Past SEPeers (SEP Alum)

In Ubuntu, the first wall of security comes in the form of a special user account called root. Root has the ability to perform any operation on the system. To protect users or crackers from using root to harm the system, no user can actually login as root. Instead, users perform actions with root privileges […]

I am a huge fan of text editors. While I have taken a few GUI editors for a spin, I always come back to Terminal Vim. In this post, I’m going to develop an argument as to why you should stop using IDEs and pick up an editor using Vim as my end example. If […]

Very few people who have delved into Apple’s programming domain develop an opinion that one could describe as neutral on the topic of Objective-C. Objective-C draws the ire of many, and the love of a small band. To understand the swift direction away from Objective-C that Apple now follows, one must first understand the nuances […]

What is Kanban? Read about it at Wikipedia. Basically, it’s a method of visual process management. Often, Post-it Notes are used to signify tasks and they are put on a board with columns to identify each task’s state: ready to do, in process, needs, review, completed, etc. Kanban has made its mark on SEP, showing up in […]

SEP has asked us to write about the tools of our trade. I’m a software engineer at a decently-sized software engineering company, so it’s pretty clear that I have several tools in my programming toolbox. Things like Sublime Text for scripting, DiffMerge for file diffs, Stackoverflow for Q&A and community, and even music for getting in the zone. But there’s one tool I […]

I’m worried about the iOS app industry. Not because I see signs of Apple dying, but because I know how technology fads go. That, and because I’ve worked on almost nothing but iOS apps the past few years. I don’t want my domain of “expertise” to fizzle out over the next few years. Technology fads […]

Beware of users! Seriously, those jerks really know how to break things. They’ll use your software in ways you never thought possible. And then it’s your fault when it breaks! How dare they! As developers, we need to expect everything. This is where I start talking about usability and such. I could tell you about using personas to keep […]

I wanted to feel like I’ve done something cool. You know, something I might be known for. Even if by only a few people outside of my usual network. And I’m a software guy, so I thought I might try making a piece of software. And my most recent kick is mobile apps, so an […]

In any profession involving performance (like music or sports), the professionals practice out of sight of their audience. They practice to get better. They push their limits and try things they’ve never tried before. When they try those things for the first time, they suck! The football player misses the catch trying out that new […]