LLMs are models of patterns. They are accurate to the extent that they embody the statistics and likelihoods that they measure. Chatbots, on the other hand, are less accurate. That’s a lot to do with the fact that they come out with one version, one outcome, based on the statistics embodied in the LLM. The […]
Category: Technology
Now that we’re all a little more familiar with AI, we might find ourselves getting a ‘feel’ for what AI will be good at, and not so good at. A while back we might have thought that AI wasn’t good at writing (or AI’s version of writing). A few years ago doing a backflip was […]
I’m thinking more about Linux again: how it’s becoming more usable, and a more essential option now that Windows is becoming more and more adware, and Mac OS is losing some of its magic (but none of its expense). I’m a tinkerer by heart, and so Linux has always been attractive to the likes of […]
A couple of different podcast episodes have brought together some thoughts on Linux usability and adoption. One is a discussion last year on the benefits of BSD (despite Linux’s popularity). Another is a recent discussion of Gnome 3, still a controversial desktop environment. A third was a mention of Linux by someone outside the Linux […]
Apparently there’s a worrying trend in computer science academia. It could be another one of those “generational things”, but I wonder whether it’s actually a real problem. File Not Found is an article by Monica Chin on The Verge, and it summarises the trend for ‘Gen Z-ers’ to find difficulty in using files and folders […]
Developing software was once a dark Wild West, where anything went. Before Agile Development and Scrum Masters, before even COBOL or assembly language, before there were even computers, it was a tough time for programmers. Men forced to play catch-up Indeed the very first computer programmer, Ada Lovelace, had to wait for a man, Charles […]
Hi. My name’s Martin, and I procrastinate. [Muted applause] Look, I’m even doing it now, while trying to communicate with you about a technique I’ve employed to try to curb my procrastination! [Uncertain, slow clapping] But to jump in to the meat of the topic, I’m finding that procrastination is not the same problem it […]
On one level, they’re just another cold call. Just another waste of time. Another reason to consider dumping your landline altogether (unless you’re like me, of course, and they have your mobile number too). Gah! I’m talking about the infamous Microsoft Call Centre Scam. It starts the same way each time: “Hello, sir, my name […]
It’s time to ditch the idea that, when not paying for a service, we’re the product. Tim Cook (billionaire chief of Apple) brought it up again in September, and recently Mark Zuckerberg (billionaire chief of Facebook) got a little angry with the accusation. These billionaires are, unsurprisingly, out of touch with the rest of us. […]
Funnily enough, I finally get around to reading Gabriella Coleman’s Coding Freedom, and she pops up on the next episode of the Guardian Tech Weekly Podcast! I do love a good coincidence, especially when it tells me there’s a new book out: Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy: The Many Faces of Anonymous. Coding Freedom is an […]