When AI Failed to Inspire Me

I was looking for inspiration all week to write my next Friday Notes edition. Early morning yesterday, I was still unsure if I could make it, but at lunchtime, I tried ChatGPT with “Give me some blog post ideas about the positive effects on creativity of going on vacation for a week”. It came back with phrases that looked taken from a travel agency ad. I tried again with different variations of my question. It failed to impress and to inspire me. I’ll pass this week’s edition.

The Trees of Death

These are the trees of death. This is what I call them. This scene was taken from a video in a combat zone near Bakmut. They all look the same; only the base trunk is standing, and the rest is pulverized with repetitive bombing and shelling. These skeletons of what used to be trees with thinner branches, leaves, and life are now dead in a vegetative expression. It’s all gone now. it will take a generation or two before it comes back. So sad.

I’m currently testing Little Snitch mini. I had the Little Snitch app on my radar for a while, but this week they released what could be a better & lighter solution for me. The problem? As an IT guy, I like to know what is happening in my machines, and this little piece of well-crafted software could be the answer. So far, I really like what I’m seeing. It makes me think of Flighty from a visual design perspective. It could replace a portion of Stats, an open-source replacement for iStats Menu. I’ll decide once I’m back from vacation.

Still in my spring cleanup phase, I’m archiving all my bookmarks and references to build a Hugo-based static website. I’m happy to keep my focus on content instead of trying to understand and configure a web site built on Hugo tech.

Going on vacation for a week. Leaving my MacBook Air behind, but bringing my iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard with me. It’s the only time that I use the iPad Pro with its Magic Keyboard since getting my MBA in 2021, otherwise, it’s my MacBook Air while at home.

👉 I’ve been testing iA Presenter for a short while, and boy, I like this app. It’s not that often that we get new native apps on the Mac these days. I wonder if it is built with AppKit or other tech. Back in the day, before using Ulysses, I was a fan of iA Writer for its simplicity. iA Presenter feels so familiar and yet so rightly different. I’m impressed.

Now, looking for a use case for it! 🤔

My wife recently told me how she was looking and considering tools like ChatGPT in her work. She considers ChatGPT like having an intern working with her. The intern will do the work she asks, but she knows she will have to give it a critical eye on the results just in case any errors creep in. If using interns in companies, why is ChatGPT not considered at the same level? Open for debate.

I like this intern analogy.

Image by Dall-E

I’m late in my readings. I’m not sure what to think of this weird take about the iPad and Mac future from Jason Snell.

The key to the Mac’s survival isn’t a new Air–it’s the next iPad Pro

Would it be such a cataclysm if I could simply reboot that iPad into macOS or run macOS inside a virtual machine?

Yes, it would be. What a weird idea. I’m nearly baffled by this article. How many of these ideas and requests are age-dependent? How does the younger generation view those perceived limitations of the iPad or the Mac?

For us who have experienced both computing paradigms, it is tempting to ask for one paradigm to borrow some of the other paradigm traits. Does it make them better? I’m resigned and unexcited to the prospect of getting the touch screen trait on the Mac, but having to reboot an iPad to get the Mac experience is ludicrous, IMO.