The Mycelium Network Podcast

Today I speak with Ryan Johnson, a backend engineer, Python wizard, and someone with an incredible story to tell. From working in hardware startups, working as a farmhand in a Benedictine monastery, practicing psychologist, working at Lucas film, and now at Mozilla. What is artificial intelligence? Lucas Film Quantum Computing Expert Explains One Concept in 5 Levels of Difficulty Python and Django Industrial light and magic Center for Humane Technology MDN Web Docs Jennifer Riggins on the Mechanical Ink podcast The Indie Web The importance of community The power of language: How words shape people, culture A Practical Guide to Building Ethical AI Recorder and produced by Mechanical Ink - https://mechanical.ink

In the first episode of season 2, I speak with Juan Pablo Flores, the program manager for GitHub Education. We talk about GitHub classroom and the problems it solves for students and teachers. Using GitHub skills to learn and teach how to use Git and GitHub. The importance of being able to work on a team and collaborate on a cross-functional team. Using Twitch as a platform for teaching, the role of community, and the importance of great documentation. Juan Pablo on GitHub Audience and Streamer Participation at Scale on Twitch Twitch—a game changer for developers and educators - Universe 2022 GitHub Skills GitHub Classroom GitHub Campus experts Working in public Twitch plays Pokemon Harvard computer science courses Stormy Peters at GitHub Universe MDN Web Docs Write the docs Rachel Nabors GitHub campus advisors program Recorder and produced by Mechanical Ink - https://mechanical.ink

In this final episode of season 1, I speak with technical writer and legend of the web, Chris Mills. We talk about trying something new, not being scared to take a leap of faith, and finding your tribe. The importance of being positive and kind, treating people with respect and empathy, and giving back through mentorship. We talk about the importance of great documentation and a well-defined process when running an open-source project. We end by sharing our favorite noisy music artists and the importance of pushing for immediate action concerning the environmental catastrophe. Correction: Only 3% of open source contributions are from Africa, not 17% as mentioned in the episode. In Chris' own words Chris is an Englishman, living in the grim Northern wastes near Manchester. He’s an Independent tech writer, web technology tinkerer, and open standards advocate. Chris is currently running his own tech writing consultancy — Mills docs Limited; previous employment credits include Okta, Mozilla, W3C, and Opera. He is a passionate believer in the power of the open web as a great leveler in terms of education, accessibility, and employment. Outside work he is a heavy metal drummer, amateur guitarist, keen cyclist, and cultivator of an awesome family. Social The Mycelium Network Discord The Mycelium Network on GitHub Links Open Web standard ZX Spectrum 48 Plus Bioinformatics Apress Friends of Ed Bruce Lawson Jeremy Keith Estelle Weyl MDN Web Docs Okta Geocities and MySpace Screen Capture API Chromium GitHub Docs Okta for Good Lex Friedman podcast with Magatte Wade Practical accessibility Youtube Music playlist Supported, recorded, and produced by Mechanical Ink.

In this week's episode, I speak with Vuyisile Ndlovu, a Python developer and AWS-certified cloud practitioner from Zimbabwe. We talk about open-source, the challenges developers face in Africa, and why contributions to open-source are low in Africa and brainstorm ideas to improve it. Vuyisile also shares some great tips on deploying your ideas to the web. This was a fascinating conversation I am privileged to share with you all. In his own words Hello! My name is Vuyisile (voo-yee-sea-lay), and I’m a Software Developer. I enjoy writing, speaking, traveling, and cutting wood. I develop back-end web applications and APIs, usually in Python and Django. I do my best work when I work remotely. Links Vuyisile Ndlovu on the web Vuyisile Ndlovu on Twitter Vuyisile Ndlovu on GitHub FirefoxOS The Ndebele Language and people The Java language The Python language The .NET language The Go language The Rust language The percentage of open-source contributions from Africa is only 2-3%. What is an incubator? OpenUP The rise of open source to spur agile digital government A mobile application may enhance Cape Agulhas’ smart city vision DeveloperToolchest Ourbackyard EcoCash Magatte Wade: Africa, Capitalism, Communism, and the Future of Humanity PyPi in a box Internet in a box What is DevOps? Keypass HashiCorp Vault Divio-Django Invoice Woodturning on Youtube Recorded using Riverside and produced by Mechanical Ink.

