What A Lot Of Things

Hold onto your keyboards, folks! In this episode of What A Lot Of Things, Ian and Ash embark on a wild ride through the treacherous waters of R&D tax credits and the murky depths of technical debt.Watch as Ash dons his cape and mask as the Testing Avenger, attempting to save Ian's poor, test-less Ilkley Live website from certain doom. Marvel at Ian's creative excuses for avoiding automated tests, and cheer as he finally succumbs to the relentless pressure of good practices in context.Along the way, our intrepid hosts navigate the choppy seas of database migrations, wrestle with the kraken of personal project maintenance, and attempt to decipher the ancient runes of government innovation incentives.It's a rollicking adventure filled with British wit, playful banter, and enough tech talk to make your CPU overheat. Don't miss this episode - it's more entertaining than watching a Clanger try to use Twitter!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​If you haven’t already, we’d love it if you would contribute to our listener survey.LinksSifted: UK startups warn they ‘won’t survive’ if HMRC claws back tax creditsHMRC: Claiming Research and Development (R&D) tax reliefsInnovate UKAWS AmplifyThe most excellent Mark Steadman and his podcast health check service.Ilkley Live (this is significantly more interesting in the 3 months before the event) and the Ilkley Live Facebook group.Ilkley Live technologies: React, NextJS, NodeJS, Javascript, Typescript, Tailwind CSS, and Vercel. Zod and Yup. Oh, and Bun.…also, Notion and Notion DatabasesTesting frameworks, Playwright and Cypress.Ministry of Testing for learning about testing.Technical debt..and you should email us, either at TechnologYeeyores@whatalotofthings.com or, for the more timid, IanAndAsh@whatalotofthings.com.

Strap in for a wild ride as Ian and Ash tackle the dystopian world of employee monitoring software! Marvel at the horrors on sale as our hosts ponder whether these digital taskmasters are the future of work or just really creepy ways to watch people type.But wait, there's more! Venture into the mind-bending realm of the Cynefin framework, where our intrepid duo attempt to make sense of not a model, but a framework. It's also not a quadrant (although it kinda looks like one).From mouse jigglers to Welsh castles, this episode has it all. Will Ian and Ash successfully navigate the complex waters of these topics, or will they end up in the "confused" domain? Tune in to find out, and remember - in the chaotic world of What A Lot Of Things, sometimes you just have to act first and think later!LinksPC Mag: The Best Employee Monitoring Software for 2024Mouse jigglers on Amazon (not an affiliate link because we know that nobody reading this will buy a mouse jiggler)Homer Simpson's keyboard birdHP Quality Center (tl;dr it changed hands)The Cynefin Framework as invented by Dave SnowdenCynefin wiki, including a page on the Domains which mentions the carnival example.The Rodecaster Pro II that we use for our recording, and that provides all-too-easy access to silly voice processing effects. Sorry.Wardley MappingUse Due for iOS and MacOS to be persistently nagged to remember what you went into the kitchen (or any other room in the house) for.Time and motion studiesWelsh castles, although Dave Snowden apparently doesn't live in one.Fairport Convention's website, including info on Cropredy Festival where Ian could hear Rick Wakeman and Richard Thompson, but not sadly Trevor Horn for health reasons.WOMAD festivalSiphonaptera, a poem about fleas which was not, in fact, by Spike Milligan.Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite 'em,And little fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum,And the great fleas themselves, in turn, have greater fleas to go on;While these again have greater still, and greater still, and so on.

Step into the origins of What A Lot Of Things with this special bonus episode that takes Ian and Ash back to where it all began - the hiking trails of Ilkley Moor! Long before they were podcast hosts, the duo's casual walks and pub visits sparked the conversations that would eventually become the show.Now, armed with new wireless microphones, they're recreating that magic on the move. Join them as they ramble through picturesque landscapes, discussing everything from recent tech outages to the state of software testing, all while navigating steep hills and encountering local wildlife. Listen in as they ponder important questions - like whether it's possible to learn carpentry while running - and share impromptu observations that capture the essence of their friendship and the spirit of the podcast.With plenty of tech talk, gentle ribbing, and a dash of nostalgia, this unique "podcast-on-the-go" episode is a treat for long-time fans and new listeners alike, offering a glimpse into the show's roots and the camaraderie that makes What A Lot Of Things so special.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

