Gaining knowledge of anything is ostensibly good, but it also potentially brings with it a price to pay. Matt and Mike discuss a very intriguing blog post about the ethical and moral burden that knowledge can bring. * The Curse of Knowing How, or; Fixing EverythingBy HackingTheGrepson

Teams could be said to be working together in one of two different ways: a desert or forest. What do those terms mean, and what does it mean to move from one to the other? Matt and Mike discuss a series of blog posts from Kent Beck and Beth Andres-Beck that attempt to illuminate these nature metaphors. * Forest vs Desert…

Matt and Mike are often working on things outside of preparing to record this podcast. On this episode, we explore the question: "What are you working on lately?"By HackingTheGrepson

An exciting new Roguelike deck-building puzzle game has taken the industry (and Mike (and possibly later Matt?)) by storm: Blue Prince. It's a very light take, development-wise, on the subject matter, but games are a huge inspiration and problem space for programming, so we think it's worth the praise and discussion. * Blue Prince * Roguelike * Dec…

Software development loves the concept of binary. On/off, 1/0, true/false, and all that. The way users interact with a system vs the way it works in the code/data area is very similar. Matt and Mike discuss the differences between frontend and backend, and how it can apply to more than just web development.…

In general, no one writes much assembly code (let alone raw zeros and ones) anymore, and apps that computers run usually fall into two camps: compiled and interpreted. Matt and Mike try to explain the distinction. Love this related blog post: https://ntietz.com/blog/python-is-an-interpreted-language-with-a-compiler/…

In 2025, LLMs, Machine Learning, and AI are being used in all manner of technology. But how can I, asks the average computer user, take advantage of it? Matt and Mike offer some guidance.By HackingTheGrepson

Do you process new information from the bottom-up, or from the top-down? The potential answer to this can be complicated. Matt and Mike use the usual software development to answer the question, but also branch off into everything from woodworking to ecological concerns.By HackingTheGrepson

Facades, adapters, interfaces...these are all types of abstractions, a powerful tool in programming to hide a more complex system so that users or consumers can better utilize the power contained underneath them. Matt and Mike peel back the layers.By HackingTheGrepson

You could work on a software project without version control. It doesn't impede your ability to change things and deploy. But you'd be working without a net. Matt and Mike dive into the wonderful world of not having to keep both file1.js AND file1a.js.By HackingTheGrepson

The final days of Advent of Code 2024 have finally concluded. Matt, Mike, and Richard finish up their discussion of Days 20-25. * Advent of Code * Richard's Day 21 notes * Richard's Day 24 notesBy HackingTheGrepson

Our recounting of the trials and tribulations of Advent of Code 2024 continue apace, this time with returning special guest Richard, here to help Mike and Matt use intelligence, both human and artificial, to tackle Day 15 through 19. * https://adventofcode.comBy HackingTheGrepson

More Advent of Code 2024, coming your way. Matt and Mike dig into Day 8 through Day 14, as the puzzles get harder and more complex.By HackingTheGrepson

It's finally Advent of Code time again! Matt and Mike kick things off by going through the first 7 days of 2024's puzzles. * https://adventofcode.comBy HackingTheGrepson

Advent of Code is not the only periodic programming puzzle game in town. Matt and Mike discuss Everybody Codes, a similar development challenge that is inspired by it. Note: we spoil the first 2 of 20 quests with our approaches and answers. * Everybody Codes * Advent of CodeBy HackingTheGrepson

Ever wanted to automate industry on an alien world? Factorio has got you covered. Matt and Mike finally dig into this fascinating factory simulator that features familiar programming challenges. * Factorio * The Planet Crafter * PlateUp! * Don't StarveBy HackingTheGrepson

Matt explains the computer science behind Big O notation. Mike mainly listens. Big O notation Previous related episode: P v NPBy HackingTheGrepson

Matt and Mike talk about Mike's latest web game: Deckdle. Try your hand (oof, sorry) at a new solitaire setup each day, as you attempt to move all the cards in the tableau to your base before your stock runs out! * Deckdle, a daily solitaire card game * Solitaire (Wikipedia) * Golf variant (Wikipedia)…

Rubber duckies may make bath time lots of fun, but they can also make debugging easier. Matt and Mike discuss this curiosity of the development world.By HackingTheGrepson

Blogging is a way to share your thoughts about something in a long-form way, and doing so about development or programming can be helpful to others, as well as yourself. Matt and Mike chat about it.By HackingTheGrepson

What's with all the sound in this podcast that isn't talking? Mike explains.By HackingTheGrepson

You write code, you run it through linting, you run it through tests, it gets built somewhere and gives you a report. But did you have another human being look at it, regardless? Code reviews can have benefits and drawbacks, and Matt and Mike discuss them.By HackingTheGrepson

While we probably spend just as much, if not more, time on file formats, the crux of this episode is data formats. What are they? Why so many? Matt and Mike discuss.By HackingTheGrepson

Sure, you wrote some code. But have you considered...rewriting it? Actually, just refactor it a little, for the sake of Future You. Matt and Mike talk about a man who once tried some IRL "refactoring" and the realizations that came from it. * How refactoring almost ruined my marriageBy HackingTheGrepson

