Federal Farmer

Articles by Federal Farmer

• Stop Writing Open Source Software

  The modern open source software movement is a giant scam.

  Indie devs should stop writing and contributing to open source software projects.

  There, I said it. I even said it on a Debian machine.

  But I typed it on SublimeText, which I paid for, and whose developer can feed himself and his family as a result.

  

  I can already feel the hate

  The alleged "free software" movement is slightly better but still not great. If you visit their website as of June 2024, you'll find that they're actually begging for money right now (lol, lmao even).

  Recently, I've been working …

• SQLite Database Migration Woes

  Whenever I'm starting a new database-backed project, I usually default to using SQLite instead of networked databases like MySQL or Postgres.

  

  SQLite is a flat file masquerading as a database, so it's very easy to get up and running with. It's part of the Python standard library. And contrary to popular belief, it's highly scaleable if you understand its limitations.

  If your site or app is getting less than 500k hits/day with ~100k of those touching the database, you're well within SQLite's capabilities.

  Migrations still suck, though.

  I feel like they suck in any relational database model and they're …

• Managing Cached Javascript Files Without Babel

  Despite beginning life as a simple scripting language, modern Javascript (ES6+) has to be transpiled to run in the browser.

  Compilers like Babel take in ES6 and spit out a jumbled mess of ES5-spec JS that's comprehensible to the client side. This is basically how all modern front-end JS frameworks operate.

  

  It's a silly and needlessly complex workflow. You could even call it a devolution, as Javascript's transformation from a high-level scripting language to a compiled language certainly feels like a step backwards.

  But that's not what this article is about.

  When you write ES6+ spec JS using a front-end …

• Adding PWA Support to Flask Applications

  Progressive Web Applications (PWAs for short) are a growing trend in web app development, and for good reason.

  

  No longer do programmers have to build, bundle, and ship separate mobile and desktop applications using kludgy bloatware like Electron or React Native. PWAs enable web apps to run in a native-like manner without having to write any additional code. Simply add some Javascript to your existing project and users can "install" your app on any major OS straight from their browser!

  Not only does this significantly reduce development requirements for multi-platform support, it also allows developers to bypass the app store …

• APRS vs. LoRa Meshtastic: A Real World Comparison

  A lot of prepper types are interested in emergency communications that don't use the Internet, and with good reason.

  It's totally conceivable that our fragile IP-based infrastructure may go down for an extended period of time, or worse, be inaccessible to certain individuals due to wrongthink.

  

  If either of these contingencies are inconceivable to you, this blog probably isn't your cup of tea, anyways.

  Meshtastic, a mesh network standard operating on LoRa, is a popular choice for "grid down" data comms.

  Meshtastic has a lot going for it: LoRa is an unlicensed band (915MHz in the USA) which gives it …

• Tutorial: Using Flask-SQLAlchemy Outside A Flask App

  Developers using the Flask microframework will often lean on the popular Flask-SQLAlchemy ORM when working with databases.

  

  Flask-SQLAlchemy is a great alternative API to the original SQLAlchemy, as it handles a lot of potential nastiness that can arise when managing database sessions with multiple concurrent connections as is common in web apps.

  Since Flask-SQLAlchemy ties every database session or connection with the request/response cycle directly, it makes it really hard to accidentally leave sessions active in the same worker thread to throw unexpected errors. This makes Flask-SQLAlchemy ideal for working with a database-driven web app.

  There's a catch, however …

• Revolt Against the Modern Web

  When it comes to writing web applications, my go-to framework is usually Flask.

  JSfags like Express. PHPbros swear by Laravel. They're both wrong. You should be using Flask.

  

  On a serious note, Flask is an ideal framework if you're just getting started with web app development. Since Flask is a microframework and doesn't come with "batteries included", it forces you to make decisions about its extensibility and architecture on your own.

  Need a database? Pick one - Flask doesn't force MySQL, Postgres, or Mongo on you. Want to manage user accounts? Feel free to use session-based authentication or JWT. Building a …

• The Constitution Sucks

  On this day, 235 years ago, the United States Constitution was signed.

  

  The Constitution sucks. It's arguably the worst thing that ever happened to These United States.

  If you ask a so-called "Constitutionalist" what they like about this deficient document, they'll doubtlessly fire off some empty rhetoric about freedom of speech, religion, or the right to bear arms.

  Fine.

  I like those things, too.

  But they weren't even supposed to be in the Constitution. A group of rowdy rapscallions who didn't want a Federal government to begin with forced the Hamiltonians and ex-Royalists to adopt the Bill of Rights in …

• Eat Zee Chickenz

  When my wife and I decided to shift from hobby homesteading to "real farming" in 2020, we knew our focus would be on animal-derived fats and proteins as opposed to market gardening.

  

  Don't get me wrong, gardens are great, but the Agenda 2030 crowd isn't gunning for your zucchinis - it's meat they're after. And if based boomer Joel Salatin has taught me anything, it's that rotational grazing is the ideal method to raise happy, healthy animals and build great soil in the process.

  So naturally, we built a chicken tractor:

  

  The idea behind a chicken tractor is simple: You raise …

• Back up your Substack

  A lot of deplatformed content creators have been flocking to Substack of late.

  I can see why: It's an easy-to-use blogging platform that allows for simple monetization of your content. It even comes with mailing list functionality. That's a big deal to those on the "fringe" - it's tough for wrongthinkers to make a living on the New Normal Internet.

  Bad boys and girls lose access to their Patreon, after all. The particularly naughty ones might not even be allowed on mailing list software, let alone Twitter or YouTube.

  Substack solves a lot of problems for these people.

  Because while Substack …