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Don't post generated/AI-edited comments. HN is for conversation between humans

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: Don't post generated/AI-edited comments. HN is for conversation between humans

#541

Post by justinnk »

wilg wrote: post #434

It's far from proven or obvious whether involving an LLM in your thought process degrades your thought process.

I think it really depends on the how. Engaging with it in a socratic debate-style argument [1] if no fellow human is available might very much support your thought process. On the other hand, just obtaining the solution to one‘s homework/problem/task/… won‘t be very beneficial for one’s development. The latter is sadly much more convenient and probably accounts for most of the usage. I remember a saying about the mind being a muscle: in order to keep it in good shape, you have to use it actively.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socratic_method

Re: Don't post generated/AI-edited comments. HN is for conversation between humans

#543

Post by detectivestory »

nkh wrote: post #286

What a welcome post. The whole reason I come here is to get thoughtful input from smart people, and not what I could get myself from an LLM. While we are at it; Think your own thoughts as well :) I know how easy it is to "let it come up with a first draft" and not spend the real effort of thinking for yourself on questions, but you'll find it's a road to perdition if you let yourself slip into the habit. Thanks to al…

great idea, but seems a little futile if there is no protection agains llms training on HN comments. ironically, if HN can succefully prevent llm content, it will become one of the best sources available for training data

Re: Don't post generated/AI-edited comments. HN is for conversation between humans

#544

Post by wasmitnetzen »

nkzd wrote: post #114

What if English is my second language? Undoubtedly being well spoken is associated with higher class. Your arguments will come of as stronger to the reader.

Luckly, something with the English language makes it that especially native speakers quite often have atrocious grammar: They're - their - there mistakes, who/m, the list goes on.

Funnily enough, I've noticed myself getting worse with they're/their the more is use English (which is my third language).

Re: Don't post generated/AI-edited comments. HN is for conversation between humans

#545

Post by jjk166 »

jaysonelliot wrote: post #100
Someone1234 wrote: post #84

"AI-edited comments" is a very interesting one. Where is the line between a spelling/grammar/tone checker like Grammarly, that at minimum use N-Grams behind the scenes, and something that is "AI" edited? What I am asking is, is "AI" in this context fully featured LLMs, or anything that improves communication via an automated system. I think many people have used these "advanced" spellcheckers for years before Chatgpt…

You should use your own words. It might seem that a tool like Grammarly is just an advanced spellcheck, but what it's really doing is replacing your personal style of writing with its own. It's better to communicate as an individual, warts and all, than to replace your expression with a sanitized one just because it seems "better." Language is an incredibly nuanced thing, it's best for people's own thoughts to come t…

> It's better to communicate as an individual, warts and all, than to replace your expression with a sanitized one just because it seems "better." Language is an incredibly nuanced thing, it's best for people's own thoughts to come through exactly as they have written them.

This is the opposite of how language works. You want people to understand the idea you're trying to communicate, not fixate on the semantics of how you communicated. Language is like fashion - you only want to break the rules deliberately. If AI or an editor or whatever changes your writing to be more clear and correct, and you don't look at it and say "no, I chose that phrasing for a reason" then the editor's version is much more likely to be understood correctly by the recipient.

Re: Don't post generated/AI-edited comments. HN is for conversation between humans

#546

Post by bigstrat2003 »

wvenable wrote: post #362
iammjm wrote: post #15

I believe the issue of proving who is and who isn't really human on the Internet will be a really important issue in the coming years, especially without sacrificing people's right to privacy and anonymity in the process.

I don't think the real issue is LLM posts. The issue with low quality on the Internet has always been quantity . The problem always has been humans who post too much, humans that use software to post too much, and now it's humans who use LLMs to post too much. The problem with a medium that is completely free and unrestricted is that whomever posts the most sort of wins. I could post this opinion 30-40 times in this…

> Someone using an LLM is craft a reply is not a problem on it's own.

No, someone using an LLM to craft a reply is a problem in its own. I want to hear what a human has to say, not a human filtered through a computer program. No grammar editing, nothing. Give me your actual writing or I'm not interested.

Re: Don't post generated/AI-edited comments. HN is for conversation between humans

#547

Post by water-data-dude »

theshrike79 wrote: post #440

I've written tens of thousands of lines of code, autogenerated documentation with LLMs and use AI Agents daily. But when I argue on the internet, it's always a 100% me. And if I get a wiff of LLM-speak from whoever I'm wrestling in the mud with at the moment, they'll instantly get an entry in my plonk-file. I can talk with ChatGPT on my own thank you very much, I don't need a human in between. "But my is bad... that'…

I like "plonk file", it has a very good mouth feel. I not-googled it and was delighted to discover that it's Usenet slang!

Also low quality wine[0]

[0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plonk_(wine)

Re: Don't post generated/AI-edited comments. HN is for conversation between humans

#548

Post by schopra909 »

Honest question, why were folks posting AI generated comments in the first place? There's such a high inertia to comment. I only comment when I have something to contribute OR find something incredibly interesting.

So I'm just baffled, why anyone was using AI to generate comments. Like what was the incentive driving the behavior?

Re: Don't post generated/AI-edited comments. HN is for conversation between humans

#549

Post by kelnos »

nomel wrote: post #475

I would enjoy a "block user" feature, to help this. I personally want to live in an online bubble of interesting thoughts. This seems close (or better, since people I enjoy can contradict my own flags) [1]. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47141119

I'm torn on this. On one hand I do agree with your goal about wanting to live in a bubble of interesting thoughts. But on the other... I know I have my biases, and I'm sure I might end up blocking people who actually are insightful and interesting but either a) had an off day and shitposted, or b) says insightful things in ways that make me angry and get past my sense of reasonableness.

Re: Don't post generated/AI-edited comments. HN is for conversation between humans

#550

Post by micromacrofoot »

schopra909 wrote: post #548

Honest question, why were folks posting AI generated comments in the first place? There's such a high inertia to comment. I only comment when I have something to contribute OR find something incredibly interesting. So I'm just baffled, why anyone was using AI to generate comments. Like what was the incentive driving the behavior?

Same as always: being right about something
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