I’d like to take a moment to provide some resources that I believe are quite useful and informative.

  1. Using XAMPP for hosting WordPress
    Simply because I am utilizing WordPress to write this, I thought I would throw in a WordPress related item. Back in 2013 I dabbled quite extensively in WordPress. I had come across a program called XAMPP, which utilizes an independent web sever coded in Apache, and allows integration of PHP, MySQL, and phpMyAdmin. It essentially allows you to have a fully functional web server for your WordPress site running off a USB, so as long as you have an internet connected computer, you can plug the USB in and host your WordPress site from anywhere (as an alternative to paying a company to host your WordPress site for a fee). I found it extremely useful, however, at that time I went in blindly as it was a new program with little documentation and I relied on my knowledge of coding and how coding language was structured to inform how I would setup and utilize this program. In 2014, there was a blog post on wpbeginner.com (see link above) about setting up XAMPP that streamlined the process of install and initial setup that I wished I had in 2013, instead of the trial & error sequences that I had undergone in trying out this program in it’s earlier stages. This is a great resource for anyone that is looking to use WordPress on a regular basis, and who has the technological (and coding) know-how when it comes to customizing their WP site outside of the standard parameters WordPress is generally constrained to inside of a browser or app. The only real drawback to this program is if you travel in an area with no internet connectivity, your WordPress site will not be accessible to those outside your LAN or WLAN (or if you forget to plug your USB in!). I tend to leave mine plugged into my PC tower at home, which is always running, so I can always access it remotely from anywhere I have internet.
  2. Province of British Columbia’s Fish HabitatWizard
    This entry ties in a great deal to my environmental work, but is a robust resource nevertheless; let’s face it – if you are like me and you have kids – kids like to play in water. There have been many times my kids have waded into a stream, thrown sticks and rocks into a watercourse to see the splashes, and built small dams of silt, substrate, sticks, and larger rocks as tiny little science experiments to observe water’s tendency to follow the path of least resistance. But have we stopped and taken a moment to consider the subtle alterations to this watercourse that could have larger implications? What sedimentation have we caused in the water and how long will that sedimentation take to settle, or how far will it travel downstream? Have we impacted a spawning ground? Is this watercourse, if fish-bearing, still navigable after we’ve altered it? The answers to these questions lie within the HabitatWizard, which uses records the Province possesses from past and present surveys conducted on watercourses to determine if they are fish-bearing, and if so, which species inhabit them. Use this to determine whether your local waterways are kid-friendly or home to sensitive species, or if you are causing irreparable harm by accident. Alternatively, if you are a nature lover like myself, you could use these findings to determine where certain species (of interest to yourself) reside and visit those locations for some observational activities.
    Tony’s Fun Facts: Fact #749201: Several unsuspecting streams near you likely had/have documented goldfish in them.
  3. UBC’s Indigenous Foundations
    Some might be familiar with this topic already, and some not. This link is regarding Indigenous matters. It covers everything from Section 35 of the Constitution, other past legislative decisions and declarations related to Indigenous Rights & Title, and an in-depth review using some precedent-setting court cases of the past to inform analysis. The site features a coherent breakdown of the Section 35 language to assist in understanding the jargon that pertains to Indigenous Rights & Title. They also touch upon and include some of the setbacks Indigenous peoples have faced due to the limitations imposed by the Indian Act, which interacts with Section 35 matters extensively. Along the left-hand side of the page are some related additional links. Knowledge is power.
  4. Learn to Code with Code.org
    Upon opening this site, you’ll be greeted with the smiling faces of children – don’t let this dissuade you – learning to code is for all ages, although this site is geared more towards young learners. Whether you are a beginner, novice, or an intermediate coder, there are lessons to be had for all stages of experience. I frequently use this site to help teach my children the basics of computer programming, and the lessons are intuitive and informative. A great resource for anyone looking to learn more about how computers work, and early code practices. Ever wanted to write your own program, or design a video game? Here is a great place to start with the foundations. Start with the basics, like “what is a keyboard?” and “how do I know it’s turned on?” and move on to more complex topics, like “where do I plug this in?” or “what is the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything?” (the short answer is 42, skip that lesson).
  5. Microsoft’s Power Automate platform
    I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to computers. I use computers for work, I use computers for school, I use computers to play video games, watch movies, and record my music. I can’t escape from computers (no one can, at this point). So let’s embrace the machine by ensuring it is a well oiled one. Now, I know this might sound like a sales pitch, and I promise that it absolutely would be if Microsoft was willing to pay me (they aren’t), but the Power Automate platform is super interesting and a very useful resource in learning how the file and information hierarchy processes are formed and which programming laws cannot be bent or worked around when it comes to computer protocols. I use Power Automate to parse my Outlook emails and file emails and attachments separately to SharePoint; I have them auto-extract information from .pdf files and put them into .xls files in a neat column based on section numbers in the document; I have the metadata pulled from each file in a specific set of subfolders on SharePoint and it compiles them all into a list to keep an up-to-date inventory of files that auto tracks changes by date/time/user modifications into a separate Excel file in a secure location that informs me who accessed what and when. You can automate a response to almost any Microsoft process, or responses to multiple processes in a variety of ways prompted by trigger-related actions, if/and/or variables, manual activations with the press of a button, or just a regularly scheduled copy/move process using keywords in the file name or body of the file contents. It has certain limitations, but used in the correct way can drastically reduce a workload, or keep you on top of that project management/administrative filing that you told yourself you’d do last year and have yet to do still. Allow our future robotic overlords to do the work for you today, because tomorrow they’ll have likely enslaved us (and your chances of filing those documents in the correct places will never happen because robotic overlords don’t believe in “days off.”)