Episodes List

S10, EPISODE 05: The Day Burnout Became A Reality

Duration: 9:31

Introduction


I swore I wouldn’t let it get that far. But I did. And in one fell swoop, I crashed.


I couldn’t see past my own hand. My eyes were in a permanent squint from stress, sleepless nights blurred into loops, and weekends? Forget it — every day felt like it ended with “Y.” I didn’t even know what “Sunday Scaries” were until they became my new personality trait, served up alongside ads for calming gummies in my doomscroll feed.


I’d become a heartbeat at the dinner table and not much else. And that, friends, was a major red flag.

The tech industry is incredible — full of chances to level up and reinvent yourself. But what no recruiter ever puts in the job description is the hidden cost of working in a profession that never, ever powers down.


What was I chasing? Or better yet, what was I running from? Was burnout just the pandemic catching up with me? Did I let job titles inflate my ego past the point of balance? Or did I just pile so much pressure on my “future self” that I forgot to ask my current self the simplest of questions: Why am I doing this?


The more I tap this out — writing, backspacing, deleting, re-typing — the more I realize: burnout doesn’t hand you answers. It hands you questions.


So no, today’s not the day for me to pitch you “5 Steps to Guaranteed Happiness” or a 30-day productivity bootcamp. Instead, consider this an invitation: if you need it, take a pause. Check in with yourself.


Here’s what’s helped me in the thick of burnout, a sabbatical, and a career gap. No particular order, no silver bullets — just things that worked for me.

  1. Pen & Paper
  2. Phone a Friend — Virtual
  3. Phone a Friend — IRL
  4. Move of the Day
  5. Do It For You, Not the Resume


1. Pen & Paper


I trust the weakest pen more than the strongest memory.

— Tim Ferriss


Ferriss also coined the term brain vomit — which, gross as it sounds, was exactly what I needed. My head was jammed with thoughts swirling like a blender on high, and writing them down became the release valve.


I tried all the classics: morning pages, gratitude journals, the 5-minute journal. None of them stuck long-term. What did stick was keeping it dead simple: bullet points, no ceremony, no templates. Just pen, paper, and whatever was in my head.


If a thought kept repeating across days, that was my signal it needed more attention. Otherwise, the act of writing was enough to quiet the noise.


2. Phone a Friend – Virtual


Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.

— C.S. Lewis


There’s something downright intoxicating about reconnecting with someone you haven’t talked to in ages. Seriously, try it today. DM or call someone you haven’t spoken with in months. Anyone but your ex — unless you want a different kind of burnout, haha.


Just don’t go digging years back to that one random acquaintance. Otherwise, you’ll sound like you’re about to pitch them a pyramid scheme or sell them knives.


3. Phone a Friend – IRL


Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain… But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.

— Muhammad Ali


This one hits different. Face-to-face matters. And no, you don’t need to book a weekend bender at an Airbnb to get it. Coffee works just fine.


For me, it’s a tall hazelnut oat milk latte. One hour, phone silenced, just talking with a friend. No algorithm can replace that.


4. Move of the Day


If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl — but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.

— Martin Luther King, Jr.


I don’t “work out” anymore. Back in the day, workouts meant chasing vanity muscles and late-night aesthetics. Now, it’s about function. Staying strong for my family. Staying present.


In Jiu Jitsu, some instructors promote you if you can successfully apply a new move the same day you learned it. That stuck with me. Movement doesn’t have to be intense — a walk, a jog, or just active recovery counts. Bonus: those are free.


5. Do It For You, Not the Resume


The irony is that this kind of pause is exactly what makes me better at the work when I come back, but the industry isn’t built to reward that. We’re wired for velocity. We celebrate the visible wins.

— Ashley Willis, GitHub


Career gaps can feel terrifying. No Teams notifications. No calendar invites. No dopamine hit from “being busy.” But here’s the thing: not everything needs to produce a bullet point for your LinkedIn profile.


This is where pen & paper come back in. Capture the thoughts, the temptations, the little urges to “do something that looks important.” Then remind yourself: this pause is important.


