Life on Bill Glover

Coincidence

hello@bill.dev (Bill) — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 16:00:17 +0100

For many years I used to be able to say that I’d never unexpectedly bumped into anyone I knew. That ended when I sat down in an internet cafe (showing my age I know) in New Zealand and the person next to me lived on same floor as me in our student digs. Weeks later, this time back in London, and I bumped into a school mate leaving Hammersmith Station. Then things returned to normal. There were no more surprises.

What is Progress?

hello@bill.dev (Bill) — Sat, 11 May 2024 08:32:10 +0100

I’ve often found myself frustrated at the way we define progress or success.

On the surface of it, the definition is pretty clear. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, progress is “movement to an improved or more developed state, or to a forward position”. But which way is forward? Given two states, how do we decide which is more developed than the other?

Given a starting point and a destination, the definition of progress feels fairly self-evident. If I am at home and I want to get to the office, then I make progress each time I move closer to my destination. Given the goal of being able to recognize 1,000 Chinese characters, then I have made progress if I recognize one new character. I have moved closer to my destination.

Reading from the Book of Wisdom

hello@bill.dev (Bill) — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Isabelle Glover 13th August 1928 - 13th December 2022

Book of Wisdom vv21 - 26 Read by William Glover

For great strength is always present with you; who can resist the might of your arm?

Indeed, before you the whole universe is like a grain from a balance, or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth.

But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things; and you overlook sins for the sake of repentance.

For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made; for you would not fashion what you hate.

How could a thing remain, unless you willed it; or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you?

But you spare all things, because they are yours, O Ruler and Lover of souls, for your imperishable spirit is in all things!

My First Marathon

hello@bill.dev (Bill) — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 13:13:16 +0100

Last weekend I completed the Richmond Marathon in a time of 04:52:11.

A colleague once joked that I couldn’t run 10km. First thing the next morning, I got up and ran 10km around the Exeter waterfront. I didn’t do it to prove them wrong, I did it because I believed they were right and wanted to prove myself wrong. Many years later, I set myself a new challenge, to run a marathon. I crossed the finish line slower than I’d have liked, but I made it. This post is my way of celebrating the achievement. It also serves as a collection of notes should I, or anyone else, consider something like this again.

What I Read

hello@bill.dev (Bill) — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Towards the end of last year, I picked up the habit of spending time in the park before work each morning. I’d take a book, find a quiet bench and settle in. When the current restrictions on movement are lifted, this is a habit I intend to pick up again.

One morning, it struck me that the majority of what I read gets pushed in front of me. I don’t mean push notifications, I’ve long since turned those off. I’m thinking of the continuous news feed of articles pushed in front of me for attention. My reading starts with a list. I have lists for everything;

2020 Delightful Tech

hello@bill.dev (Bill) — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 21:15:00 +0000

I don’t often make recommendations for apps or services. It’s rare that technology fills me with delight to such an extend that I have the urge to recommend it to others. I’m all too aware that your needs may be different from mine.

For example, I love my 2015 MacBook but I’ve never been able to recommend it to anyone. It’s slow, has one port, and was expensive. It has been an absolute delight for me and remains the best laptop I’ve ever owned. But that doesn’t make it right for you. So much so, that Apple no longer offers it for sale.