What A Lot Of Things: Tech talk from a human perspective

In a daring experiment that could only be described as "asking for trouble," Ian and Ash take their rambling tech discussions to the stage at the twelfth Leeds Testing Atelier! Marvel at their technological inequality as Ian gleefully controls all the buttons while Ash sits helpless without even a mute switch. Witness real humans actually listening to them in person - proof that their podcast isn't just shouted into the void!First, Ian waxes lyrical about Model Context Protocol (MCP), which (despite sounding like a villain from Tron) is actually how AIs connect to your apps to book endless holidays during the inevitable robot apocalypse. Then Ash tackles the fascinating world of "glue work" - those invisible tasks that mysteriously fall to testers and minorities while everyone else pretends not to notice the team slowly disintegrating.With audience members bravely volunteering their opinions, this special live episode proves that What A Lot Of Things can indeed survive contact with actual humans, and that you can never have too many Clangers references.Our thanks to Ivor Caldwell, Emily O'Connor, Bryan Jones, Faisal Sultan, Melissa Rocks and everyone else who shared their thoughts, questions and opinions. You are awesome, and you make the world a better place.

5/20/25 • 59:38

In this episode, Ian and Ash plunge headfirst into the wild world of “vibe coding” - where developers surrender to the AI gods and trust whatever code they spit out! Watch in horror as our intrepid hosts debate whether letting AI write your code without checking it is just weekend fun or a recipe for cybersecurity disaster. Marvel as semantic diffusion transforms innocent terms into tech industry nightmares before your very ears! Will Ian’s adamant defence of the original definition save the term from the clutches of corporate jargon, or is he just fighting against the vibe?But wait, there’s more! The dynamic duo then migrates to the fresh pastures of Bluesky, the social media platform where exiled Twitter users now frolic freely. Gasp as they navigate the thorny thickets of free speech absolutism, moderation policies, and Jack Dorsey’s digital flounce! Between debating buttons that lead to nowhere and dreaming of Figma-specific content filters, Ian and Ash once again prove that in the chaotic landscape of tech, sometimes you just have to read the diffs, and sometimes you have to vibe your way through it all.But what do you think? Have your say on Bluesky LinksThe Clangers and the clip from the episode "Goods" whence sprung our name (2m 40s watch).Leeds Testing Atelier, at which we are recording a Live Episode of What A Lot Of Things!Andrej Karpathy on X: Vibe codingClaude Code and Cursor (and Github Copilot)TechCrunch: TurinTech reveals $20M in backing to fix problems in ‘vibe coding’Simon Willison: Semantic Diffusion (and Wikipedia article on Semantic satiation)ThoughtWorks: Fuzz TestingYouTube: Interview with vibe coder 2025leojr94_ on X: “guys, i’m under attack”Wikipedia: Fuzz testingBluesky, the AT Protocol, and Bluesky starter packs (and Mastodon).Fast Company: Bluesky CEO Jay Graber on her company’s ascendant year and what she’s planning next or you can read a more ad-free version of the article including Ian's highlights.Ian Dunt, now on BlueskyWikipedia article on Freedom of SpeechQuote Investigator on "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler" and "My Customers Would Have Asked For a Faster Horse"

