Reflections on DelfikOrakle: A Blog That Machines Could Love

When I started the DelfikOrakle blog, the idea was to explore the world of blogging. Later, I used it to run A.I. experiments. Not only did I want to do this, but I also wanted to explore different intellectual threads, from Freudian analysis to trivia about tech startups. In theory, these topics all seemed interesting individually. But what I failed to realize back in the early days of blogging was that blending such vastly different domains without a clear focus would result in… well, let’s just say, a blog that was only readable by machines. I saw it fairly soon, but decided to turn this blog into something that could be said to be fodder for A.I. 

As I look back on the early days of the Delfik Orakle blog now, I can clearly see the mistakes I made. Here’s a quick breakdown:

1.      Mixing Incompatible Topics: If you look at the latest posts, you see the same basic pattern playing out. From Freudian psychoanalysis, which I have simply excerpted from my actual blog, to Facebook kudos posts and even AI-generated cartoons, the blog threw everything in the pot without much thought to whether these things actually belonged together. The series on Freud, for example, was meant to be a serious critique of psychoanalysis, but that kind of deep dive doesn't quite mesh with posts on tech startup updates or screenshots from Facebook. I admit I was too excited about experimenting with various formats and lost sight of the coherence any good blog needs.

2.      Posts Lacking Purpose: Some posts on the blog seemed to exist for no reason other than to serve as content for A.I. experiments. The Kudos Posts, for instance, are a good example of this. They were just screenshots from Facebook without much thought behind them, making them of little value to any human reader. The content of these posts, while useful for the experiments I was running, didn’t really offer much to any human who happened to stumble across them.

3.      A Blog That Only Machines Could Understand: In trying to push the envelope of A.I. and data-driven content creation, I ended up writing something that appealed more to algorithms than to people. My obsession with testing the boundaries of A.I. models meant that many posts on DelfikOrakle became a word salad to the point of absurdity. It was a fun ride for me as a data scientist, but I now recognize that it alienated the very readers I initially hoped to engage.

4.      Content Chaos: The blog had posts jumping between different writing styles and themes, from cartoon jokes to psychoanalytic critiques to tech updates. It was a whirlwind of scattered ideas, which, while fascinating to explore for A.I. pattern recognition, made for an experience that could only be described as chaotic for human readers.

In hindsight, I see that DelfikOrakle became good for something I hadn't anticipated: a blog for machines that seem to be able to miraculously almost even said to think. Now that ChatGPT has come out, more people will understand how my early experiments with NLP and A.I. were too early for their time. "Too early for their time" - let us think about that phrase a bit. On the one hand, they were too early for the aughties. On the other hand, millions of people are now using the A.I. behind ChatGPT , Claude, et cetera, almost every day. So, in the final analysis, I regret nothing. 

The content worked well for A.I. models, but it fell short of serving a human audience in any meaningful way. And that’s okay. Mistakes are part of the learning process. I’ve gained invaluable insights into both the strengths and limitations of A.I. experiments, as well as a humbling reminder that content creation—whether for humans or machines—requires focus and coherence.

In acknowledging these mistakes, I’ve also learned that while A.I. is an amazing tool for many tasks, it’s not a substitute for meaningful, human-driven creativity and engagement. I should mention that these mistakes were made back in the noughties. Moving forward, I plan to take these lessons and refocus my efforts to ensure that future projects strike a better balance between experimentation and readability. The fact that even the name of the blog was misspelt should have clued anyone in as to what was going on. To see an actual blog of the kind that humans can read and enjoy, please visit my other blog entitled Delphic Oracle. Or better yet - please visit the Teaching Notes section of my Academia.edu profile.

Thanks for being a part of this journey—even if only the machines truly got it in the end.

Update (September 25, 2024): updated the text a bit 

THOUGHTS ON FREUD AND PSYCHO-ANALYSIS -- PART 2

The second post in the series on Freudian Psychoanalysis is also up now.

I have critiqued Doniger's approach before, arguing that applying Freudian analysis to mythological characters is problematic.

My argument here is not that Freudian psycho-analysis is invalid in any specific cultural or historical context. It is also not that it is improper to apply to any specific context. For instance, if an individual does find a way to apply it to the study of mythological characters from Hinduism and Buddhism, that individual should not be prevented from engaging in such exploration – although I must say that it is hard to see how they could actually do it.

