Fernando Briano
I am a computer programmer from Uruguay who lives in Scotland. This is my personal website, but my main small corner of the internet is my blog Picando Código where I've been blogging since 2007.
Programming
I work with computers, mostly writing code. You can see some of my code in my GitHub profile. If you are interested, you can check out my CV.
I use GNU/Linux and free software when possible. I use Mozilla Firefox as my web browser and Emacs is my text editor of choice.
My favourite programming language is Ruby, but I've written code in several languages along my career.
The top programming languages from my repositories on GitHub are: Ruby (38), JavaScript (19), HTML (7), PHP (5), CSS (5), Elixir (4), Emacs Lisp (4), Shell (3), Python (1), Haml (1), Erlang (1), Java (1), TypeScript (1), Crystal (1), Go (1), Rust (1)
RubyGems
Downloads:
39,925
A gem to validate Uruguayan Identity Documents (Cedula de Identidad Uruguaya)
Downloads:
38,628
Command line utility for previewing Markdown files with Github styling
Downloads:
17,218
Ruby Client for TheGamesDB API (thegamesdb.net). See README.md for usage
Downloads:
11,429
Show a notification of your computer's temperature. It can be programmed as a cronjob, so you can be notified when the temperature is high.
Downloads:
7,892
Uses Ruby's JSON to parse and format json files, includes an option to open them in the system's default application.
Downloads:
5,573
A simple gem which allows you to see how long a process has been running on your system in a friendly way
Gems I maintain via my work at 
Elastic
Downloads:
187,133,182
Ruby API for Elasticsearch. See the `elasticsearch` gem for full integration.
Downloads:
186,271,254
Ruby integrations for Elasticsearch (client, API, etc.)
Downloads:
157,996,554
Ruby client for Elasticsearch. See the `elasticsearch` gem for full integration.
Downloads:
69,867,763
ActiveModel/Record integrations for Elasticsearch.
Downloads:
61,189,423
Ruby on Rails integrations for Elasticsearch.
Downloads:
29,944,564
Low level Ruby client for Elastic. See the `elasticsearch` or `elastic-enterprise-search` gems for full integration.
Downloads:
11,039,759
Extensions for the Elasticsearch Rubygem
Downloads:
9,103,739
Persistence layer for Ruby models and Elasticsearch.
Downloads:
3,194,445
Ruby integrations for the X-Pack extensions for Elasticsearch
Downloads:
2,046,681
API client for accessing the Elastic App Search API with no dependencies.
Downloads:
1,809,000
Official API client for Elastic Enterprise Search APIs.
Downloads:
1,641,860
API client for accessing the Elastic Workplace Search API with no dependencies.
Downloads:
30,419
A test runner for the Elasticsearch clients YAML test suite, used in the elasticsearch and elasticsearch-serverless gems.
Game Development
I am very slowly learning and experimenting with video game development. I've been exploring and using Godot, but mostly DragonRuby. I do it as a hobby, but I'd really like to finish some of the many game ideas I have. So far I've only published a few things on my itch.io profile.
Open Data Projects
I think taking advantage of Open Data is one of the ways we, as programmers, can make the world a better place. I have worked on some Open Data projects and events and I'm a member of DATA: an Open Data, transparency and information access NGO. Here are some projects I've worked on:
|
Montevideo Bicis |
Personal project, website with open data information related to cycling in the city of Montevideo. |
Website currently offline | Github |
|
AtuServicio.uy |
An app I worked on with DATA which uses open data from the Public Health Ministry to help users compare health companies and decide which one is best for them |
|
|
MNAV API - API for the MNAV Museum Open Data |
Personal project, an API that uses Open Data from Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales and provides this information in JSON and XML. |
Website currently offline | Project on GitHub | Frontend example app |
|
Ombudsman |
Open data platform to report issues in your city such as broken lights, puddles, etc. Built during the Desarrollando América Latina 2013 hackathon. |
|
|
Moñita Azul |
Open Data project for the Desarrollando América Latina 2012 hackathon. |
Website currently offline | Project on GitHub |
WordPress Development
I have used WordPress for quite some time, built many websites with it and developed some plugins. My profile on the WordPress.org community is fernandobt. I used to contribute on WordPress Answers too.
