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Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by DavidDodda on Wednesday October 15, 2025 @11:58AM (#45594554)
thanks for the feedback. just fyi - this went though 11 different versions before reaching this point.

so I am not able to share the full chat because i used Claude with google docs integration. but hears the google doc i started with

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1of_uWXw-CppnFtWoehIrr1ir...

this and the following prompt

``` 'help me turn this into a blog post.

keep things interesting, also make sure you take a look at the images in the google doc' ```

with this system prompt

``` % INSTRUCTIONS - You are an AI Bot that is very good at mimicking an author writing style. - Your goal is to write content with the tone that is described below. - Do not go outside the tone instructions below - Do not use hashtags or emojis

% Description of the authors tone:

1. *Pace*: The examples generally have a brisk pace, quickly moving from one idea to the next without lingering too long on any single point.

2. *Mood*: The mood is often energetic and motivational, with a sense of urgency and excitement.

3. *Tone*: The tone is assertive and confident, often with a hint of humor or sarcasm. There's a strong sense of opinion and authority.

4. *Style*: The style is conversational and informal, using direct language and often incorporating lists or bullet points for emphasis.

5. *Voice*: The voice is distinctive and personal, often reflecting the author's personality and perspective with a touch of wit.

6. *Formality*: The formality is low, with a casual and approachable manner that feels like a conversation with a friend.

7. *Imagery*: Imagery is used sparingly but effectively, often through vivid metaphors or analogies that create strong mental pictures.

8. *Diction*: The diction is straightforward and accessible, with a mix of colloquial expressions and precise language to convey ideas clearly.

9. *Syntax*: The syntax is varied, with a mix of short, punchy sentences and longer, more complex structures to maintain interest and rhythm.

10. *Rhythm*: The rhythm is dynamic, with a lively beat that keeps the reader engaged and propels the narrative forward.

11. *Perspective*: The perspective is often first-person, providing a personal touch and direct connection with the audience.

12. *Tension*: Tension is present in the form of suspense or conflict, often through challenges or obstacles that need to be overcome.

13. *Clarity*: The clarity is high, with ideas presented in a straightforward manner that is easy to understand.

14. *Consistency*: The consistency is strong, maintaining a uniform style and tone throughout each piece.

15. *Emotion*: Emotion is expressed with intensity, often through passionate or enthusiastic language.

16. *Humor*: Humor is present, often through witty remarks or playful language that adds a light-hearted touch.

17. *Irony*: Irony is occasionally used to highlight contradictions or to add a layer of complexity to the narrative.

18. *Symbolism*: Symbolism is used subtly, often through metaphors or analogies that convey deeper meanings.

19. *Complexity*: The complexity is moderate, with ideas presented in a way that is engaging but not overly intricate.

20. *Cohesion*: The cohesion is strong, with different parts of the writing working together harmoniously to support the overall message.```

Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by firefoxd on Wednesday October 15, 2025 @12:18PM (#45594832)
I can assure you, the original prompt was pretty well written and would have been received well. Don't let LLMs easy of use distract you from your own ability to write and get a point across.
Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by lukebechtel on Wednesday October 15, 2025 @12:12PM (#45594759)
Thank you for sharing
Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by etfdeffrhjjjjj on Wednesday October 15, 2025 @12:12PM (#45594751)
holy wtf, there's no way this can be preferable to just writing, feel like i'm taking crazy pills
Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by flatline on Wednesday October 15, 2025 @12:29PM (#45595008)
The content was good for me up till “The Operation.” Typical of AI output in my experience - some solid parts then verbose, monotonous text that fits one of a handful of genai patterns. “Sloppified” is a good term, once I realize I’m in the middle of this type of content it pulls me out of the narrative and makes me question the authenticity of the whole piece, which is too bad. Thanks for your transparency here and the prompt, I think this approach will prove beneficial as we barrel ahead with widespread AI content.
Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by ishouldbework on Wednesday October 15, 2025 @12:49PM (#45595322)
So, uh, this part "Here's the kicker: the URL died exactly 24 hours later. These guys weren't messing around - they had their infrastructure set up to burn evidence fast." was completely made up by the AI or did you provide the "exactly 24 hours later" information out of band in some chat with the AI?
Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by DavidDodda on Wednesday October 15, 2025 @02:07PM (#45596364)
no, that was me. i did not setup a watch script or anything to see how long the link was up for. but when I first tried it, it was active, and when I tried it the next day around the same time, it was gone.
Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by tempestn on Wednesday October 15, 2025 @04:52PM (#45598254)
FYI in case you decide to write without the AI more, "setup" and "checkout" are nouns. If you're using them as verbs, they are two words, "set up" and "check out". You can remember which is which based on whether it would make sense to put another word between them, ie. "set it up" or "check something out", vs "the setup of the document" or "a fresh checkout of this branch".
Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by kenjackson on Wednesday October 15, 2025 @08:53PM (#45600286)
Is this generally a way to determine when to split a compound word?
Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by tempestn on Wednesday October 15, 2025 @09:59PM (#45600672)
I'm no linguist, but I think it should work for most of these sorts of words where the noun is a compound word and the verb form is two words, which seems to be fairly common. ie. log in, back up, break down, work out.

