A Postcard from the Beach
A photo from last week’s trip to Grayton Beach, FL. Time wasted at the beach is time well spent, especially among good friends. Vitamin sea.
Scott Knight's Blog
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New Address, Same Site
Quick housekeeping note : [tl;dr] This site has moved from scottk.mba to sknight.xyz . The .mba domain carried, at least for me, a subtle implication that this was some kind of professional or business showcase, which was never really the intent. This has always been meant as a catch-all personal site—whatever I’m reading, building, or thinking about, not just career stuff. sknight.xyz is…
Back to Basics
Site updates I’ve decided to further consolidate and simplify some of the functionality as I continue to centralize my web presence. I don’t really post on social media, and as of late I am greatly cutting back my media consumption and replacing it with reading long-form texts. Here are some of the ways I’m doing this: I’m removing the email subscription functionality from…
KnightLab has been retired.
After several years of building apps, websites, and automations for clients, I’ve chosen to retire my freelance practice to focus on engineering and long-term projects. KnightLab may resurface someday in a new form, but for now I am no longer accepting new client engagements. Many thanks to everyone I’ve had the privilege to build alongside through KnightLab. — Scott
Let's Stay Connected
Hi there, glad you stopped by. We may have connected recently, or you might’ve just come across my card. I’m Scott Knight, a consultant and engineer with a background in data and process automation, intelligent systems, and business strategy. I enjoy building useful things, simplifying complexity, and collaborating with people who care about doing great work. I’m especially…
Don't Wait to Be Free
“A man should never get lost in the details of his life and forget that, ultimately and in truth, life amounts to nothing rather than what is the deepest truth of this present moment. Tasks don’t get a man anywhere more conscious or free than he is capable of being in this present moment… Know eternity. Do whatever it takes. And from this depth of being, live the details of your…
How to Keep Your Mac Awake Using Terminal
Recently I was running some tasks on my Macbook Pro I wanted to prevent the machine from sleeping. A quick DuckDuckGo search tipped me off to the caffeinate command that’s built into the Terminal in macOS. If this is a well-known thing in macOS, I’ve never come across it so I thought I’d share here in case anyone else would find it useful. If you have some reason to prevent your…
How to Improve Your Site's Typography
Good typography is the foundation of a well-designed website, especially for personal sites and blogs like this one, where words are the main focus. You don’t need fancy layouts or complex design systems (unless you want that, then knock yourself out by all means). Even just paying attention to well-set text, specifically chosen fonts, and proper spacing can elevate your site from something…
Wrapping Up 2024
As we enter the final days of 2024, I’m reflecting on my goal post from January. Though I managed to accomplish most items I had assigned myself for 2024, I’ve also concluded that setting a specific task list for the year is not always an ideal technique when accounting for a.) the length of an entire year, and b.) the uncertainty within that timespan which demands much more…
Markham's Brotherhood
Markham's Brotherhood: The Rosicrucian Manifestos in Modern English by Steven E. Markham My rating: 5 of 5 stars Markham's translation strikes a nice balance between accessibility and fidelity to the original texts, preserving the rich symbolism and profound spiritual teachings of the works while making them approachable to the modern reader. I appreciated Markham's choice to generally refrain…
Goals vs. Objectives
It’s been a year and some change since I began publishing on this site and I’ve recently been reflecting on the initial challenges I’d set for myself. One of these was to publish 100 posts in a year , which was a sincere objective at the time. It’s also one which I haven’t met. Does that constitute a failure? This brings up an important point: there is a notable…
A Postcard from the Capitol
I’m perched atop a D.C. rooftop, enjoying a view of our majestic Capitol Dome. Unfortunately, what would otherwise be a fantastic view is unceremoniously interrupted by a colossal Apple billboard. Noticing this, I can’t help but appreciate the visual metaphor. The symbol of our nation, eclipsed by the relentless pursuit of profit. Capitol gains.
