clarkema | 3 years ago | on: Last Flight Out
clarkema's comments
clarkema | 3 years ago | on: Last Flight Out
We enforce rules in our society because they make that society better. Basic shared rules of behaviour are a precondition for social cohesion and prosperity, _not_ a luxury that we can only afford when everything else has been taken care of. This goes 10x in small groups in rigorous environments.
I wouldn't call resources in the Antarctic winter "incredibly scarce"; expeditions have been wintering South for decades now. We know what's required, and it's available, in quantity, with backups. It's true that people are trapped together for months at a time; we also rely on each other for survival. Under such circumstances, it's entirely backwards to claim "local society can't afford to have such strict standards." Just the opposite; strict standards of social behaviour are _required_ for the group cohesion and trust that's necessary for collaboration and survival.
A candidate who demonstrated this attitude would never get through BAS' hiring process. If, by some mischance, they did manage to make it South, they certainly wouldn't be overwintering.
Source: Wintered in Antarctica. Did not regress to the state of a caveman clad in penguin skins, nor did I become "prone to sexually harassing women."
clarkema | 3 years ago | on: Last Flight Out
There are often openings for people with electronics engineering backgrounds for roles supporting science and met, as opposed to comms and base IT. It doesn't hurt to apply.
Edit: https://www.bas.ac.uk/jobs/careers-at-bas/operational-suppor...
clarkema | 3 years ago | on: Last Flight Out
Too early for that! "The Thing" is traditionally midwinter viewing.
clarkema | 5 years ago | on: Ask HN: Freelancer? Seeking freelancer? (October 2020)
SEEKING WORK - Remote, travel possible in better times depending on location and duration.
Location: North-east UK
What I do: Senior backend dev / tech lead
In the past I've been a network engineer, run large-scale Debian installations doing devops before it had a name, and been responsible for servers in Antarctica. I have experience with a wide range of different Unix tools and technologies, at various levels of the stack. This gives me the ability—and the perspective—to pick the best combination of tools for any particular project, rather than simply treating everything as a nail because all I have is a hammer.
I focus particularly on taking on “weird” or niche data or exploratory projects end-to-end; things that wouldn’t be a fit for a standard web or development agency.
Previous work:
* EDI message passing / reconciliation for US dental health insurance market, including X12 parser (Clojure)
* Custom domain specific language (DSL) to encode business rules for computer vision system (Common Lisp)
* University library data migration project, with a focus on completeness and validation. (Clojure, Elixir, Ruby)
* High-reliability, long-term timelapse platform for inaccessible locations. (FreeBSD, Arduino, Python, Shell)
* Migration of existing Node.js+Firebase service to Golang+PostgreSQL on AWS
* Feasibility study investigating the possiblility of writing custom code to interface with a biometric timeclock (Common Lisp)
Buzzwords: Debian, Ubuntu, AWS, PostgreSQL, Perl, Common Lisp, Clojure, Ruby, Go, Arduino / AVR, Elixir / Phoenix, FreeBSD
Got something you think is a good fit? Drop me a line at mike -at- lambdafunctions -dot- com
clarkema | 5 years ago | on: Ask HN: Freelancer? Seeking freelancer? (September 2020)
SEEKING WORK - Remote, travel possible in better times depending on location and duration.
Location: North-east UK
What I do: Senior backend dev / tech lead
In the past I've been a network engineer, run large-scale Debian installations doing devops before it had a name, and been responsible for servers in Antarctica. I have experience with a wide range of different Unix tools and technologies, at various levels of the stack. This gives me the ability—and the perspective—to pick the best combination of tools for any particular project, rather than simply treating everything as a nail because all I have is a hammer.
I focus particularly on taking on “weird” or niche data or exploratory projects end-to-end; things that wouldn’t be a fit for a standard web or development agency.
