Stories with Tag Announcement

• SMBC Parts Ways with Hiveworks

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  Posted: 2025-03-05 17:30:44

  Verbose tl;dr

  SMBC is ending its partnership with Hiveworks after ten years. Zach Weiner, the creator of SMBC, expresses gratitude for Hiveworks' support in growing the comic and handling business aspects, allowing him to focus on the creative side. He emphasizes that the split is amicable and driven by a desire to explore new opportunities and have more direct control over SMBC's future. While the comic's URL and format will remain the same, behind-the-scenes operations are changing. Weiner looks forward to maintaining a positive relationship with Hiveworks and is excited about the next chapter for SMBC.

  Zach Weinersmith, the creator and author of the popular webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal (SMBC), has officially announced the termination of his professional relationship with Hiveworks, the webcomics collective and publishing platform that previously assisted with the business aspects of SMBC. This severance, effective as of January 1st, 2024, marks the end of a decade-long partnership between Weinersmith and Hiveworks. While the announcement expresses gratitude for the support provided by Hiveworks over the years, particularly in navigating the complexities of webcomics business management, which allowed Weinersmith to focus on the creative process of writing and drawing the comic, it also emphasizes a desire for increased autonomy and direct control over SMBC's operations going forward.

  Weinersmith articulates a clear intention to transition into self-publishing and directly manage all aspects of SMBC's business affairs. This includes handling advertising, merchandise, and other ancillary operations formerly overseen by Hiveworks. The post frames this change not as a negative reflection on Hiveworks, but rather as a natural evolution in the trajectory of SMBC and a strategic decision to consolidate all operations under Weinersmith's personal purview. He portrays this as a step towards a more streamlined and personalized approach to managing the comic's business side, allowing for quicker adaptation to the ever-shifting landscape of the online comics industry and more direct engagement with the SMBC readership. Weinersmith reassures readers that this transition will not impact the frequency or quality of the comic itself, promising that SMBC will continue to be published regularly. Furthermore, the post expresses optimism about the future and the opportunities this new independent direction presents for both the comic and its creator.

  • SMBC
  • Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
  • Hiveworks
  • webcomics
  • Zach Weinersmith
  • Comics
  • self-publishing
  • Business
  • webcomic hosting
  • Partnership
  • Announcement

  Summary of Comments ( 54 )
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43269614

  Verbose tl;dr

  Several Hacker News commenters expressed surprise and disappointment at SMBC's departure from Hiveworks, with some speculating about the reasons behind the split. Some wondered if it was due to financial disagreements or creative differences. Others praised Zach Weinersmith's talent and entrepreneurial spirit, wishing him well in his independent venture. A few commenters mentioned missing the collaborative nature of Hiveworks and hoped other creators wouldn't follow suit. Several also lamented the loss of the Hiveworks unified RSS feed and the convenience it offered. The potential difficulties of self-publishing, particularly regarding advertising and merchandise management, were also brought up. There was general agreement that the change would be a significant undertaking for Weinersmith.

  The Hacker News post titled "SMBC Parts Ways with Hiveworks" links to an SMBC comic announcing Zach Weinersmith's departure from the Hiveworks collective. The comments section contains several reactions and speculations, primarily focusing on the implications for both SMBC and Hiveworks.

  Several commenters express sadness and disappointment at the news, highlighting their appreciation for Hiveworks' model and the sense of community it fostered. One commenter remarks on the perceived rarity of amicable splits in creative partnerships, commending both parties for the seemingly smooth transition. They further speculate on the potential complexities of untangling shared infrastructure and resources, expressing curiosity about the logistical aspects of the separation.

  Another commenter raises the question of SMBC's potential move to a different platform or a self-hosted solution. They contemplate the possibility of Weinersmith leveraging Patreon or exploring other avenues for monetization and fan interaction now that he is independent of Hiveworks.

  Some comments express a more neutral stance, simply acknowledging the announcement and wishing both parties well. There's a general undercurrent of curiosity about the reasons behind the split, though speculation remains respectful and largely avoids unfounded conjecture. No insider information or definitive explanations are offered within the comments.

  The most compelling comments revolve around the potential impact on the webcomics landscape. Several commenters express concern about the future of Hiveworks, questioning whether other creators might follow suit and potentially destabilize the collective. Others ponder the implications for SMBC, speculating on whether this change will lead to new creative directions, business models, or content delivery methods.

