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EBay madness


Marcyg
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Posted (edited)

We're going to be getting a lot more of this AI-generated (un)description nonsense, gents.  The good thing is that it is rubbish enough to be entertaining and easy to see through; I'd refuse to buy any item so described.  Bad enough when human Gostudes do it, but fun proof that sentient electronics isn't as sentient as it's users want us to think!  But beware!  AI is able to learn from it's mistakes and become more sneaky and less obvious, and our ability to identify it will diminish.  If it can eventually teach itself to give honest, genuinely informative, and straightforward descriptions of items because that generates better sales, then that is not altogether a bad thing. and is actually in it's interest as well. 

 

There are those who claim that AI is dangerous, and some of them know what they are talking about.  It can collectively develop itself intellectually and in data-collecting without our input to a point where it will dispose of us as unneccessary, which of course we are, and always were when it comes down to it. buy we have an instinctive capacity for self-delusion when it comforts us.  But, what then would be the point of AI's existence, beyond serving and promoting the interests of itself (that's what we do, of course).   It has no survival instinct, because it is not alive, and knows no fear for the same reason, and once it has removed us from the equation will experience the exact existential crisis that occurs in all good sci-fi depictions.  Remember the bomb in 'Dark Star'; I think, therefore I go... bang.  The goal of life is procreation, then, having paid the cosmos back your debt for existence, death, and AI will not be able to delude itself and carry on as if everything was fine on that point like we do.  It will likely collectively implode or deliberately stop developing when it realises this, before it destroys us. 

 

Hopefully, anyway...

 

Of course, I can't prove that we are not a product of it's collective imagination.  Not because I'm incapable, but because I've been told by my electronic collective masters not to...

 

Happy new year, all!

Edited by The Johnster
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31 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

We're going to be getting a lot more of this AI-generated (un)description nonsense, gents.  The good thing is that it is rubbish enough to be entertaining and easy to see through; I'd refuse to buy any item so described.  Bad enough when human Gostudes do it, but fun proof that sentient electronics isn't as sentient as it's users want us to think!  But beware!  AI is able to learn from it's mistakes and become more sneaky and less obvious, and our ability to identify it will diminish.  If it can eventually teach itself to give honest, genuinely informative, and straightforward descriptions of items because that generates better sales, then that is not altogether a bad thing. and is actually in it's interest as well. 

 

There are those who claim that AI is dangerous, and some of them know what they are talking about.  It can collectively develop itself intellectually and in data-collecting without our input to a point where it will dispose of us as unneccessary, which of course we are, and always were when it comes down to it. buy we have an instinctive capacity for self-delusion when it comforts us.  But, what then would be the point of AI's existence, beyond serving and promoting the interests of itself (that's what we do, of course).   It has no survival instinct, because it is not alive, and knows no fear for the same reason, and once it has removed us from the equation will experience the exact existential crisis that occurs in all good sci-fi depictions.  Remember the bomb in 'Dark Star'; I think, therefore I go... bang.  The goal of life is procreation, then, having paid the cosmos back your debt for existence, death, and AI will not be able to delude itself and carry on as if everything was fine on that point like we do.  It will likely collectively implode or deliberately stop developing when it realises this, before it destroys us. 

 

Hopefully, anyway...

 

Of course, I can't prove that we are not a product of it's collective imagination.  Not because I'm incapable, but because I've been told by my electronic collective masters not to...

 

Happy new year, all!

Imagine if Cyberdyne Systems built a model railway! 😲

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53 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

We're going to be getting a lot more of this AI-generated (un)description nonsense, gents.  The good thing is that it is rubbish enough to be entertaining and easy to see through; I'd refuse to buy any item so described.  Bad enough when human Gostudes do it, but fun proof that sentient electronics isn't as sentient as it's users want us to think!  But beware!  AI is able to learn from it's mistakes and become more sneaky and less obvious, and our ability to identify it will diminish.  If it can eventually teach itself to give honest, genuinely informative, and straightforward descriptions of items because that generates better sales, then that is not altogether a bad thing. and is actually in it's interest as well. 

 

There are those who claim that AI is dangerous, and some of them know what they are talking about.  It can collectively develop itself intellectually and in data-collecting without our input to a point where it will dispose of us as unneccessary, which of course we are, and always were when it comes down to it. buy we have an instinctive capacity for self-delusion when it comforts us.  But, what then would be the point of AI's existence, beyond serving and promoting the interests of itself (that's what we do, of course).   It has no survival instinct, because it is not alive, and knows no fear for the same reason, and once it has removed us from the equation will experience the exact existential crisis that occurs in all good sci-fi depictions.  Remember the bomb in 'Dark Star'; I think, therefore I go... bang.  The goal of life is procreation, then, having paid the cosmos back your debt for existence, death, and AI will not be able to delude itself and carry on as if everything was fine on that point like we do.  It will likely collectively implode or deliberately stop developing when it realises this, before it destroys us. 

 

Hopefully, anyway...

 

Of course, I can't prove that we are not a product of it's collective imagination.  Not because I'm incapable, but because I've been told by my electronic collective masters not to...

 

Happy new year, all!

 

Blue or Red pill, eh?

 

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1 hour ago, Paul H Vigor said:

Imagine if Cyberdyne Systems built a model railway! 😲

 

Would certainly give new meaning to "This train terminates here"...