In this episode, Ian and Ash embark on a meandering journey through the digital wilderness, pondering the merits of a smartphone-free childhood and the peculiar world of software code review and pull requests. From nostalgic ramblings about bakelite phones to imagining a world of smart telegrams, our intrepid hosts navigate the treacherous waters of modern parenting and software development practices. Expect tangential detours, impromptu time travel, and a healthy dose of silliness as they attempt to make sense of it all - or at least have a good laugh trying.LinksSmartphone Free ChildhoodGovernment Launches Crackdown on Mobile Phones in Schools (gov.uk)We wanted to change the norm on smartphone use’: grassroots campaigners on a phone-free childhood (Guardian)Ian's Ilkley Live website, plus here's the personalised programme feature on the staging site.The Google Maps Distance Matrix API"I think PRs are a _really_ bad idea..." (Allen Holub on Twitter)"Inspection is too late...", W Edwards Demingand... Funny git merge (Youtube)Email us at TechnologyEeyores@whatalotofthings.com

In this rollicking 18th episode of What A Lot Of Things, Ian and Ash dive into the choppy waters of Apple's tussle with the EU over the Digital Markets Act, pondering the implications for developers and users alike. They then take a wistful trip down memory lane, discussing the persistent challenge of legacy systems and out-of-support software, with a particular focus on SQL Server. Along the way, they manage to squeeze in a cheeky debate on teleportation ethics, ponder the correct pronunciation of 'SQL', and reminisce about childhood telly frights. It's a right old mixed bag, this one - tune in for a jolly good natter about tech, nostalgia, and everything in between.LinksEU: Digital Markets ActApple Developer: App Review GuidelinesDaring Fireball: The EU is reaping what it sows with the DMA: UncertaintyFT: Apple set to be first Big Tech group to face charges under EU digital lawDaring Fireball: Apple’s Plans for the DMA in the European UnionApple PR: The App Store, Spotify, and Europe’s thriving digital music marketSpotify: Apple’s Proposed Changes Reject the Goals of the DMADisney Plus on Apple Vision ProThe Register: Apple says if you want to ship your own iOS browser engine in EU, you need to be there (in the EU)CGP Grey: The Trouble with TransportersThe Register: Nearly 20% of running Microsoft SQL Servers have passed end of supportHyrum's Law - An observation on Software EngineeringWikipedia: History of Microsoft SQL ServerWikipedia: Object Relational Mapping (ORM)Prisma Next-Generation Node.js & Typescript ORMWikipedia: Year 2037 Problem (aka the Epochalypse)Wikipedia: Doctor Who covers the afterlife in Dark WaterBy the Power of Grayskull

In this episode of "What A Lot Of Things", Ian and Ash consider the nature of time, before diving into two main topics: AI's evolving role in our lives and the nature of creativity.They discuss "large action models", the new Rabbit R1 device, and Apple's recent AI announcements, debating whether AI is best viewed as a feature or a standalone product before going on to challenge the common belief that some people "aren't creative," examining how past experiences shape our perceptions of our own creativity. Ian and Ash explore the importance of practicing creative skills, maintaining a growth mindset, and the challenges of creating art while still developing skills.LinksThinking Digital conferenceJennie Maizel’s Sketchbook ClubTED: Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?Every Child Is an Artist. The Problem Is How to Remain an Artist Once He or She Grows Up – Pablo Picasso (apologies for the obnoxious ads on this link)TED: Carol Dweck: The power of believing that you can improveIra Glass on the gap that creators must bridgeQuote from Douglas Adams on deadlinesPsychology Today: The Science of CreativityPsychology Today: The Unromantic Truth Behind Creativity MythsCory Doctorow: What Kind of Bubble is AI?Deepmind’s AlphaFold and their protein structure predictions for nearly all catalogued proteins known to scienceConnections game from the New York Times Using AutoGPT to save moneyRabbit R1 pocket companionHumane AI PinReact (Reason & Act) AI agent paper from GoogleGlue and pizza (BBC)Leeds Testing Atelier

In this episode of "What A Lot Of Things", Ian and Ash celebrate their podcast's return to a regular cadence, with episodes now coming out every two weeks.The duo cover two main topics - local democracy and the backlash against social media algorithms. On local democracy, Ian discusses his experience running for town council, the arcane rules and challenges involved, and his belief that more ordinary citizens should get involved to make local councils less political and more pragmatic.The conversation then shifts to the pros and cons of social media algorithms. Ash and Ian examine how platforms like TikTok and YouTube quickly learn user preferences, sometimes recommending questionable content, and debate whether such algorithms ultimately benefit users or simply enable more effective advertising and "shitification". They also discuss some emerging alternatives that aim to provide more transparent, human-curated social media experiences.Ian and Ash conclude by sharing the best way for listeners to get in touch with their thoughts and feedback. Another thought-provoking installment of "What A Lot Of Things"!LinksLeeds Testing AtelierManifesting Agency and Days, Ian’s other podcasts.The famous meeting of Handsforth Parish Council at which it turns out that Jackie Weaver did in fact have the authority.Flatpack DemocracyIan’s website made for Ilkley Community AlliancePlay Rock Paper Scissors with CGP GreyWired: The Latest Online Culture War is Humans vs Algorithmspi.fyi, Spread Social and the Prosocial Ranking Challenge.Ian's Ilkley Community Alliance website (and, through the magic of Vercel, here is the version from the time of the election)WSJ: How TikTok's Algorithm Figures You Out (Youtube)

