Writing is thinking in every situation, not just limited to commit messages. This is a fact that I'm concerned people are forgetting, or worse never understood to begin with.
I would say probably most memeing is not really thought provoking or inducing. I agree most of the time writing can help collect one's thoughts but it can also be completely thoughtless. Probably what matters more is the specific process.
Your point seems to reduce to “bad writing=bad thinking, better writing=better thinking” which to me seems to support the original point, not refute it.
I’m not going to elevate memeing to thinking, no. If that’s the bar then using ai is just as much thinking as writing and the whole “writing is thinking” meme is pointless.
What is "memeing" in this context? From what I can see, it's just someone claiming something "seems" like a meme to them because it's repeated a lot. Is the idea that getting enough sleep is healthy also a "meme"? That Alzheimer and cancer suck and have no upsides? What's the actual criticism here, feeling left behind on an insight many other people already attained?
I'm reminded of that Hitchens quip about interpreting ad hominem arguments as a tacit concession that you've made a good point. If they had a more substantive rebuttal then they would have led with that instead.
The memeing accusation wasn't technically an ad hominem, but it does at least live on that side of town.
I stated this in an earlier post: "Probably what matters more is the specific process."
> Is the idea that getting enough sleep is healthy also a "meme"?
Yes actually.
> That Alzheimer and cancer suck and have no upsides?
Maybe? I don't think that qualifies, It's more like an emotional response to a disease.
> What is "memeing" in this context?
Repeating memes. In this case "writing is thinking" is a meme in the culturally transmitted idea sense. I don't think it qualifies as thinking because it's just the mechanical propagation of those memes through the culture. So if we're going to classify that and all other stuff one writes down as thought and elevate it, I don't see why prompting an AI isn't among that.
And how do memes get propagated "mechanically"? People say things like "the sky is blue" or that cancer sucks because they happen to agree, not because they heard it and just repeat whatever they heard all the time. Accusing someone of parroting something, instead of actually meaning it, is such a cop-out.
I mean sure, "writing is thinking" is shortening something, like "sharing is caring" does. Of course different things are not the same things. But it's not something people just "repeat", and when you ask them why they say it, they can't give you anything. Maybe that's why you're neither asking (why they say that, what they mean etc.) nor telling (in what way you disagree, what you think instead etc.).
> So if we're going to classify that and all other stuff one writes down as thought and elevate it, I don't see why prompting an AI isn't among that.
(IMO) of course it is, who said otherwise? Just the output isn't.
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The memeing accusation wasn't technically an ad hominem, but it does at least live on that side of town.
ModernMech · · focus · HN ↗
I stated this in an earlier post: "Probably what matters more is the specific process."
> Is the idea that getting enough sleep is healthy also a "meme"?
Yes actually.
> That Alzheimer and cancer suck and have no upsides?
Maybe? I don't think that qualifies, It's more like an emotional response to a disease.
> What is "memeing" in this context?
Repeating memes. In this case "writing is thinking" is a meme in the culturally transmitted idea sense. I don't think it qualifies as thinking because it's just the mechanical propagation of those memes through the culture. So if we're going to classify that and all other stuff one writes down as thought and elevate it, I don't see why prompting an AI isn't among that.
customguy · · focus · HN ↗
I mean sure, "writing is thinking" is shortening something, like "sharing is caring" does. Of course different things are not the same things. But it's not something people just "repeat", and when you ask them why they say it, they can't give you anything. Maybe that's why you're neither asking (why they say that, what they mean etc.) nor telling (in what way you disagree, what you think instead etc.).
> So if we're going to classify that and all other stuff one writes down as thought and elevate it, I don't see why prompting an AI isn't among that.
(IMO) of course it is, who said otherwise? Just the output isn't.