Graham Evans

Do what you love. It’s not just a saying—it’s a way of life. I started with ColdFusion in 2005, diving into ColdFusion 5 and MX 6.1. Before that, I was into PHP. Before that, ASP 3.0. But ColdFusion? It’s where I found my true passion. What about you? Have you found that one thing that truly excites you? In 2015, I delivered my first ColdFusion lecture at ITU Lahore. Those learners —some of whom are now successful ColdFusion programmers —are proof that pursuing your passion pays off. Today, 80% of our projects—in-house or outsourced—are built in ColdFusion. It’s what I love. It’s what I’m best at. ColdFusion is more than just a programming language. It’s a love. It’s a journey. It’s a career. It’s what shapes my days and drives my success. So, what are you waiting for? Do what you love. Embrace your passion. Let it guide you. When you follow your passion, everything else falls into place. Want to dive into ColdFusion? DM me for more details! Creation Next is offering a comprehensive course to get you started with ColdFusion programming. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to sharpen your skills, this is your chance to learn from the best. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance your career with ColdFusion! #DoWhatYouLove #ColdFusion #PassionInTech #TechJourney #CreationNext #Mentorship

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I met up with Dave a couple of months ago in Leeds to show him the latest bit of magic I created. It's just some creative use of Terraform, DevOps and some out of the box usage of existing Python libraries, but Dave thinks this stuff is otherworldly! So we're staring into my cauldron, skimming through my book of magic, and he says something to me like, and I'm paraphrasing here... "How do you handle being so unbelievably clever and having this much knowledge and capability?" To which I replied... "You know I'm only operating at about 20% in this job right?!" Which in hindsight is a ridiculously arrogant thing to say, I didn't mean it like that. And of course, folks out there would gasp "Oh only 20% effort, pay him less!!" but my point is that most days I don't even have to try. Even when I push myself to learn something new or do something in a different, more efficient way, working in tech just isn't that difficult. For me. And I still churn output that would make most folks in tech envious. I've been trying to think about why since that day. I still don't have an answer. All I know is that I absolutely love working in this field. I love working with tech, making computers go boop boop beep beep, solving business problems, wowing people every day without much effort. Although I still don't think I'm even close to a 10x developer, those guys...wow! But it's not all sunshine and roses, believe me! Often I find being efficient and highly impactive has a downside. Business people expect more. Too much. Imagine a task takes 8 hours and I do it in 1. The next task takes 12 hours and the business complains when it's not in done in 1. This is a regular occurrence for me. Even though for someone else it might take anywhere between 4 and 16 hours to complete, because I take 2 I get grief for the delay. I try to take it as compliment that people just don't like me if they just think I'm smug, arrogant, too clever, a girly swot etc. I wouldn't have it any other way, and I think at 43 I'm finally starting to accept that and stopping dumbing myself down just to be liked.

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Great evening last Thursday in Oxford a new location for the UK IT Leaders in the beautiful Ivy restaurant talking all things AI I’ve heard Philip White from Audacia speak on the topic of AI previously there is so much hype around AI but Philip brings examples of real practical use cases around the use of AI today I’m personally very interested in how we can use AI to bring effiecenes into our environments particularly around financial reporting and BI I would be really interested to speak to anyone who is successfully doing this now #ukitleaders #artificialintelligence #efficiency

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IT Outages Reported: Update: There's a page on the BBC site tracking this as it develops: https://lnkd.in/egchmv4G Here’s what I know so far for anyone wondering about the news: Businesses are experiencing IT issues today on a significant level. If you’re wondering what to do, the current advice is to be patient. These failures appear to be software patching issues relating to Microsoft and Crowd Strike and not the result of an attack. These issues began earlier this morning and seem to have largely affected airlines and others using touch panel systems and booking systems which sadly is affecting the NHS in some areas. Data appears to be secure and systems are returning. This will be picked apart over the course of the next few days/weeks (years?) but “appears” at this stage to be nothing more than an outage. Expect a delay in things you were planning to do (especially if you were planning to use an airport) but don’t panic, this is an inconvenience, not a safety threat currently. Best of luck if you are travelling, and to the poor staff working in affected businesses.

