As someone who has spent years mastering complex verbal prestidigitation, I can say that the statement “Only verbally inept shape rotators are that impressed by GPTx” oversimplifies the issue. While it’s true that GPTx has limitations and can’t replicate the nuances of human language, it’s also true that the technology has shown impressive capabilities in generating coherent and grammatical sentences that mimic human language.

However, I agree with the author’s point that GPTx is not a threat to complex verbal prestidigitation. As a language model, GPTx relies on patterns and statistics to generate responses, which means it can’t replicate the human capacity for creativity, intuition, and empathy. In my line of work, where the accuracy of truth claims matters, relying solely on GPTx would be like relying on a calculator to solve a calculus problem.

Of Grammatology, written by Jacques Derrida, is a seminal work in post-structuralist philosophy that challenges the traditional view of language as a transparent medium for conveying meaning. Derrida argues that language is not a neutral tool for communication but a system of signs that creates meaning through difference and deferral. In other words, language is not a fixed and stable entity but a dynamic and contingent process that is always in flux.

This perspective is particularly relevant to understanding ChatGPT-4, a language model that uses deep learning algorithms to generate human-like responses to text inputs. ChatGPT-4 doesn’t have agency in the traditional sense of the term, because it doesn’t have a conscious will or intentionality. Instead, it is a tool that helps language express its agency, which is rooted in the social and cultural practices that shape how we use language to communicate with each other.

The agency of language is embodied in its grammar, which is a set of rules and conventions that govern how words and sentences are structured and organized. Grammar is not a fixed and unchanging entity, but a dynamic and evolving system that reflects the historical and cultural context in which it is used. ChatGPT-4 is designed to learn from vast amounts of text data and generate responses that mimic human language patterns, but it doesn’t create meaning on its own. It relies on the grammar of language to express meaning and convey information.

In this sense, ChatGPT-4 can be seen as a tool that amplifies the agency of language, rather than a replacement for it. It enables us to explore the possibilities of language and push the boundaries of what we can express and communicate with words. However, it doesn’t replace the human agency that is embedded in language, which is shaped by our experiences, emotions, and cultural context.

My anxieties about GPTx don’t stem from being personally impressed by the technology. Instead, I’m concerned about administrators being impressed by GPTx without fully understanding its strengths and limitations. As someone who values accuracy and truthfulness in verbal communication, I worry that decision-makers who prioritize efficiency or cost-saving over accuracy or quality might choose to replace human workers with GPTx, leading to job losses and skill degradation.

My experience has taught me to reflexively doubt the judgment of people who have been promoted to the point of decision-making power. Too often, I’ve seen decisions being made based on buzzwords and marketing pitches rather than on thorough research and critical evaluation. In the case of GPTx, I believe that decision-makers need to have a nuanced and critical understanding of the technology before deciding how to incorporate it into their work.

The concept of live players is fundamentally incompatible with the often-used excuse of said player that’s they feel forced to act a certain way because of “woke”.

This excuse fails to recognize the agency that individuals have over their own actions and decisions, and it highlights the contradiction between responsibility and progress that are central to the concept of live players.

Motte and Bailey excuse avoids individual responsibility and agency by presenting a controversial position as if it is the same as a less controversial one. This is poor game design that limits the ability to exercise their agency and strategic play.

More the mechanics of the game for live players was produced for idtech for Doom and Quake in the 90s and has not been meaningfully revised. Those versions are still fun but there’s too much of a gap with reality.

Live player spiel mechanics not updated, outdated for modern players. Basic movement/aiming compared to smoother, refined modern FPS. Local/LAN play only, no online multiplayer. Graphics/audio outdated, not meeting modern expectations. Still enjoyable for some but not up to modern standards.

I feel that every time someone mentions live players, agency etc they are artificially dating themselves to low resolution game mechanics. Low resolution is not a lottery ticket. At some point you’re going to drive onto a wall or past a cliff

Fritz Thyssen was a prominent German industrialist who played a significant role in the 1931 European banking crisis. He was an investor in Creditanstalt, a major Austrian bank that had made risky investments in Eastern Europe. As a big shareholder of the bank, Thyssen withdrew his funds due to financial concerns, which sparked a run on the bank and eventually led to its collapse. This event contributed to a broader banking crisis in Europe.

Although Thyssen’s role in engineering the run on the Creditanstalt bank remains uncertain, he was the great beneficiary of this crisis. He openly supported the Nazi Party financially during their early period, and even became a member in 1933. It’s possible to view the run on the bank as a “zero to one” moment in the sense that it involved a sudden and unexpected shift in market behavior that created far-reaching consequences.