Previous work:
* EDI message passing / reconciliation for US dental health insurance market, including X12 parser (Clojure)
* Custom domain specific language (DSL) to encode business rules for computer vision system (Common Lisp)
* University library data migration project, with a focus on completeness and validation. (Clojure, Elixir, Ruby)
* High-reliability, long-term timelapse platform for inaccessible locations. (FreeBSD, Arduino, Python, Shell)
* Migration of existing Node.js+Firebase service to Golang+PostgreSQL on AWS
* Feasibility study investigating the possiblility of writing custom code to interface with a biometric timeclock (Common Lisp)
Buzzwords: Debian, Ubuntu, AWS, PostgreSQL, Perl, Common Lisp, Clojure, Ruby, Go, Arduino / AVR, Elixir / Phoenix, FreeBSD
Got something you think is a good fit? Drop me a line at mike -at- lambdafunctions -dot- com
clarkema | 5 years ago | on: Ask HN: Freelancer? Seeking freelancer? (August 2020)
SEEKING WORK - Remote, travel possible in better times depending on location and duration.
Location: North-east UK
What I do: Senior backend dev / tech lead
In the past I've been a network engineer, run large-scale Debian installations doing devops before it had a name, and been responsible for servers in Antarctica. I have experience with a wide range of different Unix tools and technologies, at various levels of the stack. This gives me the ability—and the perspective—to pick the best combination of tools for any particular project, rather than simply treating everything as a nail because all I have is a hammer.
I focus particularly on taking on “weird” or niche data or exploratory projects end-to-end; things that wouldn’t be a fit for a standard web or development agency.
Previous work:
* EDI message passing / reconciliation for US dental health insurance market, including X12 parser (Clojure)
* Custom domain specific language (DSL) to encode business rules for computer vision system (Common Lisp)
* University library data migration project, with a focus on completeness and validation. (Clojure, Elixir, Ruby)
* High-reliability, long-term timelapse platform for inaccessible locations. (FreeBSD, Arduino, Python, Shell)
* Migration of existing Node.js+Firebase service to Golang+PostgreSQL on AWS
* Feasibility study investigating the possiblility of writing custom code to interface with a biometric timeclock (Common Lisp)
Buzzwords: Debian, Ubuntu, AWS, PostgreSQL, Perl, Common Lisp, Clojure, Ruby, Go, Arduino / AVR, Elixir / Phoenix, FreeBSD
Got something you think is a good fit? Drop me a line at mike -at- lambdafunctions -dot- com
clarkema | 5 years ago | on: Ask HN: Freelancer? Seeking freelancer? (July 2020)
SEEKING WORK - Remote, travel possible in better times depending on location and duration.
Location: North-east UK
What I do: Senior backend dev / tech lead
In the past I've been a network engineer, run large-scale Debian installations doing devops before it had a name, and been responsible for servers in Antarctica. I have experience with a wide range of different Unix tools and technologies, at various levels of the stack. This gives me the ability—and the perspective—to pick the best combination of tools for any particular project, rather than simply treating everything as a nail because all I have is a hammer.
I focus particularly on taking on “weird” or niche data or exploratory projects end-to-end; things that wouldn’t be a fit for a standard web or development agency.
Previous work:
* EDI message passing / reconciliation for US dental health insurance market, including X12 parser (Clojure)
* Custom domain specific language (DSL) to encode business rules for computer vision system (Common Lisp)
* University library data migration project, with a focus on completeness and validation. (Clojure, Elixir, Ruby)
* High-reliability, long-term timelapse platform for inaccessible locations. (FreeBSD, Arduino, Python, Shell)
* Migration of existing Node.js+Firebase service to Golang+PostgreSQL on AWS
* Feasibility study investigating the possiblility of writing custom code to interface with a biometric timeclock (Common Lisp)
Buzzwords: Debian, Ubuntu, AWS, PostgreSQL, Perl, Common Lisp, Clojure, Ruby, Go, Arduino / AVR, Elixir / Phoenix, FreeBSD
Got something you think is a good fit? Drop me a line at mike -at- lambdafunctions -dot- com
clarkema | 5 years ago | on: Ask HN: Freelancer? Seeking freelancer? (June 2020)
SEEKING WORK - Remote, travel possible in better times depending on location and duration.
