A I is Biased

Most intelligence is biased towards the things they believe they already know.

People rely on their own knowledge and experience to make choices, make suggestions, or somehow control their lives.

Software (like AI) bases their choices and responses on what they have retained from their learnings and use those learnings to respond as well as they can with the knowledge they have.

The BIAS is not the problem but the control over what information each AI is given access to and chooses to use may be something we could control better. We might even be able to label or tag each AI product based on the sources of information it has been given access to: NY Times, Washington Post, Donut Recipes, WSJ, Republicans, House Cleaning Tips, etc.

The question I have at this time is about Security and protection from misinformation: learned, used for responses, created for responses to prompts by users who are less than scrupulous / beyond auditability, disingeuous, etc.

My latest exposure to the Software Security realm has been about how to implement security especially with the recent “assumption” that “they (the hackers)” will get inside so how do we discover them, respond to that situation and get them out: where hackers will get inside our app / environment and try to cause some damage and / or steal some critical information.

Connect that interest of stopping hackers once they are inside our app with the idea that AIs can be ported as stand alone and / or downloadable apps, and see what we can do to figure out how someone got “inside” our app once it has been downloaded away from our server and we have a very challenging technology / security opportunity.

It’s Not Full Time Jobs

The future of our growth economy may not be the classic old 25 to 30 year desk job at a big corporation anymore. In fact it probably hasn’t been that type of work configuration for quite some time now.

The more tangible future may just be in a derivation of what some have called the “gig” economy where the major source of income for an individual comes from shorter term contract work in a specialty. These specialties could be in many fields: Finance, Marketing and Advertising, Sales, Contract Negotiation, Human Resources, Union Negotiations, Factory Production Management, Technology, Facilities Maintenance and Management or many other specialized niche topics. Perhaps, even what has been called the “Executive Suite” for a long time could evolve to a contract environment as well. This last point might actually relieve some of the newsworthy attention being paid to the levels of salaries and other compensation for this “Executive Suite”. Imagine executives being hired for a six month to multiple year contract who are paid by the hour or day and have pre-determined bonuses over the course of the contract based on the performance and profitability of their organization rather than based on some politically influenced whim.

What is important in this brief intro is that the existing workforce from folks who are fresh out of an education or certification environment or those who may be coming back from an attempt at retirement will need to adapt to work where the income and services are negotiable rather than with a full-time steady inside position on a company’s payroll roster.

I would like to continue this thought / conversation so if you are interested, please reply to this post OR find the Contact Page on this web site and send me your thoughts.

Thanx, bgbg

A. I. Is Coming

Have you heard about Artificial Intelligence, yet? Who hasn’t?

Have you heard the Conspiracy Theorists “take” on what the ever-growing A. I. presence will mean to humanity, yet? I would be willing to bet that you/we haven’t heard ALL or even some of the LATEST Theories about what A. I. will be able to do and how soon it might just take over the world.

And let’s be clear, please. I will NOT be able to tell you what A. I. will be capable of nor do I know when it might “wake up” and become self-aware – if ever.

But here is what I think I know now:

  • ChatGPT 3.0 or 4.0 are powerful tools for doing research, learning, investigation, and teaching
    • I have already used OpenAI (ChatGPT 4.0) to prepare a study plan for me to learn Python and SQL.
    • I have already used OpenAI to suggest outlines for some of my writings on Requirements Engineering, Project / KANBAN Management, SCRUM and Sprint controls, and my “Agilist” series.
    • I will continue to use OpenAI when I have questions about the topics I am interested in but will continue to modify / enhance / extend what I get from this tool with my own style, content, organization, conclusions until I change my opinion / viewpoint at some time in my future.
  • I intend to try Bard and other A. I. tools so that I can compare the useability, user experience, clarity of results between these several A. I. tools for my own education.

One thing that I am definitely looking forward to is the discussion about establishing usage standards on the capabilities of A. I. so that our world and the technical development industry will have their say on what restrictions we may recommend are imposed, what practices in A. I. usage are recommended, and what kind of controls will be recommended to monitor the ever-growing use of A. I. in our world.

If you have any opinions or suggestions about any of this, please subscribe here and join this conversation.

Or go to my Contact Page on this website to send me an email, message, and question or suggestion.

Thank you, in advance, bgbg

People First (PF): Advisory Committee

I have found it to be very valuable to have a list of folks who are willing to answer any questions I might have, regardless of how silly, picayune, or trivial they might seem to them.

During my Information Technology (IT) career, I had lots of opportunities to meet people in many industries, various levels of experience and responsibility, and numerous levels of education. They all had their strengths and weaknesses. And, the ones who knew their strengths and weaknesses were many of the ones I gravitated to.

It’s amazing how much one can learn about someone else if you ask them to give you their advice and suggestions.

t-p-t-i-v01-i05-pf-advisor-committee-20230425Download

People First Span of your Life (cycle)

Perspective is driven by several components: Experience, Dreams, your perception of a “horizon”, Desires, and, at times, the only measurable things in your reach.

A Life Cycle, in technology communities, relates to the span, time-frame, or scope of an effort like a project or a change applied to an existing application or environment.

Every organization has its own Perspective on what should or could be measured because these things are important to the participants AND their management/share holders.

Some examples of a perceived Life Span are introduced in this attached Newsletter. Enjoy!

Please Download, Read, Respond or Advice. Thank you, bgbg

t-p-t-i-v01-i04-people-first-20230418Download

Jobs for the Geri-Actives

You want jobs? You want to work? Do you NEED to earn money or do you just WANT to stay busy?