A Few Things That Gave Me Perspective


  • AI has leveled up. It’s way past ChatGPT now. Between Sora, Google’s Veo, and “Nano Banana” (yes, that’s a real name), the spaghetti-eating Will Smith meme might finally get its sequel.
  • Volunteering at my kid’s school. Especially as a dad, it was eye-opening. I even got to teach JavaScript to first graders with robots (spoiler: they loved block coding, not text coding). Teachers, I salute you.
  • Cannabis as a career path. I took a 6-month horticulture course at UC Riverside. Being informed felt more responsible than staying stuck in stigma.
  • I earned my brown belt in Jiu Jitsu. Joe Rogan calls purple belt the hardest to get, and he’s right — it mirrored my sabbatical struggle. Brown only came through consistency. Same lesson applies to life and work.
  • Learning is faster than ever. Choose your channels wisely. Scrimba is great for hands-on coding. Frontend Masters is rock solid for structured learning. And if you’ve never coded? That’s fine too — you don’t always need code to create something awesome anymore.


Closing


So yeah — burnout sucks. But it doesn’t have to be the end of your story. Pause. Reconnect. Move. Write. And do things that matter to you, not your resume.

I’ll leave you with this:


The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.

— Steve Jobs


Cheers, friends. Here’s to finding your version of “great work.”

S10, EPISODE 04: Web Dev Reimagined and a San Diegan's New Beginning

Duration: 9:20

Preface


I'm still in the trenches of experimenting with MindStudio, a no-code platform which allows you to create almost anything you can imagine into an AI Agent.


In this case, it's still about cutting through a ton of writer's block that I currently have and outsourcing some of that hardship to the newer systems available which can support me.


Here's the next piece of realistic fiction where I speak with Jake and Sophia on things I'm doing to support the San Diego tech scene by way of our Discord server.


Introduction

In this episode, Jake and Sophia dive into the innovative world of modern web development with the visionary founder behind AllWebSD.com. They explore how this cutting-edge service is filling crucial gaps in the market, the unique methodologies that set it apart from competitors, and inspiring success stories that demonstrate its impact. Get ready for an insightful conversation about the future of web presence for small businesses and actionable advice from an industry pioneer.


Transcript


Mercer: Hey there, and welcome to Digital Frontiers! I'm Jake Mercer.

Chen: And I'm Sophia Chen. Before we dive in, we should probably mention that we're completely fictional podcast hosts created for this episode. But don't let that stop you from enjoying our conversation!

Mercer: That's right! We may not be real, but our enthusiasm for web development and digital innovation is as authentic as it gets.

Chen: Today, we're exploring the evolving landscape of web development services, especially for small businesses in San Diego.

Mercer: And we're thrilled to have with us the creator of AllWebSD.com, a platform that's making waves in the local digital scene. Welcome to Digital Frontiers!

Mark: Thanks, Jake. Thanks, Sophia. Happy to be here.

Chen: So, let's start at the beginning. What inspired you to create AllWebSD.com, and what gap in the market were you hoping to fill?

Mark: AllWebSD started as a personal journal. I didn’t want to blog, even though I had WordPress set up. I just wanted to capture the fast, messy world of web dev differently. Then the pandemic hit, and it grew into a community—somewhere local tech folks and newcomers could swap stories and ideas.

Mercer: That's fascinating! I'm curious about your background. How did your previous experiences shape your approach to creating AllWebSD?

Mark: Honestly, it was trial by fire. Back then, no bootcamps, no code schools. I learned from books and trade classes. Textbooks didn’t click for me—except a couple of O’Reilly guides. When newsletters popped up, I realized tech could be shared in smaller, bite-sized conversations.

Chen: It sounds like you've really put thought into creating something that serves the San Diego community specifically. Let's talk about the services you offer. Could you break down the core offerings of AllWebSD.com for our listeners?

Mark: At its core, AllWebSD is just me hosting a local tech podcast. You don’t need to be “in the industry.” If you live here and want to talk tech—or promote yourself—that’s enough. I didn’t study Computer Science; I studied Media Arts. So I keep it casual, no jargon, more like happy hour. I’m also adding YouTube tutorials, resources, and mentorship for folks building AI Agents.

Mercer: I love how you're focusing on connecting the digital professionals in San Diego. That's something we don't see enough of in the tech world – that local community building.

Chen: What would you say makes your approach different from other web development networks or communities? There are plenty of online spaces for tech professionals, but yours seems to have a unique angle.