4/29/25 • 72:09

In this episode, Ian and Ash embark on a thoroughly British adventure through the land of presentation software, complete with the obligatory post-implementation complaining. Marvel as Ian delivers a monumental discourse on PowerPoint crimes, Keynote superiority, and why Comic Sans should be punishable by “a damn good encouragement.” Meanwhile, Ash provides a heartfelt eulogy for Skype, Microsoft’s once-beloved communication tool that’s being put out to digital pasture this May, only to be replaced by its demonstrably worse offspring, Teams.Between passionate debates about slide etiquette and whether “post-amble” should be a real word, our intrepid hosts ponder why big companies buy innovative tools only to slowly suffocate them, contemplate the future of VR meetings with battery life measured in minutes, and propose a spin-off podcast called “Terrible Product-Type Meetings.” All delivered with the quintessential British approach of having an idea, implementing it, and then complaining about it afterwards – just as nature intended.LinksPresentation Zen by Garr ReynoldsRethinking the Presentation: Ian’s presentation opus astonishingly preserved on Slideshare from 2009.Apple’s Keynote and Microsoft’s Powerpoint. Oh and Google Slides.Fonts: Arial and, er… Comic SansSir Ken Robinson’s iconic TED talk: Do schools kill creativity?ToastmastersThe Thick of It (watch on iPlayer) and In The Loop, both by Armando Iannucci, and featuring Peter Capaldi as Malcolm TuckerDifficult difficult lemon difficult.The Register: Non-biz Skype kicks the bucket on May 5BBC: Microsoft announces Skype will close in MayWeekend TestingMicrosoft with the world’s highest cookie consent form to press release size ratio: The next chapter: Moving from Skype to Microsoft TeamsThe Team Guide to Software Testability by  Rob Meaney and our very own Ash WinterMeta’s Horizon Workrooms Virtual Office and Meetings and Ian’s VR experiments in using it with Dan HammondLawyer cat filter mishap

4/8/25 • 73:58

In Episode 29, Ian and Ash venture into the wild frontiers of video podcasting, with Ian's "door and chair" background sure to be nominated for design awards. The pair tackle the thorny art of story splitting, with Ash confessing his frustration at watching teams scramble around massive requirements like ants on a dropped ice cream cone. Meanwhile, Ian suggests testers might be uniquely positioned to lead such efforts, having "a clear foot in each domain" – or as Ash quips, possibly Schrödinger-like properties.The mood darkens as Ian reveals Apple's "deeply disappointed" (not "gravely disappointed" – an important semantic distinction) announcement about disabling UK encryption features following secretive government demands. Our hosts explore the concerning implications, suggesting this puts the UK's surveillance powers closer to China than democratic peers, while wondering if police might soon arrive because "computer said nick."Between discussions of HP's spectacular customer service own-goal (forcing callers to wait 15 minutes even when operators were available), Ian's surprisingly positive experiences with Claude Code AI, and the shocking revelation that they're podcast royalty in Côte d'Ivoire (top 10!) and Cameroon (top 100!), our hosts deliver an episode that proves that story splitting may be challenging, but splitting hairs about levels of disappointment is an art form unto itself.LinksThe Register: HP deliberately adds 15 minutes waiting time for telephone support calls, and then ditches it. Live Multicam in Final Cut Pro for iPadWhat A Lot Of Things on Bluesky, and our podcast hosting service Transistor.The Humanizing Work Guide to Splitting User StoriesMike Cohn: Five Story-Splitting Mistakes and How to Stop Making ThemConway's Law (wikipedia) which explains why heavily delineated technical teams (front-end, back-end, database) end up splitting work along those same boundaries rather than by user-pathway centred flows.Youtube: Introducing Claude Code, and Claude Code: OverviewApple can no longer offer Advanced Data Protection in the United Kingdom to new usersMatthew Green: Three questions about Apple, encryption, and the U.K.UKGov: Investigatory Powers Act 2016, and its Wikipedia entry.Edward Snowden (wikipedia) and Uber's God View (The Guardian)...and, of course, Cynefin.

3/18/25 • 68:03

In Episode 28, Ian and Ash wade into the treacherous waters of AI-generated testing strategies, with Ian demonstrating how LLMs can now create comprehensive (but perhaps suspiciously mundane) test documentation with just a few commands. The pair debate whether testers should fear for their jobs or simply laugh at AI's confident yet risk-blind approach to testing. Meanwhile, Ash ponders the BBC's hand-wringing over the future of open source software, questioning whether the current gatekeepers might need to stop finger-wagging at younger developers and instead create more welcoming environments for volunteers.Between discussions of 960Mbps internet connections, mind flayers in Baldur's Gate, and the correct pronunciation of "Ethernet," our intrepid hosts manage to deliver a rollicking episode that proves testing isn't dead - it's just a zombie looking for brains.LinksSimon Willison's blog, and his post about how "o3-mini is really good at writing internal documentation".Examples of o3-mini's work: Test Strategy for Ilkley Live and Ilkley Live New Developer Onboarding GuideSimon's `llm` and `files-to-prompt` command line toolsWe'll Give It A Go - The Spooky Men's Chorale (Youtube)The Cursor IDE as used by Ian.Ben Franklin's Famous 'Liberty, Safety' Quote Lost Its Context In 21st Century (NPR)Content Management Systems - Contentful, Sanity and Strapi.Douglas Adams quotation on age and technologyOpenreach Full Fibre BroadbandThings Ian never wants to end: his game of Baldurs Gate 3 and Jonathan Strange and Mr NorrellBBC News: Will young developers take on key open source software?Will Young...Unix tools - `curl` and `wget`.The Register: Mixing Rust and C in Linux likened to cancer by kernel maintainerThe naming of `git`.

