Many languages new and old provide a way to write code using functional programming concepts, however learning those concepts can take a little time especially when they are joined with OO concepts in the same language.

As Clojure has a simple syntax, many find it easier to focus on learning the concepts and design of functional programming. Then either taking those concepts back to other languages or continuing with Clojure.

At DevoxxUK 2016 I have the pleasure of running a workshop where I can help developers understand the core functional concepts, using Clojure (and Spacemacs) as simple tools.

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The tools for writing books and workshops have become so much easier and open. Even some enlightened publishing companies are moving with the times and not forcing you to write books in seperate word files. However, having to manage the expectations of a publisher can make book writing very unattractive.

Self publishing is much more fun and can be done at your own pace, using tools a developer can understand. Its also much easier to talk to a publisher when the book is mostly done.

I use GithubIO/gitbook, a node.js project to create my books and workshops. Gitbook generated a responsive design website as well as ebook formats in pdf, epub, etc.

All the content is written in markdown and can be managed with Git. There are also a range of Gitbook.io plugins that enhance the readers experience in terms of content style and user interaction.

You can also distribute your books via the self-publishing platform of Gitbook.io where you can sell your books on its marketplace.

Advantages of Gitbook.io

• Simple to use tools, requiring only node.js to be installed
• Writing content in markdown keeps it human readable as you write it
• 100+ plugsins help you style the book, applying different styles to the range of formats
• Content can be managed in Git and collaboration can be done in services such as Github or Bitbucket
• Website versions can be published on any webserver, Github Pages works well for these.

Lets set up Gitbook.io and go through the content workflow.

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Using a Static Site Generators like Hexo gives a developer a very fast blogging workflow, using familiar tools and giving the ability to write offline. Content is written in markdown, keeping it portable between any blog generators and making it easy to version in Git. You can also use Git to deploy your site quickly, even over slow networks.

Static sites can be hosted anywhere and are fast to serve and easy to cache. For example, Github Pages offers a very fast way to host your site.

Lets take a look at Hexo, my favourite static site generator.

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When you clone, push and pull changes between Github repositories and your computer there are two network protocols to choose from, HTTPS & SSH. But which one should you use and why does it matter?

Here is a quick guide to both HTTPS & SSH and the reasons why you may want to choose one over the other.

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Github Gists are really useful when you want to share a piece of code or configuration without setting up a version control project. Rather than copy & paste into a Github Gists website, you can create a Gist from any Spacemacs buffer with a single command.

All you need is to add the github layer to your ~/.spacemacs configuration file and reload your configuration M-m f e R or restart Spacemacs. Lets see just how easy it is to use Gists with Spacemacs.

You can also use gist.el with your own Emacs configuration

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At the March 2016 London Clojurians code dojo at uSwitch our group created a Clacks Interpreter in honor of Terry Pratchett, the author of the amazing Discworld series of books (and a few TV shows of those books too).

In the 33rd Discworld novel called Going Postal, messages are sent faster than a speeding horse via the Clacks system. This composes of a series of towers that cross a continent and pass messages on via combinations of lights. Each tower sees a grid of lights from a distant tower and sends the message on to the next tower.

The Clacks system was actually introduced in the 24th Discworld novel called “The Fith Elephant”, however its the “Going Postal” book where we learn the full history of the Clacks system.

We created a Clacks Interpreter that converts any English message into its corresponding clacks signal, based on the Clacks alphabet as defined by the board game of the same name. The board game defines the alphabet as a 2 by 3 grid (although in the Discworld its actually 8 large squares). Naturally, the interpreter also converts the Clacks signal back into an English message too.

The code is available on Github at: https://github.com/liamjtaylor/clacks-messenger and read on for a walk through of how we came up with the solution.

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Just being a great developer or even a good one is not enough to create a great career. How effective you are at communicating your skills, experience and the value you can bring to others really drives the quality of your career. Luckily there are many ways to show off your skills, including those soft skills that are harder to quantify.

It is not just recruiters & human resources departments that can get you a job, but more and more it is other developers that bring you in to their teams. The more developers who know who you are, the more opportunities will be presented to you.

Activities you can do to boost your career include:

• Blogging & technical content
• Social media for research and communication
• digital presence
• Meetups, Conferences and public speaking
• Understanding the modern recruitment process

I will walk through this aspects to help you understand them in more detail and describe my experiences and any tips I have to share

Previously I covered aspects of creating your digital self previously, covering a range of social media and developer community websites.

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Creating your digital self helps you express who you are and what you are about online in a way that enhances your career and also help you in your daily work. Having a recognizable digital self also allow others to reach out to you and include you in the wider community.

Here are some tips and tools to help you create a consistent expression of your digital self.

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Adding the Clojure layer to Spacemacs provides great support for the language via CIDER, Clojure-mode, clj-refactor and lots of useful tools.

The Clojure layer also adds to the auto-completion layer, providing matches for anything currently defined in the current namespace. The yasnippets package also allows you to expand shortcuts for common Clojure code structures, eg. def, defn, let, require.

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Spacemacs is a community developed configuration for Emacs that makes it easier for anyone to use this amazing developer tool. Spacemacs is a well thought out way to apply the vast and diverse power of Emacs, making it more accessible especially to those who are used to using Vi.

Unless you’ve spent the last few years hand-crafting your own Emacs configuration, then I think you will enjoy Spacemacs. Here are some reasons why I love Spacemacs as an Emacs user.

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