The Future of Blogging and Communications - some thoughts

I went to an interesting panel discussion on Thursday evening in London at WeWork near Old Street. It was organised by the #BlogClub team and the session was entitled 'How will AI and other disruptive forces affect and impact the world of blogging and communications?' The panel was led by Andy Bargery and the panellists were Katie King (CEO of Zoodikers and future author of a book on AI and Marketing for Publishers Kogan Page) Katie on Twitter, Lucy Hall (blogger at www.lucyshall.com) Lucy on Twitter, and Minter Dial (co-author of 'Futureproof- How To Get Your Business Ready For The Next Disruption'), Minter on Twitter.

As I've previously done quite a bit of work and thinking around the topic of AI, I was interested to revisit it with a different audience - i.e. not tech experts but writers, both professional and amateur. This made for an interesting evening and provoked me into thinking more deeply about the topic again.

Chatbots
One of the first things to be brought up was Chatbots. I've not had a great experience with Chatbots if I'm brutally honest. I've had a play with the Pizza Express one and the Dr Oetker one. Both crashed on me and both were nothing more than a weak IVR (interactive voice response) in a text format. They both took too long to interact with and what they achieved could have been done much more quickly via a webform or a bunch of tick boxes. The Pizza Express ones have been a bit cuter as it included some animation and video, but ultimately, they're not *that* clever. At least, not yet. Both of these chatbots were on Facebook Messenger.

Robot writing
The discussion moved on to automated writing. The ai-writer.com website was mentioned more than a few times and heralded as 'the future'. There have been robot poets in China, a Japanese robot fiction author who got through the first round in a literary contest, and this year, Google invested in AI to write local news. And I know that data driven news content like sports results, stocks and share information and weather is already automated so it's not so far-fetched to think that anyone who writes for a living may find themselves out of a job in the near future.

But let's not get too carried away with this. I tried ai-writer.com and it was pretty ropey. Check my previous post for an example article or try it for yourself here. Or take a look at Vic Keegan's Shakespeare's Monkey website (pictured above) which has been running for years and years and still it hasn't created anything worthy of a single line of Shakespeare. I realise that Vic's experiment is based on randomness whereas ai-writer's aim is specifically to generate content for blog writers - your only input is the blog title to generate the content.

Let the tools help you not replace you
That's not to say that there are AI tools out there that are very useful indeed, especially to a writer. Google Search being the most obvious one. Even things like AI Writer may have their uses to link to useful resources. There are other tools out there to help you plan your writing, do research for you and help you with readability, translation, distribution, and more. However, where creativity of any kind is a requirement, the human brain still wins out.

Nevertheless, there are a myriad of servers out there generating fake news and pictures and  automating content (that looks little better than gibberish) in order to either manipulate the public in the former and to make cash from advertising in the latter case. I won't touch on all the automated marketing tools, click fraudsters and fake (robot?) eyeballs out there at the moment who make this scenario even worse - I'll save that for another time. It's a big topic.

It did beg the question of what is the point of automated content if it's going to be robots that see it more than humans. Which also begged the question of why should we bother writing at all if it's going to be harder and harder to reach real eyeballs rather than robot ones. 
Minter stated that human + machine is better than machine alone. And in this context, I agree with him. With the tools we have available to us, we are able to do many more things and usually in a faster fashion.

So the good news is that if you're a writer, you still have a job if a creative element is required. Forget it if you're just churning out generic content based on data such as stocks and shares, football results or weather temperatures.

Some thoughts from the panellists

Video
But there are things we need to think about, whether you're involved in online content of any kind. Lucy reminded us that there's more to blogging than just words and that live video was one of the most effective types of content out there at the moment. She believes that's down to the human touch and the popularity of video. Lucy also stressed the importance of keeping up with your audience. They way they access content has changed, writers and content producers need to keep up with that.

