dadro

The recent releases of OpenClaw have made running it on docker/podman much easier. I've been running it on a stand alone Lenovo Thinkcentre running inside docker. For my needs the setup works well. There are some limitations like hardware and filesystem access with my workstation (macbook) but largely solvable and I like the isolation. For locking it down further, particularly on the network level someone recently released https://nono.sh/ which seems promising. I've been using https://clawchat.dev/ on my macbook for chatting with the openclaw agent. It is rough around the edges but gets the job done.

Looks great. Image/file > Base64 and the inverse could be a useful addition.

I was/am interested in a Rivian R1T but the fast charging network is probably the biggest variable holding me back. Rich Rebuilds did a great video where he experienced first-hand what a PITA it is to travel long stretches in one (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eosf7CeSGyA). My hope is in the next 2-5 years Ford will become a top 3 in the EV space solely to help move EV charging infrastructure forward.

I grew up in rural Maine and always called 10-pin bowling "TV bowling" because I had never actually seen one of the large bowling balls. I didn't play my first non-candlepin round until my mid 20's. I still prefer candlepin. Luckily Boston has "Southie Bowl" where I can get my annual fix!

I live in New England and am an avid fisherman. Due to our industrial past, I believe just about every single river in the state I reside is polluted either by PCB's or lead to the point you cannot safely consume fish regularly. It is frustrating/depressing that the ecosystems may be permanently tainted and future generations may not be able to experience the joy of (safely) preparing a fresh fish they caught.

Yes, I make considerably more than I did as a IC engineer but I have significantly more stress/risk.

I had about 15 years professional experience as a developer.

Every scenario is going to be different, I took the plunge as a software consultant and can provide some datapoints.

I was laid off from my job as a software engineer about 5 years ago. I had previously worked in software consulting and knew the operating model and had a handful of potential clients. I had some savings and my wife works full time so I decided to give it a go for 6 months to see how it would go. I partnered with a colleague who was also laid off and had same appetite for risk as I did.

  * The first year was a grind, especially doing the non-technical tasks like networking/business development/invoicing/etc. 
  * We ended up being profitable on year 1, I made less than my previous gig as a lead engineer. We grew from 2 of us to having 1 FTE and 3-4 dev contractors in year 1. 
  * Keep in touch with engineers you liked working with, hiring is WAY harder than I expected. If you decide to grow, you will need a team for larger contracts. 
  * Business development is largely a numbers game, you have to get out of your comfort zone and talk to a lot of people/companies and get on their radar. 
  * One of our first non-technical hires was business development. We did this when we hit $1mm/yr rev. 
  * Being in a niche can be helpful if you are able to explain your value prop AND to differentiate yourself.
  * Don't view other consulting firms as competition. We've formed some great relationships with other companies that align with our engineering process and refer work when we have too much and get work when they have too much.

Over the last 5 years we grew from 2 "founders" (along with some former colleagues as contractors) to about ~40 employees (80% FTE's/20% contractors) all remote, US based. In hindsight, I think my favorite size was when we were ~8 people. It was big enough to take on 1-2 large-ish contracts, but less stress in keeping pipeline full. The risk tolerance for having a 6 figure payroll every 2 weeks is not for everyone!

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There is no substance to this post, it is clickbait. Most of the listed languages wouldn't even be considered. Most of the other "languages" are irrelevant in terms of building a platform. Ex: SQL, Bash, Powershell, Matlab.

I combined a series of state collected freshwater bio/fisheries data into a web app that maps it out per lake. I use it for discovering and targeting specific fish species within a given area (town/county). I used it with much success during ice fishing season and have started using it for canoe trips to target bucket list species I want to catch.

I've been working on a side project that aggregates state gov't survey data on lakes/ponds (currently just one state) that includes water quality, depth, size, fish species, invasive plants, etc and allows me to search it and see it on a map. I use it to find good remote fishing spots for species I want to target. So far it has worked great and I've only shared it with a few fellow anglers.

Thank you for stopping at Bangor, parts of Maine south of there are Northern Massachusetts!

I've found their Wiki to be quite helpful anytime I have questions https://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Manual:TOC. I

I've been pretty happy with MikroTik routers. I have an extra HapAC2, if you cover shipping it is all yours (I'm based in US).

The optics of the site currently being down does not instill much confidence in wanting to use this in production.

Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead also comes to mind. https://cataclysmdda.org/

On that theme, most of the boards I participate in are focused on just one topic. https://www.rodbuilding.org/

Our platform is relatively simple so we are able to use Amazon Linux 2 Docker platform.

We use AWS ElasticBeanstalk with Docker images for our app infrastructure and it has served us well. I think it ends up being similar in that it pushes docker images to EC2 containers. It may not be cutting edge but affords us all the conveniences of docker images for deps while not needing the deep knowledge (and team resources) Kubernetes often requires.

If you were coming from a different background (ex: manual labor / blue collar) and it would be a step-up I would consider it. For you, no matter how you slice it, this will be a step down and even if you were to get parity with your current profession it would be a grind. I'm in my 40's and have been slinging code my entire career. I still (mostly) enjoy it but it is work and I no longer do much coding outside of work for fun.

I have a 40 acre plot in Maine and ordered a "camp" hand built by Amish craftsmen using decent timber for 12K delivered. Granted, I have to build out the interior but when all is done I'll be into it for < 25K. https://themainelandstore.com/camps-sheds-for-sale/

Coincidentally I just finished reading Biohazard by Ken Alibeck and while old news (circa 1999) it left me with no doubt that there are still stockpiles of bioweapons grade smallpox in military labs. This news is strangely reassuring given how low vaccine stockpiles are against these awful diseases.

I recently received a copy of The Ashley Book of Knots and it has a fascinating narrative on the origins of the different knots intertwined with great illustrations. Apparently whalers were considered the upper echelon of seaman compared to their brethren that were pressed into service. Whalers had access to a lot more rope for leisurely activities (knotting).

I have commercial licenses for Striped Bass and Blue Fin Tuna.

I bought a small commercial fishing boat and occasionally do that on the side. I make no money but love every minute of it. I'm working on getting my charter license so I can take folks out fishing and hope to do that p/t when I retire in 20 years.

They are moving their corporate HQ to Boston where many top level software people DO live.

I've seen plenty of the ultra-hyped sales culture in LA and SF. Saying it is purely an East Coast phenomenon is completely misinformed.

  "It's still very common on the east coast."

What is that supposed to mean? I could use purely anecdotal experiences and make the same remark about the West Coat.

I don't see the connection either. Warby Parker provides an experience that differs from their competition (luxottica) and happens to be significantly cheaper. How is Vastrm any different than a company like BlankLabel?