The Twelve-Factor App is a methodology for building web apps, especially those referred to as SaaS (Software as a Service). Matt and Mike continue diving into this intriguing concept and go over factors 6 to 12. * 12factor.net * Github source for 12factor.netBy HackingTheGrepson

The Twelve-Factor App is a methodology for building web apps, especially those referred to as SaaS (Software as a Service). Matt and Mike introduce this intriguing concept and go over factors 1 to 5. * 12factor.net * Github source for 12factor.netBy HackingTheGrepson

All the software we use these days is much better at getting, retaining, and deciphering user data than it was in the past. How that's done and whether it's a net positive is a good discussion topic, and Matt and Mike are here to do some analysis.By HackingTheGrepson

Sometimes a job that is done well solo can be done even better with a compatriot. Matt and Mike discuss the pros and cons of reciprocal development.By HackingTheGrepson

Programs you interact with, especially on the Internet, usually have some kind of Application Programming Interface. Matt and Mike query this episode's API and let you know the results.By HackingTheGrepson

There are both pros and cons to developing alone or with others. Matt and Mike discuss what those are, unsurprisingly, as that is the point of our podcast.By HackingTheGrepson

They may not be as relaxing to experience as the lowercase version, but SPAs, or Single Page Applications, are just as, if not more, important to our modern world wide web. Matt and Mike book an appointment and tell you how it goes.By HackingTheGrepson

One or more of the hosts of Hacking the Grepson is changing their job! Matt and Mike discuss the ups and downs of moving from one work establishment to another.By HackingTheGrepson

Everyone's got their daily routine. Ours just happens to involve a lot of web games. Matt and Mike go over their gotta-dos each day.By HackingTheGrepson

Matt and Mike discuss how our concept of what a "computer" is has always been a box -- it's just that nowadays those boxes are much smaller and digital.By HackingTheGrepson

Matt and Mike discuss the ongoing debate over certain tech terms that don't always sound right to modern day ears.By HackingTheGrepson

Much like the many written/spoken human languages that exist, there are quite a lot of programming languages, too. As a result of Advent of Code 2023, Mike and Matt discuss how diving into the backlogs and trying to create a project that talks Python, Ruby, and more, all at once, can be both challenging and fun.…

Our final discussion on the Advent of Code 2023, covering days 17 through 25, is upon your ears. Will Santa's elves successfully fix snow production and save Christmas? Erm, sorta?By HackingTheGrepson

Matt, Mike, and a special guest discuss day 11-16 of the Advent of Code 2023. Join us as we expand the cosmos, roll rocks on platforms, and drive an unreliable crucible. * Advent of Code 2023By HackingTheGrepson

It may be 2024, so Advent of Code 2023 is done, but our minds are still catching up, trying to solve its puzzles. On this episode, Matt and Mike discuss days 4 through 10, and even a meta idea to figure out the difficulty curve for future problems.By HackingTheGrepson

While the awesome programming challenge known as the Advent of Code has officially ended for 2023, the discussion can now begin. Matt and Mike discuss the first three days and their successes and difficulties with them.By HackingTheGrepson

The current month is December, and you know what that means. It means the Advent of Code is afoot again! Matt and Mike yet again share their thoughts on this annual programming challenge after a few days of solving. * Advent of Code 2023 * Advent of TypeScriptBy HackingTheGrepson

It's time for another installment of ImprovDev, the first since the, uh, only other one thus far! Matt explains the importance of trust when working with a team, and Mike listens and nods sagely while occasionally interjecting other, related words.By HackingTheGrepson

It's important to make software as accessible as possible, because diversity of experience is valuable. The web is a gigantic system of communication in our society, and on this episode Matt and Mike discuss some ways you can make it more accessible and inclusive. * ARIA * WCAG Standard * Inclusive Microsoft Design…

Matt and Mike share more insight into the sometimes complex world of technical interviews. We also thoroughly discuss a timely new potential interview question.By HackingTheGrepson

Matt and Mike attempt to break down the roguelike deckbuilder known as Slay the Spire into its component game development parts.By HackingTheGrepson

It's been a while since we started this podcast. Let's do a check-in.By HackingTheGrepson

For our 50th episode, Matt and Mike finally discuss the movie, and its iconic quip "Hack the Gibson", that inspired this whole podcast business. Yes, we jack into cyberspace and get psychedelic by giving our thoughts on the mid-90s sci-fi film, Hackers.By HackingTheGrepson

As a bit of an experiment on this episode, Matt and Mike decide to look at an Advent of Code problem from the archives, one never seen before, and then solve it together. Spoiler alert for AOC 2019, Day 1! * Advent of CodeBy HackingTheGrepson

Matt and Mike dive into a rather heavy problem that has been confounding computer scientists for decades: P vs NP. Find out whether it's peanut-related or not, and what the ramifications of it being either about peanuts or not about peanuts actually are.By HackingTheGrepson

Another episode in the MusicDev series is ready for your ears, and this time it's all about the Web Audio API. Want to build interactive web apps that use audio? Then this episode is a high-level overview of how to do that. * Web Audio API (MDN) * Mike's impressive Excalidraw diagram * Nebyoodle * SoundLister * Keebord * AudioHash (still a wip, act…