About

Hi, welcome to my website.

This is a collection of things I want to share on-line, including my work history and various projects. Hopefully, you find this site interesting, and, if you live in Ann Arbor, MI, let's get a coffee or a beer!

For fun, I like to build things and share my creations. Not just software, but also physical stuff such as robotics, construction, and whatever intersting stuff my local maker space has tools for. You'll often find me nerding out about board games, healthy living and longevity research. I spend as much time as I can with my family, including coaching and volunteering.

For work, I'm a software engineer and Bioinformatics PhD. I've been a full-stack developer since the late '90s, when I helped make some Java Specifications and authored several related books. I've also done a bunch of Python and JavaScript/Typescript/React work for a mix of companies. Mostly, remote work for startups but a few big companies too. Some biotech. Some not. Usually, I stay focused on technical work. I prefer vim.

If you want to get in touch, LinkedIn works or use my Github handle @gmail.com to e-mail.

Frequently Asked Questions

An assortment of topics that I've been asked.

Why did you make a chatbot AI of yourself?

This is a fun project to experiment with generative AI, and also adds to jfalkner/machine_learning to show some interesting uses. My work history and education aren't focused on AI/machine learning, but I've been doing lots of that sort of work since ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion arrived in '23.

To be more specific, the website mainly uses two things:

Generative AIs hallucinate. That is why the text isn't always factual and the images aren't exactly right. It is still usually impressively good.

For example, ChatGPT has a pretty flattering image based on a description ChatGPT made of my profile pic.

Create an image of that matches this description, "The man appears to be in his 30s or 40s. He has short, reddish brown hair that is slightly swept to one side. His eyes are slightly squinted and blue with a hint of a hazel ring around the iris, and he has a prominent nose. The man's face is oval-shaped with a defined jawline. He has clear skin with a fair complexion. His eyebrows are medium thickness and are slightly arched. His eyes are almond-shaped and have a warm and inviting look. He has a straight nose with a rounded tip. His lips are of medium thickness and he has a set of white teeth. His ears appear to be of average size. Overall, his facial features are harmonious." Have the image be in watercolor style. Have the background be white. Have the man appear to have minor cyberpunk style modifications to his face.
How ChatGPT describes (top) my profile pic (left) and how DALL-E renders the description (right)

ChatGPT also hallucinates for some of the responses, such as "Who is Jayson Falkner?", if responding as an 1800 railroad baron.

Jayson Falkner is a distinguished individual of remarkable stature in the realm of railroad expansion. With his visionary leadership and audacity, Mr. Falkner has spearheaded the development of vast railway networks across the nation. [...]

Asked the same question with a style/dialect and ChatGPT makes a much more accurate summary.

Jayson Falkner is a senior-level software developer with over 20 years of experience in full stack development. He has a background in bioinformatics, genomics, and proteomics and holds a PhD in Bioinformatics. Jayson is skilled in various programming languages such as Python and Java, and has experience with web development, machine learning, and AI. He has worked on a range of projects in different industries, including healthcare, agriculture, and bioinformatics. Jayson is passionate about solving software problems and excels in designing and building software solutions. He values good communication and collaboration and is experienced in mentoring and leading teams

Why share a collection of algorithms?

I like algorithms, writing and open-source. My jfalkner/algorithms repository scratches those itches.

If you don't know, almost every software engineer interview starts with a screening step to see if you can code anything at all. On many occasions, I've had people say they love my experience, liked by books and technical writing, and want to see if I'd be a good fit at their company. Then, step one: please whiteboard how to find if a string has repeats or valid use of parens. If feeling clever, can you code A* or a trie?

A few times an interviewer has waived even asking and spent more time chatting about the gig and co-workers. More of that would be nice.

Are you looking for a job?

I'm employed. I'm also interested in focusing more on machine learning in my next role. If you have an interesting oppertunity, please get in touch.