From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.fandom

On 5/30/25 11:54 AM, David Langford wrote:

RUMBLINGS. _Seattle Worldcon 2025:_ all fandom was plunged into war, or so
it seemed, by the admission on 30 April that Seattle had vetted potential programme participants with ChatGPT (to the especial annoyance of creators whose work was used without permission or payment to train this Large Language Model). An apology from con chair Kathy Bond followed on 2 May,
and a much longer statement on 6 May. The latter revealed that rather than asking whether applicants were good speakers or moderators, the prompt fed
to ChatGPT began: 'Using the list of names provided, please evaluate each person for scandals. Scandals include but are not limited to homophobia, transphobia, racism, harassment, sexual misconduct, sexism, fraud.' LLMs
were also mentioned, perhaps not incidentally, in a public resignation statement by WSFS division head Cassidy and Hugo administrators Nicholas Whyte and Esther MacCallum-Stewart (Bluesky, 5 May). In Bluesky comments, Nicholas Whyte quasi-explained: 'Frankly one can get tired of fighting all the bloody time.'

Considering that most of the terms in the list are routinely used to
smear people, the chances of the query returning trustworthy results are extremely close to zero.
--
Gary McGath http://www.mcgath.com
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From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.fandom

Gary McGath <garym@mcgath.com> wrote:

David Langford wrote:

... the prompt fed to ChatGPT began: 'Using the list of names
provided, please evaluate each person for scandals. Scandals
include but are not limited to homophobia, transphobia, racism,
harassment, sexual misconduct, sexism, fraud.'

Considering that most of the terms in the list are routinely used to
smear people, the chances of the query returning trustworthy results
are extremely close to zero.

I'm surprised they didn't ask if they had a reputation as Nazis.
That's the most common random accusation.

I was once asked about my opinion on public restrooms. I said I
didn't care who uses the men's room as long as they don't interfere
with my use of it. And as for the women's room, I didn't feel I
have standing to have an opinion on that. So of course I now have
a reputation as a transphobe, since that was the wrong answer.

Is there any point in even trying to be politically correct? The new unofficial motto seems to be Cardinal Richelieu's "Give me six lines
by the best of men, and I will find in it something to hang him."
No wonder Trump got elected.
--
Keith F. Lynch - http://keithlynch.net/
Please see http://keithlynch.net/email.html before emailing me.
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From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.fandom

On 5/31/25 10:33 AM, Keith F. Lynch wrote:

I'm surprised they didn't ask if they had a reputation as Nazis.
That's the most common random accusation.

There is a way to avoid being called a Nazi. Applaud the October 7
massacre of Jews, harass Jewish student organizations, invade subways
asking if anyone on the train is a Zionist, and put up graffiti with swastikas, and no one will call you one.
--
Gary McGath http://www.mcgath.com
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From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.fandom

In article <101fi0n$1chis$1@dont-email.me>,
Gary McGath <garym@mcgath.com> wrote:

On 5/31/25 10:33 AM, Keith F. Lynch wrote:

I'm surprised they didn't ask if they had a reputation as Nazis.
That's the most common random accusation.

There is a way to avoid being called a Nazi. Applaud the October 7
massacre of Jews, harass Jewish student organizations, invade subways
asking if anyone on the train is a Zionist, and put up graffiti with >swastikas, and no one will call you one.

[Hal Heydt]
I'm pretty sure that last one would get the name applied.
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From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.fandom

On 5/31/25 2:56 PM, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:

In article <101fi0n$1chis$1@dont-email.me>,
Gary McGath <garym@mcgath.com> wrote:

On 5/31/25 10:33 AM, Keith F. Lynch wrote:

I'm surprised they didn't ask if they had a reputation as Nazis.
That's the most common random accusation.

There is a way to avoid being called a Nazi. Applaud the October 7
massacre of Jews, harass Jewish student organizations, invade subways
asking if anyone on the train is a Zionist, and put up graffiti with
swastikas, and no one will call you one.

[Hal Heydt]
I'm pretty sure that last one would get the name applied.

Someone did that at Harvard. I called the unidentified vandal a Nazi,
but I didn't hear of anyone else applying the term. Some Tesla owners
have also been targeted by the symbol.

Digressing a bit: The term "swastika" for the Nazi symbol is an odd one.
It comes from Sanskrit, and in Indian use it was a benign symbol. The
Nazis called it Hakenkreuz or "hooked cross," which is more descriptive.
The best explanation I've heard is that the British were familiar with
the Indian term as a result of imperial connections.
--
Gary McGath http://www.mcgath.com
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.fandom

On 5/31/25 10:33 AM, Keith F. Lynch wrote:

Gary McGath <garym@mcgath.com> wrote:

David Langford wrote:

... the prompt fed to ChatGPT began: 'Using the list of names
provided, please evaluate each person for scandals. Scandals
include but are not limited to homophobia, transphobia, racism,
harassment, sexual misconduct, sexism, fraud.'

Considering that most of the terms in the list are routinely used to
smear people, the chances of the query returning trustworthy results
are extremely close to zero.

I'm surprised they didn't ask if they had a reputation as Nazis.
That's the most common random accusation.

I was once asked about my opinion on public restrooms. I said I
didn't care who uses the men's room as long as they don't interfere
with my use of it. And as for the women's room, I didn't feel I
have standing to have an opinion on that. So of course I now have
a reputation as a transphobe, since that was the wrong answer.

Is there any point in even trying to be politically correct? The new unofficial motto seems to be Cardinal Richelieu's "Give me six lines
by the best of men, and I will find in it something to hang him."
No wonder Trump got elected.

I am reminded of one of the many truly excellent speeches in A CASE OF
LIBEL (script by Henry Denker):

"You do not want to be called onto the witness stand to defend your
character. A good lawyer could destroy the character of Jesus Christ
Himelf. 'Mr. Christ, isn't it true that you are frequently seen in the
company of known prostitutes and criminals? And haven't you often been
seen drinking? Oh, only wine? And only at weddings? And didn't you
cause a riot in the Temple, destroying the property of law-abiding
merchants?' If He fares that way, how do you think you'll do?"
--
Evelyn C. Leeper, http://leepers.us/evelyn
"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a
child, I thought as a child: and when I was a man I decided
how foolish it would be to give all that up." --Mark R. Leeper
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