I have blogged on and off for the past fifteen years. So I am relatively familiar with the related writing and publishing process. From my experience as a blogger, I understand it is important to choose your writing technologies wisely. Which is why I am resuming my blogging after a prolonged hiatus with Hashnode.
But before diving deep into blogging again, I need to become familiar with how Hashnode works. This is a new platform, with new rules, expectations, quirks and defaults. I also need to be clear about what I am interested in publishing, what I would like to share here.
Introduction
I decided to write professionally themed blog posts on Hashnode because of its high-quality user experience, and technology-specific focus. Being the kind of content you can expect from me here; articles about computers and programming. At a pace of roughly one post per month. I like to take my time when writing, often going through many drafts with each piece I publish.
From what I have gathered so far, Hashnode is a pretty straightforward content management system (CMS). So I do not expect having too much difficulty. I simply need to get my initial bearings. The article you are reading serves as my introduction to Hashnode’s unique character.
What I am Finding Here
Having briefly explored this platform, I enjoy the different tools Hashnode provides bloggers. Such as a “Preview” page to see what my article(s) will look like on different screens. I also appreciate the draft settings user interface available to me; which contains useful metrics, such as word and paragraph counts. These (and other) features are helpful for ensuring the efficiency and accuracy of my writing.
Becoming An Artificial Intelligence Engineer
My larger objective with these posts, is to document my knowledge, techniques and progress as a Full Stack Web Developer. Perhaps more importantly, these posts will record the many paths I choose to take on my journey to greater opportunities.
I started teaching myself how to code, while working as a landscaper more than eight years ago. As part of this adventure, I would eventually like to work as a Senior Artificial Intelligence Engineer. This is the path I have been on, since I began studying HTML and CSS.
By posting here, about this journey I am on, my hope is others will be inspired to reach for the stars too; however cliche this all may sound. Because a total transformation of one’s life through technology is possible, even likely. Such changes require hard work, diligent studies and a desire to see it through. However, the most important part is to remember it is doable.
Current Projects
I am presently working on multiple projects, to help expand my skills into new and exciting areas of relevance within my career. From building and programming (software for) my own electronics, to working with innovative artificial intelligence APIs, I take a diversified and balanced approach to teaching myself new technologies.
Raspberry Pi Computers And Adafruit Sensors
I am presently working on expanding my programming skills to include environments other than websites and apps, by constructing unique electronics using Adafruit sensors and Raspberry Pi computers. Such as the components found in the photo below.
If you are interested in seeing the progress my first sensor build takes, here is a link to the Hackaday.io project page. There you will find details such as log entries, photos and downloadable files, as part of the related documentation. I also have a GitHub repo where I store and share the code files for operating the hardware and visualizing related data.
Private Homelab Environment
Another ongoing personal project, is my homelab setup. Which includes numerous interconnected computers on my LAN, or “local area network”. I am presently running numerous operating systems, ranging from Proxmox and TrueNAS, to Linux Mint and OPNSense.
With this hobby in particular, I have significantly expanded my knowledge of what computers can do, especially when cooperating together. This self-led education will continue indefinitely into the future, as I enjoy working with networked technologies quite a bit. My homelab experiments have been paradigm shifting.
Python And JavaScript Programming
I am also working on a few software applications, including programmatically generated video media and the Python scripts for my electronics. As well as working with the D3 JavaScript library to visualize data I collect and/or generate.
Many of the coding and hardware projects I am working on relate to my interest in self-quantification. You can find numerous examples via this thread on the Quantified Self Forum. Which has led me to new connections and understandings about both myself and the world around me.
Conclusion
Thank you for taking the time to read through my introductory post. I hope you will check-in with my progress on this journey towards becoming a Senior Artificial Intelligence Engineer.
In future posts you can expect details of what I have learned, and am working on. Along with code samples and insightful context.