Exactly. It will be interesting to see if they respond to everyone who emailed and what those responses say. I also recommend everyone keep an eye on the website. I have a feeling it will be getting a much "needed" update--some of the pages are several year old--and that the language about AI will suddenly be included.
I know this is about spitting facts and raising questions. Which usually means the questions are the true subject. But I wanted to comment on one of the facts.
I’ve raised the question about digital writing tools in response to AI fear threads whenever I have endured them. Choosing the word endured was deliberate. Why? Because the only story I have gotten through the editorial process wouldn’t ever have been written without the advantages AI provides. Full disclosure: that story was published in Goblin Market.
The twenty-third anniversary of the accident that amputated the three central fingers on my left hand is looming. If you are curious, that bloody handprint for an icon demonstrates where my fingers now end. That moment changed everything from my symmetry to self-imagery. I could focus on things like relearning how to tie my darn shoes. But I won’t, mostly because I want to focus on how I write stories so they are presentable to an editor.
If you are a deliberate reader and look at the Qwerty keyboard, named for the left top row, you may have already noticed something that fans of Wheel of Fortune know without much thought. Six of the most prominent letters in the English alphabet are keyed with the left hand. Imagine learning to type again, using only your pinky. Heck, you don’t even have to imagine. Put a pen in your left hand and type a ten-word response, and you will get a glimpse of what it’s like for a triple digit amputee to type. At the time of the accident, I was part of Popcap’s beta team. The same company that gave the world Bejeweled gave us Typershark. Popcap was very happy with my feedback, at least in part due to my complications. I learned to type again, and I learned to fix the inevitable mistakes. And yes, Typershark had a fundamental element of AI. Comparison. It doesn’t matter if it’s a word string or sentence syntax. AI compares an input against expectation.
That is why I’m writing this. Because AI tools teach as well as assemble. That’s another deliberate word choice. I withhold commentary on what AI yields because AI teaches as well.
When I caught the writing bug a year ago, it seemed like Grammarly was gigging me every fourth sentence for passivity. I find it interesting that I rarely write passively now. But I understand why. Having to spend effort editing that crap out pushed me into not doing it. AI is not a creator; it is a tool. Every tool can be used for good or evil. The tool that took my fingers was a table saw. Back then, safety stops were not available. My response could have varied from demanding table saws banned to accepting and moving on at the speed of perseverance. I chose the latter.
Every time the Neo Luddites score a ‘win,’ there is an inherent loss. The loss is the utility of an educational tool. On the topic of AI, I am not a Technocrat. I do have concerns, but I approach them openly. I can’t write about what Cedar Sanderson did or didn’t do, and I’m not. But I will write about DragonCon's response.
There was a moment when DragonCon faced the choice of banning or accepting. They chose to ban. AI is controversial—we all understand that—but DragonCon’s awards are granted by VOTE. DragonCon has decided to placate the crowd by removing the option from the ballot. For the permanent record, the ‘accept and move on’ choice would have been to point out that the winner is selected by ballot, let the nomination stand, and let the voters' voice be even more meaningful. You cannot value the wisdom of crowds and then refuse to let the crowd have their say without raising questions about your motives.
I wrote an email to the DragonCon admin expressing my displeasure in their use of secret standards in determining "qualified" candidates for popular vote awards.
After "harsh words deleted", I asked them to remove me from all lists associated with DragonCon.
I will continue to "vote" for authors who write things that I like to read by paying money for them.
When people see me only as a member of a disfavored-by-them group, I recognize them as threats, and refuse to support them.
The language they used “we were made aware” is telling too.
Exactly. It will be interesting to see if they respond to everyone who emailed and what those responses say. I also recommend everyone keep an eye on the website. I have a feeling it will be getting a much "needed" update--some of the pages are several year old--and that the language about AI will suddenly be included.
The critical pages have been archived and screenshots made of the (lack of) search results
https://substack.com/@francisturner/note/c-64741553
I know this is about spitting facts and raising questions. Which usually means the questions are the true subject. But I wanted to comment on one of the facts.
I’ve raised the question about digital writing tools in response to AI fear threads whenever I have endured them. Choosing the word endured was deliberate. Why? Because the only story I have gotten through the editorial process wouldn’t ever have been written without the advantages AI provides. Full disclosure: that story was published in Goblin Market.
The twenty-third anniversary of the accident that amputated the three central fingers on my left hand is looming. If you are curious, that bloody handprint for an icon demonstrates where my fingers now end. That moment changed everything from my symmetry to self-imagery. I could focus on things like relearning how to tie my darn shoes. But I won’t, mostly because I want to focus on how I write stories so they are presentable to an editor.
If you are a deliberate reader and look at the Qwerty keyboard, named for the left top row, you may have already noticed something that fans of Wheel of Fortune know without much thought. Six of the most prominent letters in the English alphabet are keyed with the left hand. Imagine learning to type again, using only your pinky. Heck, you don’t even have to imagine. Put a pen in your left hand and type a ten-word response, and you will get a glimpse of what it’s like for a triple digit amputee to type. At the time of the accident, I was part of Popcap’s beta team. The same company that gave the world Bejeweled gave us Typershark. Popcap was very happy with my feedback, at least in part due to my complications. I learned to type again, and I learned to fix the inevitable mistakes. And yes, Typershark had a fundamental element of AI. Comparison. It doesn’t matter if it’s a word string or sentence syntax. AI compares an input against expectation.
That is why I’m writing this. Because AI tools teach as well as assemble. That’s another deliberate word choice. I withhold commentary on what AI yields because AI teaches as well.
When I caught the writing bug a year ago, it seemed like Grammarly was gigging me every fourth sentence for passivity. I find it interesting that I rarely write passively now. But I understand why. Having to spend effort editing that crap out pushed me into not doing it. AI is not a creator; it is a tool. Every tool can be used for good or evil. The tool that took my fingers was a table saw. Back then, safety stops were not available. My response could have varied from demanding table saws banned to accepting and moving on at the speed of perseverance. I chose the latter.
Every time the Neo Luddites score a ‘win,’ there is an inherent loss. The loss is the utility of an educational tool. On the topic of AI, I am not a Technocrat. I do have concerns, but I approach them openly. I can’t write about what Cedar Sanderson did or didn’t do, and I’m not. But I will write about DragonCon's response.
There was a moment when DragonCon faced the choice of banning or accepting. They chose to ban. AI is controversial—we all understand that—but DragonCon’s awards are granted by VOTE. DragonCon has decided to placate the crowd by removing the option from the ballot. For the permanent record, the ‘accept and move on’ choice would have been to point out that the winner is selected by ballot, let the nomination stand, and let the voters' voice be even more meaningful. You cannot value the wisdom of crowds and then refuse to let the crowd have their say without raising questions about your motives.
I wrote an email to the DragonCon admin expressing my displeasure in their use of secret standards in determining "qualified" candidates for popular vote awards.
After "harsh words deleted", I asked them to remove me from all lists associated with DragonCon.
I will continue to "vote" for authors who write things that I like to read by paying money for them.
When people see me only as a member of a disfavored-by-them group, I recognize them as threats, and refuse to support them.
John in Indy