In this episode, I sit down with Andy Anderson. This conversation was so wonderful. Andy has years of experience in the tech industry and shares some of the histories that very few of us know about. We also discuss the evolution of programming languages and tools, the importance of community, diversity, and coffee. Social The Mycelium Network Discord The Mycelium Network on GitHub Links Slow lane Café Andy on the Web Andy on GitHub Fortran What are punch cards? IBM370 terminal VT100 Intellisense in VSCode GitHub Copilot and Hey GitHub MDN Web Docs What is recursion? Functional programming JAMStack Serverless and Serverless functions Advent of Code The difference between this in functions and arrow functions Using developer tools Y2K Hidden Figures SANS Institute Supported, recorded, and produced by Mechanical Ink.

In this episode with Chelsea Adams, we talk about dealing with imposter syndrome and the sense of un-belonging.  Being kind to yourself and giving yourself the time to grow. Not to be afraid of being vulnerable, stop getting in your own way, and the negative impact of social networks on creativity. We also touch on the importance of community, a network of peers, education, and the importance of being seen and represented. Filles with interesting nuggets you will all enjoy. In Chelsea's own words Chelsea Adams is a software engineer and digital creative based in central Ohio, USA. She is co-host and producer of 16:1 podcast, a show about education, teaching, and learning. Adams has more than a decade of experience operating a web and software development consultancy, which engages clients on a variety of web, data, and virtual reality projects. Social The Mycelium Network Discord Links Chelsea Adams on the web Coming home Imposter syndrome Polywork Amazon Web Services Pomodoro timer Cal.com Archive your Twitter account Sixteen to one Inquiry-based learning Machine learning Women in STEM Pamela's podcast episode Come from away Supported, recorded, and produced by Mechanical Ink.

A talk about kindness, open-source, TypeScript, advice for those new to web development, and finding treasures in unique places. Vinyl, in her own words (Pronounced V-eye-null Dah-ee-ghee-you Kah-zoh-teh-tsoo) Formerly Vinyl Darkscratch-Kazotetsu. Web and software developer, EDM visualizer animator, Beat Saber fanatic, workaholic, left-handed, queen of goo. Social The Mycelium Network Discord The Mycelium Network on Twitter Links Vinyl on GitHub Vinyl on Soundcloud Vinyl on Youtube Vinyl on Mastodon Vinyl featured on MDN Web Docs GooborgStudios A Proposal For Type Syntax in JavaScript MDN Wen Docs Open Web Docs Goofont Gooicons The reason why some people are so kind TypeScript OpenCollective Geocaching Supported, recorded, and produced by Mechanical Ink.

In today's episode, I speak with Tara Robertson. We discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion topics, but the conversation is about so much more. We deeply dive into the soft skills needed to thrive in the workplace and life. It is a far-reaching, emotional, and real conversation I believe you will all enjoy. Tara, in her own words I help women of color in corporate careers go from underestimated and overworked to unapologetic and wildly successful. I’m also a diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant. Social The Mycelium Network Discord The Mycelium Network on Twitter Links Tara on the web Tara on Twitter Tara on LinkedIn What is DE&I The Mycelium Network Podcast with Pamela Rodriguez Impact of harassment on teams OpenScapes Braiding sweet grass All we can save Julie Squid What is Data Science? What is Open Science? What is Open Source? What is Open Learning? Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Ayana Elizabeth Venn diagrams The IDEA Toolkit Dr. Kerry Jordan - The Carpentries What is universal design? The extended benefits of a curb cut Load shedding in South Africa Group and team norms Supported, recorded, and produced by Mechanical Ink.