Mark: The whole thing is about connection. Not a syllabus. Not bots. Just us. That’s why I push Discord—jump in, jump out, no pressure. Think of it as a pocket network of colleagues you can chat with about anything: web, mobile, AI, hiring struggles, your next big project. I’ll be there to cheer it on.

Mercer: You mentioned transparency and collaboration as core values. Are there specific technologies or methodologies that AllWebSD favors to promote these values?

Mark: Tech itself? Changes daily. But my method is simple—transparency. For example, this episode: no studio, no Fiverr editors. Just me, MindStudio, and a little iMovie. That’s it. Transparency makes collaboration work.

Chen: I think it's time for a quick break. This episode of Digital Frontiers is sponsored by MindStudio, a platform with hundreds of free, ready-to-use and easily-customizable AI agents to help you get things done.

Mercer: That's right, Sophia. I've been using MindStudio's Chrome Extension, and it's like having AI superpowers right inside your browser. Whether you're writing content, doing research, or managing your workflow, their AI agents are game-changers.

Chen: Download the MindStudio Chrome Extension from mindstudio dot ai today. Now, let's get back to our conversation with the creator of AllWebSD.com.

Mercer: So, without naming specific clients, could you share some success stories that have come out of the AllWebSD community? Maybe some collaborations or projects that really showcase what your platform is all about?

Mark: For me, success is any guest who shows up and shares openly. Right now, I’ve got five featured on the homepage—everything from nonprofits to software firms to recruiters and devs. The variety keeps it fun.

Chen: Those are impressive outcomes! Were there any particular challenges you had to overcome in these projects that taught you something valuable about running this kind of platform?

Mark: Yes—booking, production, editing, web dev. It’s taught me to break big projects into smaller ones, stick to a plan, and pivot when needed.

Mercer: It sounds like building a community comes with its own unique set of challenges and rewards. I'm curious about what's next for AllWebSD. What future plans do you have, and what emerging trends are you keeping an eye on?

Mark: Naturally, AI comes up a lot. People joke it’ll take my job and I should learn plumbing. And sure, I can fix a toilet handle, but I’m not touching emergency shutoff valves. The truth is, the job has changed, but it hasn’t vanished. The question now is how we adapt. I’ll also be sharing resources and mentorship for AI Agent builders—again, Discord’s where I’ll drop that.

Chen: That's a compelling vision for the future. Before we wrap up, what advice would you give to businesses in San Diego looking to improve their web presence or get more connected with the local tech scene?

Mark: For beginners: start with LinkedIn. Connect with people both in and outside your field, and especially local folks—it’s powerful to have community close by. For your web presence, tools like SquareSpace are fine, but when you hit a wall, that’s when specialists like me step in. And, of course, hop on the Discord—it’s free, and it’ll stay free.

Mercer: I love that idea of joining the Discord community. It's such a practical first step for anyone looking to get involved.

Chen: And those upcoming AI Agent courses sound fascinating – definitely something our listeners should check out.

Mercer: Well, that brings us to the end of today's episode. Thank you so much for joining us and sharing the story behind AllWebSD.com. It's been great getting to know more about how you're fostering digital innovation in San Diego.

Mark: Thanks again, and looking forward to chatting more soon.

Chen: Absolutely. To our listeners, remember to check out our website for links to AllWebSD.com and that free Discord community our guest mentioned.

Mercer: And don't forget to tune in two weeks from now when we'll be discussing the rise of no-code development tools and what they mean for traditional web developers.

Chen: Until then, keep pushing those digital frontiers!

Mercer: See ya next time!

S10, EPISODE 03: Uniting San Diego's Tech Scene in the AI Revolution

Duration: 11:45

Preface


There are countless ways to approach AI technologies, but one in particular has really stood out to me: MindStudio.


So far, it’s proven to be the kind of orchestration platform that helps cut through the upfront friction I face daily when trying to be “creative.”


Lately, I’ve been dealing with a fair share of writer’s block, so full credit goes to the magicians behind this tool for making it such a fun and surprisingly useful playground.


Sharing a little piece of realistic fiction below — and if you’re curious, don’t hesitate to hop on Discord and say hello! 👋


Introduction


In this episode, Jake and Amara explore how San Diego's tech professionals are combating digital isolation through the innovative AllWebSD Discord community. They dive into why local connections remain crucial in an AI-dominated landscape, debate the value of region-specific online spaces, and examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping professional networking. Whether you're a seasoned developer or new to San Diego's tech ecosystem, this conversation offers valuable insights on building meaningful professional relationships in 2025.


