This is going to be a little bit of a story. A story and an initial feature test. Using filamentphp and Postiz, I created one of my favorite tools.

Throwback, Laracon 2016 - Louisville, KY with @taylorotwell.bsky.social and @marcusmoore.bsky.social.

PHP 8.5 just leveled up your chaining game with the Pipe Operator! Say goodbye to messy nesting and hello to cleaner code. Who knew readability could be this fun? 🚀 #PHP8 #CodeCleanliness https://shocm.me/posts/2026-07-16-php-85-pipe-operator-guide/

Heard a great quote today that was new to me and I'm going to definitely start to live by it: "𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲."

Tired of juggling between your code and MySQL? 🥴 Meet lazysql - the TUI database client that lets you manage your databases straight from the terminal! Say goodbye to awkward switches and hello to seamless coding. #PHP… https://shocm.me/posts/2026-07-13-lazysql-tui-database-client-php-developers/

🚀 Hey PHP developers! Tired of those pesky UI positioning issues? Discover how Alpine's x-anchor plugin and the new .fixed modifier can simplify your life. Make your interfaces shine with ease! 🌟 #AlpineJS #UIDesign https://shocm.me/posts/2026-07-10-alpinejs-x-anchor-plugin-positioning/

Thinking of dropping an index? 🧐 Don’t let that decision haunt you! Learn how MySQL's invisible indexes can help you test the waters before taking the plunge. Your database might just thank you! #MySQL #PHPDev https://shocm.me/posts/2026-07-07-mysql-invisible-indexes-safe-drops/

🚀 Say goodbye to juggling multiple tools! With Pest 4's suite for browser testing, you can seamlessly handle unit, feature, AND browser tests all in one place. Ready to elevate your PHP game? Let’s simplify your workflow! #PestPHP… https://shocm.me/posts/2026-07-04-pest-4-browser-testing-laravel/

🚩 Unlock the power of Laravel Pennant! Dive into the world of feature flags and learn how to control your app's features like a pro. Whether you're testing or rolling out, this guide has you covered. Let's… https://brook2-astro-blog.vercel.app/posts/2026-07-03-laravel-pennant-feature-flags-guide/

Today’s copilot

I'm not someone who prides himself his graphic arts skills. But I have to say, I HATE FONTS. You would laugh at me if I told you how much time I wasted trying to find a font that had a K in this style. Tried several "What font is it" sites and they all failed me. Eventually I found something close.

We're very excited to have PHP Architect Joe Ferguson as a release manager for PHP 8.6. Joe cares deeply about PHP and the PHP Community. We are very lucky to have him on the team. Thanks to everyone who volunteers their time to make PHP the best it can be. https://phpa.me/release-managers

Celebrating 37 years of marriage

jstek.io @johncongdon.bsky.social and myself for a complete breakdown of this year's PHP Tek 2026 (@phparch.com). We'll discuss the highs, the lows, and what's in the future, as well as our normal PHP rhetoric and tomfoolery. PHP Architect YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/live/iNn7wZVReBE

I recently had a random thought, and I might be crazy, but are the Golden State Warriors the only sports franchise that doesn't take on the geographical name of the city or state they play in? Technically, there's "New England", but that seems more grounded as a geographical region.

I feel so honored to be part of this @phparch.com team, and I am so proud of the hard work they put into PHP/JS Tek. It was a wild one, but I'll save that tea for the podcast this Thursday.

Thanks to Savio Resende (and his wife) for these awesome magnets he made for PHP Tek.

If you’re coming to #phptek and didn’t already know this, there is a minor league baseball team about 3 miles from the hotel venue. TheChicagoDogs baseball is worth the visit. Tickets and concessions are all reasonably priced.

Chicago bond. Looking forward to see you all at #phptek next week. Not too late to purchase a ticket at phptek.io

It's looking like rain in Chicago, so be sure to toss a raincoat or umbrella in your bag before you leave! ☔

MySQL 9's native VECTOR type lets PHP devs add semantic search & AI similarity to existing apps—no extra vector DB needed. Full-scan works great at small-to-medium scale. Full walkthrough with PHP & Laravel examples. https://shocm.me/posts/2026-04-30-mysql9-vector-semantic-search-php/

It was so awesome catching up with Sammy K again. It's been so long, and it was so much fun talking about old times and what he's been up to lately. That guy is such a treasure of the PHP Community. www.phparch.com/podcast/the-...

𝗣𝗛𝗣 𝗧𝗲𝗸 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗜𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 — 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗕𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 https://shocm.me/posts/2026-04-13-php-tek-2026-chicago/

I’ve been thinking about this for a while. With the rise of AI, I’m spending more time in tools like Claude Code, then jumping into NVim when I need to tweak or track something down. So I finally did it. I’m stepping away from PhpStorm. At least for now. 1/5

Wife and I are having some adult beverage time.

