It’s been a while since I updated my blog because I’ve been pretty busy with life, and my posts often come in waves of inspiration. The thoughts that I have that turn into blog posts are ones that I don’t go looking for, they are ones that strike me, cause me to think about them, perhaps write a note, that later turns into a post. They come at unpredictable times, but they are regularly dulled by my emotions.
When I have something to worry about, or something major going on, I find it very hard to think about other things with the depth needed. Ideas still come, but I am unable to work them through to completion when in my distracted state – which is currently worrying about my family.
Both myself and my wife have been working through the social care required for our daughter, and it has brought up many emotions. It’s exciting for Lucie to have her very own personal assistant who started working with her this week, but also extremely disorientating. Our lives for so long have revolved around our roles and responsibilities regarding Lucie’s care needs, frequently at the detriment to our lives. However, we both know what we signed up for, we both view it as just being a parent, and are having a bit of a hard time stepping back.
The reality is I feel very conflicted about the whole thing and some of the emotions I feel out of place. Almost as if I shouldn’t be feeling the way that I do, but the realisation that all of my feelings are valid is important. The worst thing to do is hide them away and think that they are somehow wrong. There’s a tendency to bury them away instead of processing them and getting to a state of acceptance.
Whenever the internet loses its mind on something, I find it fascinating. Not to join in with the hot takes, but to see and digest what makes a large proportion of people emotional and try to understand the world a bit better. In these instances, a large proportion of people become experts in the respective field being discussed. The most notable of which was everyone who turned into immunologists during the pandemic, but it constantly happens.
Recently, I read numerous opinions on the way Spotify is redesigning its app and everyone gives their feedback. Much of it being open criticism of the direction the company is leaning and the complete redesign of its mobile apps. This continually happens with services like Spotify because their users become invested in the service and are right to express their concern.
However, I think it’s important to remember that no-one outside of Spotify really knows how and why decisions are made. For the risk of becoming an internet expert, I feel like I have enough knowledge of the moving parts behind running a business. More so with the choices and compromises that have to be made when owning a product or launching a new one.
But it comes with a challenge. If you’re going to build this thing into the same application, you’re going to make it back to trade-offs. The trade-off is that you can’t just make the application more complicated. There are benefits to that, but there are also drawbacks - Gustav Söderström
The reality is, you seldom get the product you want to launch. There are a huge number of issues that crop up when designing and making such a complex thing that it can be amazingly frustrating. For fear of never launching anything, you quickly have to come to terms with the fact that perfection is the enemy. If you are expecting to get everything the way you want it, then you will be waiting a long time.
I listened with interest when Gustav Söderström talked to Alex Heath about the new redesign and also some of the compromises that had to be made when he launched the original Spotify mobile app back in 2010. He discussed how they know that the implementation of Podcasts into the new App is not perfect, but it’s the best compromise they can make. In a world where Apple Podcasts is used by 98.5 of users, there is just no point making another app.
Is it perfect, no, but it’s the best decision they can make for their users. There will always be people who don’t like the changes companies make and no longer use the product, that’s unavoidable. There is also be a vocal bunch that shut up and use the new update anyway – remember the fuss on Facebook newsfeeds back in the day?
Making a product is just one long stream of compromises and decisions based on the information you have. No-one has the same information as the people inside the company making decisions. I realise there is a whole industry built around criticising the designs that tech companies make, I used to be one of them, but there’s a level of understanding needed. I have not been a Spotify user for years now, but I understand exactly where Gustav Söderström is coming from.
Unfortunately, the market usually dictates when you have to move to survive, and it’s not always where you want to go. Thankfully, it sounds to me like he genuinely agonises over these things and wants the best for their users, and every so often you have to admit that user is not you any more.
I am amazed at the usefulness of recent advancements in Large Language Model AI. Having it integrated into Notion, the tool I use most, has saved me a significant amount of time and increased my productivity at work. I use it to summarise meeting notes, write content from video scripts, and more. The cost pays for itself several times over in time saved – but that doesn’t mean I have no concerns.
