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Comment by wvenable | Hacker News Reader

I paid for it for a while because I had friend who was gung-ho on it convinced me. I tried using it for coding and it just didn't save me enough time to justify using it (not so much the cost but the effort). I cancelled by subscription.

However, I recently just re-subscribed because I started using it for writing -- and this is where it has been really helpful. I'm not using it for research or to generate anything new -- instead I'm running my own writing and sometimes random thoughts through it to create actual writings.

It's somewhat nice to have to generate say a paragraph and then explain how it didn't quite get the point I was trying to make and have it regenerate a better one. I usually don't take it's content as-is but it's a great motivator and is good at restructuring sentences to make things sound better.

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I’ve found it amazing for mundane parts of Rails.

There’s a bunch of stuff that I can’t remember for the life of me if:

* it’s abstracted/generalized by Rails

* it’s a common type

* it’s a pass through type

For example, writing a migration, I may involve all 3 of those

* default database types

* some paused database types that get abstracted for various database compatible

* rails concepts, like references (rather than foreign keys)

A lot of this is frustrating to track down in documentation, but OpenAI does it really well.

ChatGPT is absolutely wonderful at the mundane. I tried to get it solve a complex problem and it failed miserably but it did produce all the boilerplate around the problem that was perfectly usable.

I sort of a fear a future where the sheer volume of code has increased dramatically because people are pasting code from AI rather than re-using functions and libraries.

I've already used it to generate SQL code that was too long to do correctly by hand. Usually I find that a sign of a code smell and I should look for an entirely different solution but it worked and I didn't have to write it. Ironically even ChatGPT thought the output was too long and had to be coaxed into giving me the whole thing.

Interesting, i found the exact opposite. Use it for coding a lot, hardly ever use it for writing. I like the process of digging deep into the wishing well of the mind and coming up with original writing from there

I've actually stopped using it except via bing or phind, for writing Claude is way more creative IMHO. gpt4 I think is better for code but I use openai API via code extensions for that.

Agreed, I find Claude much more useful - I can feed in 1/3 to 1/2 of a book (PDF -> text, copy 100k tokens) and have an interactive learning session. That 10x context window is amazing with Claude, and they just announced paid plans similar to OpenAI.

An interesting sidenote, which I think most people already knew but it was cool to see played out in Claude: most non-fiction books have all their important ideas in the first half. I have only run 3-4 books through Claude like this, but so far, I haven't changed my understanding from any of the 2nd half of books.

Once beguiled by a friend, I subscribed to yon software for coding's sake—found it as fruitless as a bard without wit. Yet, renewed have I the subscription for writing's craft! Though imperfect, it serves as a muse, refining mine sentences as one might polish a tarnished turd. 'Tis an aid, if not an oracle.

Initially, I subscribed to ChatGPT because an enthusiastic friend recommended it. I tried using it for coding, but it didn’t significantly improve my efficiency. So I cancelled my subscription.

Recently, however, I revisited and re-subscribed, discovering its potential in assisting my writing. Rather than using it for research or novel content generation, I've been refining my own writing and crystallizing fleeting thoughts into more coherent prose.

It's beneficial to input a draft paragraph, receive feedback, and then fine-tune it until it captures my intended message. While I rarely use the content verbatim, ChatGPT serves as a valuable motivator and is good at restructuring sentences for clarity and impact.

... OR ...

I paid for ChatGPT because a friend who really liked it talked me into it. I tried it for coding, but it didn’t save me enough time. It wasn’t about the money, but the effort. So, I cancelled it.

But I signed up again recently. Now I use it for writing, and it helps a lot. I don’t use it for research or making new stuff. I put my own writing and random ideas into it to make them better.

It's nice to give it a paragraph and then fix what it misses. I don’t always use exactly what it gives me, but it helps me change sentences to sound clearer.

Arr, me hearty, once I boarded the ChatGPT ship on the advice of a chirpy shipmate. Thought it'd help me navigate the treacherous seas of code, but nay, it didn't make sailin' faster. So I marooned it—left the subscription high 'n dry.

But listen ye, I boarded 'er again, findin' she be more of a muse than a swab. Aye, not for treasure maps or writin' the next epic of the sea, but for polishin' me own log entries and givin' structure to me scatterbrained musings.

Yarrr, it be like handin' a rough chart to a trusted navigator—ye get it back, sharper and clearer. While I don't take her words as gospel, that ChatGPT wench helps me tack in the right direction. She be a fine first mate for reworkin' yer sentences, bringin' clarity and firepower to yer words. And reckon it be quite the tool for rephrasin' yer thoughts as if ye be a pirate too, savvy?

Don't do this.

It's so awful

Version 2 seems harder to process, like it's using words you wouldn't see as often as the original version. Are you asking it to make it "sound smarter" or something?

version 1:

> running my own writing and sometimes random thoughts through it to create actual writings

version 2:

> refining my own writing and crystallizing fleeting thoughts into more coherent prose

I often have to tell it to not be so flowery. But that's part of the process. I can also tell it to use more of my voice. I just keep refining it until it's what I want. Version 2 is not normally how I would keep it.

Sometimes I basically say "I want to X about Y" and spits that out in English and then I can actually figure out what my thoughts actually are.

Sometimes just seeing something phrased differently is enough to find a better way of saying something even if I don't use it all.

... OR ...

I often tell ChatGPT to keep things simple and not too fancy. That’s just a part of tweaking its answers. I also ask it to sound more like me. I keep making changes until I get what I want. Usually, the second try isn't the one I stick with.

Sometimes, I just say things like "I want to talk about X with Y" and let ChatGPT put that into words. This helps me understand my own thoughts better.

Seeing something said in a different way can give me new ideas on how to put things, even if I don’t use ChatGPT's exact words.

Well, you see, I found myself shelling out some cash for this tool for a spell, all thanks to a buddy of mine who was absolutely fervent about it. He managed to talk me into it, and I gave it a shot for my coding work. But let me tell you, it didn't quite pull its weight in terms of saving me time, not to mention the effort I had to put in. So, I waved goodbye to my subscription.

Now, fast forward a bit, I've recently jumped back on the bandwagon. Why, you ask? Well, it turns out that for my writing endeavors, this thing's been a real game-changer. I'm not using it for research or to conjure up new ideas. No, sir. I'm putting my own written pieces and even some off-the-cuff thoughts through it to craft polished, bona fide writings.

It's rather nifty, you know, to toss out a paragraph, then follow it up by pointing out where it missed the mark and watch it whip up a better version. I don't usually take its content as gospel, mind you, but it sure serves as a mighty fine motivator, and it's got a knack for rearranging sentences to give things that extra oomph they need.

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