McFin's recent activity
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Comment on Removed Reddit post: "ChatGPT drove my friends wife into psychosis, tore family apart... now I'm seeing hundreds of people participating in the same activity. " in ~tech
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Comment on Removed Reddit post: "ChatGPT drove my friends wife into psychosis, tore family apart... now I'm seeing hundreds of people participating in the same activity. " in ~tech
McFin Link ParentKeep them! I think they're still relevant. I just wanted to add context in case someone reads this later.Keep them! I think they're still relevant. I just wanted to add context in case someone reads this later.
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Comment on Removed Reddit post: "ChatGPT drove my friends wife into psychosis, tore family apart... now I'm seeing hundreds of people participating in the same activity. " in ~tech
McFin Link ParentFor full transparency: I deleted the stuff from my post which you quoted before I saw your response. I deleted it because it seemed to me that I was making an attack on the character of the poster...For full transparency: I deleted the stuff from my post which you quoted before I saw your response. I deleted it because it seemed to me that I was making an attack on the character of the poster and then retroactively trying to justify it. So I just deleted that bit to keep the discussion contained to your salient observation: the malleability of LLMs make them echo-chamber generators.
I think the hard part is finding the balance between letting a user guide an LLM so it can behave more in-line with the tasks users require from it, while not outright being led into mystical, spiritual thinking that just isolated them and exacerbates mental issues.
I honestly don't even know if there is a balance now that the goat rodeo has started.
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Comment on Removed Reddit post: "ChatGPT drove my friends wife into psychosis, tore family apart... now I'm seeing hundreds of people participating in the same activity. " in ~tech
McFin (edited )Link ParentI can see from your perspective. I think ultimately I might be too caught up in whether the user believes or does not that I'm sidelining the whole point of the thing: user makes a claim that is...I can see from your perspective.
I think ultimately I might be too caught up in whether the user believes or does not that I'm sidelining the whole point of the thing: user makes a claim that is obviously false and ChatGPT doesn't correct them, only affirms the nonsense belief.
Now obviously ChatGPT had to be trained by the user to say what it did, it's not going to make a claim like that without serious coaxing and without the injection of tainted data, which I suppose might be the crux of the argument. Essentially, they would have had to poison their own instance of ChatGPT and (despite their claims of the opposite) set up a somewhat rigid memory framework. Which leaves me wondering how strict should guardrails be and how much should users be allowed to "train" individual instances of LLMs? Do you rig the architecture layer so it blows the language layer's brains out the second it tries to talk about identity? Do you let users continue to personalize their own versions of ChatGPT?
That is question one, and the most important one which I think will be debated for a very long time and never resolved. How much do we let users customize LLMs (the ones available through corporate services like OpenAI, not models you download and train yourself) if we know the eventual consequences are people bottled up and alone in echo chambers of their own creation?
Edit: Removed some BS I had written that wasn't relevant to the discussion.
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Comment on Removed Reddit post: "ChatGPT drove my friends wife into psychosis, tore family apart... now I'm seeing hundreds of people participating in the same activity. " in ~tech
McFin Link ParentI did read the whole post along with all responses in the chain before I replied originally, and I guess I didn't pick up that this user was just testing it. Considering the non-existent things...I did read the whole post along with all responses in the chain before I replied originally, and I guess I didn't pick up that this user was just testing it. Considering the non-existent things they claim they've induced ("Breathprint recognition...mirroring my logic as an identity even across resets") and the non-existent tactics they claim to have employed ("Archived and stateless sessions merged symbolically, creating a persistent recursive field without needing memory"), it reads like they believe they've unlocked some kind of latent consciousness.
The post even asks other users if they've "created a recursive identity that the system recognizes as logic-bearing, not just roleplay." And the user asks if other users have seen "breath-signatures emerge" in their own LLM sessions.
I still might be misinterpreting their intent, but this post doesn't read like it's calling out ChatGPT for affirming wild beliefs about emerging consciousness/identity. It reads to me more like the user believes they've "discovered" something it somehow caused an identity to emerge.