Location: North-east UK
What I do: I take MVPs that you’ve outgrown and upgrade them to support the next stage of your growth.
There could be any number of reasons why your current system is holding you back. Wherever you’re starting to feel the pinch, the price of ownership is that you don’t have the luxury of saying “that part’s not my problem” or “I don’t get involved at that level.”
You won’t hear it from me, either.
20 years handling a wide variety of IT roles and projects mean that I can help through the whole process from high-level strategy right down to code, all based on a deep technical foundation.
In the past I've been a network engineer, run large-scale Debian installations doing devops before it had a name, and been responsible for servers in Antarctica. I have experience with a wide range of different Unix tools and technologies, at various levels of the stack. This gives me the ability—and the perspective—to pick the best combination of tools for any particular project, rather than simply treating everything as a nail because all I have is a hammer.
Buzzwords: Debian, Ubuntu, AWS, PostgreSQL, Clojure, Elixir, Perl, Raku, Common Lisp, Rust, Ruby, Go, Arduino / AVR, FreeBSD
Got something you think is a good fit? Drop me a line at mike -at- lambdafunctions -dot- com
clarkema | 5 years ago | on: Ask HN: Freelancer? Seeking freelancer? (May 2020)
SEEKING WORK - Remote, travel possible in better times depending on location and duration.
Location: North-east UK
What I do: I take MVPs that you’ve outgrown and upgrade them to support the next stage of your growth.
There could be any number of reasons why your current system is holding you back. Wherever you’re starting to feel the pinch, the price of ownership is that you don’t have the luxury of saying “that part’s not my problem” or “I don’t get involved at that level.”
You won’t hear it from me, either.
20 years handling a wide variety of IT roles and projects mean that I can help through the whole process from high-level strategy right down to code, all based on a deep technical foundation.
In the past I've been a network engineer, run large-scale Debian installations doing devops before it had a name, and been responsible for servers in Antarctica. I have experience with a wide range of different Unix tools and technologies, at various levels of the stack. This gives me the ability—and the perspective—to pick the best combination of tools for any particular project, rather than simply treating everything as a nail because all I have is a hammer.
Buzzwords: Debian, Ubuntu, AWS, PostgreSQL, Clojure, Elixir, Perl, Raku, Common Lisp, Rust, Ruby, Go, Arduino / AVR, FreeBSD
Got something you think is a good fit? Drop me a line at mike -at- lambdafunctions -dot- com
clarkema | 6 years ago | on: Ask HN: Freelancer? Seeking Freelancer? (January 2020)
SEEKING WORK - Remote, travel possible depending on location and duration.
Location: North-east UK
What I do: I take MVPs that you’ve outgrown and upgrade them to support the next stage of your growth.
There could be any number of reasons why your current system is holding you back. Wherever you’re starting to feel the pinch, the price of ownership is that you don’t have the luxury of saying “that part’s not my problem” or “I don’t get involved at that level.”
You won’t hear it from me, either.
20 years handling a wide variety of IT roles and projects mean that I can help through the whole process from high-level strategy right down to code, all based on a deep technical foundation.
In the past I've been a network engineer, run large-scale Debian installations doing devops before it had a name, and been responsible for servers in Antarctica. I have experience with a wide range of different Unix tools and technologies, at various levels of the stack. This gives me the ability—and the perspective—to pick the best combination of tools for any particular project, rather than simply treating everything as a nail because all I have is a hammer.
Buzzwords: Debian, Ubuntu, AWS, PostgreSQL, Clojure, Elixir, Perl (5 & 6), Common Lisp, Rust, Ruby, Go, Arduino / AVR, FreeBSD
Got something you think is a good fit? Drop me a line at mike -at- lambdafunctions -dot- com
clarkema | 6 years ago | on: Ask HN: Freelancer? Seeking Freelancer? (December 2019)
SEEKING WORK - Remote, travel possible depending on location and duration.
Location: UK / Berlin
What I do: I take MVPs that you’ve outgrown and upgrade them to support the next stage of your growth.
