CJ :Polymaths: 👨‍💻

Software developer (Go, Python) and ham radio operator (WW0*/M7*). Also enjoy foam dart blasters, video games, TTRPGs, movies, and sci-fi novels. Probably 10,000 more things I forget to name here too.

I hack hardware, play with radios, and am not sponsored by Raid: Shadow Legends. ADHD to the max.

On my account here, you'll find me posting about various hobby projects, random thoughts, and more at pretty much all hours of the day. You can find my projects and more collected thoughts at the links below.

Fediverse citizen since November 2022, member of Polymaths.social since September 2023 - a passionate member of the wonderful community created by @[email protected].

Public Key

npub15s4a4upmld84ypcznytkr352zxpqe4gfz4v9e2v40x5al57plxssqre4sy

NIP-05 Address

[email protected]

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs2g2767qalkn6jqupfj9mpc69prqsv65y32kzu4x2hn2wl60qlnggpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0ds0v2xkv

Publishing to

relay.mostr.pub

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub15s4a4upmld84ypcznytkr352zxpqe4gfz4v9e2v40x5al57plxssqre4sy

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Last Notes

2026-10-20 21:51:22 GMT

Is there anyone out there using the Orange Pi Zero 2W in place of a Raspberry Pi? I'm thinking about using it for OctoPrint and curious on reliability

2026-08-17 21:41:31 GMT

I went to the bookstore the other day and completely forgot to post my haul!
I was going mostly for the next Dungeon Crawler Carl as I was wrapping up book #2 and was in the back of a very long hold queue at the library, but I think I got some other great picks too.
Starter Villain, by John Scalzi
Cloud Cuckoo Land, by Anthony Doerr (I really enjoyed All The Light We Cannot See, so I wanted to check out his other work!)
The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook, by Matt Dinniman (DCC #3)
Dead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep, by Paul Tremblay
https://polymaths.social/fileserver/010EST4F7Z5D4FNVNGDK8TCTZR/attachment/original/01M08TRAFH28FQQQF9WY3Z3JRC.jpeg

2026-08-05 14:43:30 GMT

I asked a few weeks ago about Casio watch recommendations and am happy to report that I’m officially back in the #CasioCult with a new Casio Royale! It’s already been put through the wringer in several trips to the pool and daily use and I’m quite happy with it. Thanks to all who responded to my inquiry :)
https://polymaths.social/fileserver/010EST4F7Z5D4FNVNGDK8TCTZR/attachment/original/01KZ96294X7WA9ZSVZD4NKKQQ9.jpeg

2026-07-14 14:40:44 GMT

#CasioCult - I’m looking for a watch recommendation and would love opinions on a Casio to get!
I used to wear an F91-W but wasn’t a fan of the strap, I tried replacing it with a NATO strap but messed it up and never looked back. I’d be down to try a strap replacement again though.
My main requirements are waterproof enough I can wear it to the pool, some kind of visibility in the dark, and easily switching between time zones somehow.
Any recommendations?

2026-06-01 19:18:01 GMT

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@nprofile…k95v Hah, I don’t even really need an enclosure, but I’m hoping it helps reduce noise while I’m at it. I just kept it on a folding table at the old place and was told now that I’ve moved it needs a better spot, so I thought dedicated table space would be good.
I’ve got the black tables, and per a suggestion given to me (mostly because I don’t care about looks too much) I’m doing the printed parts in hot pink PETG. It’ll look interesting!

2026-06-01 19:03:13 GMT

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@nprofile…k95v Printing parts for the Prusa LACK enclosure design :) https://blog.prusa3d.com/cheap-simple-3d-printer-enclosure_7785/
After that, I’ll be diving into some Gridfinity organization for my desk space, and then just in my miscellaneous backlog of “interesting things to maybe print some day” 😂

2026-06-01 18:59:03 GMT

Ooo, my 3D printer filament is currently en route to get here a day earlier than expected - Thursday is much better for me than Friday and I can get started on my prints a day early. Yay!

2026-05-22 03:39:07 GMT

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@nprofile…atnr Is it supposed to show on mobile? I don’t have a Mac running for personal use at the moment but can check on mobile tonight - or I can check iPad tomorrow.

