iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Opened my email today and saw my man Kelvin is hosting an AI Agent Webinar for WGU! We met at CYC ‘24, not at the conference, but in line for a cheesesteak. 😂 Two years later, he’s got his degree on the wall and is hosting webinars for WGU. Congrats, Kelvin! 👏

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

@commityourcode.bsky.social is more than your typical conference. It’s about bringing people together. Sometimes that’s through a talk, sometimes a hallway conversation, and sometimes it’s on a pickleball court. 😂🏓 The conference brings people together. The community keeps them together.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

When I’m talking to someone well-known or in a leadership position, I become hyper-aware of their time, especially at conferences when others are waiting. Sometimes I wonder if I’m actually cutting good conversations short because I’m too worried about being respectful. Does anyone else do this?

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I often forget to take pictures when I’m in the moment, but when I remember, Noah Harris never misses a chance to photobomb. 😂 Great meeting Veronika and Eric, my fellow New Jerseyan, and reconnecting with Tobi!

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I normally don’t text myself notes after a chat, unless I’m talking to @robocel.bsky.social . Caught him at @commityourcode.bsky.social for a quick chat and walked away feeling like he handed me the winning playbook on a silver platter. I can’t wait to message him in 6 months with the results.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Great catching up with Dennis Garcia at @commityourcode.bsky.social, the only person to find my hidden Easter egg, which led to an important lesson about React’s `useEffect`. He’s hard to track down (not because he’s short); he’s always helping somewhere. Thanks for the insight and confidence boost!

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Huge thanks to the people behind @commityourcode.bsky.social and DSD. They’ve definitely earned those gray hairs 😂 I’ve been to CYC all 3 years, but this was by far the most impactful. I went in with a specific goal and accomplished it, but the unexpected conversations were the highlight!

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Only one day until the Commit Your Code Conference, and I just passed the final class of my first term at WGU! Now I can head to Dallas with school off my mind, enjoy the conference, and maybe share some exciting news soon. 👀

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

It's my favorite holiday! 🇺🇸 I'm trading my keyboard for fireworks. 💥 Happy Independence Day!

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

I’ve been reading "A Common-Sense Guide to Data Structures and Algorithms" by Jay Wengrow to help with my DSA class. It is a fantastic resource! I just posted my first blog exploring O(N) vs O(log N) using linear and binary search. Check it out: djneill.com/blog/linear-...

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

I had a great chat with @barretblake.dev today. Thank you, Barret. Key takeaways: • Portfolio > resume (show demos + code) • Communication is underrated • AI is a tool, not a crutch • .NET fundamentals (LINQ, testing, architecture) matter Time to execute.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

I accidentally downloaded the Unity game engine a couple of years ago, and it changed everything. First freelance site → full-stack apps → now working in C#/.NET Just earned an Excellence Award in Web Dev Foundations at WGU. Looking forward to what’s next.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Commit Your Code 26 tickets are LIVE! I got mine, you gonna get yours? 100 speakers, 6 tracks, and 100% of the proceeds go to charity. It’s a no-brainer. Who am I seeing in Plano this September? Drop a comment if you’re going! www.commityourcode.com

commityourcode.com

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Just launched a site for a food truck that solves a real problem. No more digging through social media to find their location. The owner updates it once, and customers get real-time info + one-click directions. Simple. Useful. Built for real life. eatbstreats.com

eatbstreats.com

B's Treats | Froyo, Acai Bowls & Coffee | Central Texas

Veteran-owned food truck serving premium frozen yogurt, fresh acai bowls, and specialty coffee across Temple, Belton, and Killeen, TX. High-quality ingredients, bold flavors, and a welcoming…

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

A few years ago, I archived my great-grandfather’s newspaper articles from his time as a professional athlete so future generations could access them online.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Finished my PM class and used the gap to build something personal. A permanent family recipe site preserving my grandmother’s baking. Zero cost. Zero maintenance. Built to run forever. Cloudflare Pages + D1 + R2 React Router v7 + TypeScript Magic link auth I like building things that outlive me.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

Huge thanks to @rtbenfield.dev for taking the time to connect. Mock interview, Resume & portfolio review (my head may not have fit out the door 😅), plus golden insights on using AI alongside coding & how to tell your story efficiently.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

When you're freelancing, it's not just about the solution. You have to clearly show the business value. How does it solve a need they might not even realize exists, and how does it benefit both the company and its customers?

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

Any Linux enthusiasts here? I’m reviving an old MacBook Pro with a new hard drive and transforming it into a Linux playground. Which distros or configurations would you suggest for experimenting and learning?

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

I wasn't planning on a redesign, but after a bit of inspiration from @dthompsondev.bsky.social, the wheels started turning. I knew I had to create something more impactful and story-driven. I’m locking the editor on this portfolio for at least 6–12 months. djneill.com

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

It is my favorite time of the year! I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

Been playing with Blazor and found some cool differences from React. Blazor puts UI first and logic at the bottom, but you can move the logic into a clean “code-behind” partial class to keep things tidy. Routing is also simple: just add an @page declaration in the component.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

It's chili season! That's right, there are beans, jalapeños, green chillies, and it's amazing. Once the temp gets below 50 I'm ready for some chili. How do you like your chili?

