Screen shot of DemoLand a new thing I'm doing that shows a developer how to hook up to WordPress using the same server I'm using for WordLand. If they do that, our products will work on the same data, in Markdown of course. The user will get to use two different editors to work on the text. This is important because in the social network I'm imagining every part is replaceable. It takes work to make that real, but I have done the work. In this network the user will have choice of writing tools. Unlike products like Substack, for example, where you're forced to use their editor. #
I need to have my posts from scripting.com flow through the Daveverse site, because the WordPress view of my writing is becoming more important. Not surprising, I've been reaching out to that world for a while now, and there have been real responses. I find myself copy/pasting again, and I have to start viewing every one of those as a bug to fix.#
Google tries to speak for me. Here's what it does. Reading a friend's email, I click the Reply button, and withouth me asking, it writes a reply for me. Thus, if I want to speak for myself first I have to delete the message it created in my name. #- I don't yet have words to describe how invasive, insubordinate and incestuous this is. It would be like going to a restaurant where they bring you your meal before taking your order? It's worse than that because I do my own writing, always, and forever. I'm not a Luddite, btw -- if you read my blog I try tech and I use it if it fits. I'm looking for new things tech can do. But this time I was forced to use something I never wanted to use. #
- Here's a screen shot with a red arrow pointing to the AI's writing. Note that it also signs my name to its creation. #
- But it gets worse. They buried the opt-out settings, and they don't actually turn anything off. I asked ChatGPT how to do it. It showed me where the settings are, I turned them off, saved changes, reloaded the page, and the same suggestion is there. It's still speaking for me. #
- Now they certainly haven't rolled this feature out to journalists, because the news would be full of rage. Journalists, like other literate people, generally have the basic ability to speak for themselves. And journalists have a pulpit that Google is probably still a tiny bit scared of. #
- Also, it's hard to come up with an example you can share publicly because it only does this with replies to emails from people you know. I tried it with spam-like messages and there it is willing to let you speak for yourself. #
- This raises a philosophical question for Google and it's AI bot. Of what use are users? #
