Kevin McDonald

Which open source project do you admire the most for its governance? Depth-first search into networking, programming, web development and random tech topics by a bored software engineer.

📆 Daily Prompt [2026-03-08]: Which open source project do you admire the most for its governance?

https://kmcd.dev/prompts/2026-03-08/
#Dailyprompt #writing #softwareengineering

What is a documentation lie you see repeated often? Depth-first search into networking, programming, web development and random tech topics by a bored software engineer.

📆 Daily Prompt [2026-03-07]: What is a documentation lie you see repeated often?

https://kmcd.dev/prompts/2026-03-07/
#Dailyprompt #writing #softwareengineering

If software bugs were real insects, which one would be the most terrifying? Depth-first search into networking, programming, web development and random tech topics by a bored software engineer.

📆 Daily Prompt [2026-03-06]: If software bugs were real insects, which one would be the most terrifying?

https://kmcd.dev/prompts/2026-03-06/
#Dailyprompt #writing #softwareengineering

What is the most impressive 1KB of code you've seen? Depth-first search into networking, programming, web development and random tech topics by a bored software engineer.

📆 Daily Prompt [2026-03-05]: What is the most impressive 1KB of code you've seen?

https://kmcd.dev/prompts/2026-03-05/
#Dailyprompt #writing #softwareengineering

HTTP/2 From Scratch: Part 3 Decoding HPACK and the evolution of the HTTP header

🪧 HTTP/2 From Scratch: Part 3: Decoding HPACK and the evolution of the HTTP header
https://kmcd.dev/posts/http2-from-scratch-part-3/
#Go #Http2 #Protocols #Networking

Describe your perfect keyboard setup. Depth-first search into networking, programming, web development and random tech topics by a bored software engineer.

📆 Daily Prompt [2026-03-04]: Describe your perfect keyboard setup.

https://kmcd.dev/prompts/2026-03-04/
#Dailyprompt #writing #softwareengineering

livemap.kmcd.dev/
kmcd.dev/posts/live-i...

What is a feature you implemented that no one ever used? Depth-first search into networking, programming, web development and random tech topics by a bored software engineer.

📆 Daily Prompt [2026-03-03]: What is a feature you implemented that no one ever used?

https://kmcd.dev/prompts/2026-03-03/
#Dailyprompt #writing #softwareengineering

I built a live map of the Internet's BGP routing. It features an anomalies dashboard that acts as a global networking wall of shame. Just pray your own AS number doesn't pop up on it! 🗺️🚨

📺 livemap.kmcd.dev
📖 kmcd.dev/posts/live-i...

#BGP #GoLang #DataViz #networking

It's live! A gorgeous 24/7 realtime map of the Internet's BGP traffic.

livemap.kmcd.dev

#networking #internet #bgp #technology

Legend

Active Countries

🪧 Building a Live BGP Map: Building a cool looking, real-time BGP map
https://kmcd.dev/posts/live-internet-map/
#Dataviz #Internet-map #Internet #Networking #Bgp #Map #World #Infrastructure #Ebitengine #Go

If you could execute one shell command in real life, what would it be? Depth-first search into networking, programming, web development and random tech topics by a bored software engineer.

📆 Daily Prompt [2026-03-02]: If you could execute one shell command in real life, what would it be?

https://kmcd.dev/prompts/2026-03-02/
#Dailyprompt #writing #softwareengineering

What is the 'Hello World' of your favorite hobby (outside of coding)? Depth-first search into networking, programming, web development and random tech topics by a bored software engineer.

📆 Daily Prompt [2026-03-01]: What is the 'Hello World' of your favorite hobby (outside of coding)?

https://kmcd.dev/prompts/2026-03-01/
#Dailyprompt #writing #softwareengineering

If you had to maintain code written by your past self from 5 years ago, would you hug them or fight them? Depth-first search into networking, programming, web development and random tech topics by a bored software engineer.

📆 Daily Prompt [2026-02-28]: If you had to maintain code written by your past self from 5 years ago, would you hug them or fight them?

https://kmcd.dev/prompts/2026-02-28/
#Dailyprompt #writing #softwareengineering

What is the most useful bash alias you have defined? Depth-first search into networking, programming, web development and random tech topics by a bored software engineer.

📆 Daily Prompt [2026-02-27]: What is the most useful bash alias you have defined?

https://kmcd.dev/prompts/2026-02-27/
#Dailyprompt #writing #softwareengineering

How do you explain what you do for a living to your grandparents? Depth-first search into networking, programming, web development and random tech topics by a bored software engineer.

📆 Daily Prompt [2026-02-26]: How do you explain what you do for a living to your grandparents?

https://kmcd.dev/prompts/2026-02-26/
#Dailyprompt #writing #softwareengineering

I like when people find content that was never actually used in the game. There's a sense of archeology to it where you can see something the game devs, for whatever reason, didn't want you to see yet.

HTTP/2 From Scratch: Part 2 Diving into the binary framing layer and byte-shifting in Go

🪧 HTTP/2 From Scratch: Part 2: Diving into the binary framing layer and byte-shifting in Go
https://kmcd.dev/posts/http2-from-scratch-part-2/
#Go #Http2 #Protocols #Networking

What is your favorite 'Easter egg' in software or games? Depth-first search into networking, programming, web development and random tech topics by a bored software engineer.

