Robert Burnham
@burnham.bsky.social
Pragmatist & Principal Front-End Engineer. My hobbies include having lots of hobbies, losing interest in my hobbies, and pursuing old hobbies. Lifelong passion in software development and gaming. Recent interests include woodworking, astronomy, and cooking
Pinned
Robert Burnham
@burnham.bsky.social
· Nov 18
I'm a software engineer working with web technologies (especially front-end) in the southeastern United States. I am/have:
- Happily married since 2008
- Two teenage daughters
- a gamer (Strategy, 4x, RPG, looter-shooters, a few others)
- a DIYer
- an occasional outdoor enjoyer
- ADHD & Autism
- Happily married since 2008
- Two teenage daughters
- a gamer (Strategy, 4x, RPG, looter-shooters, a few others)
- a DIYer
- an occasional outdoor enjoyer
- ADHD & Autism
Had a nice little #motorcycle ride down to Walter Hill Dam. With the park here, I almost wish I had brought the dogs, but then I definitely wouldn't have been able to enjoy the ride.
October 10, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Had a nice little #motorcycle ride down to Walter Hill Dam. With the park here, I almost wish I had brought the dogs, but then I definitely wouldn't have been able to enjoy the ride.
@duneawakening.com I - for one - am enjoying the game immensely as a solo player. Aside from all the other great things, the resource gathering, tech pacing, progression, etc all feel great for soloers and the DD doesn't feel like as big of a gamble. Keep up the great work!
June 30, 2025 at 10:46 PM
@duneawakening.com I - for one - am enjoying the game immensely as a solo player. Aside from all the other great things, the resource gathering, tech pacing, progression, etc all feel great for soloers and the DD doesn't feel like as big of a gamble. Keep up the great work!
Late last night I stumbled upon pinning recipes in @duneawakening.com by pressing `y` while hovering over a schematic in a fabricator. Looks like the feature isn't quite done, or was put on hold? I imagine it might've been conceived as providing a resource overlay?
June 23, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Late last night I stumbled upon pinning recipes in @duneawakening.com by pressing `y` while hovering over a schematic in a fabricator. Looks like the feature isn't quite done, or was put on hold? I imagine it might've been conceived as providing a resource overlay?
You only need a couple of skills to be a good software engineer. It's not html/css/js or python, c#. Their absence from bootcamps is a glaring (but not unexpected) oversight...
You need critical thinking and curiosity. No coding bootcamp or generative Ai is going to make up for the lack of these
You need critical thinking and curiosity. No coding bootcamp or generative Ai is going to make up for the lack of these
May 20, 2025 at 1:18 PM
You only need a couple of skills to be a good software engineer. It's not html/css/js or python, c#. Their absence from bootcamps is a glaring (but not unexpected) oversight...
You need critical thinking and curiosity. No coding bootcamp or generative Ai is going to make up for the lack of these
You need critical thinking and curiosity. No coding bootcamp or generative Ai is going to make up for the lack of these
I'm proud to announce the imminent release of my IaC library. Setting up infrastructure has never been easier. Need a <WebServer /> or a <MessageBus /> ? Just render them as server components and you'll get the on-demand infrastructure you need!
Web development has never been more convenient!!!!
Web development has never been more convenient!!!!
React Act 9999: maybe everything is one thing
React Act I: Maybe html/css/js could be one thing
React Act II: Maybe client/server could be one thing
React Act III: ???
React Act II: Maybe client/server could be one thing
React Act III: ???
May 9, 2025 at 4:00 PM
I'm proud to announce the imminent release of my IaC library. Setting up infrastructure has never been easier. Need a <WebServer /> or a <MessageBus /> ? Just render them as server components and you'll get the on-demand infrastructure you need!
Web development has never been more convenient!!!!
Web development has never been more convenient!!!!
This is a great write up on the use of the context provider pattern in React, from the perspective of debunking the main argument against it. That being said, I would * its conclusions in stating that splitting up state into `n` context providers is often difficult at scale in large apps. Its much..
No, react context is not causing too many renders
A lot of people are under the impression that context shouldn't be used to store state, because it'll cause the entire application tree to re-render. This is a misnomer.
blacksheepcode.com
May 9, 2025 at 3:00 PM
This is a great write up on the use of the context provider pattern in React, from the perspective of debunking the main argument against it. That being said, I would * its conclusions in stating that splitting up state into `n` context providers is often difficult at scale in large apps. Its much..