Transcript


Morales: Hey there San Diego! Welcome to Tech Pulse San Diego, episode eighty-seven. I'm Jake Morales.

Chen: And I'm Amara Chen. Before we dive in, just a quick heads-up to our new listeners – Jake and I are fictional podcast hosts created for this episode. But the community we're discussing today is very real!

Morales: That's right! And we've got a great show lined up today. Amara, did you catch that announcement about the new biotech incubator opening up in Sorrento Valley?

Chen: I did! That's gonna be huge for our local healthcare startups. And speaking of local tech news, I heard the La Jolla coding bootcamp just graduated their largest class ever – seventy percent of whom already have job offers. Pretty impressive in this market.

Morales: That's awesome. The San Diego tech scene is definitely heating up... which makes today's topic even more timely. We're talking about a new initiative to bring together digital professionals across San Diego through a Discord community at AllWebSD.com.

Chen: And we're framing this within the bigger conversation of how we build meaningful tech communities in the age of AI. Because let's be honest – the way we connect professionally is changing dramatically.

Morales: It really is. And I've been thinking about this a lot lately... San Diego has all these amazing tech professionals, but we're kind of fragmented, aren't we? You've got the UX designers in one corner, the developers in another, data scientists somewhere else entirely.

Chen: Absolutely. And each group has their own Slack channels, Meetups, and happy hours. But there's not much cross-pollination happening. Which seems like a missed opportunity, especially when you consider how interdisciplinary tech work is becoming.

Morales: Exactly! And with AI reshaping literally every digital role – from coding to design to marketing – there's never been a more important time for us to be talking across these specialties.

Chen: I'm curious though, Jake – with remote work becoming so normalized, do you think local connections still matter as much? Couldn't someone just join an online community of professionals in their specific niche?

Morales: That's a fair question. And sure, those global communities are valuable. But... there's something special about local connections. Remember when we had Sarah from that AI startup on the show last month?

Chen: Oh yeah, she talked about finding her co-founder at that random Web3 meetup in North Park.

Morales: Right! And it wasn't even her scene – she just went because a friend dragged her along. Those serendipitous local connections can be game-changers. Plus, there's something about grabbing coffee with someone who understands the specific challenges and opportunities of building in San Diego.

Chen: That makes sense. And we've seen other tech hubs do this really well. Austin has their Texas Blockchain Initiative, Portland has Silicon Forest – these tight-knit local communities that support each other while still being plugged into the global conversation.

Morales: Now here's the interesting part... San Diego has all the ingredients to build something similar or even better. We've got major universities, established tech companies, a growing startup scene, and honestly – the best weather for outdoor networking events.

Chen: Hard to argue with that last point! So let's talk specifically about this AllWebSD initiative. What exactly is it trying to accomplish?

Morales: So it's a Discord server specifically designed for San Diego's digital professionals – developers, designers, marketers, product people, AI specialists, you name it. The goal is to create one central hub where the local tech community can connect, share resources, and potentially collaborate.

Chen: But Jake, I've gotta play devil's advocate here. There are already so many online communities out there. What makes this one different? Why would someone add yet another Discord server to their already overwhelming digital life?

Morales: That's a totally fair challenge. I think what makes this interesting is the hyper-local focus combined with the cross-disciplinary approach. It's not just another JavaScript Discord or UX Discord – it's specifically about building connections across different digital specialties, but all within our San Diego ecosystem.

Chen: And I imagine there's potential for this to move beyond just online interaction? Maybe in-person meetups or events?

Morales: Absolutely. From what I understand, the Discord is just the starting point – a way to facilitate those initial connections that can then grow into real-world collaborations, mentorships, maybe even new business ventures.

Chen: I can definitely see the value there. And with AI changing our professional landscape so rapidly, having a support network of other locals navigating the same challenges seems particularly valuable right now.

Morales: Speaking of AI – we need to take a quick break to thank our sponsor.

Chen: Today's episode is sponsored by MindStudio, a platform with hundreds of free, ready-to-use and easily-customizable AI agents to help you get things done.

Morales: I've been using their Chrome Extension lately, and it's pretty impressive. It's like having AI superpowers right inside your browser – helping with everything from summarizing long articles to generating creative content.

