Category: Tech

AI, Cloud Talk, Programming, Security, Tech

Degreeless Teams and Loose Commitments

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people looking into a laptop
Lee: Guys, I don’t like going to scriptingthewhy. Let’s just go back to work.
Jenn: Lee, you’re the intern, your opinion doesn’t matter. Now go get us coffee.
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Have you ever been on a team and no matter what or how hard any of you try, nothing seems to mesh well? You all get along and work well together but none of the ideas any of you provide for a project you’re working on yields any positive results.

Suffering the same circumstances of just being another failed new year’s resolution where either you or someone on the team falls off track by getting distracted causing scope creep.

Or no matter the pace that’s set it seems not to be fast enough and you’ll never see the project done.  How would you feel if I told you that adopting a different framework from what you’re familiar with might be the remedy to your and your teams’ problems?

As I have mentioned in a script before, this might be another process you will come to trust.

young running down the road
Tim: I have to be more agile; I can do that with sprints.
Z-Daddy: That’s the wrong agile, you don’t have to do CrossFit.
Photo by Our Anti Rafsanjani Gums, please support by following @pexel.com

Full Team Full Sprint

What’s this crazy new process, this insane new wave of thinking that’s going to see your party moving along so you can get done sooner rather than later?

You might want to switch to Agile. No, not being more agile although I see what they did there, and you will too. Agile methodology is a way to manage a project by breaking it up into several phases.

In software development, Agile practices include requirements discovery and solution improvement through a collaborative effort of self-organizing and cross-functional teams with their customers or end users.

Instead of betting everything on a “big bang” launch, an agile team delivers work in small, but consumable, increments. I know what you’re thinking, no this would not work at a casino if you tried this approach. In fact, this would see you being asked to leave the table with two well-dressed gentle-for-right-now-men wanting to “question” you and you’d be lucky to leave with a broken hand.

The Agile Manifesto for software development was a declaration of unifying philosophy from frameworks like Scrum, Extreme programming, and Feature-Driven Development (FDD). The Agile Manifesto greatly departed from the waterfall-style project management approaches that were widely in use prior to that time.  

The Waterfall methodology is a project management approach that emphasizes a linear progression from the beginning to the end of a project. This methodology, often used by engineers, is front-loaded to rely on careful planning, detailed documentation, and consecutive execution.

Translation, there’s an Everest amount of paperwork to do. So, if you look at it in a corporate way, Smokey the bear was right. You can prevent forest fires…by simply cutting down the forest.

Now, the following is in their words, and their wording is well… going to sound a bit interesting; “We are uncovering better ways to developing software by doing it and helping others do it.” Yes, this does sound like a spank me daddy moment. Come get yourself a Scrum Daddy. Okay, that was cringe, I’m sorry. Back to the manifesto,

Through this work, we have come to value:

  • Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
  • Working software over comprehensive documentation
  • Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
  • Responding to change over following a plan

That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.”

I think everyone would agree to add one more line saying, “pay to merit over able to punch the clock.”

a young man delivering items
Look at this and try not to have a Karen moment.
Karen: Sir, you don’t live here.
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Taste of Agile

You may be wondering, who in their left-wing corporate America mind follows this way of thinking to get a project done? Well, you’ll be glad to know that there are a decent number of companies that use teams who operate in this fashion.

Agile is the best methodology to follow in cases of complex projects. A complex project may have various interconnected phases and each stage may be dependent on many others rather than one as in simple projects.

The most well-known companies that use Agile methodology are Apple and IBM (yes, we’re still not on speaking terms), Microsoft, and Procter & Gamble. However, there are many other companies that use agile as well, to great effect.

Yes, I know it might not taste like it, but you will be surprised to know McDonald’s uses Agile.  As you can figure Agile methods are preferred for large and complex projects.

So the next time you decide to go get yourself some McDonald’s, take a big bite and don’t chew, I want to watch you from the corner of the room swallow and take comfort in knowing a team of people puts that juicy maybe-it’s-real-meaty big bun action together for you to enjoy.  

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two men sitting at a computer
Mark: Eric… I know it looks like you’re working on the project, but looking at your tabs I also see you’re…
Eric: It’s Stack Overflow, they just turned their colors to black and orange.
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Fixing Loose Ends

Ever thought about who and how this framework helps? Me neither until now. The Agile framework is a powerful tool that helps managers, team members, and clients work more efficiently and more effectively while delivering the highest quality product within the constraints of the budget.

