aetherious's recent activity

  1. Comment on Autopsy report as novel intro? How? in ~creative

    aetherious
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    That's completely fair on the LLM use, but for what it's worth, I have found them to be a useful starting point for complex topics in established fields for which it would have a lot of context on...

    That's completely fair on the LLM use, but for what it's worth, I have found them to be a useful starting point for complex topics in established fields for which it would have a lot of context on in its training data and translate that into terms I'm more familiar with, and then use that to do my own deeper research. I treat it like an online comment from an anonymous user whose expertise I don't know but can still be informative even if it's not entirely reliable.

    5 votes

  2. Comment on Autopsy report as novel intro? How? in ~creative

    aetherious
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    You can find some public autopsy reports on autopsyfiles.org and use that as a starting point. If there are any famous real life cases that resemble the scenario from your story, you might be able...

    You can find some public autopsy reports on autopsyfiles.org and use that as a starting point. If there are any famous real life cases that resemble the scenario from your story, you might be able to find a relevant one here.

    Edit: You can also look up sample autopsy reports from medical schools. I was able to find these two PDFs on a quick search.

    As for deciphering it, I would use an LLM like ChatGPT for it because this is precisely the sort of use case I've found it helpful in when there is a lot of information I would have to manually research from a dense text. Once you get a simplified version from it or ask it any question, whatever you get from it, you can double-check independently. I've used it recently to decipher some financial jargon and it worked well for that.

    Also, congratulations on figuring out the format for your introduction! It would be interesting to have that as a starting point, and I've struggled with some unconventional formats for some fiction myself, so I know how it can be sometimes a long-winded process to figure out what works best for your project.

    14 votes

  3. Comment on Regarding – and, well, against – Substack in ~tech

    aetherious
    Link Parent
    I would also like to add that it's also a reasonable choice for writers who are just starting out. Having used Substack before and also many email platforms, I see it as a good option for writers...

    I would also like to add that it's also a reasonable choice for writers who are just starting out. Having used Substack before and also many email platforms, I see it as a good option for writers who just want to write and not deal with the technical side of putting out a newsletter and everything that can involve. Even as someone who can do the technical side, the appeal of Substack was that I could pick a logo, colors, font, and start writing in less than half an hour. They've added on more features over the years, but the core functionality of being a newsletter delivery system with an online archive still exists and while they may want you to stay on Substack app/website, which is why the company keeps pushing its chat, podcast, and whatever else they may have introduced, but they're all optional and you can grow your audience through other channels and simply use it as a place to host it and keep talking to your audience in their email inbox. As a creator, you also control your subscriber list, unlike platforms like YouTube or social media, and you can migrate to other email/newsletter platforms.

    I don't think it's suitable for blogging, although checking it again more recently made it feel like it was trying to be a mashup of Tumblr and Medium and I find it entirely too cluttered for what I would want out of it, but there is an audience for an endless scrolling platform so of course they would try it with a large enough user base.

    9 votes

  4. Comment on What's worse than ads and AI? Ads in your AI, so Google is testing it. in ~tech

    aetherious
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    They're already planning on it by putting up content where the AI searches go for data. SEO experts will be going to go beyond posting blog posts cluttering up searches to cluttering places like...

    They're already planning on it by putting up content where the AI searches go for data. SEO experts will be going to go beyond posting blog posts cluttering up searches to cluttering places like Reddit even more.

    2 votes

  5. Comment on OpenAI, Google and Anthropic are struggling to build more advanced AI in ~tech

    aetherious
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    I agree, there will be advancement but it's unreasonable to expect it at the same rate just because of the hype. The companies are feeling the pressure to show the improvement in performance of...

    I agree, there will be advancement but it's unreasonable to expect it at the same rate just because of the hype. The companies are feeling the pressure to show the improvement in performance of models because of their ridiculous valuations. What we have now with GPT-4 and comparable models is still a great piece of tech in itself. I hope the hype dies down and the trend of shoehorning AI into everything just to sell it more.

    2 votes

  6. Comment on In praise of inconvenience: The hidden costs of a convenient world in ~life

    aetherious
    Link Parent
    Semi-related but I've been thinking about how AI chatbots are the most convenient form of social interaction, and how that has negative impacts in the long run, just like other forms of...

    Semi-related but I've been thinking about how AI chatbots are the most convenient form of social interaction, and how that has negative impacts in the long run, just like other forms of convenience. They can talk the way you want them to, say the things you want them to say, talk about whatever you want to talk about, without having the inconvenience of having to get into an uncomfortable social interaction.