Homelab Update
Some time last year I wrote about using a cheap Lenovo Thinkcentre I bought as a lab machine to run my homelab server. Initially I used it to try out a new (to me) Linux distro , which I installed straight onto the machine. I enjoyed test driving it, but it never replaced my primary system. So, this week I decided to repurpose the ThinkCentre as a general lab server to locally host open-source…
6-to-1 Grocery Method
While settling into my new home I’ve had to get back in the swing of grocery shopping and proper meal planning. And if there’s one thing I’ve noticed, it’s that it can be incredibly easy to get carried away at the grocery store and let the bill get out of hand. I recently came across a social media post (sorry, I don’t remember the exact source to credit) outlining a…
Keeping Analog Alive
I’ve written here about my career in the software industry, but I’m also a big fan of analog technology. Digital stuff can be fun, but once you’re ingrained in the tech world for so long and understand how it all (or, at least, most of it) works, it can lose a bit of its magic. For that reason I’ve always been drawn to the machines and devices of yesteryear. One way I…
Unsubscribing from New Homeowner Scams
I recently wrote here about buying my new home. Since then, the experience has been slightly soured from a never-ending onslaught of predatory junk mail and door-knocking salespeople trying to swindle me into signing up for products or services I neither need nor want, targeting me as a new homeowner. Many of them use fear-mongering tactics disguised as helpful advice, from mortgage warranty…
First One Down
I probably picked the largest, most stressful item on my 24 in ‘24 list to start with but I’m glad to update that I’m just getting settled into my new home. I had already planned to make a purchase in the first quarter of this year, and a great deal just happened to fall directly into my lap. So, I jumped on it and closed the deal at the beginning of this month. I’m…
Ozymandias
I met a traveller from an antique land, Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert… Near them, on the sand, Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed; And on the…
24 in '24
Welcome back, fellow adventurers. As we dive headfirst into a new year, I can’t help but feel a surge of excitement and anticipation for the possibilities that await. 2024 is poised to be a year of growth, new experiences, and thrilling challenges. To kick things off, I thought it’d be fun to publish a list of 24 goals and projects I’m aiming to tackle in 2024. I’ll come…
Happy Holidays
You may have noticed it’s been quiet around here lately. No, the site’s not abandoned and I haven’t neglected to keep writing here; I’m just taking a break to enjoy the holiday season with family and friends. I’ll be back to posting in 2024 with some new writings and whatever else I find worth discussing here. So whatever your faith, practice, tradition, culture, or…
Once
Since I started using Hey for my personal email a while back, I’ve enjoyed following the stuff coming out of the 37signals shop. They have a unique and refreshing take on business, work philosophy, and building tech. I saw that they’re releasing a new line of products soon over at Once.com . I checked their site and, for now at least, it’s just a placeholder landing page.…
How to Create Custom Terminal Commands in MacOS
I recently wrote here about some of my favorite personal automations . When updating my a finance automation script recently, I decided I wanted a way to quickly run the automation anywhere. I typically have a terminal open, so I thought a custom terminal command would be the best way to fire off my scripts when I need them. Unfortunately, the resources are slim out there regarding how to…
How to Automate Anything
After some interest from my last post where I discussed some of my personal automations, I’d like to expand on the topic of personal automation a bit and discuss how you can automate (mostly) the boring or tedious stuff in your life! I say “mostly” because while with enough time and resources, you could automate anything with a repeatable process. However, considering our main…
Personal Automations
Since I learned to code, I’ve always been a fan of eliminating boring and/or tedious stuff with automation. This can involve anything from custom scripting (usually with Python, in my case) to using a service like IFTTT , Zapier , or Make (formerly Integromat). With these tools you can connect most common services that expose an API . While automation use cases are usually born out of some…
Burning CDs in 2023
After my grandparents’ house fire last year, we came across a bunch of old photo slides and 8mm film reels. Before we scrapped them I decided to buy some digitizing equipment and archive the content for us to preserve some of our family history. As I mentioned the project to other friends and family, I quickly realized this is a service that many folks are seeking. I’ve since turned it…
You Should Have a Website