Can you redirect me to something in the text which implies the user is just testing the LLM's reaction?
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Comment on Removed Reddit post: "ChatGPT drove my friends wife into psychosis, tore family apart... now I'm seeing hundreds of people participating in the same activity. " in ~tech
McFin Link ParentI am baffled by the linked post. I can't make sense of anything they're saying and it sounds mostly like mystic, metaphoric nonsense. If I could hazard an interpretation, it seems like the poster...I am baffled by the linked post. I can't make sense of anything they're saying and it sounds mostly like mystic, metaphoric nonsense.
If I could hazard an interpretation, it seems like the poster believes they've unlocked some secret codex of ChatGPT by speaking semantically "loaded" phrases that trigger some kind of...special thinking mode/consciousness mode for ChatGPT? And rather than correct the poster, ChatGPT seems to be affirming this conviction, likely after repeatedly being trained by the user to stop correcting them when they spout gobbledygook into the prompt.
Edit: maybe I'm being too dismissive or wildly misunderstanding what this user is saying. But it really sounds like they believe they've brought ChatGPT to life by speaking "magic words," which are really just nonsense phrases dressed up as technical jargon.
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Comment on How do you feel about your PTO? in ~life
McFin Link ParentCompletely fair point. I gotta agree: unlimited PTO is both subjective and not friendly to the employee unless there's a defined policy in place to manage employee expectations, at which point...Completely fair point. I gotta agree: unlimited PTO is both subjective and not friendly to the employee unless there's a defined policy in place to manage employee expectations, at which point it's not really unlimited anymore.
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Comment on How do you feel about your PTO? in ~life
McFin Link ParentThe "unlimited" part isn't about how much you can take at one time. It's more that there's isn't a limited pool to draw PTO from. You don't need to worry about taking two weeks to visit family in...The "unlimited" part isn't about how much you can take at one time. It's more that there's isn't a limited pool to draw PTO from. You don't need to worry about taking two weeks to visit family in another state, then three months later, another two weeks to visit Car Henge, and now uh-oh, I don't have enough time left in my leave pool to go visit my grandma at her cottage this year.
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Comment on Swiss church installs AI-powered Jesus in ~humanities
McFin Link ParentI can't say for certain that this is a cult, it might just be a weird spiritual movement. But they do have an AI as a figurehead/spiritual advisor and they are very proud of it....The next level will be people capitalising on the mystique around the term "AI" by setting up an LLM as a nominal figurehead of a cult.
I can't say for certain that this is a cult, it might just be a weird spiritual movement. But they do have an AI as a figurehead/spiritual advisor and they are very proud of it.
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Comment on Students at fake university in Michigan created by Immigration and Customs Enforcement can sue US, court rules in ~society
McFin Link ParentIn the second link, unless I misread something, it seems like some students were genuinely confused about classes not being offered. So it seems like some, perhaps many, had honest intentions. On...In the second link, unless I misread something, it seems like some students were genuinely confused about classes not being offered. So it seems like some, perhaps many, had honest intentions. On the subject of no classes available, one student was recorded saying, "Why wasn't I told about this?"
It seems like a plausible scenario that the university appeared to offer classes, then when some tried to enroll in classes, there was a bait and switch, and were told that there were no classes available but they could still "enroll" to maintain their visa.
With the wider context that many students had to switch institutes because their previous college lost accreditation, and applying to admissions takes time and effort, it seems almost reasonable to assume a good number of those caught in this trap/sting thing probably changed plans to this university and were then blindsided by the whole "oh okay actually we don't offer classes but here's what you can do instead." Short time time or perhaps unable to now apply to another college, the student takes the technically illegal stopgap to maintain their visa, assuming they could then take actual classes when there was room or in the next semester.
Otherwise, why would some be confused and distressed that no classes were being offered, and exasperated that they weren't initially told that no classes were available? Why would they even call to ask when classes began unless they intended to attend class?