Plugins I developed:
| Name | Rating | Downloads | |
| List category posts | 94/100 | 4,097,482 | Active Installs: 90,000+ |
| List categories | 90/100 | 72,168 | Active Installs: 6,000+ |
| StackOverflow.com Reputation Widget | 0/100 | 1,916 | Active Installs: Less than 10 |
| RubyConf Uruguay Ribbon | 0/100 | 988 | Active Installs: Less than 10 |
Other projects
Some other projects I've created:
- Super Simple Time Tracker - A Time Tracker to use in your web browser or as a web app. No log in or register required. Source code.
- ci_js - JavaScript Uruguayan document validator. Source Code - jQuery plugin.
- Emacs.sexy - Website to promote Emacs. Source Code
- Instant 'Oh, The Humanity' - A website/web app I did just for fun. Source Code
Writing
I really enjoy writing and I've been doing it on my personal blog Picando Código since 2007.
Articles for different media in Spanish:
- la diaria: Navegar (casi) en soledad Article about internet privacy.
- la diaria: La ética hacker - article about hacker ethics.
- Interview for Sputnik: Hackers: ¿amigos o enemigos de los ciudadanos?
Posts in English:
- Elastic Search Labs: How to migrate your Ruby app from OpenSearch to Elasticsearch.
- Elastic Search Labs: How to use the ES|QL Helper in the Elasticsearch Ruby Client.
- Elastic Search Labs: How to use Elasticsearch with popular Ruby tools.
25 Days of Ruby Gems - Ruby Advent Calendar 2020: Day 9 - thegamesdb Gem - Get Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda ‘n’ More. API Client for TheGamesDB, an Open Database for Video Game Data.- 25 Days of Ruby Gems - Ruby Advent Calendar 2020: Day 2 - elastic-enterprise-search gem - Workplace Search, App Search, and Site Search all together.
- Elastic blog: Elastic Enterprise Search API clients for Ruby and Python.
Cultivate blog: Open sourcing our shared configuration for remote pairing: We open sourced our shared configuration for tmux, Spacemacs and other tools we use daily for development.- Cultivate blog: Building and configuring a Phoenix app with Umbrella for releasing with Docker: A tutorial to understand how Phoenix, Umbrella, Distillery and Docker fit together.
- Cultivate blog: Spacemacs shared configuration - custom private layers: How we use a shared configuration file for Spacemacs and managed to add personal configurations on each machine too.
- Cultivate blog: Getting started with Docker - images and containers: A quick guide to get you up and running with Docker.
- Cultivate blog: Using HTTPS with Elixir on Cowboy: How to serve https from a simple Elixir app running locally with Cowboy in development mode
- Cultivate blog: Euruko 2017 - Budapest, Hungary: My experience at the Annual European Ruby Conference in Budapest.
Conferences
I like going to conferences and I've done talks about Ruby, Open Data, work, programming and other subjects in meetups, conferences and I've been invited to talk at some Universities. I also worked in the organization of several events: RubyConf Uruguay, Ruby Meetups in Montevideo, Red Tecnológica del Este (general development meetup in Maldonado) as well as other related events. You can find some of my slides on SpeakerDeck.
Some of the conferences I remember having been to:
- 2024 - Haggis Ruby - October 24 - Edinburgh, Scotland.
- 2021 - Elastic Community - 10 August - Elasticsearch & Ruby. A livestream focused on using Ruby and Elasticsearch together. Video.
- 2020 - Elastic Community Webinar - 10 November - Introduction into the Elastic Enterprise Search Clients. Video.