In this latest episode of the "What A Lot Of Things" podcast, hosts Ian and Ash explore intriguing aspects of technology and its broader implications. They delve into the evolving career paths for testing specialists, discussing how testers can navigate organizational challenges and develop fulfilling careers. The conversation shifts to a significant security furore involving the XZ compression tool, where they unpack the complexities of open-source software maintenance and the vulnerabilities introduced by subtle malicious contributions. Throughout, the hosts' lively banter and insightful anecdotes make for a thought-provoking listen that bridges technical details with broader tech culture reflections.LinksGuardian TechScape: How cheap, outsourced labour in Africa is shaping AI English and "ChatGPT cliches" gist iPhone 7 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S22+ (better link for the Samsung?)2030 Status meeting with Mother Nature video from Apple.Pachyderm and Hachyderm.Agile Testing FellowshipMaaret Pyhäjärvi's post on LinkedIn quoting Anna Baik, plus a Youtube video on how to pronounce Pyhäjärvi. We will do better next time! We can find other people quoting Anna saying this, but not the original source for the quotation.Articles for Thing One:Ministry of Testing: Navigating a Career Path in Software TestingTechBeacon: Two years with no testers: What I learnedDan Ashby: Dispelling the misconceptions #5 – “Lets 100% automate everything and get rid of all our testers”TestFort: AI in Software Testing: A Silver Bullet or a Threat to the Profession?Eton College King's Scholarship Exam, General Paper IAccessibility testing specialist, Ady Stokes on LinkedInThe best step-by-step story I found for the XZ backdoor was Everything I know about the XZ backdoor by Evan BoehsXKCD: All Modern Digital InfrastructureXZ maintainer Lasse Collin's page on the backdoorAndres Freund's email to the OSS Security mailing list on discovering the backdoorDosubot, an AI-powered Github maintainer agent used in Langchain's repos.The story of `left-pad`...and our new email address: technologyeeyores@whatalotofthings.com

In this episode, Ian and Ash delve into the complexities of managing IT service providers, exploring the challenges and strategies of working with consultancies and independent contractors. They also discuss the cutting-edge topic of AI voice cloning, examining its potential uses and ethical implications. From historical pirate accents to futuristic technology, join them for a thought-provoking discussion on how these technologies impact our work and the broader implications they hold for society.Our shiny new email address, as promised in this episode, is... technologyeeyores@whatalotofthings.comLinksOpenAI, and the not particularly relevant to this episode but still oft-mismentioned OpenAPI.Be More Pirate, the book where Ian found out why we think pirates all had British West Country accentsPigeon Keeping – WikipediaDiagram Industries blog, where Ash documented his learnings from the Ministry of Testing's "30 Days of AI In Testing" event.NaNoWriMo (National Novel-Writing Month)LinkedIn is experimenting with a TikTok-like video feed in its app – TechCrunch, 27th March 2024hachyderm.io, the Mastodon server that Ian fruitlessly recommended to AshNavigating the Challenges and Opportunities of Synthetic Voices, OpenAI Blog, 29th March 2024Free Software: Freedom and Cooperation - speech providing an early overview of the Free Software movement, delivered by Richard Stallman on 29th May 2001.Crack Version 4.1: A Sensible Password Checker for Unix [PDF], white paper by Alec Muffett (estimated date, November 1991)Open LLMs – Wikipedia, a list of open source LLMs, including Meta's Llama 2 as mentioned.How one developer just broke Node, Babel and thousands of projects in 11 lines of JavaScript, The Register, 23rd March 2016Everything I know about the XZ backdoor, a rather heroic and very detailed explanation last updated (at the time of writing) on 8th April 2024AI Voice Cloning news linksOpenAI deems its voice cloning tool too risky for general release – The Guardian, 31st March 2024OpenAI’s voice cloning AI model only needs a 15-second sample to work – The Verge, 29th March 2024OpenAI is pitching Sora to Hollywood. Creatives are fighting back – Mashable, 25th March 2024Resemble AI Creates Synthetic Audio Watermark to Tag Deepfake Speech – voicebot.ai, 2nd February 2023Your Scientists Were So Preoccupied With Whether Or Not They Could, They Didn’t Stop To Think If They Should – Know Your Meme