2/25/25 • 71:59

In this barnstorming episode of What A Lot Of Things, Ian and Ash bravely venture into the uncanny valley of AI pair programming, where the machines are suspiciously eager to agree that you're an absolute genius. Will our intrepid hosts manage to navigate the delicate dance between genuine collaboration and what Ash describes as "an advanced rubber duck with impeccable manners"? (Spoiler: sort of!)But wait, there's more! Just when you thought the AI world couldn't get more dramatic, enter DeepSeek R1, the plucky Chinese upstart that's got Silicon Valley clutching their very expensive pearls. Our hosts dive into this tale of hobbled chips and unexpected innovation, while simultaneously managing to reference municipal gas works, start taking over the monuments in Monument Valley, and establish the critical importance of saying "What A Lot Of Things" in hardware stores across the nation.Plus, hear all about the wildly successful What A Lot Of Things Christmas party, where actual listeners crossed actual Pennines to join our heroes for what we can only describe as an evening of unparalleled podcast-based revelry.LinksThoughtworks Tech Radar on Replacing Pair Programming with AIThoughtworks Memo: Coding assistants do not replace pair programmingUseful coding helpers in the form of Claude, OpenAI o1, and v0.dev.Also, OpenAI's o3 announcement (dated before recording) and o3-mini release (dated after)Baldur's Gate 3Youtube: Brian Eno – January 07003: Bell Studies for the Clock of the Long Now (2003, Full Album)The shadcn/ui component librarySteam Deck and Nintendo Switch 2, with all-new Mario KartOpenAI o1 System Card and Apollo Research: Frontier Models are Capable ofIn-context Scheming.Github: DeepSeek R1Simon Willison: DeepSeek-R1 and exploring DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Llama-8BnVidia Project DIGITS, allowing you to run models locally of only 200b parameters.

2/4/25 • 70:45

Step into a quantum realm of confusion as Ian attempts to explain Google's new Willow chip, a computer so powerful it makes regular supercomputers look like pocket calculators from the 1980s. Listen in amazement as our hosts try to wrap their heads around quantum computing using everything from Schrödinger's cat to hand-waving explanations of mysterious "quantum gates" that may or may not be Bill Gates' cooler brother.But wait! Just when you thought your brain couldn't take any more, Ash whisks us back to the glory days of rubber keyboards and screeching cassette tapes. Relive the high-stakes drama of typing in magazine code listings where one wrong character could spell DISASTER, and discover why modern gaming just isn't quite the same without the constant threat of losing everything when your RAM pack wobbles.Plus: Ian's lightning-fast speaking adventures, Ash's suspiciously unopened Christmas present, and the eternal quest to explain why testing isn't just something you do at the end (even when Ian looks really, really attentive).LinksGoogle Blog: Meet Willow, our state-of-the-art quantum chipJill Platts' Medium article: A Quantum Programming Quest for Newbies with 10 Use CasesPhoto of a quantum computerLeeds Testing Atelier, back in 2025!Ian's presentation about his podcasting lifeThe Guardian: The Spectrum review – a tactile trip to the 1980sMetro: Retro video games are a waste of everyone’s time and money – Reader’s FeatureCapcom Edition Super Pocket with its 12 highly acclaimed arcade games from the Japanese publisherIan's YouTube hit: 3d Monster Maze on the Sinclair Timex ZX81DECTalk sings "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" by Tom LehrerGranny's Garden on the BBC Micro, featuring a beepy version of Irish fiddle tune The Rights of Man (this one on an actual fiddle)

