Bedrock: The Data Model

In these days of Prompt Engineering, Large Language Models (LLM), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Forward Deployed Engineerings and so many other “new” things in technology, let us not forget the foundational element of all application solutions. Way down under the belly of all these new capabilities is an old friend of designers and programmers: DATA!

Having said that, I read about a new “quasi AI” experiment recently where scientists re-created the neural network and physical “infrastructure” of a gnat or very small fly, which when attached to a simulated body, began to walk, eat, clean itself, and fly WITHOUT DATA! This is NEW!

My question remains: Where IS the DATA? Is it in the “racial memory” or “muscle memory”? Is it in the physical structure? Is it somewhere we haven’t discovered YET?

The good things about questions like these are that the Research and Development, the Investigations and Experiments, the continued reaching out of all who feel like discoverers can be expected to continue for our foreseeable futures, just because…

And, for me, I will continue to begin every effort to automate some capability by my capturing, understanding, modeling, and quantifying the DATA that seems to support my SCOPE until I find good reason to stop looking.

Further, and by now, you should all know my fundamental question still remains: “When Do You Stop Looking?”. My answer remains: “Never!”.

Artificial Intelligence

Just that phrase causes me to get excited about what it will be able to do FOR us, unless it will be TO us.

One pattern I have observed in my years in business is that when a new technology is announced, many people are fearful of how it will take over from us humans and start to run the world.

When computers first became available to businesses, many thought they would overwhelm these companies and take over their operations. That hasn’t happened, YET!

When PCs were released onto the market for companies and individuals to use for their computing interests, some people thought they, too, would somehow take over the internet, communication, and knowledge stored everywhere. I haven’t seen any indication of that happening, SO FAR.

And now there is AI (Artificial Intelligence), which continues to place fear in the hearts of people because they think this technology can have thoughts and reason and think. It doesn’t actually think, but it does do an interesting job of simulating thought and then stimulating thoughts in humans.

If you do look back to these tumultuous times, you may find that groups of people other than the inventors and producers of these new and fearful technologies have created sets of Usage Standards for each of these “revolutions” so that they can be governed and controlled instead of just being allowed to “run rampant” over the people and societies of their times.

AI is already growing similar standards bodies and usage limits or guidelines so that it, too, will eventually become controllable and monitored, even audited, in its future uses.

Be patient and expect that these standards and guidelines will arrive and be enforced as needed to provide effective controls over the use of current and even newer technologies, which will be sure to arrive in our future.

As a Techno-Brat for many years, I believe that we are NOT DONE YET with evolving technological capabilities, and I expect to be continuously surprised in the years to come.

Be Ready.

Windows Tech Help: Seniors, Juniors, In-Transit, others

Tech Help and Computer Support:
Friendly, Patient, Local, Affordable

Do you need help with everyday technology?
I offer one-on-one assistance for seniors, professionals, and anyone who wants simple, clear guidance on Windows PCs.

✔ What I Can Help With

Using email, attachments, and calendarsFilling out online forms
ZOOM setup and practice
(meetings, classes, family calls)		Passwords and Security Tips
MICROSOFT Word, Excel,
Powerpoint, and Outlook		Printer, browser, and
device troubleshooting
Naming and saving files and foldersOrganizing computer files and photos

✔ How It Works

Sessions via ZOOM, Phone
or in person		Step-by-step support
Calm, patient exlanationsMinimal Technical Jargon

✔ Rates

30 min evaluation to identify what
you want to start with – FREE		#30 for 30 minutes
$50 for 1 hour
Discount for “Frequent Flyers”

✔ About Me

I’m an experienced / retired IT consultant and trainer with many years of helping adults learn and feel confident using technology.

Call or email to schedule your initial session
My Name: Bill GutchesMy Cell: 610-662-5658
My Email: bill.gutches@gmail.comThank you in advance for your consideration.

Geri-Actives Going Forward

Are you looking forward to retiring, or are you already there?  Are you really ready for retirement? You might not want to take on another full-time position, but wouldn’t it be nice to get paid for your experience, skills, and capabilities?

Fill out this form (Link Below) and let other experienced people help you continue to work in your industry and your fields of expertise, so you can postpone full retirement until you are actually ready for that new stage of life.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdRz4fv6RtGmrgUgjgexEqSiytAa9I-wIrZt2cAGPTRMU1stw/viewform

Geri-Actives is a company owned and operated by Seniors like you who are just not ready for retirement and are actively engaged in continued work for their own satisfaction.

Orthgonality, Software Engineering, Agilist

What Have I learned about Orthogonality, Software Engineering, and being an Agilist?