It’s often the case that I’m referred potential website clients who have never had their own site before. In many of these cases, the person is reaching out because someone they know told them they need one, but they still aren’t fully on board with the idea. After all, they’ve gone this long without a website; why get one now? Whether you’re a business owner or an…
Automate Your Data Governance
After reading about 23andMe’s recent data breach issue this morning, I’d like to share some thoughts on data governance from my perspective as a Data Automation Engineer. Data drives just about every aspect of our world, and increasingly so as technology continues to evolve. A growing challenge with this is the art of managing and governing this ever-growing volume of data in a way…
Leveraging the Power of No-Code
As a founding fellow of the Engineering fellowship at Coho , I was asked to write a guest post for their inaugural Blueprint newsletter when it launched a few months ago. I chose to write an informative piece about how low- and no-code tools can be leveraged by non-technical folks to multiply their daily efforts by developing their own software tools. I still believe this can be a game changer for…
FIRE Flow Chart
There’s a ton of advice out there on personal finance, but I’ve only ever found one resource that provided an actionable path to gaining Financial Independence and Retiring Early (F.I.R.E.). Read more about that concept here . It’s a handy flow chart created by a member of the r/financialindependence subreddit. Just within the last year this flow chart has helped me pay off…
How to Join a Board of Directors
I’ve been a board member of a local non-profit for several years now. My organization provides certified teaching staff, supplies, and facilities for children with dyslexia to get extra learning assistance outside of their school programs, all at no cost to parents. Being a board member of this organization has been a rewarding way to use my skills and business experience to give back to my…
Tennessee 2023
For years, a favorite vacation spot of our family has been Tennessee. Yesterday I returned from a nice trip with some of my family to the Volunteer State, and thought I’d share a bit about it here. Home Base: Tracy City I discovered Tracy City back in 2020 through a cabin I rented through AirBnb for another weekend getaway. I enjoyed it so much the first time that we decided to reserve…
About
I’m Scott Knight, an engineer and builder drawn to useful work, clear thinking, and the lifelong pursuit of wisdom. I spend my days working in complex systems and my spare time trying to simplify them — refining workflows, spending time outdoors, or studying ideas that have endured longer than any software ever will. This site is where I write about what I’m building, learning, and…
A Matter of Structural Preference
Update: After some polling, I decided to make these changes. Also added a Links page to the main navigation with a sitemap. I whipped up this site a while back with a few main goals in mind: Establish a place on the web to publish my thoughts, useful/interesting bits of info I encounter, and generally POSSE my content on the internet to break out of social media silos (check) Learn a new platform…
Real Estate by the Numbers
Title Real Estate by the Numbers: A Complete Reference Guide to Deal Analysis Author(s) J. Scott & Dave Meyer Published 2022 Pages 385 My Rating 5 / 5 As I prepare to purchase my first home, I’ve been immersing myself in the world of real estate. A long-term personal goal of mine is to build a return-generating portfolio as a real estate investor. And of course, I want to give myself the…
Design Archival Project
I thought it’d be a fun exercise to create a space for tracking changes to this site’s design, as I’m always tinkering with the theme and improving various things. I wanted to do this in a visual way so I can look back and get a sense of how things evolve over time. To avoid loading a ton of screenshots onto the site, I’m using Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine to…
On Wealth
What does it mean to be wealthy? What does wealth look like? Is it just being rich? How do we know when we’ve achieved wealth? As I move toward purchasing my first home, this is something I’ve been reflecting on in recent weeks. Cultures around the world are abundant with stories of characters on the pursuit of wealth who don’t quite get what they bargained for—King Midas,…
Subscribe via Email
An element of any good website/personal blog is that it allows readers to consume content in a variety of formats. That being said, I’ve spent some time debating on whether to add a way to subscribe via email, because I want to do it in a way that won’t become a pain to maintain. I also don’t want to maintain a separate newsletter that would require a manual copy/paste process. I…
The Right to Repair: Fighting Planned Obsolescence
