--- author: Phil Stevenson title: "Useful links" date: 2026-05-17 published: true description: "Articles, tools, and patterns I keep coming back to: NAT traversal, Go architecture, API design, and more." tags: ["api","architecture","golang","links","nat","networking","reference","self-hosted"] --- A bookmark list of things worth re-reading. I add to this whenever I find something I know I'll need again. ## Networking **[How NAT Traversal Works](https://tailscale.com/blog/how-nat-traversal-works)**: The best explanation of NAT I've come across. Covers STUN, TURN, ICE, and how Tailscale punches through NAT without port forwarding. ## Golang **[The DDD Hamburger for Go](https://medium.com/@remast/the-ddd-hamburger-for-go-61dba99c4aaf)**: My ideal backend service architecture. Clean layers, clear dependency direction, and a structure that scales from a single service to a monorepo. **[Go by Example](https://gobyexample.com/)**: Hands-on, annotated examples for nearly every Go language feature and standard library package. The first tab I open when reaching for a pattern I haven't used in a while. **[Rate Limiting in Golang HTTP Client](https://medium.com/mflow/rate-limiting-in-golang-http-client-a22fba15861a)**: A clean pattern for adding rate limiting to Go HTTP clients using a custom `http.RoundTripper`. ## API design **[The 5 Laws of API Dates and Times](https://apiux.com/2013/03/20/5-laws-api-dates-and-times/)**: "Use ISO 8601. Use UTC. Always include a timezone offset." Short, opinionated, and correct. Required reading before designing any API that touches dates. ## Tools and directories **[publicapis.dev](https://publicapis.dev/)**: A directory of free, public APIs. Useful for prototyping, hackathons, and side projects. ## Self-hosted **[Selfhosted World](https://selfhostedworld.com/)**: Guides and resources for self-hosting your own services. **[Awesome Self-Hosted](https://awesome-selfhosted.net/)**: A curated list of self-hosted alternatives to SaaS products, organised by category. **[selfh.st](https://selfh.st/)**: A weekly newsletter and directory covering the self-hosted ecosystem.