All Posts — Digital Sanctuary

A distributed team thrives when remote work isn't treated as an exception - it's the default structure.

Career & Business Remote Work

Devon

November 7, 2013 3 min read

Jira to OmniFocus Integration

Two separate to-do systems create friction. A custom Ruby script bridges the gap between Jira and OmniFocus.

Productivity Ruby Tools

Precision hand tools including calipers, hex wrenches, and ratchets arranged on grey felt under warm amber light.

Devon

November 5, 2013 3 min read

Tools and Processes for Work

Eclipse, SVN, and heap dump analysis form the backbone of professional Java application development.

Software Development Java Tools

Row of chisels, marking gauge, square, and folding rule arranged in precise order on a worn wooden workbench.

Devon

November 1, 2013 7 min read

Tools and Processes

From email to code to server management, the right tools and processes transform work from stressful to sustainable.

Productivity Tools

Mismatched iron pipe fittings and brass adapters joined in a winding line on a concrete floor.

Devon

October 30, 2013 1 min read

Installing GitLab on RedHat Enterprise 5 RHEL 5

Ubuntu-centric GitLab docs don't work on RHEL 5. Here's how to force it into submission.

DevOps & Infrastructure Linux

Weathered wooden beach chair casting a long shadow on wet sand at golden hour, empty ocean ahead.

Devon

October 28, 2013 3 min read

Working from the Beach part 5 Wrap Up

After a month working from Mexico's beaches, productivity soared - but so did the workday length.

Life & Personal Remote Work Travel

Weathered wooden dock over turquoise water at golden hour with a vintage alarm clock casting a long shadow toward the sea.

Devon

October 1, 2013 3 min read

Working from the Beach part 4 - One Week In

Data roaming plus iOS auto-updates equals $1,200 surprise charges. Internet speeds here are punishing.

Life & Personal Remote Work Travel

Weathered wooden pier over turquoise shallows at golden hour with a canvas tote bag and sandals at the shore end.

Devon

September 30, 2013 4 min read

Working from the Beach part 3 A Different Kind of Travel

Long-term travel requires planning beyond vacation mode: housesitting, bills, and logistics.

Life & Personal Travel

Weathered compass rose inlaid in sun-bleached stone surrounded by coins, a coiled cable, and a cloth map.

Devon

September 24, 2013 2 min read

Working from the Beach (or Jungle or City) - part 2 - Picking a Location

Choosing where to work remotely hinges on cost, connectivity, security, and personal comfort.

Life & Personal Remote Work Travel

Sun-bleached cotton hammock strung between two palm trunks on a sandy cove with turquoise water behind.

Devon

September 22, 2013 3 min read

Working from the Beach (or Jungle or City) - part 1 - Introduction

With just a laptop and internet, geographic freedom becomes possible - but abandoning what's familiar takes courage.

Life & Personal Travel

A cracked ceramic vessel beside an intact matching pot in slate blue glaze, lit by warm kiln light.

Devon

August 5, 2013 1 min read

Recent Server Downtimes

Hard drive failures took the site down. New RAID array means significantly better uptime ahead.

DevOps & Infrastructure

Long-exposure light streaks along a desert highway at dusk, passing silhouetted relay towers under a violet sky.

Devon

July 30, 2013 1 min read

More Speed!

mod_pagespeed and CloudFlare combine to deliver faster page loads and stronger reliability.

DevOps & Infrastructure Cloudflare Performance

Devon

July 28, 2013 1 min read

Medium

Medium publishes compelling stories worth your reading time.

Life & Personal

Devon

July 27, 2013 1 min read

Office Hours Follow Up

Office hours conversations span recruiting challenges, technical deep-dives, and entrepreneurship lessons.

Career & Business

Deflated yellow inflatable structure collapsed on muddy wet grass under grey overcast sky with a tipped orange cone.

Devon

July 24, 2013 4 min read

My Broken Leg - part 1

A bouncy castle obstacle at mile halfway point led to a broken leg and months of recovery.

Life & Personal Fitness

Chrome double-edge safety razor beside a badger brush and ivory lather bowl on a pale stone shelf.

Devon

July 9, 2013 4 min read

Shaving - Double Edge Safety Razors

Double-edge safety razors reduce irritation by eliminating the 5-blade overkill that modern razors impose.

Life & Personal

Weathered steel pipeline splitting into multiple parallel pipes extending toward the horizon on a gravel floor.

Devon

May 11, 2013 1 min read

PHP and FastCGI

Converting Apache mod_php to FastCGI aims for better performance and scalability.

DevOps & Infrastructure

Flat-lay of motorcycle racing helmet, leather suit, gloves, and boots arranged on concrete floor.

Devon

May 11, 2013 5 min read

What Should You Bring To A Track Day?

23+ years of motorcycle riding meets track day expertise: essential gear and preparations for safe, optimized track day performance.

Motorcycles & Cars

A single framed aerial photo of a green golf fairway meeting a turquoise Caribbean coastline, lit by a spotlight on a white gallery wall.

Devon

March 12, 2013 1 min read

Triptease

TripTease combines stunning photography with concise travel reviews - a visual-first approach that's the 500px of travel blogging.

Life & Personal Travel Photography

Devon

January 24, 2013 1 min read

Want an even better job? :)

Spark::red is hiring sys admins, JBoss experts, and ATG architects in Boston and Seattle.

Career & Business Spark::red