March 2025
25% of the year has gone by already, which leaves me questioning where the time went / did I make the most of it...
Starting with non-tech, from a weight-loss perspective things are going well. I've managed to lose just over 5 stone (31.75 kilograms) so far (not all in March), and feel a lot healthier for it. Admittedly the process has slowed down, though that isn't surprising as I recall this last time (where the easy-to-lose fat disappears and you are left with the tougher bits). I still want to lose another 3 stone before the end of the year, we will see how it goes.
Python programming continues, with a new endeavour around event consolidation. This has proved quite interesting as while Python likely isn't the right language for it when it comes to raw performance, it's been interesting to compare approaches in code vs their performance, and the tweaks required to keep things running at a suitable rate.
I've also been working on optimising a piece of existing code, with a good mix of profiling and timing to determine the hot paths / tweak where possible. It's actually been fun to get more performance out of something that already performed well (I'm a fan of automation / optimisation). Switching JSON modules has also been an interesting experience, as you would think (incorrectly) that the built-in JSON module would be as performant as possible / would have undergone rounds of tuning to the point where it can't be any faster. It's someone surprising to use a different module and see such an improvement with very little code-changes etc.
The Meshtastic work is still on-hold while the weather is too windy. My device is ready to go, though with the new 2.6 firmware I do find myself thinking I need to add another station / antenna into the mix (for the built-in bridging-via-UDP capability). Hopefully the weather calms down soon so it can be fitted / enabled.
Finally, it's been interesting researching the commonly used AI's and how they are shaping not only the IT landscape but also the social landscape. In truth the experience has been mixed, with some use-cases making sense and having a positive benefit while others appear a step in the wrong direction and potentially detrimental to humanity as a whole. With how easy it is to get information on any topic (regardless of if the information is right or wrong), it does feel like we are giving up a core part of ourselves (in a similar way to how some of the younger generation struggle with cooking due to the availability of food delivery services).
Until the April review ;)