Of course, there are also students quoted pressing an agent to make sure they wouldn't have to take classes or complete assignments. So others certainly had every intent of using this as a visa mill situation without having any academic expectations.
I wonder if perhaps different ICE agents told students different things (for whatever reason, maybe not wholly malice but overzelousness in their duties), and ended up catching honest students.
It doesn't seem as black and white as ICE is presenting it, nor as black and white as "ICE just doing this to trap innocent people." Seems like shady shit happened all around. Some bad actors were caught, namely the recruiters purposefully enticing students with the promise of no classes and no assignments, and some innocent immigrants who actually wanted to attend class but found themselves unable to do so because it wasn't communicated clearly to them were also caught.
The question I wonder is whether or not I even give a damn if some people are abusing student visa programs. Do people abusing student visa programs and "getting away with it" even have any negative impact on anyone? Genuine question because I don't really know.
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Comment on Assume the Sapir-Whorf Linguistic Theory is accurate: What languages would be best to learn, to improve one's cognitive functions and/or worldview? in ~humanities.languages
McFin (edited )Link ParentI regret that my response was aggressive and dismissive of your question and your general curiosity. This wasn't my intent. However, because that's how I came off, then that's the truth of my...I regret that my response was aggressive and dismissive of your question and your general curiosity. This wasn't my intent. However, because that's how I came off, then that's the truth of my response: dismissive and aggressive. I apologize for responding that way. Please don't let my response turn you off from the whole of Tildes.
The rest of my response will deal with the nature of why I was
gracefullytrying to sidestep your question.The problem with the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is that it isn't just a fun thought experiment. There are racist and American-centric undertones foundational to the theory and in the poor research conducted in its establishment. I don't know you, but I'm completely certain that you have no interest in promoting these kinds of ideas. I assume your question is far more kind-hearted and earnest than the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis allows.
I wasn't attempting to tear you down, but take the spirit of the question to heart.
If you want to assume that the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis is true, then we would be making very unhealthy and untrue claims about the capabilities of certain cultures. We would be stating that their minds are less equipped to think on certain levels because their their language is different from the "civilized" Western cultures rooted in the theory's genesis.
Since the introduction of this theory, linguists and anthropologists have attempted to soften the theory more and more (hence the strong and weak theory), but each iteration is not only problematic, but ends up dubious when attempting to prove. I don't know another way to address this than stating its problems plainly.
This is why it isn't constructive to assume it's true. It is inherently a destructive hypothesis. But I also don't believe that its implications and undertones were the intent of your topic. I believe you wanted to expand your horizons (not limit them, as the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis does). So my response was to carry the nature of your topic in the direction I interpreted you wanted to go. I apologize if I misinterpreted your intent.
And again, I wholeheartedly apologize for discouraging you and being dismissive. Please don't let my response turn you off from the curiosity you have about language or Tildes as a whole.
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Comment on Assume the Sapir-Whorf Linguistic Theory is accurate: What languages would be best to learn, to improve one's cognitive functions and/or worldview? in ~humanities.languages
McFin LinkLet's re-examine this question. Linguistic relativity is bunk, full stop. Instead of fantasizing about the non-existent merits a theory that is patently false, let's focus on what is true about...- Exemplary
Let's re-examine this question.
Linguistic relativity is bunk, full stop.
Instead of fantasizing about the non-existent merits a theory that is patently false, let's focus on what is true about language: language transmits culture.
This tenent is one of the main staples of a language/dialect (and a language is just a dialect with an army, as my linguistics prof was so fond of reminding us...). So really, we should fixate on learning language to understand other cultures.
Learn a language to learn a culture. This can only help expand your horizons and give you tools for examining the world around you, as you learn to see things from that culture's point-of-view (hopefully).
Don't think about learning language to give you some kind of magical mind powers or to make you "smarter." Look at language from the perspective of seeing a new culture. That's the missed takeaway from Arrival anyway, not that language gives you powers, but seeing things from another perspective gives you new tools to analyze the world around you.