Check out this list of job types or categories and see if one or several might interest you:

CategoriesCategoriesCategories
AccountantAdministrative AssistantBook Keeper
Bus DriverCashierCustomer Service Representative (Phone, In-Person)
Delivery DriverDental Assistant / HygienistFiling Clerk (manual, electronic)
Home Health AssistantLPN (Licensed Practical Nurse)Nanny / Care Giver
NurseOffice ManagerOrderly
ParalegalPharmacy Assistant / TechReception (Phone, Walk ins, Appointments)
Retail SalesSales AssociateSecretary
Security Guard (Days, Evenings, Weekends)Store / Merchandise Display
Virtual AssistantConduct office admin tasks in dircet assistance to Manager / Director / ExecutiveAdmin, Secretary, Assistant
And …… Professional …… Opportunities … :
AnalyticsAsset ManagementContract Management
Finance / AccountingHuman ResourcesInformation Technology
LegalMarketing / AdvertisingPlant Operations
Research and DevelopmentShipping / DeliveryWeb Services
Job Categories 2023 April Geri-Actives

People First V01 I02

As my semi-official Inaugural issue of the T P T I Newsletter, I have updated my “Motto” or “Slogan” piece from my primary LinkedIn Profile: “People First!”.

Please Download, Read, Respond or Advice. Thank you, bgbg

T P T I V01 I02 People First 20230406Download

PPM Operational Flows

A Portfolio Project Management (PPM) function will consider implementing operational work flows similar to this list:

  1. Identify Metrics for tracking all PPM data and processes
  2. Produce a Dashboard of current Metrics
  3. Measure PPM Process Compliance to published processes (SOP’s)
  4. Evaluate PPM Process Compliance metrics and recommend mitigation steps
  5. New Work Request Submission process and data collection
  6. Work Request Vetting and Revision processes
  7. Work Request Prioritization settings
  8. Portfolio Development / Proposals
  9. Proposed Portfolio Reviews / Recommendations
  10. Portfolio Review Board Selections and Communications
  11. Project Staffing, Scheduling, Kick Offs
  12. Project Execution Metrics Collection / Dashboarding
  13. Project Execution Oversight / Compliance Measurement Processes
  14. Project Delivery Quality Metrics Collection (Product, Process, Opportunities)
  15. PPM Feedback Review / Procedure Revisions (KPIs) Submissions to Step 5

Please review this list of suggested PPM Processes and advise us about your experiences and recommendations.

Thank you, bgbg

Portfolio Project Management – Level Zero

Portfolio Management is an organization’s process for capturing, vetting, budgeting and scheduling the execution of Work Requests from the users and other contributors within an organization.

A fundamental working assumption for any Portfolio Management process is that it has a high probability of changing on a regular basis to take advantage of new thinking, changing organization goals and objectives, and new capabilities within the implemented architecture.

As part of this expectation of continuous change, it is critical that a dedicated portion of this department be accountable for measuring the compliance, effectiveness, value of the results and also be looking for opportunities to improve the processes as a way to achieve the current goals of its organization.

The Portfolio Management function needs to include a tool for capturing the information about each Work Request and another set of tools for tracking the metrics of all the submitted history of Work Requests.

To get started an organization must ask itself some initial questions which will later evolve to much more insightful questions. To start, let’s discuss these questions:

  • What information should we start to collect to describe and categorize each Work Request?
    i. Submittor details
    ii. Targeted Business Function
    iii. etc.
  • How will these data be reported to the user audience (mail, text, mobile app, etc.)?
    i. Visual Dashboard / Graphs
    ii. Presentation Slides
    iii. Detailed Reports
  • What information will be collected to describe the execution of each approved project?
    i. Actual Costs
    ii. Realizable Benefits
    iii. Progress along Cost and Schedule lines
    iv. …
  • What information will be collected to describe the quality of the results?
    i. Match to Organization Goals
    ii. Match to Project Requirements
    iii. …
  • How do we intend to use these metrics to assess the effectiveness and value of the Portfolio Management processes and collected data to date?
    i. Compare “Planned” vs. “Actual” observations
    ii. Revise the Original Planned based on captured Actual results
    iii. …

Agilist Working Definition

In 2022 I started research into the Job Title of “Agilist”. This title appeared to me to be an evolution from SCRUM Masters, Project Managers, and uses of the Agile Manifesto.

For today, I am proposing a working job definition for “Agilists” which I would really like to hear about from those who are willing to read, advise, critique, or influence.

Please review these suggested job attributes and let me know how I should revise, review, or replace these characteristics.

An Agilist:

  • Subscribes to the Agile Manifesto / Methodology
  • Approaches Software Development emphasizing:
    • Collaboration Flexibility Rapid Iteration Frequent Deliveries
    • Continuous Improvement
  • Focuses on:
    • Customer Engagement
      • During the Delivery Process
      • During Usage and for Support
      • During Revisions and Evolving Business Needs
      • Up to Sunsetting and Replacement
  • Adapts to:
    • Changing Infrastructure
    • Development and Delivery Tool Capabilities
    • Testing Techniques and Bug Tracking tools
  • Role Titles or Names include but are not limited to:
    • Project Manager
    • Application Developer / Tester
    • Team Leader
    • Agile Coach / Consultant

As of 2024, I have realized that I will NOT be publishing a book about “The Agilist”. I have created a fair amount of content in a few different sequences leading to a few conclusions but I am thoroughly unsatisfied with my results to date.

So, for now, I am going to put down this work for a while. Maybe, at some point in the future, I will come back to this topic and write more and/or better stuff so that I will feel better about publishing this material.

Thank you, all, for listening to me, answering my questions, and taking the time to think with me about this topic.

Medium Friend Link: https://medium.com/@seventysomethin/agilist-working-definition-f7194813cc01?sk=dc284b6d37c1fdd23c8340d0dda4123a