You can think of this as an assembly line in a factory where the belt can go back and forth instead of just one direction. Agile produces important metrics like lead time, cycle time, and throughput that measure the team’s performance, identify bottlenecks and make data-driven decisions to correct them.

It seems like a lot of back and forth, but this is better than pushing a product out only for it to come back with a monolith list of items to fix. If you worked in the market of flipping houses, you will know that it’s the worst when you’re about to put the house on the market only to find more things that need fixing.  

young lady in graduation outfit.
Sarah: You mean I didn’t have to get a degree to join an agile team?
Z-Daddy: No, nor do you have to join CrossFit.
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Framing Degreeless

Do you need a degree to be Agile? Well with this being a framework and not job placement, you don’t need a degree however, many employers prefer candidates with a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as Information Technology.

The need to have a degree in the IT field or any other fields where people have displayed, they can land a job or start their careers without one, has always been one of those weird barriers put in place.

It’s like having a bouncer at a nightclub and to get passed him, you simply dress as a ladyboy. Companies, it’s okay, you don’t have to be in the closet anymore, stop keeping the degreeless jobless.

My ranting aside, you don’t have to be a person or team in IT to be introduced to Agile. Each team will benefit from collaboration, recurring interactions, recognizing failure early, incrementing fast results, and finally continuous learning. If you wanted a position, you could become a Scrum Daddy.

Scrum Daddies should have significant work experience working with Agile as well as excellent teamwork and communication skills. Always remember to be a good daddy and bond with your children.

older gentleman seat at laptop and on phone
Honey, we don’t have to worry about my hip, some guy named Z-Daddy said we were thinking of the wrong agile. So, cancel the CrossFit subscription.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio, please support by following @pexel.com

Made it this far and found this to be entertaining? Then a big thanks to you and please show your support by cracking a like, sharing this with whomever, scripting a comment, or plug-in to follow.

Would like to give sincere thanks to current followers and subscribers, your support and actions mean a lot and has a play in the creation of each script.

Do you find the Agile framework interesting?

Script a comment below about how you think it could help you.

AI, Programming, Tech

I’m at odds with the Toaster, here’s why…

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photo of toaster set on countertop
Toaster with a particular set of skills. If it moves… I am so dead.
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So, maybe this is just me but every time I look at my toaster seated on my cluttered countertop, I get this weird feeling like it’s watching me. Peeking around the items it’s hidden behind, just sitting there plotting ways to harm me or even worse… whisper in my ear about how it’s been trying to reach me about my car’s extended warranty.

The same feeling comes when I’m seated in my car, crying to myself right before I head in to complete a shift, that the car is somehow collecting data while listening to me wallow in self-pity.

The car, just waiting for the right time to break a hard left and see me off-roading. A little off-roading never hurt anybody, severely injured on the other hand is a different story.

Then there’s that lovely Alexa, oh if there’s anything I feel more Rockwell about it would be her… or it… okay, just got clarification from her, being AI she doesn’t have a gender. But the point still remains, I know they’re all listening in on me and plotting something sinister.

If you have made it this far through my paranoia rambling then you’ll be happy to know, it’s just that. Or… is it?

Most of this talk is just sci-fi, however, AI does exist just not to the length of what I’m making it.

With that said, don’t let your guard down. The machines are friendly… for now.

But enough of the doom and gloom talk, you didn’t ask but I’m going over it anyway. In this post, I’ll be going over what is artificial intelligence, what and who uses it, how it affects our world, and if you could get into the field without a degree.

photo of woman playing chess against robot arm
She’s probably thinking, “if I lose to this arm one more time, it’s gonna strangle me.”
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It was just an AI Fling

What is Artificial Intelligence or AI? Well, in a nutshell, AI is the practice of programming computer systems to perform tasks that would normally be done by human intelligence.

Although there have been many advances in technology, there hasn’t been one made to perfectly match the human mind.

There are four types of AI; reactive, limited memory, theory of mind (this is an interesting one), and self-aware (this is another interesting one). Starting with reactive, algorithms are used to figure out the best outcome via previous experiences however, learning adaptation does not happen. A good example of this would be a chess game with a chess-playing robot arm.

Limited memory sees the computer updating itself with new data, though the amount of data is normally short which gives way to its name being “limited memory”, an example of this would be self-driving cars. And yes, even though they are self-driving that doesn’t mean put it on autopilot and fall asleep, that’s how you wake up to sandals.

