The Legit Baines Blog

 Why We Need to Rethink Feedback, Criticism, and Being Told We’re Wrong  There is something fundamentally broken in the way many of us think about feedback, criticism, and being told we’re wrong. For a lot of people, these things feel uncomfortable, even personal. We tend to avoid them, soften them, or remove them entirely. But in doing so, we are also removing one of the most important mechanisms for growth. If no one ever tells you that you’re doing something wrong, how are you supposed to get better at it? I’ve experienced this problem firsthand through applying for a wide range of roles with Sheffield City Council . These roles span different departments and skillsets, and on paper, many organisations like this emphasise inclusivity and openness to candidates from alternative backgrounds. That sounds great in theory. But in practice, I’ve consistently received little to no feedback when unsuccessful . Just a rejection and that’s the end of the process. The issue here isn’t...

📻📟📠  I've been exploring potential options for designing a private network that gathers sensor data and delivers it securely to a central hub while also supporting two-way communication requires careful consideration of range, bandwidth, latency, security, and scalability. Whether you’re managing environmental monitors across farmland, tracking machinery in a factory, or aggregating building automation data, the right architecture ensures reliability and long-term flexibility. Below are four proven approaches, each suited to different operational needs. The first method is a local Ethernet or wired LAN architecture . In this setup, sensors connect via Ethernet (often using Power over Ethernet to simplify cabling) to switches that route traffic to a central on-site server or data hub. Two-way communication is straightforward: the hub can push configuration updates, firmware patches, or control commands back to the devices over the same secure channel. This method offers high ba...

Hallam University Taught Me New Things Plus Also How to Learn Even More Now that I've finished my university journey, I’ve been reflecting on how much I’ve grown, not just in terms of knowledge, but in the very process of learning itself. University has opened my eyes to entire worlds of technology I never imagined exploring, from databases to Artificial Intelligence (AI), and from the Internet of Things (IoT) to programming. But what stands out most to me is how university has taught me not just new things, but also how to learn new things, even on my own. The New Things I’ve Learned When I first walked into university, I had a basic understanding of technology and programming. But the subjects I’ve encountered throughout my studies have completely transformed my perspective on what is possible. Here are just a few of the most exciting things I’ve learned: 1. Databases Learning about databases has shown me how the power of data is structured, stored, and retrieved. I never tr...

 Reintroducing Cuthbert Baines For New People In His Network As a recent IT graduate I'm new to the IT industry so I don't have the kinds of professional connections I need to be given a head-start, I'm one of the many new IT graduates applying for the relatively few  graduate jobs out there.  I am prioritising my personal and professional development right now.  I wish I had gone to University 20 years ago but for reasons outside my control I was written off at 16 so I missed out.  I don't give up easily up so I finally went to Hallam University when I was 35 and got a 2.1 in computing in 2025, now I'm willing to go the extra mile and do what needs to be done to make up for lost time!  I had to get a job when I was 18 so I've got the professionalism, life experience and wisdom of a (late) 30-something who's worked his entire adult life combined with the youthful intellectual energy of an explorer and a pioneer new to the IT sector with his own fresh innov...

  One Problem, Loads of Solutions One of the things I love most about computer programming is that there’s rarely just one “correct” way to solve a problem. Give ten developers the same task and you’ll likely get ten different solutions - all of which might work perfectly well. In programming, the how often matters less than the does it work . The approach you choose is shaped by your own technical background, the time you have available, and the resources you can realistically access. If your solution works, then it works and you weren’t wrong just because someone else took a different route to get to the same destination. That’s something worth remembering, especially when comparing projects or reading other people’s code. A different solution doesn’t automatically mean a better or worse one; it just means different constraints, priorities, or preferences were at play. One developer might prioritise speed of development, another long-term scalability, and another simplicity or...

What is Bar Billiards? Bar Billiards Auto-Score Project Outline BB Auto-score code on git hub. 🏆🏆🏆 Stage 1 of my Bar Billiards Auto-Score Project is complete.  It's not rocket science but my method for making progress is to go step by step.  If I can do something straight away I'll do it then make incremental progress.  Whenever I'm working on a new kind of project that involves doing things I haven't done before and using technologies that I haven't used before I try to simplify it as much as I possibly can just so I can get something working.  It's a lot easier to start with something small and simple that works than something big and expansive that isn't working.  When it's new, big, complicated and not working it will be incredibly difficult to work out what's gone wrong. 💻💾📈 Python command line is about as simple as it gets, I've done it this way because this is what's required for this project.  The next step will involve getting ...

  Bar Billiards Auto-Score 🏆🏆🏆 ─ President Cuthbert Baines The Bar Billiards Premier League Sheffield Overview We want to use IOT and smart technologies to create a computerised system that will automatically detect when a players has scored points, keep track of their score for them and display the score on screen for them. The system should also include the clock, the rules and instructions as required. Specifications The system should not have any affect on the Bar Billiards game itself, the players should not be required to stop playing to wait for a computer to load data or process data. Milestones Create Python based program that keeps track of the scores for the Bar Billiards players while displaying the scores on screen when the players manually input them into a hand held raspberry pi/pico powered device with an attachment that enables user input. The timer/alert indicating the bar dropping should become part of the program. Instructions/advi...

Why Would I be the Ideal Solutions Architect? 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 In today’s fast-moving technology landscape, organisations need more than just technical expertise - they need strategic thinkers who can bridge the gap between business goals and technical reality. A Solutions Architect must translate complex requirements into efficient, scalable, and maintainable systems, while communicating effectively with technical teams and stakeholders alike. I believe my journey — from a mature computing student at Sheffield Hallam University to a creative problem-solver with hands-on experience in software, hardware and real-world projects - uniquely positions me for this role. A Solid Technical Foundation My journey into tech wasn’t traditional — I returned to study computing as a mature student, driven by curiosity and a passion for solving problems in elegant, efficient ways. On my GitHub profile , I describe myself as “The Man of Many Moments” — which reflects both my varied interests in...