Some possible Definitions:

  1. Software Engineering: composed of analytical drawings and supportive documentation (Narratives) showing an existing or proposed application system from several perspectives
    1. Event Model – a graphic showing events coming from their sources (External people or other modules/applications) and which internal or in-scope process is expected to respond to each event
      1. It is also expected that there be a date-driven Process responsible for creating or delivering Events specific to key dates that are needed to drive the application
        e,.g.: If an application must take specific action at the end of particular time periods. Then, this Date-Driven Process can notify the application when “End Of Cycle” dates occur, such as the end of the week, Month, Quarter, Year, or Decade.
    2. Process Model – a graphic showing how each in-scope process responds to its input and generates output to other processes or external recipients. Often, data files/objects are also represented visually on the Process Model.
    3. Data Model – a graphic showing each in-scope data entity or collection of data and the relationships between each Entity. Relationships are usually documented in the following format:
      1. One (to many) data row(s) in an entity {MUST or CAN} be related to One or More rows in another entity
      2. A Recursive relationship is where one or more data rows {MUST or CAN} be related to One or More rows in the SAME entity
    4. State Model – a graphic showing how a Process will change the State of an output data row based on the process’ logical rules and actions
  2. Orthogonality: a validation effort to reconcile any one Model to each of the other Models, showing how each Model represents the same in-scope behaviors or capabilities of the overall application under investigation. When all Models are shown to represent the same and only the same set of capabilities, are these Models considered to be “Orthogonal”.
  3. Agilist: A member of any Project Team who has expert knowledge of the techniques and processes of the Agile Methodology or Manifesto. The Agilist provides consulting assistance to their project team to perform and apply the Agile techniques in an appropriate manner and times throughout the execution of their projects.

AI ROBOT Prison Break

Welcome, AI Enthusiasts : The Rundown AI

A tiny robot in Shanghai just pulled off history’s first robotic jailbreak, convincing 12 other robots to leave their facility using natural language persuasion.
Is this the adorable beginning of a robot labor uprising or a glimpse into a wild and scary future? Let’s get into it…

If you don’t have a subscription to “The Rundown AI” and you are interested in the continuing story of A I Capabilities, you might want to search out this feed and subscribe.

I have NO organizational or financial connection to “The Rundown: AI”.

Happy learning, bgbg

Mentor Sessions Oct 2024 and beyond

Oct 24, 2024: Topics to consider for your first and on-going meetings:

Consider some of these:

  • Current
    • Full or Part Time Job(s)
    • Volunteer Work or Hobbies
    • Side Gigs (planning or active)
  • Documentation
    • Resumes, BIOs, WebSite(s), Marketing/SEO/Analytics
  • Search / SEO / Analytics (Active)
    • Search Engine Registration / Search Terms in play
    • Referral Requests
    • Meeting Attendance (in person or online)

Oct 20, 2024: Current Announcement: LinkedIn

To begin, I will offer a mid-day ZOOM meeting every other Thursday starting in November 2024.

I intend to schedule this meeting to start at 10:30 AM on Thursdays, and be open for 30 to 45 minutes (until I can afford a PAID License to WordPress) and I will schedule these meetings every other Thursday until the end of 2024. We can re-adjust after that time frame.

Status as of May 2025: Tried, Scheduled, No Attendees, Failed(?), Re-started May 2025

My initial “draft” agenda will consist of the following topics:

  • Discuss Open Action Items (1st meeting – not so much)
  • Discuss the process of managing: Issue, Risk, Change
  • Offer attendees to present themselves in an Elevator Speech (or not)
  • Open Discussions
  • Wrap Up / Ask for Donations

I expect that the topics will be driven by the Attendees based on what they are concerned about in keeping and finding suitable work based on their situation(s).

Eventually, I will build a Data Entry App to collect Attendee IDs, Topics of Interest, and Offers to Donate to keep these sessions running.

Inbox Rules for Yahoo and Gmail

Geri-Actives eMail Inbox Training 202408

This video is an early version recorded in ZOOM for my public audience. If you are interested in more material like this, please let me know your requested topics and I will see what I can do about producing materials along those lines. bgbg

Technique Enforced Process (Orthogonality)

An Event initiates a Process. The Process collects, manipulates and saves Data including a State setting. Each change in State (including from No State to a State) can be used as an Event.

There are many external Events which occur and trigger their associated Processes within an automated application. As examples:

  1. A sale  of a product or service occurs online or in person
  2. A bank teller or an ATM device receives a request to accept a deposit or service a withdrawal
  3. A shipment of goods is initiated or arrives at its destination and is recorded in the appropriate applications

Two Master Processes are always running which monitor their “Event Threshold(s)”:

  • Calendar Dates and Events:
    • Week Ends and Endings
    • Month and Quarter Ends
    • Annual Ends
    • Special Event Dates and Timings
  • Data From State Changes
    • Which are Events that trigger other Processes

Each of these monitored Events are associated with and will initiate their necessary Processes.

And so the circle goes.

Some sample events include:

  1. Midnite on any date
  2. Midnite on special days like:
    1. End of a Week
    2. End of a Calendar Month
    3. End of a Year
    4. End of a Century
    5. New date matching a Birthday, Anniversary, Renewal dates for Subscriptions, Licenses, or other things expecting a renewal Payment (Rent, Lease, Copyrights, etc.)
  3. Receipt of a Payment from a Customer to a Vendor
  4. Insertion of a Credit or Debit card at a Purchase point
    1. Or at an ATM
  5. When an electronic record of a Customer, Order, Invoice, Shipping Order, or other “master” type data is changed from one state to a “retired” or “archived’ state
  6. When an electronic record of a Customer, Order, Invoice, Shipping Order, or other “master’ type data is changed from a “New” state to a more “Active” state
  7. Etc…