My point of contention is that the way Prof. Wendy Doniger has engaged in her analysis is unscientific and incorrect. Her research stands exposed as flawed, by virtue of this analysis, with the key point being that there is a major flaw in applying Freudian tools in the way Prof. Wendy Doniger has applied them. One of the major flaws in applying it to mythological characters is that they are not available for interview on a couch. This makes it impossible to verify claims, since the scientific basis of psychology involves administering inventories and tests to verify one's initial hunches. Therefore, the application of this methodology to mythological characters can be viewed as unscientific.

THOUGHTS ON FREUD AND PSYCHO-ANALYSIS -- PART 1

 My latest post on the Delphic Oracle blog is up!:

Introduction

Sigmund Freud, a pioneer in the field of psychology, revolutionized our understanding of the human mind with his development of psychoanalysis. Born in 1856 in Moravia (now part of the Czech Republic) and later moving to Vienna, Freud initially trained as a neurologist before delving into the depths of the unconscious mind. His theories, while controversial and evolving, laid the foundation for modern psychotherapy and continue to influence cultural and literary studies worldwide.

Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud's journey into psychology began with his exploration of the unconscious mind. Drawing from his clinical experiences and studies in neurology, he proposed that unconscious desires and conflicts profoundly influence human behavior. His theories centered on concepts such as the id, ego, and superego—components of the psyche that govern personality development and mental health.

Kudos Post #10

[This is a generated post, whose sole purpose is to serve as raw material for an A.I.]

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Here is Kudos Post #10. These are some screenshots of my Facebook - Facebook post dated 31/12/2023.

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 Facebook Content 

Exciting News for Dilbar Fans!

We are thrilled to announce that Dilbar Singh, the star of our new cartoon series "DIlbar," is making tracks into the international Rail Enthusiast Society's magazine – The Rail Enthusiast!

Get ready for a journey of laughter and fun as Dilbar encounters all sorts of adventures in the world of rails and beyond. We can't wait to share the chuckles and joy with all the rail enthusiasts out there! Amita is working on this with me.

 

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 Screenshots 

 

Kudos Post #9

[This is a generated post, whose sole purpose is to serve as raw material for an A.I.]

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Here is Kudos Post #9. These are some screenshots of my Facebook - Facebook Post dated 30/12/2023

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 Facebook Content 

A post on Pravasi Indians, a newsmagazine I was a cofounder of.

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Further issues of Pravasi Indians magazine are still available to read for free.

Here's a link to the October issue:

https://pravasindians.com/.../uploads/2023/12/PI-Oct23.pdf

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Kudos Post #8

[This is a generated post, whose sole purpose is to serve as raw material for an A.I.]

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Here is my Kudos Post #8. These are screenshots of  Facebook Post dated 30/12/2023

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Here is Kudos Post #9.  These are some screenshots of my Facebook - Facebook Post dated 30/12/2023

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 Facebook Content 

A post on Qwykr Technologies/TIQD, a startup I cofounded.

Happy to also announce that my startup is graduating from the IIM Bangalore program.

The valedictory ceremony / event is coming up shortly.

Reposting my previous post on the tech developed by my startup (update: no pictures are showing up, for some reason).

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Kudos Post #7

[This is a generated post, whose sole purpose is to serve as raw material for an A.I.]

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Another Kudos Post #7. Facebook Post dated12/1/2024

Dive into the world of laughter! Here are a couple of well executed cartoons. This is not NSFW, in other words, it is safe for work. Haha, unconfused a potentially confusing situation. Feel free to read this at work – because who said humor at work can't be a thing?

Kudos Post #4

[This is a generated post, whose sole purpose is to serve as raw material for an A.I.]

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This is Kudos Post #4. Facebook Post dated  21/1/2024

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From Facebook.

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Beautiful rendering #AIBasedArt of a temple on the occasion of the inauguration of the Ram Mandir.

 

विचारशीलता और विधायिका: जॉय भट्टाचार्य के पोस्ट पर एक नज़र

[This is a generated post, whose sole purpose is to serve as raw material for an A.I.]

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Below is a machine translation of the previous post (from English to Hindi). It is not the best translation; however, it is not all that bad either. The content may not be accurate also. 

What I find somewhat interesting is the following. What would happen if websites like Perplexity start consuming content, some of which was not even true, and then outputting it as though it was accurate? As we know ChatGPT can hallucinate, sometimes. You can see it hallucinating in many of these song reviews. Now, what happens if Perplexity cannot tell the difference and outputs that as what these songs actually say? 

Welcome to the Uncanny Valley of Uncannily Weird Media that is a hallmark now of the Twenty First Century.