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AI Isn’t Just Here to Help - It’s Here to Replace?!🚨 Grzegorz Róg, a Serial Entrepreneur and Co-Founder of easytools, states with customer service and support becoming automated, the reality of 'no specialised roles' is around the corner. AI can fix software issues without humans digging into the UI. Is this really a great future? Will it make us more efficient or strip away valuable skills and opportunities? Share your thoughts below.👇 #Automation #AIJobs #TechFuture #SkillsGap #AI

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THE AVERAGE TENURE FOR A SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER IN THE UK IS AROUND 18 MONTHS 😲 This is a crazy stat but I'm not surprised Software Engineers are in high demand Technology is still booming globally The opportunities Software Engineers have today far outweigh those other professionals have Causing a war for talent Causing Software Engineers to become 'job hoppers' Or so it might seem... Once upon a time, there was no chance I'd send your CV to my client if your profile had multiple positions less than 2 years These days, it's inevitable The average tenure of a Software Engineer 5 years ago was 3-5 years Times have changed The challenge? Companies still want to see longevity But todays market is different and doesn't allow for the same longevity as 5 years ago We recently placed an Engineer whose last 3 roles all fell under 2 years. 1 even fell under 1 year Is she a job hopper? No! She had genuine and logical reasons for each move and each move made sense She was able to fully portray this to our client, was offered and accepted The solution? Work with a recruiter who can see beyond 'job hopping' but is skilled enough to qualify a candidates application taking into consideration their drivers and motivations #beuneek

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Do we still need "supercomputers"? I was talking to someone recently at a university and he was planning on building a PC to run some huge biological models. The machine he was looking at was a top of the range box, an i9 with liquid cooling, 64GB of memory. Cost of around £3K. I suggested he took a look at renting spot instances on Amazon AWS. He wasn't going to run it that often so rent it, and spot instances are a way for Amazon to sell unused capacity to people. Most of the cost of AWS is maintaining the software, buying the hardware. The extra cost of having someone running a workload on it vs not, is small. It's like how you can sometimes get a flight to Milan for £30. Because on a particular day, there's lots of seats. The plane is paid for, cabin crew and pilot too. The cost of an extra passenger is almost nothing. Better to get £5 of profit on it than have it sit empty. Spot instances are not always up, like a regular server, they get fired up when Amazon decides it's quiet. So it doesn't suit something like having a webserver for customers to access. But some things are flexible. You need the results of something in a few days, and it's going to take a few hours to run, it doesn't matter if it happens at 3am tomorrow morning or 3am on Wednesday. Like running scientific analysis, or rendering a movie. And if you have the flexibility on that, its like being flexible on when you are going to visit Milan, and you use Skyscanner and build your trip around when the flight is cheapest. And the saving of Spot instances over regular (reserved) servers is typically 50-70%. There are already pharma companies out there who use spot instances for running large computational models, because that's worth doing. Is this necessary, to build these dedicated machines? A "supercomputer" is just a box with lots and lots of Intel or AMD processers. Which is really no different to having lots of server instances virtualised on AWS. Or was this just politics? https://lnkd.in/ePCdPTWB

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It needn’t be so hard💰💴📱💳 According to the genius brains behind Octopus Electroverse, “It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with the different payment methods available and how they work” I’d like to know what you think please! You can answer anonymously; go for it https://lnkd.in/e5Cy8kma In the meantime, I can definitely recommend the Electroverse blog: (link in the comments) #electricvehicles #disruptive #collaboration

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I wonder when Apple will offer a competitive cloud product? Using it for business right now is a total s*tshow for usability when trying to do quick videos for YouTube. If it’s not pausing the cloud sync for “Optimising System Performance” then it is paused for “Battery power saving” reasons - really at 93% battery? My latest favourite was it paused because it needed to cool down. Employees with this many excuses for getting the basic job done get fired. Don’t get me started on VPN’s, when it stalls for 20 minutes before doing anything. Or, just stalls before doing anything anyway. Compare that to Dropbox and it is “instant on” and is uploading immediately. It puts Apple’s solution to shame. Commercial rates for iCloud related services are similar to Dropbox. So if you’re paying top dollar should they really be throttling the service this much? Or is this an Australian problem where Apple just hasn’t invested? For now it’s faster and better to upload the videos to Dropbox and then download them to another device that way. Otherwise you’re not going to get anything done.

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infuriating UX courtesy of SPARK TSL - the "PREMIUM" WiFi provider for the NHS. trying to sign in to my existing account. I know my username is correct (left out below for privacy), yet the error message for both Username and Password sits under the Username field, implying the Password is correct. Each time I try a different password, nothing changes on the screen, so I've no idea if it's checked each time. Normally in this situation I'd go down the password reset route, but.. I have to CALL?? There's no self service option, or other contact methods. and don't even get me started on the colour contrast.. Is it 2002?? SPARK TSL - if you don't have a UX person, PLEASE hire one.