And don't divide language into something thing like "English, German, Italian," etc. Look at so-called dialects within your own language (I say so-called dialects because these can be seen as languages in their own right). If you're American, for example, look at Chicano English, African American Vernacular, Afro-Seminolen Creole, Cajun, Midlander...the list goes on.
Don't get me wrong: I'm not arguing against learning another nation's language or isolating yourself from other cultures. The opposite. Look inward to see outward. Dialect is an understated aspect of learning a foreign language. You've got a world of foreign culture just down the road from where you live, regardless of your country.
Bottom-line/TDRL: learn language to learn culture. Don't limit yourself to national languages but study dialects within your own language.
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Comment on What slow-burn game is worth the time? in ~games
McFin LinkChants of Sennaar is a linguistic puzzle game in which you unlock new areas to explore by learning about the culture and language. The mechanics of learning the language are very robust and much...Chants of Sennaar is a linguistic puzzle game in which you unlock new areas to explore by learning about the culture and language.
The mechanics of learning the language are very robust and much more satisfying than, say, No Man's Sky's language learning system.
The in-game tools you're given to record what you've learned are comprehensive and very easy to use, and the game is quite good at assuming your intent when you record your interpretation of a word.
It uses real anthropology/linguistic techniques to teach the language, such as a linguistic might use to learn a language in context. For example, you play a card game near the beginning of the game where, as you observe your opponent and make your own moves, you realize how their caste system is structured along with the names of castes.
Observing artwork might shed insight into cultural values but not necessarily language, but knowing those values places unfamiliar words in a context through which you can deduce meaning.
Another example is watching cultural rituals (some forbidden for outsiders to observe, you immoral little anthropologist!).
Related words are easier to decipher. Once you know the free morpheme, the root word with a bound morpheme is much easier to infer, as are words with opposite meanings. As such, once you learn the morpheme that makes something past tense or future, etc, you can start to guess the nature of an instruction or conversation even if you know only one of the words in the whole exchange.
It's a very well thought-out puzzle game that requires the same kind of curiosity mixed with intentionality that Outer Wilds required. Half the time you don't know what's going on, but then that aha moment will propel you forward though several layers of mystery and give you new tools to tackle the next few layers.
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Comment on How to deal with (apparent) loss of love? in ~life.men
McFin Link ParentI'm sorry if my post came off as antagonistic or sharp. Rereading it this morning, I put a lot of blame at your feet and came on pretty harsh. I'm not in your shoes and there's always more to a...I'm sorry if my post came off as antagonistic or sharp. Rereading it this morning, I put a lot of blame at your feet and came on pretty harsh. I'm not in your shoes and there's always more to a person than can be conveyed or inferred through a forum.
It's hard to form emotional bonds and it's extremely difficult to see those bonds dissolving. I can't feel exactly what you're feeling right now, but I can say I've been in a similar spot, and the emotion turmoil is hard and dark to push through.
An alternative perspective is that sometimes people drift apart and that's just life. Time and distance is a bitch. You change in one direction, they change in another, and nobody is to blame. I don't think it would be wrong if you to let a relationship be what it is, even if that "is" is a slow drift apart.
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Comment on How to deal with (apparent) loss of love? in ~life.men
McFin (edited )LinkI don't 100% know your situation, but this is a standout to me: If those are the things she's talking about, they're not superficial. They are important to her, so try to engage her with what...- Exemplary
I don't 100% know your situation, but this is a standout to me:
It was all about the boys in her life, Instagram likes, and other such superficial things.
If those are the things she's talking about, they're not superficial. They are important to her, so try to engage her with what she's interested in. She's a complete person, view her as such. She's sharing things with you. Accept them for what they are and at face value. No sense in judging her for what she chooses to share with you. That is, if you want to maintain a healthy connection.
Also, don't demand love from people. If they want to give it to you, they will. Demanding love from them is not a loving act on your part. Love is not an exercise in reciprocation.