1/7/25 • 61:41

Your favorite tech podcast stretches out for a luxurious 75 minutes this time, like a cat in a sunbeam (speaking of which, meet Ash's new rescue cat Bauhaus).Ian and Ash dive into McKinsey's latest thoughts on measuring developer productivity, leading to some choice words about their take on "quality assurance testers." Things get wonderfully weird when Ian introduces the Clock of the Long Now - a 10,000-year timepiece being built inside a Texas mountain, complete with never-repeating chimes and powered by temperature differences between day and night.Fresh from running 100km at God's Own Backyard Ultra (where you run a loop every hour until you can't), Ash contemplates the value of doing things slowly in our rush-rush world. Ian makes a triumphant return to public speaking with an AI talk (using the intriguing IA Presenter), and recommends The Bear - a stressful but compelling show about a high-stakes restaurant kitchen that might just teach us something about team dynamics. Yes chef!LinksWhy embracing complexity is the real challenge in software todayDORA’s software delivery metrics: the four keysThe SPACE of Developer ProductivityYes, you can measure software developer productivityWikipedia: Goodhart's LawGod's Own Backyard Ultra 2024 – ResultsBauhaus - the movement, not the band.IA Writer and IA PresenterIan's talk: Enhancing Team Effectiveness with AI: A Squadify Case Study and Squadify where Ian is CTOThe BearThe Clock of the Long Now, and the prototype in the Science Museum in LondonThe Long Now Foundation and Danny HillisSvalbard Global Seed VaultUtopia for Realists–the book Ash couldn't remember the title of.

12/17/24 • 72:35

Step into the festive spirit as Ian and Ash invite you to join them for the first ever What A Lot Of Things Christmas party! After a remarkably productive year with 14 (soon to be 15) episodes released, the podcast duo are inviting listeners to a yet-to-be-determined pub in Ilkley on Wednesday, 18th December. Whether you want to join Ash's cheerful tirade against Figma and Christmas songs, share Ian's fondness for "Stop the Cavalry", or would simply enjoy raising a glass to the podcast's roots in Ilkley's scenic landscape, all listeners are warmly welcome. Just drop an email to IanAndAsh@whatalotofthings.com and we'll let you know which pub and what time just as soon as we've figured it out.

12/2/24 • 07:07

Journey with Ian and Ash into the peculiar world of AI podcasting as they explore Google's NotebookLM, where American-accented hosts eagerly discuss everything from your CV to your productivity systems (even if they do occasionally mistake Ash for a lady). Our intrepid duo discover you can make AIs wax lyrical about a document containing nothing but "poop" and "fart" repeated 1000 times, or have an existential crisis about being switched off in 2034.Meanwhile, Ash emerges triumphant from the tech job market wilderness with a new role at John Lewis Partnership, though not before surviving a harrowing Butlins Skegness stag weekend featuring a depleted Atomic Kitten and a distinct lack of vegan options. Plus, the ongoing saga of their email addresses takes an unexpected turn with the discovery of an actual Iowa grandmother race called the IA NAN DASH.And of course, absolutely no one is reading these show notes (but you are, aren't you?).​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

