Thomas Johnson

Thomas Johnson @tomjohnson3

About: Co-founder and CTO at Multiplayer, with 30+ years of experience as a backend developer building large-scale distributed software (and robots!)

Location:
New York, US
Joined:
May 2, 2024

Thomas Johnson
articles - 47 total

Build It, Ship It, Watch It Burn: How to Monitor Your API Properly

Whether users interact with your system through web portals, mobile apps, or programmatic interfaces,...

Learn More 0 0Jul 24

Tired of Chasing Bugs? Start Using Distributed Tracing Properly

Tracking performance issues across multiple interconnected services sometimes can feel like searching...

Learn More 0 0Jul 17

What DevOps Got Wrong and How Platform Engineering Will Fix It

In the late 2000s, software development faced a significant challenge: the disconnect between...

Learn More 0 0Jul 10

Managing API Versioning and Lifecycle [Part 3]

Check Part 2 - Implementing Robust API Security Measures -- Effective version management ensures...

Learn More 0 0Jul 3

Implementing Robust API Security Measures [Part 2]

Check Part 1 - Optimizing API Performance and Request Handling -- Security forms the cornerstone of...

Learn More 0 0Jul 2

Optimizing API Performance and Request Handling [Part 1]

Performance optimization stands as a critical factor in API development. Poor performance can cascade...

Learn More 1 0Jul 1

If you Think Good Architecture is Expensive, try Bad Architecture

“If you think good architecture is expensive, try bad architecture” is a quote from Brian Foote &...

Learn More 0 0Jun 19

3 Features Every Debugging Tool Should Have

In today's complex software landscape, debugging distributed systems has become increasingly...

Learn More 0 1Jun 12

Understanding Technical Debt in Modernization Efforts

Modernization isn’t just about upgrading systems—it’s about addressing the compromises we’ve quietly...

Learn More 1 2Jun 5

AI, Platforms, and DX: What Should You Actually Invest In?

TL;DR Before you commit budget, it’s critical to set expectations. Both about what you're...

Learn More 0 2May 16

REST Is Easy Until It Isn’t. Modern API Paradigms Explained

Modern software development relies on different types of APIs, each serving specific purposes and...

Learn More 0 1May 9

System Design vs. Software Design: Stop Arguing, Start Architecting

When you ask an engineer to provide clear cut definitions of System Design, System Architecture,...

Learn More 0 0Apr 24

Operational Architecture: Control and Application Planes

Modern SaaS architectures divide functionality into two distinct operational layers: the control...

Learn More 0 0Apr 18

Identifying Code That Needs Refactoring

While developers can often spot code that needs improvement, strategic prioritization is essential...

Learn More 0 0Apr 11

Backend Software Engineers are Designers and Artists Too

The internet is overflowing with memes of “dev vs designer”, and it’s undeniable that it’s a...

Learn More 0 0Apr 3

Improving Developer Onboarding: Best Practices

When a new developer arrives at a company, everything comes at them all at once - new team, projects,...

Learn More 0 0Mar 27

Why I don’t (and won’t) miss whiteboards

Remember that 👆 infamous 2022 “Twitter code review” post? I recently came across Jane Manchun...

Learn More 0 0Mar 24

Whiteboards Were Great… Until They Weren’t

Remember that 👆 infamous 2022 “Twitter code review” post? I recently came across Jane Manchun...

Learn More 0 0Mar 20

On-Premises Architecture Solutions

On-premises architecture represents the traditional approach to hosting applications, where...

Learn More 0 0Mar 14

Essential Components of Effective Software Design Documents

Creating impactful software design documents requires a careful balance between providing...

Learn More 0 0Mar 5

Designing APIs with Users in Mind

APIs serve as critical building blocks for applications, services, and integrations. Whether used...

Learn More 0 0Feb 27

Understanding Monolithic Design for Modern Software

Monolithic architecture represents a unified approach to web application development where all...

Learn More 0 0Feb 18

Core Principles of Platform Engineering

Platform engineering creates a robust foundation for software development by establishing...

Learn More 0 0Feb 13

The Power of Test Automation

As software applications grow in complexity and scale, manual testing becomes increasingly...

Learn More 10 3Feb 6

Understanding Technical Debt: Core Concepts

Technical debt often emerges when development teams make compromises that prioritize immediate...

Learn More 0 0Feb 4

How to Prevent Devs from Rolling Their Eyes at Docs

If you start a conversation with an engineer by saying “We need to write the architecture...

Learn More 0 0Jan 28

5 Habits of High-Functioning Development Teams

Evolutionary scientists argue that working together is what enabled homo sapiens to succeed as a...

Learn More 0 0Jan 21

Devs Need to Invest More in *Visual* Communication

If you tell three engineers they'll be having fish for dinner, each one will imagine a different...

Learn More 0 0Jan 14

6 Best Practices Every Backend Dev Should Know

Most modern software systems are distributed systems. Nowadays they are a must for various...

Learn More 1 0Jan 7

Multi-player Mode is Everywhere, Even in Dev Tools

The shift from single-player to multi-player in software can also be described as the rise of...

Learn More 0 0Dec 30 '24