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cathshaffer.bsky.social
Reporter at Genomeweb/PMO | SFF Writer MSU/UM grad | Ann Arbor 🏠 | Clarion '97 | AnLab 🏅 | Obligate herbivore | Cat lover | Allergic to cats | Achoo!
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I’m pretty sure this story is AI-generated. It reads as if the reporters dumped their notes into ChatGPT and copy pasted into the CMS, which may be how they got it posted at 10:12 PM the evening of the show.

submitted 7 hours ago • 0 comments

I just read an article in a major national newspaper authored by two very senior reporters that I am sure is AI-generated. The fall of civilization has begun. I think they just dumped their notes into ChatGPT and copy pasted into the CMS.

submitted 7 hours ago • 0 comments

The most useful (and most hated) manuscript critique you can receive (or give) is this: draw a line across the page where you lost interest. That's it. Other criticism is useful, but only The Line will actually fix your work.

submitted 1 day ago • 1 comment

I added a row on my scene chart for the work in progress for "why does the reader care?" and "what is the reader worried about?" It's so illuminating. "Why should I care?" is a critical question in journalism, but is quickly lost in creative writing.

submitted 2 days ago • 1 comment

I ran an experiment, simultaneously posting articles on Bluesky and X, and then testing to see how many people actually clicked and read them. The numbers on Bluesky are higher, both because the X algorithm downranks journalism, and because Bluesky attracts readers, not just shitposters.

submitted 3 days ago • 931 comments

Quick, somebody brush me!

submitted 5 days ago • 0 comments

Oh my god, it's still Tuesday. What is going on???

submitted 8 days ago • 0 comments

Putting "not a bot" in your profile is a sure way to get people to believe you're not a bot. For extra validity, put that in each of the ten identical profiles you have and are attempting to follow me on.

submitted 8 days ago • 0 comments

Patients are feeding transcripts of their doctor appointments into ChatGPT and generating simplified summaries to help them understand their medical info. This is a terrible idea. I expect openAI will restrict this type of usage, but only after some high profile serious harm …

submitted 8 days ago • 1 comment

I ark have the skills, and the tool of the ancients in the driver’s side seat pocket

submitted 8 days ago • 1 comment

Would it be considered unprofessional if I changed my bluesky handle to Princess Donut? That’s a thing serious journalists do, right?

submitted 8 days ago • 1 comment

I worked straight through the weekend and for the umpteenth time today I am shocked to realize it’s Tuesday.

submitted 8 days ago • 0 comments

Glorified autocorrect can not understand or critique the content of a text

submitted 8 days ago • 0 comments

Solving a plot problem at the beginning of my book has unlocked unexpected destructive potential at the end. Bwahahaha

submitted 8 days ago • 1 comment

I watched a red-wing black bird beat the crap out of a blue heron today down at the pond. The black bird repeatedly landed on and pecked at the heron's butt. The heron was pretty slow to get a clue but it finally ambled far enough from the black bird's nearby nest to stop the attack.

submitted 9 days ago • 0 comments

I can’t believe mankind created a word regurgitation machine, named it artificial intelligence, and really put it in charge of things. We have cautionary tales about AI, but the danger always involved it being smarter than us.

submitted 9 days ago • 1 comment

Inspiring!

submitted 12 days ago • 0 comments

Youtube thinks I might like to listen to a Jackson Browne playlist this morning and yes, I would, thank you.

submitted 13 days ago • 0 comments

Just finished the first season of Your Honor with Bryan Cranston on Netflix. Can’t recommend unless you want an excuse to smash your TV.

submitted 13 days ago • 0 comments

AI consuming its own output to create more AI output and consuming that output to create more AI output, etc. is leading to a very predictable result. Some of us are still creating bespoke, artisanal original human content, though!

submitted 14 days ago • 0 comments