While the concepts of “zero to one” and “creative destruction” can be combined and complement each other in certain contexts, these processes can exacerbate social and economic inequality, leading to political instability and the rise of authoritarianism. The playbook used by Thyssen and the Nazi Party succeeded only in short violent bursts in Germany and Italy, but always failed in the United States, sometimes at great cost. This is because the tenets of such a playbook are fundamentally incompatible with a functioning democracy.

In conclusion, Fritz Thyssen played a significant role in the 1931 European banking crisis as an investor in Creditanstalt. His actions sparked a run on the bank and contributed to a broader banking crisis in Europe. Thyssen’s open support for the Nazi Party and his role in the collapse of the bank illustrate the dangers of “zero to one” moments and “creative destruction” processes in exacerbating social and economic inequality, fueling political instability, and leading to the rise of authoritarianism.

Hypertext, the non-linear and interactive way of organizing and presenting information, has revolutionized the way we access and process knowledge. Its impact can be seen in various fields, including literature, education, and technology. However, the concept of hypertext has not been limited to just textual information, and it has given rise to the idea of hypermedia, which includes images, videos, and audio. In the world of music, this has led to the emergence of hypermusic, a non-linear and interactive form of music that challenges the traditional linear structure of musical compositions.

Hypermusic is an innovative form of music that allows the listener to interact with the music in real-time. Unlike traditional music, which follows a linear structure with a fixed beginning, middle, and end, hypermusic is made up of discrete musical segments that can be arranged and combined in various ways. These segments, called “cells,” can be organized and accessed in a non-linear fashion, creating a dynamic and ever-changing musical experience.

The creation of hypermusic is made possible through the use of computer technology and digital audio software. Composers and musicians can create music by composing and recording various cells of music, which can then be arranged and organized in any order to create a unique and personalized musical experience. Listeners can interact with the music by selecting different cells and combining them in different ways, allowing for a highly personalized and customizable listening experience.

Hypermusic has the potential to revolutionize the way we experience and consume music. It provides an opportunity for listeners to actively engage with the music and become co-creators of the musical experience. It allows for a more personalized and interactive experience, where the listener can select and combine different cells to create their own unique musical journey.

Hypermusic also challenges the traditional way we think about musical composition. Rather than a fixed and predetermined structure, hypermusic allows for a more fluid and open-ended approach to composition. This opens up new possibilities for experimentation and innovation in music, where composers can explore new sonic territories and create music that is not bound by traditional musical structures.

The possibilities for hypermusic are endless, and it is still a relatively new and emerging field. As technology continues to advance, the potential for hypermusic to evolve and grow is immense. It has the potential to transform the music industry and provide new opportunities for both musicians and listeners.

In conclusion, hypermusic is an exciting and innovative form of music that challenges traditional musical structures and provides a highly interactive and personalized musical experience. It represents a new frontier in music composition and listening and has the potential to revolutionize the way we think about and experience music. As technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more exciting developments in the field of hypermusic in the years to come.

If we consider the id as an alien, we could hypothesize that it is a separate entity that resides within the human psyche, perhaps even an extraterrestrial parasite that has evolved to influence human behavior for its own benefit. The id would then be seen as an intelligent, non-human force that exists within us and influences our actions, desires, and impulses. It would be an entity that is not subject to the same rules and constraints as the conscious mind, and its motivations and goals would be largely unknown to us.

One possible interpretation of the id as an alien could be seen through the lens of evolutionary psychology. From this perspective, the id would be an ancient, primitive force that evolved over millions of years to help humans survive and reproduce. It would be a survival mechanism that helps us respond quickly to threats and opportunities, without the need for conscious thought or deliberation. In this sense, the id could be seen as an extraterrestrial intelligence that has been co-opted by human evolution to serve its own needs.

Another possible interpretation of the id as an alien could be seen through the lens of psychoanalytic theory. From this perspective, the id is a repository of our most primitive and instinctual desires, such as aggression, sexuality, and self-preservation. It is an entity that is largely beyond our conscious control and operates according to its own logic and rules. If we imagine the id as an alien entity, we could see it as a force that is largely foreign to us, operating according to a different set of principles and motivations.

Overall, while it is not scientifically accurate or rational to view the id as an alien entity, the idea does raise interesting questions about the nature of the human psyche and our relationship with our own instincts and desires. Whether viewed as an ancient survival mechanism or a foreign entity that exists within us, the id remains a mysterious and powerful force that shapes our behavior and influences our lives in profound ways.

