Table of Contents
Advent of Code 2022
Digital Garden
I often find myself with lots of half-written notes scattered around, some of which I even forget that I’ve written. That’s why I decided to create a digital garden, which is essentially a collection of interconnected notes and thoughts. It’s a space where I can put my random ideas that may not necessarily be full-fledged blog posts but still have value, similar to a personal wiki.
Currently, it’s just a bunch of random markdown notes that I had on my PC. That said, my goal is to continue adding to my digital garden over time and eventually grow some of the notes into well-written posts. I expect to forget about it and abandon it in a few months, given my track record.
I generated my digital garden using 11ty, a static site generator written in JavaScript that I found to be pretty flexible, fast, and leverages the vast JavaScript ecosystem. I’ve been using Hugo for a couple of years now and while appreciate its qualities, I switched to 11ty for this project because Go templates used by Hugo are a bit too complicated and verbose to work with compared to other templating languages.
If you’re interested, you can visit my digital garden here: https://garden.alessandrocuzzocrea.com.
A Thread Across the Ocean
I came across a post on HN about an oceanic internet cable and got interested. I picked up the book A Thread Across the Ocean and was immediately captivated by the amazing story of the first transatlantic telegraph cable and the incredible people who made it happen.
The book tells the story of how the first transatlantic telegraph cable revolutionized communication between North America and Europe. The project took over a decade to complete, starting in the mid-1850s and succeeding in 1866. Overcoming the technological obstacles of the time required immense physical, financial, and courage.
The book highlights the importance of perseverance and learning from failures. Cyrus Field and his team faced multiple setbacks before finally succeeding in 1866, showcasing the resilience and perseverance of the people involved in making the cable a reality and the power of collaboration and innovation.
As I read the book, I couldn’t help but draw parallels between the challenges faced by the engineers who laid the cable and those faced by modern engineering organizations. Speed and efficiency are often prioritized over quality, resulting in rushed and subpar products.
Overall, A Thread Across the Ocean is an inspiring read that accurately portrays the ingenuity and perseverance of the human race. It’s an excellent choice for anyone interested in history, technology, or entrepreneurship.
Severance
Apple Music Replay 2022
