A Lucky Tombola Win and the Start of My Midlands Bonsai Society Journey

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About 15 years ago, I won a large Jade bonsai at a raffle during a visit to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens with my sons. Over time, caring for the bonsai became more of a duty than a passion, but recently, I joined the Midlands Bonsai Society (MBS) for guidance on how to properly look after it. With help from members, I learned about techniques such as back budding and successfully repotted the bonsai. My initial journey with bonsai care has been rewarding, and I look forward to continuing this process with the support of the MBS.

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MapReduce: A 20-Year Retrospective on How Jeffrey Dean and Sanjay Ghemawat Revolutionised Data Processing

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This article provides a retrospective on the 20th anniversary of Jeffrey Dean and Sanjay Ghemawat’s seminal paper, “MapReduce: Simplified Data Processing on Large Clusters”. It explores the paper’s lasting impact on data processing, its influence on the development of big data technologies like Hadoop, and its broader implications for industries ranging from digital advertising to healthcare. The article also looks ahead to future trends in data processing, including stream processing and AI, emphasising how MapReduce’s principles will continue to shape the future of distributed computing.

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Celebrating a Milestone: Horkan.com Reaches 12th on Feedspot’s UK Tech Blog List

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I’m pleased to share that Horkan.com has been recognised as the 12th most widely read tech blog from the UK by Feedspot, based on RSS feed aggregation in their recent article “Top 70 UK Tech RSS Feeds“. This acknowledgement is a significant moment for me, reflecting a journey that began over 17 years ago.

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Revisiting the Cloud Security Initiative: Reflections on the Journey

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In 2009, I spearheaded an initiative to establish a cloud security working group aimed at addressing the sovereignty and security of UK data within the cloud. The goal was to create a cross-sector collaboration involving both public and private entities, with the aim of ensuring that the UK maintained control over its critical data as cloud computing emerged as a pivotal part of the national infrastructure.

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Revisiting the Home Office’s Big Data Initiative: A Success Story in Modernising Border Security

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This article revisits the Home Office’s 2013 initiative to modernise border security using Big Data and Machine Learning. It highlights significant cost reductions, enhanced functionality through advanced data integration, and the strategic shift to open-source technologies, which improved security and flexibility. The piece also reflects on the challenges of avoiding vendor lock-in while strengthening UK border operations.

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Revisiting the Cloud Computing Panel at Julie Meyer’s Entrepreneur Country: Reflections 15 Years On

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This article revisits a 2009 cloud computing panel discussion at the ‘Entrepreneur Country’ event, hosted by Julie Meyer, examining how the ideas and predictions shared during the event have influenced the evolution of cloud computing over the past 15 years. It reflects on the entrepreneurial context of the time, the adoption and maturity of cloud services, legal and regulatory challenges, and the future vision for cloud technology, offering insights into the lessons learned and their relevance today.

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Revisiting the Cloud Computing Model: A 15-Year Reflection

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This new article revisits a conceptual framework of cloud computing I introduced in 2009, exploring how cloud roles, billing models, and security have evolved over the past 15 years. It discusses the maturity of cloud services, the expansion of “as-a-service” models, and the rise of country-specific cloud solutions. The piece also highlights potential disadvantages such as hidden costs, vendor lock-in, and the recent trend of companies moving away from cloud providers. The article concludes with predictions of cloud computing.

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Optimising SQL in Ruby on Rails with PostgreSQL: Best Practices and Strategies

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This article explores strategies for optimising SQL performance in Ruby on Rails applications using PostgreSQL. It covers techniques such as avoiding N+1 queries, efficient indexing, leveraging PostgreSQL-specific features, and monitoring performance to ensure applications remain efficient and scalable.

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Practical Strategies for Optimising SQL: Refactoring, Indexing, and ORM Best Practices

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This article provides practical strategies for optimising SQL performance, covering query refactoring, index usage, and ORM best practices. It offers developers actionable tips to improve the efficiency and scalability of their applications.

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Leveraging Sequence Diagrams for SQL Optimisation: A Non-Functional Perspective

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This article explores how extending sequence diagrams to include non-functional aspects can help developers better understand and optimise SQL performance by highlighting often-overlooked details like database hits and data transfer volumes.

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