Recent Activity
Recent Heroes of the BenNadel.com Community
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Posted 310 comments since October 23, 2012
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Posted 16 comments since August 16, 2024
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Posted 13 comments since June 14, 2019
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Posted 3 comments since March 24, 2020
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Posted 24 comments since December 11, 2008
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Posted 10 comments since January 14, 2010
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Posted 7 comments since October 22, 2013
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Posted 2 comments since June 6, 2014
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Posted 2 comments since February 21, 2026
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Posted 1 comment since April 26, 2026
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Posted 1 comment since April 26, 2026
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Posted 1 comment since April 28, 2026
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Posted 1 comment since May 1, 2026
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Posted 1 comment since May 11, 2026
Recent Comments
Ben Nadel replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted May 12, 2026
@Jacob, "and still write blog posts" This is something that I've been truly wrestling with. Not that I don't want to write blog posts; but literally that I'm learning much less these days. When I think about the ebb-and-flow of my writing, it has had huge setbacks around life-crisis (mental health i... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Jacob Fifhause replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted May 11, 2026
I appreciate that you share your thoughts and still write blog posts. I have experienced similar thoughts over the last few months and it is nice to hear that I'm not the only one.... read entire comment from Jacob Fifhause.
Ben Nadel replied to a post Claude Code Convinced Me To Simplify My SQL JOINs
Comment posted May 11, 2026
@Chris, I think it's how most people think, so you're in good company. I think I can't hold too many things in my head at once; so there was always something very comforting about being able to see both the relationships and the filtering right in the same place. It gave me a very tightly scoped bit... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Chris G replied to a post Claude Code Convinced Me To Simplify My SQL JOINs
Comment posted May 10, 2026
I've always done my filtering as Claude suggests. It's just how my brain makes sense of SQL, so it's nice to know I fell on the right side of this equation. I've also found AI really helpful in discovering other approaches to SQL design and optimization. Approaches I was never aware of before, so it... read entire comment from Chris G.
Ben Nadel replied to a post The Anatomy Of An INNER JOIN Query In SQL
Comment posted May 9, 2026
I know this post is quite old, but I just waned to loop-back in here and mention that I'm shifting my paradigm after finding Claude Code's argument more compelling than my own on one or two points. I'm now going back to keeping the relationships in my ON and the filtering in my WHERE: https://www.be... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Ben Nadel replied to a post SQL Optimization And ON Clause vs WHERE Clause
Comment posted May 9, 2026
So..... 20 years later, Claude Code has finally convinced me to go back the other direction — to move my filtering into the WHERE and keep the relationships in my ON. It finally laid out an argument that felt more compelling than my own argument: https://www.bennadel.com/blog/4892-claude-code-convin... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Noursecode replied to a post Replacing nginx With CommandBox In ColdFusion Dev Environment
Comment posted May 8, 2026
@Ben Yes, very true. CommandBox does hide some of that insanity. Easier is a good thing :)... read entire comment from Noursecode.
Ben Nadel replied to a post Replacing nginx With CommandBox In ColdFusion Dev Environment
Comment posted May 8, 2026
@Bill, Docker is great, no doubt. I use it locally for development even when I'm not using it in production. I'm shocked when anyone deals with un-containerized dev and dealing with node-versions and conflicting dependencies. Docker all day! That said, the low-level mechanics of Docker are way beyon... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Noursecode replied to a post Replacing nginx With CommandBox In ColdFusion Dev Environment
Comment posted May 7, 2026
Hey Ben, Yes, I use CommandBox too, it can be very helpful. Recently I asked Brad what his choice would be for a production server. Windows or Linux. Instead of saying one or the other, he said Docker. Which is a great answer, right? Docker makes deploying a breeze, but it also makes local developme... read entire comment from Noursecode.