In today's episode, I speak with Joel Rainwater. Among the many topics we address, we cover the IndieWeb, the necessity for curiosity in the tech industry, working in the open, intentionally being un-hireable, and not being defined by job titles. We touch on the doors opened by the fact that JavaScript is everywhere. On ramping to TypeScript, the power of community, why you should blog, and tons of other great topics and advice. Joel, in his own words Joel is a self-taught developer who has gone from building basic HTML-&-CSS-only websites to being the fractional CTO of a startup and a lot in between. Social The Mycelium Network Discord The Mycelium Network on Twitter Links Joel on GitHub Joel on Polywork Joel on the web Joel on Twitter Joel on LinkedIn AngelFire MySpace jQuery Vuejs React State management with React IndieWeb IndieHackers Polywork What is a multipotenitalite? What is fullstack? Nuxtjs and Nextjs TypeScript Prisma MongoDB Microsoft TypeScript proposal What is Analysis paralysis? Magento Domain Goalie MyCosPlace Mastodon Frontendmasters StatusTracker Produced and supported by Mechanical Ink

In this episode, I speak with Yurii Lazaruk, community manager at CodeControl and community consultant. Community is critical to the learning journey. The support, the camaraderie, and having people around you that have your back and keep you accountable. We also touch on handling crises and how the community plays a role there. A fascinating conversation that is well worth your time. Social The Mycelium Network Discord The Mycelium Network on Twitter Links Yurii on LinkedIn Yurri on Twitter Yurii on Instagram CodeControl Cultivate - A community built by changemakers CodeControl Community David Spinks Steve Garguilo Flames of Change: How Campfire Storytelling Helps to Forge Culture Change Produced and supported by Mechanical Ink

In this episode, I speak with Alvin Bryan, a developer advocate at Contentful. We discuss the role of open-source in education, ethical tech, mentoring, the new challenges early-stage developer face in a changing job market, and how to stay motivated. Alvin, in their own words Alvin is a developer advocate at Contentful and a front-end developer. He’s been working in the industry for a while and loves creating beautiful, fun experiences. Social The Mycelium Network Discord The Mycelium Network on Twitter Links Alvin on GitHub Alvin on Polywork Alvin on the web Alvin on Twitter Contentful What is a design system? Figma Sketch Penpot React What are Web Components? What are design tokens? Learning to code in a time of crisis Cascadiajs Netlify Vercel GitHub web://workbook MDN Web Docs What is ethical tech? The rise of Signal Signal What is Linux? Proton Mail Our time has come - Penpot Hugo static site generator NetlifyCMS Forestry Codebar freeCodeCamp Produced and supported by Mechanical Ink

In today's conversation, I speak with Raphael Pires. In this conversation, we talk less about technology and more about life. While we touch on tech-related topics, we also talk about living a life of purpose. We share our thoughts on unrealistic expectations, planning long-term, setting goals, and being willing to wait for success. It is a deep conversation that touches on important topics we often skim over. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I enjoyed recording it. Raphael, in his own words ⚡ Early-stage Web Developer 🔭 Changing career paths 🧱 Open-source enthusiast 🍄 Community driven 🌱 Lifelong learner Social The Mycelium Network Discord The Mycelium Network on Twitter Links Raphael on Medium Raphael on LinkedIn Raphael on GitHub Raphael on Twitter Raphael on Polywork Produced and supported by Mechanical Ink

In this episode, I speak with Adilson Sandoval from AdblockPlus. Adilson talks about how he got into tech from his previous career as a mathematics teacher. He also shares great information about the job hunting process and the importance of persistence. Adilson is also passionate about open source, and we talk about the role of open source in learning, teaching, and finding opportunities. Background Adilson Sandoval is a front-end developer that made a career change. For the last three years, he has been working at AdblockPlus on their browser extension. Social The Mycelium Network Discord The Mycelium Network on Twitter Links Adilson on the web Adilson on LinkedIn Adilson on Gitlab Adilson on GitHub Adilson on Twitter AdblockPlus Outreachy Mozilla MDN Web Docs React framework Chingu What is Agile? JavaScript.info Eisenhower Matrix MoSCoW method Gitlab GitHub Tabfx