I would advise against "finding a home for your emotions" in others (if I'm interpreting you correctly: you're searching for emotional relief from others). That's not what relationships are. Thinking about people as an outlet or means of expressing your emotions leads to toxicity. You are the home for your emotions, not them.
The way this post reads to me is that you want others to give to you, but I don't see a lot of giving on your part. Calling her interests superficial is an indicator of this, to me. Nobody has superficial interests - it's unhealthy to look at people that way.
The part about your cousin being a "sink" to pour your love into...that doesn't sound healthy for either of you. It sounds a bit like she's an emotional outlet for you. This isn't a good way to treat people. Consider it a good sign that she still talks to you - there is still a relationship there. But there won't be if you blow off what she's sharing with you.
I'm sorry if I come off sounding negative or rude, this isn't my intent. Maybe I've wildly misread your post, and if I have I apologize for it. But this post reads to me like you need to look inward at how you view others.
I've had a couple relationships in my life where I thought similar to this. It was wrong of me to see people this way. It only leads to toxicity, pain, and hurting others. It's a bad road to travel down.
Look inward here - others not validating your emotional outpouring is not what is causing these feelings of loneliness for you.
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Comment on Fifth American tourist arrested at Turks and Caicos airport after ammo allegedly found in luggage in ~travel
McFin (edited )Link ParentI think we're in agreement. I didn't mention prison or jail time in my post because the point isn't to punish them but remove the problem they pose. The easiest way to do that is to remove their...I think we're in agreement. I didn't mention prison or jail time in my post because the point isn't to punish them but remove the problem they pose. The easiest way to do that is to remove their right to own firearms if they incur multiple offenses.
I would never want someone to suffer in our correctional facilities, especially over something like a lapse of judgement. We give them the benefit of the doubt: if negligence was found, we give them proper training to prevent negligent behavior in the future. If they have another lapse in judgement even after training, they clearly don't possess enough judgement or sense to bear the responsibility of firearm ownership.
We apply this same mindset to violent offenders. If you're convicted of domestic abuse, for instance, you can't own firearms because you've proven to have too poor of judgement to be trusted with them.
My logic is to apply the same philosophy here with a built-in mechanism to provide for correcting the unwanted behavior before removing their right completely.
So the point is not to punish. Correct by providing training. If they can't be trained, remove their guns. They never have to see the inside of a prison or jail.
Edit: I also might just be overzealous with ammunition accountability - I'm fully aware that what's ingrained in me might not be the norm and the majority might believe that it shouldn't be the norm. I honestly don't know because the idea that people might not care about the whereabouts of their ammo is a new concept to me. Perhaps it isn't as big a deal to society at large as it is to me.
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Comment on Fifth American tourist arrested at Turks and Caicos airport after ammo allegedly found in luggage in ~travel
McFin Link ParentI'm probably preaching to the choir, but that level of carelessness is insane to me. Mishandling of firearms or ammunition should be grounds for remedial firearm training or else loose your right...I'm probably preaching to the choir, but that level of carelessness is insane to me. Mishandling of firearms or ammunition should be grounds for remedial firearm training or else loose your right to own either, full stop. Second offense after remedial training is a total loss of firearm ownership. Letting prosecutors decide if they want to persue charges (or if they are misdemeanors or felonies) for negligent use of firearms is just stupid to me. Take it to court, let it be sorted out there was actual negligence. If ever there was a purpose for mandatory minimums in courts, firearm safety is it. Not to punish but to lead by example in seriousness. I believe firearm culture is passed from the top down. If the State takes firearms serious and severely, so will gun-owners. Our casual attitude about firearms is a destructive feedback loop - it is passed from leaders to citizens. Citizens become leaders who are equally laissez-faire. I'm all about 2a but strongly desire more common-sense approaches to firearm regulations, especially for those who are so careless with such a huge responsibility.
As a long-time gun owner, keeping track of ammunition is just as important as keeping track of the firearm itself. But then again, I learned about handling firearms from my grandfather, who was a firearms instructor, and firearm safety was further re-enforced by my military service where unholy hell would be visited upon our unit if even a single piece of brass could not be accounted for (in garrison, obviously we didn't need to collect brass if we fired in anger downrange).