Theory of mind, which I’m just going to coin as T.o.M (data scientists and machine learning engineers, your welcome), are capable of adapting and are able to learn from and recall past experiences, a good example of this would be the chatbots that pop randomly out of nowhere on sites.

If you’re lonely enough you may find yourself spending hours chatting away, letting them know how you feel a connection with them on a deeper level and how much they complete you…I can feel your judgment, just so you know BetterHelp wasn’t available at the time.

And last but most troubling…self-aware, this is when the computer system has the potential to become aware of its own being, a good example of this is if you ever saw the movie (which I hope you didn’t, it wasn’t good in the slightest) Alien Covenant, there is a part when the android asks about his creation and about his creator.

Needless to say, when he found out that his creator had an expiration date, it didn’t go over so well. Many say AI being self-aware to the level of this isn’t going to happen anytime soon… but then again there are people still arguing that the earth is flat, so make of that what you will.

Also, a thing to note is the programming of AI focuses on three cognitive skills: learning, reasoning, and self-correction. I know, all the crucial skills we refuse to use on a daily basis.

Links below in case you wanted to check the robot scene out.

doctor examining x-ray scans
If only I had someone or something to do my work for me.
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The Medical Picture of AI

Picture this, you’re a doctor and you need an excellent assistant who could pick up anomalies on scans or can even triangulate diagnoses from one of your patient’s symptoms, and vitals better. AI plays a role in that.

AI can also classify, maintain, and even track your patient’s medical records along with health insurance claims which in turn would make your job (if you were a doctor) or in fact your life a bit easier.

If you ever took a trip to the emergency room on a Monday, then you have a decent understanding of how stressful it can get. And we all know how doctors are stressed enough as it is, thanks covid.

AI is also used in areas such as e-commerce where personalized shopping, bot-powered assistants, and fraud prevention takes place. Education, where admin tasks are automated to help instructors, voice assistants, and personalized learning, is done.

And finally, in the day-to-day, self-driving vehicles, spam filters, facial recognition, and recommendations occur.  

Goals for the future of AI in the health field is for there to be virtual nurses or doctors, collaborating for clinical judgment and assisting in robotic surgery.

Sounds great but I put those goals right next to my toaster… don’t trust them.

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Find out what’s the craziest day in the ER below.

man in confusion
This is a result of programming too long to meet a deadline. Frequent breaks kids.
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Spinning in Algorithms

In case your head wasn’t spinning enough, here’s a little something for ya.

You can thank the array of applications we have today that were attributed to the use of AI. One with having recommendation algorithms that pimp and pump your data to feed you what you’re more likely to buy or simply engage.

Being able to predict the weather, finance, production, and lowering or even cutting out excessive labor is a heavy plus. Having the ability to provide insights on the company’s operations which they may or may not be conscious of due to them being human.

AI tools often save the day fast and efficiently when it comes to handling large volumes of documents and ensuring fields are properly filled.

Uber rose to become one of the largest companies by using algorithms to predict when people are more likely to need rides in certain areas, prompting drivers to be proactive. Google used machine learning so they could gain an understanding of how people were using their services and how they could improve them.

To gain an advantage over their competitors, heavy hitters like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have adopted the use of ML (Machine Learning) and AI.

So it’s just what you thought it was, big brother really is watching.

homeless man begging for money
Sir, I will program the AI in your car for food.
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Bots Don’t Starve, You Do

Seems like we’re at that part where you might be thinking, “how do I get into this field without a degree?”

Well let me tell you, it’s not going to be easy, and you may be living out of your car for a bit before you get looked at… without a degree that is.

Most positions are going to require you have a degree of bachelor’s or higher with some experience.

If you are going to pursue a career in AI, showing that you have the relevant experience is going to be a must. That means completing projects, competitions, and contributing to open-source ML projects along with entry to hackathons (there’s no hacking involved, don’t worry, I thought the same thing).

Also completing online courses and gaining a deep understanding of the fundamentals will start you off on the right foot.

In a nutshell, open a Kaggle, GitHub, and Devpost account paired with a meetup account because the more people you rub elbows with, the better your odds.

And not Hunger Games paralleling real life, but with a job market like this may the odds be ever in your favor.

Made it this far and found this to be entertaining? Then a big thanks to you and please show your support by cracking a like, sharing this with whomever, scripting a comment, or plug-in to follow.

Also, check out my post on ML and how much the fall of human race is in our future. Click here.

Think you have what it takes to step into the arena of AI?

Script a comment about what interest you in the world of AI.

Programming, Security, Tech

Fishing Made Fun with Bots!

