Katherine Nieman2024 has come to an end, continuing the trend of being the new best year of my life so far. I’ve made many meaningful changes and learned a lot about myself in the process. One big realization is that I freeze up when I feel overwhelmed by big things I can’t control. Current events and […]
Introduction In spring of 2022, I had to complete a research project for my computer science degree. Due to the nature of my work, gRPC load balancing was front of mind for me, so I picked it as my research topic. To conduct my research, I set up a Kubernetes cluster on my home network […]
Hi, I’m Katherine Nieman, and I go to the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium in Draper, Utah pretty regularly. Please enjoy my guided tour through the aquarium, which features the highlights and exhibit ordering I use when I take my friends through the aquarium. Hopefully this guide will enhance your experience at the aquarium and give […]
In many software professional internet spaces, I’ve found that the “anyone can code” culture dominates, glorifying success stories of self-taught developers, and propelled by fast-paced coding boot camps and self-paced, online, non-academic courses. There is some merit to the idea that “anyone can code”, and many developers have benefited from that culture, including myself, as […]
In a 2015 article titled “Programmers: Stop Calling Yourselves Engineers” by the Atlantic, the author argues “The title ‘engineer’ is cheapened by the tech industry” and sites software-related incidents including many large-scale data breaches of companies such as Target, Home Depot, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Other software-related faux pas, such as the Volkswagen diesel-emissions […]
I think a lot about the changes and challenges our world is facing that will intensify over time, and what it will take for Americans to navigate it. The changes, for example, are things like AI and technology, corporate moves towards sustainability, the labor force, and the automation of jobs. The challenges are much more […]
There are many “too real” moments in Clifford Stoll’s book The Cuckoo’s Egg, as the protagonist, Cliff, goes on a journey of troubleshooting and navigating government bureaucracy to catch a hacker he discovered in his university’s research computers. For one, Cliff’s narrations through his troubleshooting methodology was was a far cry from many of the […]
In reading about Ada Lovelace, the first computer programmer, I was inspired by her self-awareness toward her mathematical and logical abilities. Nowadays, I get the impression that having imposter syndrome is considered a natural and persistent part of being a woman in the engineering and technology world. While it is possible to struggle with self-doubt […]
Source: GIZMODO: Belarus Turned Off the Internet. Its Citizens Hot-Wired It. Belarus’s state-mandated internet shutdowns bear testimony to the power of the internet. I find it inspiriting that in response to the government’s Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) attack, Belarusian citizens turned to apps and VPN’s to circumvent the block. The way they have utilized social […]