Month: November 2017

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Software is a colonial construct

I was having a robust discussion the other day and one thing the other guy said to me was “Software is a colonial construct”

This statement really made my hair stand on end and I thought hang on what?

I was taken back. In fact my mind has been in turmoil for weeks since this statement lay itself in front of me.

So why am I taken back by this. Well software is a tool. Yes it is a construct with limitations on what you can do ….but this is not either.

Everything is a colonial construct. So in countries that did not get colonized, is software a colonial construct.

It is in ones mind I suggest.

For years I have seen young fellows say they are not good enough.

I have seen some people not bother because they ain’t going to win.

Is it easier for me because of my skin ? Yes this is a biased caused by the colonial construct. But this just has to be broken and removed. It will take some doing but there are glimmers of hope.

Here’s a couple of articles that show this glimmer of hope.

If the hills could sue: Jacinta Ruru on legal personality and a Māori worldview

Brand Aotearoa

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I’m only human after all

All the habits that I make or break over the years. The routines I fall into.  These are my behaviours where I feel safe.  Some one said to me the other day .

Software is a “Colonial construct” . Let me put some context to this but. This person is studying Maori that get involved in IT.

I was defensive of software. This is not about the colonial construct.

We can try to make software bi lingual. We can try to adapt software to do this and that for ever and a day. All in all software is a construct that we make to do something.

I am constantly hearing this software can do this and it can do that. What it won’t do is change behaviour.

This got me thinking …..

Then another pearler. Apple makes things so elegant so intuitive. “I don’t like that” …”I want to think for myself”

this got me thinking….

So yes what ever you like. It’s abstract.  Software has its own culture it dictates the way you input informatin. It has no concern or understanding of your culture . It conforms to rules and guides.

Can it ever be reflective of our culture. What can this mean.

What am I thinking writing this blog in the total absence of conversation.

Am I expecting that these ramblings will resonate with some one that may stumble across this and type yeah or like this.

Is it not my culture conversational.

What this is is my personal log. My notes jotted down for some kind of recall to come back to to draw an idea from.

This is a sketch , a solitary thing.

My private journal that’s in a public place. This software , this internet gives me the relative sanctuary of anonymity.

Cher Point T shirt

 

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The Housing Problem

First of all let me lay a bad pun down here.

”The land problem is something people don’t want to dwell on”

But seriously. I have been for a long time astounded by the fact that in 3 years, my house doubled in price and the market is willing to pay that.

All I did was mow the lawns and this happened with no effort.

My response at the time was to re finance and spend the bulk of my new found wealth or supposed wealth and transfer this to a new build new asset that my wife and I were building.

I remember at the time this felt weird but I did this because I could.

Now the correction is coming.

But who’s gonna change things .

The council gets benefits by increased rates, the banks get more bang for their buck, the homeowner’s equity inflates and we go around again.

So now the thoughts are looking at ways and means of measuring improvements.

Yes it should be real if you show improvements and its a value add.

But if you don’t perhaps there should be some measure of depreciation.

But no ones going to like it huh?

 

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What are Microsoft thinking

I went to a talk last night about Machine Learning and ‘R’ Services in SQL 2016.

It was a very interesting talk. I think I understood the talk. However the conclusion was at one point though.

I imagine machine learning is using an abundance of CPU and RAM and such from a cluster of computing that one can call upon to learn stuff and process.

I understand that for years things like Data Layer , Business layers. Tiers of architecure for Dev’s to use logically.

This service from Microsoft seemed to be wanting to do this stuff right in close . Right in the SQL server itself.

The presenter rightly or wrongly emphasised how all DBA’s would go into a clench. They are alll worried about  performance.

To have such heavy lifting stuff in the same space competing for the same CPU , thread RAM.

Today it got me thinking what’s going on ?

What are microsoft really up to? Is it just so one can say

“Yeah we got machine learning …switched it on last night”

The takeaway was one of confusion. No doubt all will be revealed over the coming years.

One thing was attractive that my brain began to tick over was with the closeness of this perhaps there are some ways of using this method for running calculations and learning from your data close in at the data layer.

– Send transactions to your learning engine  and do something with.

– Do some smarts and manipulation that you can’t with simple rows

I think the clue is Microsoft is teasing us enticing us to try and see what we do.

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Thoughts on repairing the past

For years and years I have reflected on my school years and the aspects of cruelty and the morale hiatus that seemed to exist during those years.

I have tried to explain to others that the “Lord of the flies”, was a picnic compared to life as it was for me for my school years from aged 9 through to 16.

I have at times thought that someone should have been more responsible and not allowed things to happen.

At times I think how could this happen.

  1. There was the archaic school doctrine and rules to abide by or you were caned.
  2. There was a bullying and full fagging system that was self governing by “seniority”
  3. Staff that were sometimes sadists, some paedophiles that had another set of rules . They were in a position of trust and care.

All of us children were from broken homes from tragedy, divorce or otherwise.

So many people to blame.

Some of the kids from that age have been so messed up. Some have suicided, some have had tortured lives trying to grow up.

How does one heal from this.  The only way to heal is to not let this happen again to break the cycle . Stop and heal for the future . The damage from the past can’t be undone.

By healing the future though there is hope.

 

 

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Streaming

I’ve recently been listening to music from back in the day. Re listening to all those albums that amazed me and inspired me. So I began to look for them online . I stumbled on a great site. Murfie.com which is an online 2nd hand CD shop. It’s like looking through endless bins and finding the odd gem and or the old CD that was re released from the Vynl. Now I can download the FLAC of the album. I remember when I began to replace my records with CDs some albums were re mastered. Was this partly marketing I thought . Nope. There’s a period of just copy and paste.

So this has led me to hunting for albums and collecting a new collection that I can stream from my NAS server all good. Cheap as chips.

Then I discovered Tidal.com its great I have a playlist of about 11 days worth of albums. It’s all good quality recordings.

Now I am gonna pay a premium price for streaming from tidal. I think its worth it. I  am spending a few bucks buying albums . I just don’t need to anymore.

It feels right. The musician gets paid better, the quality is great.

But the next dilemma . What do I now look for what albums who to help me choose. I don’t like the genre choosing for me system.

Thats when Radio Paradise.com comes in. A great station and when I like something I add an album from that musician on my tidal playlist.

Will albums now stop though?

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