Alex Power[s]
@itsnotaboutthecell.com
I spend my days crunching numbers and my nights torturing a wife and cats with the sound of keystrokes. Opinions are my own. #MicrosoftEmployee
Co-organizer: Saint Louis Microsoft Fabric / Power BI @ https://aka.ms/fabricstl
Data | Guitar | Pro-Wrestling
Co-organizer: Saint Louis Microsoft Fabric / Power BI @ https://aka.ms/fabricstl
Data | Guitar | Pro-Wrestling
Reposted by Alex Power[s]
Fabric Spark Shuffle Tuning: AQE + partitions for Faster Joins
Shuffles are where Spark jobs go to get expensive: a wide join or aggregation forces data to move across the network, materialize shuffle files, and often spill when memory pressure spikes. In Microsoft Fabric Spark workloads, the…
Shuffles are where Spark jobs go to get expensive: a wide join or aggregation forces data to move across the network, materialize shuffle files, and often spill when memory pressure spikes. In Microsoft Fabric Spark workloads, the…
Fabric Spark Shuffle Tuning: AQE + partitions for Faster Joins
Shuffles are where Spark jobs go to get expensive: a wide join or aggregation forces data to move across the network, materialize shuffle files, and often spill when memory pressure spikes. In Microsoft Fabric Spark workloads, the fastest optimization is usually the boring one: avoid the shuffle when you can, and when you can’t, make it smaller and better balanced. This post lays out a practical, repeatable approach you can apply in Fabric notebooks and Spark job definitions. 1) Start with the simplest win: avoid the shuffle If one side of your join is genuinely small (think lookup/dimension tables), use a broadcast join so Spark ships the small table to executors and avoids a full shuffle.
christopherfinlan.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Fabric Spark Shuffle Tuning: AQE + partitions for Faster Joins
Shuffles are where Spark jobs go to get expensive: a wide join or aggregation forces data to move across the network, materialize shuffle files, and often spill when memory pressure spikes. In Microsoft Fabric Spark workloads, the…
Shuffles are where Spark jobs go to get expensive: a wide join or aggregation forces data to move across the network, materialize shuffle files, and often spill when memory pressure spikes. In Microsoft Fabric Spark workloads, the…
I use Answers quite a bit currently. It’s in the basic stages but helps with a lot of searching for weird niche topics like broken appliances, what’s going on with my cat, or recommendations for restaurants and things to see when traveling.
reddit.com/answers
reddit.com/answers
February 5, 2026 at 11:36 PM
I use Answers quite a bit currently. It’s in the basic stages but helps with a lot of searching for weird niche topics like broken appliances, what’s going on with my cat, or recommendations for restaurants and things to see when traveling.
reddit.com/answers
reddit.com/answers
Kicking off 2026 - the #MicrosoftFabric team wants to talk about Pro Dev Tools and experiences. Since we're all in love with terminals, VS Codes, MCPs, and whatever else we can vibe with how can we make you even more productive.
Link: aka.ms/fabricama
And hit the [Remind me] on the page too.
Link: aka.ms/fabricama
And hit the [Remind me] on the page too.
February 5, 2026 at 8:26 PM
Kicking off 2026 - the #MicrosoftFabric team wants to talk about Pro Dev Tools and experiences. Since we're all in love with terminals, VS Codes, MCPs, and whatever else we can vibe with how can we make you even more productive.
Link: aka.ms/fabricama
And hit the [Remind me] on the page too.
Link: aka.ms/fabricama
And hit the [Remind me] on the page too.
What are those annoying design papercuts in #MicrosoftFabric ?! My colleague Drew who runs the team wants to hear all about ‘em!
www.reddit.com/r/MicrosoftF...
www.reddit.com/r/MicrosoftF...
From the MicrosoftFabric community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the MicrosoftFabric community
www.reddit.com
February 5, 2026 at 2:58 PM
What are those annoying design papercuts in #MicrosoftFabric ?! My colleague Drew who runs the team wants to hear all about ‘em!
www.reddit.com/r/MicrosoftF...
www.reddit.com/r/MicrosoftF...