I've been off and on work a side project for a few days now and as I head to bed on an unproductive evening, I'm reminded that it's better to iterate without fear for needing to rewrite than to fret over building it perfectly (and not getting anything built at all).
May 4, 2025 at 7:06 AM
I've been off and on work a side project for a few days now and as I head to bed on an unproductive evening, I'm reminded that it's better to iterate without fear for needing to rewrite than to fret over building it perfectly (and not getting anything built at all).
I cannot overstate the importance of Ubiquitous Language (UL) in development teams, especially in large apps. Bonus points if your product owner/manager is on-board.
User-issues, internal discussions, documentation, code (BE and FE) are all benefited from a shared, intentional UL.
User-issues, internal discussions, documentation, code (BE and FE) are all benefited from a shared, intentional UL.
April 9, 2025 at 6:10 PM
I cannot overstate the importance of Ubiquitous Language (UL) in development teams, especially in large apps. Bonus points if your product owner/manager is on-board.
User-issues, internal discussions, documentation, code (BE and FE) are all benefited from a shared, intentional UL.
User-issues, internal discussions, documentation, code (BE and FE) are all benefited from a shared, intentional UL.
Imagine how much simpler it would be if `<tbody>` (display: table-row-group) simply supported overflow: auto. It wouldn't solve all use-cases that require a table constructed from divs, but at the very least it solves the most common one.
March 31, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Imagine how much simpler it would be if `<tbody>` (display: table-row-group) simply supported overflow: auto. It wouldn't solve all use-cases that require a table constructed from divs, but at the very least it solves the most common one.
Strongly recommend building an eventually-consistent SPA as an exercise for working with React/Redux (or choose your persistence layer) on the front end. If only there was an easy way to spin up the backend as well. Hrmmmm
March 26, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Strongly recommend building an eventually-consistent SPA as an exercise for working with React/Redux (or choose your persistence layer) on the front end. If only there was an easy way to spin up the backend as well. Hrmmmm
Rented a self service uhaul for 10:00am...apparently if you don't pick it up prior to that time, the app doesn't allow you. Nor does the in app chat work at all. The one thing lacking about bluesky is the ability to tag the social media accounts associated with things that are broken.
March 16, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Rented a self service uhaul for 10:00am...apparently if you don't pick it up prior to that time, the app doesn't allow you. Nor does the in app chat work at all. The one thing lacking about bluesky is the ability to tag the social media accounts associated with things that are broken.
Hot take, Javascript is not bad, it's immature; so slow to mature, in fact, that we've normalized it's shortcomings. From tool chains, to libraries, frameworks...Hell, even typescript and webassembly.
I have a sneaking suspicion the cause is nuanced, but lies in the hands of browsers
I have a sneaking suspicion the cause is nuanced, but lies in the hands of browsers
March 12, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Hot take, Javascript is not bad, it's immature; so slow to mature, in fact, that we've normalized it's shortcomings. From tool chains, to libraries, frameworks...Hell, even typescript and webassembly.
I have a sneaking suspicion the cause is nuanced, but lies in the hands of browsers
I have a sneaking suspicion the cause is nuanced, but lies in the hands of browsers
Audible why do you not have a volume control on your web player? This is awful
March 6, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Audible why do you not have a volume control on your web player? This is awful
jQuery still doing damage 15 years later
The CSS `:has()` operator was originally forgiving: if one selector in a list was invalid, others still worked. That changed after it was discovered this rule broke jQuery. An invalid selector now breaks the whole rule.
In 2022, the W3C was still making concessions to jQuery.
In 2022, the W3C was still making concessions to jQuery.
