About

Updated: 2025-11-22

Hello, World 👋

My name is James :3

Welcome to my blog and place on the internet!

I really enjoy exploring the technology (both new and old) and hope you do as well.

That will be the general focus on this blog - many posts will be about my experiences with technology, gaming, computers and whatever else I feel like writing about on a given day.

“Strong opinions, held weekly” or something like that

I have worked on computers most of my life – from the time I was a teen and was able to build my first PC to present day.

After learning about hardware, I took to learning the operating system and software side of things and have not looked back ever since.

Education

I graduated with a Bachelors degree in Computer Science from Charleston Southern University in the Fall of 2021.

Prior to that, I studied at Trident Technical College after High School (around 2017~2019).

I always tell people – most of the things I have learned about computers and programming has come from helpful strangers and communities on the internet as well as experimenting and doing projects of my own. The wisdom of the crowd as well as the curiosity and drive to figure it out.

My genuine thanks to all those who share their knowledge and expertise (both on and offline).

Work

DISCLAIMER: Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer

I am currently employed as a Data Center Technician at Google.

I was hired on as a full time Data Center Technician on Feb. 2023. Prior to that I had worked logistics at the Data Center.

Location

I am located in South Carolina in the greater Charleston area. The beaches here are wonderful, and so is the traffic. The drivers not so much. Please be careful on the roads.

My Machines and Operating Systems

I have used all major operating systems (Windows/Mac/Linux) in both personal and professional settings.

I bought my first Mac in 2022 – an M1 MacBook Air. Until then, I was mostly a Windows/Linux user on the desktop and laptop (Machines include my gaming rig and Thinkpad T Series and X1 Carbon laptops).

My preferences are:

  • A stable Linux Distro (Arch is ok too) for desktop and server use.
  • MacOS/Macbook for laptops for many reasons such as battery life, trackpad and screen quality.
  • Android is my mobile OS of choice as well (although there are some free and open source phones coming out).

Programming Languages

One of the things I like to do (both as a hobby and for work) is to program.

Generally, I try to avoid frameworks and large libraries, however these things do have a place and can speed up development and be very productive. I generally take the same approach for AI tools when it comes to programming. Less is more.

Here are some of the programming languages that I use:

Often Use

  • Python
  • PowerShell/Bash
  • Golang
  • HTML/CSS/JavaScript

Occasionally Use

  • SQL (sqlite, MySQL)
  • C/C++
  • Java
  • C# / .NET
  • PHP
  • Ruby
  • Perl

There are many things to consider when choosing a language to use for a specific task.

In many cases the programming language is dictated by the environment.

For personal projects it is much more of an open decision where language does not matter as much, however if you are doing work for a client/company - there are likely requirements for what language is better supported by your team and going off the beaten path will set you back.

Tech Areas of Interest

Here’s a list of the things I like to mess around with in no particular order:

  • Linux and Free Software Projects
  • Self-hosting / Raspberry Pis
  • Web APIs
  • Web Servers / Game Servers
  • Game Development
  • Virtualization
  • Containerization
  • Computer Networking
  • Relational Databases
  • Security and Hardening
  • Reverse Engineering

Text Editors

I am a huge nerd when it comes to text editors and IDEs

I have tried the following text editors and here is the order of preference:

  • Vim
  • Neovim
  • Visual Studio Code
  • Kate
  • Emacs
  • Helix
  • Nano

Choosing a text editor

There is no such thing as a perfect text editor, but I do find editors that are configurable and customizable lead to a much better experience in the long run.

The trade off with this kind of editor is usually the learning curve of new keybinds and configuration language, but once you do begin to configure things - it can become a great experience that you have crafted yourself over time. This is certainly the case with Emacs and (Neo)vim.

Editors like VS Code (incl. fork/derivative editors) and IDEs like the ones Jetbrains make are also great if you do not care for absolute extensibility, but still want a very rich plugin experience.

Keyboards

I also like to test different types and kinds of mechanical keyboards.

My keyboard preference will depend on what I am doing, but generally.

  • For gaming I prefer Cherry Red / Linear type switches and a smaller 60% or 75% keyboard layout.
  • For typing I prefer Cherry Brown / Tactile type switches and a Tenkeyless layout (TKL).

Other hobbies

Other subjects I enjoy learning about include: history, art, psychology, physics, geometry and philosophy, not necessarily in that order.

Cool Subreddits

A curated list of my favorite random subreddits listed below (some useful non-meme ones too)

Contact

Social:

Feel free to reach out!