Wired Woodsman

Purpose

I don't think of this website as a project showcase, although it closely resembles one. I don't care if anyone ever sees this. I don't care if I am writing into the abyss. I think that it is important to document and measure what you do while you are alive. My hope is that in 1000 years someone will stumble upon this website and see who I am. In a way, I may never truly die.

I am most interested in writing and creating content about topics closely related to the outdoors. Skiing, climbing, mountaineering, methodology, trip reports, testing gear. The same bullshit that everyone is trying to do. That is not a limit. I intend to write about anything that I find interesting or useful. Unrelated articles about tech and other random topics may just be harder to find. In fact, you may find some of those articles linked below.

Additionally, I find that this website gives me a reason to create. It gives me a reason to visit every place that you can mountain bike in Kansas City instead of just going to the one I like the most. It gives me a reason to skin the extra few miles to see what is over the saddle. It is a process that I have come to love, and cannot imaging a life not written down.

Lastly, while I make works that are going to end up on this site, ideas start pouring out. I think that creating and writing about ideas makes me really think everything through, and that leads to another idea, and then another.

Name

Inspired by a coffee shop that was in Rapid City, South Dakota. I'm not sure why the name stuck but it did! The Coffee shops has since went out of business, and I have started using the name!

Construction

I used a few different technologies to build the site. MDX was defiantly the focal point. I wanted to be able to freely type out a document and not have to reformat it, but I also wanted the flexibility to add extra functionality that you would not get from a standard WordPress website. MDX was perfect for this, however there was defiantly some setup and learning required to get everything that I wanted.

For example, it was very important to me to be able to go to a directory, create a file using a template, and everything just work. It is hard for me to switch from programming to writing, so much so that most of the articles start as pure text, then I go back and add all of the needed photos and other components. I was able to keep programming out of my writing by creating some server code that looks at the metadata exported from every post. You can read more about the some of the challenges, and solutions, from the links below:

• Exporting Metadata From MDX Files
• Setting Up Neovim For MDX
• Easy MDX Linking
• MDX Typography Setup
• MDX Stat Section Methodology

Tech Stack

The tech stack for this site is pretty much just Nextjs, React, and MDX. I use a few libraries but try to keep it to a minimum.

Database

There is currently no backed(there are Nextjs server functions and API routes) or database. It is 100% static. There are some files that contain data that might look awfully similar to a noSQL database but that is just complexity. I want to model the data very quickly and at the end of the day it is static. At some point if the need arises I am open to adding a database.

Cool Stuff

I lied above, there is more at play at certain parts of the application. For instance, take a look at the below simple guessing game:

Super simple? It could be, but this small exersice might look familar to you. This is part of 'the book' of Rust. In fact it is actually Rust code that is being ran on the server. This is what I love about this tech stack, you can simply write simple blog posts that contain words of pictures or embed games that use rust for all of the logic. This ability really sets this website apart!

You may have caught me dancing around how this works. It uses React code for the UI and utilizes and API route, that runs rust code, to get the numbers and check the guesses. You can read more about the project here:

• Rust Chapter 2
• All Rust Projects

What Text Editor Do I Use To Write

Neovim & Tmux are the only useful tools, other than pen & paper, for writing down ideas, or really anything for that matter. Neovim frees the user from any fees, accounts, or other monetary commitments. It frees the mind from all of the bugs that are associated with other programs. Lastly, Neovim frees the user from looking at their desk. There is no need to engage your brain to look for the mouse. You simply type. Isn't that all writing should be?

Microsoft is one of the worst companies in the world. Windows is the worst operating system and Microsoft Word is there worst text editor. If you are a current user, stop. Why do you need to pay to use your computer or write down ideas? Why do you need to have an account to express yourself? I hate being accounted for. I have seen all of the computers that have been discarded due to the windows 11 update. Totally unnecessary and counter productive to the green indicatives that Bill promotes.