A Look Behind The Curtain - How I Blog
Tags: blogging, writing
Published: 2019-02-09 19:25:19

---
title: A Look Behind The Curtain - How I Blog
published: true
description: "A thrilling account of what I use and how I use it."
tags: blogging, writing
---

# Blogging

I've been quite busy this week so I don't have a standard post ready to go. Instead, I thought I'd write a little bit about my current setup and my posting "workflow".

***

## Machine

Let's get the boring stuff out of the way first. I do the majority of my writing code and the accompanying posts on a Mac Book Air.

```bash
➜  ~ system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType SPHardwareDataType
Software:

    System Software Overview:

      System Version: macOS 10.14.2 (18C54)
      Kernel Version: Darwin 18.2.0
      Boot Volume: Macintosh HD
      Boot Mode: Normal
      Computer Name: Steve’s MacBook Air
      User Name: Steve (steve)
      Secure Virtual Memory: Enabled
      System Integrity Protection: Enabled
      Time since boot: 18 days 20:31

Hardware:

    Hardware Overview:

      Model Name: MacBook Air
      Model Identifier: MacBookAir6,2
      Processor Name: Intel Core i7
      Processor Speed: 1.7 GHz
      Number of Processors: 1
      Total Number of Cores: 2
      L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB
      L3 Cache: 4 MB
      Memory: 8 GB
      Boot ROM Version: 110.0.0.0.0
      SMC Version (system): 2.13f15
      Serial Number (system): XXXXXXXXXXXX
      Hardware UUID: XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX
```

## Environment

I use [iTerm2](https://www.iterm2.com/) with ZSH and [Oh My ZSH](https://github.com/robbyrussell/oh-my-zsh). It's not too customized though. I just stick with the default `robbyrussell` theme and a handful of useful plugins.

```bash
ZSH_THEME="robbyrussell"

plugins=(
  git
  colored-man
  colorize
  github
  vagrant
  virtualenv
  pip
  python
  osx
  vscode
  fzf
  golang
  httpie
  zsh-syntax-highlighting
)
```

[iTerm 2](https://www.iterm2.com/) is using Solarized Dark and [Operator Mono](https://www.typography.com/fonts/operator/styles/). [VSCode](https://code.visualstudio.com/), my current editor of choice, is also using Solarize Dark and Operator Mono. I use Vim for quick edits as well (and yes it too is using [Solarized Dark](https://github.com/altercation/vim-colors-solarized)).

I don't have a fully customized dotfile repo since I have not really done too much in that direction. I did use some of "[Mathias’s dotfiles](https://github.com/mathiasbynens/dotfiles/blob/master/.macos)" sensible Mac defaults though. Maybe I'll take a little time to dig through and see if I have anything worth sharing though.

![vscode](https://thepracticaldev.s3.amazonaws.com/i/oedn01yx5lullu11nexi.png)

On the desktop, I have a folder cleverly name `writerings`. This folder is a private repo over on GitLab, so I can access these if I happen to be sitting at my Windows PC when the mood hits. Basically, each post is just a markdown file, I have two directories - `non-public` and `public`. Non-public holds any in-flight ideas or other posts which aren't quite finished.

## Blogging Flow

First things first - music! I am currently working my way through "live" daily jams by [Monotrail](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjEIsPm7n8mm8Q10rMhg76g/about). #48 is probably my favorite so far.

{% youtube rljmxq2OLkE %}

I'm trying to learn as I go so I've tried to come up with smaller projects. My time for this is a bit more limited then I would like but what are you going to do. The code for whatever I'm going to post lives in a separate folder outside the writing directory. This folder is also version controlled and kept in a private repo. Once I have an idea in mind, I'll start with the most basic code. That becomes the basis for my first post in what makes up the overall *Attempting to Learn Go* series.

I'll then take the raw code and paste it into a new file that contains my [markdown post template](https://gist.github.com/shindakun/f5fe5160e59b32cf56aefbbc9bf1b45e). From there I have been trying a top-down style basically commenting on the code, pointing out what's changed, if I've actually learned anything, or what we may expect in the future. I'll typically try to get a good base of the post written and then go back through and add links. I don't add too many images usually, other than the header mostly because I don't have that much free time.

So far all of this has happened completely outside of [dev.to](https://dev.to/shindakun). Once I think everything is in a pretty good state I'll copy and paste the markdown into the v1 dev.to editor and save an unpublished version of the post. Then its time to give it a couple re-readings. I can't tell you how often I catch little things, typos, or larger things, like unfinished thoughts where I just trailed off into...

## Iteration

Once a post is up everything is checked into GitLab and the iteration process begins. Picking up from where we last were, I first decide if there is a feature or something that clearly needs fixing. My goal is to push the project a bit further along, enough that I can have another post but not too far that I'm skipping ahead. I have been fortunate enough to receive some very good feedback so I try to incorporate that both in the revised code and keep it in mind for new projects.

## Looking Ahead

I am trying to plan out what we might get into after we've "finished" the static site generator. So I'm thinking about incorporating a real paper notebook and pen so I can jot down ideas both when working on code and posts but also for any ideas for topics.

## Next Time

There we go, a quick peek into how I've been writing my posts. We'll be back to our static site generator at some point next week! 

***

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***