Replying to Avatar Zsubmariner

Picture this. It's1998, you are founding a company called pets.com and laying a thousand miles of fiber. the Internet is going to be a big deal some day. True. And you are still infected with delusional hype. Two things can be true.

I didn't say "AI is not an important technicnological development." I am asking if it is making us feel a little high. I am asking an objective question to reality test some of our perceptions and claims about it. I'm not anti-ai. I am "let's not jump to conclusions."

It is funny that people get shirty when you don't join in the mania though. 😉

AI is complicated. So is building real software in real life. The way AI relates to building software is also complicated.

I'm not convinced that anybody understands it all that well yet, how it's going to play out.

I'm just trying to stay sober and not run over my dog with my fancy new horseless carriage like a rube.
Avatar
Abstract Equilibrium 2d ago

"Delusional hype?"

From 1998 onward, folks can buy pet food online. Buying pet food online was the goal, and until pets.com, no one had done it before.

You're welcome to wait until the vibe coded projects are acceptable to your standards. Lots of folks stayed off the internet entirely until after Y2K had passed.

Reply to this note

Please Login to reply.

Discussion

Avatar
Zsubmariner 2d ago

Who said to "stay out" of anything?

Avatar
Abstract Equilibrium 2d ago

"not joining" the mania...I thought you were talking about yourself.

Avatar
Zsubmariner 2d ago

So it's not possible to use AI and be skeptical about the hype at the same time? You seem really stuck on binary thinking here.

I'm saying stay sober about it, not "don't use it".

FWIW I was working in machine learning for years before the LLMs even hit and cut over to them as soon as they cane out. I use "AI" every day.

My point about pets.com is not that people in 98 should have stopped using the internet. It's that they should have been aware that they were in a hype. If you recognize that people get giddy and unrealistic about new tech and figured out how to objectively test perceptions to separate hype from reality.

I am not anti-ai, I am pro sober objective thinking.