Hello, World — What This Blog Is About

Every blog needs a first post, so here’s mine.

I’ve been meaning to start writing for a while. Not because I think I have all the answers, but because I find that writing forces me to actually understand what I’m doing — and occasionally the things I figure out are worth sharing.

What I’ll write about

The short version: software and hardware projects, with a strong preference for open-source tools.

More specifically:

• Python — scripting, automation, small utilities, the occasional larger project
• Photo and video processing — open-source pipelines for things that don’t require paying Adobe a monthly fee
• Microcontrollers and single-board computers — Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and whatever else ends up on my workbench
• Tools and workflows — the kind of “I spent three hours figuring this out so you don’t have to” posts

I won’t pretend this is a comprehensive tutorial site. Most posts will be honest field notes: what I was trying to do, what I tried, what actually worked, and what I’d do differently.

A note on open source

I care about this more than I probably should. When there’s a viable open-source option, I’ll use it and write about it. Not out of ideology, but because open tools are auditable, modifiable, and don’t disappear when a company pivots or paywalls a feature you depended on.

That said, I’m not dogmatic about it. If a proprietary tool is genuinely the right one for the job, I’ll say so.

What’s coming

A few projects are already in progress. Without giving too much away:

• A Raspberry Pi-based project for the home
• A Python pipeline for photo culling and processing without Lightroom
• Some notes on building and testing embedded software

If any of that sounds interesting, check back. There’s no mailing list yet — the RSS feed works if you’re old-fashioned about that sort of thing.

Thanks for reading. More soon.