merlin

book engineer | head librarian of alexandria

[merlin @merlinzero]

@max_spero_ most people use chatgpt for very basic stuff where the model quality doesn't matter

[merlin @merlinzero]

@tenobrus the number: amount of money burned on AI subscriptions that I don't use

[merlin @merlinzero]

@signulll it's not a quality barrier, it's the butlerian jihad level of AI hate that the main target audience has.

though to be fair, this might just be a vocal minority

https://t.co/zkze6ZLCoC

[🇻🇪 MikaCrispy 🔞 @CrispyMika]

AI uses em dash BECAUSE it stole from fanfic writers.

Academic and advertising writing don't use it frequently, but creative writing does. That's why it seems so odd when AI uses it. It's the biggest proof AI stole from us and how much of it's learning database is from AO3.

[merlin @merlinzero]

@signulll "they're going to be consuming erotica anyway so it might as well be ours."

[merlin @merlinzero]

@UrquharDevil confirmed

[merlin @merlinzero]

just because something resonates doesn't make it true

[merlin @merlinzero]

@tszzl strong opinions are illegal

[merlin @merlinzero]

@UrquharDevil define soon

[merlin @merlinzero]

@nizzyabi mimetic theory confirmed

[merlin @merlinzero]

To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand The Alchemist. The symbolism is extremely subtle, and without a solid grasp of hermetic philosophy and Sufi mysticism most of the insights will go over a typical reader’s head. There’s also Santiago’s teleological drive toward his Personal Legend, which is deftly woven into his characterization. His spiritual methodology draws heavily fromAndalusian esoterica and medieval alchemy, for instance. The fans understand this stuff; they have the intellectual capacity to truly appreciate the depth of Coelho’s parables, to realize they’re not just “inspirational”, they say something deep about LIFE. As a consequence, people who dislike The Alchemist truly ARE idiots- of course they wouldn’t appreciate, for instance, the humour in Santiago's spiritual catchphrase “Maktub,” which itself is a cryptic reference to Qur’anic determinism. I’m smirking right now just imagining one of those addlepated simpletons scratching their heads in confusion as Paulo Coelho's genius unfolds itself on the page. What fools… how I pity them. 😂 And yes by the way, I DO have an Alchemist tattoo. And no, you cannot see it. It’s for horoscope girlie's eyes only- And even they have to demonstrate that they’re within 5 IQ points of my own (preferably lower) beforehand.

[taoki @justalexoki]

i have never been more disappointed by a book in my entire life

[merlin @merlinzero]

@yacineMTB you're still hiring humans? ok boomer

[merlin @merlinzero]

@ctjlewis But if we don't say "MAKE NO MISTAKES", how will it know not to make mistakes?

[merlin @merlinzero]

sounds about right

[merlin @merlinzero]

@QiaochuYuan https://t.co/6ZTI0r05Xn

[merlin @merlinzero]

Men in 1851: I will work 100 hours a week for 5 months straight in the worst possible weather conditions to paint the perfect landscape.

Men in 2025: why is my Sora video taking so long to generate!!!

[merlin @merlinzero]

The thing about AI art is that it actually can be done in a high-effort way that takes months of grinding to produce a great work, thus fulfilling these requirements.

It's just that it also allows you to produce something "decent" in 1 second, and most people are lazy.

99.99% of AI art is slop, but the 0.01% does exist.

[QC @QiaochuYuan]

i didn’t think i’d become one of those “death is what gives meaning to life” people but it’s becoming clearer that human art derives part of its meaning from the way the artist sacrificed part of their finite life to make it. they could have done anything but not everything and they chose to devote months or years to this one thing in particular. that’s part of the message being communicated, is that sacrifice of potentiality, that choice to shower devotion on one thing and not another thing. i think part of what deeply offends people about AI art is the way it obviously gets used by people who effectively want to pretend to have made this sacrifice without having actually made it

[merlin @merlinzero]

best girl?

[merlin @merlinzero]

Few understand the alpha of the public domain

[Alex & Books 📚 @AlexAndBooks_]

If you want new ideas, read old books.

If you want old ideas, read new books.

[merlin @merlinzero]

@prathyvsh Found another one in the wild.

https://t.co/2azK6BKlU5

[merlin @merlinzero]

every western country must claim to be the successor to Rome

every book app must claim to be the successor to Alexandria