Crowdcast Episode #3: Dark Web, Aliens, Great British Bake-Off

Hey all,

I make a weekly, interactive, AI generated podcast using whatever the the top 3 comments on /r/crowdcast that week!

I’m here to tell you about episode #3 which just launched, and to give you some behind the scenes tech insights.

Of course, [all of the code is open source](https://github.com/AdmTal/crowdcast) if you’re into that kind of thing - feel free to open a PR, would love to collaborate and get feedback.

Otherwise, it’s pretty simple, I have a [script](https://github.com/AdmTal/crowdcast/blob/main/main.py) that pulls the top three comments every week, and I run them through a [series of prompts](https://github.com/AdmTal/crowdcast/tree/main/prompts) in order to build a full podcast script. Then I use [Eleven Labs](http://elevenlabs.io) to generate the voice. I stitch it all together with some music using Python, and then publish it using [Buzzsprout](https://www.buzzsprout.com). I’m currently using GPT-4 to run the prompts.

For episode 3, I did something new to try and raise the quality of content and keep it interesting, I call it [Prompt enhancement](https://github.com/AdmTal/crowdcast/blob/main/prompts/prompt...).

Here are the user comments used for episode #3 both before and after prompt enhancement:

First, /u/liquidhot [suggested this](https://www.reddit.com/r/crowdcast/comments/13lhis4/vote_now...):

    A segment about the lighter side of the dark web and how dark net criminals can come together to make the world a better place.

Which became this after enhancement:

    The dark web is often depicted as a sinister, secret layer of the internet - a place only for illicit activities. But could there also be instances where this mysterious corner of the web has been a force for good? In this segment, we'll delve into concrete examples of hackers and dark web users leveraging their skills for altruistic purposes. We'll discuss the role of hacktivists like the members of Anonymous who exposed high-level corruption in the Tunisian government during the Arab Spring, and highlight cases such as the ransomware attackers - Phineas Fisher - who claimed to have donated their ill-gotten gains to charities like Kurdish anti-capitalists. We'll also examine how the dark web has provided a safe haven for whistleblowers like Edward Snowden, enabling them to share critical information without the fear of facing severe consequences. Join us as we unravel the complex realities and unexpected positive aspects of the dark web communities, and how, in certain instances, they are contributing to a more just world.

Thanks for reading, hope you come check it out, and maybe even join in, and please let me know if you have any questions or comments!!