Hockey night in San Diego with the family

For anyone looking for an awesome PHP / AI Developer, one of the best in the community is on the market. Check out @tjmiller.bsky.social post over on X x.com/heytjmiller/...

OK, I need to know if I know anyone who's ever had a "Farmers Coke". They mention it's drunk in North Carolina. I've never heard of this, and now I need to see if I have any peanuts in the house. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/geXCDahWqhs

PHP Tek / JS Tek, buy your ticket to either and attend both conferences. Full Story: https://www.phparch.com/podcast/community-corner-php-tek-and-js-tek-2026-with-eric-van-johnson/

Be sure to catch 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 Domain Driven PHP talk with MergePHP https://www.youtube.com/@MergePHP/streams

It's good to know someone with a good 3D printer. @johncongdon.bsky.social printed me this awesome stand for my HomePod mini.

Someone uploaded all the Jeffery Epstein documents to Gmail clone and it's awesome. JMail, JPhotos, there's a Drive, and JFlight section as well. Very well done. https://www.jmail.world/

End of an era. The Black in Ocean Beach is closing after 57 years. I lived in OB, and The Black was a landmark. A piece of San Diego counterculture that somehow survived all the changes around it. Gonna miss that place. https://bit.ly/3ZiQxrN

Check out my interview about this years PHP Tek and @jstek.io in Chicago. https://www.phparch.com/podcast/community-corner-php-tek-and-js-tek-2026-with-eric-van-johnson/

We’re live-streaming the @phparch.com PHP Podcast today at 𝟯 𝗣𝗠 𝗣𝗧. Bring your hot takes and your “it works on my machine” energy. 😄 Join us: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4rn6O5GAh8

Hey, come and hang out with @johncongdon.bsky.social and me for today's live recording of the @phparch.com Podcast. We are kicking off in about an hour and a half. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kFJRTSYc5M

I talked about this on the last podcast but couldn't remember that is was called. Thanks to @johncongdon.bsky.social I now know it's called Pasabolo Tablón which is a traditional Spanish bowling sport popular in Cantabria, Vizcaya, Álava, and Burgos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvRppeCoEII

We were talking about @jetbrains.com @datagrip.bsky.social on the show last night, and I hadn't realized that they made DataGrip free for non-commercial use back in October https://blog.jetbrains.com/datagrip/2025/10/01/datagrip-is-now-free-for-non-commercial-use/

Today's PHP Podcast with @ericvanjohnson.bsky.social and @johncongdon.bsky.social will be starting early today, 2:30 PM PDT. Why you ask, you'll need to tune in to fine out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkCaXIZmzDE

Had a special "in studio guest" today. My kid brought her dog Ollie. She looked at us and said "You make Ollie look normal sized". For those who don't know me, I'm about 6'4.

This one is for my broader FLOSS/OSS people out there. Especially those in and around SoCal. Clock is ticking to submit talks to SCaLE 23X. Share your solutions, project, and general knowledge on all this Open Source. bsky.app/profile/soca...

@johncongdon.bsky.social and I will be doing our PHP Podcasting thing in about an hour. Not sure what we are going to talk about this week. Obvious PHP Tek and JS Tek. SOC 2 might come up. 🎙️ Join us live on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlcZ5K51NmE

🐘💡 Ever wish you could write PHP extensions in Go instead of C? Myles Hyson will show you how with FrankenPHP! Wed, Nov 19 @ NEST CoWork. RSVP now ➡️ https://www.meetup.com/sandiegophp/events/311910789

⌛ 20 MINUTES! Estelle Gaits is about to drop knowledge on PHP, Symfony, building with Sylius and contributing to major open-source frameworks - this conversation will be 🔥 Don't miss it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlUZQAd49fo #PHP #OpenSource

Locked and loaded. Going live in about 10 minutes. Come and hang out with us. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNCyf9-LnHA

Just a reminder to my friends out there, this is happening today. 3 PM PT on the @phparch YouTube channel youtube.com/@phparch You can also be part of the show by joining the PHP Architect Discord: discord.phparch.com

I'm really excited to catch up with Nuno tomorrow. He's one of the brightest minds in the Laravel/PHP World, and he's always building. He might be the only person who gets more excited about PHP packages than I do.

Got a preview of @mattstauffer.com of @tighten.com recorded interview with @mikepagedev.bsky.social and @ccmiller2018.bsky.social on PHP Alive and Kicking, which will air on Friday this week. One of my favorite people in the PHP world. I highly recommend checking it out when it's released.

Join me and @johncongdon.bsky.social in about 20 minutes for this week's live stream of the @phparch.com Podcast, where we talk about PHP, the PHP Community, and cool projects. See if this week is the week I totally lose it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh3zuLPRCg4