Ben Nadel replied to a post Replacing nginx With CommandBox In ColdFusion Dev Environment
Comment posted May 6, 2026
Ha ha... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Chris G replied to a post Replacing nginx With CommandBox In ColdFusion Dev Environment
Comment posted May 6, 2026
@Ben Nadel, I would have responded earlier ... except when I read, "with 0 version control", and I blacked-out for a few hours from the shock 😨 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂... read entire comment from Chris G.
Ben Nadel replied to a post Replacing nginx With CommandBox In ColdFusion Dev Environment
Comment posted May 6, 2026
@Joe, I would have responded earlier ... except when I read, "with 0 version control", and I blacked-out for a few hours from the shock 😨 lol, it's crazy that some apps like that still exist. Good on you for doing the right thing! And yeah, Ortus has been doing great work!... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Joe replied to a post Replacing nginx With CommandBox In ColdFusion Dev Environment
Comment posted May 6, 2026
I did something similar last year as well. I started a new job as a Senior Frontend Dev and the Senior dev wanted 4 of us to remote into a dev server all at the same time and work on the same files, with 0 version control. I setup a Docker compose, added Lucee and Commandbox, FTP'd all the files dow... read entire comment from Joe.
Ben Nadel replied to a post Replacing nginx With CommandBox In ColdFusion Dev Environment
Comment posted May 5, 2026
Ha ha, you're in good company!... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Chris G replied to a post Replacing nginx With CommandBox In ColdFusion Dev Environment
Comment posted May 5, 2026
@Ben Nadel, There's so much documentation! It's a good thing, but I too have trouble finding the answers I'm after. Glad it's not just me 😂... read entire comment from Chris G.
Ben Nadel replied to a post Replacing nginx With CommandBox In ColdFusion Dev Environment
Comment posted May 5, 2026
@Chris, If anything, the Ortus team has too much documentation. Which makes it perfect for AI. Even when I was asking AI to help me with the server rewrite rules, the number of 404 dead links it came across while scouring the net was big. Having it synthesize lots of random, disparate data sources, ... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Chris G replied to a post Replacing nginx With CommandBox In ColdFusion Dev Environment
Comment posted May 5, 2026
Options like FINALIZE_STARTUP=true are what make CommandBox such an amazing and invaluable tool for our community...so well thought out. Brad Wood has always been the go-to for support and incredibly responsive. I wonder if AI has meaningfully reduced that support load for him.... read entire comment from Chris G.
Joël replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted May 4, 2026
Right into the feels! As a dev with 25 years experience i couldnt agree more... read entire comment from Joël.
Toine replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted May 1, 2026
Spot on! Keep up the slow, uncomfortable, painstakingly good work!... read entire comment from Toine.
Chris G replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted April 30, 2026
@Ben Nadel, Love the theory related to the purpose of REM sleep. I had not heard that one before, but it makes sense. We are the old guard of code-smithing. The new generation of programmers raised on the nipple of AI will not care about how the code reads, looks, or is assembled. They will solely e... read entire comment from Chris G.
Ben Nadel replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted April 30, 2026
Was just watching a YouTube presentation by the Primegan and he used the phrase, "Toxic Productivity". I like that.... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Ben Nadel replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted April 30, 2026
I was just thinking about recent studies / thinking about REM Sleep. As medicine evolves, we are finding that the brain is lot more "plastic" than we used to give it credit for. Not only can neurons regenerate, but areas of the brain can basically take over for other areas' responsibilities. It's ki... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Ben Nadel replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted April 30, 2026
@Lars, I really like your article. I think you echo much of my own sentiment about the power of friction as the driving force for building taste and understanding. The notion of having to "think in code" also really hits hard for me. I can't tell you how many times I've thought about an idea as bein... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Ben Nadel replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted April 30, 2026
So here's an interesting context, which I think speaks to a lot of this. I have a side-project - Big Sexy Poems - that I've been using as a playground for new ideas. And, I want to bring a number of those ideas back into the coding of this blog. Now, I could probably have AI help with that (hey, go ... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Ben Nadel replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted April 30, 2026
@Alex, @Chris, A big part of the frustration in all the rhetoric is that, as you guys are saying, AI is actually really helping in a lot of places. I enjoy using AI to help me think through a problem or to help me more clearly articulate a friction I might be feeling in the code. And for really rote... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Gregory Alexander replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted April 30, 2026
Wonderful and thoughtful post, Ben. I feel similar thoughts about the new AI environment in my own blogging experiences. It's a strange new world that we live in! Take care, Gregory... read entire comment from Gregory Alexander.