Ethics
Katy was excited at the prospect of AI and how it can help us now and in the future with the range of tools available to us. Her caveat was that there is a need for ethics around AI.
I agree that ethics are a requirement and we need more thinkers from all walks of life contributing to the AI conversation so that we can remain human. I don't want our algorithm overlords making decisions about me and what I am able to or not able to do based on data that could be flawed, misinterpreted, wrong and worse still, not fixable because the algorithms become so convoluted or data that is completely out of my control as it's inferred from those around me rather than myself. I wrote last year about social scoring in China and Wired Magazine published an in-depth update recently.

How to futureproof being a writer
Minter's advice was that, as a writer, you need to find your niche and be very specific about it. He also believes strongly that you need to write from the heart  and aim to get energy from your writing. He suggests using the AI tools available to use to help with publishing, distribution, analysis and research. He sees SEO as 'Strategic Executive Opportunity' and said that if money is your objective, then you need to think about how much you will invest in these (AI) technologies.

My takeaway
I came away reassured that creativity is still a human trait that cannot yet effectively be copied by software. Nevertheless, there are tools out there that I could be making use of to improve my writing and help me be more efficient and more effective.
A big thank you to Andy and Bernie of #blogclub.
Day 4/30 NaBloPoMo

Here are some easy to sew Christmas presents (written by ai-writer.com)

(This post has been generated wholly by http://ai-writer.com. I've done this as an experiment.)

Just afternoon and a few basic sewing skills are enough to turn a couple of homeless socks into a cozy psine-and what's better than a puppy for Christmas? [0]

DIY Gifts To Sew For Friends - quick and easy sewing designs and free designs for the best ideas and gifts - Creative step-by-step guides for beginners - nice home decoration, accessories, kitchen appliances and do-it-yourself do-it-yourselfers. [1]

Made from recycled fabric strips and padded buttons, the floral clips are an easy workmanship and a fashionable Christmas present. [2]

Do-it-yourself clothes, DIY clothes, sewing patterns, fast crafts, tutorials, DIY tutorials. [3]

Ideal sewing tutorials for beginners with easy patterns to make great Christmas presents for friends and the whole family. [4]

Ideal sewing tutorials for beginners with free patterns to make great Christmas presents for friends and the whole family. [5]

Let yourself be inspired by your PDF and prepare a great Christmas gift in the form of small handmade gifts (materials for Christmas! [6]

Christmas projects include gingerbreads, cones and a modern Christmas wreath, as well as simple projects that can be gifts, such as felt frames for buttons and picture frames that are ideal for children to give to their grandparents. [7]

Do it yourself Kitchen sewing projects - Folding pot holder - Easy sewn Tutorial and models for towels, napkins, napkins, aprons and fresh Christmas gifts for friends and family - Rustic, modern and creative home furnishing ideas! [8]

DIY Gifts To Sew For Friends - quick and easy sewing designs and free designs for the best ideas and gifts - Creative step-by-step guides for beginners - nice home decoration, accessories, kitchen. [9]

List of handmade tailoring projects, including Christmas stockings, decorations, cushions, gifts and table-top races. [10]

Ideal for the child to be able to renovate a Christmas tree once and for all (today you probably won't even want to give it as a gift, right? [11]

Made of fabric remnants, this is close to zero cost, but this makes it will be an incredibly sweet and funny DIY gift for a child or adult, depending on the material chosen. [12]

Package your sweet fragrant vintage glass jar bombs with a custom plate to make the presentation even more unique. [13]

For the bookmark, you'll need to cut out two slightly smaller pieces of paper, as you can see from the video and stick them together. [14]

Instead, reuse it as a personalized stocking for someone special on your gift list, and then fill your stockings with some little wrapped surprises. [15]

DIY Sewing Projects for the Kitchen - Guide and design for towels, napkins, aprons and cold Christmas presents for friends and family - Rustic, Modern and Creative (Sewing by instant gifts). [16]

Christmas sock stitched lean sewn: A fourth fat of the main fabric (format) A fourth fat of fabric lining (work white smooth fabric is fine) A small amount of contrast fabric for Bracelet Calza A small amount of button ribbon A. [17]

