David Hobbs
@jdavidhobbs.bsky.social
This is a great example of where the LLM (just like a junior programmer might) was starting down the path of implementing a change for a particular *page* and I had to redirect it to implement a more generic, long-term approach.
October 6, 2025 at 2:35 PM
This is a great example of where the LLM (just like a junior programmer might) was starting down the path of implementing a change for a particular *page* and I had to redirect it to implement a more generic, long-term approach.
When thinking about how/if/when to use LLMs for context (especially at scale), consider these cost drivers. hobbs.link/46rGrYK
September 17, 2025 at 3:51 PM
When thinking about how/if/when to use LLMs for context (especially at scale), consider these cost drivers. hobbs.link/46rGrYK
I like the title from The Economist: Can you make it to the end of this column?
September 15, 2025 at 9:52 PM
I like the title from The Economist: Can you make it to the end of this column?
It's counterintuitive that the friendliest way to name an invite between you and one other person is Your Name / Their Name (like "David Hobbs / John Doe: Redirects") so that on their calendar they don't see their name first. But if *feels* friends to defer to their name first.
September 15, 2025 at 6:45 PM
It's counterintuitive that the friendliest way to name an invite between you and one other person is Your Name / Their Name (like "David Hobbs / John Doe: Redirects") so that on their calendar they don't see their name first. But if *feels* friends to defer to their name first.
Let me know if you need a redirect audit. I've been doing some really interesting crawling / graph db analysis for a client as part of a replatforming / relaunch.
September 15, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Let me know if you need a redirect audit. I've been doing some really interesting crawling / graph db analysis for a client as part of a replatforming / relaunch.
Those times when you think you've written something golden that's going to get lots of traction online and... crickets.
September 12, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Those times when you think you've written something golden that's going to get lots of traction online and... crickets.
Agencies, when you are responding to an RFP for a redesign: if you had magical x-ray vision about the potential site(s), what would you like to know about the site? In particular, what would you most like to echo back to the potential client to show you understand their site?
September 12, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Agencies, when you are responding to an RFP for a redesign: if you had magical x-ray vision about the potential site(s), what would you like to know about the site? In particular, what would you most like to echo back to the potential client to show you understand their site?
Remember these are two things:
* Chat as a UI
* The underlying primary source of what is displayed
Yes, the ChatGPT app combines both.
But these do not need to be tightly bound.
Other options: Chat with data, or Graphical UI where the primary source content is an LLM.
* Chat as a UI
* The underlying primary source of what is displayed
Yes, the ChatGPT app combines both.
But these do not need to be tightly bound.
Other options: Chat with data, or Graphical UI where the primary source content is an LLM.
September 11, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Remember these are two things:
* Chat as a UI
* The underlying primary source of what is displayed
Yes, the ChatGPT app combines both.
But these do not need to be tightly bound.
Other options: Chat with data, or Graphical UI where the primary source content is an LLM.
* Chat as a UI
* The underlying primary source of what is displayed
Yes, the ChatGPT app combines both.
But these do not need to be tightly bound.
Other options: Chat with data, or Graphical UI where the primary source content is an LLM.
The "see link in first comment" is kind of ridiculous. But I think I'm going to start doing that, especially on LinkedIn, to get more reach.
September 11, 2025 at 1:00 PM
The "see link in first comment" is kind of ridiculous. But I think I'm going to start doing that, especially on LinkedIn, to get more reach.
I sometimes add a Do Not Do list to implementation strategies. This can be useful when a team is losing focus, for instance by chasing a current trend that is not relevant to their current situation.
September 10, 2025 at 7:00 PM
I sometimes add a Do Not Do list to implementation strategies. This can be useful when a team is losing focus, for instance by chasing a current trend that is not relevant to their current situation.
90% of situations: Need big web changes → Send RFP
10%: Need big web changes → Define/align internally → Send RFP
When needed:
* Changes spanning silos
* Restructuring cross-system integrations
* Competing internally desires
Sending an RFP already locks many things in.
10%: Need big web changes → Define/align internally → Send RFP
When needed:
* Changes spanning silos
* Restructuring cross-system integrations
* Competing internally desires
Sending an RFP already locks many things in.
September 10, 2025 at 1:00 PM
90% of situations: Need big web changes → Send RFP
10%: Need big web changes → Define/align internally → Send RFP
When needed:
* Changes spanning silos
* Restructuring cross-system integrations
* Competing internally desires
Sending an RFP already locks many things in.
10%: Need big web changes → Define/align internally → Send RFP
When needed:
* Changes spanning silos
* Restructuring cross-system integrations
* Competing internally desires
Sending an RFP already locks many things in.
Thinking about getting back into amateur radio. Transmitting in Hell Mode is not something I remember.
September 9, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Thinking about getting back into amateur radio. Transmitting in Hell Mode is not something I remember.
Every web team needs some systems thinkers.
September 9, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Every web team needs some systems thinkers.
