Over the last week or so I've made some progress towards upgrading this site:

• As I mentioned in a previous post I stood up a new server to look consider Vanilla Drupal 9.0 vs Lightning 9.0, vs Varbase.  All three have their advantages but I have decided to stick with Varbase.  A lot of the sites I build fit in Varbase’s wheelhouse.  The 9.0 branch is far more modular than the 8.0 branch.  Since I’ll be installing things with Composer on this site, this should work well for upgrading.
• I’ve given some thought to content types and built out new content types on for the new site.  Here are the changes I’m making
  • Converting all files (images, audio, docs) to media entities.  Media in core wasn’t ready when I built this site now it is.
  • Merge the Job Position, Portfolio and Case Study content types.  There is a lot of overlapping data between these content types.
  • The Notes content type is renamed to Post.
  • For now I’ll have 2 landing page content types:  One using paragraphs, which I’ll import the current page into, one using layout  builder.  I’ll migrate the current pages to layout builder after I launch so I can get rid of the dependance on Paragraphs by Drupal 10.

Next Steps:

• First I’m working on migration scripts to get data into the system.  I’ll setup JSON:API on a copy of this site to export content and use the Migration API.  I expect 2 challenges:
  • I’ve never had to create media entities from file fields.  I’m sure there’s an example on the web someplace, if not I’ll have to do some hacking.
  • I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to automate merging the content types I mentioned above.  I look at this and figure it’s a half day to do it manually,
• This site that has little logic (a glue module and a module that extracts metadata for links).  I’m pretty sure I build those with Drupal 9 in mind, but I’ll give them a once over.
• A combination of theming and site building.  I’ll be moving to Bootstrap 4 in the process.

Research project:

• Static site? I keep looking at Tome.  With small changes this should be possible for my site (mostly I need to rethink my use of webforms.

In a Facebook covid survivors group someone posted "I heard someone died from the vaccine". Here was my response:

I don't know if someone did but I'm sure someone will die from the vaccine, probably through an allergic reaction. The math says the the risk of dying from the disease is MUCH HIGHER than dying from the vaccine. We've all had this disease, many of us are long haulers dealing the the effects months later. As I'm sitting here 10 months later sill having issues climbing the stairs, I don't know what the long them effects of this disease are on me.

It's risk assessment. On average 10 people die from taking low dose aspirin a day, but it saves more lives for folks with cardiac issues. 100 people will die in car accidents today, but we have decided that the benefits of faster travel outweigh the risk. Nothing is perfectly safe. Everything has risk. The question is, "Do the benefits outweigh the risks".

Disclaimer : I'm a Computer Programmer so you should speak to your Doctor to see if you have additional risks before taking it, especially if you have problems with vaccines, medicines or have other medical conditions.

Since many of us will be singing Auld Lang Syne tonight, I thought I'd post an English Translation so you all know what you're singing about.

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and days of old long since?

For old long since, my dear,
for old long since,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for old long since.

And surely you'll buy your pint cup!
and surely I'll buy mine!
And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet,
for days of old long since.

We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine;
But we've wandered many a weary foot,
since days of old long since.

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till diner;
But seas between us broad have roared
since days of old long since.

For old long since, my dear,
for old long since,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for old long since.

And there's a hand my trusty friend!
And give me a hand o' thine!
And we'll take a right good-will draught,
for old long since.

For old long since, my dear,
for old long since,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for old long since.

I just had a first round interview for a gig with a nonprofit. The method of the interview was interesting, they were using an application called Sonru. You use your phone to record video answers to questions. A text question appears (eg: “Why do you want to work for this company”) you have 30 seconds to read the question, and think of an answer and then your camera turns on and a timer starts and you have to complete your answer in 3 mins after which point I assume the camera gets cut off, you can stop the camera sooner, if you’re finished. Then the next question pops up. There were 20 questions so I spent a little over an hour going through the process. You can’t stop the process once you start. There were some practice question to familiarize yourself with the platform and format. In addition to the general interview skills we all need, and the 2020 skills we’ve had to learn about presenting to camera, lighting, the best angle to be at on camera, this required a few new skills:

• The ability to use as much as of that 3 minutes without going over. Before I got into the interview, I didn’t know the expected length of the answers, I think if I did I would’ve grabbed that list of common interview questions and crafted responses that I could do in 2:30. Not a script, but an outline. I mean I have answers for those questions, most of us do, but I haven’t timed them out. If I can answer it in a minute and half, I never looked to pad the answer with more information to get closer to 3:00. Also if something is a strength so I spend 3:30 mins answering it, I never looked to trim it.
• How to use the clock but not let it freak you out. In my head I broke up the 3 mins into a few sections: In the first minute I tried to answer the question at a high level. The next minute I’d site a specific example from my career. I used the last bit of time to try and sum up. On some of the questions, I had he sensation that I was Keanu in Speed defusing the bomb which was ticking down. I had to keep that in check so it didn’t alter my speech patterns.
• The ability not to rely on the interviewer. Whenever I interview, I watch the interviewer for hints. (Did what I say strike a note with him, so I should emphasize it? Is that skill I mentioned something they don’t need so I shouldn’t mention it again., etc). When asked a technical question I'll try to answer as simply as possible and ask If they'd like more detail. I try to find a way to get the interviewers to discuss the problems then need solved. This way I can tell them how I solved similar problems at other organizations.

It felt like I was on the British Game Show, “Just A Minute”. For those who don’t know Just a minute is a game show where a contestant needs to talk for a minute on a topic without without hesitation, repetition or deviation. It’s actually very hard, especially to people who aren’t seasoned public speakers. The questions should have been phrased “Without hesitation, repetition or deviation tell me why you want to work for this organization and your 3 minutes begin….. now”.

Thankfully I had a hand on my stammering and stuttering... a few umms and ahhs but nothing that you wouldn't expect from the format. I think it went OK. Just … different but a sign of things to come.