Project Deteriorates Into Tools Discussion Again
I started a project in MOZ Pro by selecting a domain and downloading the CSV file. I then added 30_data.ipynb to the repo, using the apex domain as part of the filename. After that, I had a list of competitors and I could pull their keywords. I was tempted to try VSCode running as a Linux app on WSL, but the UI was too clunky. I share my experience in this blog post.
My Experience With MOZ Pro: Trying Out VSCode on WSL
By Michael Levin
Friday, April 14, 2023
Let’s do a little project in MOZ. We’ll start in MOZ Pro with a domain.
I’ll go to the Competitive Research / True Competitor:
https://analytics.moz.com/pro/competitive-research/true-competitor
I download the resulting CSV file.
Do it for a few domains. Make sure the deliverable can apply to any different site. Okay, so I guess I made the decision, this process begins with the selection of a site and the pulling down of its true competitors.
Okay, I just added 30_data.ipynb to the moz repo.
The exports from True Competitor don’t do anything to differentiate the filenames. I’m going to use the apex domain as part of the filename, that way if I automate it I can just append the apex to the end of the filename (but before the .csv extension).
Okay, I have a list of competitors and I can pull all their keywords. Here’s an issue. I have 138 of 150 queries available until 04/30 so I have to use them wisely.
Ugh, while I’m doing this I see that I haven’t tested everything I want to test in terms of dev environments to stay on top of. I tried VSCode running actually as a Linux app on WSL, but the UI is too clunky.
I was able to get VSCode installed on WSL2, but it’s not that much better than the native Linux version. Even though I have the native VSCode interface and it’s back-ended by Linux, it’s still VSCode, and I still prefer vim/NeoVim, and in fact aside from the Copilot feature, I still prefer plain Jupyter Notebooks over VSCode. Don’t lose time on this.
What an interesting awakening and aligning. I will not allow myself to fall down the VSCode rabbit hole. My special advantage is vim. Vim mode in VSCode is agonizing. It defeats the purpose of muscle memory. My muscle memory transfer from vim to NeoVim was almost seamless. The claim that vim mode in VSCode checks off that checkmark and makes it a viable alternative is a lie.
Copilot will come to Jupyter eventually. While I’m waiting, don’t go to VSCode except insofar as to keep yourself up to date with what’s going on in that world.
Okay, so get a new workflow down. It’s irresistible to start out a Notebook, so continue feeling free to do so.
Yeah, so this blog post started out doing a particular piece of work and devolved into a general discussion of the workflow. But that’s okay. I’ve got some new notions to sketch out.
I remain a vim (and now, NeoVim) person. VSCode, despite TWO more opportunities to win me over, first from a native Linux install (on Windows), and next on a native Windows 10 install, but connecting to WSL Linux through the WSL2 backend system. It’s quite interesting what it does, the lengths it’s going to, to make it a viable way to edit and run code Linux-side while still in a Windows-side editor. Wow. Impressive, but still not for me. Such dependency!
I briefly had Copilot envy from Jupyter Notebooks, making me switch both to NeoVim and VSCode to see what the code-suggestion experience is like and whether it’s something I can’t life without. For a little while, I can’t live without it. I’m going to try to get past that because it feels a lot like training wheels. It should have been called Training Wheels, haha!