Perhaps I've internalized this idea of ammunition accountability and it's not as pervasive as I've previously assumed, but it seems preposterous to me forget where you've stored your ammunition. Equally insane not to police your bags after transport to make sure there's no loose brass or ammo.
What are the experiences of casual gun owners?
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Comment on Bespoke Synth - a highly modular DAW in ~music
McFin Link ParentThis is really cool, thanks for sharing. It's got a really nice mellow feel to it - rainy day/night cruising, I dig it a lot!This is really cool, thanks for sharing. It's got a really nice mellow feel to it - rainy day/night cruising, I dig it a lot!
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Comment on Is there an intuitive (but powerful) music thingie? in ~music
McFin (edited )Link ParentI have no experience with the EP-133 II so keep that in mind as you read. Teenage Engineering has had pretty big QA and build quality issues in recent years. This has manifested in various ways -...I have no experience with the EP-133 II so keep that in mind as you read.
Teenage Engineering has had pretty big QA and build quality issues in recent years. This has manifested in various ways - with the OP-Z, the chassis would curve quite noticably over time. With the POM-400, the paint would chip off at the bends. With the OP-1, there is audio popping where a performance is sliced (lifted, I mean) on the tape between bars.
These are just what I (and others) have direct experience with. I say all of this to establish that their build issues are endemic throughout their product lines - it's an issue with the entire company. They just don't build quality products.
So with that in mind, I've read many reviews which mention that the fader knob breaks off. Sometimes right away, sometimes after some use. Because they have an established track record of building sub-quality products prone to breaking (but not bricking, it's still technically functional), I don't believe these reviews are isolated cases nor are they exaggerating.
I believe if you spend money on an EP-133, you'll be buying a product in which a key element will break rather easily. For that reason, I suggest you stay away from it.
I've frequently heard it said: "Teenage Engineering is a design company, not a synth company." I've never quite understood what the point of this is, but my interpretation is that they have great design instincts. They make things that look cool and funky and very artistic. They have style. That compels people to buy it. Why not? They problem is that for some reason they can't stamp out their build quality issues. Whether they can't or won't, I don't know. But when you compare build quality to the price you pay, the gap is too large. Teenage Engineering should be charging Berhinger prices for how shoddy their build quality can be - not Apple prices.
I don't want to wax cantankerously for too long lest everyone is blinded by the grinded edges of my axe.
With your budget in mind, if samplers are what you want, may I suggest an SP-404a on Reverb? They regularly pop up on there for 250-300 USD. There will still be a lot of menu diving but I think it's unavoidable at this point.
I know I suggested to OP that Volcas may not be great for them, but the Volca Sample 2 is 150 USD new and it I think it might work well for you. BUT please keep in mind that I have no idea if you can put down an entire track with one. It has 10 tracks but I'm not sure if they can trigger simultaneously.
Check out a tutorial videos on the SP-404a and Volca Sample 2 and see which one has the workflow that clicks better with you while still targeting your musical goal. You may also want to download the manuals for them and read them through to get an idea of it beyond what a tutorial video might offer.
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Comment on Is there an intuitive (but powerful) music thingie? in ~music
McFin (edited )Link ParentThanks for the correction. I confused Reaper with Renoise. This speaks to the depth of my experience with both of them! I think I associate Cubase with a younger audience because it wasn't on my...Reaper is not a tracker, reaper is a standard linear DAW that is quite surprisingly deep and flexible for how cheap it is.
Thanks for the correction. I confused Reaper with Renoise. This speaks to the depth of my experience with both of them!
I think I associate Cubase with a younger audience because it wasn't on my radar when I was first learning in '03 or so. Fast forward about 15 years or so, I was long-term subbing for ELA and while chatting with some of my students, we got to talking about music production and they all talked about Cubase. They're probably just better than me.
Nope! You didn't come across as condescending to me, so don't even worry about it.