Categories
Python Software Development

Filter sensitive contents from Django’s error reports

Reporting application errors to a (small) list of admins is a feature that already comes built in and ready to use in Django. You just need to configure the ADMINS setting and have the application ready to send emails. All application errors (status 500 and above) will trigger a new message containing all the details, […]

Categories
Python

Take advantage of Django’s system checks

Today, let’s go back to the topic of the first post in this series of Django tips. At the time, I focused on the python manage.py check –deploy command. In this article, I will explore the feature on which it is built and how it can be quite handy for many other scenarios. So, the […]

Categories
Security

Meet the InfoSec Planet

If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you might already know that I created a small tool to generate a simple webpage plus an RSS feed, from the content of multiple other RSS sources, called worker-planet. This type of tool is often known as a “planet”: In online media a planet is a […]

Categories
Books Personal

The books I enjoyed the most in 2023

We reached the end of another year, and generally, this is a good time to look back, to evaluate what was done, what wasn’t done and eventually plan ahead. While dedicating some time to the first task, it occurred to me that I should share some of this stuff. I doubt it will be useful […]

Categories
Random Bits

An attempt at creating a DIY baby monitor

Occasionally, “modern” baby monitors hit the news, but not for the best reasons. Sometimes for the lack of security, other times for exploitative practices, etc. This also applies to many other categories of products that we can include in the so-called “Internet of Things”. After reading a recent article about the topic, some comments with […]

Categories
Personal

You can now follow this blog on the fediverse

The possibilities of the ActivityPub protocol, and what it can bring to the table regarding interoperability in the social media landscape, are immense. It is specially welcome after a decade (and half?) plagued by the dominance of centralized walled gardens that almost eradicated the diverse ecosystem that previously existed. It is used by many software […]

Categories
Python Software Development

So you need to upgrade Django

No matter how much you try to delay and how many reasons you find to postpone, eventually the time comes. You need to update and upgrade your software, your system components, your apps, your dependencies, etc. This happens to all computer users. On some systems, this is an enjoyable experience, on other systems as painful […]

Categories
Technology and Internet

Improving your online privacy: An update

Ten years ago, after it became clear to almost everyone that all our online activity was being tracked and stored, I wrote a blog post about simple steps a person could take to improve their privacy online. Essentially, it contains a few recommendations that everyone could follow to reduce their fingerprint without much effort. It […]

Categories
Technology and Internet

New release of worker-planet

Two years ago, I made a small tool on top of Cloudflare’s Workers to generate a single feed by taking input from multiple RSS sources, a kind of aggregator or planet software as it was usually known a few years ago. You can read more about it here and here. This is a basic tool […]

Categories
Random Bits

Playing with maps

I’ve always been astonished about how well mapping apps work. Sure, when Google Maps was first released the sense of wonder was much greater than it is nowadays, nevertheless it is still impressive. The number of situations when/where this kind of software becomes handy is huge, from the well-known GPS guides to even games (remember […]