# link article (blogs) — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 4 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover link article. Page: Feed: --- ## [What is ownership?](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-08-14-what-is-ownership/) _2026-08-14 · Andrew Jones_ Hey, happy Friday! In this week’s newsletter I write about what ownership is (it’s complicated!). There’s also links to articles on closing the context gap, getting your data team a seat at the table, and creating data & AI use cases. What is ownership? Ownership is a complicated thing. Often people are assigned ownership, for example by having their name listed as such in a… ## [Reliable output needs a reliable upstream](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-08-07-reliable-output-needs-a-reliable-upstream/) _2026-08-07 · Andrew Jones_ Hello 👋 This week I write about how, when our data output needs to be reliable, so does our input. There’s also links to posts on using data contracts to build a shared language, federated data architecture with DuckDB, and Bitol (ODCS) becoming a graduate project at LF AI & Data. Reliable output needs a reliable upstream Years ago at GoCardless, we started feeding our data into ML models… ## [disappearing posts - thu aug 06 2026](https://aloe.gay/ephemerals/) _2026-08-06 · aloe dot gay main feed_ posting just to post again :3 i said this in a tiny update to the \[newsletter\](https://comradery.co/aloe) but im moving like 1300 miles in like freaking, four weeks ! haha. so ## [Limit what you have in your data contract](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-07-31-limit-what-you-have-in-your-data-contract/) _2026-07-31 · Andrew Jones_ Hello 👋 In this week’s newsletter I write about limiting what you have in your data contract and only including fields that drive action, typically through automation. There’s also links to articles on how a single source of truth initiative should focus on governance, inverting data architectures by federating data, and shifting quality left within a data warehouse. In this… ## [IaC is a prerequisite for automation](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-07-24-iac-is-a-prerequisite-for-automation/) _2026-07-24 · Andrew Jones_ Hey, hope your week’s been good! In this week’s newsletter I write about how infrastructure/configuration as code is a prerequisite for automation, whether you are automating with platform tooling or with agents. There’s also links to articles on improving agentic analytics, building an Agentic Development Platform, and Apache Ossie. IaC is a prerequisite for automation One of… ## [Data contracts anti-pattern #4: Your CI passed. Your data still broke.](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-07-17-data-contracts-anti-pattern-4-your-ci-passed-your-data-still-broke/) _2026-07-17 · Andrew Jones_ Hello, hope you’ve had a good week! This week we had a hackathon and I built a data support agent 🤖 It was fun! I’ll probably write about what I learned soon. On to the newsletter, and today is the fourth and final post in my series of data contracts anti-patterns, and is about change management for changes that impact the meaning of data, but not the structure. There’s also… ## [Data contracts anti-pattern #3: Vanity SLOs](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-07-10-data-contracts-anti-pattern-3-vanity-slos/) _2026-07-10 · Andrew Jones_ Hello 👋 Welcome to the third part in my series of data contract anti-patterns, following on from: Contracts as documentation Checkbox compliance This one is all about defining SLOs that actually make a difference. There’s also links to articles on semantic vs context layers, building a semantic layer at Lyft, and data contracts in KCL. Data contracts anti-pattern #3: Vanity SLOs… ## [Data contracts anti-pattern #2: Checkbox compliance](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-07-03-data-contracts-anti-pattern-2-checkbox-compliance/) _2026-07-03 · Andrew Jones_ Hello! This is the second in my series of data contracts anti-patterns, following on from last week’s post on contracts as documentation . Again, this one looks like progress, but in reality has no impact. There are also links to articles on data platform incident management and encoding your data expert. Finally I had a fun discussion on What every Beginner Should Know About Data Governance… ## [Data contracts anti-pattern #1: Contracts as documentation](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-06-26-data-contracts-anti-pattern-1-contracts-as-documentation/) _2026-06-26 · Andrew Jones_ Hello 👋 Hope you’ve had a good week! I’ve seen a lot of people succeed with data contracts, but I’ve also seen a lot of people struggle. So, over the next four weeks I’m going to write up 4 common anti-patterns I’ve seen. Interestingly, each of them looks