There could be any number of reasons why your current system is holding you back. Wherever you’re starting to feel the pinch, the price of ownership is that you don’t have the luxury of saying “that part’s not my problem” or “I don’t get involved at that level.”
You won’t hear it from me, either.
20 years handling a wide variety of IT roles and projects mean that I can help through the whole process from high-level strategy right down to code, all based on a deep technical foundation.
In the past I've been a network engineer, run large-scale Debian installations doing devops before it had a name, and been responsible for servers in Antarctica. I have experience with a wide range of different Unix tools and technologies, at various levels of the stack. This gives me the ability—and the perspective—to pick the best combination of tools for any particular project, rather than simply treating everything as a nail because all I have is a hammer.
Buzzwords: Debian, Ubuntu, AWS, PostgreSQL, Clojure, Elixir, Perl (5 & 6), Common Lisp, Rust, Ruby, Go, Arduino / AVR, FreeBSD
Got something you think is a good fit? Drop me a line at mike -at- lambdafunctions -dot- com
clarkema | 7 years ago | on: Ask HN: Freelancer? Seeking Freelancer? (May 2019)
SEEKING WORK - Remote, travel possible depending on location and duration.
Location: North-east UK
What I do: I take MVPs that you’ve outgrown and upgrade them to support the next stage of your growth.
There could be any number of reasons why your current system is holding you back. Wherever you’re starting to feel the pinch, the price of ownership is that you don’t have the luxury of saying “that part’s not my problem” or “I don’t get involved at that level.”
You won’t hear it from me, either.
20 years handling a wide variety of IT roles and projects mean that I can help through the whole process from high-level strategy right down to code, all based on a deep technical foundation.
In the past I've been a network engineer, run large-scale Debian installations doing devops before it had a name, and been responsible for servers in Antarctica. I have experience with a wide range of different Unix tools and technologies, at various levels of the stack. This gives me the ability—and the perspective—to pick the best combination of tools for any particular project, rather than simply treating everything as a nail because all I have is a hammer.
Buzzwords: Debian, Ubuntu, AWS, PostgreSQL, Clojure, Elixir, Perl (5 & 6), Common Lisp, Rust, Ruby, Go, Arduino / AVR, FreeBSD
Got something you think is a good fit? Drop me a line at mike -at- lambdafunctions -dot- com
clarkema | 7 years ago | on: Ask HN: Freelancer? Seeking Freelancer? (March 2019)
SEEKING WORK - Remote, travel possible depending on location and duration.
Location: North-east UK
What I do: Data migration, transformation, and processing. Prototype development. Feasibility studies.
In the past I've been a network engineer, run large-scale Debian installations doing devops before it had a name, and been responsible for servers in Antarctica. I have experience with a wide range of different Unix tools and technologies, at various levels of the stack. This gives me the ability—and the perspective—to pick the best combination of tools for any particular project, rather than simply treating everything as a nail because all I have is a hammer.
I focus particularly on taking on “weird” or niche data or exploratory projects end-to-end; things that wouldn’t be a fit for a standard web or development agency.
Previous work:
* Custom domain specific language (DSL) to encode business rules for computer vision system (Common Lisp)
* University library data migration project, with a focus on completeness and validation. (Clojure, Elixir, Ruby)
* High-reliability, long-term timelapse platform for inaccessible locations. (FreeBSD, Arduino, Python, Shell)
* Migration of existing Node.js+Firebase service to Golang+PostgreSQL on AWS
* Feasibility study investigating the possiblility of writing custom code to interface with a biometric timeclock (Common Lisp)
* Proof-of-concept hardware development for projects linking the physical and virtual worlds in real time (Arduino, Node.js)
Buzzwords: Debian, Ubuntu, AWS, PostgreSQL, Perl, Common Lisp, Clojure, Ruby, Go, Arduino / AVR, Elixir / Phoenix, FreeBSD
Got something you think is a good fit? Drop me a line at mike -at- lambdafunctions -dot- com
clarkema | 7 years ago | on: The Perils and Pleasures of Bartending in Antarctica (2017)
All long gone now I'm afraid -- my first visit south was nearly 10 years ago now.
clarkema | 7 years ago | on: The Perils and Pleasures of Bartending in Antarctica (2017)
There's plenty of marine biology happening at Rothera! This is the time of year to apply if you're interested -- this is about the time when jobs for the next austral season are posted.
