3 ms·

It would make every marketing department and basically every startup founder conmen too. While I don’t completely disagree with that framing it’s not really hel

by pousada 9mo ago

It would make every marketing department and basically every startup founder conmen too. While I don’t completely disagree with that framing it’s not really helpful.

latexr 9mo ago
No, that is not true. Coca-Cola doesn’t advertise itself as a cure for cancer. Dropbox doesn’t advertise itself as a tax-filing application. Theranos on the other hand… That was a con and the founder was prosecuted. And again, Sam Altman has a history of deceit. https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/04/06/1048981/worldcoin-cryptocurrency-biometrics-web3/ https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/04/06/1048981/worldcoi... https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/richardnieva/worldcoin-crypto-eyeball-scanning-orb-problems https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/richardnieva/worldcoin-...
- pousada 9mo ago
  Coca-Cola advertises itself as a “happiness machine” as something that brings people together, builds communities, creates love and friendship. The latest slogan i can remember is “open happiness”. I like fizzy sugar drinks as much as the next guy but Coca-Cola is not liquid happiness. Edit: Dropbox marketing slogan is “for all things worth saving”
  - latexr 9mo ago
    Slogans are not promises, they are vague feelings. In the case of Coca-Cola, I know someone who might literally agree with the happiness part of it (though I certainly wouldn’t). The promises of Theranos and LLMs are concrete measurable things we can evaluate and report where they succeed, fall short, or are lies.
    - pousada 9mo ago
      Sure but equating Theranos and LLMs seems a bit disingenuous. Theranos was an outright scam that never produced any results, whereas LMMs might not have (yet?) lived up to all the marketing promises (you might call them slogans?) they made, but they definitely provided some real measurable value.
      - latexr 9mo ago
        > (you might call them slogans?) You’re being ridiculous. These are not slogans, and no one arguing in good faith would claim they are. https://youtu.be/l0K4XPu3Qhg?t=60 https://youtu.be/l0K4XPu3Qhg?t=60 > but they definitely provided some real measurable value. Something which provides value can still be a scam. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46614364 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46614364 I addressed all your points some eight levels up the thread.

by pousada 9mo ago

It would make every marketing department and basically every startup founder conmen too. While I don’t completely disagree with that framing it’s not really helpful.

latexr 9mo ago

No, that is not true. Coca-Cola doesn’t advertise itself as a cure for cancer. Dropbox doesn’t advertise itself as a tax-filing application. Theranos on the other hand… That was a con and the founder was prosecuted. And again, Sam Altman has a history of deceit. https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/04/06/1048981/worldcoin-cryptocurrency-biometrics-web3/ https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/04/06/1048981/worldcoi... https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/richardnieva/worldcoin-crypto-eyeball-scanning-orb-problems https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/richardnieva/worldcoin-...

pousada 9mo ago
Coca-Cola advertises itself as a “happiness machine” as something that brings people together, builds communities, creates love and friendship. The latest slogan i can remember is “open happiness”. I like fizzy sugar drinks as much as the next guy but Coca-Cola is not liquid happiness. Edit: Dropbox marketing slogan is “for all things worth saving”
- latexr 9mo ago
  Slogans are not promises, they are vague feelings. In the case of Coca-Cola, I know someone who might literally agree with the happiness part of it (though I certainly wouldn’t). The promises of Theranos and LLMs are concrete measurable things we can evaluate and report where they succeed, fall short, or are lies.
  - pousada 9mo ago
    Sure but equating Theranos and LLMs seems a bit disingenuous. Theranos was an outright scam that never produced any results, whereas LMMs might not have (yet?) lived up to all the marketing promises (you might call them slogans?) they made, but they definitely provided some real measurable value.
    - latexr 9mo ago
      > (you might call them slogans?) You’re being ridiculous. These are not slogans, and no one arguing in good faith would claim they are. https://youtu.be/l0K4XPu3Qhg?t=60 https://youtu.be/l0K4XPu3Qhg?t=60 > but they definitely provided some real measurable value. Something which provides value can still be a scam. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46614364 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46614364 I addressed all your points some eight levels up the thread.