like progress, but they fail to solve the underlying problems. I’ll kick this series off with the most… ## [Stop writing data governance policies](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-06-12-stop-writing-data-governance-policies/) _2026-06-12 · Andrew Jones_ Hello 👋 I’m writing to you from Data Mesh Live at Antwerp, where I’ve given a full day workshop and a well received talk on implementing a self-service data platform. Besides that I have lots to digest from some excellent talks and made many new great connections! This week’s newsletter comes from that talk and is about scaling data governance by moving away from documents and… ## [Sync Bookmarks Everywhere (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/ZUqj87S3YGcw) _2026-06-12 · **Sponsored**_ Two-way sync keeps folders and toolbar intact across Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. ## [Meet your users where they are](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-06-05-meet-your-users-where-they-are/) _2026-06-05 · Andrew Jones_ Hello 👋 In this week’s newsletter I talk about the importance of meeting your users where they are. There’s also links to articles on a meshy approach to building data models, SQL patterns for catching fraud, and the case for data marketplaces. Meet your users where they are Around 8 years ago, before we built a self-serve data platform around the concept of data contracts, we built… ## [You can't just blame data producers for poor data quality](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-05-22-you-can-t-just-blame-data-producers-for-poor-data-quality/) _2026-05-22 · Andrew Jones_ Hello again 👋 In this week’s newsletter I write about how we can’t just blame data producers, we need to look at ourselves and the support we give them. There’s also links to context, finally achieving self-serve analytics, and synthetic customers. Enjoy! You can’t just blame data producers for poor data quality As data teams we know what poor quality data looks like. We… ## [the open door - emily zhou](https://aloe.gay/ringblog/opendoor-zhou/) _2026-05-19 · aloe dot gay main feed_ ¶ \[link to article\](https://anecdata.substack.com/p/the-open-door) ¶ a short, heartfelt reflection regarding "the senseless murder of nineteen-year-old Juniper Blessing, a trans student at the University of Washington in Seattle." found my thoughts ## [Pokopia: The end of history? - Hy Libre, 2026](https://aloe.gay/ringblog/pokopia-libre/) _2026-05-18 · aloe dot gay main feed_ ¶ \[link to post\](https://lightsforcats.com/pokopia/) ¶ i love this whole blog, the writing is just so excellent .. another short fav is the explanation of its title, \[lights for cats\](https://lightsforcats.com/title/) ## [Make your golden paths actually golden](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-05-15-make-your-golden-paths-actually-golden/) _2026-05-15 · Andrew Jones_ Hey, hope you’re well :) Big week for me personally as I started my new role at LocalStack , where I’ll be supporting our data team as we define and scale our data platform architecture. On to the newsletter, and this week I write about how to make your golden paths actually golden. There’s also links to articles on self-serve data, north star metrics for AI data products, and… ## [Per-project VS Code coloured windows](https://andrew-jones.com/blog/per-project-vs-code-coloured-windows/) _2026-05-04 · Andrew Jones_ Following on from my trick to change my terminal colour based on the project (git repo) I’m in, Simon Späti shared that he does the same for his editor, Neovim. Which got me thinking, could I do the same for my editor, VS Code? Turns out I could by writing a small VS Code extension, with AI assistance. This only changes the colour of the title bar, rather than the entire background like my… ## [Data contracts are a simple concept](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-05-01-data-contracts-are-a-simple-concept/) _2026-05-01 · Andrew Jones_ Hello 👋 In this week’s newsletter I write about the simple concept of data contracts, and its power. There’s also links to articles on the 7-table fallacy and measurement engineering. Data contracts are a simple concept In a virtual book signing earlier this week at ODSC East , I was asked: For teams new to the concept, how would you explain data contracts in simple terms? My answer:… ## [if you try to hurt any of my sisters ill fucking kill you](https://aloe.gay/projects/tapes/sisters/) _2026-04-25 · aloe dot gay main feed_ song for trans women. or, you know, its about being a warrior nun or whatever. bye ## [The quality of a data product is its data and its code](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-04-24-the-quality-of-a-data-product-is-its-data-and-its-code/) _2026-04-24 · Andrew Jones_ Hello 👋 Today I write about how the quality of a data product is not