The Legit Baines Blog

 Is It Time to Move On From VS Code? VS code VS Pycharm/ For the past few years, Visual Studio Code has been my primary development environment. Like many developers, I appreciated its flexibility, extensive plugin ecosystem, and the fact that it could be adapted to almost any programming language or workflow. However, after one of the recent updates, I found myself spending more time fighting with the IDE than actually writing code. What was once a lightweight and straightforward editor now felt increasingly cluttered and distracting.     The biggest issue for me wasn't that new features had been added. Software evolves, and that's a good thing. The problem was that VS Code seemed to be constantly trying to anticipate what I wanted to do before I'd even clicked on anything. Panels would appear, suggestions would pop up, AI features would offer advice, and various automated tools would spring into action. While some developers may find this helpful, I found it disr...

  Building Micropython Tools: MyHelperCode MyHelperCode MyHelperCode/Gist One of the biggest barriers for new programmers is not necessarily understanding programming concepts, but repeatedly having to rewrite the same small utility functions every time they start a new project. That is one of the main reasons I created MyHelperCode , a reusable Python library designed to simplify common programming tasks and make development more accessible for people who are still learning. Instead of wasting time rewriting boilerplate logic , developers can focus on understanding the bigger picture and solving real problems. The project itself is hosted publicly on GitHub as part of my wider focus on creating practical, approachable tools for developers, students and technical hobbyists. MyHelperCode contains reusable helper functions aimed at streamlining day-to-day development tasks, particularly for automation , data handling and lightweight processing workflows. The overall goal is not to...

  Why Passion and Personal Investment Create Better Problem Solvers One of the biggest mistakes organisations make when hiring is focusing entirely on technical ability while overlooking whether the person actually cares about the problems they are being asked to solve. Technical skills are important, but genuine investment in the outcome is often what separates average employees from exceptional ones. A person who emotionally connects with the purpose behind the work will naturally go further, think deeper and stay motivated for longer than someone who simply sees the role as a pay cheque. This becomes especially important in analytical and technical roles. For example, if a company is hiring a data analyst to work with information related to medical conditions, ideally they should look for someone who genuinely cares about helping people affected by those conditions. A technically skilled analyst may be able to produce dashboards and reports, but someone who is personally invest...

  The Pitfalls, Opportunities and Best Practices of Starting Your Own IT Start-Up Starting your own IT start-up can be one of the most exciting and rewarding challenges you will ever undertake, but it is also one of the easiest ways to burn through time, money and energy if you approach it without a realistic plan. Many people enter the technology sector believing that having a good idea is enough, when in reality a successful start-up is built on execution, resilience and the ability to solve real-world problems consistently. The modern IT industry offers huge opportunities in areas such as cloud computing , cyber security , AI , automation, accessibility software and embedded systems, but competition is fierce and customers have become far more demanding. The first lesson every founder learns is that technology alone is not enough; you must also understand people, communication, finance and long-term sustainability. One of the biggest pitfalls for new founders is building a pr...

  From Litter to Legacy: A Year in Page Hall There are moments in life when recognition arrives quietly, almost unexpectedly, and yet it carries the weight of everything that came before it. Being awarded the Community Champion Award by Sheffield City Council was one of those moments. It wasn’t just a certificate in a frame, it was a reflection of a year spent working, often unseen, in one of the most challenged areas of Page Hall. Page Hall is known for its difficulties. It’s often described in terms of deprivation , but that word doesn’t quite capture the full picture. It’s a place full of people, stories, and potential but also a place where neglect can easily take hold. Over time, litter builds up, spaces lose their care, and the environment starts to reflect the hardship faced by those living there. That’s where I found my purpose. The work itself wasn’t glamorous. There were no big announcements or media coverage just consistent effort. Picking up rubbish. Clearing neglecte...

Why Giving Advice Is Easier Than Doing the Work (Especially in IoT and Embedded Systems) ☝☝☝☝ It’s something I’ve become increasingly aware of while working on technical projects: giving advice is often far easier than actually doing the work. On the surface, a suggestion can sound simple, logical, and even obvious. But once you’re the person responsible for implementing it, the reality quickly becomes more complicated. This gap between theory and practice is something every developer eventually encounters, and it’s particularly noticeable in hands-on fields like IoT and embedded systems . When someone isn’t directly involved in a project, they don’t carry the same constraints. They’re not dealing with the specific hardware limitations, firmware quirks, time pressures, or integration challenges that define the day-to-day reality of the work. As a result, their advice can be well-intentioned but disconnected from what is actually achievable. It’s easy to recommend a clean solution whe...