About
I’ll spend two days automating a ten-minute job and only sometimes regret it.
whoami
I’m a systems and applications administrator. Much of the job is deciding how to solve a problem, and often it’s faster to build the solution than to wait to buy it or outsource it — so I do.
I started writing PowerShell as a desktop support tech, and it pulled me further into programming over time — seriously so for about the last five years. I’m a longtime PowerShell nerd and not shy about it, but I’ll use whatever language fits the problem: Python and the notebook stack for data work, C# and .NET for line-of-business apps, Flask and a Linux box for this site.
I like the work itself — building, problem-solving, the messy projects other people would rather avoid. When something lands on the team with no blueprint and no clear direction, I’ll usually be the one to take it. Then I go get a Chipotle burrito.
Projects
- SqlPeek A PowerShell module for fast, read-only exploration of SQL Server — schema, row counts, and column sampling without opening SSMS.
- WordScramble A drag-and-drop spelling game for early readers. Flask, SQLite, and Alpine — no build step — with server-side scoring and adaptive practice.
- PSLoremIpsum A PowerShell module that generates placeholder text at the prompt and puts it on the clipboard — reproducible, multi-format, with vocabularies that stress-test layout.
- WCAGScanner An automated accessibility scanner. Renders pages in Chromium, runs two rule engines, and produces interactive HTML reports that track issues over time.
- jackneff.dev This site. Flask and HTMX on a 1 GB droplet — nginx, systemd, Postgres, and a hand-written stylesheet, deployed on git push.
Elsewhere
- github.com/jackneff
- SysOps — PowerShell scripts for Windows admins