just the data, it’s the code behind it too. There’s also links to articles on building an LLM platform, speed when decentralising, and building decision systems. The quality of a data product is its data and its code Often when we think about the quality of a data product, we think only about the data quality, such… ## [Service catalog](https://andrew-jones.com/reference/service-catalog/) _2026-04-23 · Andrew Jones_ A service catalog is an increasingly common component of internal developer platforms. They primarily serve two personas/use cases. The first is a system owner/engineer, who are responsible for services and/or the code behind them. The service catalog gives them one place to go to find out everything about their service or any other service they might be interested in, e.g. to integrate with or to… ## [Try Before You Buy, Risk-Free (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/it74PKU8Er4i) _2026-04-23 · **Sponsored**_ Free trial hosting plus refunds processed in 12-24 hours, guaranteed. ## [Per-project terminal colours](https://andrew-jones.com/blog/per-project-terminal-colours/) _2026-04-23 · Andrew Jones_ Here’s a small but nice improvement I’ve made to my terminal recently that has been effective for me. I generally have many terminal windows open across many git-based projects, which I’m regularly switching between. Now, my terminal windows have different colours for each project. This is what it looks like: This is the code I’ve added to my zshrc , written with AI… ## [The right level of abstraction](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-04-10-the-right-level-of-abstraction/) _2026-04-10 · Andrew Jones_ Hello 👋 This week I write about finding the right level of abstraction. There’s also links to articles on the outbox pattern at scale, first 90 days as a CDO, and measuring latency. The right level of abstraction When building a (data) platform you end up thinking a lot about the abstractions you are providing, and the trade-offs they cause. On one hand, you want to abstract away some… ## [The Contract-driven Data Platform](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-04-03-the-contract-driven-data-platform/) _2026-04-03 · Andrew Jones_ Hey 👋 This week I introduce the contract-driven data platform, and link to an in-depth post I wrote for Modern Data 101. There’s also links to articles on the AI wave, the relevance of business models to data, and a self-improving Text-to-SQL engine. If you have some time off over Easter I hope you have a great time 🐰🥚 The Contract-driven Data Platform Traditional data platforms are a mix… ## [prior panic april 9th @ as220](https://aloe.gay/priorpanic/shows/26-04-09/) _2026-04-03 · aloe dot gay main feed_ ## with kevin holliday and choo choo (ny) ¶ !\[\](image-4.png) ¶ doors 7pm ¶ ## [The data reliability question you're avoiding](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-03-27-the-data-reliability-question-you-re-avoiding/) _2026-03-27 · Andrew Jones_ Hello again 👋 This week I write about the data reliability question you’re avoiding, and whether you are making the right trade-offs. There’s also links to articles on relating rigour, how your pipeline might succeed but your data did not, and how decisions are really made. Finally, last call for the early bird pricing for my in-person Implementing a Data Mesh with Data Contracts… ## [Marx was not a “statist” - Jonas Čeika](https://aloe.gay/ringblog/marx-ceika/) _2026-03-24 · aloe dot gay main feed_ ¶ \[link to article\](https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/jonas-ceika-marx-was-not-a-statist?v=1756314770) ¶ posting the last thing i posted in here made me realize i can just post stuff without writing a whole lot about it, and in ## [What does it mean to take responsibility?](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-03-20-what-does-it-mean-to-take-responsibility/) _2026-03-20 · Andrew Jones_ Hey! Hope you had a good week :) Today I write about what it actually means to take responsibility for data. There’s also links to articles on DucbDB transpilation to reduce warehouse costs, ontologies on Snowflake, and observability becoming a bottleneck. Finally a reminder: Early bird pricing on my only in-person data contracts course this year ends at the end of the month. Do join me in… ## [somethin](https://aloe.gay/projects/tapes/somethin/) _2026-03-18 · aloe dot gay main feed_ i put the guitar thing that goes with "in the morning" in the wrong place ... i had to be done with it though, ill fix it in the album version ## [Polly Wants a Better Argument: The “Stochastic Parrot” Argument is Both Wrong and Actively Harmful](https://aloe.gay/ringblog/polly-gyges/) _2026-03-17 · aloe dot gay main feed_ ¶ ## SE Gyges, Mar 16, 2026 ¶ \[link to article\](https://www.verysane.ai/p/polly-wants-a-better-argument?utm\_source=activity\_item) ¶ this gave me a lot to think about. i think ill wana write more later but rn i ## [The Era of Personal Code: Moving 18 Years of Recipes in a Weekend with LLMs](https://www.kevfoo.com/2026/03/the-era-of-personal-code/) _2026-03-15 · Kevin McMahon · Kevin McMahon_ I used LLMs to migrate 18 years of recipes, including my Grandma's handwritten ones, into structured JSON-LD over a single weekend. ## [Sync Bookmarks Everywhere (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/OZ0tyS5ZbcpJ) _2026-03-15 · **Sponsored**_ Two-way sync keeps folders and toolbar intact across Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. ## [3 common data assumptions worth challenging](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-03-13-3-common-data-assumptions-worth-challenging/) _2026-03-13 · Andrew Jones_ Hello 👋 This week I propose some common data assumptions that I think are worth challenging. There’s also links to articles on data platforms not being a destination, ORKs for data platform prioritisation, and query federation. Also, early bird pricing on my only in-person course this year ends at the end of the month. Do join me in Antwerp! . 3 common data assumptions worth challenging I… ## [The bystander effect on data ownership and responsibility](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-02-27-the-bystander-effect-on-data-ownership-and-responsibility/) _2026-02-27 · Andrew Jones_ Hey friends 👋 Today I write about the bystander effect that happens when ownership and responsibility is unclear. There’s also links to a data contract-driven data mesh, why data engineers should care about knowledge graphs, and support for graphs in BigQuery. The bystander effect on data ownership and responsibility The bystander effect is a social phenomenon where individuals are less… ## [My Spin on Claude Code On-the-Go: Oracle Cloud Always Free + Ntfy Edition](https://www.kevfoo.com/2026/02/my-spin-on-claude-code-on-the-go/) _2026-02-22 · Kevin McMahon · Kevin McMahon_ I saw this post about running Claude Code from a phone and immediately wanted the same thing. There were, however, two areas I thought we could improve upon: Vultr costs real money ($7/day when running), and Poke, a notification service, that is gated behind a truly ridiculous signup process. ## [Terraform for Your Always Free Claude Code VM](https://www.kevfoo.com/2026/02/terraform-for-your-always-free-claude-code-vm/) _2026-02-22 · Kevin McMahon · Kevin McMahon_ In my previous post, I walked through setting up a zero-cost mobile Claude Code environment on Oracle Cloud’s Always Free tier. The VM, VCN, subnet, security list, and internet gateway take maybe 15 minutes to click through in the Oracle console, and you are up and running. ## [What 'Contract' really means in Data Contracts](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-02-20-what-contract-really-means-in-data-contracts/) _2026-02-20 · Andrew Jones_ Hey! Hope you’re well :) Today I write about what ‘contract’ really means in data contracts (hint: it’s interfaces!). There’s also links to articles on ontologies, why data pipelines exist, and how data quality is always an ownership problem. Also, early bird pricing for Data Mesh Live , where I am speaking and also running my only workshop this year , ends on 28th… ## [assorted gearlist thoughts](https://aloe.gay/blog/gearthoguts/) _2026-02-14 · aloe dot gay main feed_ ¶ (this was previously posted as a \[disappearing post\](/ephemerals), but i decided i liked it enough to let it hang around .) ¶ ok so i just redid a ## [The case for intentional friction in data platforms](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-02-13-the-case-for-intentional-friction-in-data-platforms/) _2026-02-13 · Andrew Jones_ Hello again! This week I write about how the intentional application of friction in the data platform can guide user behaviour. There’s also links to a correct-by-design lakehouse, a state of data engineering survey, and anomaly detection at Doordash. Also a quick reminder, my only in-person workshop this year is happening in June in Belgium. Do join us! The case for intentional friction in… ## [starshine](https://aloe.gay/projects/tapes/starshine/) _2026-02-13 · aloe dot gay main feed_ did anyone see the fry scream coming ? like, did you figure id start doing this eventually ? im curious cause i did \*not\* see it coming but now that i tried ## [What happens when a data contract is breached?](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-02-06-what-happens-when-a-data-contract-is-breached/) _2026-02-06 · Andrew Jones_ Hello 👋 This week I write about what happens when a data contract is “breached”, since that is a common question I get asked (although data contracts are not only about enforcement!). There’s also links to articles on the next data bottleneck, barefoot data platforms, and Clickhouse + Postgres. Finally, a spicy pun. What happens when a data contract is breached? Data contracts… ## [The impact of AI-assisted code on your data platform](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-01-30-the-impact-of-ai-assisted-code-on-your-data-platform/) _2026-01-30 · Andrew Jones_ Hey, hope you had a good week! In this week’s newsletter I write about the impact of AI-assisted code on your data platform, and how it moves the bottleneck. There’s also links to articles on how most teams are not building governance, going from data engineering to knowledge engineering, and the case for agent contracts. And finally, a colourful pun. Enjoy! The impact of AI-assisted… ## [Integration vs Interoperability](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-01-23-integration-vs-interoperability/) _2026-01-23 · Andrew Jones_ Hello 👋 This week I’m writing/thinking out loud about integration vs interoperability, and whether we really need to centralise everything in a data warehouse before we can make use of data. There’s also links to articles on the foundation for context graphs, operationalising data science, and small data. Integration vs Interoperability In any organisation of size there will be many… ## [prior panic jan 23 2026 @ as220](https://aloe.gay/priorpanic/shows/26-1-23/) _2026-01-20 · aloe dot gay main feed_ ## with the orrs (nh) and psycho tropics ¶ !\[\](image-3.png) ¶ doors 7pm, music 8:00 ¶ $10, all ages ## [Reversing Conway's law](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-01-16-reversing-conway-s-law/) _2026-01-16 · Andrew Jones_ Hello 👋 hope you had good week! Once again I’ll be running my in-person workshop, Implementing a Data Mesh with Data Contracts , in June in Belgium alongside Data Mesh Live . It will likely be the only in-person workshop I run this year. Do join us if you can! Hit reply if you have any questions :) Now, on to the newsletter, and today I’m writing about reversing Conway’s law to… ## [A feature of architecture](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2026-01-09-a-feature-of-architecture/) _2026-01-09 · Andrew Jones_ Happy new year! If you had a break I hope it was a good one :) Today I’m writing about features of architecture, and the impact they have on processes and ways of working. Also links to articles on orchestration success in decentralised architectures, data modelling for private markets, and unifying batch and streaming. A feature of architecture The process we have and the way we work… ## [curse diver](https://aloe.gay/projects/tapes/diver/) _2026-01-08 · aloe dot gay main feed_ this is something i wrote back in april or may when i was just coming out of a really hard time. i originally was like this one's just for me for processing ## [5 data contract implementations in the wild](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2025-12-19-5-data-contract-implementations-in-the-wild/) _2025-12-19 · Andrew Jones_ Hello for the last time in 2025! Today I’m sharing 5 examples of data contracts in practice. Also links to articles on the latest release of ODCS, the unavoidable movement of data, and being a Staff+ engineer in infra/platform teams. Thanks for reading this year, and I’ll see you in the next one! 5 data contract implementations in the wild Because many companies make it difficult to… ## [simple orchiectomy](https://aloe.gay/transsexing/orchi/) _2025-12-18 · aloe dot gay main feed_ !\[The gallus \\\[ancient trans priestess of Cybele\\\] throws off her clothes, rushes to the center with a great shout and takes up a sword, which, I believe has stood there for ## [Reducing the difficulty of being a data owner](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2025-12-12-reducing-the-difficulty-of-being-a-data-owner/) _2025-12-12 · Andrew Jones_ Hey friends 👋 This week I write about reducing the difficulty of being a data owner. Also links to articles on data contracts at VMO2, metadata as common language, and BlaBlaCars data copilot. Finally, a snowman pun. Enjoy! Reducing the difficulty of being a data owner It’s often difficult to find someone who wants to own data. That’s because it’s difficult to be a data owner.… ## [moonfucker](https://aloe.gay/projects/tapes/moonfucker/) _2025-12-09 · aloe dot gay main feed_ this ones about being a paleolithic werewolf or something. idk im just trying shit ## [Pushing on open doors](https://andrew-jones.com/newsletter/2025-12-05-pushing-on-open-doors/) _2025-12-05 · Andrew Jones_ Hey, hope you’ve had a good week :) Today I’m writing about pushing on open doors when getting started with data contracts. Also links to articles on the ownership of data quality, the basics of data architecture, and OTel with lakehouses. Also, on Monday I’ll be live on LinkedIn / Substack / YouTube talking about Driving Data Quality with Data Contracts: What Data & AI PMs…