For an aromatic, beautiful and easy to use gingerbread, apply the orange and grapefruit cloves and place them on cake racks or decorative platters with the addition of greenery. [18]

Customise the fabrics to match the style of the recipient and give the bag as a gift on its own or fill it with a few little surprises to make your holiday real. [19]

Create a thematic gift basket for newlyweds, students or new homeowners, you can create a basket with a few inexpensive discounted items. [20]

The computer and scanner are all you need to turn your favourite collector stamps (such as stamps) into printable designs that you can use to turn cheap shoppers' boards into useful decorative accessories. [21]

It is not only a sweet and well thought-out gift, but it can be a special gift depending on what you decorate the frame. [22]

Sources

[0] https://www.marthastewart.com/276324/christmas-sewing-projects
[1] https://www.pinterest.com.au/explore/gifts-to-sew/
[2] http://www.bhg.com/christmas/gifts/easy-sew-christmas-gifts/
[3] https://www.pinterest.com/explore/christmas-sewing-gifts/
[4] http://www.applegreencottage.com/2016/10/DIY-Christmas-gifts-easy-free-sewing-patterns.html
[5] http://www.applegreencottage.com/2016/10/DIY-Christmas-gifts-easy-free-sewing-patterns.html
[6] http://www.applegreencottage.com/2017/09/DIY-Christmas-presents-sewing-patterns.html
[7] https://www.interweave.com/store/quick-easy-last-minute-christmas-gifts-to-sew
[8] https://www.pinterest.com.au/explore/christmas-sewing-gifts/
[9] https://www.pinterest.com/explore/christmas-sewing-gifts/
[10] https://www.pinterest.com.au/explore/christmas-sewing-gifts/
[11] http://www.applegreencottage.com/2016/10/DIY-Christmas-gifts-easy-free-sewing-patterns.html
[12] http://www.applegreencottage.com/2017/09/DIY-Christmas-presents-sewing-patterns.html
[13] http://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/55-crafty-handmade-gift-ideas-pictures
[14] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyMJgpgmQ0o
[15] http://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/55-crafty-handmade-gift-ideas-pictures
[16] https://au.pinterest.com/pin/512988213796483743/
[17] https://au.pinterest.com/pin/512988213796483743/
[18] http://www.marthastewart.com/856465/easy-christmas-crafts
[19] http://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/55-crafty-handmade-gift-ideas-pictures
[20] https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Your-Own-Christmas-Gifts
[21] http://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/55-crafty-handmade-gift-ideas-pictures
[22] https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Your-Own-Christmas-Gifts

(It's not great is it.... See next blogpost for some more thoughts on this).

 Day 4/30 NaBloPoMo 2017

Security, the Internet of Things and The Future of Humanity

I don't know about you, but security issues with digital devices, websites and apps both worry me and render me feeling a bit lost and as if we're always going to be fighting a losing battle with hackers and fraudsters. There are stories in the news every day about a data hack with consumer data being stolen, being locked out of personal accounts, having our laptops being held to ransom and more. It's very worrying as to how vulnerable we can be. And this isn't necessarily through any fault of our own.

As a consumer, we have little control over what happens on the server of the service we're accessing. So even if we're taking care with out passwords and login details, if the server is hacked, we're still vulnerable. Add to that the plethora of connected devices on the market such as routers, health trackers, Amazon Fire Stick, Google Home, Smart Meters and you see the problem is even bigger than just dealing our phones, tablets and laptops. Much of or town and city infrastructure is also connected such as the Oyster Card system on London's Underground, connect street lighting and traffic lights, CCTV cameras, speed cameras and much more besides. This part of the technology industry is only going to get bigger.

Fortunately, there are some very smart people working very hard indeed to help keep us and our digital lives safe. One of those people is David Rogers, my go to guy on all things mobile security. He writes in a post he's written today,

"We know that regular software updates, whilst a pain to establish and maintain are one of the best preventative and protective measures we can take against attackers, shutting the door on potential avenues for exploitation whilst closing down the window of exposure time to a point where it is worthless for an attacker to even begin the research process of creating an attack." 