In this episode, Ian and Ash delve into the evolving landscape of social media, examining the implications of TikTok's potential ban in the U.S., the integration of AI in testing, and the shifting dynamics of platforms like Twitter (now X). They share personal anecdotes, discuss the significance of data privacy, and explore the future of social media engagement. The conversation also considers the challenges and opportunities presented by these digital shifts, offering insights into the broader tech community's response.LinksOn the TikTok saga:TechCrunch: TikTok ban: How Congress could force ByteDance to sell or push the app out of the USSpiceworks: There's Nothing Confusing About TikTok's Security RisksThe Guardian: TikTok has been accused of ‘aggressive’ data harvesting. Is your information at risk?NY Times: House Passes Bill to Force TikTok Sale From Chinese Owner or Ban the AppCory Doctorow: TikTok's Ensh*ttificationVine, the story of its demise, and Ian's vines archived on the old site.Postman and PostBot30 Days of AI in Testing from Ministry of TestingThe Leeds Testing Atelier, at which Ash has performed the role of Testing Game Show Host.How To Archive Your Tweets With The Wayback MachineThe original server operated by the Mastodon gGmbH non-profit (which runs on ActivityPub)Ivory for iOS client for Mastodon, from TapBotsThreads from Meta.Bluesky which runs on the AT ProtocolThe late, lamented Apollo Reddit clientThe celebrated What A Lot Of Things LinkedIn GroupYou can find our social media links (or link, in the case of Ash) on  the website.

This episode of the podcast features Ian and Ash in a humour-filled comeback, diving into the fascinating world of generative AI and the impact of Baldur's Gate 3 on the gaming industry. They explore the nuances and controversies surrounding AI, from its potential to enhance creativity to the ethical concerns and the skepticism it faces. The discussion also highlights the importance of corporate culture in producing quality work, as exemplified by Larian Studios' success with Baldur's Gate 3. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of technology, gaming, and creativity, offering insightful and engaging perspectives on contemporary digital phenomena.LinksA Wizard is never lateGartner Hype Cycle Research MethodologyAnthropic, their product,Claude, and their Constitutional AI research.The Turing testReinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF)Other AI platforms mentioned: ChatGPT, Gemini, CopilotAI image generation: Midjourney, DALL·ENew York Times: Bing’s AI Chat: I Want To Be AliveIBM watsonxIA WriterHemingwayDungeons and DragonsStardew ValleySkull and BonesLarian Studios and Baldur’s Gate 3Cyberpunk 2077SendmailLoot boxesWhat A Lot Of Things – LinkedIn

Ian and Ash talk about those pesky testers forming communities and taking on toxic cultures, plus forming a dilapidated mind shack using personal knowledge management tools like Obsidian.LinksZettelkasten - Slip Box not SlipKnot More Zettelkasten Obsidian Home Page Ian's Thoughts on Obsidian Testers walkout after layoffs in the QA Team Raven testers form a union NFT grifters have terrible culture - not causation yet, but the correlation is hard to ignore.

Ian and Ash talk about the (mis)use of metrics, including the big four and happiness indices plus how proud Ash was of his Certified Scrum Master qualification but now bashes Scrum with everyone else.LinksHere I Belong by Matt HartleyDouglas Adams: How to stop worrying and learn to love the InternetRFC 821 - Simple Mail Transport Protocol (not RFC 822, as Ian thought, which is closely related being about the format of the files containing the messages that get transmitted over SMTP). Still, not the perfect accompaniment to a discussion about Ian’s rightness.Myth: If You Can't Measure It, You Can't Manage It DORA (Google DevOps Research & Assessment (Team)) MetricsHow to measure developer productivity - and how not to by Isaac SacolickScrums Allegiance WebsiteI've sold agile to to Brockway, Ogdenville, and North HaverbrookOwl asking Winnie the Pooh to leave his house for saying Agile Scrum

LinksTeam Guide to Testability Publishers PageThe Great Post Office Scandal Publishers Page Scandal at the Post Office Panorama BBC TV EpisodeThe Great Post Office Trial BBC Radio 4 SerialThe Great Post Office Scandal Author Nick Wallis39 Post Office convictions quashed after Fujitsu evidence about Horizon IT platform called into questionMy first impressions of web3 by Moxie MarlinspikeWeb3 is going just greatAn extremely casual code review of MetaMask's crypto by Matthew Green