March 6, 2025 at 3:43 PM
jQuery still doing damage 15 years later
@tannerlinsley.com Any idea what's up w/ the tanstack-table docs? The pages where the v7 docs are hosted don't load the old v7 docs and the v8 docs are riddled with broken links (not to mention they are just kind of awful in their current form...as if they're meant to be read "cover to cover")
March 4, 2025 at 9:17 PM
@tannerlinsley.com Any idea what's up w/ the tanstack-table docs? The pages where the v7 docs are hosted don't load the old v7 docs and the v8 docs are riddled with broken links (not to mention they are just kind of awful in their current form...as if they're meant to be read "cover to cover")
Anyone intimately familiar with `canvasElement.captureStream()` intended behavior? Running into a bug and not sure which side of the equation its on. Publishing `CanvasCaptureMediaStreamTrack` that results (with or without a framerate specified) to webRTC behaves oddly unless you continually draw it
February 24, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Anyone intimately familiar with `canvasElement.captureStream()` intended behavior? Running into a bug and not sure which side of the equation its on. Publishing `CanvasCaptureMediaStreamTrack` that results (with or without a framerate specified) to webRTC behaves oddly unless you continually draw it
Just a heads up, Reacher got to be where he is by fighting and surviving in the Hunger Games, nearly 12 years ago. Don't ever give up, keep pushing even when you're think you're heading for certain death.
January 27, 2025 at 5:08 AM
Just a heads up, Reacher got to be where he is by fighting and surviving in the Hunger Games, nearly 12 years ago. Don't ever give up, keep pushing even when you're think you're heading for certain death.
Just spent 40 minutes making deviled eggs only to be reminded that I do not like deviled eggs in the slightest.
January 24, 2025 at 5:52 AM
Just spent 40 minutes making deviled eggs only to be reminded that I do not like deviled eggs in the slightest.
@gothamchess.bsky.social Recent uptick in accounts taking your shorts content and reposting it as their own. Hopefully someone on your YT account can go through the necessary process to file copyright claims, as only you can do that.
www.youtube.com/shorts/Tw3Z9...
www.youtube.com/shorts/Tw3Z9...
January 21, 2025 at 7:41 PM
@gothamchess.bsky.social Recent uptick in accounts taking your shorts content and reposting it as their own. Hopefully someone on your YT account can go through the necessary process to file copyright claims, as only you can do that.
www.youtube.com/shorts/Tw3Z9...
www.youtube.com/shorts/Tw3Z9...
For those of you using mobx in moderate to large React applications, I'm curious how you find it and what your motivations were in choosing it as your persistence layer. It's one of the few I've not used very much, and it's patterns don't feel like they're well adapted to big apps? Not sure
December 29, 2024 at 8:18 AM
For those of you using mobx in moderate to large React applications, I'm curious how you find it and what your motivations were in choosing it as your persistence layer. It's one of the few I've not used very much, and it's patterns don't feel like they're well adapted to big apps? Not sure
Space Engineers 2 enters EA on January 27th! Woot woot!
(PC Only it seems, womp womp)
(PC Only it seems, womp womp)
December 25, 2024 at 5:40 PM
Space Engineers 2 enters EA on January 27th! Woot woot!
(PC Only it seems, womp womp)
(PC Only it seems, womp womp)
Fun fact, the stuff Kevin buys from the grocery store in home alone that costed $20 in 1980 would now cost you about $47, but adjusted for inflation that $20 is more like $80 in 2024 dollars.... So those particular groceries are cheaper now, despite higher average cost of living today.
December 25, 2024 at 6:57 AM
Fun fact, the stuff Kevin buys from the grocery store in home alone that costed $20 in 1980 would now cost you about $47, but adjusted for inflation that $20 is more like $80 in 2024 dollars.... So those particular groceries are cheaper now, despite higher average cost of living today.
I am continually surprised by the tendency to bash on any framework or tool in front end web development. I guess folks haven't considered that the reason something new is coming out every other month is because everything else is out there has its failings. Don't be elitist.
December 20, 2024 at 8:04 PM
I am continually surprised by the tendency to bash on any framework or tool in front end web development. I guess folks haven't considered that the reason something new is coming out every other month is because everything else is out there has its failings. Don't be elitist.
@hipstersmoothie.com Alas it would seem the web developers feed may be down? I've gotten the graze.social rate-limited error before, especially during peak hours, but the current one is of a different beast (unless graze is experiencing a broader outage)
December 18, 2024 at 4:03 PM
@hipstersmoothie.com Alas it would seem the web developers feed may be down? I've gotten the graze.social rate-limited error before, especially during peak hours, but the current one is of a different beast (unless graze is experiencing a broader outage)
Would love for the ability to just not see people who exclusively post links to blog posts and contribute nothing else to this platform.
December 16, 2024 at 3:34 PM
Would love for the ability to just not see people who exclusively post links to blog posts and contribute nothing else to this platform.