// uses: gear + dev setup
Stack of choice
I’ve been a Javascript developer for my whole career as a programmer. It was a programatic choice when starting out — I wanted to build entire web applications with minimal learning curve. Whilst Javascript has it’s quirks, I love it as a general purpose programming language for building the types of things I build.
I’ve been a reluctant convert to Typescript, mostly because I found most TS code examples to verbose and show display all sorts of misdirection. When I reflected on this resistance a bit longer, I realised that I dislike most javascript code that other people write too. So maybe it’s just me?
Here is my goto stack for any web application:
- Bulma + Buefy — sensible css defaults + application components
- Vue / Nuxt — sorry Team React fans
- Fastify — completely underrated Node.js web/API framework
- Hasura - the most unbelievable open source application ever
- Postgres - yay elephants
And I’d be disingenuous if I didn’t mention that this site is build with Hugo and I’ve built on the minimal theme of Noteworthy (thanks @kimcc!).
Dev tooling
- Taskfile
- GenQL
- Docker compose
Hosting
I do my best to support hosting companies that aren’t giant tech monopolies. Yet, between Google’s GCP and Amazon’s AWS, I pick GCP every time. Every time I’ve tried to do something basic in AWS, I end up spending hours doing very AWS sort of things.
- Digital Ocean
- Google Cloud
- Heroku (still the easiest host ever)
- Netlify (static hosting)
SaaS that makes my life easier
- Basecamp
- Mailtrap
- Postmark
- Cloudinary
- Sentry
- Cloudflare
- Loom
Editor + terminal
- VS Code (switched from Atom about 4 years ago)
- iTerm 2 with ZSH with oh-my-zsh and the spaceship theme
- Darktooth colour theme for both
Desktop apps
- Basecamp
- Loom
- Signal
- Spotify
- 1Password
- Cyberduck
- Proxyman
- Proton VPN
- Postico 2
Desk setup
- 2020 5K 27" iMac (3.8GHz 8-core i7, 32GB, 8GB graphics)
- 4K 27" LG monitor in portrait position to the left of my iMac
- CODE mechanical keyboard
- Apple Magic Mouse
- Audio-Technica ATR2100 microphone
- Sonos Play5
- Philips Hue desk, floor, and wall lamps
- Cute as plant that doesn’t require much watering
- Some generic standing desk from a local furniture store
- Herman Miller Mira
Other gear
- I ride a 2015 Triumph Tiger 800XC motorcycle
- A nice collection of Seiko mechanical watches