- 2020 - ElasticON Global - 13-15 October - Remote conference. Gave a talk about the Elastic Enterprise Search clients as part of The Elastic clients: Recent developments
- 2020 - Brighton Ruby - July 3rd - Remote conference
- 2019 - Code Elixir London 2019 - 18th July 2019 - London, England
- 2018 - WordCamp Edinburgh 2018 - 17th & 18th November 2018 - Edinburgh, Scotland
- 2018 - Elixir Conf EU 2018 - 16-17 April 2018, Training 18 April 2018 - Warsaw, Poland
- 2018 - Bath Ruby Conference 2018 - 22nd-23rd March 2018 - Bath, England
- 2017 - EuRuKo 2017 - 29th and 30th of September - Budapest, Hungary
- 2015 - Ruby Onlineconf - 4th of December - Online conference - I gave a talk about Ruby, Linux and Free Software. Video (in Spanish), slides.
- 2015 - JSConfUY 2015 - 24th–25th April 2015 - Uruguay, Montevideo
- 2015 - 3rd International Open Data Conference 2015 - 28th–29th May 2015 - Ottawa, Canada
- 2014 - Scottish Ruby Conference 2014 - 12th–13th May 2014 - Perthshire, Scotland
- 2014 - ScotlandJS 2014 - 9th–10th May 2014 - Edinburgh, Scotland
- 2014 - RubyConf Uruguay - 23rd–24th May 2014 - Montevideo, Uruguay (gave a talk).
- 2014 - RubyConf Argentina 2014 - 24th–25th October 2014 - Buenos Aires, Argentina
- 2014 - JSConfUY 2014 - 14th–15th March 2014 - Montevideo, Uruguay - I gave a workshop about Firefox OS.
- 2013 - tech MeetupUY 2013 - 23rd November 2013 - Montevideo, Uruguay
- 2013 - Scottish Ruby Conference 2013 - 12th–13th May 2013 - Perthshire, Scotland
- 2013 - ScotlandJS 2013 - 9th–10th May 2013 - Edinburgh, Scotland
- 2013 - RubyConf Uruguay 2013 - 22nd–23rd March 2013 - Montevideo, Uruguay
- 2013 - RubyConf Argentina 2013 - 27th–28th November 2013 - Buenos Aires, Argentina
- 2013 - Conferencia Sobre Datos Abiertos en América Latina y el Caribe - 26th–27th June 2013 - Montevideo, Uruguay
- 2013 - Open Data Day - 23 February - Montevideo, Uruguay - I gave a talk about using open data, aimed at programmers.
- 2012 - RubyConf Argentina 2012 - 19th–20th October 2012 - Buenos Aires, Argentina
- 2012 - PyConUy 2012 - 10th–11th November 2012 - Montevideo, Uruguay
- 2012 - Mozilla MDN Hack Day in Montevideo - 24th April 2012 - Montevideo, Uruguay - I gave a talk about the web as a tool for social change
- 2012 - BrazilJS - 30th–31st August 2012 - Porto Alegre, Brazil
- 2011 - Rubyconf Uruguay - Montevideo, Uruguay
- 2010 - Rubyconf Uruguay - Montevideo, Uruguay
- 2007 - JavaUy 2007 - 11th-12th October, 2007 - Montevideo, Uruguay
Music
I run an independent punk rock record label: Entropía Records. I've published some albums from local bands and produced and helped with several gigs. These are the CD's we've released so far:
- Chango Munks – We Want All Your Minds. Scotland, 2022
- Punkzer – 10:10. Uruguay, 2016
- Artista Desconocido – Album sin título. Uruguay, 2015
- Gogo Squat – Gogoland. Uruguay, 2010
- Nada Que Hacer – Punto Impropio. Uruguay, 2009
It's a great hobby and I love punk rock. Here's my Last.fm profile and my Bandcamp, in case you want to find out about my favorite music.
About this site
Site last generated:
08 07 2025
