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armistace ace2b3e98b Update with Human Interactions 2025-06-30 17:17:46 +10:00
Blog Creator ddf9ccd9aa 'LLMs, Matrix, Baibot, Home Automation, Fun' 2025-06-30 07:00:05 +00:00
Blog Creator 7e91a5d28f 'Integrate, Matrix, AI, Baibot, Locally' 2025-06-30 04:04:35 +00:00
Blog Creator 24b5477e4f 'LLM Matrix bot integration deployed' 2025-06-27 06:22:56 +00:00
armistace e3bad5a747 Typos and updates
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2025-06-24 15:59:15 +10:00
armistace 33b6d70c95 Merge pull request 'the_failing_social_media_ban' (#13) from the_failing_social_media_ban into master
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Reviewed-on: #13
2025-06-24 14:39:37 +10:00
armistace a260345f9b Going to try for this one 2025-06-24 14:39:20 +10:00
armistace 891158cc46 Update src/content/the_failing_social_media_ban.md 2025-06-24 14:30:54 +10:00
Blog Creator 51fc161e37 'Ban failed, tech doomed, parents empowered.' 2025-06-24 04:24:56 +00:00
Blog Creator a378000602 'Add blog post: Understanding API Rate Limits' 2025-06-24 03:41:53 +00:00
Blog Creator 3bf1cfc297 'Standardize blog post formatting template' 2025-06-24 02:55:56 +00:00
Blog Creator c01825ecad 'Standardize blog post format template.' 2025-06-24 02:27:18 +00:00
Blog Creator c3db42b803 'Add guide sustainable gardening practices' 2025-06-24 02:00:19 +00:00
Blog Creator 68af58809f 'Ban ineffective, advocate parental controls' 2025-06-23 23:34:02 +00:00
Blog Creator f1dc3e511e 'Ban ineffective, parents know best.' 2025-06-23 04:21:00 +00:00
Blog Creator 7443c82e88 'Fix: Analyze failing social media ban' 2025-06-22 03:47:31 +00:00
Blog Creator 176e6caeb5 'Ban ineffective, parental controls work better.' 2025-06-20 03:47:45 +00:00
armistace 307146b763 typo 2025-06-20 11:43:42 +10:00
armistace ab8ad6ffae Human edits to the AI draft 2025-06-20 11:42:40 +10:00
Blog Creator 2cda84da5e 'Fix: Ban flawed, focus on education' 2025-06-20 01:17:04 +00:00
armistace 2905c2917f Update src/content/when_to_use_ai.md
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2025-06-06 13:33:36 +10:00
armistace ec0798dff2 Update for clarity of the AI response
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2025-06-06 13:32:19 +10:00
armistace f41dbc802e Merge pull request 'when_to_use_ai' (#12) from when_to_use_ai into master
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Reviewed-on: #12
2025-06-06 12:31:58 +10:00
armistace e7f996306f Human edit and update 2025-06-06 12:30:42 +10:00
Blog Creator 22c521293f 'Clarify AI usage scenarios effectively.' 2025-06-06 02:28:07 +00:00
Blog Creator 74f8c8607b 'Add clarity on AI limitations.' 2025-06-06 01:57:04 +00:00
armistace 8c342d994e fix conflicts 2025-06-06 11:32:25 +10:00
Blog Creator bcc41ed4c3 '```
git commit -m "AI: Know when to use it"
```

**Explanation of the commit message:**

*   **Concise:** It's short and to the point, adhering to the common 5-word limit.
*   **Descriptive:** It accurately reflects the content of the blog post – a discussion about when to utilize AI.
*   **Action-oriented:**  Implies a need for thoughtful consideration.
'
2025-06-06 11:30:38 +10:00
Blog Creator fc48d9a4fd '```
feat: Add blog post on AI usage scenarios
```'
2025-06-06 11:30:03 +10:00
Blog Creator 191805461d '```
feat: Add blog post on AI usage scenarios
```'
2025-06-06 11:29:09 +10:00
Blog Creator c2142f7f63 '```
git commit -m "AI: Know when to use it"
```

**Explanation of the commit message:**

*   **Concise:** It's short and to the point, adhering to the common 5-word limit.