📆 Daily Prompt [2026-02-25]: What is your favorite 'Easter egg' in software or games?

https://kmcd.dev/prompts/2026-02-25/
#Dailyprompt #writing #softwareengineering

If you were an OS, which process would you kill first? Depth-first search into networking, programming, web development and random tech topics by a bored software engineer.

📆 Daily Prompt [2026-02-24]: If you were an OS, which process would you kill first?

https://kmcd.dev/prompts/2026-02-24/
#Dailyprompt #writing #softwareengineering

IRC Log: The Cloud Scale Incident An archived log from the #dev-help channel on the Freenode (RIP) afterlife network. [03:12] *** Topic: reckless_dev is now known as broke_dev | Don’t paste API keys [03:14] *** vibe_coder_99 has joined [03:15] yo! anyone good with terraform? i’m trying to launch my new crypto-based to-do list app and the tutorial is too slow. [03:15] What tutorial? Also, crypto to-do list? Why? [03:16] it’s strictly vibes based. i just need it to scale. like, infinite scale. i found this script on a forum that says it “maximizes throughput”. [03:17] Paste the plan. Don’t just run random scripts. [03:18] nah its fine, i just want to know what “p4d.24xlarge” means. sounds powerful. i changed the count to 50 just to be safe for launch day. [03:18] STOP. [03:18] DO NOT RUN THAT. [03:19] That instance is $32 an hour. PER INSTANCE. [03:19] wait really? lol whatever i have $100 in credits. running terraform apply --auto-approve now. [03:19] * sysadmin_dave screams internally [03:22] man aws is slow today. it’s been provisioning for like 2 minutes. [03:22] You are requesting 50 top-tier GPU instances. You are trying to provision a supercomputer to host a to-do list. [03:23] gotta go fast right? 🚀 [03:24] uh guys [03:25] my bank called. fraud alert. something about “unusual spending pattern”. [03:25] You just burned your credits in 4 minutes. You are now spending ~$1600/hour. [03:26] how do i undo??? ctrl-z doesn’t work in terminal!! [03:26] terraform destroy. PRAY that the API isn’t rate limiting you. [03:27] it says “state lock”. i think i closed the window too fast. [03:28] *** vibe_coder_99 has left [03:28] *** vibe_coder_99 has quit (Connection reset by peer: fleeing the country)

🪧 IRC Log: The Cloud Scale Incident:
https://kmcd.dev/posts/irc-log-the-cloud-scale-incident/
#Humor #Irc #Aws #Vibe-coding

What is the longest you have spent debugging a single character error? Depth-first search into networking, programming, web development and random tech topics by a bored software engineer.

📆 Daily Prompt [2026-02-23]: What is the longest you have spent debugging a single character error?

https://kmcd.dev/prompts/2026-02-23/
#Dailyprompt #writing #softwareengineering

Have you ever written a comment that was an apology to future maintainers? Depth-first search into networking, programming, web development and random tech topics by a bored software engineer.

📆 Daily Prompt [2026-02-22]: Have you ever written a comment that was an apology to future maintainers?

https://kmcd.dev/prompts/2026-02-22/
#Dailyprompt #writing #softwareengineering

What is a coding opinion you hold that might get you banned from Hacker News? Depth-first search into networking, programming, web development and random tech topics by a bored software engineer.

📆 Daily Prompt [2026-02-21]: What is a coding opinion you hold that might get you banned from Hacker News?

https://kmcd.dev/prompts/2026-02-21/
#Dailyprompt #writing #softwareengineering

Dark mode or Light mode? (And why is it Dark mode?) Depth-first search into networking, programming, web development and random tech topics by a bored software engineer.

📆 Daily Prompt [2026-02-20]: Dark mode or Light mode? (And why is it Dark mode?)

https://kmcd.dev/prompts/2026-02-20/
#Dailyprompt #writing #softwareengineering

What is the first thing you install on a brand new computer? Depth-first search into networking, programming, web development and random tech topics by a bored software engineer.

📆 Daily Prompt [2026-02-19]: What is the first thing you install on a brand new computer?

https://kmcd.dev/prompts/2026-02-19/
#Dailyprompt #writing #softwareengineering

After

Before

🪧 Visualizing the Internet (2026): Mapping global Internet infrastructure and routing dominance over time
https://kmcd.dev/posts/internet-map-2026/
#Dataviz #Internet-map #Internet #Networking #Bgp #Fiber-optics #Map #World #Infrastructure #Peeringdb #Leaflet #Javascript

If you could remove one meeting from your weekly schedule, which one? Depth-first search into networking, programming, web development and random tech topics by a bored software engineer.

📆 Daily Prompt [2026-02-18]: If you could remove one meeting from your weekly schedule, which one?

https://kmcd.dev/prompts/2026-02-18/
#Dailyprompt #writing #softwareengineering

Internet Infrastructure Map Explore the physical backbone of the internet with our interactive map of undersea fiber optic cables, peering exchange points, and more.

🚨 The 2026 Internet Infrastructure Map is live!

Previous versions visualized the physical Internet (Submarine Cables & IXPs).

This year, I’ve added the logical layer: visualizing IP dominance by mining the global BGP routing table to discover where the Internet actually lives.

🗺️ map.kmcd.dev

What is the best 'It works on my machine' excuse you have heard? Depth-first search into networking, programming, web development and random tech topics by a bored software engineer.

📆 Daily Prompt [2026-02-17]: What is the best 'It works on my machine' excuse you have heard?

https://kmcd.dev/prompts/2026-02-17/
#Dailyprompt #writing #softwareengineering