Vale.Rocks
Vale.Rocks
Declan Chidlow
Long-form writings spanning an assortment of topics, though oft technical in nature.
Latest Posts
Unpacking my compulsion and will to write, including its benefits in forming thought, letting me express myself, hone in a craft, and publish accessible content.
A look at website traffic to Vale.Rocks and a general analysis of the analytics. Particularly looking at popular referrers and the variance from general web analytics.
A reflective piece exploring the sensory experiences and unique perspective gained while navigating the liminal spaces between destinations presented by airports and planes.
A rant about behaviour in the open-source software community focussing on user entitlement at the expense of developer wellbeing.
An in-depth analysis of Aaron Carter's 2000 release That's How I Beat Shaq. Including a breakdown of the legendary basketball showdown and cultural impact of this teen pop masterpiece featuring Shaquille O'Neal.
Why developers should create custom tools for repetitive tasks and one-off needs, with discussion of how LLMs can accelerate tool development, the learning benefits of building utilities, and how personal tools become valuable assets in...
We're losing vital AI history as properitary, hosted models like the original ChatGPT are retired and become completely inaccessible. This essay examines the rapid disappearance of proprietary AI systems, why preservation matters for...
Discussion of why respecting user preferences is satisfying, covering how respecting user autonomy, embracing diversity, solving dual-nature problems, practicing quality craftsmanship, and seeing visible impact creates fulfilling work...
A collection of strong opinions on URL design and structure covering topics including use of capitalisation, use of IDs, spaces, hyphens instead of underscores, trailing slashes, hierarchy, and other gripes and particulars I hold.
AI language models are shaping technology adoption in software development through training data limitations and system prompt biases. This analysis examines how AI assistants' preferences for established frameworks like React and...
A guide wrapper about how to bring old Kindles, such as the Kindle Keyboard, as well as the Kindle 4, and Kindle 5 up to speed a bit to be usable in the modern era. Covering screensaver hacks, improved font handling, and more...
A collection of my favourite words (as defined by their extreme specificity, enjoyment to say, and overall zaniness) presented with definitions and in some cases their etymologies and my justification for inclusion.
A description and look at the productive trance that is the flow state (AKA zen state). An attempt at capturing in words the essence of complete cognitive immersion and the enthralling rush it brings.
My experience getting an xG3 bio-magnet implanted in my hand. Covering the implantation, healing, and my newfound abilities.
A breakdown and overview of the implementation of Vale.Rocks, how it used to be built, how it's built now, and its associated infrastructure.