*   **Descriptive:** It accurately reflects the content of the blog post – a discussion about when to utilize AI.
*   **Action-oriented:**  Implies a need for thoughtful consideration.
'
2025-06-06 11:28:17 +10:00
Blog Creator 9c92d19943 '```
feat: Add blog post on AI usage scenarios
```'
2025-06-06 11:27:23 +10:00
armistace aead9151c0 Update src/content/when_to_use_ai.md 2025-06-06 11:26:13 +10:00
armistace 14636a4d3b update so pelican can use - must remember 2025-06-06 11:26:12 +10:00
armistace d6d6f1893e stray w 2025-06-06 11:25:43 +10:00
armistace abf6f3feda fix push settings 2025-06-06 11:25:43 +10:00
armistace 7a4d06bbef cleanup of kube stuff 2025-06-06 11:25:43 +10:00
armistace efad73a1a4 wrap the password 2025-06-06 11:25:43 +10:00
armistace 50af2eccb3 kube pipeline manual step and kubectl yaml 2025-06-06 11:25:43 +10:00
armistace e9a7daf5b3 Change workflow push to master only 2025-06-06 11:25:43 +10:00
armistace eac2f648c0 Update src/content/when_to_use_ai.md
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2025-06-06 10:29:51 +10:00
armistace 79d53d3462 update so pelican can use - must remember
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2025-06-06 10:17:13 +10:00
armistace 6dd6e92d93 Merge pull request 'stray -' (#11) from kube_deployment into master
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2025-06-06 10:00:37 +10:00
armistace 6552ba503b Merge pull request 'fix push settings' (#10) from kube_deployment into master
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2025-06-06 09:53:14 +10:00
armistace 61324ff499 Merge pull request 'kube_deployment' (#9) from kube_deployment into master
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2025-06-06 09:32:18 +10:00
Blog Creator 1f4b7100bc '```
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git commit -m "AI: Know when to use it"
```

**Explanation of the commit message:**

*   **Concise:** It's short and to the point, adhering to the common 5-word limit.
*   **Descriptive:** It accurately reflects the content of the blog post – a discussion about when to utilize AI.
*   **Action-oriented:**  Implies a need for thoughtful consideration.
'
2025-05-30 07:43:58 +00:00
Blog Creator 3ed8f91303 '```
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feat: Add blog post on AI usage scenarios
```'
2025-05-30 07:18:43 +00:00
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Title: Intergrating Ollama and Matrix with Baibot
Date: 2025-06-25 20:00
Modified: 2025-06-30 08:00
Category: AI, Data, Matrix
Tags: ai, kubernetes, matrix
Slug: ollama-matrix-integration
Authors: Andrew Ridgway
Summary: Integrating a Local LLM to a personal matrix server all the fun AND data sovereignty
### _Human Introduction_
I've been experimenting with AI and integrations I'm particuarly excited by the idea of using LLM's to integrate between different systems (Stay tuned for a blog [MCP](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/introduction) at some point in the future!)
Below I've thrown together some notes and had AI build a very quick how to on a cool little project that took next to no time to put together that I thought might be interesting for the group.. Enjoy!
# Matrix AI Integrations with baibot: A Fun Journey into Home Automation and LLMs
Alright, so I’ve been messing around with this cool project called **baibot**, which is a locally deployable bot for integrating Large Language Models (LLMs) into Matrix chatrooms. If you’re anything like me, you run your own Matrix server to keep things private and under control—whether it’s for family communication or interacting with the tech community. But one day, I thought, “Why not have my LLMs right where I’m already managing everything else?” Enter baibot.
