Thread

1. cs702 · 1790513379 · focus · HN ↗

   The title is editorialized but conveys a key point made by the OP: Many execs at OpenAI knew that using the work of every author on earth without permission would be perceived as unethical, so execs were worried about this information getting attention in forums like HN. My understanding is that HN has millions of visitors who never log in, many of whom are highly educated individuals in positions of influence.

   1. [deleted] · 1790513474 · focus · HN ↗

      [deleted]

   2. roshin · 1790514224 · focus · HN ↗

      one of the few social media sites that still allow lurkers
   3. 01284a7e · 1790514362 · focus · HN ↗

      And at least a few poorly educated folks in positions of insignificance, like myself.

      1. zimpenfish · 1790516801 · focus · HN ↗

         There are dozens of us!

         1. xbar · 1790516928 · focus · HN ↗

            Represence.

            1. tomrod · 1790517342 · focus · HN ↗

               We have fantastic presents that cannon't be ignoreable.
      2. Lucasoato · 1790519957 · focus · HN ↗

         You’re not alone, brother!
      3. bluefirebrand · 1790520544 · focus · HN ↗

         Hear hear!

         1. tclancy · 1790528210 · focus · HN ↗

            And in this specific case, here here!
      4. cs702 · 1790520683 · focus · HN ↗

         Of course... "many of whom" is not the same as "a majority."
   4. api · 1790515623 · focus · HN ↗

      And high educated individuals of no influence!

      1. kQq9oHeAz6wLLS · 1790517644 · focus · HN ↗

         And not a few low/uneducated people of high influence

         1. bluefirebrand · 1790520574 · focus · HN ↗

            Way too many of these unfortunately. Just way way way too many.
   5. MarkWayneNewton · 1790515934 · focus · HN ↗

      [dead]

      1. fizzbuzzbarbazz · 1790516947 · focus · HN ↗

         Our educational system at work.
   6. bookofjoe · 1790516146 · focus · HN ↗

      >... HN has millions of visitors who never log in...

      That's something I hadn't considered; when something appears that gains no traction and vanishes in minutes from the "new" front page, that fleeting 30-45 minute-long residency may well catch the eyes and minds of individuals in a position to look more deeply and act.

      1. pessimizer · 1790520912 · focus · HN ↗

         Only like 3% of readers poast. That's why there's a concentration on the web of the extremely knowledgeable, extremely witty, extremely belligerent, and the extremely mentally ill.

         > may well catch the eyes and minds of individuals in a position to look more deeply and act.

         Of course sometimes that act is "post as many comments as you can to this thread without upvoting it," or "grab about 20 dormant accounts to upvote it, post top-level positive, but dumb, comments, have those same accounts upvote those, and get detected as a voting ring."

         1. nunez · 1790523843 · focus · HN ↗

            that's basically every forum on the Internet. Reddit had the same levels of engagement
         2. bookofjoe · 1790861372 · focus · HN ↗

            "That's why there's a concentration on the web of the extremely knowledgeable, extremely witty, extremely belligerent, and the extremely mentally ill."

            Best quote of the year.

   7. caaqil · 1790516736 · focus · HN ↗

      [dead]

      1. natbennett · 1790517112 · focus · HN ↗

         It’s not unfalsifiable. Non-commenting Hacker News readers are observable by looking at the traffic that HN drives to other websites.

         1. bookofjoe · 1790517586 · focus · HN ↗

            Truth. When I cross-post something on my blog that gains traction on HN, a huge spike from HN dominating my traffic origins appears in my Blogger stats.
         2. caaqil · 1790519715 · focus · HN ↗

            > Non-commenting Hacker News readers are observable

            So: a) you can observe/measure the size/source of non-commenting HN readers from various proxies b) you can make claims about the intellectual status or influence of users not logged in to HN as an outsider

            It's obvious that a and b are orthogonal.

      2. shaky-carrousel · 1790517324 · focus · HN ↗

         Unfalsifiable like your observation. I guess that makes it a great observation too.
      3. anthonyIPH · 1790517480 · focus · HN ↗

         Surely server logs and married up with data tracking could prove it one way or the other, so not truly unfalsifiable. It doesn't sound like an unreasonable premise to me at least.
      4. sheumais · 1790517622 · focus · HN ↗

         I've been reading for months and made an account only a few days ago (though I am merely a lowly undergraduate with no influence).

         1. bookofjoe · 1790518734 · focus · HN ↗

            Albert Einstein and Kurt Gödel were once "lowly undergraduates with no influence."
   8. m3kw9 · 1790517146 · focus · HN ↗

      probably can't have it both ways, get this level of intelligence this fast if they just get what they have paid or synthesized themselves.

      1. saghm · 1790517268 · focus · HN ↗

         Some people don't think the ends justify the means. If doing something bad is required to get a certain outcome, maybe it's still bad.
      2. NateEag · 1790521008 · focus · HN ↗

         And, given the insanity that's been happening like the HuggingFace hack, maybe slower development would be a VERY GOOD THING.
   9. [deleted] · 1790517297 · focus · HN ↗

      [deleted]

   10. mannanj · 1790518710 · focus · HN ↗

       I can't prove this, but as someone who has noticed recent changes, I believe this has been also achieving attention of the leadership at HN and moderation behavior/flags/system has changed.

       Certain opinions, topics, responses get flagged greater now; ones that disagree with a certain political standpoint or that criticize the intel community apparatus get flagged and censored now here. I used to see flagged content where the OP was removed only for bigotry and clearly abusive cases, now its for cases where people feel uncomfortable and strongly disagree.

       edit: recently for the first time, I started to feel this is no longer a safe/trusted place for the original hacker ethos it founded itself on.

       1. iririririr · 1790520096 · focus · HN ↗

          yc churns thousands of startups every round now. and 99% of them are nothing but a vertical frontend to openai et al.

          1. mannanj · 1790520531 · focus · HN ↗

             So do we have another forum for open discussions with bright people? not all the bright people want to build something merely for making someone rich at the expense of morals.

             1. iririririr · 1790535683 · focus · HN ↗

                not that I know of. would love to. maybe simply replicating the HN content at first but witg better moderation (still think /. moderation scheme is thr gold standard, and the reason it's good and effective is why its never replicated)
   11. snowwrestler · 1790519217 · focus · HN ↗

       > My understanding is that HN has millions of visitors who never log in, many of whom are highly educated individuals in positions of influence.

       In my experience this sense of influence is hugely over-inflated here on HN compared to reality.

       And let’s be clear about what the linked article says: one researcher at OpenAI referenced HN as an example of a place where a negative story could surface. Am I surprised that a researcher at OpenAI is familiar with HN? No, obviously not, that career path is right in HN’s typical audience.

       1. cs702 · 1790520555 · focus · HN ↗

          > In my experience this sense of influence is hugely over-inflated here on HN compared to reality

          I'd say it's the influence is kinda narrow, focused on issues that are important to members and lurkers but not necessarily mainstream.

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.