Daniel Mitchell

A Senior Software and Cloud Engineer based in the UK. Experienced programmer in a variety of languages, technologies and delivering solutions for the AWS Cloud.

AWS Certified

Currently work in a freelance capacity for a number of organisations that include developing and architecting back-end solutions in the cloud, for the web, desktop and mobile devices. Projects as diverse as management systems, cloud hosting, multi-channel communication solutions, telephony and the processing of audio and video media.


Feel free to contact me with your interesting project ideas. Email: me@daniel-mitchell.com

Never Miss an Octopus Energy Saving Session Again ☀️

Never Miss an Octopus Energy Saving Session Again ☀️

4 min read
I built a little Cloudflare Worker that automatically joins Octopus Energy Saving Sessions so I don't have to remember to opt in. Here's how it works and how you can set it up for yourself. The ProblemOctopus Energy runs Saving Sessions — time windows where you're rewarded for shifting your electricity usage away from peak demand. The reward? OctoPoints, which convert directly to account
The Perils of test.php: How a Simple File Led to a Spam Nightmare

The Perils of test.php: How a Simple File Led to a Spam Nightmare

2 min read PHPSecurityEmail
In the world of web development, we've all deployed throwaway files for debugging—often with innocent names like test.php. But sometimes, these small conveniences can snowball into major security breaches. One such case involved a test.php file containing a single, seemingly harmless line of code: <?php phpinfo(); ?>What’s the Harm in phpinfo()? At first glance, phpinfo() is a
2024 Review

Sign ASL Year Review 2024

1 min read SignASLYear in Review
2024 saw new peaks in usage for the sign language dictionary, www.signasl.org. With a whopping 34,412,937 searches conducted on the platform and 908,000 unique visitors. This was a 6.8% increase from 2023, which had 32,197,037 searches. This continued growth speaks to our commitment to providing comprehensive resources for those learning American Sign Language. Top 50
2024 Revie

Sign BSL Year Review 2024

2 min read SignBSLYear in Review
Greetings, British Sign Language enthusiasts! We're excited to share an incredible milestone in our journey to promote and support sign language learning. As we reflect on the year 2024, we’re thrilled to report some fascinating insights and achievements from www.signbsl.com. Record-Breaking Searches: In 2024, our website experienced a significant surge in activity, with 536,288 unique visitors and a staggering
Identifying Valid MX Records to Clean Up Your Mailing List

Identifying Valid MX Records to Clean Up Your Mailing List

2 min read Email
When managing a mailing list, one critical task is ensuring that the email addresses in your list are valid. Sending emails to invalid addresses not only clutters your system but also harms your sender reputation, which can affect your email deliverability. One effective way to validate email addresses is by checking their Mail Exchanger (MX) records. What Are MX Records?MX records are
Send email with AWS SES in a CloudFlare Worker

Send email with AWS SES in a CloudFlare Worker

2 min read Email
To send an email via a CloudFlare Worker you will need to call a email provider. AWS Simple Email Service (SES) is a robust transactional email provider that I already use in a number of other projects, and simplifies my billing. However the JavaScript SDK provided by AWS is very large and is not compatible with the CloudFlare Worker runtime. So we will
Fifty Pence Direct Debit logo

Unlocking Bank Switch Bonuses with Fifty Pence Direct Debit

2 min read
Switching banks has never been more rewarding. With enticing cash bonuses, interest rates, and other perks, savvy consumers are capitalizing on these offers. However, many of these deals come with a requirement: you need to have active direct debits. But what if you could set up these direct debits without breaking the bank? Enter Fifty Pence Direct Debit, the service that makes it
Connected email services and costs

The Real Cost of Free Transactional Email Services

2 min read Email
When it comes to managing costs, especially ongoing ones, businesses and individuals with side projects alike seek efficient solutions. Email services are no exception. While free email providers can be enticing initially, they come with a serious drawback. Learn from my experience that see that resisting the draw of free email services and opting for paid transactional email services from the beginning is
SignASL year in review 2023

SignASL year in review 2023

2 min read SignASLSign LanguageYear in Review
In 2023 32,197,037 searches were made on www.signasl.org a massive +22.5% increase from last year! (This is a 31% higher search volume compared to Sign BSL). Below I have provided a snapshot of the top 50 most searched words during the year. Search Query No. searches % change **** 62,356 96% **** 45,408 109% abortion 37,692 758% you're
SignBSL year in review 2023

SignBSL year in review 2023

2 min read SignBSLSign LanguageYear in Review
In 2023 24,587,983 searches were made on www.signbsl.com a +4.2% increase from last year indicating a growing interest in BSL which I expect to continue, especially with the plans to allow students to learn BSL as a GCSE subject. Below I have provided a snapshot of the top 50 most searched words. Search Query No. Searches % change from