- cross-posted to:
- technology@beehaw.org
- cross-posted to:
- technology@beehaw.org
Will letting a large language model handle the boilerplate allow writers to focus their attention on the really creative parts?
I especially don’t see that there should be boilerplate in your text. If you’re writing a word which literally does not change the meaning or perception of your text, why are you writing that word? If it does change the meaning or perception, you should be choosing that word.
While it is true that using unnecessary words can clutter your writing and make it less effective, it’s also important to consider the context and purpose of your writing. In some cases, boilerplate language or repetitive phrasing can serve a useful purpose, such as providing clarity or emphasizing a point.
Additionally, it’s important to consider your audience and their familiarity with the subject matter. While a particular word or phrase may seem superfluous to you, it may be necessary for readers who are less familiar with the topic.
Ultimately, the goal of effective writing is to communicate your message clearly and efficiently, and sometimes that means using words or phrases that may seem redundant or unnecessary to some readers. As a writer, it’s important to strike a balance between clarity and concision, and to make thoughtful choices about the language you use to convey your ideas.
I agree with all of that, except that I wouldn’t call it “boilerplate”, if it is clarifying or emphasizing a point to some target group.
Might be that I’m just very intolerant to boilerplate as a reader. I’m part of the younger generations with short attention spans and tons of authors will artificially pad their online articles, because more time spent reading useless words means more time spent potentially looking at ads, which means more money for them.
So, I think, what I’m really arguing is: Fuck the whole monetisation of attention.