alt Hacker News[flagged]
Replies
Does me calling my car a "shitbox" elicit the same reaction from you?
How does clanker relate to the "n-word", and what's "all that accompanying history"?
Maybe that's the jargon to use to avoid us anthropomorphizing this technology. What is it if not a clanker that spits out random non-deterministic bullshit depending on time of the day and generosity of these providers?
I also find this sentiment to be a uniquely American phenomenon. They tend to see racism and discrimination where it has no place being. My impression is that they have dreams about it. Bonkers to me.
What makes the two words relate so much for you?
Using “clanker” is the sign of a lack of empathy.
The OP is still in his edgy teenager phase, apparently… yes I know they’re successful; that might actually be the reason why they pick these words.
“Look, I’m so cool for using this neo-slur even though I build AI products! Like I’m so meta you see, I should be LOVING LLMs but instead I use the word clanker! I’m so complex and intricate and yeah obviously I’m not like the other AI users building slop. Cuz if I was building slop I would be infatuated with LLMs and thus I wouldn’t be using the term clanker. And also I’m very well emotionally tuned and suuuure clanker doesn’t sound like n-er to me and if it does to you then YOU have a problem! Oh those Americans and their political correctness! So annoying! But ME I’m different and don’t care about that because I’m HONEST and don’t hide the truth. Suck it Americans!”
Btw I’m not American nor politically correct. Still, I think it’s lame to use the word “clanker” because it shows immaturity.
It's the fastest growing slur.
Because it's cool to be substratist against robots.
Honestly, that's a weird reaction. I don't follow modern programmer slang but even I caught onto "clanker" as meaning "old clanky robot/automaton thing". It has absolutely no relations to negative verbiage about different kinds of people.
I hate to say "check yourself", but this time maybe. Maybe with a lot of ...
Author here. This visceral reaction to the term fascinates me. You’re not the only person here that mentioned it and it makes me wonder where that is coming from.
We’re naming a machine here, not a human being. Even if it was a slur (I don’t consider it one) it would be directed at a piece of equipment.
I find it fascinating because I don’t think people would bat an eye if that term was used for a hammer or keyboard. Yet somehow it changes when applied to an LLM based machinery. Craftspeople often apply jargon to their tools, much of which is neutral to negative.