From the PHP Foundation: Announcing the Official PHP SDK for MCP hobbs.link/47CdHPj
Announcing the Official PHP SDK for MCP
The PHP Foundation — Supporting, Advancing, and Developing the PHP Language
hobbs.link
September 8, 2025 at 6:45 PM
From the PHP Foundation: Announcing the Official PHP SDK for MCP hobbs.link/47CdHPj
For Pete's sake, stop the popups that ask for my email address to get a discount only to surprise me with a request for my phone number to actually get the discount.
September 8, 2025 at 2:35 PM
For Pete's sake, stop the popups that ask for my email address to get a discount only to surprise me with a request for my phone number to actually get the discount.
I've been searching for solutions to some use cases that newer LLMs finally help resolve. Here's some Use Cases for AI in Digital Presence and Content Analysis: hobbs.link/41HywVI
Note: LLMs are not a universal cure and should only be used where it makes sense.
Note: LLMs are not a universal cure and should only be used where it makes sense.
Use Cases for AI in Digital Presence and Content Analysis | Articles | Content Analysis Database
LLMs open up new and exciting opportunities in content analysis
hobbs.link
September 5, 2025 at 6:38 PM
I've been searching for solutions to some use cases that newer LLMs finally help resolve. Here's some Use Cases for AI in Digital Presence and Content Analysis: hobbs.link/41HywVI
Note: LLMs are not a universal cure and should only be used where it makes sense.
Note: LLMs are not a universal cure and should only be used where it makes sense.
Would love to normalize prominently displaying what you're about to be charged, and not the "monthly" fee if you pay for a year. Show me the monthly price if I'm paying monthly, and the annual price if it's an annual subscription. Lead with that.
August 19, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Would love to normalize prominently displaying what you're about to be charged, and not the "monthly" fee if you pay for a year. Show me the monthly price if I'm paying monthly, and the annual price if it's an annual subscription. Lead with that.
I miss breadcrumbs
August 19, 2025 at 1:30 PM
I miss breadcrumbs
I question time-on-page as a useful engagement metric. If someone can come to your site, find the info they need (or accomplish what they need), and leave quickly then isn't that ideal? Have there been any studies looking at whether time-on-page actually captures engagement?
August 15, 2025 at 6:25 PM
I question time-on-page as a useful engagement metric. If someone can come to your site, find the info they need (or accomplish what they need), and leave quickly then isn't that ideal? Have there been any studies looking at whether time-on-page actually captures engagement?
The *class* of tool is probably more important than the particular tool.
August 15, 2025 at 3:00 PM
The *class* of tool is probably more important than the particular tool.
A useful LLM use: walking through a website and just talking out loud about the problems/opportunities then having the LLM summarize. The bit I haven't worked out is how to automatically capture URLs of the pages I'm looking at.
August 14, 2025 at 8:15 PM
A useful LLM use: walking through a website and just talking out loud about the problems/opportunities then having the LLM summarize. The bit I haven't worked out is how to automatically capture URLs of the pages I'm looking at.
When it comes to defining xpath/regex, I've found a useful feedback loop:
1. Give a stab at writing the pattern
2. Use the pattern to extract from some content
3. Ask an LLM why the pattern didn't work against that content
Repeat.
1. Give a stab at writing the pattern
2. Use the pattern to extract from some content
3. Ask an LLM why the pattern didn't work against that content
Repeat.
August 14, 2025 at 1:00 PM
When it comes to defining xpath/regex, I've found a useful feedback loop:
1. Give a stab at writing the pattern
2. Use the pattern to extract from some content
3. Ask an LLM why the pattern didn't work against that content
Repeat.
1. Give a stab at writing the pattern
2. Use the pattern to extract from some content
3. Ask an LLM why the pattern didn't work against that content
Repeat.
You can ask an LLM to extract/summarize from content. At scale, this can work but it's slow and expensive. Or you can ask an LLM to define a pattern (for example xpath/regex) and then quickly and cheaply scrape it out.
August 13, 2025 at 7:00 PM
You can ask an LLM to extract/summarize from content. At scale, this can work but it's slow and expensive. Or you can ask an LLM to define a pattern (for example xpath/regex) and then quickly and cheaply scrape it out.
In the end, you still need to define what you want to accomplish. And someone needs to be able to evaluate whether the approach (or code, or organizational processes, or tool, etc) has a chance of pulling that off.
August 13, 2025 at 1:00 PM
In the end, you still need to define what you want to accomplish. And someone needs to be able to evaluate whether the approach (or code, or organizational processes, or tool, etc) has a chance of pulling that off.
One of the biggest things to define before sending out an RFP for web redesign/improvement: what is the extent of changes (which websites) and which backend systems will be impacted?
August 12, 2025 at 6:00 PM
One of the biggest things to define before sending out an RFP for web redesign/improvement: what is the extent of changes (which websites) and which backend systems will be impacted?