Ariel won a hackathon! In this episode we chat about how work outside of work like hackathons and side projects can support growth and development as an engineer. We also recap our girls' trip to Chicago where we're convinced the city can fix any problem. Abi shares the side projects she's abandoned and the future ones she promises to finish.

References:

• https://portfolio.abigailhendrick.com/
• https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/discussions/azure/announcing-the-winners-of-the-march-innovation-challenge-hackathon/4398522

Abi and Ariel are back! Listen to this episode to learn all about being a great mentee including how to get a mentor, what to talk about with a mentor, and Abi and Ariel's experiences as mentees and mentors.

References:

• https://www.womentech.net/women-in-tech-mentorship-statistics
• https://medium.com/@polinakarasova/online-platforms-to-find-a-mentor-in-the-tech-industry-6fee1dd4ae49

When it's hard (and sometimes impossible) to detect AI-generated content, what role to engineers have in using LLMs ethically? Abi and Ariel discuss current laws surrounding AI and legal actions taken against individuals and businesses whose AI systems produce bias or defamation. They also cover IBM's and Microsoft’s stances on what constitutes responsible AI, as Ariel prepares for her hackathon where responsible AI is a judging criterion.

References:

https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2023-05-16%20-%20Testimony%20-%20Montgomery.pdf 

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/14/saferent-ai-tenant-screening-lawsuit

https://time.com/7012843/anil-kapoor/

https://www.bclplaw.com/en-US/events-insights-news/us-state-by-state-artificial-intelligence-legislation-snapshot.html

https://www.whitecase.com/insight-our-thinking/ai-watch-global-regulatory-tracker-united-states

AI Resources for Developers:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/haxtoolkit/playbook/ 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/ai/responsible-ai 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN06FGW8vvE

We have all heard about the Linux kernel but what does it actually do? In this episode, Abi and Ariel dive into the basics of OSs and poke around some interesting new developments.

Resources:

• https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/operating-systems
• https://github.com/torvalds/linux/tree/master/kernel
• https://documentation.ubuntu.com/real-time/en/latest/explanation/schedulers/
• https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/memory-management-in-operating-system/
• https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/memory
• https://homepage.cs.uri.edu/faculty/wolfe/book/Readings/Reading04.htm

Have you ever spent a whole day communicating, unblocking others, setting up meetings, and planning team building events...but you were supposed to be coding? You might be doing glue work.

Abi and Ariel explore a talk given by Tanya Reilly on what glue work is and how to make it work for your career in this weeks episode.

References:

Tanya Reilly's excellent talk: https://www.noidea.dog/glue

https://academic.oup.com/sf/article-abstract/88/2/865/2235342

Meetings can be productive... or painfully pointless. Abi and Ariel break down how to host meetings that people won’t dread - and might even enjoy. We cover how to decide if you need a meeting or if an email will suffice, how to plan effectively (including choosing attendees, setting a clear agenda, and accounting for time zones), and how to keep things engaging during the meeting itself. Plus, we share tips for effective follow-up and how to ensure action items actually get done.

Want to talk about blockchain without sounding like a block head? Check out this episode where we dive deep into the technology behind crypto, the history of bitcoin, the phenomenon of crypto bros, and even more!

Errata: Jake Paul is mentioned when the person involved was Logan Paul

Sources

• https://www.investopedia.com/tech/were-there-cryptocurrencies-bitcoin/

• https://centerforneweconomics.org/publications/a-libertarian-vision-for-cryptocurrencies/

• https://www.investopedia.com/tech/return-nakamoto-white-paper-bitcoins-10th-birthday/

• https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/bitcoin-pizza-day-techie-paid-10000-bitcoins-for-pizza-in-2010-now-worth-rs-5800-crore/articleshow/110324037.cms?from=mdr

• https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/is-bitcoin-a-good-investment

• https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-surging-3-pros-2-170019148.html

• https://freemanlaw.com/the-history-of-the-blockchain-and-bitcoin/’

• https://nbx.com/crypto101/how-much-bitcoin-is-left-to-mine

• https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-cryptocurrency-and-scams

An increasing number of software companies are adopting AI testing tools—but are they effective enough to replace engineers? Abi and Ariel explore this question by reviewing AI-generated unit tests for a REST API application using GitHub Copilot. They also dive into modern software testing methods, including Chaos Monkey, Testing on the Toilet, and Canary Testing. Plus, they share insights on building a robust software testing process and highlight the advantages of having real engineers in the loop.

It is Ariel's birthday!! Celebrate with us while we learn fun facts about software innovations the year she was born, famous software named Ariel, and a famous software innovator named Ariel.

Sources:

Covid shook up the tech space by pushing companies into remote work, and now many employees are reluctant to return to office. Abi and Ariel share their experiences with in-person, remote, and hybrid work styles, discussing the pros and cons of each. They reveal hidden motives behind companies' return-to-office policies and examine data-driven strategies to build employee trust and boost productivity.