Projects

I like projects. They give me a sense of purpose and also a sense of accomplishment once I’ve completed them. I have several on my ToDo list, and I thought I’d catalog them here.

  • Blessing Bags – I’ve got a list of items to put in bags to give to homeless people in my area. I want to codify the list, find the best deals for buying the items in bulk, and suggest retailers where others can find them in their area. I want to put this information on a website that anyone can access. I didn’t make a lot of progress on this in 2023, but will renew my efforts in 2024.
  • CompTIA Certifications – I’m working on several CompTIA certifications so that I may be better able to help more junior colleagues who lack these skills. I will study for and take IT Fundamentals, A+, Network+, Security+, Cloud Essentials+, Cloud+, Linux+, Server+, CySA+, PenTest+, CASP+, Data+, and Project+. I have (or have had) several of these certifications in the past, but they are either expired or the certifications were taken on older versions of the exam. I want to get them all up to date.
  • Document Scans – I want to scan all of my critical documents (W2s, Tax Returns, Social Security cards, insurance policies, etc) and have them stored in a central place to destroy the originals and not have random heaps of important papers sitting around.
  • eBook – I have around 15,000 words currently written in an eBook entitled Getting Stuff Done. I haven’t worked on it in a year, so I want to do another edit, update my theology, and get it ready for distribution.
  • GeoCache – I like Geocaching, and I like maintaining a cache. I have one ready to go (it’s Star Wars-themed); I just need to find a good place to hide it.
  • Governor Letters – I want to write a letter to each governor of the United States (and associated territories) and ask them three questions. I’m developing the questions to send and the logistics behind the project.
  • Homelab 2.0 – I want to rebuild my Synology-based home lab to increase its capacity. The four drives will be upgraded from 4×4 TB to 4×8 TB, the two caching SSDs will be upgraded to 2TB drives (from 1 TB), and the hosts will be upgraded to 2x Intel NUC i5s with 64 GB of memory. I’m running an older generation of i7s with 32 GB of memory. Once the hardware upgrades are finished, I will rebuild the lab using Center 7.0 and deploy some Fediverse applications.
    • GambleLAN – I will deploy several Fediverse applications in my home lab to help grow the Fediverse community.

      • diaspora – diaspora.gamblelan.com – A new type of social network.

      • friendica – friendica.gamblelan.com – An alternative to Facebook.

      • Funkwhale – funkwhale.gamblelan.com – Like Spotify, but not.

      • Lemmy – lemmy.gamblelan.com – A Reddit-esque Fediverse application.

      • Mastadon – mastadon.gamblelan.com – Decentralized Twitter.

      • Peertube – peertube.gamblelan.com – Youtube without the ads.

      • Pixelfed – pixelfed.gamblelan.com – Instagram for the people.

      • Tor – tor.gamblelan.com – Helping folks escape censorship.

      • WriteFreely – writefreely.gamblelan.com – A simple blogging platform.

  • Hurricane Bag – I need to assemble a grab bag with food, clothing, and supplies required to evacuate a hurricane in a hurry.
  • Lifestyle Church of God – I’m building a website for a church in Lacoochee, Florida.
  • Modern Parables – A website featuring retellings of Biblical parables with more modern contexts.
  • My Tiny Kingdom – MTK is an idea of people adopting small, public greenspaces in their neighborhoods and turning them into vibrant oases for wildlife.
  • New Hope Fellowship of North Idaho – I’m building a website for a church in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
  • Open Convention – This will be a website of standards and best practices to be used by organizers of fan conventions to assist them in running better conventions.
  • WGU – I want to return to school and finish my BS in IT degree.