Month: November 2023

So I started writing this little web-app version of an old WordPress site that consumed the API.

And now… of course… I'm thinking I might be able to abstract it into a universal generator for statically-served, mobile-friendly web-apps based on WordPress sites.

No, Ross. You don't need to do this!!!! 😂

AI thoughts continued…

– I should say that my wife’s CV is excellent. And that has very little to do with the few tiny things that I helped with while proof reading.

– No AI was involved in writing my wife’s CV (if future employers are reading)…

– … but even if it was, is that a bad thing?

– I really don’t know what to make of these LLMs and chat interfaces, but the questions and conversations around them are FASCINATING!!

– “It’s like a thesaurus, but for whole paragraphs!” 😎

AI thoughts continued…

Doesn’t the AI make stuff up? It doesn’t understand anything!

—

Sometimes. You can fact check it. Humans are still required. And so what if it doesn’t understanding anything? Do *I* understand your CV?

Maybe. But I’ve seen a bunch of CVs and CV writing advice and I kinda know how to structure a good CV. I’ve seen what you’ve written and edited it into that kind of format. You’ll still read it and make changes to what I’ve done.

That’s no different to asking ChatGPT.

AI thoughts…

My wife has been writing a new CV these last few days. She has had me review it.

I suggested ChatGPT could help with editing. She says this is “wrong”.

“Why?”, I ask.

Because I don’t want to outsource the work to a machine.

So you outsourced it to me?

But you’re not a machine?

What if I told you I got ChatGPT to help rewrite your personal statement?

(I didn’t – it was just a thought experiment)

Interesting little weekend project:
– There’s an old WordPress site with static content. It’s not mobile friendly.
– The REST API works so I can grab all the post JSON.
– Now I can rebuild all the pages and logic
– But for fun… can I use the JSON files as a static “headless” API and build an app-like front end?
– I chose AlpineJS but it has no routing. It’s the wrong tool.
– But I’ll persevere. It’s just a toy project!!

🤖 I’m using AI. This tech is amazing. Especially when it enhances human productivity rather than replaces it. But gosh I can see how it breaks the web.

https://rosswintle.uk/2023/11/im-using-ai/

I want to post this without comment because it is just perfectly executed and brilliant.

But you need to know what it's about: It's slides and script of a superb talk about the costs and benefits of adopting new technology.

It should be required reading for people working in tech.

https://boringtechnology.club/

This is a super post from Tom McFarlin: "Who care about clean code".

Evidently, I'm in a minority (am I?) in enjoying writing clean, understandable code.

"For many, it’s more popular to talk about clean code than it is to employ it."

I can fly when I have typehints, good naming, short methods/functions, clean abstractions. It's JOYOUS!!!

Without those code has friction (the bad sort).

https://tommcfarlin.com/who-cares-about-clean-code/

🖥️ With PHP 8.3. out tomorrow (can you believe it?!), "Can I PHP" is a great reference of the important new features, and allows you to see at a glance what is new and deprecated in each version:

https://caniphp.com/?version=8.3

Eventually the Mondex trials ceased.

I wonder how much it informed our current payment technology and if the banks considered it a waste.

It’s a fun bit of geeky history to have been involved in though. And the relics remain on a shelf to occasionally be rediscovered.

EV bore (with regen braking stats)

---

One of the things that amazes me about our EV is the regenerative braking.

In the last 30 days it says we used 104kWh.

But we recouperated 63kWh!

We get back 60% of what we put in.

And in petrol cars this is just wasted to heat.

It’s extraordinary!!

Is it just cos I’m old that I want things to be simple.

Simple code.

Simple (or no) dependencies and build processes.

Simple user interfaces with good error messages.

Simple tech with actual buttons and switches.

Simple retail experiences.

Everything is so damn complicated!!

I don’t talk a lot about work here because I’m employed by a big corporate and have to be careful what I say but…

My team ABSOLUTELY SMASHED IT this week. We punched way above our weight. Collaborated amazingly. Brought tons of energy. And, I think, had fun too?

I love working with them all.

Though I did realise my complaint about React needing loads of boilerplate applies to PHP too.

The difference is that PHP boilerplate is all in scaffolding data.

Once that’s done the actual code you have to write is minimal.

A trade-off I’m willing to make.

So nice to be back in sort-of-greenfield PHP!

Scaffolded two data structures to enhance an existing feature and started the logic too.

Did about an hour of work before even looking in a browser.

Most errors were detected by the IDE before I even tested any thing!!!

I just. Wrote. Code!

My comfort zone. 😁

Further to learning “malicious compliance”, I’d like to coin “educational stupidity”:

Acting dumb to get you to operate as if I am, because I might be. (Or I may just not know what you know!)

Am I allowed to celebrate Diwali? Light over darkness? Good over evil?

I’m in. Let’s celebrate that.

Might put some lights up.

🙏🪔