Chen: I've been playing with it too! It's saved me hours of work already. If you want to check it out for yourself, download the MindStudio Chrome Extension from mindstudio dot ai. Now, back to our discussion about building tech community in the age of AI.

Morales: So Amara, you've worked with a bunch of different San Diego companies. How are you seeing AI change the professional development needs of the folks you work with?

Chen: It's fascinating, Jake. I'm seeing this interesting paradox where technical skills are simultaneously becoming both more and less important. The barrier to entry for creating certain types of content or code is getting lower thanks to AI tools, but the strategic thinking about how to use these tools effectively is becoming more valuable than ever.

Morales: That's such a good point. And it makes me think that as AI automates more of the tactical aspects of our work, the human connections and community become even more important. The creativity, the ethical considerations, the strategic thinking – that's where humans still shine.

Chen: Exactly. And that's where I see huge potential for a community like AllWebSD. Imagine having a place where developers can learn from designers about aesthetic principles, where marketers can collaborate with data scientists on more effective campaigns, where everyone can share their experiences with integrating AI into their workflows.

Morales: I love that vision. And there's something powerful about doing this at the local level, where people can eventually meet face-to-face and build those deeper connections.

Chen: Definitely. And I'm curious – how do you think a stronger, more connected tech community might change San Diego's tech landscape over time?

Morales: That's a great question... I think we could see more cross-disciplinary startups emerging. Maybe more talent retention as people feel more connected to the local scene. Potentially even more investment flowing into the region as we develop a stronger identity as a tech hub.

Chen: Those all sound like positive outcomes. And speaking of local AI initiatives, aren't there several AI-focused events coming up in San Diego?

Morales: Yeah! There's that AI Ethics workshop at UC San Diego next month, and I heard about a new AI meetup starting in Carlsbad focused specifically on practical applications for small businesses.

Chen: That sounds really valuable. And I imagine these are exactly the kinds of events that might get cross-promoted in a community like AllWebSD, helping to bring together people who might not otherwise connect.

Morales: Absolutely. It's all about breaking down those silos between different tech specialties and creating more opportunities for collaboration and learning.

Chen: Well, I think we've covered a lot of ground today! To recap, we've talked about the importance of local tech communities even in our increasingly remote world, the specific initiative at AllWebSD.com to bring together San Diego's digital professionals, and how community building takes on new importance in the age of AI.

Morales: That's right. And if you're a digital professional in San Diego – whether you're a developer, designer, marketer, product manager, or working in any tech-adjacent role – we definitely encourage you to check out this Discord community at AllWebSD.com.

Chen: We'll be following up on this topic in future episodes, so if you do join, we'd love to hear about your experience. And next week, we're excited to be interviewing Maria Gonzalez, the founder of that new AI startup that just secured two million in seed funding.

Morales: That's gonna be a great conversation! Until then, keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible in our local tech scene.

Chen: This has been Tech Pulse San Diego. I'm Amara Chen...

Morales: And I'm Jake Morales. Thanks for listening, and we'll catch you next time!

S10, EPISODE 02: What Astro and Island Life Have in Common

Duration: 7:53

Introduction

Made popular by the JavaScript rendering framework Astro, Island Architecture is an opinionated way of building content-driven websites like blogs, marketing pages, and e-commerce. Honestly, I’m still wrapping my head around it, so I decided to channel my inner 8-year-old self to demystify this pattern just a little more.


You see, before I moved to the mainland, I wasn’t just a web developer storytelling out of America’s Finest City. I was a kid eating shave ice, playing marbles in the dirt, and hanging out with ‘ohana at the only Pizza Hut on the island. This entry is dedicated to those who still hold island life close to their hearts — and to the JavaScript aficionados booking their next flight to the Aloha State.


Mahalo. 🤙🏾


A Brief History

The general idea of an ‘Islands’ architecture is deceptively simple: render HTML pages on the server, and inject placeholders or slots around highly dynamic regions […] that can then be ‘hydrated’ on the client into small self-contained widgets, reusing their server-rendered initial HTML.

— Jason Miller, Creator of Preact


Around 2019–2020, some really smart folks realized that traditional websites were getting too busy… too noisy… too complicated. Kinda like the mainland — traffic lights at every corner, cars clogging up the road for no good reason, and everything always on, even if you aren’t using it. Noisy, yah?


