Joining Nexmo

So we switched to BST and the world didn't stop turning, and this website didn't collapse into a wormhole. It's all good. But other changes are afoot here at Coffee and Code HQ. I recently accepted a permanent position at Nexmo, joining the wonderful team there to work on developer documentation. Nexmo provide an API for the Vonage global telecomms network. This arms your web apps, smart phone apps, or even command line tools with a global reach. You can generate SMSs, make and receive voice calls, and interact with messaging services like FB Messenger and Viber, in a few lines of code. There is something magical about having your little Python app call you up on your mobile and then speak to you. I have only scratched the surface of the API's capabilities so far, and I have a lot to learn, but I am really excited by the potential of this company - I have not been this excited about software in quite some time!

With regards Nexmo, I am hoping to be able to produce some decent articles over on the Nexmo Developer Blog, but we will see how things pan out - other documentation work is likely to take precedence.

So where does that leave things at Coffee and Code?

Well, I'm not going anywhere. I will continue to produce articles from time to time here. Judging by the page views and some of the emails I have received, there are some of you nutters out there who not only read this stuff, but actually seem to enjoy it too! But the thing is I can no more stop writing than I can stop breathing, so you will have to put up with my nonsense for a while yet.

So how will things pan out over the coming months now that I am actually "working" for a living? Well, expect some changes. I am planning on roping in that young buck James to sort me out a decent design. I seem to be incapable of putting together decent CSS. OK I tried. I hope I produced some CSS that is at least conducive to readability. But "design" is something this website sorely lacks.

On the content side I am trying to be realistic. I can commit to at least one piece per month. I would like to write more about using the Nexmo APIs, but we will have to see.

I will save some of my energy for working on the code behind this site too. I would like to add features such as tagging, and a structure generated from directory hierachy, rather than manually edited source files. Adding an article requires several manual edits which is never a good thing as it provides a lot more opportunity for me to screw things up!

As well as learning the Nexmo technology I have put learning Flask back on the agenda. I have written just about enough CGI code now to want to call it a day on that. I am also revisiting the idea of writing a simple web server in Python too, and already have the initial code in place - certainly not industrial strength, but a fun little exercise none the less.

On the non-technical front I am still reading widely - topics range across philosophy, theology, philosophy of religion, English Literature and history. I also sketched out the outline of a science fiction novel that explores three kinds of evil - personal, systemic and natural. The hero is flung into a world where these evils have been eliminated, but finds that without these things humanity becomes something not entirely pleasant, and actually something not entirely, well, human. It has been very enjoyable creating this imaginary world.

I also continue to write about my travels. I recently spent a month in Philippines and we had a blast. Adventures included being caught up in typhoon Basyang, close encounters with yet more volcanoes, and some breathtaking snorkeling around Camiguin island. It was a journey of highs and lows. While my travel writing does not appear on this blog it could do if I feel there's enough interest.

All this partly explains why I am writing this blog post at three in the morning. I am busy, but I can always sleep more when I'm dead.