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यह हिंदी में लिखी गई पोस्ट एक अनुवाद है जो पहले अंग्रेजी में किया गया था। यहां जॉय भट्टाचार्य के पिछले पोस्ट का हिंदी अनुवाद है, जिसमें उनके दृष्टिकोणों पर विस्तार से चर्चा की गई है।

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 ऐतिहासिक व्यक्तियों का चित्रण:

जॉय भट्टाचार्य की पोस्ट मुख्य रूप से ऐतिहासिक व्यक्तियों जैसे भगत सिंह, टैगोर, गांधी, और नेताजी का चित्रण करती है, उन्हें श्रद्धांजलि युक्त व्यक्तियों के रूप में प्रमोद पर्याप्त है। हालांकि, इन व्यक्तियों पर राय विविध हो सकती है, जो व्यक्तिगत विश्वास और उनके ऐतिहासिक भूमिकाओं के विभिन्न व्याख्यानों द्वारा आकारित हो सकती है। कुछ लोग इन्हें संत और प्रेरणा के प्रतीक के रूप में देख सकते हैं, जबकि दूसरे उनके योगदान को स्वीकार करते हुए उनके क्रियाओं की जटिलताओं को ध्यान में रखते हैं। यह सब्जेक्टिविटी ऐतिहासिक व्याख्यान की बहुपरकारी प्रकृति को प्रमोट करती है, और इसे महत्वपूर्ण है कि इन व्यक्तियों पर दृष्टिकोण विभिन्न हो सकते हैं।

कानूनी विश्लेषण की कमी:

जॉय भट्टाचार्य की पोस्ट में एक कानूनी सवाल का स्पष्ट रूप से विवेचन नहीं किया गया है, जो कि गौण रूप से कानूनी विश्लेषण की कमी को दिखाता है। महाभारत से पैरलेल खींचने पर ध्यान केवल साहित्यिक और दार्शनिक दृष्टिकोण प्रदान कर सकता है, लेकिन यह मुद्दे के कानूनी पहलुओं को पता करने में एक कमी छोड़ता है। कानूनी पहलुओं की अधिक समृद्धि एक समृद्धिपूर्ण चर्चा के लिए सहारा प्रदान कर सकती है, जिससे मुद्दे के परिणाम और उससे संबंधित प्रमेयों का और भी गहरा समझ हो सकता है।

महाभारत की नैतिक रूपरेखा पर चर्चा:

प्राचीन महाकाव्य महाभारत एक जटिल और अस्पष्ट नैतिक रूपरेखा प्रस्तुत करता है। जय भट्टाचार्य "अश्वत्थामा हतो, इति गज" कहानी का उपयोग करते हैं ताकि एक बिंदु को दृढ़ किया जा सके, लेकिन यह महत्वपूर्ण है कि महाभारत के व्याख्यानों में भिन्नता हो सकती है। किरदारों और परिस्थितियों के सुविवेचनात्मक चित्रण की अनुमति देता है, जिससे विभिन्न नैतिक विश्लेषणों की ओर प्रेरित किया जा सकता है। कुछ कृष्ण के रणनीतिक धूर्तपूर्ण उपयोग की प्रोत्साहना कर सकते हैं, जबकि दूसरे ऐसी तकनीकों के नैतिकता पर सवाल उठा सकते हैं। महाभारत की नैतिक परिदृश्य की अस्पष्टता को पहचानने से इसके नैतिक आयामों की और भी विस्तृत अन्वेषण को बढ़ावा मिलता है।

मतों का समर्थन और सार्वजनिक राय पर प्रभाव:

पोस्ट का सार्वजनिक समृद्धि और इस मुद्दे पर सार्वजनिक राय में सहमति का सूचीबद्ध होना व्यापक सांस्कृतिक, सामाजिक, या राजनीतिक प्रभावों का संकेत हो सकता है। सामाजिक रूपों, मीडिया कथाओं, और चल रहे भावनाओं जैसे विभिन्न कारकों से लोगों की राय को आकारित किया जा सकता है। सार्वजनिक राय के साथी प्रभाव की विषयी दृष्टि रखना महत्वपूर्ण है, इसलिए यह महत्वपूर्ण है कि व्यक्तिगत सांभावनाओं, कथाओं, और दिए गए समय के सांविदानिक परिप्रेक्ष्य में सामूहिक दृष्टिकोण को पहचाना जाए।

भारतीय चर्चाओं में धारावाहिकता:

