Kevin Quirk argues against using Twitter threads for substantive content, advocating for blog posts instead. He points out Twitter's ephemeral nature, poor searchability, lack of control over formatting and content presentation, and the difficulty of revising or updating information. A blog, in contrast, offers permanence, improved discoverability through search engines, greater control over formatting and multimedia inclusion, and the ability to easily edit and update. This creates a superior reading experience and allows creators to build a lasting, searchable body of work that they own and control, unlike content trapped within the walled garden of a social media platform.
Andrej Karpathy shared his early impressions of Grok 3, xAI's latest large language model. He found it remarkably fast, even surpassing GPT-4 in speed, and capable of complex reasoning, code generation, and even humor. Karpathy highlighted Grok's unique "personality" derived from its training on real-time information, including news and current events, giving it a distinct, up-to-the-minute awareness. This real-time data ingestion also allows Grok to make current event references and exhibit a kind of ongoing curiosity about the world. He was particularly impressed by its ability to rapidly adapt and learn within a conversation, showcasing a significant advancement in interactive learning capabilities.
HN commenters discuss Karpathy's experience with Grok 3, generally expressing excitement and curiosity. Several highlight Grok's emergent abilities like code generation and humor, while acknowledging its limitations and occasional inaccuracies. Some compare it favorably to Bard and other LLMs, praising its speed and "personality". Others question Grok's access to real-time information and its potential impact on X's platform, with concerns about bias and misinformation. A few users also discuss the ethical implications of rapidly evolving AI and the future of LLMs. There's a sense of anticipation for broader Grok access and further developments in the model's capabilities.
X (formerly Twitter) is currently blocking links to the encrypted messaging app Signal. Users attempting to post links containing "signal.me" are encountering errors or finding their posts failing to send. This block appears targeted, as links to other messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram remain functional. While the reason for the block is unconfirmed, speculation points to Elon Musk's past disagreements with Signal or a potential attempt to bolster X's own encrypted messaging feature.
Hacker News users discussed potential reasons for X (formerly Twitter) blocking links to Signal, speculating that it's part of a broader trend of Musk suppressing competitors. Some suggested it's an intentional move to stifle alternative platforms, pointing to similar blocking of Substack, Bluesky, and Threads links. Others considered technical explanations like an overzealous spam filter or misconfigured regular expression, though this was deemed less likely given the targeted nature of the block. A few commenters mentioned that Mastodon links still worked, further fueling the theory of targeted suppression. The perceived pettiness of the move and the potential for abuse of power were also highlighted.
The article discusses how Elon Musk's ambitious, fast-paced ventures like SpaceX and Tesla, particularly his integration of Dogecoin into these projects, are attracting a wave of young, often inexperienced engineers. While these engineers bring fresh perspectives and a willingness to tackle challenging projects, their lack of experience and the rapid development cycles raise concerns about potential oversight and the long-term stability of these endeavors, particularly regarding Dogecoin's viability as a legitimate currency. The article highlights the potential risks associated with relying on a less experienced workforce driven by a strong belief in Musk's vision, contrasting it with the more traditional, regulated approaches of established institutions.
Hacker News commenters discuss the Wired article about young engineers working on Dogecoin. Several express skepticism that inexperienced engineers are truly "aiding" Dogecoin, pointing out that its core code is largely based on Bitcoin and hasn't seen significant development. Some argue that Musk's focus on youth and inexperience reflects a broader Silicon Valley trend of undervaluing experience and institutional knowledge. Others suggest that the young engineers are likely working on peripheral projects, not core protocol development, and some defend Musk's approach as promoting innovation and fresh perspectives. A few comments also highlight the speculative and meme-driven nature of Dogecoin, questioning its long-term viability regardless of the engineers' experience levels.
Community Notes, X's (formerly Twitter's) crowdsourced fact-checking system, aims to combat misinformation by allowing users to add contextual notes to potentially misleading tweets. The system relies on contributor ratings of note helpfulness and strives for consensus across viewpoints. It utilizes a complex algorithm incorporating various factors like rater agreement, writing quality, and potential bias, prioritizing notes with broad agreement. While still under development, Community Notes emphasizes transparency and aims to build trust through its open-source nature and data accessibility, allowing researchers to analyze and improve the system. The system's success hinges on attracting diverse contributors and maintaining neutrality to avoid being manipulated by specific viewpoints.
