The Legit Baines Blog

A Tale of Two Job Specifications  👍👎 Recently I came across two job specifications for roles that were broadly related to data and information systems . On the surface they looked similar enough, both requiring analytical thinking, technical skills and the ability to support organisational objectives. However, once I started reading them closely, the difference in quality between the two documents became immediately obvious. One specification was so vague that I found myself writing comments all over it in red, while the other provided genuine insight into the role and the technologies involved. It was a perfect example of how a well-written job specification can help both employers and candidates. The first job specification described the responsibilities of a Senior Analyst role. It contained plenty of corporate language about supporting stakeholders, analysing data, promoting service improvement and contributing to organisational objectives. While none of these requirements we...

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...

Why the ACM Code of Ethics Matters More Than Ever During my time studying Computing at Sheffield Hallam University , one of my tutors introduced me to the ACM Code of Ethics . At first, it felt like one of those documents that sits in the background, important in theory, but easy to overlook when you’re focused on building projects and learning technical skills. But the more I worked on real systems, especially those involving data and IoT , the more I realised how relevant it actually is. The ACM Code of Ethics puts a strong emphasis on doing work that benefits society and contributes to human well-being. That idea has stuck with me. It sounds simple, but in a world where technology can be used in so many different ways, it’s actually a powerful filter for decision-making. Just because something can be built doesn’t always mean it should be built. The question becomes: who does this help, and is it genuinely improving things? All of my projects so far have been guided by that mindset,...

  My Multi-project Method I have developed a method for dealing with procrastination and I have named it “My Multi-project Method”.   🕐🕑🕒🕓🕔🕕🕖🕗🕘🕙🕚 I procrastinate on a project by working on a different project.  I will always do what needs to be done in time but if I’m leaving a task to the last possible moment then I may as make that time productive by working on one of my other projects.  If I’m avoiding my emails I’ll procrastinate on that task by updating my CV.  Whenever I’m working on my githubpages.io site I’ll make progress for a while before I hit a wall so instead of doing no work at all I’ll step back from that project to work on one of my Python based projects instead.  Sometimes stepping back from a project for a few days or even a week can give me a better perspective on it when I get back into working on it. 📤📥📤📥📠📟📡💾💽💻💻💻💻💻💻 My current projects include: Working with PostgreSQL Databases. My Python based imperial u...

🧭 1. Workplace Health & Safety Assessment Purpose  👍 To identify workplace hazards, evaluate associated risks, and plan control measures to maintain a safe and healthy environment for all employees — even in a primarily office or remote data analytics setting. Step 1: Identify Hazards For a data analytics start-up, typical hazards include: Category Examples of Hazards Potential Impact Physical Environment Poor lighting, trip hazards from cables, ergonomic issues Eye strain, back/neck pain, falls Equipment & Electrical Overloaded sockets, faulty devices, overheating laptops Electrical fires, equipment damage Workstation Setup Poor chair posture, screen height Musculoskeletal disorders Psychosocial Workload stress, long screen time, isolation (remote workers) Burnout, reduced mental well-being Fire Safety Inaccessible exits, lack of fire extinguisher Injury, property damage Health & Hygiene Poor ventilation, inadequate first ai...