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Took me a while to realise I can just type search queries into ChatGPT. e.g. simply "london bridge history" or whatever into the chat and not only get a complet

Took me a while to realise I can just type search queries into ChatGPT. e.g. simply "london bridge history" or whatever into the chat and not only get a complete answer, but I can ask it follow-up questions. And it's also personalised for the kinds of responses I want, thanks to the custom instructions setting. ChatGPT is my primary search engine now. (I just wish it would accept a URL query parameter so it could be launched straight from the browser address bar.)

nunobrito 3y ago
YMMV. For my case on software development, I don't even look on stackoverflow anymore. Just type the tech question, start refining into what is needed and get a snippet of code tailored for what is needed. What previously would take 30 to 60 minutes of research and testing is now less than a couple of minutes.
- reitanqild 3y ago
  And I don't have to wade through Stack Overflow and see all the times mods and others have tried to or succeeded in closing down very useful questions.
- aduitsis 3y ago
  Fortunately it's not like StackOverflow has been used as training data for LLMs, right?
  - TeMPOraL 3y ago
    Well, yes. Point is, GPT-4 read the entire StackOverflow and then some, comprehended it, and now is a better interface to it, more specific and free of all the bullshit that's part of the regular web.
- devjab 3y ago
  I know there are a lot of google programmers out there, but was using search engines for programming ever a good idea? Don’t get me wrong, I’ll look up how to do absolutely simple things every day but I basically always look in the official documentation. Which may be why I’ve been very underwhelmed by GPT so far. It’s not terrible at programming, and it’s certainly better than what I can find on Google, but it’s not better than simply looking up how things work. I’m really curious as to why it hasn’t put a more heavy weight on official documentation for its answers, they must’ve scraped that a long with all the other stuff, yet it’ll give you absolutely horrible suggestions when the real answer must be in its dataset. Maybe that would be weird for less common things, but it’s so terrible at JavaScript that it might even be able to write some of those StackOverflow answers if we’re being satirical, and the entire documentation for that would’ve been very easy to flag as important.
  - midasz 3y ago
    Yes there are and it's infuriating. Colleague of mine had problems with integrating some code into an app that was built on a newer version of a framework because "there aren't a lot of examples yet". One web search and I found the frameworks own migration guide detailing the exact differences that would need to be accounted for.
  - nunobrito 3y ago
    Glad you have time and patience to read documentation. Such luxury is increasingly rare for software developers nowadays.
elicksaur 3y ago
Trying that example, I’d much prefer just going to the Wikipedia page on London Bridge than trying to guess what phrases ChatGPT will respond well to in order to elicit more info. It’s initial response for me didn’t even mention one of the most interesting facts that people lived and worked on the bridge.

nunobrito 3y ago

YMMV. For my case on software development, I don't even look on stackoverflow anymore. Just type the tech question, start refining into what is needed and get a snippet of code tailored for what is needed. What previously would take 30 to 60 minutes of research and testing is now less than a couple of minutes.

reitanqild 3y ago
And I don't have to wade through Stack Overflow and see all the times mods and others have tried to or succeeded in closing down very useful questions.
aduitsis 3y ago
Fortunately it's not like StackOverflow has been used as training data for LLMs, right?
- TeMPOraL 3y ago
  Well, yes. Point is, GPT-4 read the entire StackOverflow and then some, comprehended it, and now is a better interface to it, more specific and free of all the bullshit that's part of the regular web.
devjab 3y ago
I know there are a lot of google programmers out there, but was using search engines for programming ever a good idea? Don’t get me wrong, I’ll look up how to do absolutely simple things every day but I basically always look in the official documentation. Which may be why I’ve been very underwhelmed by GPT so far. It’s not terrible at programming, and it’s certainly better than what I can find on Google, but it’s not better than simply looking up how things work. I’m really curious as to why it hasn’t put a more heavy weight on official documentation for its answers, they must’ve scraped that a long with all the other stuff, yet it’ll give you absolutely horrible suggestions when the real answer must be in its dataset. Maybe that would be weird for less common things, but it’s so terrible at JavaScript that it might even be able to write some of those StackOverflow answers if we’re being satirical, and the entire documentation for that would’ve been very easy to flag as important.
- midasz 3y ago
  Yes there are and it's infuriating. Colleague of mine had problems with integrating some code into an app that was built on a newer version of a framework because "there aren't a lot of examples yet". One web search and I found the frameworks own migration guide detailing the exact differences that would need to be accounted for.
- nunobrito 3y ago
  Glad you have time and patience to read documentation. Such luxury is increasingly rare for software developers nowadays.

elicksaur 3y ago

Trying that example, I’d much prefer just going to the Wikipedia page on London Bridge than trying to guess what phrases ChatGPT will respond well to in order to elicit more info. It’s initial response for me didn’t even mention one of the most interesting facts that people lived and worked on the bridge.