<file_sep>---
layout: post
title: "Site is Launched!"
date: 2016-08-21
---

After multiple attempts of creating a personal website, I have finally followed through. My previous attempts were way too complicated and made it hard to be productive and proactive. I tried making a single-page application (SPA) with React and Redux, but it was too hard to make changes and I didn't make smart decisions with deployment. I also tried making a full stack Flask/Jinja website, but again, deployment troubles kept me from making progress.

Now, it is _very_ easy to work with my website. It's hosted completely by [GitHub Pages](https://pages.github.com) and powered by [Jekyll](http://jekyllrb.com), so I don't have to worry about deployments or overly complicated JavaScript frameworks. All I have to do is write, because it's Markdown! Jekyll is super easy to use and manage, so I can make rapid changes with little-to-no friction. I look forward to writing more and publishing content. Check back frequently!

--Nick
<file_sep>---
layout: default
title: <NAME>
---
<section class="section">
  <div class="container has-text-centered">
    <figure class="image nick-pic">
      <img src="/assets/images/nick.jpg">
    </figure>
    <h1 class="title">Hi there, I'm <NAME>!</h1>
    <h2 class="subtitle">I'm a software developer. <a href="/about">Read more about me...</a></h2>
  </div>
</section>
<file_sep># ncbrown1.github.io<file_sep>#!/bin/bash

echo "Building site..."
bundle exec jekyll build
git add docs
git commit -m"Automatic site build :: $(date)"
git push origin master
echo "Deployed site to GitHub Pages."
<file_sep><!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
	<head>
		<meta charset="utf-8">
		<title>About Nick</title>
		<meta name="description" content="">
	  <meta name="author" content="<NAME> (<EMAIL>)">

	  <!-- Mobile Specific Metas
	  –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– -->
	  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">

		<!-- FONT
		–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– -->
		<link href="//fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Raleway:400,300,600" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">

		<!-- CSS
	  –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– -->
		<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/assets/css/main.css">

		<!-- JS
		–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– -->
    <script src="/assets/js/font-awesome.js"></script>

	  <!-- Favicon
	  –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– -->
	  <link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/assets/images/favicon.png">
	</head>
	<body>
		<!--BEGIN Nav Header -->
		<section class="hero is-primary is-bold">
		  <!-- Hero header: will stick at the top -->
		  <div class="hero-head">
		    <header class="nav">
		      <div class="container">
		        <div class="nav-left">
		          <a class="nav-item is-brand" href="/">
								<h1 class="title is-4">Nick Brown</h1>
		          </a>
		        </div>

		        <span class="nav-toggle">
		          <span></span>
		          <span></span>
		          <span></span>
		        </span>

					  <div class="nav-right nav-menu">
					    <a class="nav-item" href="/">Home</a>
					    <a class="nav-item" href="/about">About</a>
					    <a class="nav-item" href="/resume">Resume</a>
					    <a class="nav-item" href="/resume/portfolio">Portfolio</a>
					    <a class="nav-item" href="/blog">Blog</a>
					  </div>
		      </div>
		    </header>
		  </div>

			
			  <!-- Hero content: will be in the middle -->
			  <div class="hero-body">
			    <div class="container has-text-centered">
			      <h1 class="title">
			        About Nick
			      </h1>
			      <h2 class="subtitle">
							
			        	How I got here and why I made this blog.
							
			      </h2>
			    </div>
			  </div>
			

			
				<!-- Hero footer: will stick at the bottom -->
				<div class="hero-foot">
					<nav class="tabs is-boxed is-fullwidth sideways-scroll">
						<div class="container">
							<ul>
								
									<li><a href="#my-blog">My Blog</a></li>
								
									<li><a href="#my-self">My Self</a></li>
								
									<li><a href="#my-story">My Story</a></li>
								
									<li><a href="/about/books">My Books</a></li>
								
							</ul>
						</div>
					</nav>
				</div>
			
		</section>
		<!--END Nav Header -->

		<section class="section">
  <div class="container content">

    <h2 class="title is-3" id="my-blog">My Blog</h2>

    <p>This blog is the manifestation of the ongoings in my head that normally only get shared verbally with those that I interact with. I often find myself repeating the same stories, lessons, and ideas to many different people in a week, so perhaps it is time to start keeping track of it all in a way that is public for more than just my friends.</p>

    <p>What you read here will be a mix of material based on what is interesting to me at any given time. Most of the time, it will be programming or software-related, but it may venture out to different subjects, such as business, lifestyle, or even music. I have not blogged before, so please be patient as I develop my online voice.</p>

    <h2 class="title is-3" id="my-self">My Self</h2>

    <p>My first line of code was written a little over six years ago in my AP Computer Science class in high school: “hello world” in Java. It was a simple idea planted in my head, that I could just type some words in a text file and make the computer do what I wanted it to do. That idea took off and I just hung on for the ride. Hundreds of “hello world” programs later, I sit here about to start my career in the tech industry as a software developer.</p>

    <p>I am close to graduating from UC Santa Barbara with my Master’s degree in Computer Science, and my career is starting to unfold itself before my eyes. I do not know what the next few years have in store for me, but all I hope for is that I will be able to continue to learn and grow professionally so that I can continue to provide value to those around me. My latest endeavor has been Site Reliability Engineering at LinkedIn, where I am learning a great deal about product operations and site stability for massive scale cloud applications. It is an extremely rewarding experience, and it is my plan to continue with it.</p>

    <h2 class="title is-3" id="my-story">My Story</h2>

    <p>I was born and raised in Orange County, California, where I completed all of my K-12 schooling. My alma mater there is Valencia High School (class of 2013), where I participated in music, academic decathlon, student leadership, and ValTech (their tech program). Once I graduated from high school, I transitioned to college at UC Santa Barbara in Goleta, CA, where I studied Computer Science. I completed my Bachelor’s of Science in two and a half years, but was allowed to continue on into a Master’s program right away.</p>

    <p>When I am not coding, I really enjoy listening to and playing music. I am an avid saxophonist in the UCSB Jazz ensembles, which helps me exercise my creativity in a less engineer-minded way. Hopefully I will be able to continue with that past graduation. To a lesser extent, I enjoy playing guitar and ukelele, but it seems as though my skills at those instruments have deteriorated over time.</p>

    <p>Aside from music, my other passions include cooking/food, reading**, entrepreneurship, and fitness.</p>

    <p>** If you want to know what I read, check out my "<a href="/about/books">Books to Read</a>" page!</p>
  </div>
</section>


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