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Good to see the PM support both a free press and a paid press. Proof will be in how skilfully the govt can balance a) making the UK an AI growth centre as per the recent Industrial Strategy (which requires good relations with the major platforms) vs b) helping support journalistic protections for copyright (which they will resist) Encouraging words today though.

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4 days to go till our Code to Command event in London Tickets are going fast now, we seemed to have really gathered pace in the last week, so much so I have had to order more food and drinks!! Get the last couple of tickets!! From Code to Command: Navigating the Transition to Engineering Leadership   Join us on Thursday, 12th September, for an exclusive event designed for tech professionals ready to take the leap from technical roles to leadership positions. Whether you're an engineer eyeing management or a young leader facing imposter syndrome, this event is for you!   🗓 Date & Time: Thursday, 12th September 2024, 18:00 - 21:00 BST 📍 Location: Myo Bankside, 133 Park Street, London SE1 9EA 🎟 Tickets: All proceeds will be donated to https://lnkd.in/efDzS5Nv   Agenda Highlights: Shifting from Technical to Managerial Responsibilities Kribashnee Moodley – Head of Engineering, Vitality UK Learn the key strategies to smoothly transition from coding to leading, with a focus on communication, delegation, and balancing responsibilities. Growing Team Health with the PETALS Framework Si Jobling – Engineering Manager, Rightmove Explore the PETALS framework to measure and enhance your team's well-being, ensuring a healthy and high-performing environment. Conquering Imposter Syndrome to Lead with Confidence as a Young Manager Quinn Koike – CTO, Orri Gain insights on overcoming imposter syndrome and leading with confidence, especially as a young manager in today’s diverse teams.   This is more than just a networking opportunity—it's a chance to equip yourself with the skills and mindset needed to excel as a leader in tech. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn from industry experts and make meaningful connections!   👉 Get your tickets now and support a great cause: https://codebar.io . See you there!

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Should employers subsidise public transport for their teams? An interesting read from City AM today (🔗 in comments) focusing on new research from the ONS highlighting the slowdown in London's productivity growth since the financial crisis. The data suggests a correlation with low productivity and office attendance (🥱...nothing new there!). Its a sensitive issue but irrespective of your opinion on productivity at home vs in the office it appears average days per week in the office in London lags behind many other international cities. One of the suggested improvements for this is subsidising travel costs for employees. “London’s workers are by far more likely to cite that travel costs are a barrier to getting back to work than workers elsewhere,” What grabbed my attention is an interesting comparison with our French neighbours. The French labor code requires employers to cover a minimum of 50% of commuting costs, many cover the entire cost. This feels like an interesting concept that could help with the cost of living and encourage people to spend more time together. The UK has the most expensive public transport costs in Europe. British employees can spend up to 20% of their salary on commuting, whist in France data I've seen indicates this to be nearer 6%. In 2023 the average change in regulated fares in the UK was 5.9% the highest since 2012. Its not getting cheaper either! Average gross salaries in France are also higher than the UK, which perhaps reinforces the squeeze that UK commuters feel. Lots to digest but in my experience I'm increasingly feeling people do want to get together more often for purposeful and personal connections. My gut feel is that subsidised transport would help support this. But from a business perspective the potentially significant increase in organisation labour costs is a hard swallow. Additionally it's considered a taxable benefit currently. What do you all think? - Are there examples of companies in the UK paying for employee public transport to the office - do those that do see higher office attendance? and would you be happier going to an office if your travel was paid for?

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Well, howdy there, tech wranglers! Jasper here, with a bit of horse sense about auditing your tech stack before you go galloping off to buy new gadgets and gizmos. Now, I've seen more folks than I can shake a hoof at, rushin' to buy the latest shiny tech toy without realizing they've already got something that does the job just fine. It's like buying a new lasso when you've got a perfectly good one hanging in the barn! Before you start throwing your hard-earned hay at new products, take some time to corral all your current tools and give 'em a good once-over. You might be surprised to find you've got more capabilities than a Swiss Army knife at a camping convention! Auditing your tech stack is like taking inventory of your ranch supplies. You wouldn't order a truckload of salt licks without checking your storage shed first, would you? Same principle applies here, folks. Benefits of a good audit: 1. Save your pennies for when you really need 'em 2. Simplify your digital corral - less clutter means fewer security weak spots 3. Get the most out of what you already paid for (waste not, want not!) 4. Avoid the headache of integrating unnecessary new tools Remember, every new product you bring into your tech herd is another potential security risk. So before you expand, make sure you're using what you've got to its full potential. This old donkey's motto: "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!" Apply that to your tech, and you'll be sitting pretty. Now, if y'all need help sorting through your digital haystack, just give a bray. I'm always here to help keep your cyber-barn in tip-top shape! #infosecdonkey

