Not So Smart.

I was just going to give a short introduction to this week’s Design for the Weekend video. But a single word in the AI-generated title reminded me of a thought I had earlier in the week, so we’ll start with that.

To generate the description and title of the videos, I upload the video to Loom and generate a transcript. I then copy and paste the transcript from Loom in ChatGPT and prompt it to generate a YouTube title, description, and keywords. I fiddle around with the words a little, but it’s a quick way of generating something specific for the purpose. This week, the word ‘Smart’ appeared in the title and description:

It’s Sunday evening. We are on a coach returning from Wembley victorious. In case you missed it, the Saints are back in the Premier League; Leeds United fans performed better than their team. And yes, I know Pompey ‘has the history’ and all that blah. But Southampton FC are eleventh in the all-time Premier League table. Statistically, this makes Saints 3.47 times better than Pompey.

Sorry, I digress a little. The coach is stuck in traffic on the northern end of the M3. After what seemed like years of that section of the motorway being on a 50 mph limit while they made a Smart Motorway, we’re back to narrow lanes and slow speeds. The M27 is the same. Why didn’t they upgrade the concrete surface during the last disruption?

Probably digressing again. While sitting in traffic, starving, I started to think about this Smart thing: What’s so smart about removing the hard shoulder? I then started to list in my head all the smart things that we have in our lives: Smart Meters, Watches, Phones, Cities, TVs, Homes, Grids, Appliances, and Classrooms. I had a list of about twenty in my head, and we were soon passing Basingstoke. I recommend it as a substitute for counting sheep.

But as we were passing Winchester Services, the penny dropped. Why is everything labelled smart?

Smart = Surveillance.

The common thread among these “smart” technologies is their ability to collect, analyse, and utilise data. This data collection is central to their functionality, as it enables these devices and systems to perform tasks more efficiently, personalise experiences, and enhance user convenience. But it also means we are under 24/7 surveillance. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to live in that world.

Google was clever twenty-odd years ago when it gave us free email and maps. Later, Instagram and Facebook allowed us to share photos and our thoughts for free. There are no subscription costs. Amazing. How kind of them. The tech companies got hundreds of millions of free workers. You, the user, made Zuckerberg a Billionaire by giving him all your personal data.

How did we all fall for it? Basically, convenience trumps privacy.

We can fairly easily be convinced to take the path of least resistance. And when coupled with interfaces designed by the same people who suck us into Fruit Machines, we don’t stand much chance.

Funny how things line up over a week. I listened to a podcast this week with a chap I’d previously thought was a bit of a crook—Eric Prince of Blackwater fame. But then I’d never heard him speak, so my mind had been made up for me. Turns out he’s not having this daylight data robbery thing and has built his own phone: hardware and software. I’ve put a link below. It’s got a ‘kill’ switch that physically disconnects the battery from the circuits—no more advertising tomorrow about the Maldives holiday I dream about today.

Design for the Weekend – 002

Right, that went on a bit longer than I thought. In this week’s video, I look at a nice end-of-terrace house that I went to see last week. Fundamentally, it’s a good house, but I can’t help but see ways to make it better. So, I look at a full rear extension and break down the cost, along with a simple option to flip a door and a window. I conclude with an open-plan layout and explain the implications of a house with an unofficial loft conversion.

I had to re-record the video because the sound went dead for the last five minutes in the first version. It was annoying, but the second time around, I got it done in 17 minutes. I did forget to mention that an elegant glazed screen in the hallway looking into the lounge would add a lot to the layout, giving a sense of space and light. Internal windows in small spaces are the future.

This week’s web links, carefully curated to pique your interest, include a phone, a modern extension, places to move to and a nice-looking salad.

I’m always eager to hear your thoughts and suggestions on the topics discussed. You will always find me at carl@carlarchitect.co.uk.

All the best

This Week’s Links:

I’m a bit fed up with these modern extensions with no gutters and timber cladding to the roof. They strike me as magazine dreams and maintenance nightmares. However, the interior of the new bedroom with the exposed rafters is rather nice, as is the original house interiors.

The phone I mentioned above. Imagine if everyone bought one of these and cut off the tentacles of Google, Apple, et al. I know you could just get an old Nokia, but having spent two years on a Punkt MP02, I never want to go back to texting on one of those old keyboards. Plus, living without a smartphone is becoming more difficult. We had to scan a code to leave a bag at Wembley’s luggage area. And without a Smart Phone you’d likely have to go into the bank. That’s reason enough to have one.

These lists are always amusing to me: 10 of the best places to leave London for. Bridport and Edinburgh get my vote.

This Big Yummy Italian Salad looks good.

Main image credit: Reflecting on privacy in a smart world. (DALL-E)