**Setting Up My Own Matrix Server with baibot**
First off, I’ve got a home Matrix server running Element. Integrating baibot into this environment makes sense because it allows me to connect directly via the same platform. The key was getting the configuration right using examples from [baibot’s GitHub](https://github.com/etkecc/baibot/blob/main/docs/sample-provider-configs/ollama.yml). For instance, connecting to an Ollama gemma3 model with a specific prompt ensures it’s lighthearted yet responsive:
```yaml
base_url: http://<my_ollama_ip>:11434/v1
text_generation:
model_id: gemma3:latest
prompt: 'You are a lighthearted bot...'
temperature: 0.9
max_response_tokens: 4096
max_context_tokens: 128000
```
This gives me precise control over the bot’s behavior, ensuring each instance in Matrix rooms behaves exactly as intended.
**Deploying to Kubernetes**
To ensure reliability, I used Kubernetes. Here's a breakdown of the key files:
* **Deployment.yaml**: Manages pod replicas, security contexts, and volume mounts for persistence.
```yaml
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
labels:
app: ridgway-bot
name: ridgway-bot
spec:
replicas: 1
strategy:
type: Recreate
template:
spec:
containers:
- image: ghcr.io/etkecc/baibot:v1.7.4
name: baibot
volumeMounts:
- name: ridgway-bot-cm
mountPath: /app/config.yml
- name: ridgway-bot-pv
mountPath: /data
volumes:
- name: ridgway-bot-cm
configMap:
name: ridgway-bot
- name: ridgway-bot-pv
persistentVolumeClaim:
claimName: ridgway-bot-storage
```
* **Persistent Volume Claim (PVC)** ensures data storage for baibot.
```yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
metadata:
name: ridgway-bot-storage
spec:
accessModes:
- ReadWriteMany
resources:
requests:
storage: 500Mi
```
The deployment script handles namespace creation, config maps, PVCs, and waits for the pod to be ready before copying data.
**Integrating with OpenWebUI for RAG**
Another cool aspect is integrating baibot with **OpenWebUI**, which acts as an OpenAI-compatible API. This allows me to leverage models I’ve created in OpenWebUI that include knowledge bases (RAG). The config here uses OpenWebUI’s endpoints:
```yaml
base_url: 'https://<my-openwebui-endpoint>/api/'
api_key: <my-openwebui-api-key>
text_generation:
model_id: andrew-knowledge-base
prompt: 'Your name is Rodergast...'
```
This setup lets me access RAG capabilities directly within Matrix chats, all without writing a single line of code. It’s like having my very own AI research assistant right there in the chatroom.
**Future Steps and Challenges**
Now that baibot is up and running, I’m already thinking about expanding its use cases. The next step might be integrating it with **Home Assistant** for alarm notifications or other automation tasks. However, my current setup uses an older gaming PC, which struggles with computational demands. This could lead to a rearchitecting effort—perhaps moving to a dedicated server or optimizing the hardware.
**Conclusion**
Baibot has been a fantastic tool for experimenting with AI integrations in Matrix. By leveraging existing infrastructure and OpenWebUI’s capabilities, I’ve achieved full control over data privacy and customization. The next frontier is expanding these integrations into more practical applications like home automation. Stay tuned for updates!
**Final Thoughts**
It’s incredibly rewarding to see how open-source projects like baibot democratize AI access. Whether you’re a hobbyist or a pro, having tools that let you run LLMs locally without vendor lock-in is game-changing. If you’re interested in diving deeper, check out the [baibot GitHub](https://github.com/etkecc/baibot) and explore its documentation. Happy coding!
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Title: The Failing Social Media Ban
Date: 2025-06-19 20:00
Modified: 2025-06-20 20:00
Category: Politics
Tags: politics, social meda, tech policy
Slug: social-media-ban-fail
Authors: Andrew Ridgway
Summary: The Social Media ban is an abject failure of policy. Education and the use of the much better existing tools is the key
## 🎯 The Goal: A Legal Framework to Protect Kids
The Australian government’s or should I say Julie Inman's plan to ban social media for teens has sparked on going debate. While the intention is noble—protecting minors from online risks—it’s clear the technical and legal hurdles are massive. This government concept of relying on “facial aging” or “Proof of Age” APIs are prone to privacy violations and data breaches. Parents already have tools that let them make decisions about their children’s tech use without needing to hand over photos of their ID. The governments current approach is mired in bureaucracy and the tech world does not thrive in that environment. Instead of trying to outsource the problem to consultants, the government should **educate parents on the tools already available**.