    I saw a kid talking to Alexa more than he was talking to another kids when I was visiting someone and I wonder what world he'll grow up in. Alexa isn't even that good now. But there are already AI apps that promise romantic partners that many are already addicted to and prefer to talking to someone real.

    The only valid application I see of this technology is using it to practice talking to real people, but considering we live in a world where attention is the currency and engagement is the main metric that's tracked and maximized, I don't see this changing.

    5 votes

  7. Comment on SEO or traffic direction help in ~comp

    aetherious
    Link Parent
    I was able to load the website now, so it might have been the plugins. I'm sharing a bunch of ideas that I have. Doing marketing full-time can be time-consuming, so you might want to focus on a...
    • Exemplary

    I was able to load the website now, so it might have been the plugins. I'm sharing a bunch of ideas that I have. Doing marketing full-time can be time-consuming, so you might want to focus on a few strategies and cycle them to see what works best for you.

    Talking about who's behind the company can be a big factor in someone deciding to buy. I've worked with a few family stores and a mom-run store, and who they are forms a big part of the 'brand', including sharing updates on their social, or through their email. I can't share the specific examples publically here, but you might want to go colourful and playful, especially since your products lean into that. It doesn't have to be too much work, you already have a great, memorable name and a logo which is the hardest part. You can just pick out a few colours, come up with a few distinctions for what makes you different that can also be summed up in a few bullet points, and you're halfway there.

    I didn't spot any emails, and I'm partial to this, but I would suggest trying out email marketing too. Having a pop-up for a small welcome discount absolutely works in getting that first-time purchase. Unlike other platforms, emails are the place where you can build a more direct relationship with who your customers are, and not dictated by algorithms in the case of social media, or a lot of budget investment like ads. You can set up a bunch of automated email flows too, so you don't have to come up with new emails all the time. Even these automated flows can account for up to 40-50% of email-attributed sales.

    Regarding the website, there are a lot of optimizations you can make. You've already received some great suggestions, and for your home page, I would also suggest curating the products you show, having a small about section at the end. From the time someone looks at the first fold (which should be a visually appealing rotating banner with your bestsellers ideally) and scrolls down your home page, they should know everything they need to know about the store. Main categories, why they should buy from the store, who's behind it, testimonials, and socials at the end.

    You already have product categories too, you can have those in a menu with separate pages for each category. Then, if you do decide to run ads, you can lead them to specific categories or products.

    You should also absolutely have testimonials on your website, you can use the Etsy reviews here as you're building up the website. Your wife already has happy customers, share what they've said! Social proof matters to a first-time customer, so have your best reviews up on the home page and product pages. You can also use these for social media posts if you haven't already.

    You're absolutely in the right direction with sharing the design process, you should reserve the product posts that are strictly product-related to ads. I know ads are a big investment, but they were a big source of getting new customers for the customized clothing store I worked for. If you already know similar stores, you can look up the ads they're running from Google's Ad Transparency Center and Facebook's Ad Library. Since it's the holidays coming up, this might be a good time to set aside a small budget and see if you can get ads to work. But, I only recommend doing this once you have email marketing set up so you can still get some potential customers and send them emails about any sales, even if they don't buy something right away.

    Another alternative to social or search ads is advertising in relevant communities where your audience is, like Facebook groups or newsletters that accept sponsors. You can also connect with some creators who have a larger social following and ask them to do a sponsored post. I'm not as familiar with influencer marketing, but it does work surprisingly well. You can also partner up with other similar brands who might share your audience for a collaboration - can someone design a product for you and your wife could do the same for them? This might be for down the road.

    For your socials, you can also talk about what your audience is interested in, that's more for engagement and connecting with the followers rather than just sharing what you're selling. Socials do take some time to grow though and effort to keep up. Do you share the socials with your orders? Having a small card that asks people to follow, share, or tag you on their posts can help in organically growing your following. You can add the website link too, along with a re-order offer that can be claimed there once you're ready to send more traffic that way.

    I saw that you already have Facebook and Instagram, but Pinterest is another one that you might want to explore, especially since there's a big crafts and bespoke community there.

    3 votes

  8. Comment on SEO or traffic direction help in ~comp

    aetherious
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    I'm getting a 403 error when I try to access the website, so I'll take a look at it again later to see if it's working. I've been working with a lot of smaller stores recently, including a...