Feel free to drop me a line at $USERNAME @gmail.com if you've got any other questions.
clarkema | 7 years ago | on: The Perils and Pleasures of Bartending in Antarctica (2017)
Different countries have different approaches to outdoor activities and trips; I hear some are particularly keen on 'safety' regulations meaning you can't do much at all. Fortunately the British Antarctic Survey strikes a more sensible balance.
Some of the things I got up to (bear in mind I had a primarily office-based job with long hours -- I spent most of my summer time in a radio tower, but did manage to get out and play sometimes.)
- Off-piste skiing and boarding on small slopes near the base
- Nordic skiing around the base perimeter
- Kite skiing
- Abseiling into and exploring crevasses and bergschrunds [a crack where a glacier joins a mountain]
- Learned to cox RIBs and visit small floating bergs and local islands
- Got to fly in a light aircraft a few times on the way out to field sites. Actual hands-on-the-controls flying on a Twin Otter -- essentially acting as a human autopilot under the supervision of the real pilot. Awesome fun, but turned out to be rather expensive in the long run, since it got me into flying -- I now have a private pilot's license of my own.
- Flew into the field to install a remote weather station somewhere where quite literally no human has ever set foot before.
- Spent a few weeks in the field at Fossil Bluff [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_Bluff] which is an incredible experience in its own right. You're living in a small cottage from the 60s with one other person, approx. a 1 hour 40 minute flight away from any other humans. The planes bring supplies when they visit; otherwise you can spend your days taking weather observations, baking bread, and enjoying the scenery.
- Spent 6 - 7 weeks on a ship wandering the southern ocean. Upgraded from the RIB and learned how to helm the ship through ice.
- Visited some of the sub-Antarctic islands from the ship including Deception (extinct volcano with a old British base), South Georgia, and Signy (both have current British bases)
I also went on a couple of week-long Winter trips, which involved driving a skidoo away from base into the interior of the island and setting up a camp, from which we did things like skiing tours, visiting old bases, crevassing, climbing, etc.
As well as outdoor activities, there's also a lot to learn on base as well if you're interested -- most of which comes from the fact that the bases are small and there are none of the outside services we take for granted in the rest of the world. I can now bake bread; not kill people in a commercial kitchen; repair skidoos; use firefighters' breathing apparatus; make curtains; build my own office furniture (I wanted a monitor stand, and Amazon didn't ship.) etc. etc.
If that's not enough, for those on the coast there's plenty of wildlife to be seen. I'd regularly see different types of whales from my office window, and there are penguins and seals all around the base I wintered at. I also got to visit an Emperor penguin colony a few times. Others got really into music, photography, art, or woodwork.
So... yeah. There's plenty to do if you're willing to get involved. I have _no_ idea how people say they'd be bored down there.
clarkema | 7 years ago | on: The Perils and Pleasures of Bartending in Antarctica (2017)
Either this is me, or there are multiple ex-FIDs with the same background hanging around meetups in the north of the UK ;)
To the GP: I started off as a sysadmin / dev many years ago, but always wanted to work in unusual places like Antarctica. Trouble was I couldn't see how I could get there or what use they might have for me. Turns out, of course, that the bases also need all of the logistics and support services that any modern office needs. I spent a while following blogs of the IT / radio support guys who were working down South and eventually realised that I could do everything that was involved in their jobs. I applied and got in, and have since been to Antarctica three times. I got to see and do some _incredible_ things down there and meet some awesome people.
It can be done.
clarkema | 7 years ago | on: Ask HN: Freelancer? Seeking freelancer? (January 2019)
SEEKING WORK - Remote, travel possible depending on location and duration.
Location: North-east UK
What I do: Data migration, transformation, and processing. Prototype development. Feasibility studies.