  Overall, the sentiment leans towards cautious observation and respectful discussion. The commenters express genuine interest in the futures of both SMBC and Hiveworks, acknowledging the significance of this parting of ways within the webcomic community.

• Grok3 Launch [video]

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  Posted: 2025-02-18 04:04:54

  Verbose tl;dr

  xAI announced the launch of Grok 3, their new AI model. This version boasts significant improvements in reasoning and coding abilities, along with a more humorous and engaging personality. Grok 3 is currently being tested internally and will be progressively rolled out to X Premium+ subscribers. The accompanying video demonstrates Grok answering questions with witty responses, showcasing its access to real-time information through the X platform.

  xAI, Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, has announced the launch of their third generation large language model, Grok 3. This announcement, made via a short video on X (formerly Twitter), showcases Grok 3's purportedly enhanced capabilities, particularly in areas where previous iterations fell short. The video itself primarily features a demonstration of Grok 3 responding to a complex, multi-part prompt involving mathematical reasoning, code generation, and logical deduction. The implication is that Grok 3 has improved significantly in its ability to handle such intricate tasks, suggesting advancements in its underlying architecture and training data. While the video doesn't explicitly detail these technical improvements, it strongly emphasizes the model's new proficiency in problem-solving and generating coherent, multi-faceted responses. The launch of Grok 3 marks another step in xAI's stated mission to develop advanced AI, and the video presentation suggests a focus on practical applications, particularly in domains requiring both analytical and creative capabilities. The video serves as a public unveiling of this latest iteration, signaling xAI's progress and inviting further exploration of Grok 3's potential.

  • Grok
  • Grok-3
  • XAI
  • Elon Musk
  • AI
  • artificial intelligence
  • Large Language Model
  • LLM
  • video
  • launch
  • Announcement
  • Tech
  • Technology
  • machine learning

  Summary of Comments ( 1292 )
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43085957

  Verbose tl;dr

  HN commenters are generally skeptical of Grok's capabilities, questioning the demo's veracity and expressing concerns about potential biases and hallucinations. Some suggest the showcased interactions are cherry-picked or pre-programmed, highlighting the lack of access to the underlying data and methodology. Others point to the inherent difficulty of humor and sarcasm detection, speculating that Grok might be relying on simple pattern matching rather than true understanding. Several users draw parallels to previous overhyped AI demos, while a few express cautious optimism, acknowledging the potential while remaining critical of the current presentation. The limited scope of the demo and the lack of transparency are recurring themes in the criticisms.

  The Hacker News post "Grok3 Launch [video]" discussing xAI's new Grok3 language model has generated several comments, primarily focusing on comparisons with other models, speculation about its capabilities, and discussion around the demonstration video.

  Several commenters discuss the apparent speed and fluency of Grok's responses in the provided video, with some expressing skepticism about whether the demonstration is representative of typical performance. One commenter questions if the prompts and responses were cherry-picked, suggesting that a more comprehensive demonstration with varied prompts would be more convincing.

  Another thread of discussion revolves around Grok's access to real-time information, a feature highlighted in the video. Commenters debate the potential advantages and disadvantages of this, with some raising concerns about the accuracy and bias of information drawn from current events. The discussion also touches on the potential for misuse, particularly in generating misinformation.

  Comparisons to other large language models, especially GPT-4, are prevalent. Some users suggest that, based on the video, Grok's performance seems comparable or even superior in certain aspects, while others caution against drawing definitive conclusions based on limited information. The discussion touches upon the lack of publicly available benchmarks to objectively compare the models.

  There's also speculation about the underlying architecture and training data of Grok. One commenter posits that Grok might be based on a more advanced architecture than GPT-4, citing its seemingly improved contextual understanding. However, without official information, this remains conjecture.

  Several users express interest in accessing Grok and participating in testing. The exclusivity of Grok to X Premium subscribers is also a point of discussion, with some commenters criticizing this approach and advocating for wider availability.

  Finally, the humorous and somewhat irreverent personality displayed by Grok in the video receives attention. Commenters discuss the potential implications of imbuing AI with such a personality, with opinions ranging from amusement to concern about potential biases and misuse. The discussion also touches upon the challenges of defining and controlling the personality of an AI model.