    I'm getting a 403 error when I try to access the website, so I'll take a look at it again later to see if it's working. I've been working with a lot of smaller stores recently, including a personalized clothing store, although they were a bit bigger. I can share some advice in general, if not platform-specific since they're all hosted on Shopify. Branding is a big part of how they stand out from the generic crowd.
    Are you doing any marketing currently? Social media, ads? Where is most of your traffic coming from right now? Does she get a lot of repeat customers on Etsy?

    2 votes

  9. Comment on Mindless games, preferably mobile in ~games

    aetherious
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    You can try Burrito Bison, quick rounds and does require some quick tapping occasionally but not too punishing if you miss one because you multiple tries that keep replinishing before you're done....

    You can try Burrito Bison, quick rounds and does require some quick tapping occasionally but not too punishing if you miss one because you multiple tries that keep replinishing before you're done. You play a 'launchador' and the goal is to fling yourself as far as possible smashing evil gummy bears.

    6 votes

  10. Comment on ChatGPT will happily write you a thinly disguised horoscope in ~tech

    aetherious
    (edited )
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    I've been using ChatGPT regularly for a couple of months now, so there are multiple Memories stored in it from across different chats (~50 or so). I tried the same prompt, and instead of a...

    I've been using ChatGPT regularly for a couple of months now, so there are multiple Memories stored in it from across different chats (~50 or so). I tried the same prompt, and instead of a generalized answer, I got a very specific one with examples from the Memory. I can't share the specific examples it referred to, but I'm sharing a part of the response.

    What you might not realize is how much of a systems thinker you are—you seem to enjoy weaving different ideas together into cohesive frameworks, whether you're working on storytelling concepts, content strategy, or essays. This systemic way of thinking could be a strength you haven't fully recognized or capitalized on yet. It’s a rare and valuable skill that can help you excel in both creative and analytical domains.
    You naturally draw from diverse influences—literary theory, aesthetics, structure, and psychology. Instead of treating each of these as separate silos, you bring them together to create something integrated and multidimensional. That's systems thinking in action: understanding how different ideas or disciplines can interplay to create more cohesive, meaningful outcomes. This kind of thinking is highly adaptable and can be applied across creative, business, or even personal problem-solving contexts.

    Now, the default ChatGPT model does lean towards flattery and complements, so I do advocate for not taking everything it says at face value. But like with any other prompt you'll try, the more context it has, the less likely it is to bullshit and actually come up with something useful.

    I don't disagree with the author on the technical functionality of how ChatGPT works. Yes, ChatGPT won't remember everything you say in every conversation but it's also incorrect to say that it can't come up with something based on what it knows via Memory. It can be a useful resource for exploration, not just as a pseudo-horoscope (or as I think of it, like one of those personality tests). You can also ask it why it came up with a particular response and then decide whether the reasoning is valid or if it's reading too much into something. This was what I was thinking to add to the original prompt from the article, but I didn't have to since the first response already came with specific examples.

    I hadn't come across systems thinking before, so I even asked it for resources and it pointed me towards books, courses, and blogs (all real ones, I did double-check). I'm not going to claim to be a systems thinker as ChatGPT already thinks I am since I just learned about it today, but at a first glance, it is a concept that interests me and I will read more about it.

    4 votes

  11. Comment on The elite college students who can’t read books in ~humanities

    aetherious
    Link Parent
    Your memory unlocked a memory for me of a school librarian who didn't believe I was reading a book a day, and would quiz me on them. I had to start having my friends borrow books for me to get...

    Your memory unlocked a memory for me of a school librarian who didn't believe I was reading a book a day, and would quiz me on them. I had to start having my friends borrow books for me to get around the limit.

    7 votes

  12. Comment on Do you keep a diary? in ~talk

    aetherious
    (edited )
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    I love journaling! Digital and physical. I end up writing almost everyday, but I don't force myself to do it daily. It's a great way not just to practice writing, but also as a way of thinking...

    I love journaling! Digital and physical. I end up writing almost everyday, but I don't force myself to do it daily.

    It's a great way not just to practice writing, but also as a way of thinking through things. Something about getting the words out of my head and into a screen or paper helps me think clearer about any topic. A practice I've started recently is whenever I come across any news or post I find frustrating, I write a rant in my journal about why I find it frustrating. This has helped me combat the constant negativity I would feel every time I came across a similar theme (climate change issues, for example) and I go back and read what I've already written and add to it if there's anything as a way of processing it. Before this, I would be stuck thinking about it for a long time and ruin my mood. Instead, I can channel that frustration into focusing on coming up with something actionable instead.