Chris G replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted April 29, 2026
@Alex Alexiou, I've enjoyed working in this industry partly because of the friction and discomfort. I'd go a step further and say this profession has historically required a temperament that tolerates both. The ability to sit with a problem for hours, days, even weeks...scratching your head, backing... read entire comment from Chris G.
Alex Alexiou replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted April 29, 2026
Hello Ben, Been a long time since we took that Intro to Comp Sci class back in the day. I haven't commented until now, but I have been reading you occasionally. You are not alone in your thoughts, particularly amongst those of who've been in this industry for a while. What's particularly striking to... read entire comment from Alex Alexiou.
Noursecode replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted April 28, 2026
Hey Ben, I love this post. AI will never replace craft. This applies to software development, graphic design, music, illustration, or anything creative that can be digitized. Instead, AI replaces production at a high rate of speed. The difference is subtle and hard to grasp. All I can recommend is d... read entire comment from Noursecode.
Lars Faye replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted April 28, 2026
How interesting, because I have the exact opposite experience! It's whenever I obtain the answer outside of my myself, most especially when I get a fairly direct answer from an LLM that works, THAT is when I feel the most shame. Not because an LLM gave me the answer necessarily, but rather because I... read entire comment from Lars Faye.
Ben Nadel replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted April 27, 2026
Ha ha, thanks Pete 🙌 will continue to keep this a slop-free zone.... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Pete Freitag replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted April 27, 2026
Dear Ben, I am writing this correspondence so that you may know that I have read your blog entry. 😄 Also, no one wants to read AI slop blog entries, so thank you for continuing to write yours by hand! Sincerely, Pete... read entire comment from Pete Freitag.
Ben Nadel replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted April 27, 2026
@Glen, "blog myself to express ideas" ... this is where I'm at as well. Which is especially interesting in the age of AI because it really puts that to the test. When I write now, I have to be totally OK with the idea that its very possible - maybe even likely - that no one will ever read this. I've... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Glen Lipka replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted April 26, 2026
I just read this in Feedly. I blog myself to express ideas and keep track of my own journey. I read your blog because it's interesting. I believe AI would turn it into something uninteresting. Your voice and point of view is what I care about. I don't even use ColdFusion. 😎... read entire comment from Glen Lipka.
Dan replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted April 26, 2026
Hey, if everyone's prompting agents all the time, then nobody will remember how to actually write code. So knowing how to write code and write words for that matter, will continue to be valuable.... read entire comment from Dan.
Ben Nadel replied to a post Adding isSame() And isDifferent() Convenience Methods To ColdFusion
Comment posted April 25, 2026
I like the idea of comparing value + type; but, on the ColdFusion side of the fence, I very rarely feel like I need it. Everything that comes in from the URL/FORM is a string; and everything that comes from the database is a native type. I don't often end up in places where I'm worried about fuzzy-c... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Ben Nadel replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted April 25, 2026
@Chris, One thing that I hate about this whole situation, is that I feel like so much of my angst is strictly the marketing / social media of it all. But the problem is, I have trouble believing that there's nuance to the things people say when they express no nuance at all.... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Ben Nadel replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted April 25, 2026
@Angel, Thank you for the kind words. And as an aside, the Shame! GIF from GoT is one of my favorite GIFs. Fun fact, the bell lady in that scene is the club owner (Hannah Waddingham) from Ted Lasso.... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Chris G replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted April 25, 2026
AI is a digital sledge hammer. It's not the right tool for finishing nails. I feel you! And I loved that you used the term digital needle-point! Made me laugh 🤣... read entire comment from Chris G.