Today I speak with Andrew MacLean, the community manager at Battlesnake. As has become the norm, we talk about various topics, but we dig deep into the role of open source in education and the complex topic of hiring. We also touch on the importance of finding balance in our lives. A great conversation I am sure you will all enjoy. The Mycelium Network podcast is made with the fantastic Descript and Riverside. Transcripts of the episode are available on GitHub. Social The Mycelium Network Discord The Mycelium Network on Twitter Links Macromedia Flash GitHub Codespaces Gitpod Contributing to Open Source HighTechU University of Victoria Canada HighTechQ IBM Quantum computing Quantum computing 5 ways Battlesnake Battlesnake Developer Fellowship Design thinking Minecraft Mindtest Minecraft mods Project Calavera The importance of good documentation PHP Nextjs Nuxtjs Vuejs documentary Evan Yuo Railway The Browser Company - Arc Arc - The internet computer Electron Laragon Docker LAMP ngrok Setapp

In this episode, I speak with Pamela Rodriguez about some really important topics we sometimes choose to avoid. We speak about women in tech, the challenges of non-native English speakers, coming from a third-world country, and feeling isolated. We also talk about positive things, finding your tribe, positive change in the tech industry, and nerd out on books. The Mycelium Network podcast is made with the fantastic Descript and Riverside. Transcripts of the episode are available on GitHub. Social The Mycelium Network Discord The Mycelium Network on Twitter Links Pamela on GitHub Pamela on Behance Pamela on Polywork Pamela on Twitter Pamela on Linktr.ee AngelFire Women Who Code Ada Lovelace Hidden figures Olascoaga's WILL project Jaron Lanier Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now Lex Fridman No Man's Land by Wendy Moore The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V. E. Schwab Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

In the podcast’s sixth episode, I speak with Schalk Venter. In our far-reaching conversation, we talk about ending up in tech by accident without a formal background. Civic tech and doing good using tech where it makes sense. We ask hard questions, such as how we solve real-world problems using a combination of community and technology. The importance of abstract thinking and a problems solving mindset, the role of open source in education, and being honest about being human. We also discuss the future value of creating more new content or curating and creating learning paths using all the existing great content. The Mycelium Network podcast is made with the fantastic Descript and Riverside. Transcripts of the episode are available on GitHub. Social The Mycelium Network Discord The Mycelium Network on Twitter Links Codex Codebridge Codespace Code for Cape Town Bloom Institute of Technology Founders and Coders We Think Code FourthRev MDN Web Docs freeCodeCamp GitHub The Odin Project FEDSA ZA Product Design The Google Foundation What is civic tech? What is Agile? What is blockchain? What is AI? What is extreme programming? What is imposter syndrome? Global Accessibility Awareness Day Amazon Web Services (AWS) What are cloud functions? Mozilla Manifesto Schalk Neethling on Medium Wondermind Third World Problems project

In the podcast’s sixth episode, I speak with Peter Bengtsson. We cover various topics, from being willing to show your weakness and why you should write a blog to why planning and prototyping are critical to a project’s success. Peter Bengtsson Web developer since 1998 and still loving it and working for GitHub on maintaining their documentation site. Previously various things for Mozilla Firefox and the MDN website. I learn by building things. I teach by writing down what I learned in bite-sized portions. The Mycelium Network podcast is made with the fantastic Descript and Riverside. Transcripts of the episode are available on GitHub. Social The Mycelium Network Discord The Mycelium Network on Twitter Links Peter’s blog What are CGI scripts? What is rubber duck debugging? Mozilla MDN Web Docs What is JAMStack? GitHub Docs Python Rust What is usability? Jacob Nielsen Steve Krug - Don’t make me think Nextjs WordPress ShopTalk Show What is TC39? Notion.so PWA Asset Generator Using the PWA Asset Generator Recorded and produced by Mechanical Ink