## 🧩 The Problem: Tech Giants Won’t Do It
The government’s plan to enable Inman's vision is to use facial recognition or “age-based” filters. This was flawed from the start. These systems are expensive, unreliable, and not designed for the scale of a national rollout. Even if a company like Meta or Google could do it, they’d **never** do it for the same reason: **There is no money in the equation**. The only alternative is to outsource to consultants, but those consultants are not equipped to handle the complexity. The government’s plan is a joke, no one is going to build a system that’s 100% accurate, secure, and compliant with privacy laws and those that, maybe, could have no insentive to. No amount of chest thumping by The E-Safety Commissioner will change this fact and throwing frankly meaningless pieces of paper from our legislative assembly will do little more than make them laugh
## 🛠️ The Tools Parents Already Have
Parents ([Is it parents? is it in fact fiefdom creation on behalf of Julie Inman?](https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/rowland/media-release/record-investment-improve-safety-australians-online)) must give up on the idea of the government fixing this. , parents should be using the **tools already in their homes**. These tools are **free, secure, and effective**. Some examples include (and I use in my own home):
* **Fritz Box Parental Controls** (https://en.fritz.com/service/knowledge-base/dok/FRITZ-Box-7530/8_Restricting-internet-use-with-the-FRITZ-Box-parental-controls/) - Allows blocking of websites and apps, setting time limits, and creating user profiles.
* **Microsoft Family Safety** (https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/microsoft-365/family-safety) - Provides screen time limits, content filters, and activity reporting.
* **Nintendo Parental Controls** (https://www.nintendo.com/au/apps/parental-controls/) - Allows managing game time, content restrictions, and communication settings on Nintendo devices.
* **Google Family Link** (https://families.google.com/familylink/) - Enables remote monitoring, app management, and location tracking for children's Android devices.
* **Apple Family Sharing** (https://support.apple.com/en-au/105121) - Allows sharing purchases, subscriptions, and location information with family members.
These tools let parents **block apps, limit screen time, and monitor online activity** without needing to share sensitive data. They offer parents full control over what is available and are not dependant on some arbitrary list governed in legislation (which is in an of itself an indicator of how backwards this legislation is)
## 📚 The Real Solution: Education, Not Tech
The government’s plan is a **mistake**. Instead of trying to build a new system, parents should be **educating themselves on the tools already available**.
### 🔄 Flexibility for Every Family
* **Approved apps**
* **Blacklisted content**
* **Screen time limits**
* **Privacy controls**
These tools let parents **make decisions tailored to their children’s needs**. No one-size-fits-all approach. It gives parents autonomy over their online decision making whilst better respecting everyones privacy, including the childs. Already Julie is making calls to expand the list, this is unacceptable, it is no one but MY choice what is acceptable in my house and for my family.
## 🧩 Why the Government’s Plan Fails
The government’s plan is a **disaster**. It’s not about fixing the problems of social media use in teens, it’s about giving the perception they are doing something about it using archaic methods and tools that don't go to the root cause. The tools parents already have are **better, cheaper, and more secure**. The only way to make this work is for the government to **stop trying to solve a social problem with tech** and **focus on the real solution: education and parental autonomy**. Stop Letting Julie create her cartel and create her own version of the Chinese firewall
## 📝 Summary: The Right Tools, Not the Tech
The government’s plan is a dead monkey. Instead of trying to build a system that’s 100% accurate and secure, parents should be using the **tools already in their homes**. These tools are **free, effective, and preserve privacy**. They let parents **make decisions about their children’s tech use on a true case by case basis** without needing to hand over sensitive data.
