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  • Pair Programming with AI and DeepSeek R1
    2025/02/04

    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.

    Links

    • Thoughtworks Tech Radar on Replacing Pair Programming with AI
    • Thoughtworks Memo: Coding assistants do not replace pair programming
    • Useful 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 3
    • Youtube: Brian Eno – January 07003: Bell Studies for the Clock of the Long Now (2003, Full Album)
    • The shadcn/ui component library
    • Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch 2, with all-new Mario Kart
    • OpenAI o1 System Card and Apollo Research: Frontier Models are Capable of
      In-context Scheming.
    • Github: DeepSeek R1
    • Simon Willison: DeepSeek-R1 and exploring DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Llama-8B
    • nVidia Project DIGITS, allowing you to run models locally of only 200b parameters.
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    1 時間 11 分
  • Quantum Computing and Tech Nostalgia
    2025/01/07

    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).

    Links

    • Google Blog: Meet Willow, our state-of-the-art quantum chip
    • Jill Platts' Medium article: A Quantum Programming Quest for Newbies with 10 Use Cases
    • Photo of a quantum computer
    • Leeds Testing Atelier, back in 2025!
    • Ian's presentation about his podcasting life
    • The Guardian: The Spectrum review – a tactile trip to the 1980s
    • Metro: Retro video games are a waste of everyone’s time and money – Reader’s Feature
    • Capcom Edition Super Pocket with its 12 highly acclaimed arcade games from the Japanese publisher
    • Ian's YouTube hit: 3d Monster Maze on the Sinclair Timex ZX81
    • DECTalk sings "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" by Tom Lehrer
    • Granny's Garden on the BBC Micro, featuring a beepy version of Irish fiddle tune The Rights of Man (this one on an actual fiddle)
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    1 時間 2 分
  • Measuring Developer Productivity and the Clock of the Long Now
    2024/12/17

    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!

    Links

    • Why embracing complexity is the real challenge in software today
    • DORA’s software delivery metrics: the four keys
    • The SPACE of Developer Productivity
    • Yes, you can measure software developer productivity
    • Wikipedia: Goodhart's Law
    • God's Own Backyard Ultra 2024 – Results
    • Bauhaus - the movement, not the band.
    • IA Writer and IA Presenter
    • Ian's talk: Enhancing Team Effectiveness with AI: A Squadify Case Study and Squadify where Ian is CTO
    • The Bear
    • The Clock of the Long Now, and the prototype in the Science Museum in London
    • The Long Now Foundation and Danny Hillis
    • Svalbard Global Seed Vault
    • Utopia for Realists–the book Ash couldn't remember the title of.


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    1 時間 13 分
  • Christmas Party Invite
    2024/12/02

    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.

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    7 分
  • Google NotebookLM and Getting a Job in Tech
    2024/11/26

    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?).​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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    1 時間 6 分
  • Figma as an Antibody for Collaboration & National Productivity
    2024/10/08

    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!

    Links

    • Figma 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 Organisation
    • Max 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 2024
    • Ash'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 Ian
    • Gross 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!

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    1 時間 12 分
  • Personal Productivity and Conway's Law
    2024/09/24

    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!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

    Links

    • In Defence of Productivity by Jason Swett
    • The Protestant Work Ethic by Oliver Burkeman
    • David Allen’s Getting Things Done
    • 4000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman, and his TEDx Manchester talk Why Patience is a Superpower
    • Productivity software: OmniFocus 4, Trello
    • Outside Context Problem, from Excession by Iain M Banks
    • Windows Recall: How to turn it off and why you should at Tom’s Guide
    • The DevOps Handbook by Gene Kim, Jez Humble, Patrick Debois, John Willis, Nicole Forsgren
    • Strangler Fig blog post by Martin Fowler, and his post on Conway’s Law.
    • Conway’s Law and Mel Conway's paper How Committees Invent
    • Dealing with Creaky Legacy Platforms by Jonny LeRoy
    • Team 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 Pink
    • Hachyderm

    Email us on TechnologyEeyores@whatalotofthings.com or visit us on LinkedIn.

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    1 時間 10 分
  • R&D Tax Credits and the Ilkley Live website
    2024/09/10

    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.

    Links

    • Sifted: UK startups warn they ‘won’t survive’ if HMRC claws back tax credits
    • HMRC: Claiming Research and Development (R&D) tax reliefs
    • Innovate UK
    • AWS Amplify
    • The 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 Databases
    • Testing 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.

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    1 時間