2026-04-17 21:28:53 GMT

Today I finally started the “real” work on my #RFIDReader project!
The goal is to get this RFID reader that I was gifted by a friend working almost from scratch. I’ll be running it off a Pi Pico with my own #TinyGo code to see if I can get it to recognize cards and send me the data over serial.
First step is to get it powered and hopefully get the LEDs and beeper working before I attempt to read the real data. I’m trying to get both the Pico and the reader powered off 1 USB-C source - so today was the first step on that.
It’s not my finest soldering work, but not awful considering I’m a little rusty. Ground isn’t wired up yet on the USB-C breakout - I need to go grab my wire cutters and grt that solved - but otherwise this setup should work for powering the Pico off USB-C and being able to read serial data off the built in port simultaneously. I did check that I didn’t brick the Pico as soon as I finished the soldering 😅 and it seems to still work okay!
End goal for today is going to be proving that I can do that simultaneous connection with this setup. If that goes well - tomorrow I’ll wire up the power and one of the LED lines for the reader and try and get that working!
https://polymaths.social/fileserver/010EST4F7Z5D4FNVNGDK8TCTZR/attachment/original/01KPENHFQ0KM1QF7FWW15KM1DK.jpeg

2026-04-09 18:17:51 GMT

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@nprofile…8xww Can you download and break Kobo DRM without physically owning a Kobo?
I’d love an easier way to own my ebook library than my current Amazon workflow (granted I don’t buy a lot, I mostly just do Libby, but still a couple hundred books at the moment).

2026-02-17 23:27:25 GMT

What's the best way to have a #Bash script copy something to the system clipboard?
I've got a bash script that I copy paste the output from regularly and would love to update it to auto-copy.

2026-02-07 04:39:27 GMT

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@nprofile…k95v I guess I’m lucky my configuration is simple 😂1 “actual” user (my own account, plus a local acc not linked to PSN), no NVMe drive (although I’ve been meaning to grab one)…
I just really hate having to type in my auto-generated long password every time on the console itself but the app experience is just always annoying in its own way.

2026-02-07 04:24:56 GMT

The amount of large companies with the worst mobile apps on the marketplace is astonishing.
I just bought a game on PlayStation using the iOS "PS App" - an official Sony app for PlayStation. I hit Download to Console...and it gave me no indication that it was actually installing until I closed the page and opened it again. How is that so hard???

2025-11-16 20:42:37 GMT

Since I’m so busy I’ll probably forget: this Thursday will be my 3rd year anniversary of joining the fediverse! This has been the best social media experience I’ve ever had - I’ve learned so much from the communities here and can’t wait to continue learning, growing, and sharing for years to come!

2025-07-30 22:59:53 GMT

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@nprofile…d7zw I really enjoyed the ending of the 3rd book in the trilogy - the first could certainly stand on its own but I think Death’s End knocks it out of the park.

2025-07-29 00:19:50 GMT

#MacOS and maybe some #a11y folks - I'm trying to help someone out by getting some of the text displayed on their machine in OpenDyslexic for easier reading. I installed the font, but couldn't seem to figure out using it in OS text (I assume that might just be locked down by Apple) and I couldn't get it working whatsoever in a custom Safari stylesheet.
Any suggestions on what to try or where I might be going wrong would be greatly appreciated!

2025-07-18 00:05:37 GMT

Just saw a post on Facebook about #HamRadio operator’s personal sites not having HTTPS and scaring people away, so I’m taking this opportunity to say this:
HTTPS is a good thing, and every site should have it at this stage. If you’re a ham and hosting your personal site on a host that doesn’t support HTTPS, it might be time for a refresh. I recommend HTML for People and @nprofile…fkj4’s blogging on a budget for good reading towards modern personal web practices.
And if you host your own site, check out these guides on setting up free Let’s Encrypt certs on Caddy (my personal recommendation), Nginx, and Apache.
#AmateurRadio #PersonalWebsites

2025-07-16 18:57:37 GMT

My girlfriend gave me my birthday present early and it’s a TWSBI Eco #FountainPen I’ve been looking at for a while now!
Now I just need to get some fountain pen friendly paper and actually do some writing again instead of solely working digital…but I’m excited!
There was also an ink sampler included, shown on paper in the photo. Ink is “Lost in the Leaves” by Ferris Wheel Press - a brand I had never heard of until yesterday but I like this ink! It’s a dark green with some glitter in it that’s hard to see in the photo, but it gives it a cool look in the light.
https://polymaths.social/fileserver/010EST4F7Z5D4FNVNGDK8TCTZR/attachment/original/01K0A9E05QWA21VFZ4Y8GFK7PR.jpeg

2025-07-05 20:49:41 GMT

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@nprofile…20qw I don’t really understand why the feature even exists, it doesn’t seem to have a point…but glad you solved it to some extent lol

2025-07-05 20:45:26 GMT

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@nprofile…20qw I blocked the email of that one Italian operator who seems to email EVERYONE he sees on FT8.