## 🧩 Final Thoughts
The Government's plan, at the behest of Julie Inman, is a **disaster**. It’s not about fixing the problem with social media, it’s about creating the perception they are solving a problem that is already solved. [The E-Safety Commissioner has made clear her plans are to take control out of our hands when it comes to what we can do online](https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/online-industry-asked-address-esafetys-concerns-draft-codes-0#:~:text=Online%20industry%20asked%20to%20address%20eSafety%27s%20concerns%20with%20draft%20codes,-Share&text=Australia%27s%20eSafety%20Commissioner%20has%20asked,safeguards%20for%20users%20in%20Australia.) Parents should be using the **tools already in their homes**. The real solution is not to expect a government to fix this, but to **educate themselves on the tools that already exist**. Until we accept that this is our responsbility the problem will continue propogate because the only place it can be fixed is in the home and not my Julie Inam.
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Title: When to use AI
Date: 2025-06-05 20:00
Modified: 2025-06-06 08:00
Category: AI, Data
Tags: ai, python
Slug: when-to-use-ai
Authors: Andrew Ridgway
Summary: Should we be using AI for ALL THE THINGS!?
# Human Introduction # Human Introduction
Well.. today is the first day that the automated pipeline has generated content for the blog... still a bit of work to do including Well.. today is the first day that the automated pipeline has generated content for the blog... still a bit of work to do including
1. establishing a permanent vectordb solution (chromadb? pg_vector?) 1. establishing a permanent vectordb solution (chromadb? pg_vector?)
2. Notification to Matrix that something has happened 2. Notification to Matrix that something has happened
3. Updating Trilium so that the note is marked as blog_written=true 3. Updating Trilium so that the note is marked as blog_written=true
@@ -12,43 +23,60 @@ Anyways, without further ado, I present to you the first, pipeline written, AI c
--- ---
# When to use AI 😄 # When to Use AI: Navigating the Right Scenarios
*A journalist, software developer, and DevOps expert’s take on when AI is overkill and when it’s just the right tool*
When I was building a spreadsheet called “shudders,” I was trying to figure out how to automate the process of mapping work types to work requests. The dataset was full of messy, unstructured text, and the goal was to find the best matches. At first, I thought, “This is a perfect use case for AI!” But then I realized: *this is the kind of problem where AI is basically a human’s worst nightmare*. Okay, so I've been getting this question a lot lately: "When should we use AI?" or even more frustratingly, "Why can't AI do this?" It's like asking when to use a hammer versus a screwdriver. Sometimes AI is the perfect tool, other times it's better left in the toolbox. Let me break down some scenarios where AI shines and where it might not be the best bet.
So, let’s break it down. ## The Spreadsheet Dilemma: Where AI Can help, and where it hurts
### 🧠 When AI is *not* the answer **Scenario:** Mapping work types to categories in a spreadsheet with thousands of entries, like distinguishing between "Painting," "Repainting," "Deck Painting," or "Stucco Repainting."
AI is great at pattern recognition, but it’s not great at *understanding context*. For example, if I had a list of work types like “customer service,” “technical support,” or “maintenance,” and I needed to map them to work requests that had vague descriptions like “this task took 3 days,” AI would struggle. It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack—*but the haystack is made of human language*. **Where AI Helps:**
The problem with AI in this scenario is that it’s *not good at interpreting ambiguity*. If the work types are vague, the AI might mislabel them, leading to errors. Plus, when the data is messy, AI can’t keep up. I remember one time I tried to use a chatbot to classify work requests. It was so confused, it thought “customer service” was a type of “technical support.” 😅 The result? A spreadsheet full of “unknown” entries. * **Fuzzy Matching & Contextual Understanding:** AI excels at interpreting relationships between words (e.g., recognizing "Deck Painting" as a subset of "Painting"). However, traditional methods with regex or string manipulation fail here because they lack the nuanced judgment needed to handle ambiguity.