Hacker News users generally praised Community Notes, highlighting its surprisingly effective crowdsourced approach to fact-checking. Several commenters discussed the system's clever design, particularly its focus on finding points of agreement even among those with differing viewpoints. Some pointed out the potential for manipulation or bias, but acknowledged that the current implementation seems to mitigate these risks reasonably well. A few users expressed interest in seeing similar systems implemented on other platforms, while others discussed the philosophical implications of decentralized truth-seeking. One highly upvoted comment suggested that Community Notes' success stems from tapping into a genuine desire among users to contribute positively and improve information quality. The overall sentiment was one of cautious optimism, with many viewing Community Notes as a promising, albeit imperfect, step towards combating misinformation.
Paul Graham's 2009 post argues that Twitter's significance stems not from its seeming triviality, but from its unique blend of messaging and public broadcast. It's a new kind of medium, distinct from email or IM, offering a low-friction way to share thoughts and information publicly. This public nature fosters a sense of ambient awareness, keeping users connected to a wider circle than traditional communication methods. Its brevity and immediacy contribute to a feeling of being "present," allowing participation in real-time events and fostering a sense of shared experience. While seemingly inconsequential updates create this presence, they also pave the way for sharing genuinely valuable information within the established network.
HN commenters discuss Paul Graham's 2009 essay on Twitter's significance. Several highlight the prescience of his observations about its future potential, particularly regarding real-time news and conversation. Some contrast Twitter's early simplicity with its current complexity, lamenting feature bloat and the rise of performative posting. Others note how Graham correctly predicted the platform's role as a powerful distribution channel, even envisioning its use for customer support. A few express skepticism about its long-term value, echoing early criticisms about the triviality of its content. Overall, the comments reflect a mix of admiration for Graham's foresight and a wistful look back at a simpler era of social media.
Summary of Comments ( 96 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43277924
Hacker News users generally agree with the author's premise that blog posts are superior to Twitter threads for conveying complex ideas. Several commenters point out the ephemeral nature of Twitter content and the difficulty of searching or referencing it later. The improved formatting, editing capabilities, and permanence of blogs are highlighted as key advantages. Some users mention the benefit of owning your content on a personal platform rather than relying on a third-party service. A few dissenting opinions suggest Twitter threads can be effective for quick thoughts and reaching a wider audience, but acknowledge blogs are better for in-depth analysis. The lack of comments/likes on personal blogs is mentioned as a potential drawback, though others counter that this allows for more focused writing without the pressure of social media engagement.
The Hacker News post linking Kevin Quirk's blog post, "Forget Twitter threads and write a blog post instead," generated a fair number of comments, most agreeing with the premise.
Many commenters echoed the sentiment that Twitter threads are a suboptimal format for conveying complex or nuanced information. They cited issues such as the character limit, difficulty in editing, lack of searchability, and the ephemeral nature of tweets getting lost in the fast-paced feed. Several pointed out the benefits of blog posts, including better formatting options, permanence, ownership of content, and the ability to build a personal archive.
One commenter highlighted the inherent transience of Twitter, stating that relying on a platform you don't control for important content is a risky proposition. This concern about platform dependence and potential loss of content resonated with other users. Another user emphasized the improved reading experience of a well-structured blog post compared to a disjointed Twitter thread, particularly for longer-form content.
A few commenters offered counterpoints or nuanced perspectives. One argued that Twitter threads offer a unique advantage in facilitating quick, real-time discussions and engaging directly with an audience, suggesting that the two formats serve different purposes. Another acknowledged the benefits of blogging but pointed to the network effect and broader reach afforded by Twitter. They suggested using Twitter threads to attract attention and then linking to a more detailed blog post for those who want to delve deeper. This cross-posting strategy was mentioned by others as a way to leverage the strengths of both platforms.
Some commenters offered practical tips, like using a service to convert Twitter threads into blog posts, further demonstrating a preference for the blog format. Another commenter emphasized the professional benefits of maintaining a blog, suggesting it helps build credibility and showcases expertise in a way that a scattered collection of tweets cannot.
Overall, the comments largely supported Quirk's argument, praising the benefits of blog posts for their permanence, structure, and ownership. While some acknowledged the specific advantages of Twitter for quick dissemination and engagement, the prevailing sentiment was that blog posts provide a superior platform for sharing in-depth thoughts and building a lasting body of work.