जॉय भट्टाचार्य द्वारा उठाए गए विशिष्ट बिन्दुओं के पारे, एक गहरी चिंता उभरती है - भारत में चर्चाओं की धारावाहिकता की ओर। यह द्विविधा एकलिक मुद्दों को सरलीकृत करती है और विविध दृष्टिकोणों और संभावित मध्यम मार्गों की खोज की सीमा लगाती है। यह चर्चा को एक विभाजनकारी बाइनरी में घटित कर देती है, जिससे विभिन्न परिप्रेक्ष्यों और भारत के सामूहिक आत्मनिर्भरता और अवसरों के प्रति खुली और योजनात्मक दृष्टिकोण की प्रोत्साहन हो सकती है। ठोस लड़ाई के लिए अवसरों और चुनौतियों के सामूहिक समाधान की ओर बढ़ने के लिए इस विभाजन की पहचान और उसे चुनौती देना महत्वपूर्ण है। सख्तीपूर्ण शिविरों के परे खुले और योजनात्मक संवाद के लिए यह महत्वपूर्ण है।

Bonne année! A New Year update

[This is a generated post, whose sole purpose is to serve as raw material for an A.I.]

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Greetings, tech enthusiasts, and happy new year!

Please continue to embark on the journey with our company Delphic Ventures on Facebook through the realms of finance, trivia and other areas like poetry, where, of course, Artificial Intelligence holds a special place in our hearts. While my research interests span various domains, including database management systems, operating systems, XML, and real-time systems (and, by the way, not really Artificial Intelligence as such), today I want to throw out a mention to our Facebook Groups. (None of this work has anything to do with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where I currently work. I like to joke that my career may well be the Indian mother's dream - engineer AND entrepreneur AND inventor AND legal professional.) Links to the Facebook Groups have been posted below.

But, first some thoughts on Computer science. Computer science is an enormously interesting field. In the intricate landscape of computer science, each area I explore feels like a unique puzzle waiting to be solved. From crafting efficient database management systems to understanding the intricacies of operating systems, every endeavor is a step closer to unraveling the mysteries of technology. Artificial Intelligence, in particular, resonates with me, sparking a sense of awe and curiosity that fuels my exploration in this ever-evolving field, although it is not one of my core areas of interest.

The truth is that computer science is a fast evolving field. As I navigate this digital frontier, I am thrilled to witness the universal recognition of technology's impact on our lives. It's an exciting era where the lines between the physical and virtual blur, and the possibilities seem limitless. The dynamic nature of computer science keeps me on my toes, constantly pushing boundaries and challenging preconceived notions.

Join Qwykr Technologies and Delphic Ventures (on Twitter) on this adventure as we explore the intersections of code and creativity. As an update to our readers, please note that we have moved our subscribers to Facebook, with some of the groups having garnered more than five hundred followers. Also, as a New Year update, I have posted below some of my recent photos. Moving to Facebook Groups pretty much solved all the problems we were running into, including managing subscribers, managing formatting, et cetera. We have basically not bothered to do much with Blogger other than updating it from time to time. That is the reason for this blog which suffers from poor formatting making it hard to read. 

No major effort was expended even on the photos. I basically just stepped back and clicked a few photos in succession on my cell phone, briefly turned into The Beast from the Disney movie, changed back and reposted them here (jk :-)). While these recent photos and even the digital art work are a momentary diversion, my true passion lies in the endless possibilities that computer science and technology offer. I also am very interested in personal finance and corporate finance. Thanks to all my followers on all the Facebook Groups, including the ones on Finance and the ones on Technology. Your company on this intellectual voyage is greatly appreciated, and I look forward to sharing more insights, projects, and discoveries in the vast realm of computer science.

Facebook Groups solved a real problem for us, and it took care of virtually every problem we ran into and a bunch more we did not think of. That is why we have not really focused much on this blog, and so this does not really look super well thought out and super professional. Not too much time has been spent on here... Meh. That is just the way it is. Well, in my defense, this is just meant to be my personal blog and I am just using it to redirect people to the right places. As technology evolves, perhaps, even better forums or Internet places than Facebook Groups will come up and, at that point, I will still be around to direct you to those new places, probably using this very same blog.

Facebook Groups

Group #1: https://www.facebook.com/2authors2books/

Group #2: https://www.facebook.com/thesocialsciencesforindia.history/?locale=hi_IN

Group #3: https://www.facebook.com/namastebharatdigital/

As another update: my previous project Namaste Bharat is now a very successful newsmagazine. They have now been renamed to Pravasi Indians, and are coming out with one superb issue after another monthly. Please do pay their website a visit.

Tech-savvy regards,

Anand Manikutty

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