Angel Gonzalez replied to a post AI Makes Sitting With Discomfort Feel Shameful
Comment posted April 25, 2026
This poetry you just wrote cannot be written by AI. It's such a beautiful and perfect description of reality. Accurate on all ends. Feels like if we are not working on multiple projects, then we should be doing the Game of Thrones walk of attonement. Thank you for sharing your emotions on this topic... read entire comment from Angel Gonzalez.
Paolo Olocco replied to a post Adding isSame() And isDifferent() Convenience Methods To ColdFusion
Comment posted April 25, 2026
Hi @Ben, the === is case-insensitive but compare the type of variables see here https://coldfusion.adobe.com/2020/11/strict-equality-equality-operator-savecontent-new-syntax/ As an old school guy, I too still prefer Compare()... read entire comment from Paolo Olocco.
Ben Nadel replied to a post Adding isSame() And isDifferent() Convenience Methods To ColdFusion
Comment posted April 25, 2026
@Paolo, I just confirmed that, at least in ACF, the === is case-insensitive. I added this to my internal test: <cfscript> for ( [ a, b ] in tests ) { echo( '( "#a#" === "#b#" ) ==> ' ); echo( '#( a === b )# <br>' ); } </cfscript> ... and got this output: ( "ben" === "ben" ) ==> YES ( "ben" ... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Ben Nadel replied to a post Adding isSame() And isDifferent() Convenience Methods To ColdFusion
Comment posted April 24, 2026
I'm looking at the Adobe ColdFusion identity operator now and I don't see anything about memory address. So this may have been something specific to Lucee CFML. But, looking at the Lucee CFML oeprators, they do mention that it's case-insensitive, which is main reason I was trying to use the compare(... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Ben Nadel replied to a post Adding isSame() And isDifferent() Convenience Methods To ColdFusion
Comment posted April 24, 2026
@Paolo, I've had some issues with === in the past. I might be getting my platforms confused; but, I'm pretty sure that when I was using Lucee CFML, the === is actually an address comparison. Meaning, it's comparing the in-memory address of the two operands, not their actual value. I'll have to look ... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Paolo Olocco replied to a post Adding isSame() And isDifferent() Convenience Methods To ColdFusion
Comment posted April 24, 2026
Hi Ben, why didn't you consider the use of the ===?... read entire comment from Paolo Olocco.
Ben Nadel replied to a post Creating Runtime Extensions And Polyfills In ColdFusion
Comment posted April 24, 2026
After trying the more robust approach above, which deals with polyfills on platforms that need it and ignores them where they don't, in practice, I just include the raw .cfm file and make it platform specific. For example, in Big Sexy Poems, you can see that I globally include the cfmlx.cfm file her... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Ben Nadel replied to a post Adobe ColdFusion Bug: Nested Array Iteration Breaks Closure Variables
Comment posted April 23, 2026
Sadly, I just tried running similar code again after in installing Update 2025.0.07.331586, and it seems this bug is still very much present. I've commented on LinkedIn (related post); but sadly cannot access the ticket in the Adobe Tracker anymore.... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Ben Nadel replied to a post Adobe ColdFusion Bug: Nested Closures With Parallel Array Iteration Destroys Arguments
Comment posted April 23, 2026
Sadly, I just tried running this code again after in installing Update 2025.0.07.331586, and this code still breaks with the same issue. And, the Adobe Tracker seems completely broken as well - I can't even open or find my previously linked ticket.... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Ben Nadel replied to a post Strange Whitespace Management Issue With ColdFusion Custom Tags
Comment posted April 16, 2026
This is just a test comment to see if server patch update worked.... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.
Ben Nadel replied to a post Strange Whitespace Management Issue With ColdFusion Custom Tags
Comment posted April 11, 2026
For reference, here's the commit in my CFMailML project that applies the ENV to the Dockerfile. This ENV only works because I'm using the CommandBox base image in that project.... read entire comment from Ben Nadel.