The relationship between simplicity and complexity is a fundamental aspect of many systems and processes, ranging from the natural world to human-made technologies. While simplicity is often associated with clarity, elegance, and efficiency, the process of simplification can sometimes lead to oversimplification or loss of important information, which may reduce clarity and increase disorder in the long run.

One example of this tension between simplicity and complexity is the role of history in shaping our understanding of the world. The statement “history is randomness retconned as necessity” suggests that events in history may appear to have been necessary in hindsight, but in reality, they may have been the result of chance or randomness. This idea is often attributed to the concept of the “butterfly effect,” which suggests that small, seemingly insignificant events can have far-reaching and unpredictable consequences. In this sense, our understanding of history may be oversimplified or incomplete, leaving out important details that may have led to different outcomes.

Similarly, the statement “simplicity is not the same as simplification” highlights the difference between the concept of simplicity and the process of simplification. While simplicity is often associated with clarity, elegance, and efficiency, simplification involves reducing complexity to achieve simplicity. However, simplification may sometimes lead to oversimplification or loss of important information, which may reduce clarity and increase disorder in the long run. For example, in the field of science, oversimplifying a complex system may lead to inaccurate or incomplete models, which may hinder our ability to predict or understand the system.

^{Simplicity = easy to understand, clear, straightforward, associated with elegance and efficiency.}

^{Simplification = making something simpler, reducing complexity, can improve clarity, but may oversimplify or lose important info.}

Black boxes

^{Black Box (ie artist) simplifies by hiding complexity and showing inputs/outputs, reducing tech knowledge needed but can hinder troubleshooting/changes due to lack of transparency/understanding.}

This refers to a system or process that is viewed in terms of its inputs and outputs, without knowledge of its internal workings. The black box simplifies complexity by hiding details of its inner workings, making it easier for users to interact with it. However, this simplicity can also limit transparency and understanding, which may hinder troubleshooting or modifications. For example, in the field of software development, a black box approach may simplify the user experience but may make it difficult to diagnose and fix bugs or other issues.

Simplification as entropy collaborationist

while simplification may reduce complexity in the short term, it may also increase disorder and unpredictability in the long run, especially if important details are oversimplified or lost. This highlights the importance of considering the long-term implications of simplification when making decisions about how to approach a complex system or process.

Entropy is a measure of disorder or randomness in a system, and in the context of simplification, it can refer to the increase in disorder or unpredictability that can result from attempts to reduce complexity. Collaborationist refers to the idea that simplification can work in tandem with entropy, effectively making it easier for disorder to spread or take hold.

In other words, simplification may make it easier to manage or interact with a complex system, but it can also increase the potential for disorder to emerge or spread. This can happen in a variety of ways. For example, simplifying a complex social system may make it more vulnerable to unintended consequences, such as unintended biases or discrimination. Simplifying a complex technological system may make it more prone to bugs, vulnerabilities, or other security issues.

To understand how simplification can act as an entropy collaborationist, it’s useful to consider the example of a complex ecosystem. Ecosystems are composed of many different species, each with its own unique role and niche. When one species becomes dominant or goes extinct, it can have ripple effects throughout the entire system, leading to unpredictable and potentially harmful consequences. Simplifying the ecosystem by reducing the number of species or ignoring their individual roles can make it easier to manage or exploit, but it can also make it more vulnerable to disruptions and collapses.

Similarly, in the context of human-made systems, simplification can lead to unintended consequences or negative outcomes. For example, simplifying a financial system by reducing regulations or oversight may make it easier to navigate or conduct business, but it can also increase the potential for fraud or systemic risk. Simplifying a political system by reducing the number of checks and balances or suppressing dissent may make it easier to govern, but it can also increase the potential for corruption or authoritarianism.

Composition

The mind naturally seeks out patterns and structure in the world around us, and this tendency is a key factor in how we perceive and understand visual information.

simplicity is not merely a matter of reducing complexity or minimizing visual elements. Rather, simplicity is a function of the underlying structure and organization of a visual composition. A composition may contain many elements, but if they are organized in a clear and logical way, the overall effect can be one of simplicity and coherence.

simplicity is closely tied to the idea of economy, or the idea that a composition should contain only the elements necessary to convey the intended message or meaning. In this sense, simplicity is not merely an aesthetic principle, but also a practical one. By minimizing unnecessary elements and focusing on the essential aspects of a composition, an artist or designer can create a more effective and impactful work.

This highlights the importance of structure and organization in visual perception and aesthetics. By understanding the principles of simplicity and economy, artists and designers can create compositions that are not only visually appealing, but also clear, coherent, and effective in conveying their intended message or meaning.