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You have arrived at 👩‍🔬 a digital nexus for creative 🎨 and innovative 🔬 thought in the realms of open source cloud web technology, art, media and cultural studies. Here, we 🧪 blend theory with practice and 🧑🏻‍💻 sprinkle in productivity 🥼 hacks with a visionary engine 🔎 🔭 to investigate and analyze 🧐 modern cloud ☁️ web technology from code to culture.

McPhillies TechLab

Informed by thirty years in the information technology industry, a gaggle of engaging university lectures, a decade or more of enterprise consulting, and 🌎 globe-trotting web adventures, TECHLAB is more than just a blog; it’s a journey through the cutting-edge world of open source cloud web technology.

Whether you're navigating the complexities of enterprise consulting or exploring innovative teaching methods, TECHLAB is your go-to source for insights, experiences, and stories from the forefront of web technology. Join us as we explore the past, present, and future, one post at a time.

STORIES.

Leibniz, 1s and 0s, ☀️ Data Representation, and the Modern Cloud☁️
GW Leibniz invented the modern binary number system. 🔢 Today this methodology is necessary and fundamental – in a word: critical – to computing. ☀️ In 1703 it reflected the duality of existence. Fast forward to German engineer Konrad Zuse, the ENIAC, and John von Neumann’s architecture in the 1930s and 1940s and we can't live without it.
When the Internet Wobbles: 🫨 A Quick Look at the Fragility of the Cloud
The internet 🌎 is a vast, powerful, invisible web of connections that link our lives together. Like all marvels, it carries with it a hidden frailty, a delicate balance between function and failure. 🚨The internet is as nebulous as the proverbial house of cards. One wrong move, one bad command, and huge chunks of the web can vanish.🫨
The V-Formation: 🦆 A Lesson in Being Bird-Brained
🦩 Birds that form a V-shape in flight are cutting through the sky with precision, purpose, and clear direction. Together, these flocks move as one. This formation, ancient and instinctual, holds lessons for us. 🐦 We too can find, create, and work in a formation and reap the benefits.
Communication 🎨 is No Longer Only A Soft Skill
💬 In the worlds of cloud technology, business, and education, where everything is built on code and data, one skill rises above the rest. It's not about knowing the latest framework or mastering another programming language. It’s about how you communicate.💬
Font Awesome and Drupal Are Like Digital Peanut Butter and Jelly
🥪 Font Awesome is one of the world's most popular icon sets that can give your website stylish clean lines and a professional look. Get going with it. It’s a simple process with the right modules. Follow these steps, and you’ll have Font Awesome icons on your Drupal site in no time.🥪
Clean, Lightweight Form Validation with Usability and Accessibility in Mind
I was helping a student today with some form validation. She wanted a clean user interface and great usability, and when an input type wasn't valid and/or when a field was left empty by the user, a red message and box should appear giving clear direction on how to fix the data. ✅ ❌
Maximizing Learning and Networking: Insights from DrupalCamp New Jersey
⛺Camps are unique in their community-driven approach, focusing on the grassroots level of technology and software development. They are pivotal in fostering a sense of community, enhancing skills, driving innovation, and ensuring the sustained growth and vibrancy of technology ecosystems like Drupal.
Learning ChatGPT API: A Bebop Symphony of Tech
Phase 1 a new, fun project to learn the ChatGPT API as a backend with a web application. Check out the first installment of this basic MVP using the model, view, controller approach with HTML5, CSS3, Javascript, ChatGPT-3.5-Turbo API, PHP and GuzzleHTTP.✨✨🚗💨✨
The Hat Trick
In a world where dreams glide as smoothly as ice under the blades of destiny, "The Hat Trick" tells the heartwarming tale of an unlikely hero and three spirited kids with boundless energy who embark on a journey of discovery, passion, and the relentless pursuit of greatness.🏆🏒🥅
Cloudflare to ensure security, performance, and user experience
Ensuring the security, performance, and user experience of a web application is paramount for both site owners and visitors. Cloudflare, a leading web infrastructure and website security company, offers a suite of products that can significantly enhance these aspects.
DevOps Setup Considerations
Setting up Continuous Integration and Deployment for a Drupal, WordPress, or any other type of web application involves several steps and tools, aiming to automate your testing, building, and deployment. There are many excellent options you can leverage to create your preferred tech recipe.
DevOps Challenges and Considerations
Implementing DevOps practices in Drupal projects, like in any software development endeavor, comes with its own set of challenges and pitfalls. Drupal's unique architecture, community-driven development model, and the diverse ecosystem of modules can complicate the adoption of DevOps.
Understanding DevOps for Drupal Web CMS
DevOps practices can greatly benefit Drupal implementations by streamlining everything. Automation tools can be used to provision infrastructure, deploy Drupal, and manage configuration, leading to faster delivery times and greater consistency across environments.
Benefits of Implementing DevOps Practices
Implementing DevOps practices can bring numerous benefits to an organization, including but not limited to the following concepts which are valuable to any organization no matter the type or size.
Trends and Innovations in DevOps for Drupal
The Drupal ecosystem, like many others in the web development and IT sectors, is continually evolving, influenced by broader technological trends and innovations. These emerging technologies and trends not only shape the future of Drupal development but also impact DevOps practices.
Automating DevOps: Streamlining DevOps Practices
DevOps and Auto DevOps are both methodologies aimed at improving software development and delivery processes, but they differ in their approach and implementation. Let's take a close look at this important comparison and discuss some examples for implementation.
Security considerations and best practices for DevOps in Drupal environments
Incorporating DevOps practices into your environments necessitates a strong focus on security to protect against vulnerabilities and ensure the integrity and availability of your applications. There are many top security considerations for DevOps in web app environments.
Deeper Dive CI/CD: Automating the Dev Process
Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD) are separate, fundamental components of the DevOps framework that enable software development teams to increase efficiency, improve quality, and deliver applications faster and more reliably.
DevOps: The Gravity of the Modern Web Cosmos
DevOps is the backbone of development and optimization of the open web, a realm where innovation, inclusivity, and performance are not just ideals but realities. By fostering collaboration between developers and operations teams, DevOps propels the web forward.
Python for the Modern Web
At the heart of Python's appeal is its simplicity. Designed with readability in mind, Python's syntax is clear, intuitive, and remarkably English-like. This deliberate design choice lowers the barrier to entry for beginners, making it an inviting gateway into the world of programming.
APIs, Postman, and Drupal
In the ever-evolving landscape of web development, APIs stand as the unsung heroes, silently powering the seamless interactions we’ve come to expect from our digital experiences. These pivotal pieces of technology are the building blocks of modern web development.
Greg O'Toole © 2024 and beyond | TECHLAB is in Philadelphia powered by Drupal


ISBN-13: 978-0971112582
ISBN-10: 0971112584
BISAC: Philosophy / Art / Technology / Media & Cultural Criticism