2025-06-14 01:14:53 GMT

Curious - has anyone tried a fountain pen on Field Notes?
I feel like Field Notes is the size of notebook I’d like to start using, and I also want to get back into fountain pens, but not sure how high quality their paper is.
cc @nprofile…cd8r (apologies for the ping, but you’re the one person I follow that I think might know 😂)
#FountainPens #Stationary

2025-06-13 22:32:32 GMT

Finally got around to swapping out the nozzle on the printer...this has definitely seen better days. Already feeling like there's some improvement in the new one, AND I managed to get off a couple giant blobs of gunk from the heater block on accident. So, a productive day!
Currently printing the PINDA ADJUSTA model both as a test and so I can stop worrying about bed leveling as much. Then, it's on to a couple of prints that I've been meaning to do for a week now...
#3DPrinting
https://polymaths.social/fileserver/010EST4F7Z5D4FNVNGDK8TCTZR/attachment/original/01JXNPNBW4YQPV802SAJKGMP2W.png

2025-06-02 01:21:46 GMT

"Libraries usually pay more than $65 for a two-year license on an e-book, which the average American would pay $12.99 for, and upwards of $100 for e-audiobooks. A print book that costs libraries less than $15 can be loaned out until it falls apart."
This is fascinating and also terrifying considering I see more and more people ONLY going to the library for e-books (myself included, I haven't gone to the library for a physical book in a couple years). How does this get justified?
https://www.denverpost.com/2025/05/25/denver-library-ebooks-audiobooks/
#reading #libraries #ebooks

2025-05-31 23:15:32 GMT

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@nprofile…pp8p Corretto is Amazon’s fork of OpenJDK - I’d just replace it with OpenJDK itself lol

2025-05-24 15:08:39 GMT

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@nprofile…pp8p ECC is very good but RSA is still good as long as you’re using a higher number of bits (3000+)

2025-05-23 16:14:38 GMT

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@nprofile…4tpe I've moved to hosting on BearBlog for my personal site - but I've confirmed their export is easy enough, I could 100% spin up a new 11ty site in a matter of a few hours with the data if I needed to (although I use that platform explicitly so I'm not messing with code or formatting on that site).
The website I maintain for an org as a hobby project, that's all 11ty and could be migrated in minutes like everyone else has said :D
Now, the sites I maintain professionally? Those are all on various CMS platforms and would be a nightmare to move...but I don't even want to think about that.

2025-05-23 00:16:32 GMT

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@nprofile…4d9x Claimed, thanks for the callout! I’ve always wanted to play some of the Warhammer games…now I just need to get back into PC gaming lol

2025-05-11 20:54:19 GMT

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@nprofile…20qw That Diamond mount is fantastic - I had one for my VHF/UHF mobile setup a few years back and it held up fantastically (only lost it because of a car accident, but planning on replacing it soon-ish and getting my mobile back online).
Good luck with tomorrow's testing!

2025-05-02 15:48:47 GMT

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@nprofile…20qw I still also need to read Murderbot lol...I'm slowly but surely catching up on the past few decades of major sci-fi 😂

2025-05-02 14:51:39 GMT

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@nprofile…20qw Hadn't heard of Imperial Radch - adding it to my list cause it sounds pretty cool!

2025-05-02 03:55:43 GMT

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@nprofile…20qw @nprofile…p5lu Yeah - the club newsletters I get are postcards compared to this 🤣 definitely giving it a read later!

