Tag: Reflections
Goodbye File Browser, for Real This Time
Yesterday, I published the last planned release of File Browser. It includes a few security fixes and a notice about the wind-down of the project. Alongside it, I announced that this was the last planned release and updated the repository so that it's ready to be archived on September 1st. For many people this came as a surprise. For those who've been following the project from close by, probably not. Either way, I wanted to write a bit about the decision and how we got to this point.
Remembering Loss
Today is the 5th anniversary of losing a friend and mentor. Toward the end of her life, we interacted far less than when we shared a wall in the office. When we worked together, it was a quiet joy of the job to share our morning coffee and catch up, touch base on the day...
Stepping Into The Car, Again
At the end of April, I wrote about stepping back into the driver's seat. I ended that post with two remarks: that I was going to take a refreshers lesson, and that I wanted to try a manual transmission before the lesson. It's been a while!
Stepping Into The Car
So far, 2026 has been a peculiar year in many different ways. It seems to be the year where I'm starting to do things I had been avoiding for quite some time. It first started with swimming, and now driving.
Update On File Browser
Last year, I wrote a bit on maintaining open source projects. At the time, I was struggling with one of my most (unexpectedly) successful side projects, File Browser. Today, I want to give an update on it, since I never wrote again about it. I'm hoping that this post helps explaining the current status of the project.
Cycles And Fluctuations
This month's topic of the IndieWeb Carnival is "cycles and fluctuations". This is my third time participating in this initiative, and I think this topic couldn't have come at a better time. I'm not one hundred percent sure where this is going, but I want to start with politics.
Naturalization Periods and Dutch Politics
The, already twice fallen, Dutch government is still trying to get their coalition plans moving forward. Part of the agreement was increasing the minimum period one needs to wait before being allowed to apply for naturalization, from 5 to 10 years.
New Beginnings
Three and a half months ago, I started a new job. I haven't talked much about it yet on this website, except for a very brief note in my June's "Recently" article. I've been wanting to write a little bit more about it, and I feel like now is the right moment.
Interacting With Others Is Energizing
"Interacting with others is energizing". That was a thought I had around a week ago, and it has been stuck with me ever since. It probably doesn't come as a surprise to most - also not for me-, but I thought it'd be nice to expand a bit more on this thought.
The Winding Road to Eindhoven
In just about a few weeks, I will be able to commemorate - if I want - my 5th anniversary in The Netherlands. The Netherlands: the country where I came to study, and where I decided to continue my life. But how did I end up here?
Colors
Colors. That is the topic of this month's edition of The IndieWeb Carnaval, brought to us by Marisabel. I do not think a lot about colors, and I must admit I felt a bit reticent on whether or not I should participate this month. However, my will to explore more topics brought me here, to the text editor.
Maintaining Open Source Projects
Last month was Maintainer Month, a month were open source software maintainers are celebrated. A lot of the software in the world - and thus society itself - runs on open source software, which is something not known to a lot of people. During this past month, I read a few posts here and there about people sharing their journey and experience as an open source maintainer, and today I wanted to give my take on it.
On Getting Older and Belonging
In a few weeks I will be turning 25 years old. That's an interesting number: it's a quarter of a century, and it also feels like a pivotal moment in one's life: the middle of one's third decade, now closer to the beginning of the fourth decade than the end of the second decade. Instead of having a mid-life crisis, I decided to reflect a bit on the idea of getting older, but more importantly belonging.
Fear of Deep Water
Swimming. An activity that can be very relaxing, and, at the same time, straining and very good for your body. Since I was a kid, I’ve always had a complicated relationship with swimming. I enjoy the process of swimming, and I can swim, but as soon as the body of water is deeper than my height, it’s a hard no-go.
Thoughts After One Month Working On-site
Two months ago I announced I was leaving my previous job, a completely remote position, for a on-site position. This is my first on-site position, since my previous job was also my first and only job until now. It's been now a bit more than a month, and I have some thoughts I would like to share.
Reflections After a Year at the Gym
Over a bit more than a year ago, I started going to the gym. Since then, I went from going there one time a week, to two times a week, and more recently to three times a week. During this time, many things have changed, from my goals, progress, and how I feel about sports and being active in general.
Leaving The InterPlanetary Journey
After almost 7 years working on projects surrounding IPFS, the InterPlanetary File System, I am now saying goodbye. It's been an incredible journey at Protocol Labs, and more recently at the Interplanetary Shipyard. However, I feel like it's finally time for a change for me.
When Does Abroad Stop Feeling Like Abroad?
