Whoopee-do! After countless attempts to sign up with ChatGPT, I finally managed to get through the barriers protecting this AI facility and the first "message" I sent was this: "Write a two hundred word blogpost about trolls". Below is the essay that ChatGPT generated in ten seconds flat:-
"In the vast realm of the internet, a pervasive presence lurks beneath the surface: trolls. These digital troublemakers thrive on disruption and negativity, leaving a trail of chaos in their wake. Today, we delve into the world of trolls, exploring their motivations, impact, and ways to combat their influence.
Trolls, often anonymous, use online platforms to provoke and incite discord. Their primary objective is to elicit emotional responses, stoke arguments, and spread misinformation. They revel in the attention they receive, deriving satisfaction from the chaos they create. The consequences can be dire, leading to a toxic online environment, cyberbullying, and psychological distress for victims.
However, understanding trolls is crucial in combating their influence. Recognizing their attention-seeking behaviour allows us to develop strategies to defuse their impact. It's essential not to engage with trolls directly, as this only fuels their desire for disruption. Instead, focus on promoting positivity and constructive dialogue, creating an environment where trolls struggle to thrive.
Moderation and reporting mechanisms play a crucial role in mitigating troll activity. By reporting abusive content, we empower platform administrators to take action and protect users. Encouraging digital literacy and critical thinking skills is also essential, enabling individuals to identify misinformation and avoid falling victim to trolls.
Trolls are an unfortunate reality of the digital age. To counter their negative influence, it's essential to stay vigilant, promote positive online behaviour, and report abusive content. By working together, we can create a healthier internet landscape that fosters respectful communication and productive discourse."
The trouble with "Blogger" is of course that there doesn't appear to be any obvious moderation process and in effect there is nowhere bloggers can go to report trolls or even raise concerns with "Blogger" about them. Trolls appear to have carte blanche in the blogosphere and this gives them unmerited freedom to be judgemental, hurtful and nasty. With this in mind, I think that ChatGPT's advice to ignore troll comments and refuse their authors the oxygen of engagement is probably very wise.
I was expecting them to write a fantasy fiction about the type of trolls that are in your photo! Did you think it would be all about internet trolls?
ReplyDeleteYes I did Ellen. Maybe it could read my mind!
DeleteAn AI program generated that?
ReplyDeleteHow do I sign up?
Just search for ChatGPT and then try to sign up. It took me weeks to get here. You might be more lucky.
DeleteI wonder if trolling increased during lockdown ?
ReplyDeleteJack Brown has a fascinating book on the history of 10 Downing Street.
Britain's first Zoom Cabinet meeting was on 31 March 2020.
Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock self-isolated after catching the virus.
Brown thinks there may be little future for Downing Street in the digital age.
What did Covid do to people's mental health ?
Trolls are angry people. Are they children of the digital age ?
*No. 10 - The Geography of Power at Downing Street* is a Haus paperback.
I think that 2020 - The Year of Almighty COVID marked something of a turning point in western culture. Some things were changed forever.
DeleteA turning point in Western culture and elsewhere: What now ?
DeleteLet's hope Boris Johnson & Matt Hancock are gone forever from politics.
They will spend the rest of their rotten lives lining their pockets.
John Major, Malcolm Rifkind, Jack Straw, *Call Me Dave* Cameron,
Deleteand Tony Blair the war criminal, all used their international contacts
as ministers to enrich themselves.
As my father used to say, 'None are content to live on their pension.'
I played with GPT for some time a few weeks ago, and commented here on your Signpost post, that I was not impressed. It's interesting on general topics like trolls, but when you ask for something more specific, such as to write a critique of Yorkshire Pudding's blog, it becomes obvious it can only access general knowledge, and when it can't it generates bullshit. The kind of AI that would worry me is interconnectivity between every electronic device - your computer, your car, your fridge, and mine, making one god-like entity that knows everything about everyone and controls all we have, and can think for itself. That's a long way off.
ReplyDeleteI sought a critique of The Yorkshire Pudding blog with ChatGPT and I got back "Its brilliance is blinding" and "In terms of weekly postings - such a fascinating variety!" and "Whoever manages it is a genius!"
