Data Castworks
datacastworks.bsky.social
Data Castworks
@datacastworks.bsky.social
Regularly posting notes while learning Python, PostgreSQL, and Tableau. Lifelong nerd, Pittsburgh based.
My first home server dropped off the network. I caught it in time for my cron scripts to recover, but it made me realize that the whole thing can fail silently. I’m using a dead man switch now (healthchecks.io) now so that won't happen again.

@monkeyseemonkeydo.lv #pythoncoding #cron
Healthchecks.io – Cron Job Monitoring
Simple and efficient cron job monitoring. Get instant alerts when your cron jobs, background workers, scheduled tasks don't run on time.
healthchecks.io
January 5, 2026 at 11:47 PM
Reposted by Data Castworks
📊 Skip the buzzwords—what has the candidate built?
85% of orgs value portfolios, using open source work to assess real skills, collaboration, and problem-solving.

Open, peer-reviewed, performance-based.
Read the 2025 State of Tech Talent Report: training.linuxfoundation.org/2025-state-o...
January 5, 2026 at 5:59 PM
Reposted by Data Castworks
I paid for the whole computer I get to break the whole computer
January 3, 2026 at 9:03 PM
I'm new here but is anyone calling their .env a dot-envy file?

#pythoncoding
January 2, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Reposted by Data Castworks
The feature (and bug waiting to happen) is also the reason I recommend using trailing commas for lists, dictionaries, sets, and function calls that wrap over multiple lines: pym.dev/trailing-com...

Also note that Guido isn't a fan of this feature either:
lwn.net/Articles/551...
The benefits of trailing commas
Trailing commas make for easier code changes, shorter diffs, and fewer bugs.
pym.dev
January 1, 2026 at 7:04 PM
@nws.noaa.gov the API for Norfolk hasn't updated in 24 hours, hope it's something minor!

@noaacomms.noaa.gov #bugreport
January 1, 2026 at 5:35 PM
Reposted by Data Castworks
Sad to see Pittsburgh City Paper going away. In 1996, the then-young weekly gave me a shot and I got to learn from John Hayes, Chris Potter, Bill O'Driscoll and Lisa Cunningham, among many others. Our region's media landscape loses a source of lively, community reporting triblive.com/business/pit...
Pittsburgh City Paper closes
Pittsburgh City Paper is closing after 34 years of operation. Employees at the alt-weekly Pittsburgh City Paper publication posted on social media that the news outlet was closing. Colin Williams, new...
triblive.com
December 31, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Needed to clean code after my first major rewrite.

'Coverage.py' is awesome, showed exactly what isn't getting called. I silently broke something on the path to email alerts for the error logger. Oops...

@nedbat.com #python #coding
December 30, 2025 at 3:29 PM
I butchered my beautiful first code. Tore it to pieces to get it working with a different API to get a data pipeline in place before Jan 1.

First production script, first time running amok to hit a deadline.

It works though....

#python #postgresql
December 30, 2025 at 3:56 AM
It's just for-loops all the way down

#python #coding
December 26, 2025 at 12:44 AM
99 Percent Invisible has me wondering if I've been saying "F.A.Q.s" wrong my whole life. "Facks"!?

How do you say it?

@99pi.org @romanmars.bsky.social @vivianhle.bsky.social #facts
December 24, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Crisis in progress.

After 2 weeks on my first big project:

The data from the API isn't valid.

Learning about troubleshooting and pivoting and how to reuse what I've already written.
December 23, 2025 at 5:52 PM
AI for learning:

Don't ask GPT to fix your code.

Ask for it to do a code review and highlight weaknesses without giving you the answers.

#python #postgres #chatgpt #ai #aiforlearning
December 22, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Reposted by Data Castworks
December 22, 2025 at 3:15 AM
Waking up to error emails from my server...

...means my first production python script is working.

#raspberrypi #python #postgres
December 21, 2025 at 3:17 PM
First major challenge: Python JSON would not load into Postgres.

Solution: lie and call it a really long string.

#python #postgres #sql
December 21, 2025 at 3:38 AM
Highly recommend "How Git Works" by @paoloperrotta.bsky.social for an introduction to version control. He makes it very easy to understand and you'll be making your first commits in less than an hour.

www.pluralsight.com/courses/how-...
How Git Works
www.pluralsight.com
December 20, 2025 at 1:34 AM