The title of this post is just a question I added to my impossible list back in September 2022. It has been sitting there since. After making a little cleanup to the page today, I thought: I really want to develop this feeling a bit more, and explain it better, as well as how I feel in this moment regarding my plans for "living abroad".
Reflecting on What I Want To Learn Next
Due to all the restructuring that has been happening at work, I am supposedly going to be working at a different company from next Monday on. The team will still be working on the same projects, albeit with more to choose our own direction. This has also given me time to reflect and think about what I want to learn and do next.
Languages Are Worlds of Words
Learning a new language is interesting. There are new words. New structures. New verbs. New adjectives. New ways of explaining things. New ways of categorising things. New ways of describing things. New ways of thinking.
After Working Remotely Full Time for One Year
My first full year mark working full time just passed by, and so did my first year working full time remotely. Since this is my first actual job, I can't really compare it with working in-person. Nevertheless, I want to share my experience, as well as some of the things I think might be the pros and the cons.
Writing a Gratitude Journal for Two Years
Some time ago, I decided to buy a gratitude journal 📓. I have been writing on and off on it for quite some time, definitely over a year and maybe two. Over this time, I think I can say that this has been beneficial for me. And I wanted to share this experience with others.
Thoughts on Personal Websites and Online Identities
Online services. We all have accounts on those. Be it Instagram, Facebook, Twitter Mastodon, or some other thing that is sucking the life out of us. Even though we are the same physical being behind all of those accounts, we don't always come out the same way to all of them. We look different, we sound different. Maybe that's the nature of what we post there. They are all online identities.
Should Every Update Be a Post?
Today I had a bit too much time that I decided to work on my website. In the morning, I made a few tweaks to the home page in order to make it more useful: added some contact and social media links, as well as links for some pages on my website that are not included in the navigation bar. I think I achieved a neat result.
Thinking Out Loud About My Future Master’s Project
I'm in my first year of my master's degree. Next year, I am supposed to do a master's project and thesis. Thus, it's never too early to think about it.
I Miss
Last night before going to sleep... well actually while falling asleep I thought about writing this. It's such a basic poem, but lemme just share it here.
Analyzing My Shows and Movie Habits
I now have a watch log again and decided to analyse 2019's habits of TV shows and movie watching.
Goodbye File Browser!
After 5 years of maintaining this project and failing due to my limited time, it was time to say goodbye to File Browser.
We Don’t Own Our Data, Do We?
Data is a topic I've been wanting to write about for quite some time. Do we own our data? What should we do about it?
First Year at Protocol Labs
I joined Protocol Labs in November 2017 and it is being an incredible experience so far.
How Did I Start Working Remotely in a Startup
A story of a 17 years old boy who met someone and one year later was invited to join a startup as a Full Stack Developer.
Hello, World!
This is the first newsletter issue I'm writing. Today, I leave you with some posts I recommend you, an inspiring phrase and the reasons made me start this!
New Year's Resolutions '16
2015 has been a very meaningful year. 2016 needs to be better than 2015 and so on. Here are my New Year's resolutions.
Verdades Incógnitas
Estou a dormir. Ponto. Eu sei que estou a dormir. Sim, eu sei que mais tarde vou ter que me levantar. Não. Não és tu que dizes que eu devo ser.
Uncertain State
Death. It's the most heard word in the last days. Crime. And they say it was orders from their God. Who's the God?
Intermittent Threads
I was there. I turn my head to the left and I see a bullet coming in my direction. The clock stops. I stop. I see myself doing nothing.
The First Day at Your Brand New Job
You got a job! And today’s the first day, what are you going to do? Let’s make a party and make everyone dance! What? No… wait! You’re nervous, you don’t have to be. Let’s talk.
Portugal Is a Beautiful Country (Again)
Portugal is an amazing country. It has a lot of history behind. Know some of the places I visited this month. From Sintra to Redondo.
Something About the Future. Is It Real? Does It Exist?
Is the future real? Does it exists? Who are we? What are we going to be? Time? Death. Is that real? What's the difference from life? Some interesting questions no one can answer.
Stop Complaining. Do!
Everyday I hear people complaining about almost everything. Complaining leads to nowhere. You have to DO!
Imperfections Make Us Perfect
I was thinking about why there are people who think we are perfect. This is a little reflexion about it and about those people.
3 Things I Would Like To Be
I don't want to be just one thing. Where's the fun of being just one thing? There are 3 things I would like to be and there is nothing in the way."
Is Technology a Good or a Bad Thing?
Technology, nowadays, means advance and progress. But is the technology a good or bad thing? Or both? Or neither? Here is my opinion.
The Society and the Objects
Presently, the people love the objects. Sometimes, more than they love the people. Is this good? Or not?