Now that 2018 is in the rearview mirror, it's time to set some goals for the new year. Most of these have been on my mind for a while, but it's good to define them into actionable items that can be reasonably accomplished within the year. My goals can be best summarized as a focus on privacy, sustainability, and breadth-first experience.
- Privacy - With all of the very public headlines about the erosion of privacy in our society, this is my primary goal for 2019. I want to focus on using and supporting technology that respects the users' data, which is becoming the currency of the age we live in. I already got started on this in 2018 when I began using DuckDuckGo as my default search engine, and I hope to continue to switch to platforms that are more privacy-focused, including leaving Gmail for a service like ProtonMail. I also am interested in switching to a Linux-based OS as my daily driver, although unfortunately I don't think I'll be able to completely dump Windows due to some digital audio workstation software I use (as well as a game or two). Finally, I hope to minimize my social media footprint as much as possible. The goal here is to reach zero use, although that will likely prove difficult since social media is the only way I currently communicate with some friends and family.
- Sustainability - My better half has inspired me to take on this goal, since this will be a focus for her as well. We don't often think about the impact of our consumption upon the environment, especially with the great convenience the modern lifestyle affords. Technology is one of the culprits behind this, but I also believe that it can be one of the solutions as well. In 2019, I want to focus on using technology to help solve the problem (going paperless, repurposing old systems, etc.) rather than contribute to it.
- Breadth-First Experience - For the past three years, I've worked on the same software platform, and most of my career has been focused on the .NET stack. In 2019, I want to branch out a little bit, and gain an exposure to a wider variety of technology. I would still like to expand on my existing knowledge of React as well, and ideally I'll be able to use both React and new backend stacks on future projects.