Exploring Ideas: A Blog on Technology, Startups, Food, and More
Welcome to my blog where I share thoughts and insights on technology, startups, and life in Atlanta. Browse through the articles below or explore by topic.
The Library Author's Dilemma: Managing Python Dependencies
January 21, 2025
Building a Python library often means standing on the shoulders of giants - leveraging the fantastic work already done in other packages. Need to make HTTP requests? Use requests or httpx. Need numerical computing? numpy is your friend. Adding dependencies can save you immense amounts of time and effort. But here’s the catch: every dependency you add is a choice with consequences. For library auth...
Data Science Things Roundup #12
January 20, 2025
After a long hiatus, I’m bringing back the Data Science Things Roundup series. For those new here, this is where I share three interesting things from the world of data science that caught my attention. I tend to focus on developments that might have flown under the radar - while breakthroughs like DeepSeek-R1 are incredibly exciting, there’s already extensive coverage elsewhere. Instead, I aim to...
Hearty Beef Shortrib Ragu: A Winter Comfort Dish
January 19, 2025
This beef shortrib ragu is a labor of love that transforms basic ingredients into something spectacular. The long, slow cooking process creates a rich, deeply flavored sauce that’s perfect over pasta or mashed potatoes. Ingredients For the Ragu 3-4 lbs beef shortribs 4 medium onions, diced 5-6 carrots, shredded 5-6 celery stalks, diced 1 head of garlic, cloves peeled 2-3 tbsp tomato paste 2 cans (...
Avoiding Common Pitfalls: Injection Flaws in Python Libraries
January 18, 2025
Many developers think injection vulnerabilities are only a concern for web applications. But the reality is quite different - libraries and command-line tools are just as susceptible to these attacks. When a library processes untrusted input without proper safeguards, it can expose all of its users to serious security risks. Let’s explore how injection flaws can sneak into Python libraries and, mo...
The Art of Saying No: Defining Your Python Library's Scope
January 17, 2025
We’ve all been there, right? You start with a neat little Python script that solves one specific problem. It works beautifully. Then you think, “Hey, I could reuse this!” and decide to turn it into a proper library. Awesome. But then… the feature creep begins. “It would be cool if it also did this…” “What if I added support for that obscure edge case?” “My colleague needs it to integrate with this...
Tap, tap, is this thing still on?
January 16, 2025
I’m back. For many years I regularly posted on willmcginnis.com. I was contributing to the open source community, writing about machine learning, software engineering, and Atlanta. At some point the startup I was helping run at the time, Predikto, was acquired by UTC and my world got extremely busy and in some ways chaotic. I still was working on and thinking about similar things but I forgot one ...
SDLC in the Age of AI
January 12, 2025
As we navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of software development, it’s becoming increasingly clear that AI is not just another tool in our arsenal; it’s fundamentally changing how we approach programming. This shift is particularly evident in how we’re starting to think about code organization and documentation. The Rise of Natural Language Programming One of the most significant changes we’r...
Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)
December 20, 2024
First I’ll just say: “wait isn’t this a tech blog? why is there a post about soup?”. It’s my corner of the internet and I like soup. We’ve had this soup multiple times recently, and it’s good. You should try this soup. A traditional Finnish salmon soup that combines fresh salmon, potatoes, and dill in a creamy broth. This hearty soup is perfect for cold winter evenings. While traditional recipes a...
Favorite Side Dishes
November 15, 2024
Sometimes the side dishes make the meal. Here are three of my favorite sides from different culinary traditions, each bringing its own character to the table while being simple enough for weeknight cooking. Hungarian Cucumber Salad (Uborkasaláta) A refreshing combination of thin-sliced cucumbers in a creamy, tangy dressing. The key is slicing the cucumbers paper-thin and letting them release their...
Classic Salmon Croquettes
November 7, 2024
Salmon croquettes (or salmon patties) are a throwback classic for a reason. They’re easy, use pantry staples like canned salmon, and taste great. Perfect served with some tartar sauce or just a squeeze of lemon. Ingredients 1 can (14-15 oz) pink or red salmon, drained, skin and bones removed (or about 1.5 cups cooked leftover salmon, flaked) 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (plus more for coating, optional) 1/...
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