In the past I've been a network engineer, run large-scale Debian installations doing devops before it had a name, and been responsible for servers in Antarctica. I have experience with a wide range of different Unix tools and technologies, at various levels of the stack. This gives me the ability—and the perspective—to pick the best combination of tools for any particular project, rather than simply treating everything as a nail because all I have is a hammer.
I focus particularly on taking on “weird” or niche data or exploratory projects end-to-end; things that wouldn’t be a fit for a standard web or development agency.
Previous work:
* Custom domain specific language (DSL) to encode business rules for computer vision system (Common Lisp)
* University library data migration project, with a focus on completeness and validation. (Clojure, Elixir, Ruby)
* School data processing app (Elixir/Phoenix, PostgreSQL)
* Custom data dashboards (R, Geckoboard)
* High-reliability, long-term timelapse platform for inaccessible locations. (FreeBSD, Arduino, Python, Shell)
* Migration of existing Node.js+Firebase service to Golang+PostgreSQL on AWS
* Feasibility study investigating the possiblility of writing custom code to interface with a biometric timeclock (Common Lisp)
* Proof-of-concept hardware development for projects linking the physical and virtual worlds in real time (Arduino, Node.js)
Buzzwords: Debian, Ubuntu, AWS, PostgreSQL, Perl, Common Lisp, Clojure, Ruby, Go, Arduino / AVR, Elixir / Phoenix, FreeBSD
Got something you think is a good fit? Drop me a line at mike -at- lambdafunctions -dot- com
clarkema | 7 years ago | on: Ask HN: Freelancer? Seeking freelancer? (January 2019)
SEEKING WORK - Remote, travel possible depending on location and duration.
Location: North-east UK
What I do: Data migration, transformation, and processing. Prototype development. Feasibility studies.
In the past I've been a network engineer, run large-scale Debian installations doing devops before it had a name, and been responsible for servers in Antarctica. I have experience with a wide range of different Unix tools and technologies, at various levels of the stack. This gives me the ability—and the perspective—to pick the best combination of tools for any particular project, rather than simply treating everything as a nail because all I have is a hammer.
I focus particularly on taking on “weird” or niche data or exploratory projects end-to-end; things that wouldn’t be a fit for a standard web or development agency.
Previous work:
* Custom domain specific language (DSL) to encode business rules for computer vision system (Common Lisp)
* University library data migration project, with a focus on completeness and validation. (Clojure, Elixir, Ruby)
* School data processing app (Elixir/Phoenix, PostgreSQL)
* Custom data dashboards (R, Geckoboard)
* High-reliability, long-term timelapse platform for inaccessible locations. (FreeBSD, Arduino, Python, Shell)
* Migration of existing Node.js+Firebase service to Golang+PostgreSQL on AWS
* Feasibility study investigating the possiblility of writing custom code to interface with a biometric timeclock (Common Lisp)
* Proof-of-concept hardware development for projects linking the physical and virtual worlds in real time (Arduino, Node.js)
Buzzwords: Debian, Ubuntu, AWS, PostgreSQL, Perl, Common Lisp, Clojure, Ruby, Go, Arduino / AVR, Elixir / Phoenix, FreeBSD
Got something you think is a good fit? Drop me a line at mike -at- lambdafunctions -dot- com
What I object to is the unsubstantiated claim that Antarctica "brings out the animal in each of us"; that the environment is one of such privation that all those who venture there necessarily regress to some more basic form and that standards of civilized behaviour become something we can't afford, sacrificed on the altar of survival.
This is patently false, and frankly a very limited and limiting view of the human condition.
What you like to dismiss as a "personal anecdote" I'd prefer to call "multiple seasons of lived experience in the environment under discussion."
While I can't speak for the hiring procedures of other nations, the majority of the interview process for the British Antarctic Survey centres around the interpersonal side. If you're sitting in the interview in the first place you're assumed to be technically competent; once that bar is passed they select primarily for people who will survive the isolation and be able to work as independent members of a small society. Are the results perfect? Of course not -- failures happen and bad winters happen. But they are well aware of how important social dynamics are to the overall success of the winter.