I have implemented a few updates:
> New topic: Data Formats
> +25 new levels
> Playground page
> 404 Page
> over 599 supported functions/enumerators
> Improved M logic (better error support)
Link: mgame.datameerkat.com
> New topic: Data Formats
> +25 new levels
> Playground page
> 404 Page
> over 599 supported functions/enumerators
> Improved M logic (better error support)
Link: mgame.datameerkat.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:20 PM
Reposted by Alex Power[s]
When ‘Native Execution Engine’ Doesn’t Stick: Debugging Fabric Environment Deployments with fabric-cicd
If you’re treating Microsoft Fabric workspaces as source-controlled assets, you’ve probably started leaning on code-first deployment tooling (either Fabric’s built-in Git integration or…
If you’re treating Microsoft Fabric workspaces as source-controlled assets, you’ve probably started leaning on code-first deployment tooling (either Fabric’s built-in Git integration or…
When ‘Native Execution Engine’ Doesn’t Stick: Debugging Fabric Environment Deployments with fabric-cicd
If you’re treating Microsoft Fabric workspaces as source-controlled assets, you’ve probably started leaning on code-first deployment tooling (either Fabric’s built-in Git integration or community tooling layered on top). One popular option is the open-source fabric-cicd Python library, which is designed to help implement CI/CD automations for Fabric workspaces without having to interact directly with the underlying Fabric APIs. For most Fabric items, a ‘deploy what’s in Git’ model works well—until you hit a configuration that looks like it’s in source control, appears in deployment logs, but still doesn’t land in the target workspace.
christopherfinlan.com
February 3, 2026 at 3:00 PM
When ‘Native Execution Engine’ Doesn’t Stick: Debugging Fabric Environment Deployments with fabric-cicd
If you’re treating Microsoft Fabric workspaces as source-controlled assets, you’ve probably started leaning on code-first deployment tooling (either Fabric’s built-in Git integration or…
If you’re treating Microsoft Fabric workspaces as source-controlled assets, you’ve probably started leaning on code-first deployment tooling (either Fabric’s built-in Git integration or…
Royal Thunder - Full Session - Daytrotter Session - 8/8/2018
YouTube video by Paste Magazine
youtu.be
February 3, 2026 at 12:39 AM
Reposted by Alex Power[s]
As of this morning, I am on the job market, #OpenToWork, or however that is designated here. 🙂 I’m immediately looking for a new position, and my DMs are open. Thanks network!
February 2, 2026 at 3:42 PM
As of this morning, I am on the job market, #OpenToWork, or however that is designated here. 🙂 I’m immediately looking for a new position, and my DMs are open. Thanks network!
Reposted by Alex Power[s]
4/4 Finally, how do you run these workloads efficiently and effectively on #MicrosoftFabric - all-in-all, a fantastic series of posts from @bjas.bsky.social
endjin.com/blog/2026/01...
endjin.com/blog/2026/01...
Polars Workloads on Microsoft Fabric | endjin
Learn how to leverage the power of Polars within Microsoft Fabric for efficient data transformation. This practical guide shows you how to read from OneLake, process data, and write to Delta tables, o...
endjin.com
January 31, 2026 at 8:51 AM
4/4 Finally, how do you run these workloads efficiently and effectively on #MicrosoftFabric - all-in-all, a fantastic series of posts from @bjas.bsky.social
endjin.com/blog/2026/01...
endjin.com/blog/2026/01...
Reposted by Alex Power[s]
Since I write about data, I have to write something about AI. If I wait for too long, all my predictions might just come true too soon because everything is evolving so rapidly.
So, Will AI take over the Dashboards? Read how it will happen before it happens.
chartplanet.net/will-ai-take...
So, Will AI take over the Dashboards? Read how it will happen before it happens.
chartplanet.net/will-ai-take...
January 7, 2026 at 6:46 PM
Since I write about data, I have to write something about AI. If I wait for too long, all my predictions might just come true too soon because everything is evolving so rapidly.
So, Will AI take over the Dashboards? Read how it will happen before it happens.
chartplanet.net/will-ai-take...
So, Will AI take over the Dashboards? Read how it will happen before it happens.
chartplanet.net/will-ai-take...
Reposted by Alex Power[s]
This post is a back-to-basics Git introduction for Microsoft Fabric enthusiasts. Because I am very aware a lot of Microsoft Fabric enthusiasts are from different backgrounds.
chantifiedlens.com/2026/01/27/g...
chantifiedlens.com/2026/01/27/g...