2025-05-02 03:06:12 GMT

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@nprofile…20qw Ooo, what trilogy?!
Now that I've finished the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy, I'm happy taking a break and reading some one offs 😂 I'm ~1/2 through All The Light We Cannot See, and then after that I'm planning to finally go back and finish Good Omens (which I've started like 3? times now pre-reading habit and just never managed to finish)

2025-05-02 02:59:21 GMT

Slowly but surely building up a new reading habit…hoping to get more books finished over the next couple of months though.
#reading #bookstadon #TheStoryGraph
https://polymaths.social/fileserver/010EST4F7Z5D4FNVNGDK8TCTZR/attachment/original/01JT7EV123ERRSK0QKH7N8AVS6.png

2025-04-23 22:42:34 GMT

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@nprofile…jpw4 will do! not 100% sure how to replicate it but i'll file right now with as much as I can explain lol
edit:
filed - https://github.com/11ty/eleventy-fetch/issues/64

2025-04-23 20:42:41 GMT

I really need to keep up with my websites more, I tend to open up the repos to find new bugs need to be solved before builds work again :(
That being said, today an #11ty bug was oddly solved by switching a data file from CommonJS to ESM and I have no clue why or how still. I mean, glad to have it working again but what?

2025-04-01 16:23:12 GMT

I've been seeing a lot of news about NaNoWriMo shutting down, and while I can't 100% confirm it myself as I didn't receive this email, I wanted to take a moment to boost a project I love:
@nprofile…fkj4 setup WritingMonth - a fully open-source alternative to NaNoWriMo's web tracker platform - last year in response to NaNo's statement on AI.
While it is still in development, I've had a great time writing with it and contributing to it.
Last month (March) I set a goal to write 4 blog posts and seeing the tracker was a nice boost, and Amin recently added the ability to see buddy progress which was really fun to see his work move along as well!
If you're an author, I highly recommend you check out the project, and if you're comfortable writing Python/Flask there's a good amount of open feature requests that could use some extra hands.
I'm excited to see what this project ends up looking like in it's second year this upcoming November, and I hope to see some more authors pop up with goals throughout the year until then.
(If you do check it out, feel free to add me as a buddy! Username is also roguefoam there.)
#NaNoWriMo #WritingMonth #OpenSource

2025-02-23 01:58:55 GMT

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@nprofile…20qw Excited to see what you get going there - and hope you have a speedy recovery!

2025-02-13 18:01:49 GMT

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@nprofile…0zny @nprofile…twp5 @nprofile…zppp @nprofile…kgaw @nprofile…uej9 @nprofile…y4z0 @nprofile…tvxk @nprofile…s82r @nprofile…4d9x @nprofile…68n3 @nprofile…5ate @nprofile…7qn8 I'm a big fan of WebP these days but maybe I should do some of my own stress testing with AVIF...
My only problem I encounter with WebP is having to install a janky Photoshop plugin to do my bulk conversions there lol

2025-01-28 16:57:59 GMT

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@nprofile…4tpe Maybe I'll have to give them another shot...

2025-01-28 16:35:35 GMT

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@nprofile…4tpe I’ve only ever used Huddles one time and hated it, immediately stopped and just do regular calls or zoom now.

2025-01-27 19:30:56 GMT

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@nprofile…wnnx @nprofile…6kk0 I'd also like to read this study...is it because students pay less attention to lectures if they know they're recorded?
This intrigues me as someone that relies a lot on recorded lectures as a portion of disability accommodations, both with professors recording and myself. I definitely understand the workload aspect though, I prefer my own recordings anyways but I understand why professors complain having to add setting up and archiving a recording to their workflows.

2024-12-29 21:09:19 GMT

Anyone have a program they can recommend that can download an entire account's public posts? I want to backup my old posts from Polymaths Alpha but GoToSocial doesn't have post exports (yet)

2024-12-25 20:51:44 GMT

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@nprofile…dhpg it is very much not real, doing that will 1000% screw up both your motherboard and CPU permanently

2024-12-24 02:15:36 GMT

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@nprofile…al3s Floats already scare me, I don't need them to be bigger!
I had to learn all about IEEE-754 Float Standards for a class where we learned MIPS and RISC-V Assembly, I never truly understood it and probably never will. If an employer asks me to convert a floating point by hand like I did in that class, I am running as far away as I possibly can.
Side note: are you enjoying Introducing Go? I'm thinking about buying it, as I've been meaning to learn Go for a bit and have the perfect side-quest/procrastination project to use to learn.