That makes me feel marginally better about the tedium of seemingly endless updates to apps and software. It also shows us how important it is to keep these things up to date.

But keeping these things up to date, secure and safe is not a trivial task. It's complex and you're likely dealing with a supply chain rather than a single company. I imagine it could be quite daunting for a start-up or a small company.

If you're a developer of software or hardware or commission software or hardware or are generally interested in these things, especially in relation to the Internet of Things, then you would do well to have a gander at David's post, 'The Future of Humanity Depends on Us Getting Security Right with Internet of Things' and check his list of resources and further reading. He really is expert in this area. And I don't think he's underplaying it when he says that the future of humanity depends on it. With all the connected equipment in hospitals, schools, banks, energy companies, airports, transport networks and more, these are all vital and largely invisible parts of our lives. It's only when they don't work that we feel it and the impact can be truly dreadful, and indeed, life threatening.

I, for one, am reassured that there are lots of people in different areas of the business looking at this, not in silos, but together to come up with the right solutions and to keep coming up with solutions as this area evolves and grow. And if you're a youngster thinking about what career you might go into, I'd say that you'd be fairly sure of a solid and lucrative career by specialising in cyber security.

(Day 3/30 NaBloPoMo done.)

Rodelinda - a tale of obsession

I was fortunate to go to the opera last night to see Rodelinda by Handel at The Coliseum.

As I've previously mentioned, I'm no opera buff which is partly why I'm drawn to going to the opera so I can learn more about it and why and how it stands the test of time. It's certainly out of my comfort zone. I don't enjoy it in the same way I enjoy a musical like School of Rock or a play like Ink (I've seen both recently and both are excellent by the way and well worth seeing). But I do get enjoyment from opera most of the time. And this was one of those times.

I've never heard of Rodelinda and I had no idea that Handel even wrote any operas which shows you where my level of knowledge is. I'm familiar with The Messiah and Zadok the Priest but not much else by Handel. I don't even know very much about Handel as a composer so I was intrigued as to what I would be watching. At the very least I knew it would be good as it's the ENO, but whether I would like it is another matter.I needn't have worried. This production is very enjoyable indeed with beautiful singing, stunning set and great acting.

Director Richard Jones has brought the story of Rodelinda forward to Fascist Italy and brings attention to the obsessional element of the story. The King of Milan, Bertarido, is deposed and sends word that he has died with a view to returning in disguise to save his wife, Rodelinda, and son, Flavio. Meanwhile Grimoaldo has seized the thrown and has designs on Roselinda for his wife. Garibaldo, one of Grimoaldo's allies, has designs on the throne himself and plots with Eduige to do so. Eduige complies as she's furious with Grimoaldo for making a play for Roselinda when he's already betrothed to her. Unulfo is working for Grimoaldo but secretly helping Bertarido.

The common theme that I took from the opera is that of obsession. Grimoaldo is obsessed by Roselinda. In this production he has secret cameras set up to follow her every move whilst she is imprisoned. He spends his days lusting after her and working out ways to win her for himself. Eduige is obsessed by Grimoaldo. She wants him for herself because she wants the power he already has and the power he has taken in usurping the throne. Bertarido's obsession is his wife, and to a lesser extent, his son. Garibaldo is obsessed with power. He will go to any lengths to get it, including violence. Unulfo is secretly obsessed by Bertarido which means he's happy to double cross his boss, Grimoaldo. Roselinda is tormented by her grief at losing her husband, Bertarido.

All this obsession results in circular thinking, plots and subterfuge and violence and threat of violence and unintended consequences. It shows the audience how skewed we become when consumed by obsession of any kind. The story is more gripping than I was expecting - much enabled by the set and 1940s setting and the intense atmosphere it portrayed.

