Category Archives: Uncategorized

Adventure In AI (AI^2)

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Local Chatbot

There are various reasons to run a chatbot locally, ranging from privacy concerns to hobby interests and custom applications. Many options for running local chatbots require a certain level of programming or installing questionable tools. However, I’ve found that Ollama simplifies the process while still providing some basic elements of customization.

Installation

To get started, go to the Ollama website and install the software. Here, I’ll focus on the Windows installation. Once the installation is complete, you’ll have a program running in the background, with a llama icon appearing among the other icons on your computer.

The first step is to select a model. I chose a small one for reasons we’ll discuss later. Open a command prompt (WIN-R then type cmd) and run:

ollama pull gemma2:2b

This command will download the model, which is a couple of gigabytes in size. You can then interact with it using:

ollama run gemma2:2b
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A long hiatus

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It’s been a while since I’ve posting something on my blog; in fact, this space has been dormant for just over a year. I’ve been busy with a different adventure, creating a makerspace. If you haven’t heard of It Begins in Brockport (IBiB), then take a look at what we have to offer, or better yet, stop by for a tour.

But I might find some new visitors coming here due to some new news. I’m running for an open position on the village board of trustees. I think this is a good time to give local politics a shot, while I have energy, ideas, and a desire to help my community. So for the next little bit, I may have some non-tech, non-blinky light posts so that new visitors can get to know me a bit. It might also get me back into blogging and start sharing my projects here again.

In any case, here’s my official “I’m running” announcement. It even came with a pic of me in the snow (it’s very much winter here in Brockport).

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It Begins in Brockport

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It’s that time of the year when my periodic table reminds me that I am one year older. Happy indium birthday to me:

What’s really exciting, though, is that it is not just my birthday, but also the first day of a very new adventure. I am officially starting a makerspace in Brockport, and signed a lease on a studio to pilot the makerspace starting today.

The makerspace is called, It Begins in Brockport because, well, this is where it begins. Ironically, 2023 is the 200th anniversary of when the Erie Canal ended in Brockport. It’s a theme that will come up again later in the year.

The makerspace is a joint effort between SUNY Brockport and a non-profit I am establishing called Brockport Original Builds. Our mission is to empower community innovation and learning through accessible digital fabrication. If we are successful (and I believe we will be) one day Brockport will be seen as a beacon of learning, collaboration, and innovation.

It’s day one, and we have a lot of work ahead of us. If you are in the Brockport area and are interested in learning more, you should definitely stop by the Hart Gallery (27 Market Street) on Friday May 5th from 6-8. IBiB is taking up residence in the pottery studio and we’ll be participating in the gallery’s First Friday open houses. You can also check out ibib.us, which is pretty bare bones at the moment, but will be our main online presence. You can expect updates here as well.

Stay tuned for many more exciting updates – but I have to finish grading lab reports and exams first.

‘Tis the season

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Grades are in! It felt like a long semester for me, since I had to wait until the last day of finals to give my exam. Usually, the weekend following exam week is filled with holiday preparations, but this time, it was filled with last minute grading. Most importantly, I didn’t get a chance to fully decorate the cantina. Still, a few decorations were placed: sabers were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that Darth Santa soon would appear.

The home Lego situation is a bit more festive. We enjoyed building this years winter scene, which added to our previous houses (this was last year’s addition) quite nicely. I also came across a company that builds blinky bricks, making my Lego illumination tasks a breeze.

I’m hoping Santa brings me a few more blinky lights so next year’s village can look a bit more like the Griswald’s. Merry Christmas everyone.