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argv[-1]argv_minus_one@mastodon.sdf.org
Oct 17, 2026, 6:45 PM
@prefec2
On the rare occasions when I had a problem and could not find any solution, bots have proven profoundly unhelpful.
I posted about one such incident last month. Here's the thread: https://mastodon.sdf.org/@argv_minus_one/117215411079697884
I'm sure the AI bros would tell me I was just prompting it wrong, but…well, see for yourself. I described the problem with exemplary precision and thoroughness, and in return I got unmitigated garbage.
@HeckinChonker @leontheloner @nixCraft
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Replies

argv[-1]argv_minus_one@mastodon.sdf.org
Oct 17, 2026, 6:47 PM
@prefec2
My email inbox is also daily bombarded with confidently-incorrect slop from my meat-proxy coworker, which has further soured my opinion of AI.
If it's this disastrously wrong this often about things I know, what *else* is it frequently disastrously wrong about?
So, seeing the likes of Linus Torvalds sing AI's praises has made me feel like I'm the only remaining sane man in a world gone completely mad.
@HeckinChonker @leontheloner @nixCraft
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Worikworik@mastodon.social
Oct 17, 2026, 8:29 PM
@argv_minus_one @prefec2 @HeckinChonker @leontheloner @nixCraft
My personal unfavourite is documents produced by AI. Long, detailed, inscruitable and soooo boring
I am not an AI hater by any means. But I do hate this disruption
I am expecting we will learn to use this tool, but as we do it is a we bit out of control.
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José Manuel (Chema) Solíschemaunch@mastodon.social
Oct 18, 2026, 1:15 PM
@argv_minus_one @prefec2 @HeckinChonker @leontheloner @nixCraft You are not alone. To me it is obvious that the less competent you are at something, the more you feel the improvement by using AI, and everyone knows someone that is overexcited because of that boost and tries to evangelize everyone else as if he/she has discovered fire.
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José Manuel (Chema) Solíschemaunch@mastodon.social
Oct 18, 2026, 1:27 PM
@argv_minus_one @prefec2 @HeckinChonker @leontheloner @nixCraft An additional problem with software is that even a catastrophic global failure like the one that happened with the Windows boot sequence some years ago has little to none legal consequences, as i.e. a bridge that collapses has, so people write crappy software or claim the authorship of software generated with AI without fear of the consequences.
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Stuartstuart@social.sydenham.org.uk
Oct 18, 2026, 1:36 PM
@chemaunch @argv_minus_one @prefec2 @HeckinChonker @leontheloner @nixCraft
While I agree with you that I use it where I know I'm not good enough. The issue with this is we tend to overestimate our competence so may be neglecting to use it where it might produce a better result than us faster & cheaper.
You may argue "get competent". But there are so many competences I could be improving but only time to focus on a few.
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argv[-1]argv_minus_one@mastodon.sdf.org
Oct 18, 2026, 7:11 PM
@stuart
No. Incompetent people tend to overestimate their competence. As people grow in competence, one of the things they learn is where lie the limits of their own competence.
That's what gives rise to the Dunning-Kruger effect.
@chemaunch @prefec2 @HeckinChonker @leontheloner @nixCraft
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argv[-1]argv_minus_one@mastodon.sdf.org
Oct 18, 2026, 7:12 PM
@stuart
However, while anyone can plainly see that AI is incompetent within their own field, most people still perceive AI as shockingly competent in all other fields.
Which is fallacious. Its “confidently incorrect” behavior in your field should have proven to you that it is not competent in *any* field. It's a con man, not an expert.
@chemaunch @prefec2 @HeckinChonker @leontheloner @nixCraft
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Leon the Lonerleontheloner@defcon.social
Oct 18, 2026, 7:49 PM
@argv_minus_one @stuart @chemaunch @prefec2 @HeckinChonker @nixCraft
And this is only so effective because confidently incorrect is also rewarded so regularly.
It's also strange how pervasive it is. Cause I would go so far to say I, and many many of my colleagues over the years, have effectively been trained to be confidently incorrect (or at least seem knowledgable of something we are maybe vaguely aware of) even though we (well, some of us) are already competent at what we do, we're just demanded to be even more than what's reasonable.
It's not just IT either.
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argv[-1]argv_minus_one@mastodon.sdf.org
Oct 18, 2026, 8:01 PM
@leontheloner
Yeah, that's what makes me different from most people. I *hate* “confidently incorrect” behavior. As soon as I see someone behave that way, I write them off as untrustworthy in all matters.
And yes, that would make the vast majority of people untrustworthy. Which…well…look around at what's happening in the world. Most people are indeed untrustworthy, and we've got the global socio-techno-economic collapse to prove it.
@stuart @chemaunch @prefec2 @HeckinChonker @nixCraft
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