RUN TCP/IP | Morgan Lucas | Tech Blogging | For hire

   I blanked when an interviewer asked me "Can you describe a three-tier architecture?"   So I decided to solve that problem.  After looking at several infrastructures, I found one to copy  using Terraform -- but the more I looked, the more questions I had.  First up: Why is there an empty public subnet? I first asked people on this post.  Then, I asked Chat GPT (CGPT) and Google Gemini without sharing the code.  Using publicly available and free to use SVGs for AWS diagramming, diagram this infrastructure.   My mindset on AI is this: I do not want to see AI generated images that were trained on unsuspecting and non-consenting people's artwork.  I personally am fine with it in a technical department (Though I think making it consumer - and even business - grade was a mistake). A public set of images for free use? Okay.    Here is the first iteration of the diagram ChatGPT's output;     CGPT didn't initially understand...

Imagine being a consultant; You charge 50$ an hour. You are booked and busy, so you plan to bulk-send invoices at the end of the day.  But you're tired. So you put it off.  You're not paid, and people are waiting in limbo.  An easier way to manage invoices is doing it automatically - but how?  My idea? When the 1 PM meeting on the calendar has concluded at 1:00:01 PM, the calendar triggers your payment processor to send the invoice.  Here is that thought process....  My initial idea was: [Calendar program marks complete]---> AWS Lambda triggers event --> Square Invoice API -- Invoice sent.  The next question was:  APIs or webhooks?  Probably webhooks from calendar to lambda to prevent constant retrieval. Webhooks operate when an event happens.   Followed by: Do we need Lambda? Can we go directly from calendar program to Square invoice API?  That was a yes; and Zapier came in clutch.  Connectivity was easy after ...

 Note; This post is using an older GUI, so while the steps may have minor changes, it no longer looks like this. I've made S3 buckets with Terraform more often than I've used this. I'm posting it anyway.  Have an oldie but a goodie. I'm working on an AWS three-tier architecture project, and it's easier to follow along via updates on the necessary nuisance that is  LinkedIn . Video . As loyal readers know, hosting static websites is not something I am unfamiliar with . Now, I can host it on AWS in another attempt to show what I learn here. It's easy once you've done it a few times. First, go to your AWS Management Console, then to S3. Create a bucket. When you approach the Block Public Access Page (So no one can reach via the internet), uncheck the top box, so people can reach it. The above video looks quite different (@7:42); Manage public permissions with a drop-down menu seems to have changed to this nested checkbox system. Follow the ...

   According to Microsoft ; Power Automate allows you to automate web and desktop applications on your Windows desktop by mimicking the user interface actions like clicks, and keyboard input. You can also combine these actions with predefined support for applications like Excel to help automate repetitive tasks. Not sure if that fits my goal below, but  let's try something simple on Windows 11: Appending a text file with new input. I:  Use a message box to prompt for a name. The name is saved and 'Hello, %name% is saved to a text file.   The flow:      I had made a variable called 'name' to write to. The textbox made its own variable ('UserInput'), so I told step two (Write text to file) to simply output 'Hello %UserInput%  It did save to a text file -- I wish it would open said file automatically upon saving, but a text box is the next best thing. The file updates in real time!   Let's try another: Put a saved file in a particular p...

I earned my AWS Solutions Architect Certification in Feb 2026 (🎊) but Like Smash Mouth said, "So much to do...so much to see."  I've used Lambdas that, when an object was uploaded to a bucket, sent a notification to Eventbridge, and then sent me a text and email via SNS. Now, thanks to the free project on Adrian Cantrill's GitHub , I'm going to make a small image processing eventflow. (Emoji use is for fun; Everything here written by a human being.)  What's Happening: Images uploaded to an S3 bucket are made into 5 thumbnail variations thanks to the power of Lambdas and inserted into an output bucket.   Business Use case; If you want to get quick thumbnails.  Maybe this can be scaled out to do file conversion, like .txt to .pdf.  Materials: 2 S3 buckets - one for input, one for processed output. Lambda An image!  Step 1: Bucket Creation  🪣 I made one bucket (runtcpip-source, for images to go in) and copied the settings from it to make the second...

 Hugo is both a delightful movie from 2011 and a flexible, fast, open source static website builder. I'm no stranger to static websites, so I'm giving it a try!    -> You will need git installed.    Steps. 1. Install Powershell 2. Use Hugo 3. Using a Domain 4.Publishing a Hugo Site (GitHub Pages)     Installing Powershell Powershell is not the same as Windows Powershell. I'm using WinGet , the Windows Package Manager. It's a tool that does everything you do in a GUI for Windows Clients, but in the command line.  WinGet also installs Hugo.   Using Hugo All of this work is in Powershell.  `hugo new site quickstart`  The command makes a new folder called quickstart while populating it with the Hugo things we need.  `git init`  Initializes git.   ` git submodule add https://github.com/theNewDynamic/gohugo-theme-ananke.git themes/ananke ` It clones the repo into the quickstart directory.  `echo "theme = 'anank...

 Possibly the longest post title ever on this blog.   I grew up with the internet. It was easy to be fooled back then. Nigerian Princes. Chain Letters. Bonsai Cats (do not look that up).  It's - arguably - easier now. Entities are trying to sell you something, get you to buy into crypto, NFTs, or AI, or make you believe something that furthers their interests.  Verified: How to Think Straight, Get Duped Less, and Make Better Decisions about What to Believe Online by  Mike Caulfield and Sam Wineburg walk through how old techniques fall short of the new internet.   (Many of these entries are slight alterations from my LinkedIn posts on the subject while reading. This is not a review, just some thoughts.)  -----   Caulfield and Wineburg introduce the SIFT method;   Stop  Investigate the Source  Find Other Coverage  Trace the Claim to the Original Context I particularly like how, early in the book, 'Stop' is accompanied by ask...