The Fallacy of 'Always Use a NoSQL Database': When SQL Wins

The Fallacy of 'Always Use a NoSQL Database': When SQL Wins

Look, I get it. NoSQL is trendy. It’s cool. It scales horizontally like a boss, and somewhere around 2015, we all collectively decided that relational databases were as outdated as flip phones. But here’s the uncomfortable truth that nobody wants to talk about at tech conferences: for most applications, you probably don’t need NoSQL, and insisting on using it is like bringing a flamethrower to a candle-lighting ceremony. I’ve watched too many teams paint themselves into corners by choosing MongoDB or Cassandra for projects that would have been perfectly happy with good old PostgreSQL....

October 21, 2025 · 14 min · 2903 words · Maxim Zhirnov
Introduction to Q#: The Programming Language for Quantum Computing

Introduction to Q#: The Programming Language for Quantum Computing

So, you’ve decided to dive into quantum computing. Bold move! While your friends are still debugging their JavaScript callbacks, you’re about to debug quantum superposition states. Spoiler alert: Schrödinger’s cat jokes are mandatory in this field, but I promise to keep them to a minimum. Q# (pronounced “Q-sharp,” not “Q-hashtag” – yes, people make that mistake) is Microsoft’s purpose-built programming language for quantum computing. Think of it as C# that went to graduate school in physics and came back with some seriously mind-bending capabilities....

October 17, 2025 · 11 min · 2274 words · Maxim Zhirnov
Optimizing Protocol Buffers in Go Applications

Optimizing Protocol Buffers in Go Applications

If you’ve ever wondered why your Go service is eating memory like it’s at an all-you-can-eat buffet, chances are you haven’t optimized your Protocol Buffers usage. I’ve been there, watching heap profiles with the kind of horror usually reserved for checking your bank account after a night out. But here’s the good news: Protocol Buffers in Go can be wickedly fast and memory-efficient when you know the tricks. Let me walk you through the optimization techniques that transformed my services from memory-hungry monsters into lean, mean, serialization machines....

October 16, 2025 · 10 min · 2100 words · Maxim Zhirnov
Optimizing Python Application Performance Using Cython

Optimizing Python Application Performance Using Cython

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Python is slow. There, I said it. Before the Python evangelists sharpen their pitchforks, let me clarify—Python isn’t slow because it’s poorly designed. It’s slow because it prioritizes developer happiness over raw speed. And honestly? That’s usually fine. Until it isn’t. When your application starts choking on computational tasks, when those nested loops become performance black holes, when your users start questioning their life choices while waiting for your script to finish—that’s when you need Cython....

October 15, 2025 · 11 min · 2308 words · Maxim Zhirnov
The Rust Safety Myth: Memory Leaks in Supposedly 'Safe' Code

The Rust Safety Myth: Memory Leaks in Supposedly 'Safe' Code

Let me start with a confession that might ruffle some feathers in the Rust community: Rust doesn’t prevent memory leaks. There, I said it. And before the pitchforks come out, let me clarify—this isn’t a bug, it’s a feature. Or rather, it’s a deliberate design decision that reveals something fascinating about what “memory safety” actually means. You see, when we evangelists talk about Rust being “memory safe,” we’re painting with a rather broad brush....

October 15, 2025 · 13 min · 2608 words · Maxim Zhirnov