The technology, synonymous with (not so)OpenAI, is being used by a wide range of companies. Microsoft is integrating it into Bing searches, and just last week, more apps began to use it. Google is building PaLM, their more generalised LLM, into Workspace, including Docs, Sheets, Mail, and Slides. Other companies are bound to follow, meaning that almost anything you see may not have been written by whom you attribute the words.
Google was the first to start my thoughts about the degradation of thought put into words with quick replies in messages and emails. If you can reply with a tap instead of thinking about what you write, the meaning loses its value somewhat. Now that AI-generated content is available everywhere, the words written by other people carry even less value.
This might seem absurd to say, for a little thank-you text or a one-line reply to an email. However, the Google demo video shows the sending of a “Thank You” message to “the team” which is verging on the ridiculous. As my Grandad would always say, “words are cheap, it’s actions that pay the bills” – when even the words are not written by you, it defeats the point, doesn’t it?
We’re not far from being able to run personalised LLM on a local machine with very little computing power. This will bring wonderful improvements to the way we work, especially in creative environments and offices. However, the weight of words will begin to matter less and less. If you cannot take the time to write and send a thank-you note or a thoughtful reply to your teams, then no one will believe in anything written.
If you’re a fan of notebooks, you’ve probably heard of Field Notes and Field Book notebooks. Both are popular options for writers, artists, and anyone who wants to keep their notes organised. But which one is the best for you? Much like the comparison with Moleskine notebooks, many people cant decided between Field Notes and Field Books so in this post, I’ll take a closer look at Field Notes and Field Book notebooks and compare them to help you decide.
Field Notes notebooks are known for their compact size, durability, and versatility. They come in a variety of colours and designs, making them a great option for anyone who wants to express their individuality. Field Notes notebooks are also affordable, with prices ranging from $10 to $20 for a pack of three.
One of the biggest advantages of Field Notes notebooks is their portability. They’re small enough to fit in your pocket, making them a great option for anyone who’s always on the go. They’re also durable, with a sturdy cover that can withstand wear and tear.
Field Book notebooks are a bit larger than Field Notes notebooks, but they offer more space for writing and drawing. They’re also more customisable, with options for different paper types, bindings, and covers. Field Book notebooks are more expensive than Field Notes notebooks, with prices ranging from $20 to $50, depending on the options you choose.
One of the biggest advantages of Field Book notebooks is their versatility. They’re great for a variety of uses, from writing and drawing to scientific research and field work. They also offer more space for notes and sketches, making them a great option for anyone who needs more room to work.
When it comes down to it, the choice between Field Notes and Field Book notebooks depends on your individual needs. If you need a compact, portable notebook that you can take with you anywhere, Field Notes notebooks are a great option. But if you need more space for writing and drawing, or you’re looking for a more customisable notebook, Field Book notebooks might be the better choice.
Overall, both Field Notes and Field Book notebooks are great options for anyone who wants to keep their notes organised and easily accessible. Whether you choose Field Notes or Field Book notebooks, you can be sure that you’re getting a high-quality, durable notebook that will last for years to come.
I’m still really early in my notebook use, but I’ve filled a couple of them now. When I chose to use a notebook, I was already thinking about ways to make my notes findable. The action of writing them out manually increases my retention drastically, but I still want to be able to refer to them if needed. The most logical way to do this might be to copy the important ones into a digital service, but then comes the decision on what is important or not, so I decided to tag and index my notes.
The inspiration for this came from my belief that even with digital apps, you still require some kind of manual curation. If I can quote myself, “What I have noticed from this cycle of trying is that without conscious thought, digital tools can be just as bad as physical ones”. So, if I were to use a digital service, I would go through and tag everything with a rough topic – which can be done manually too. The last few pages are reserved for an index to list these tags and mark the page numbers.
This could, of course, be a massive waste of time, I will only know how this will go when I need to refer to them, but I hope that this will help. If nothing else, it has meant I spent a few minutes flicking through my notebooks and reviewing my notes, further improving my chance of recall. I am convinced of the improvements that carrying a notebook with me has made, and the great thing is I can mould the process as I go along.
I’m not one for monthly spreads and making my notebook pretty, my handwriting sucks anyway, it’s more of a tool for my brain. It reflects my scattered thoughts and working life, but I hope my indexing brings a little more order to it.