3 ms·
The author's point could be made far more succinctly and clearly than this. I found the writing indulgent, overcomplicated and unfocused. Overwrought prose (so
by mpalmer 1y ago
The author's point could be made far more succinctly and clearly than this. I found the writing indulgent, overcomplicated and unfocused.
Overwrought prose (so many lists of three or more things! Why?) that takes fully half of its word count to get to the point, which is that LLMs are appeasing and solicitous by default. Not sure what else I'm supposed to take away.
- nine_k 1y agoLook, this is an art piece, not an article about productivity. Frankly, the LLM here is but a plot device; the point is temptation, weakness, delusion, sin. It's the flourishes of the prose what I enjoyed most here, frankly.
- mpalmer 1y agoEvery part of my critique applies regardless; I'm not sure what you think you're contradicting here. At any rate, the writer is struggling with temptations and weaknesses, of the sort better handled by an editor than a priest.
- nine_k 1y agoFor a therapeutic experience, I recommended you Baudolino by Umberto Eco, a book of hilarious historical fiction. The first couple of chapters use the device of imperfections of the narrator's language in an even more in-your-face manner.
- vunderba 1y agoI had similar thoughts reading the piece - particularly as a writer who prioritizes the idea more than the decorative prose in which it is draped, but it might be better to think of this article as an "interpretation" comparable to Glenn Gould, Sviatoslav Richter, or Wanda Landowska performing the Well-Tempered Clavier.
- mpalmer 1y agoAll the more important for the work to have clarity and economy, not just point of view.
- oidar 1y agoYeah way to flowery. What is this, the New Yorker?
- jdlshore 1y agoA criticism like yours can be found every time an essay like this reaches the HN front page. Not all writing is meant to inform, and some people have trouble understanding that.
- mpalmer 1y agoIf you think my comment is about my not being sufficiently informed by the piece, I really don't know what to tell you.
- exe34 1y agothat's two pieces of writing that you've taken literally. If you've always had issues with other people being dumb, I recommend looking into autism. edit: I've counted a couple more down the page - you really do see the world in black and white. get tested, it'll help. it helped me.