

Cloud technology is in a state of flux. It is a constantly evolving field. Make sure you choose the right learning resources that focus on a case study based learning environment to help you understand the practical application and implications of the cloud computing concepts and AWS fundamentals.

It is very important to keep yourself abreast with the latest developments in the field of cloud technology. Learn why companies are using the AWS enabled cloud platform to solve business

problems. What kind of benefits it offers to businesses. Make knowledge of cloud technology your forte to proceed on acquiring the technical skills and competencies to become an AWS solutions architect.

2. Ace the AWS solution architect certification Exam

AWS certifications stand out as they lay emphasis on hands on experience and best practices. The evaluation is a testimony of candidate’s thoroughness in working with AWS cloud platform. There are different certifications under the AWS certification umbrella. AWS solution architect-associate certification is the most sought after one for a fresher looking to venture in the cloud solutions industry.

The test is conducted in an MCQ format and lasts for 130 minutes. it tests a candidate’s knowledge on using AWS cloud architecture for application based project implementation using best practices and design principles to address customer needs and solve business problems.

You have already done your ground work in the first step by acquiring the fundamental knowledge of how cloud technology works. Now you need to focus on acquiring niche skills and practical knowledge to get a thorough understanding of how cloud computing works in AWS enabled environment. The step may look a little challenging but it is definitely the most rewarding for starting out your developer journey in this field.

If you are looking for online courses to prepare yourself for the exam, make sure you choose the courses which blend practical hands on training along with learning the concepts. You must make it a point to cover each module included in the certification. A pro tip would be to take a one year free trial with AWS and play around with as many AWS services as possible with the trial version.

Look for resources that provide mock tests to help you practice in a real time simulation before taking the certification exam. Finding the right mentorship and learning will help you in clearing the certification exam with ease and confidence.

3. Make practical experience your priority when you start

It is advisable to get hands on experience with the AWS cloud service platform. Look out for entry level positions in the cloud architecture domain as soon as you decide to take the AWS certification.

Even Amazon recommends a desirable one year experience for taking the exam. An AWS certification can give you an added advantage at the pre screening stage of a job interview but bear in mind that it is your practical experience that takes you forward towards your dream 6 figure career from the interview cubicle.

Even after clearing the AWS certification exam, you must strive to find the right opportunities in the job market. Take the initial few months of your job as an extension of your learning. Look for training opportunities under senior solutions architect who have experience of handling a lot of projects and will give you opportunities to learn and grow.

The cloud computing field is always moving and you will always have something new to learn. It brings tremendous opportunities to grow as a professional. You can move ahead and take up the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional module after working as an associate for atleast 2 years with multi application based hands on experience of designing and deploying cloud architecture on AWS.

You should always know the pulse of the industry. Learning about other platforms like Microsoft Azure or Google cloud will help you getting a broader perspective and streamline your knowledge as an AWS solutions architect.

The post What is AWS? appeared first on Web Design Dev.