Git introduction for Microsoft Fabric enthusiasts - Chantified Lens
This post is a back-to-basics Git introduction for Microsoft Fabric enthusiasts. Because a lot of enthusiasts are from different backgrounds.
chantifiedlens.com
January 31, 2026 at 5:42 PM
This post is a back-to-basics Git introduction for Microsoft Fabric enthusiasts. Because I am very aware a lot of Microsoft Fabric enthusiasts are from different backgrounds.
chantifiedlens.com/2026/01/27/g...
chantifiedlens.com/2026/01/27/g...
Cutting the finger tips off your winter gloves was a bad ass move as a kid. Now it’s like dang, I want every inch of my skin covered or I’m cold and cranky all day.
January 31, 2026 at 7:05 PM
Cutting the finger tips off your winter gloves was a bad ass move as a kid. Now it’s like dang, I want every inch of my skin covered or I’m cold and cranky all day.
Reposted by Alex Power[s]
Something exciting is coming for SQL + AI! A series of challenges kicks off next week that 's the perfect opportunity for you to flex your SQL skill set. You don't need to be an expert; each experience builds on the last. #SQLServer #SQLServer2025
techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/sqlserv...
techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/sqlserv...
SQL + AI: Get ready for a fun new experience, launching next week! | Microsoft Community Hub
The SQL community is leveling up!
We’re launching a lightweight, beginner friendly SQL + AI contest designed to spark awareness...
techcommunity.microsoft.com
January 30, 2026 at 5:26 PM
Something exciting is coming for SQL + AI! A series of challenges kicks off next week that 's the perfect opportunity for you to flex your SQL skill set. You don't need to be an expert; each experience builds on the last. #SQLServer #SQLServer2025
techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/sqlserv...
techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/sqlserv...
100M doesn't feel that far off.
In 2025, as Bluesky grew from 25M to 42M users, we took actions to keep it welcoming, using proactive design to reduce toxic content by 79%. Our 2025 Transparency Report shares how we're building a safer platform while keeping a transparent and human-centered approach: bsky.social/about/blog/0...
2025 Transparency Report Overview - Bluesky
In 2025, as Bluesky grew from 25 million to 41 million users, we improved the trust and safety infrastructure to better enable our mission. Here's what that looks like in plain language.
bsky.social
January 30, 2026 at 2:23 PM
100M doesn't feel that far off.
If you didn’t run this before you went to bed, did you even care about your PC as a child?
January 30, 2026 at 2:14 PM
If you didn’t run this before you went to bed, did you even care about your PC as a child?
Forgot to post this a few days back, working towards 700 and 1,000 day streak - set goals, believe in yourself, something-something about being online too much.
#Reddit
January 30, 2026 at 1:06 PM
Forgot to post this a few days back, working towards 700 and 1,000 day streak - set goals, believe in yourself, something-something about being online too much.
#Reddit
Reposted by Alex Power[s]
"Are you a bot"?
No, I'm just chronically online
No, I'm just chronically online
January 30, 2026 at 11:28 AM
"Are you a bot"?
No, I'm just chronically online
No, I'm just chronically online
Reposted by Alex Power[s]
College econ lessons that stuck with me for life:
1. Opportunity Cost: The cost of an action is the alternative you sacrifice. Working late costs dinner with your family.
2. Sunk Cost Fallacy: Don't persist just because you’ve already invested effort. If a Netflix series sucks, just stop watching.
1. Opportunity Cost: The cost of an action is the alternative you sacrifice. Working late costs dinner with your family.
2. Sunk Cost Fallacy: Don't persist just because you’ve already invested effort. If a Netflix series sucks, just stop watching.
January 30, 2026 at 2:52 AM
College econ lessons that stuck with me for life:
1. Opportunity Cost: The cost of an action is the alternative you sacrifice. Working late costs dinner with your family.
2. Sunk Cost Fallacy: Don't persist just because you’ve already invested effort. If a Netflix series sucks, just stop watching.
1. Opportunity Cost: The cost of an action is the alternative you sacrifice. Working late costs dinner with your family.
2. Sunk Cost Fallacy: Don't persist just because you’ve already invested effort. If a Netflix series sucks, just stop watching.