In the podcast's fifth episode, I speak with Sharone Zitman from RTFM Please. We cover a wide variety of topics. Everything from community and developer experience to how tools can do a better job of supporting early-stage developers. We also discuss aspects of the tech sector that are simply broken and why creating welcoming, supportive communities are critical to the industry's future. This podcast was made with the amazing Descript and Riverside. Transcripts of the episode are available on GitHub. Social The Mycelium Network Discord The Mycelium Network on Twitter Links DevOps Isreal RTFM Please Snyk Apps Flyer Cloudify Git GitHub Oh Shit, Git!?! Shift Left Jit SOC2 OWASP Top 10 LiveCycle HTTP2 Codenewbies freecodeCamp 100Devs Wilco uDemy The Apache Foundation DevOps Days Tel Aviv OpsSchool Tel Aviv Recorded and produced by Mechanical Ink

In our fourth episode, we talk to Soham Shah. Soham works at Marvin, a user research platform that elevates the voice of customers. Soham is also very active in the open source world. He has contributed to ChakraUI, MDN Web Docs, and is the co-creator of mockBee and Mockman. We talk about the challenges of the interview process, the importance of community, and how pair-learning can help build knowledge and friendships. This podcast was made with the amazing Descript and Riverside. Transcripts of the episode are available on GitHub. Social The Mycelium Network Discord The Mycelium Network on Twitter Links React Reactiflux React Table Udemy Neog Camp JavaScript.info NamasteJS NextJS Webpack Frontendmasters GitHub Student Pack Hashnode Medium Atomic Habits React Bangalore JavaScript Bangalore Remotion MirageJS Recorded and produced by Mechanical Ink

In our third episode, we talk to Ian Douglas. Ian is into developer relations, is a tech educator, and live-streaming career coach. He is also a senior developer advocate at Postman and the creator of techinterview.guide.  We talk about a wide range of topics, among them, how to create an effective resume, what hiring managers look for, how to stand out in a crowd, and other critical career-couching topics. This podcast was made with the amazing Descript and Riverside. Transcripts of the episode are available on GitHub. Social The Mycelium Network Discord The Mycelium Network on Twitter Links Ian on Twitter Ian on GitHub Turing School of Software & Design Medium.com Dev.to TechInterview.guide Techinterview.guide on Twitch Recorded and produced by Mechanical Ink

In our second episode, we talk to Isabel Calabig. An early-stage web developer, marketing operations associate, and software engineer at Dreambox Learning. We talk about a wide range of topics from the challenges that new learners face, imposter syndrome, different ways and styles of learning, the challenges of the interview process, and the joy of coding. This podcast was made with the amazing Descript and Riverside. Transcripts of the episode are available on GitHub. Social The Mycelium Network Discord The Mycelium Network on Twitter Links Isabel on Twitter Isabel’s blog on Hashnode Isabel’s personal blog Isabel’s Math alien adventure game 100devs Scrimba Codecademy What is a flow chart? Anki cards Recorded and produced by Mechanical Ink

In our first episode, we talk to Rico Smit. An early-stage web developer living and working in Pretoria, South Africa. We talk about a wide range of topics from the challenges that new learners face, starting a business, finding learning material, and your community. We also touch on contributing to open-source and feeling more comfortable interacting in public. This podcast was made with the amazing Descript and Riverside. Transcripts of the episode are available on GitHub. Social The Mycelium Network Discord The Mycelium Network on Twitter Links VSCode SublimeText Git GitHub Mosh 150DaysofHTML Epic React Kent C Dodds Outreachy Codenewbies Freecodecamp.org JSON developer-toolchest.com SQLite RWSWebDesign.co.za Recorded and produced by Mechanical Ink