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You know, every time I read one of these scripts, I learn something new.
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Okay, so the threat isn’t coming from the future to wipe us out as we once thought. Maybe, and by maybe meaning actually, the threat is here with us in the present day. They attack us every day when checking our email or simply picking up the phone because the scam likely function wasn’t working this go around.

The rise of ChatGPT has not only given people that little nerdy kid to complete their essays for them but people are using a bot to trick a bot in order to land job interviews. But again, with good intentions soon follows malicious ones. 

We’re going to be going over what kind of attack this is, who is using it, its functionality and effects upon release and what are some ways you could protect yourself from being on the receiving end of a malicious connection.

I haven’t been living underneath a Volvo, but I guess hiding isn’t doing me any good neither.
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The Attack

Like most of the computing world and people who haven’t been living underneath a VW 1984 Volvo, that’s a little easter egg for all the old faithful readers. If you’re not one, feel ashamed. Again, for the better part of the internet, most people already know what phishing emails are, but in case you’re unfamiliar and have been living underneath that Volvo, worry not, we have you covered on that one.

Phishing is the act of posing as someone or as part of an organization that an individual may or may not know. The whole objective is to get you (the victim) to interact with the provided link and give up your sweet, sweet information. Once this happens, a number of things can happen, however, the main result is you lose money in some form or fashion.

Who is Greg from accounting, and why did he send me a link?
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Who Could It Be Now

Unfortunately, no individual or group has been named for using ChatGPT for malicious scams but that doesn’t mean we can’t tell you why they’re doing it. Scammers vary in diversity in ethnicity but many of them don’t diversify in skill level and sometimes… in common sense. Yes, scammers will even try to scam cybersecurity professionals, we don’t know why they do it but, it’s a thing.

Scammers typically use social engineering attacks, mainly phishing. Why? Because it’s easy to obtain an email address for a company, however, they have resorted to spicing up these emails by using ChatGPT.

For those who don’t know what ChatGPT is, we’ll tell you. ChatGPT is a chatbot that is trained to offer humanlike responses in dialogue. In a nutshell, you ask it a question and it gives you something it thinks an average person would say.

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Thomas: I told you we lure in more people with ChatGPT.
Simone: Shut up Thomas and keep entering their credit card information.
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That Sinking Feeling

How do scammers use ChatGPT to improve their phishing emails you ask? Well, simple, the same way people are using this little chatbot to beef up their resume to outsmart the resume reviewer bot. The scammers simply input into ChatGPT something professional to say to you, adding a few official logos here and there, and before you know it you have what seems to sound like an official email from someone you may know or that job opportunity you’ve been looking for.

Once you fall victim to the scam a number of things can happen and none of them are good. Interaction with a malicious link or attachment could have your system compromised by downloading or visiting a redirected site for a drive-by download, at this point depending on the programming in the payload, the file could execute with or without your interaction.

This, in turn, leads to a back door being created for data exfiltration—this is the act of collecting all the information on your machine and sending it to a command-and-control server for either personal use or marketing on the darknet, and possibly seizing control of your machine at a later date.

Learn the scam, then you can play ball.
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The Prevention

So, what are some ways one could be able to protect oneself in the vast sea of the internet? Well, double-checking with people who send you emails with attachments to verify it was indeed them is one way of helping yourself.

Always carefully read the body of the message to see if you can spot any misspellings or grammatical errors as this will tip you off into saying, “I know Greg from accounting might be a bit special, but he wouldn’t write something like this.”

If you have encountered a phishing email and downloaded something or interacted with their link, changing all passwords on all accounts you own will be your next best course of action as this will quickly hinder the attacker’s progress into mucking up your life.

Pair this action with monitoring your accounts for any suspicious activity and keeping your financial institution’s number on speed dial in case you have to make that call saying, “Um, yeah, that latest activity wasn’t you,” will see you better in the years to come.

ChatGPT may be helping the scammer’s game, but common sense and a little know-how still outperform all.

I never thought protecting my information would be this easy. Thank you Scriptingthewhy. Love you Z-Daddy!
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio, please support by following @pexel.com

Made it this far and found this to be entertaining? Then a big thanks to you and please show your support by cracking a like, sharing this with whomever, scripting a comment, or plug-in to follow.

Would like to give sincere thanks to current followers and subscribers, your support and actions mean a lot and has a play in the creation of each script.

Do you feel like there is something I may have missed on Phishing with ChatGPT? Script a comment below.