LinksBugs in our Pockets: The risks of client-side scanningWhat A Lot of Things on Amazon AlexaSnow Crash by Neal StephensonThe Metaverse and How We'll Build It Together, at Facebook Connect 2021An Interview with Mark Zuckerberg about the Metaverse, by StratecheryA $10 Million Investment In SecondLife from IBM is the Latest Push to Build V-Business from November 2006IBM CEO Sam Palmisano in Second Life, by Ian in November 2016Ready Player One, movie trailerThe Metaverse: What It Is, Where to Find It, and Who Will Build It, by Matthew BallWho Runs It, on the different options for production support by Steve SmithWhat is You Build You Run It, from Equal ExpertsEnterprise DevOps: Why You Should Run What You Build, by Stephen Orban of AWS(Paid content) Influencing empowered teams to the things that matter to you, by Sarah Wells of Financial Times

WARNING: We talk about Apple's proposed measures to limit the spread of child sexual abuse material on its platform.Episode LinksAre 64% of Features Really Rarely or Never Used?What's in a name: Experimenting with Testing Job TitlesWhat A Lot Of Things Episode Three – Four day work week and Design ThinkingGoogle Ventures Paper Prototyping videoBe More PirateJoy Inc. by Richard Sheridan founder of Menlo ConsultingThe NFR Rap video (and audio only version).All of Ian's Notes for the Apple's Child Safety measures ThingBreaking news: Matthew Green Twitter thread: "I’ve had independent confirmation from multiple people that Apple is releasing a client-side tool for CSAM scanning tomorrow. This is a really bad idea"Apple's info: Apple's Child Safety pageA moderate view: Daring Fireball: Apple’s New ‘Child Safety’ Initiatives, and the Slippery SlopeA more heated view: Edward Snowden: The All-Seeing "i": Apple Just Declared War on Your Privacy

LinksThe Mists Of Time clip from Episode 5Ian’s Other PodcastAsh’s Twitter Nemesis - @ashwinterBen Horowitz, Partner at Andreessen HorowitzBen's book: The Hard Thing About Hard ThingsIan’s book highlights from The Hard Thing About Hard ThingsThe Guardian: Dan Price, CEO of Gravity Payments, who took a $1m salary cut to pay his workers a minimum wave of $70kManager Tools podcastState of DevOps Report 2021 (requires a biznass email)Martin Fowler* describes what he means by a platform, which has a very strong alignment with what the State of DevOps Report means by a platformExcellent talk by Matthew Skelton and Jamie Dobson on treating your platform as a product.Team Topologies on what is a thinnest viable platformQuote from Bill Gates about what is and isn't a platform (search within the page for "Neither of them are platforms")How to scale Brent from the Phoenix Project* – Actually, although it's on Martin Fowler's blog, it was a post from Evan Bottcher. Ian's mistake - sorry Evan!

Links:Some actual beard ASMR.“I’ve sold Agile to Brockway, Ogdenville and North Haverbrook” on slide 15 of Jon McNestrie’s talk at Lean Agile Brighton 2019.Ian’s Agile Octopus Timing Alexa Skill.git rebase.Twitter to clear out inactive accounts and free up usernames.The Other Ash Winter’s Twitter Account.Ian’s three-letter Twitter handle.The Digital Legacy Association.The Unicorn Project: A Novel about Developers, Digital Disruption, and Thriving in the Age of Data, a sequel to...The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win.The five keys to a successful Google team.Marie Kondo explains Spark Joy.Gene Kim’s talk at DevOps Days Portland 2019, on The Unicorn Project and the Five Ideals.A Brief History of Scaling LinkedIn.Bill Gates Trustworthy Computing Memo.The Goal.

Links:* Amazon Developer Services* Alexa Skills Kit* Agile Octopus* AWS Lambda Layers* Ian's Alexa Skill Source Code* Falsehoods Programmers Believe About Time* Leeds Tech Bubble Divisions* Even Techies are Sick of Inequality in San Francisco* Code Club* Empowering Women with Tech* Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds Full Theme

Links:Steamed Hams Trial of Four Day Work Week at Microsoft Japan Utopia for Realists by Rutger BregmanOn the Phenomenon of BS Jobs Steve Jobs: The Next Insanely Great ThingDon Norman: Rethinking Design ThinkingNatasha Jen: Design Thinking is BSIBM Design Thinking Intro Coursed School Design Thinking ProcessIBM Design Thinking LoopAgile inception deck