Instead of that big, overbuilt single-page app smushed into the browser all at once, think of Island Architecture like the 8 main islands we all know — from Ni‘ihau to the Big Island — each doing its own thing but still part of one ‘āina. The website is the whole Aloha State. Same ocean. Different waves.


Astro’s trying to be more chill. More sustainable. Garden Island vibes. 🏝️


What Is an Island?

In Astro, an “island” is an enhanced UI component on an otherwise static HTML page.

  • A client island is an interactive JavaScript component that wakes up in the browser, separately from the rest of the page.
  • A server island is a dynamic component rendered on the server, outside the main rendering flow.

If the entire website is Hawai‘i, then components like buttons and forms are like Kaua‘i. Zoom in further and they’re like Kapa‘a’s Farmers Market on a Wednesday or traffic near Lydgate Beach — lively and bustling while the Sleeping Giant chills in the background.


This matters because it saves energy (JavaScript), keeping things fast unless you really need interactivity. People can see the whole island, but only the busy areas — like chickens crossing the road or folks grabbing poke — are truly interactive. 🐓


Island Components

Astro components are the building blocks of your page. They render to static HTML by default — no client-side runtime.


An “island” is the part of the site that’s interactive. There are two types: client and server. Think of them like your weather widget, chat bot, or image carousel. Everything else — sidebar, blog post, footer — just chills like the Tree Tunnel heading into Poʻipū. 🌳


Client Islands

Client islands are interactive widgets floating in a sea of static HTML.


It’s the stuff that wakes up on your side. Like going to Foodland in Kapaʻa and getting an unassembled poke bowl — rice in one container, toppings in another. You gotta go home, pour on the shoyu, sprinkle the furikake, and mix it how you like.


That’s a client island: it doesn’t work until you touch it. All the parts came from the shop, but the action happens at your house.


Benefits of Client Islands

  • Performance Boost: Most of your page is static HTML. JavaScript is only loaded where needed.
  • User Control: You decide when the toppings go on. Your browser handles interaction your way.
  • Energy Efficiency: Less JavaScript = faster load times and better for low-powered devices.


It’s like you don’t have to fire up the rice cooker for the whole family — it’s just you and some good eats. 🍚


Server Islands

Server islands handle personalized or dynamic content — rendered on the server and sent to you ready to go.

It’s like Auntie picking up a musubi and Good News Bar from 7-Eleven and handing it to you. You didn’t have to lift a finger.


Benefits of Server Islands

  • Less Work for the Browser: Everything is prepped before it hits your screen.
  • Great for Slower Devices/Wi-Fi: Like a plate lunch already boxed up and ready to eat.
  • Fresh, Reliable, and Safe: The server fetches the data. You don’t have to run extra scripts in the browser — less chance for bugs or issues.


You trust Auntie to handle it, so you can just grind. 🍱


Conclusion

Client or server island? Depends on what you need. Like island life, it’s about balance.


Sometimes you want to make your own poke bowl. Other times you just want the laulau already wrapped. Either way, a chill site is a fast site — and you only use energy when you really need it.


So have fun, leave your slippahs at the door, and try it out. Just remember to turn off the lights by 8. After all… this ain’t Waikīkī. 😉


Thanks and Aloha!

Thanks again for listening in. Remember, I’m here to foster innovation through conversation. So if you’d like to continue this discussion or any topics previously discussed, go head first into our Discord server by clicking the link on the footer of AllWebSD.com. Otherwise, join the movement and let’s bridge the digital divide. For over 25 years, San Diego Futures Foundation has been a catalyst for positive change in SD, providing critical digital services and resources to nonprofits and individuals in need. Their programs have consistently helped bridge the gap between technology access and digital skills. Monetary, technology and volunteering are ways you can genuinely help. I’ll see you in the next round, everyone. Thanks and Aloha!


Attribution


S10, EPISODE 01: Opening Day

Duration: 7:16

Introduction

Welcome to Season 10 of AllWebSD! Has another year gone by? Yikes! As they say, the days are long but the years are short! In just a blink we’re rapidly getting inundated with AI this, AI that, finding leverage between RTO mandates, hybrid and remote agreements and the pendulum swing of high skills being in demand relative to available positions. one could argue that we’ve stepped into The Upside Down.