    You also don't have to use it just to write what's happened in your day or your thoughts, you can also use it as a commonplace book to collect things you like. You can write down anything that catches your interest - song lyrics, something you overheard someone say, anything at all that interests you. Don't limit yourself to whether something is important enough to document, this was something that had put me in a writing block for a long time.

    I use Obsidian for all my notes (I had shared more in this comment a while ago) but if you are having trouble getting started, I would start with the most simple thing and whatever format/tool you're most comfortable with. I go digital for most since I have it on my phone and PC, but I also write on paper sometimes because I love the feel of it. Experiment with the process, and have fun!

    7 votes

  13. Comment on Google will now link to The Internet Archive to add more context to Search results in ~tech

    aetherious
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    I didn't expect to see this partnership but this has been in the works for at least a couple of months since Google removed its cached pages functionality completely earlier this year and there...

    I didn't expect to see this partnership but this has been in the works for at least a couple of months since Google removed its cached pages functionality completely earlier this year and there has been speculation about this.

    Here's the direct link to the post from the Internet Archive regarding this announcement.

    16 votes

  15. Comment on Artist win: AI lawsuit advances in ~arts

    aetherious
    Link Parent
    VentureBeat has AI generated images for all articles on their websites so it seems like it's just a part of their editorial guideline.

    VentureBeat has AI generated images for all articles on their websites so it seems like it's just a part of their editorial guideline.

    2 votes

  16. Comment on Minimalist Android launcher recommendations in ~tech

    aetherious
    Link Parent
    I've been using this for over a year now, and it has everything I needed from a launcher. You can have PWAs but they have to be pinned to the main app drawer on the first screen and they won't...

    I've been using this for over a year now, and it has everything I needed from a launcher. You can have PWAs but they have to be pinned to the main app drawer on the first screen and they won't show up in the list of all apps.

    I find the search especially helpful, since you can have search shortcuts for other apps as well which can be customized.

  17. Comment on UI/UX Design for web dev in ~comp

    aetherious
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    I'm someone who likes looking at designs on Pinterest for fun, so I'm not the target audience, but I've found it helpful to learn some fundamentals to figure out why I like the designs that I do...

    I'm someone who likes looking at designs on Pinterest for fun, so I'm not the target audience, but I've found it helpful to learn some fundamentals to figure out why I like the designs that I do like. I do believe that having an eye for design is something that can be learned, but if it doesn't come naturally might require guidance from experts.

  18. Comment on UI/UX Design for web dev in ~comp

  19. Comment on UI/UX Design for web dev in ~comp

    aetherious
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    I'm not a developer and this isn't strictly UX design, but Design Academy has a free design fundamentals course and they target their teaching towards developers.

    I'm not a developer and this isn't strictly UX design, but Design Academy has a free design fundamentals course and they target their teaching towards developers.

    5 votes

  20. Comment on Looking for some guidance for SEO for a small business in ~comp

    aetherious
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    It's been a while since I've worked with SEO, but I recommend reading through Search Engine Land's guide to go over the fundamentals. Search Engine Journal also has a list of useful articles to go...

    It's been a while since I've worked with SEO, but I recommend reading through Search Engine Land's guide to go over the fundamentals. Search Engine Journal also has a list of useful articles to go through including recommendations for tools you might want to use.

    I haven't worked directly with ads but I've worked with teams who run paid advertising and you should manage the budget carefully. You'll likely have to test the ads you're running (text, layout of images, information you're communicating, etc.) to find the most effective version to keep your costs low. If you know your competitors, you can find ads they're running on Google Ads Transparency Center and Facebook Ad Library.
    You'll need to set up a Facebook Business page linked to a personal account to run ads on Facebook and Instagram through Facebook Business Manager. You'll likely have to do some verification with business documents.

    There are alternatives to Google Analytics, but if you're running Google Ads, it might be good to have one that integrates directly with it, like Mixpanel. There are more privacy-friendly ones and free ones with limited functionality. Matomo and Simple Analytics are two others I come across often. Matomo can be self-hosted. Google Analytics still gives you the most for free, but this is in exchange for privacy. The GA4 update was a big overhaul from what it used to be, and I haven't used it since so I can't comment on what you can get out of it now. I've heard grumblings about the data not being entirely accurate, but this might depend on how it's set up.

    2 votes