Compiler

There’s no one AI model to rule them all. Each project has its own requirements. Where do you get started building your own model?Compiler continues its conversations with big dreamers about their big projects—and how they’re piecing together the building blocks of their AI models.

There is a lot of excitement around AI models, but can it meet the expectations set by blockbuster movies? What’s the current inflection point between what’s feasible and what’s not?The Compiler team talks to both big dreamers and heavy adopters wading into the space, hearing their thoughts on how AI can help scale daunting work, fill in the gaps, and make the fantastic into reality. 

Everyone’s talking about AI. Everyone says it’s the future. To find out where we’re going, we should know how we got here—and exactly what we’re working with.We hear a short history of AI development before diving into how it’s already changed the ways we learn and code.

Online multiplayer games are a staple of modern entertainment. But internet connectivity is an unpredictable factor in the experience. That’s why netcode exists. But what is it? And how does it really affect players? 

From healthcare to banking, there’s a lot of industries that require the utmost protection for sensitive data. But for those sectors, innovation is also essential. That’s why disconnected environments—or air-gap environments—can be seen across the IT landscape. But how do they work? How do technologists ensure the data is accurate and usable, and how can these environments foster innovation?

Red Hat Enterprise Linux has been around for a while. For many technologists, be they professional or hobbyist, it jump started their interest in open source. But how did the operating system, and the culture behind it, strike a chord with so many people?

We all know what industry conferences are for. You see the talks, you do the networking, you get the swag. Anything else? Well, yes, actually. In our second episode on tech conferences, we cover how to make the most of attending them. How can you prepare? What do you do in the moment? And how do you use that experience after you return to the office?

Last year, we discussed the impact of data centers on the global power grid. We know open source technology can help us optimize our power consumption. But people are looking at sustainable energy usage beyond the server. How can technologists think about the balance between sustainability, business operations, and their customers’ needs?

Career paths are full of unexpected challenges. In the last installment of our career series, we hear how a little empathy and authenticity helped two budding IT professionals stay the course and find their calling.

Everyone wants to work for a good boss. That’s not always possible. Sometimes, a bad boss is easy to spot. Sometimes, a boss who’s been great will say something devastating. They’ll make you want to move on. We hear stories about managers who stalled their employees’ careers—and how those workers found a way to thrive in spite of those bad bosses.

We all start somewhere. For these two IT professionals, the ground floor is where they found their way into the tech industry. When you don’t know how to navigate a career in technology, it pays to be flexible. Because as Luis Martin and Victor Santiago would learn, where someone begins isn’t necessarily where they end up.

We could all use some help making decisions. The advice we get isn’t always the most helpful. Sometimes, it’s easy to spot the bad advice. But what do you do when you can’t tell? Two technologists share times of indecision where they had to figure out whether the guidance they asked for was really in their best interests.

Big mistakes. Colossal setbacks. Bad days. We’ve all been there. But how do we find a way forward? The Compiler team shares two stories of unexpected challenges and happy endings.

People react differently when they hear the word “risk”. While there’s the possibility of reward, it takes a lot to step out of the comfort zone. The Compiler team asks if there’s ever such a thing as a safe bet, and hears from experienced risk-takers on the best time to take a leap of faith.

They say wisdom comes from experience. Starting out in the tech industry likely means you’re short on experience and looking for advice. One area where people could use a leg up? Learning the warning signs of a problematic project. We hear stories from people who’ve figured out the hard way how to spot potential red flags, and what can happen when they’re missed.

It’s been a year of growth at Compiler, and we want to celebrate and share with our guests and listeners some of our favorite moments from the show. Thank you for all of the support, we’ll see you in 2024!

Learning never stops. But neither do our workloads. The constant influx of emails, messages, and tickets doesn’t leave much room for acquiring new skills—At least, not during our waking hours. So, what do we do about it? The Compiler team discusses continuing education, its importance, and how to approach it with patience.

Over the course of the series, we’ve learned how tough it is to choose between older systems and newer innovation. Tougher still, is how those systems can make the people maintaining them feel: Frustrated, isolated, and stuck in the past while the world moves on. As we wrap up our discussion on the topic, we hear from technologists on how they reconcile the old with the new to advance their understanding of their discipline— and maybe further their careers in the process.

Governments, companies, and organizations around the world are coming together to make healthcare IT infrastructure faster and more intuitive, matching the pace of modern living. APIs are a large part of those efforts. But their use in IT modernization can present both unique challenges and unanswered questions. Sometimes, the challenge isn’t the tech itself—it’s the people who build, manage, and use it.

Operating systems are everywhere. They’re likely also all over the place. There are unsupported operating systems running everything from old machinery to everyday devices. And because of the foundational role they play, any change can have cascading effects on the rest of their systems. How do you handle legacy operating systems? What do you need to be aware of? And how different are operating systems from each other?