Code generation can be really useful; need to generate some models from an OpenAPI spec or a Protocol Buffer definition? No problem! Unfortunately in a team environment this can pose a few problems though: What happens when new members of staff join the team and have newer versions of the generation tools? Should generated files be checked in source control - and if so, how can you ensure that no manual modifications are present? Read more

I enjoy writing Go. It lacks the magic and obfuscation present in other languages, whilst possessing an intuitive syntax that still allows the concise expression of complex ideas. It’s awesome. What’s less awesome, unfortunately, is that the flexibility of the language often leads to it’s simplicity being overlooked; and this is no more apparent than in data transformation layers. If you find yourself regularly writing convulated transformers, then there’s a good chance that you’re not actually understanding the language properly. And what’s the point in writing Go if you’re simply going to write Java/C#/PHP? Read more

If you’ve had the misfortune of talking to me about development over the past year, you may well have noticed me evangelising about Go. It’s true: I’ve become guilty of something I previously mocked colleagues for. Perhaps it’s because the book “The Go Programming Language” reminds me of the first ever programming book I picked up - “The C Programming Language” - when I was around 13? Maybe it’s the simplicity and distinct lack of “magic” that the language has? Read more

I’ve never learnt any languages (not those ones!) other than English, and this has often felt a bit embarrassing. I’ve definitely flirted with various languages - I did a Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) course when I was a teenager, I tried to learn Swedish when I was spending time working outside Malmö, I tinkered with German on Duolingo before, and at one point I even learnt the Cyrillic alphabet in preperation of giving Russian a go… Read more

I recently finished reading “Weapons of Math Destruction” by Cathy O’Neil, and continuing my quest to not only read more - but to also actually digest the content - here’s another book review! Cathy O’Neil sounds like a fascinating person, with quite a surprising career path; upon leaving academia she found herself working as a Quantitive Analyst at a hedge fund, and from this privileged position she was able to witness the effects of the 2008 financial crisis first hand, subsequently she changed allegiances and even found herself part of the Occupy movement. Read more

This post is going to be a bit different; it’s not about tech, it’s not about security, and it’s not even about health - it’s about books; or more specifically, it’s a book review. In an attempt to fix some issues with my sleep pattern lately, I’ve been avoiding screen time of an evening - and this has led to me rekindling my love of books. As such, I’ve recently finished two of the best books I think I’ve read in years, books which on the surface may sound similar, but in reality portray entirely different messages. Read more

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) affects the youngest and most vulnerable in society; with risk factors including emotional instability, social isolation, poverty and prior histories of abuse, it’s not difficult to imagine how cases can often go undetected. Whilst it’s easy to think that the problem of CSE is distant from the UK, this is sadly incorrect; and National Crime Agency figures suggest that around 560 children were trafficked in to the UK for Sexual Exploitation last year, whilst over 2,400 children were abused at the hands of gangs and organised groups during 2010. Read more