What’s Hot

  • Rise of The Machinessike…just kidding! But it’s obvious, right? Since ChatGPT’s release back in November of ’22 it seems that everything now has a CoPilot! How on Earth are we to keep track of that?! Honestly, if you were to ask the last year version of myself, I probably would’ve cursed up a storm and said I don’t know. But now that this stuff has become more saturated into our daily lives, I’ve pulled back on being wow’d by it all. It’s not to be a debbie-downer whatsoever. But the marketing tactics, theatrics and click bait can just go on mute for now. What I’ve come to terms with is to cherry-pick where AI fits into my life. Irrespective of personal or professional needs, instead of being overwhelmed by it all, I’ve chosen to be selective about what, where and why I’d dare to incorporate AI into my daily life. I already feel that no matter what, it will in some respect be integrated into our everyday lives in a low-key fashion without any of us really checking a consent box, but it’s here to stay and I believe the bigger picture now is an unofficial AI Arms Race that now exists between the US, China and other advanced nations. For more details on that, check out Lex Fridman Podcast #459. That said, don’t panic. Channel your inner Vulcan as the audio streams through your pointy ears.
  • Open To Work—up to about…early 2024ish, software engineering, web, mobile, coding, IT and all of the adjacent professions which surrounded those worlds was a no-brainer. Hiring frenzies and pivoting from one company to the next was the obvious behavior, but at the time of this recording, it’s quite the opposite. Are coding careers dead? Can a GPT prompt really replace all those years of hard work? Honestly, no. But I concede that we are in a coming of age moment in which AI will take a seat right next to your profession whether you want it to or not, but like a lot of Dev Advocates echo out, it’s still a CoPilot while you're still THE PILOT. Granted where I sit in my profession…just a web developer storytelling out of America’s Finest City, I’d like to thank my colleague, Lee Baker for this helpful interpretation. And I quote, Way back in the day, when I was writing DHTML and JS was just coming out, WYSIWYGs like Dreamweaver were the hot new thing and every CEO and small business owner was convinced they could replace their web developers with drag-and-drop software. Fast forward 15-20 years and WYSIWYGs are still here and we are still not using them to build web applications at scale. They've gotten much better and have their place, especially solutions like Wix, WebFlow, and others. But, they can't scale. We need people to thoughtfully scale complex systems and build elegant, performant, and tasteful UI. Take what you can from my personal use case and apply accordingly to your world, your profession.
  • Integrity—needless to say, I can’t be a hypocrite. The rebuild of AllWebSD was done with the help of my GitHub CoPilot extension…but…before I ever pulled the trigger on going crazy with prompts, I had to set myself up with some foundations. You see, for the last 8ish years, my head’s been wrapped around a framework called Angular which is the COMPLETE OPPOSITE of that really really really popular UI library…that…well…I’ll give you a clue…rhymes with extract. By the way, check out Angular: The Documentary | An origin story by Honeypot when you have the chance. At any rate, I needed the 101 that you can’t get out of random tutorials on YouTube, so in order to get this domain back in shape, big thanks to Per Borgan and the folks over at Scrimba for creating a very unique learning platform! All this to say, before you shoot, learn how to aim.


Step Up to The Plate

The Open Mat Series Invitational still holds. I put it on myself to kick out a total of 5 episodes once I start a season and that means there are 4 more of these coming through. If you’re camera shy, don’t worry. It’s audio only unless you say otherwise. Irrespective of being a Vulcan, or where you live on this planet, AllWebSD can be your starbase. But of course if you are in SD, why say no when it feels so good to say yes.


So step up to the plate, take a swing and get that base hit.


LFG. Go Padres!


Conclusion

Thanks again for listening in. Remember, I’m here to foster innovation through conversation. So if you’d like to continue this discussion or any topics previously discussed, go head first into our Discord server by clicking the link on the footer of AllWebSD.com. Otherwise, join the movement and let’s bridge the digital divide. For over 25 years, San Diego Futures Foundation has been a catalyst for positive change in SD, providing critical digital services and resources to nonprofits and individuals in need. Their programs have consistently helped bridge the gap between technology access and digital skills. Monetary, technology and volunteering are ways you can genuinely help. I’ll see you in the next round, everyone. Thanks and Aloha!


Attribution

Sound Effect by Gregor Quendel from Pixabay