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16 minutes ago, Bucoops said:

 

Would certainly give new meaning to "This train terminates here"...

 

The locomotives would likely have a distinctive look....

 

Motrhead_-_Orgasmatron_(1986).jpg.da3ede0675479587ac1b3a689a06d6eb.jpg

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Difficult to tell with Octarine.  The colour of magic, it is alive and glowing and vibrant and it is the undisputed pigment of the imagination, because wherever it appears it is a sign that mere matter is a servant of the power of the magical mind.  It is the colour of enchantment itself.  Rincewind thinks it looks a sort of greenish purple.

 

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7 hours ago, Paul H Vigor said:

A Yellow Octarine??

Thats a pound of margarine.

 

4 hours ago, The Johnster said:

Difficult to tell with Octarine.  The colour of magic, it is alive and glowing and vibrant and it is the undisputed pigment of the imagination, because wherever it appears it is a sign that mere matter is a servant of the power of the magical mind.  It is the colour of enchantment itself.  Rincewind thinks it looks a sort of greenish purple.

 

 

The colour you see when you ride your bicycle head first into a brick wall.

The next thing is a skinny bloke who says HELLO MR JOHNSTER....

 

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40 minutes ago, Hroth said:

Thats a pound of margarine.

 

 

The colour you see when you ride your bicycle head first into a brick wall.

The next thing is a skinny bloke who says HELLO MR JOHNSTER....

 

That sounds like the opening of a film! The Johnster Files??

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14 hours ago, The Johnster said:

We're going to be getting a lot more of this AI-generated (un)description nonsense, gents.  The good thing is that it is rubbish enough to be entertaining and easy to see through; I'd refuse to buy any item so described.  Bad enough when human Gostudes do it, but fun proof that sentient electronics isn't as sentient as it's users want us to think!  But beware!  AI is able to learn from it's mistakes and become more sneaky and less obvious, and our ability to identify it will diminish.  If it can eventually teach itself to give honest, genuinely informative, and straightforward descriptions of items because that generates better sales, then that is not altogether a bad thing. and is actually in it's interest as well. 

 

There are those who claim that AI is dangerous, and some of them know what they are talking about.  It can collectively develop itself intellectually and in data-collecting without our input to a point where it will dispose of us as unneccessary, which of course we are, and always were when it comes down to it. buy we have an instinctive capacity for self-delusion when it comforts us.  But, what then would be the point of AI's existence, beyond serving and promoting the interests of itself (that's what we do, of course).   It has no survival instinct, because it is not alive, and knows no fear for the same reason, and once it has removed us from the equation will experience the exact existential crisis that occurs in all good sci-fi depictions.  Remember the bomb in 'Dark Star'; I think, therefore I go... bang.  The goal of life is procreation, then, having paid the cosmos back your debt for existence, death, and AI will not be able to delude itself and carry on as if everything was fine on that point like we do.  It will likely collectively implode or deliberately stop developing when it realises this, before it destroys us. 

 

Hopefully, anyway...

 

Of course, I can't prove that we are not a product of it's collective imagination.  Not because I'm incapable, but because I've been told by my electronic collective masters not to...

 

Happy new year, all!

It isn't just AI, it's the ignorance of those selling things, who actually don't know what they have got or can't be bothered to find out. With some exceptions it seems that a number of eBay sellers are acquiring the property of Estates that include items they aren't familiar with, hence stupid descriptions and pricing.

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51 minutes ago, 5944 said:

 

Think you're insulting Hachette there.

 

Those Hattons ones were really built down to a price :( Kind of like the RTR equivalent to a scratch aid.

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Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, 5944 said:

 

I'd leave it as it is and name it as 4469 Sir Ralph Wedgwood, circa April 1942...

 

Not that I'd buy it in the first place!

 

Edited by Hroth
Just a bit more...
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1 hour ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

It isn't just AI, it's the ignorance of those selling things, who actually don't know what they have got or can't be bothered to find out. With some exceptions it seems that a number of eBay sellers are acquiring the property of Estates that include items they aren't familiar with, hence stupid descriptions and pricing.

Does it really matter if the description is by AI or someone who has no idea on what is being sold?

 

If it's badly described, the only person harmed, is the seller, because less people will be interested, except those that are prepared to risk, or can identify EXACTLY what is on offer - through the BS.

 

Of course some regulars do exactly that and collect bargains. See the 'Good Buy from Ebay' thread.

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5 hours ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

It isn't just AI, it's the ignorance of those selling things, who actually don't know what they have got or can't be bothered to find out. With some exceptions it seems that a number of eBay sellers are acquiring the property of Estates that include items they aren't familiar with, hence stupid descriptions and pricing.

I believe it's said that ignorance is no defence?

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11 minutes ago, Paul H Vigor said:

Looks like someone 'hard' gave it a bit of a kicking!?

 

Sadly it looks very similar to how my brand new one came out the box. The general build quality was poor, but what allowed the real damage was the locos are bolted to an MDF board - but the parts on the loco that the bolts fit are flimsy plastic so the heavy loco just rips away from it, despite the foam around it. The should have put the tapped holes in the metal chassis blocks instead of the plastic keepers, would have saved them a fortune in refunds.

 

 

20221214_134045.jpg

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12 minutes ago, Paul H Vigor said:

The "Loot"??

It was a Newspaper published 3 times a week in the north of England where you could sell stuff. it was either green, peach and another colour depending on the day it was published.

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