### 🧮 When AI *is* the answer **Where AI Struggles:**
There are some scenarios where AI is *definitely* the way to go. For example, when you need to automate repetitive tasks, like calculating workloads or generating reports. These tasks are math-heavy and don’t require creative thinking. Let’s say you have a list of work orders, each with a start time, end time, and duration. You want to calculate the average time per task. AI can do that with precision. It’s like a calculator, but with a personality. * **Precision Over Ambiguity:** Calculations requiring exact values (e.g., average durations) are better handled by deterministic algorithms rather than AI’s probabilistic approach.
Another example: if you need to generate a report that summarizes key metrics, AI can handle that. It’s not about creativity, it’s about logic. And that’s where traditional programming shines. **Traditional Methods Are Easier for Deterministic Problems:**
### 🧪 The balance between AI and human oversight * **Formula-Based Logic:** Building precise formulas for workload analysis relies on clear, unambiguous rules. AI can’t replace the need for human oversight in such cases.
AI is a tool, not a replacement for human judgment. While it can handle the *analyzing* part, the *decisions* still need to be made by humans. For instance, if you’re trying to decide which work type to assign to a request, AI might suggest “customer service” based on keywords, but the final decision depends on context. ## When AI Shines: Contextual and Unstructured Tasks
So, in the end, AI is a *helper*, not a *replacement*. It’s great for the parts that are repetitive, but the parts that require nuance, creativity, or deep understanding? That’s where humans step in. **Scenario:** Automating customer support with chatbots or analyzing social media sentiment.
### 🧩 Final thoughts **Why AI Works Here:**
AI is like a superpower—great at certain things, not so great at others. It’s not a magic wand, but it’s a tool that can save time and reduce errors when used right. * **Natural Language Processing (NLP):** AI understands context, tone, and intent in unstructured data, making it ideal for tasks like chatbot responses or content analysis.
* **Pattern Recognition:** AI identifies trends or anomalies in large datasets that humans might miss, such as predictive maintenance in industrial settings.
So, when is it time to say “AI, nope”? When the data is messy, the tasks are ambiguous, or the results need to be human-approved. And when is it time to say “AI, yes”? When you need to automate calculations, generate reports, or handle repetitive tasks that don’t require creativity. **Why Traditional Methods Don't:**
### 🧩 Summary * **There is no easily discernable pattern:** If the pattern doesn't exist in a deterministic sense there will be little someone can do without complex regex and 'whack a mole' style programming.
| Scenario | AI? | Reason | ## Hybrid Approaches: The Future of Efficiency
|---|---|---|
| Ambiguous data | ❌ | AI struggles with context |
| Repetitive tasks | ✅ | AI handles math and logic |
| Creative decisions | ❌ | AI lacks the ability to think creatively |
In the end, AI is just another tool. Use it when it works, and don’t let it define your workflow. 😄 *And if you ever feel like AI is overstepping, remember: it’s just trying to be helpful. Sometimes it’s not the best choice. Sometimes it’s the only choice.* While traditional methods remain superior for precise calculations, AI can assist in setting up initial parameters or generating insights. For example:
* **AI Proposes Formulas:** An LLM suggests a workload calculation formula based on historical data.
* **Human Checks Validity:** A human ensures the formula’s accuracy before deployment.
## Key Takeaways
1. **Use AI** for tasks involving:
* Unstructured data (e.g., text, images).
* Contextual understanding and interpretation.
* Pattern recognition and trend analysis.
2. **Stick to Traditional Methods** for:
* Precise calculations with deterministic logic.
* Tasks requiring error-free accuracy (e.g., financial modeling).
## Conclusion
AI is a powerful tool but isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Match the right approach to the task at hand—whether it’s interpreting natural language or crunching numbers. The key is knowing when AI complements human expertise rather than replaces it.
**Final Tip:** Always consider the trade-offs between precision and context. For tasks where nuance matters, AI is your ally; for rigid logic, trust traditional methods.
🚀