What was surprising was how the very old but beautiful style of music was juxtaposed with the modern setting but still worked really well. The orchestra were using instruments of the day and that even included recorders (who knew that the recorder could sound so beautiful!). The singing is also of its day. The good guys (Bertarido and Ufulfo) are countertenors and are hitting high notes as high as the female singers. And it was very beautiful and full of emotion and was definitely masculine despite the high register. What also worked well was the repetition of phrases in the singing. This added to the intensity of the scenes and accentuated each one's obsession. What I also loved about the production was the wit in both the translation of the libretto and the acting in some of the scenes. There were some laugh out loud moments which balances out the darker themes in the opera.

I won't tell you any more of the story here. Rather, you can google for a more detailed synopsis, or better still, go and see the opera for yourself. It's running until 15 November at The Coliseum. You can book tickets here.

Tonight, I went to a talk about the future of blogging and communications in a world of AI. I'll write about that tomorrow and revisit some of the work I did on that a couple of years ago.

Also, Day 2 of NaBloPoMo done! Thanks for reading.

Swedish Beers (Not Tears) on Tuesday 21st November

Well, it's the 1st November which means that it's the first day of NaBloPoMo and my commitment to post something here every day in November.

Usually, I'd have plenty of time to think about that, but today I've been running around all day struggling to get much time at my laptop at all. And despite my penchant for all things mobile, as a touch typist, it's much easier to write at a proper keyboard than trying to punch something in on a phone on the bus or tube.

That said, I do have something to announce today. That's the next Swedish Beers bash in London on Tuesday 21st November. This next edition is the Swedish Beers (not Tears) in memory of Carlo Longino, one of our mobile industry stalwarts who died last month at the age of 39 after a 2 year battle with lymphoma. I first met Carlo via this blog, funnily enough. He was writing for The Feature for Nokia and also with Russell Buckley at Mobhappy. We were among the first ever bloggers about mobile technology and we regularly commented on each others posts and participated in the Carnival of the Mobilists. We also exchanged emails and then met in person for the first time at the first Swedish Beers party in Barcelona in 2006 and remained firm friends thereafter.

I know that Carlo was very keen to encourage people to donate both blood and blood platelets. Apparently hospitals are often running very low on blood platelets and not that many people know about donating them. I certainly knew nothing about that until Carlo and his wife, Alex, started talking about it. So whether you knew Carlo or not, please do go and find your nearest place to donate blood or blood platelets and do it! You never know when you or a friend, colleague or family member will need it.

It would also be lovely if you're based in London and knew or knew of Carlo to join us in raising a glass in his memory on Tuesday 21st November. And if you didn't know him but work in the mobile industry, please come along and join us too. We'll be chewing the mobile fat and doing some fundraising for Bloodwise on the night too. I've set up a Justgiving page to that end so feel free to add your donation there.

RSVP is required for Swedish Beers so please do that over on eventbrite.

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Until tomorrow...

Aaaarrrggghhh 5 months...

I can't believe I haven't written anything here since May. I've certainly thought about it and had things to write about, but for one reason or another, life got in the way and my lowly blog got neglected. And that's a shame because I still think there's a place for longer form content on the web.

It's time to rectify this, so to really challenge myself, I'm going to attempt NaBloPoMo - National Blog Posting Month. The idea behind it is to post something every day during the month of November. It's similar to NaNoWriMo where writers attempt to write a novel in a month. But since I don't think I have a novel in me to write right now, I'll get on with writing things on my blog. I also challenged myself to write and publish 50 blog posts this year and I'm woefully behind. Writing 30 posts in November would certainly help me catch up and stand a reasonable chance of completing my challenge. 

So wish me luck and hope you follow me on my blog journey next month. And thank you to Terence Eden for posting about his NaBloPoMo writing on Facebook which reminded me to get on with it. Of course, he's already pre-written a whole bunch of posts so has a head start on me. Best get my writing cap on!

P.S. if you fancy doing it too, there's some info here from Blissful Lemon and a chance to join the blogroll. It also helps with the accountability thing.