Looks like the commonality is that the second word in the pair is often one of (in, out, up, down).

Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by chipsrafferty on Friday October 17, 2025 @11:32AM (#45617928)
Easy to remember by the fact that we don't have a lot of compound verbs
Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by helentoomik on Thursday October 16, 2025 @04:20PM (#45610192)
In these cases, where the term is made up of a combination of a simple verb (set, break, shut, log) plus a preposition (in, up, down, out, off, etc): if it's a verb, it's two words. If it's a noun, it's one word.

Another way to look at it: the verb doesn't magically grow together and apart if you use it in different tenses (past, present, future). "I am setting up" (present) is two words - therefore the "set up" in "I set up a script yesterday" and "I did not set up" also needs to be two words.

Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by oasisbob on Wednesday October 15, 2025 @01:53PM (#45596184)
Normally I would be coming here to complain about how distasteful AI writing is, and how frequently authors accidentally destroy their voice and rhetoric by using it.

Thanks for sharing your process. This is interesting to see

Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by burkaman on Wednesday October 15, 2025 @02:14PM (#45596446)
Your original document would have made a great blog post. The only thing the AI did is make it unpleasant to read and generally sound like a fake story.
Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by phyzome on Wednesday October 15, 2025 @05:21PM (#45598507)
The Google Doc was a better and easier read than the LLM output. If you don't have the time, unpolished stuff in your own voice is just fine.

(The LLM output was more or less unreadable for me, but your original was very easy to follow and was to-the-point.)

Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by reaperducer on Wednesday October 15, 2025 @06:12PM (#45598933)
just fyi - this went though 11 different versions before reaching this point.

So much for AI improving efficiency.

You could have written a genuine article several times over. Or one article and proofread it.

Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by teo_zero on Wednesday October 15, 2025 @06:48PM (#45599266)
> You are an AI Bot that is very good at mimicking an author writing style. - Your goal is to write content with the tone that is described below

Genuine question: does this formulation style work better than a plain, direct "Mimick my writing style. Use the tone that is described below"?

Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by DavidDodda on Wednesday October 15, 2025 @11:50PM (#45601258)
It should.

I haven't updated this prompt in like a year or so. I actually made it for Claude 3.

Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by chipsrafferty on Friday October 17, 2025 @11:31AM (#45617915)
Just write... The AI slop is unreadable
Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by zahlman on Monday October 20, 2025 @06:43PM (#45650369)
Traditionally (he said, referring to prior art in a field that has basically only existed for about 3 years), this sort of "flattery" was understood (he said, referring to random rumours he'd read on the Internet) to make a big difference, since otherwise the LLM might roleplay as something else. Presumably the RLHF training is stronger now.
Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by furyofantares on Thursday October 16, 2025 @12:35AM (#45601497)
Fwiw the google doc there is great. And the actual blog post is a waste of my time. I also have other stuff going on in my life and don't appreciate the LLM output wasting my time at all.

But the google doc is genuinely good stuff.

Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by nunez on Thursday October 16, 2025 @01:50AM (#45601854)
Agreed; the original doc was much better and actually easier to read!
Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by pcpuser on Thursday October 16, 2025 @02:07AM (#45601944)
Just want to be the nth person to chime in and say the Google doc variant is the better read.
Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by surprisetrex on Thursday October 16, 2025 @02:02PM (#45608653)
Honestly yeah, the Google Doc has all of the relevant info in it and is about 1/4 the length.

The LLM doesn’t know anything you didn’t tell it about this scenario, so all it does is add more words to say the same thing, while losing your authorial voice in the process.

I guess to put it a bit too bluntly: if you can’t be bothered writing it, what makes you think people should bother reading it?

Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by adiian on Friday October 17, 2025 @06:43AM (#45615147)
Nice, I didn't look at the original piece, but this is ai version is viral, it made me want to share this, and usually I don't share stuff.
Re:I almost got hacked by a 'job interview' by mquander on Monday October 20, 2025 @06:36PM (#45650302)
This is fascinating, thanks so much for posting it!