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Refreshing presentation by Mark West of Roke research about "Deep-fakes, digital deception and democracy" at the Manchester Tech Festival on Wednesday. During his presentation he mentioned that human brains have issues with memory - he mentioned a few studies that showed frequent inability for individuals to detect 'false memories'. My example: there are plenty of reasons that police take witness statements as quickly as they can after a situation. Memories change - for the better, or worse. It did also seem to come as a surprise to some folk watching the presentation. Though he didn't have time to get into the false memory issue, it did highlight the problem in terms of Deep-fakes and misinformation in general: too few people are looking at something presented to them on the internet and then checking other sources of information to corroborate or dismiss it. Have humans lost this fundamental of 'real intelligence'? It's a general problem with use of these LLMs - of you ask a question of anyone (whether that's a machine learning 'AI' or a human being) you need to assess whether it is valid. Don't just ask ChatGPT for something without checking the response actually is valid/correct. Don't just get Copilot/Codex to write some code for you without understanding what the code does, the implications of using it on the performance of your systems, etc. Maybe if folk were to sharpen their #RealIntelligence skills around assessing input validity / truthfulness we could stop being outwitted by the most simplistic misinformation. (now that I've said that - clearly I'm going to get caught out by something soon...!) 🤣

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Me: "I'll give that public speaking thing a try in 2024." Also me: Getting stuck right into the big games apparently... I'll be talking at BigDataLdn this year. It's a solid mix of hype and anxiety, Hanxiety if you will! But mostly hype. #BigDataLDN #data #dataengineering #dataleadership

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https://store.canon.co.uk/ The Canon Store is the best advert for Nikon I have ever seen. Abject incompetence from start to finish, totally un-empowered customer services who have no authority to resolve anything, a policy of sending out....policy documents in response to a customer complaint and a propensity to blatantly lie about what went on. Ordered equipment to take to Le Mans - well within their order timeframe for delivery. They put the order on hold for an extended period meaning they missed the shipping window. Tried to get the delivery expedited and their only response - we can cancel the order. They then told me it had been cancelled and refunded - no refund. Then they told me it was being shipped - but UPS tracking never got beyond "Label Created". Then they told me they had delivered it....despite not yet shipping it... Next they said there was a failed delivery (UPS still showing Label Created) And now they sent me a return label...for equipment they didn't ship...to get a refund for money they took 2 weeks ago and still haven't released back. If you can't actually do e-commerce....don't do e-commerce. This is by far the worst experience I have ever had buying online....period. Their Trustpilot and on line reviews suggest this is a common set of problems (not shipping on time, cancelling shipments, holding orders, not providing refunds etc). If you work for CANON I suggest you read these reviews and maybe give me a call. I am absolutely certain we at BrandStak can help you do better in terms of your online store, processes and customer management....put it this way...it certainly couldn't get any worse. Very very poor - great kit.....lousy company.

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A friend asked me recently if he thought it was worth getting his son coding lessons My advice (to be taken with a pinch of salt, of course!) was don't waste your money Despite Brexit, the world and the UK is still going more and more global And given most devs I know are self-taught anyway Culture and communication are the only benefits I can think of for hiring in the UK And you'll pay a hefty levy for those benefits which frankly not everyone cares about The one skillset that I'm starting to see as invaluable though And what I would recommend anyone to improve at (even if they're a senior developer) Is copywriting and as a close second video editing / graphic design Because other than targetting, those two skillsets are the foundation of any good ad-set And being able to produce ads that convert is basically the only way to get leads/work in a reliable and consistent way Every contract dev I know is struggling to get good work at the moment, largely because they rely entirely on recruiters and their immediate network No other skill set is as close to being a money-printer than these

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📢 This is what happens when you give away your data – you lose control over how far it can go. Recent news reveals that Meta plans to use user data from Facebook in the UK and Ireland to train its AI algorithms. This move raises important questions about data privacy and how personal information is being used beyond its original purpose. 🤔 As users, we often share our data without fully understanding the consequences or how it may be leveraged in the future. With the rise of AI and the increasing demand for data, the line between innovation and privacy becomes more blurred. 🔍 It’s crucial to stay informed and take ownership of your data. What are your thoughts on how companies like Meta should handle our data? Is this the future we signed up for? #DataPrivacy #AI #UserRights #Meta #Facebook #AITraining #UserData https://lnkd.in/deUaqK8g

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