Read the PostgreSQL Query Plan Before Adding Another Index
When a database query gets slow, adding an index is an appealingly concrete thing to do.
Engineering notes from the sharp end
Practical writing about software, systems, delivery, and things that behave strangely under pressure.
wade womersley – york based software engineer I write the way I work: direct, useful, and more interested in what holds up in production than what sounds clever on a slide.
Latest post
Archive
Recent writing
Programming
A timeout tells you that a response did not arrive in time.
Food, Random Stuff
There is something disproportionately pleasing about a tiny jar of hotel breakfast jam.
PHP, Programming
PHP 8.2 is approaching the end of its security support window on 31 December 2026.
Programming
PostgreSQL 14 reaches the end of community support on 12 November 2026.
Science
A NASA-led study suggests Earth’s response to stronger solar storms may keep increasing instead of reaching a presumed limit.
Random Stuff
Touch controls look clean in product photos, but physical buttons remain faster, clearer, and easier to trust.
Software Engineer
Coding agents work better when the prompt defines observable completion instead of only describing the code change.
Food, Random Stuff
Pick and mix is expensive, badly balanced, and still more fun than buying a sensible bag of sweets.
AI
Codex plugins package tools, instructions, and repeatable workflows, which is more useful than another generic AI interface.