A few things have coalesced in my brain in the last couple weeks. The first is something I've strived to do in my career, and it has really paid off. That thing is being kind and approachable. The second is to approach interactions without a transactional mindset. If you go into a conversation with genuine empathy and interest, not only will you be rewarded with a better conversation, you'll also find new opportunities you weren't even looking for.

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Website: https://nedinthecloud.com

Pluralsight: https://app.pluralsight.com/profile/author/edward-bellavance

GitHub: https://github.com/ned1313

Blockchain, cryptocurrency, web3? Is it all just a solution in search of a problem? Or is there something real underneath. I believe there is a real use for blockchain, but it's not the revolutionary technology that will free us from the shackles of our oppressors. At best, it's a way to have a non-fungible identity you can use on a platform. And that's not totally useless!

Blog post: https://stratechery.com/2021/the-great-bifurcation/

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Website: https://nedinthecloud.com

Pluralsight: https://app.pluralsight.com/profile/author/edward-bellavance

GitHub: https://github.com/ned1313

Continuing my thoughts on the need for a CDK when developing IaC, I came across an interesting post (hat-tip Scott Lowe) about Crossplane and the concept of Infrastructure as Data. While I'm not convinced that Crossplane is the way of the future, it does push me closer to the idea of static IaC files as an artifact of the build process.

Blog post: https://hackernoon.com/infrastructure-as-code-the-next-big-shift-is-here

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Website: https://nedinthecloud.com

Pluralsight: https://app.pluralsight.com/profile/author/edward-bellavance

GitHub: https://github.com/ned1313

The software that HashiCorp creates has had a profound effect on my life. And the people behind that software are some of the best folks I know. I've never been prouder to be part of the HashiCorp Ambassador programs, and I wish nothing but the best for them as they move into this new phase as a publicly traded company. Well done!

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Website: https://nedinthecloud.com

Pluralsight: https://app.pluralsight.com/profile/author/edward-bellavance

GitHub: https://github.com/ned1313

In Terraform, I was trying to do a data transformation and it broke my brain for a bit. I've since recovered, but it got me thinking about the proper place for data manipulation for infrastructure as code. The solution might be to use a general purpose programming language and a CDK, instead of the domain specific languages directly.

Blog post: https://nedinthecloud.com/2021/12/07/data-transformation-in-terraform/

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Website: https://nedinthecloud.com

Pluralsight: https://app.pluralsight.com/profile/author/edward-bellavance

GitHub: https://github.com/ned1313

Yes. Yes you can. The recent AWS outage today served as a reminder that even cloud services fail, no technology is infallible, and you should always plan for downtime. It will also be a chance for people who know nothing to spew platitudes about availability zones and multi-region architectures into the social media ether. Please ignore those people. You know what is best for your applications, not them.

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Website: https://nedinthecloud.com

Pluralsight: https://app.pluralsight.com/profile/author/edward-bellavance

GitHub: https://github.com/ned1313

This week's Day Two Cloud is all about Azure Arc and Microsoft's Hybrid strategy. Is hybrid cloud really a thing? You bet your sweet bippy it is. 78% of respondents to the 2021 Flexera State of the Cloud report said they were functioning in a hybrid capacity, and I only expect that to grow.

Day Two Cloud episode: https://daytwocloud.io/podcast/day-two-cloud-126-azure-arc-and-building-a-hybrid-cloud/

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Website: https://nedinthecloud.com

Pluralsight: https://app.pluralsight.com/profile/author/edward-bellavance

GitHub: https://github.com/ned1313

For the first time in a while, I wrote a technical post on my blog and it immediately got attention from Microsoft. It reminded me that there is a significant difference between writing and other forms of media. I think it might be time to start writing more, maybe even weekly.

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Website: https://nedinthecloud.com

Pluralsight: https://app.pluralsight.com/profile/author/edward-bellavance

GitHub: https://github.com/ned1313

Do you need a platform team at your organization? The answer is probably yes. The platform team delivers a consistent experience to your application development teams, and works with specialized folks like InfoSec and Compliance to make sure your organization is following best practices.

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Website: https://nedinthecloud.com

Pluralsight: https://app.pluralsight.com/profile/author/edward-bellavance

GitHub: https://github.com/ned1313

Every overnight success is years in the making. The recent growth of the Day Two Cloud podcast has caused me to reflect on how much work it took to get to this point, and how that applies to more than just podcasting.

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Website: https://nedinthecloud.com

Pluralsight: https://app.pluralsight.com/profile/author/edward-bellavance

GitHub: https://github.com/ned1313