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

Dockerized my pickleball scoreboard app and moved it from Azure ($15/mo) to Render (free). Containerized a React + .NET 9 monorepo, fixed CORS, OAuth redirects, Vite env vars, and DB configs. Cleaner deploys, better dev/prod exp., zero cost. Love when refactors simplify things.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

Back on my Mac after some WinForms/WPF work. Had to use Razor Pages and remembered I’m not a Bootstrap fan. So I JS’d my .NET, added Node, tossed in Tailwind… and boom — Razor Pages in the 25th century. Here’s a quick test I ran to make sure it worked.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

The hardest part of freelancing isn’t coding, it’s sales. Most people think sales means pushy, but I just want to help local businesses get seen and grow. Built a demo site for Italiano’s to show the value firsthand. Demo: italianos.netlify.app Current: italianospps.com

italianospps.com

ITALIANO'S

Italiano's Temple, TX - some of the best pizza, pizza by the slice, pasta, subs, calzone, stromboli & Italian Food. Restaurant open everyday for Lunch and Dinner.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

I finally gave my website an overdue redesign. New layout, cleaner UI, and a much better reflection of my current work. It feels good to bring some life back into something that’s been sitting stale for a while! I’d love your feedback. What do you think of the new design? djneill.com

djneill.com

DJ Neill - Full-Stack Software Engineer | Web Developer for Hire

Freelance full-stack software engineer specializing in React, TypeScript, Node.js, and .NET. Available for hire to build custom websites and web applications.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

Inspiring chat with @brittanyellich.com on time management, learning strategies, and how new devs can stand out. Her insights on AI and @github.com were top-tier. Appreciate you taking the time, Brittany! I love connecting with new people and hearing their stories about how they got into tech.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

When you put things to a vote, anything can happen, and in my family, that usually means taking the road less traveled. You found the dark side of the moon. 🎃 It’s a trick, not a treat. Better luck next year!

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

Just launched a new site for Tacos Los Troncos. 100% across all Lighthouse scores, Performance, Accessibility, Best Practices & SEO. I love seeing the domino effect of getting small businesses online. One client’s DoorDash orders blew up once his site started ranking on Google.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

I was digging through the garage looking for lights and only found one strand of red. I hung them up anyway, but when my neighbor got home, I had to tell him that next year I’m going to need at least two or three. His single strand barely covered my doorway.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

Playwright might be my new favorite tool. Just added end-to-end tests to my Pickleball app, watching it log in and play a full match on its own was wild. Let’s see how long before I start breaking tests.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

A little jam to end the day, it's a work in progress.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

Overengineered it to death. Probably won’t use it. Now I understand the universal hatred for writing tests. 3–4 tests per method. Tests > code

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

Saying “but what if…” added 50 hours to a 1-hour project. Friend: Aren’t you a tech guy? Go build an app! Me: There are 100 of them already. Not worth it. Me 5 minutes later: Let’s use ASP .NET, EF, Supabase, React, unit tests, JWT, Google OAuth, and deploy to Azure.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

If you’re not following @DevLeader.Ca , you’re missing out. Shoutout to @shashi.bsky.social for connecting us 2 yrs ago. Nick always gives back, AMA streams, podcasts, etc, and somehow answers every question I’ve asked. Finally thanked him & heard his insights on learning new skills.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

Had an amazing time at CYC 25 (Commit Your Code)! Tons of insight on JavaScript, .NET, Cloud, AI, Java & Leadership—plus fun socials like pickleball, Truck Yard, and Fowling bowling (look it up 😅). Grateful for this community & already excited for the next one!

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

Playing guitar taught me that progress happens one messy session at a time. You don’t always notice improvement until one day your fingers just move smoother, faster, and easier. Same thing with coding. Stick with it. Play through the noise.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

I'm the pitcher. Pitching in baseball doesn't exactly translate smoothly to softball. There's a bit of a learning curve. I still have pretty good ball placement when hitting though.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

Playing softball reminds me how much team dynamics matter, on the field and in code. You don’t always need to be the slugger. Sometimes you just need to get on base, make the throw, or call it early. Everyone has strengths. The game’s better when we play to them.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 05/08/2025

Jiu-Jitsu taught me how to stay calm when things fall apart. You can be losing, stuck, gassed out, but if you stay cool, you can find a way to capitalize. Turns out that’s a useful skill when your app crashes and the logs aren’t helping. Keep breathing. Keep debugging.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

Had some time for PennyWise and hit a small snag. I forgot the "Name" field in my wireframe. I didn’t notice until I added test data. 1 DB migration, 6 component refactors, 1 hook tweak, and a type update later… It's back. The ripple effect is real. Probably won’t forget again.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 28/07/2025

Whoever sent me this, my eyeballs are bleeding, and my computer just burst into flames.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

Between working on budgeting & projection tools for PennyWise (my Next.js + Supabase app), I've been expanding into C#/.NET. There’s a real elegance to how things are structured in C#, especially around method organization and data handling, but I still wish the curly braces were on the same line.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

I did it! Touched grass! My wife still refuses to try Jiu Jitsu. Her exact words: “Rolling around with sweaty people, feet, getting squished, trying to kill each other? No thanks. I get enough elbows just sleeping next to you.” She does love pickleball, so now I always have someone to play with.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

My PennyWise dev cycle: 1 task done ✅ +4 new ones added 🔁 It might be time to MVP and chill.

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DJ Neill @devsixstrings.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

I’m bringing all of my budgeting and tracking tools into a dedicated app. Something simple, practical, and useful, not just for me, but for anyone looking to take control of their finances. Focused on a smooth new user experience. You won't stare at an empty screen, wondering, "What do I do next?"

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