Reposted by Alex Power[s]
From pixels to characters: The engineering behind GitHub Copilot CLI’s animated ASCII banner
From pixels to characters: The engineering behind GitHub Copilot CLI’s animated ASCII banner
Learn how GitHub built an ASCII animation for the Copilot CLI using custom tooling, ANSI color roles, and advanced terminal engineering.
buff.ly
January 29, 2026 at 6:00 PM
From pixels to characters: The engineering behind GitHub Copilot CLI’s animated ASCII banner
Great game when it dropped.
And don't ask me any questions about the 2,000 expansion packs that have dropped since the OG, because I have no clue.
And don't ask me any questions about the 2,000 expansion packs that have dropped since the OG, because I have no clue.
January 28, 2026 at 2:18 PM
Great game when it dropped.
And don't ask me any questions about the 2,000 expansion packs that have dropped since the OG, because I have no clue.
And don't ask me any questions about the 2,000 expansion packs that have dropped since the OG, because I have no clue.
Reposted by Alex Power[s]
Join us next Thursday, Feb 5th at 9am PT/12pm ET for our next installment in the SQL Community Engineering Connection Series.
SSMS improvement - Copilot with Erin Stellato
SQL in hybrid cloud environment - Azure Arc with Anitha Adusumilli
Find YOUR group here www.meetup.com/pro/azuredat...
SSMS improvement - Copilot with Erin Stellato
SQL in hybrid cloud environment - Azure Arc with Anitha Adusumilli
Find YOUR group here www.meetup.com/pro/azuredat...
Azure Data Tech Groups | Meetup Pro
Azure Data Tech Groups is on Meetup Pro with more than 138401 members across 114 Meetups worldwide. Meetup Pro is the professional tool for organizing and communicating a network of users, partners, c...
www.meetup.com
January 27, 2026 at 9:15 PM
Join us next Thursday, Feb 5th at 9am PT/12pm ET for our next installment in the SQL Community Engineering Connection Series.
SSMS improvement - Copilot with Erin Stellato
SQL in hybrid cloud environment - Azure Arc with Anitha Adusumilli
Find YOUR group here www.meetup.com/pro/azuredat...
SSMS improvement - Copilot with Erin Stellato
SQL in hybrid cloud environment - Azure Arc with Anitha Adusumilli
Find YOUR group here www.meetup.com/pro/azuredat...
Community building jobs are rad @sqlgene.com
We’re hiring a Senior Developer Advocate at Buffer! 🥳
Help shape our API & developer experience, build community, and help small businesses grow.
🌍 Fully remote
🗓 4-day work week
💙 Values-led, transparency-first culture
💰 Transparent pay: $157K–$194K + equity
🔗 Apply: buffer.com/journey/cef3...
Help shape our API & developer experience, build community, and help small businesses grow.
🌍 Fully remote
🗓 4-day work week
💙 Values-led, transparency-first culture
💰 Transparent pay: $157K–$194K + equity
🔗 Apply: buffer.com/journey/cef3...
January 27, 2026 at 12:20 AM
Community building jobs are rad @sqlgene.com
Reposted by Alex Power[s]
Pro Tip for managing 10 Coding Agents in the Windows Terminal | with Scott Hanselman
buff.ly/ybwilFd
#ai #commandline #agents #copilotcli #githubcopilot
buff.ly/ybwilFd
#ai #commandline #agents #copilotcli #githubcopilot
Pro Tip for managing 10 Coding Agents in the Windows Terminal
buff.ly
January 26, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Pro Tip for managing 10 Coding Agents in the Windows Terminal | with Scott Hanselman
buff.ly/ybwilFd
#ai #commandline #agents #copilotcli #githubcopilot
buff.ly/ybwilFd
#ai #commandline #agents #copilotcli #githubcopilot
Reposted by Alex Power[s]
🎉 We’ve received 709 responses to the 2025 SOTI Survey so far! Take the survey if you create #dataviz in any capacity (hobby, work, school, art), and help us spread the word: www.surveyhero.com/c/soti2025-b...
January 26, 2026 at 2:53 PM
🎉 We’ve received 709 responses to the 2025 SOTI Survey so far! Take the survey if you create #dataviz in any capacity (hobby, work, school, art), and help us spread the word: www.surveyhero.com/c/soti2025-b...