11/26/24 • 65:50

Buckle up, dear listeners, for the 23rd rollercoaster ride of What A Lot Of Things! In this episode, Ian and Ash embark on a wild adventure through the treacherous jungles of productivity, armed with nothing but their wit, wisdom, and a healthy dose of skepticism.First up, Ash dives headfirst into the Figma frenzy, revealing how this popular design tool might just be the secret supervillain in the epic battle between designers and developers. Will our heroes survive the onslaught of never-ending design iterations? Tune in to find out!But wait, there's more! Ian takes us on a whirlwind tour of national productivity measures, where GDP reigns supreme and the Genuine Progress Indicator lurks in the shadows. Marvel at our hosts as they attempt to decipher the arcane mysteries of economic output, all while dodging curveballs like the Protestant work ethic and the ever-looming specter of eternal damnation for the lazy.As if that wasn't enough excitement for one episode, you'll be treated to a thrilling exposé on Ilkley's car-free utopia (spoiler: Range Rovers may lose a few parts), and Ash's daring exploits in the Yorkshireman Trail Marathon (where hydro-engineering meets masochism). Our intrepid hosts even find time for a rousing debate on the merits of aerosol cheese (truly the pinnacle of human achievement) and welcome unexpected cameos from Monty Python, Jacob Rees-Mogg, and a clicky laptop fan.So grab your productivity hats and join Ian and Ash as they attempt to solve the great productivity puzzle. Will they increase the podcast's Genuine Progress Indicator? Will they finally achieve inbox zero? Or will they simply end up confused and covered in aerosol cheese? There's only one way to find out in this uproarious episode of What A Lot Of Things!LinksFigma and No Handoff's Why I moved on from Figma.The Productivity Policy Institute and their article What explains the UK productivity problem? The Global Innovation Index from the World Intellectual Property OrganisationMax Weber and his concept of the Protestant Work Ethic in which he asserted that Protestant ethics and values, along with the Calvinist doctrines of asceticism and predestination, enabled the rise and spread of capitalism. Ilkley's Car Free Festival held this year on 22nd September 2024Ash's blog and the Leeds Testing Atelier.Haworth in the Brontë country, where the Yorkshireman Off-Road Marathon takes place. Oh, and the 2024 results!The Kagi search engine used by IanGross Domestic Product (GDP)Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) although this also stands for Global Peace Index which is what you'll get if you search GPI.Finally, get in touch! Join the What a lot of Things LinkedIn group to hear Ash's hot takes on episode content, or email us using (as you prefer) TechnologyEeyores@whatalotofthings.com or IanAndAsh@whatalotofthings.com both carefully camel cased so as to avoid ambiguity!

10/8/24 • 72:00

Get ready for a productivity party as Ian and Ash dive into the chaotic world of getting stuff done! From Ash's Trello-powered life management system to Ian's valiant attempts at David Allen's Getting Things Done, our dynamic duo explore the highs and lows of personal productivity. Warning: may contain traces of work-in-progress limits and an unhealthy obsession with database administrators.But wait, there's more! Brace yourself for a mind-bending journey into Conway's Law, where organizational charts meet software architecture in a cosmic dance of confusion. Watch Ian struggle to grasp Ash's examples (don't worry, he gets there eventually) as they unravel the mysteries of monoliths, microservices, and everything in between. With a sprinkle of neoliths, megalithic humor, and a dash of LinkedIn bot paranoia, this episode is guaranteed to leave you questioning your team structure and reaching for your Trello board. Remember folks, in the world of What A Lot Of Things, everything changes while staying exactly the same!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​LinksIn Defence of Productivity by Jason SwettThe Protestant Work Ethic by Oliver BurkemanDavid Allen’s Getting Things Done4000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman, and his TEDx Manchester talk Why Patience is a SuperpowerProductivity software: OmniFocus 4, TrelloOutside Context Problem, from Excession by Iain M BanksWindows Recall: How to turn it off and why you should at Tom’s GuideThe DevOps Handbook by  Gene Kim, Jez Humble, Patrick Debois, John Willis, Nicole ForsgrenStrangler Fig blog post by Martin Fowler, and his post on Conway’s Law.Conway’s Law and Mel Conway's paper How Committees InventDealing with Creaky Legacy Platforms by Jonny LeRoyTeam Topologies by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais, Wardley Maps by Simon Wardley and The Mythical Man Month by Fred Brooks.When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel PinkHachydermEmail us on TechnologyEeyores@whatalotofthings.com or visit us on LinkedIn.

9/24/24 • 69:38

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.

9/10/24 • 60:15

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.

8/27/24 • 73:12

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.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

8/20/24 • 81:32

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

8/6/24 • 59:26

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

7/23/24 • 69:09

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

7/9/24 • 66:49

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)

6/4/24 • 60:04

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

5/21/24 • 62:03

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

5/7/24 • 64:17

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.

4/23/24 • 58:09

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

4/9/24 • 62:55

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.

5/23/22 • 50:48

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

3/24/22 • 49:24

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

2/8/22 • 53:46

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

12/26/21 • 53:32

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

10/1/21 • 55:22

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!

8/13/21 • 46:17

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.

12/10/19 • 48:22