DeleteNothing specific to show it knew anything about it, then! "weekly postings" shows not. Makes similar generalities about mine (not always so glowing).
DeleteI've noticed most of my comments that are deemed spam are usually one word responses. Sadly, sometimes if I respond to a commenter by saying 'Yes,' that gets counted as spam!
ReplyDeleteYes, blogger thinks I spam my own blog.
I think "Blogger" has tried to minimise the number of people it requires to operate it. So many of the issues relate to bots, automation and increasingly AI.
DeleteI used chatGPT to create a meal plan. I didn't find it an exciting plan but with better instruction, it may have been a great tool.
ReplyDeleteThe moderation of trolls is done by the individual blog owner and relies on our use of settings. I've never had a problem with trolls, which is nice
Yes. You are lucky not to have been pestered by trolls. It's the reason I turned on comment moderation.
DeleteI had a pesky troll a few years ago who thought that old people were a big nuisance and we should get rid of them. I saw this same troll on other blogs. I deleted comments as soon as I saw them. After a while he disappeared.
ReplyDeleteSome will disappear but I have had a couple of trolls who have pestered me for years. I have learnt never to read anything they write.
DeletePara 2 has is just right. My usual trolls seem to have gone quiet recently, I hope it stays that way.
ReplyDeleteSome people are innately contrary but the truth is that it's nice to be nice.
DeleteAnd not a single word on the trolls who live under bridges and demand payment for crossing.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realise that you have them in Australia too. I guess they look just like parking enforcement officers.
DeleteHow far we have come? But A1 is a bit worrying, it (as opposed to he or she) will soon be able to copy style of writing and then we will really be in the *... (insert what word you want to use)
ReplyDeleteThe word I want to use is blancmange. Preferably pink.
DeleteAre you back, then?
ReplyDeleteOne of the issues some people have with ChatGPT is that it does not (or not always) make its sources transparent, which in turn makes it difficult to check how trustworthy the information put together actually is. The latest version of the app should offer a certain level of transparency, but what ChatGPT says about encouraging critical thinking in the context of trolls is true about itself, too.
How ironic! I had not thought about that.
DeleteI am astonished. I assume that I shouldn't be but I am.
ReplyDeleteWhy not see if you can get on to ChatGPT yourself Graham?
DeleteYup, AI seems to have summed trolls up nicely.
ReplyDeleteThey can be very upsetting - rather like having chickenpox.
DeleteLike you I’ve had my fair share
ReplyDeleteRecently I suspect a troll is a regular commentator who is directing hatred at themselves
Go figure
It was one of your recent posts that ignited my question and therefore this particular blogpost.
DeleteYP, you sent me off to JGG (whom I read intermittently) to track that down, How tiresome. And it can be hurtful. Not quite the same thing, but I still niggle away at a disparaging comment made on my blog over ten years ago (though it had the extra element that the commenter went around my blog pseudonym). I have a suspect. It is more convenient to confine the suspicion to one person.
DeleteI shouldn't be surprised by the ChatGPT response but I am. It seems remarkably wise.
ReplyDeleteWhile I've never been seriously trolled in nearly twenty years of blogging, I find not responding to their comments is the best way to deal with them. They seem to drift away after being ignored. Deleting their comment is a response and I don't do that unless it is offensive towards others.
The US state of Michigan has to parts, the upper and lower peninsula with a very large bridge connecting the two. I was born in the lower peninsula, or below the bridge - proud to be a troll. We were married in Jones Point Park, part of the park is below the Woodrow Wilson Bridge that connects Alexandria, Virginia to Prince George's County in Maryland, we call it the troll park.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good essay and good advice.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that ChatGPT defaulted to talking about Internet trolls, as opposed to those furry ones from fairy tales. A sign of the times, I suppose. For an AI-generated blog post, that was surprisingly comprehensive, but also quite boring -- you need the human factor for a post to have personality.
ReplyDeleteI leave nasty comments just where they are hoping that they get confused as to wether I have seen it or not. I guess you could say that they are giving their opinion and that is a kind of free speech. We are all rapidly losing free speech in this an other countries of the world so maybe we should just let them have their say and move on.
ReplyDeleteBriony
x
I will not try ChatGPT. I don't want to encourage it.
ReplyDelete