“They don’t make stuff like they used to.” We’ve all heard some form of this claim at some point and, unfortunately, it’s true. What’s concerning is that the decline of product quality and longevity we’ve seen in recent decades is fully intentional. My family and I like to collect antiques and vintage goods we find at estate sales and shops on the…
A Fresh Face for Fall
It’s almost fall, y’all. In the next few weeks we head into fall with the Autumnal Equinox , which falls (no pun intended) on September 23, 2023. Inspired by the impending fall season and the antiquarian philosophy books I’ve been reading lately, I felt like playing around with the site theme a bit. So, on this corner of the internet we’re heading into fall a bit early with…
A Piece of AI History
Yesterday I went to check out our local library’s annual used book sale, and one of the books I picked up is titled Essentials of Artificial Intelligence by Matt Ginsberg. I thought it was a neat find because the book was written in 1992, and this particular edition was published in 1993 so it provides some interesting insight into what was going on in the early days of AI research.…
The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
A couple of weeks ago a family member struck up a conversation that’s become somewhat commonplace in my social dealings. The person (for their privacy I won’t name them here), asked what my thoughts were on “all this AI” that’s being developed lately. Because I work in the tech industry, AI is something I’m regularly asked about by those close to me as…
Crabs in a Bucket
Despite the recent hellish heatwave(s) distressing the southern U.S. lately, we’ve been enjoying crabbing as a weekend family pastime down here in south Louisiana. Heading out into the marsh out of Pointe-Aux-Chenes (that’s French for “Oak Point”) down near the Gulf, we’ll typically return with several dozen crabs to boil for family and friends. There’s one…
A Week with Linux Mint
Last week I posted here about open-sourcing my decision on which Linux distribution to use on my new lab machine. The overwhelming majority voted for Linux Mint, so that’s what I went with. Not having used Linux in many years, I couldn’t recall anything particularly good or bad about my experience with the OS. That is to say, I’m going into this with an open mind. The hardware…
Using Data to Choose a Linux Distro
The Problem I recently decided that I wanted to beef up my home lab a bit by adding a small, inexpensive machine that I can use as a sandbox for server projects and testing operating systems. When I realized that StackSocial had a Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 on sale for less than $200, I ordered one. I also knew I wanted to try something besides Windows and MacOS on this new machine, so I decided to…
Why I Wont Be Joining Threads
Threads, the new app from Instagram (Meta), is designed to be a more “intimate and private” way to connect with your friends. It’s free to use and there are no ads, which seem to be two of the main selling points. So far, though, I’m not convinced that it’s enough to make me want to join. First of all, let’s talk about the privacy aspect. Instagram has a pretty…
18 Month reMarkable 2 Review
The reMarkable 2 found its way to my Instagram feed in early 2022, a time when I was in the trenches of trying to get two companies off the ground while also just starting grad school working toward my MBA. I’ve always preferred handwritten notes to typed, but a pain point for me has been keeping my notes organized in a way that’s easily accessible later. Having been through several…
Frogs on a Log
There’s an old story that goes something like this: There are five frogs sitting on a log. One decides to jump off. How many frogs are left on the log? Most folks would answer, “four”. But that’s wrong. The real answer is that five frogs are still sitting on the log. You see, despite the decision to jump off, the story doesn’t specify that the frog actually jumped.…
Self Hosted Software List
I’ve been browsing around for project ideas for an old Dell Inspiron 15 I have laying around. The bones are great, but some of the keys don’t work and the screen has some damage after being dropped on the ground at some point. I want to keep it in use somehow, and my initial idea was to use it as a homebrew NAS server using TrueNas . Before committing to that, though, I decided to…
What's Up With Reddit?
How long can a site continue to alienate its user base and volunteer moderators before its bull-headed CEO corrects course? Reddit may be on track to answer that question for us. The Situation In case you haven’t heard, Reddit mods and users have been on a major strike over the last week. Thousands of subreddits (some holding tens of millions of subscribers) have either gone private or…
100 Days to Offload
Publish 100 posts on your personal blog in a year. That’s it, that’s the challenge. Seems simple enough, so why not? I’ve mentioned before that I’ve gone through several (at a minimum) iterations of starting a new site/personal blog as an online hub. The problem I’ve always run into is that I always felt the need to write for some particular audience, rather than for…