[{"content":"After wrestling with WordPress — empty database backups, MySQL containers that wouldn\u0026rsquo;t start after a restart, and the constant drip of plugin update notifications — I decided enough was enough.\nWhat was wrong with WordPress The immediate trigger was trying to restore a site for a friend. The backup had two files: a .sql dump and a tar.gz of the WordPress files. Both were empty shells. The backup script had run successfully every night against volumes that were never actually populated.\nLonger term, every WordPress install I run is a maintenance surface:\nCore updates (security patches, roughly monthly) Plugin updates (weekly, some with breaking changes) Theme updates MySQL container that needs its own backup strategy PHP-FPM that can silently break if the container restarts in the wrong order For a personal portfolio site that I might not touch for three months at a time, that\u0026rsquo;s a lot of overhead.\nWhat Hugo is Hugo is a static site generator — a single Go binary that takes a folder of Markdown files and compiles them into plain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The output is a folder. You point nginx at that folder. Done.\nNo database. No PHP. No runtime of any kind. A static HTML file served by nginx:alpine uses about 5 MB of RAM at idle, compared to ~250 MB for a WordPress stack.\nThe deployment pattern My home server already runs a static nginx container for another site (99-names). Hugo fits the same pattern exactly:\nservices: mohamed-personal-site: image: nginx:alpine container_name: mohamed-personal-site volumes: - ./site/public:/usr/share/nginx/html:ro networks: - npm_net Build with Hugo, output goes to site/public/, Nginx Proxy Manager routes mohamed.sirwalterlibrary.ddns.net to this container. Identical to what I already knew.\nBackup is now just git The entire site — content, configuration, theme — lives in a git repository. Backing up means git push. Restoring from scratch means git clone \u0026amp;\u0026amp; hugo.\nNo more praying that the mysqldump captured something useful.\nWhat I gave up The WordPress admin dashboard. For now that\u0026rsquo;s fine — I\u0026rsquo;m the only person editing this site. If I ever want collaborators, I\u0026rsquo;ll look at Decap CMS or Pages CMS, both of which layer a web editor on top of a static site without adding a database.\n","permalink":"https://mohamed.sirwalterlibrary.ddns.net/posts/hello-world/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAfter wrestling with WordPress — empty database backups, MySQL containers that\nwouldn\u0026rsquo;t start after a restart, and the constant drip of plugin update notifications\n— I decided enough was enough.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"what-was-wrong-with-wordpress\"\u003eWhat was wrong with WordPress\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe immediate trigger was trying to restore a site for a friend.\nThe backup had two files: a \u003ccode\u003e.sql\u003c/code\u003e dump and a \u003ccode\u003etar.gz\u003c/code\u003e of the WordPress files.\nBoth were empty shells. The backup script had run successfully every night\nagainst volumes that were never actually populated.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Why I Switched from WordPress to Hugo"},{"content":"I\u0026rsquo;m a Systems Engineer at SICK Inc. in Bloomington, MN, where I work on Track and Trace sensor systems — barcode scanning, dimensioning, IoT devices, and the Python automation that ties it all together. I hold a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities.\nOutside of work I teach Islamic studies to students ages 7–13, run a homelab that I use for self-hosting, networking, and tinkering, and am working on expanding into data science and machine learning.\nWork Systems Application Engineer I — SICK Inc. (June 2022 – Present)\nBloomington, MN\nDeveloped 100+ Python scripts for data extraction, TCP/IP logging, automation, and visualization Aided installation of Track and Trace systems on 40+ tilt tray sorters at FedEx and UPS sites Troubleshot and tested 15+ sensor solutions for barcode scanning and dimensioning systems Involved in obtaining NTEP certification on 2 Track and Trace systems Design Engineering Co-op — Emerson Automation Solutions (Jan – Sep 2021)\nShakopee, MN\nBuilt a pipe fixture to test Emerson\u0026rsquo;s X-well temperature sensor beyond 300°C Implemented a data acquisition system using LabVIEW with Emerson\u0026rsquo;s 848TX transmitter Conducted cost analysis on in-house injection molding vs. outsourcing Education B.S. Mechanical Engineering — University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (2018–2022)\nRelevant coursework: C++, Statistics, Intro to Machine Learning, Systems \u0026amp; Modeling, Control Systems\nSkills Engineering \u0026amp; Systems: Python, TCP/IP, Linux/SSH, sensor systems, IoT devices, computer networking\nData \u0026amp; ML: pandas, NumPy, matplotlib, scikit-learn, SQL, Bash, feature engineering\nInfrastructure: Git/GitHub, Docker, self-hosted Linux servers, OPNsense, Nginx\nTeaching \u0026amp; Volunteering Islamic Studies Teacher (Sep 2024 – Present) — Teaching students ages 7–13 in storytelling, jurisprudence, and manners Tutor (2019–2022) — K–8 students in mathematics, social sciences, and language arts Open Arms of MN (2023) — Volunteering to deliver medically tailored meals to community members with life-threatening illnesses Languages English — Native / Bilingual Somali — Professional Working Proficiency ","permalink":"https://mohamed.sirwalterlibrary.ddns.net/about/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m a Systems Engineer at SICK Inc. in Bloomington, MN, where I work on\nTrack and Trace sensor systems — barcode scanning, dimensioning, IoT devices,\nand the Python automation that ties it all together. I hold a Mechanical\nEngineering degree from the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOutside of work I teach Islamic studies to students ages 7–13, run a homelab\nthat I use for self-hosting, networking, and tinkering, and am working on\nexpanding into data science and machine learning.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About Me"},{"content":"I maintain two versions of my resume depending on the role:\nNetwork \u0026amp; IT / Systems Engineering version — focused on sensor systems, TCP/IP, IoT, and infrastructure Data Science version — focused on Python, pandas, ML, and data analysis Quick Summary Mohamed Mohamed — Systems Engineer\nSICK Inc., Bloomington MN · U of M Mechanical Engineering \u0026lsquo;22\nstudentmohamed1881@gmail.com · LinkedIn · GitHub\nCurrent role Systems Application Engineer I @ SICK Inc. Degree B.S. Mechanical Engineering, U of M Twin Cities Core skills Python, Linux/SSH, TCP/IP, sensor systems, data analysis Languages English (native), Somali (professional) ","permalink":"https://mohamed.sirwalterlibrary.ddns.net/resume/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI maintain two versions of my resume depending on the role:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"/resume/Mohamed_s_Resume_-_Network_IT.pdf\"\u003eNetwork \u0026amp; IT / Systems Engineering version\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e — focused on sensor systems, TCP/IP, IoT, and infrastructure\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"/resume/Mohamed_s_Resume_-_Data_Science.pdf\"\u003eData Science version\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e — focused on Python, pandas, ML, and data analysis\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"quick-summary\"\u003eQuick Summary\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMohamed Mohamed\u003c/strong\u003e — Systems Engineer\u003cbr\u003e\nSICK Inc., Bloomington MN · U of M Mechanical Engineering \u0026lsquo;22\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"mailto:studentmohamed1881@gmail.com\"\u003estudentmohamed1881@gmail.com\u003c/a\u003e · \u003ca href=\"https://linkedin.com/in/mohamed-mohamed-6124b7177\"\u003eLinkedIn\u003c/a\u003e · \u003ca href=\"https://github.com/SirWalterLibrary\"\u003eGitHub\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n  \u003cthead\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\n          \u003cth\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\n      \u003c/tr\u003e\n  \u003c/thead\u003e\n  \u003ctbody\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCurrent role\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eSystems Application Engineer I @ SICK Inc.\u003c/td\u003e\n      \u003c/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDegree\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eB.S. Mechanical Engineering, U of M Twin Cities\u003c/td\u003e\n      \u003c/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCore skills\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003ePython, Linux/SSH, TCP/IP, sensor systems, data analysis\u003c/td\u003e\n      \u003c/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLanguages\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eEnglish (native), Somali (professional)\u003c/td\u003e\n      \u003c/tr\u003e\n  \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e","title":"Resume"}]