I've been using (the free version of) Perplexity for some queries that I used to just "Google" and then scan the results to form an answer. I liked how it would do the scanning and answer-forming for me... until...
This past week I asked Perplexity some questions... some related to the fires, some not– and was given some answers that were just straight up WRONG. And when I'd go back to my old method of "googling" to fact-check, it seemed like there was an abundance of information giving the correct answers that Perplexity somehow missed, or misinterpreted. And this seriously happened 3 times in a row. And they weren't all just topics related to breaking / developing news.
I know that Perplexity is just one of many AI tools, but right now I'm suspicious of any answer an AI gives me... especially relating to news
Fascinating. People are ensconced in information silos and will believe all sorts of conspiracies relying on untruths. However, when the chips are down and the wolf is at the door, or the fire threatens their life's endeavors and family, they want facts. Where can one turn to find facts in this era of Post-Truth? Why to real people on your local news channel. The local newspaper reporters who are on the line and are also real people. And outfits like WatchDuty. My nephew works for CalFire. I respect his knowledge and rationale for crews' responses to dangerous and life threatening situations. Algorithms, AI, the techBros? Not so much. Talk radio hosts? They are great for entertainment. Conflagrations are now entertainment. Let's burn it all down. The algorithms can help by maximizing user "engagement".
'More accurate forms of information like WatchDuty?
smh. What is wrong with us. This is all just all-privatization-all-the-time. Why on earth not just go directly to the people who work for the people, who you have hired, with your own money, and who have created all full information as needed. CalFire has a fabulous website with all the information that WatchDuty pilfers and passes along to you, the mark. smh. It's like charter schools and private mail deliverers and private fire fighters and private.... yadayaada. Quit it, y'all. Hire humans to do middle-management work for humans, resource and use that, value it, don't make shit up about it so as to advantage a private purveyor just looking to siphon money off the middle. smfh. So sick of this.
Respectfully disagree with this take. I use both the watch duty and CalFire sites. CalFire is excellent, but it loads slowly and is more difficult to navigate, especially if you are on mobile. Watch Duty also synthesizes info from multiple sources. I’ve been using Watch Duty for a few years, enabling me to keep track of fires affecting friends in other parts of the state without having to bother them. I appreciate the frustration of it being the darling app of the moment and getting outsized attention, which is unfair to CalFire and others also doing excellent work.
I've been using (the free version of) Perplexity for some queries that I used to just "Google" and then scan the results to form an answer. I liked how it would do the scanning and answer-forming for me... until...
This past week I asked Perplexity some questions... some related to the fires, some not– and was given some answers that were just straight up WRONG. And when I'd go back to my old method of "googling" to fact-check, it seemed like there was an abundance of information giving the correct answers that Perplexity somehow missed, or misinterpreted. And this seriously happened 3 times in a row. And they weren't all just topics related to breaking / developing news.
I know that Perplexity is just one of many AI tools, but right now I'm suspicious of any answer an AI gives me... especially relating to news
Fascinating. People are ensconced in information silos and will believe all sorts of conspiracies relying on untruths. However, when the chips are down and the wolf is at the door, or the fire threatens their life's endeavors and family, they want facts. Where can one turn to find facts in this era of Post-Truth? Why to real people on your local news channel. The local newspaper reporters who are on the line and are also real people. And outfits like WatchDuty. My nephew works for CalFire. I respect his knowledge and rationale for crews' responses to dangerous and life threatening situations. Algorithms, AI, the techBros? Not so much. Talk radio hosts? They are great for entertainment. Conflagrations are now entertainment. Let's burn it all down. The algorithms can help by maximizing user "engagement".
I’m using computers less in general since I was displaced.
'More accurate forms of information like WatchDuty?
smh. What is wrong with us. This is all just all-privatization-all-the-time. Why on earth not just go directly to the people who work for the people, who you have hired, with your own money, and who have created all full information as needed. CalFire has a fabulous website with all the information that WatchDuty pilfers and passes along to you, the mark. smh. It's like charter schools and private mail deliverers and private fire fighters and private.... yadayaada. Quit it, y'all. Hire humans to do middle-management work for humans, resource and use that, value it, don't make shit up about it so as to advantage a private purveyor just looking to siphon money off the middle. smfh. So sick of this.
I had not heard this line of criticism of Watch Duty anywhere until now!
Respectfully disagree with this take. I use both the watch duty and CalFire sites. CalFire is excellent, but it loads slowly and is more difficult to navigate, especially if you are on mobile. Watch Duty also synthesizes info from multiple sources. I’ve been using Watch Duty for a few years, enabling me to keep track of fires affecting friends in other parts of the state without having to bother them. I appreciate the frustration of it being the darling app of the moment and getting outsized attention, which is unfair to CalFire and others also doing excellent work.