Introduction

Hello Hashnode, I am a new contributor to the platform. As this is my first article, let's take a moment for a brief introduction.

I'm a not-so-young-anymore developer and entrepreneur. Not so young, but I like my age: I'm 42 years old, which means that I always have the answer 😉.

I like to mention that I began contributing when freshmeat.net was still in its infancy (I recall the early days, even the unreal ones...) about 20+ years ago (I know: 20++). Anyway, let's just say it wasn't yesterday. Over the years, I've contributed to numerous open-source software projects, some big and some small. I've also started and abandoned even more projects!

Today my main project is a Python library called pygamelib. It's a little framework to make 2D games and applications in the terminal. It's fun, mostly useless but fascinating to develop nonetheless.

Why Hashnode?

Well, I sort of rage quit WordPress... There are a few good reasons for that, but mostly it saddens me to see one of the largest open-source successes transform into a greedy company with predatory practices. Don't get me wrong: I'm not an idealist, and I understand that companies need to make money, but hiding meta tag modifications behind a $25/month paywall is a bit excessive. Just a bit...

Hashnode appears to be a more appealing alternative, offering a less cluttered, more efficient, markdown-based platform, along with an enticing free tier that encourages you to support them rather than compelling you to pay for basic features.

The community also appears to be quite interesting.

My Interests

I am a seasoned developer with a strong background in various programming languages, including Python, C++, Perl, and Java. My experience with the Qt framework has allowed me to create robust and efficient applications across multiple platforms.

I dabbled in many things from system/kernel programming to game development, with a detour into microservices and highly redundant databases. A lot of fun!

At the moment, I'm not coding professionally, so I can indulge in what I enjoy doing rather than what I'm obligated to do! As a result, you'll find a plethora of information on the pygamelib, my insatiable passion for algorithms and applied mathematics (including AI), game development, and any other subject that captures my interest at the moment. In short, just an old man rambling 😉.

Oh, and I can be quite opinionated.

Apart from programming, I am an avid Science-Fiction reader, a passionate amateur astronomer, and a technical scuba diver. Who knows, this may influence some of my articles.

What to Expect?

Well, I plan to write several articles per month. I've begun a series documenting my journey in developing a user interface framework for the pygamelib, and I hope it will provide engaging content!

I am considering writing vulgarization articles about some algorithms that I enjoy. Perhaps a bit of AI basics, just to assist those who believe they know everything there is to know about AI in understanding what an activation function is 😈.

I also want to share tutorials and how-tos about topics I enjoy and wish to share with others.

You won't find any "industry analysis" or "case studies" here. This is my personal blog and I want it bullshit free.

Upcoming Content

The upcoming article will be the first installment in my series, "Building the PygameLib UI SDK: A Coding Odyssey." I hope you find it interesting.

Over time, I would be happy to get feedback from the community!

Conclusion

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to embark on this exciting journey, sharing my knowledge and experiences with the community. I look forward to connecting with like-minded individuals, learning from each other, and growing together as we explore the ever-evolving world of technology.

I invite you to connect with me on Mastodon at @8bitscoding@floss.social, where we can continue our discussions, exchange ideas, and collaborate on projects. Let's build a strong and supportive community together in the realm of open-source technology and beyond.

Until next time. Keep coding, keep having fun!