I’ve been asked to talk about AI more often than I’d like. I usually like to speak from a place of personal experience. Being able to relate a challenge to my own experience in a similar context is one of the things that I feel I do really well. But AI is too new, the restrictions on use of AI in a work context are a barrier, and personal reactions to AI are often raw and often impassioned. I’m AI curious but not AI experienced. I don’t think this craze has been around long enough for the real consequences to be felt, let alone for lessons to have been learned. Being asked to speak about it has been a real personal challenge. My approach has been to look for threads of conversation, and see which resonate and then to try and build the conversation from there. My first attempt fell flat and quickly became a ‘Bill monologue’. I have work to do.
I had fun getting back to classic engineering working with a customer to introduce Open Telemetry metrics into their application. One interesting challenge was how to generate metrics for access to static files. These are typically shown in web server logs rather than exposed as metrics.
Oscar had his first performance on the drums this week. He’s not had lessons and we don’t have a drum kit at home. He’s been using pillows, the floor, tables, anything that will make a sound. Advice from his music teacher at school was to get him a kit and see how he gets on with a couple of videos on YouTube. “He’s capable of teaching himself.” For me this is what education is about; inspiring our children and letting their curiosity take them on a journey. The jury is still out on the drum kit though, not sure we have the space.
I published On Photography and had the good fortune to attend a photography course. One of the highlights for me was a healthy discussion on the ethics of photography. More on that in a future post. But, interesting to note, there is no Chiswick Photography Club. Should there be one?
On the way back from dropping Oscar off at school, I met Mum for coffee at The Elder Press Cafe. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the conversation I had with Mum when I told her that Alicia and I planned to move in together. One of the things we spoke about was the challenge of a relationship that tried to bridge both cultural and geographic hurdles. Nineteen years later we returned to this theme, this time, the challenges that emerge when a family stops communicating. Instead of living together, or in close proximity, families are now spread around the world. We no longer drop in on one another, we make plans, often months in advance. We need a reason to meet up. While I was in Edinburgh last week, Alicia dropped in to see my parents on the way to visiting one of Oscar’s friends. The unexpected visit was a real highlight for both Mum and Oscar. Why have we made it so hard to be spontaneous?
We wrapped up the week by going off-grid for a camping trip with friends. More on that later.
Plus Minus Next
- ➕ Discussion on the ethics of photography
- ➕ Camping trip with family and friends
- ➖ Rambling during conversation on AI
- → There is no Chiswick Photography club
- → Say ’no’ more.
Week in Pictures
rain - not what you want to see the week you go camping
photography - knowing what to leave behind is just as important as knowing what to take
Alpine House’ - the third iteration of the Alpine House at Kew
time in the garden - IKEA garden table a worthwhile investment as the weather warms up
setting up camp - I love the way the smoke seemed to linger over the campsite briefly
keeping cool - we spent more time in this stream than anywhere else, muddy, occasionally really deep, but oh so cool
time to pack up - our fist family camping trip