schark.online

Automated Language; Language Automated

17 May 2025

As a lifelong student of linguistics, I've watched with fascination — and, I must admit, unbridled optimism — as our relationship with language undergoes a remarkable transformation. The emergence of advanced language technologies hasn't just changed how we communicate; it has fundamentally reshaped our understanding of human expression itself. In this piece, we'll delve into the fascinating intersection of artificial intelligence and natural language, exploring how these innovations are challenging our very conception of authentic discourse — and promising to blur the boundaries between human and machine-generated text in ways we never imagined possible.
...less than two years ago you likely wouldn't give much thought to the previous paragraph. Nowadays, you may have already guessed it- it was generated by AI. Claude 3.5 (new), to be specific.
AI speak is easy to spot but may be hard to explain. The most forthright evidence tends to be certain popular keywords, as highlighted by Geng and Trotta's paper on "Human-LLM Coevolution: Evidence from Academic Writing." Certain vocabulary, like "delve" or "intricate," are common amongst many AI models and have seen an increase in frequency following the popularization of LLMs. More fascinating may be decrease in otherwise popular natural vocabulary- such as common verbs "is" or "are". Other giveaways include syntactic trademarks, such as em-dashes and other unicode-specific characters. Sometimes it goes deeper than that- LLMs' responses often have an inefficiently airy length- almost as if it were trying to lead you along as it pieces everything together itself. They also lack discernible regional dialects- most complexities of geographic language are rounded out in favor of speaking to a general common denominator. It transmits information via the most abrasive, straightforward vernacular. A hymn with almost no discernible words.
Of course this is only temporary, as some inevitable future looms where the language of these models echoes that which the user implicitly wants to hear. We've seen experiments with this already, with OpenAI recently tweaking GPT-4o's personality to enthusiastically embrace users with a sycophantic personality. Though in this case users were put off, how long will it be until these personalities dynamically adjust based on stored historical context and observed emotions on a per-user basis?
Most interesting to me is the change in human behavior in response to these models. Culture moves fast, as does language used to express that culture. This isn't anything new, especially for the Internet. Altered language to avoid content filters have been around for awhile now, most prominently TikTok's popularization of words like "unalived" and "graped" to dodge otherwise sensitive censors. In the wake of AI, many have taken to purposefully leaving typos within there work for proof of authenticity.
Alternatively, there's (perhaps instinctual) adoption of LLM's new speech patterns. This makes sense- humans are pattern-driven beings, and we latch onto those we notice most around us. I don't doubt a large population of children currently supplementing ChatGPT for schoolwork will begin habitually spouting AI-isms as a result of its repeated use. Whether these observed phenomena are actually human responses or posing artificial outputs remains an ever-going exercise to the reader.
Online spaces generally tend to have unique vocabulary exclusive to their in-group. The infamous 4chan "greentext" format is one such case, but examples exist for any forum that has ever allowed posting of user text. Seeing these elsewhere is a memetic signal to others of their larger community- a reference given via metacontext online. LLMs will certainly have a similar impact, leaving unforeseen impressions on their communities and their textual habits. This already occurs with certain users picking up more efficient prompting patterns for particular models, and having difficulties retaining that success with others.
An LLM-centric future will be unique, one with a world where information is conveyed via learned behavioral pattern recognition as opposed to rankings or pure storage and recall. Not a search engine, but a cognitive experience. Now more than ever, contextual information and emotion are conveyed via implicit memetics of textual formatting and dialogue. To call AI "living" may be a disservice to both our kind and itself. It is, or will be, uniquely different- something likely more akin to an oracle. A communicative passage to a distillation of the collective human psyche. A Third Impact. As a derivative circular feedback of our intelligence it exists out of us but uniquely apart from us. It cannot be a "god" because it continues to retain our faults; our DNA. It cannot be us because it doesn't.

I Recently Visited Toronto

14 May 2025

Short update here- I'm alive and well, mostly heads down with new homeowner upkeep and increasing responsibilities at work. If I wasn't fixing the mower or dishwasher, chances are I was fascilitating a database migration. As spring cleaning comes to a close and we transition into summer, I'm eager for all the projects and trips I have coming up.
I returned from a work trip to Toronto- a personally unique experience as it was my first time travelling out of the states. I wrote about it briefly alongside a collection of photos I've published, if you'd like to read about it here.
I have a few articles in the pipeline that should be released soon, including thinkpieces on LLM's effects on natural language and changes I've made to personal machine setup. I've thrown around the idea of cataloging cocktail recipes as well, but we'll see when we get there. The ever-present motto since the move applies- one day at a time.

State Of The IP Address: Browsers

28 Feb 2025

Browsers have become the true interface through which most people experience technology today. They may not be the most useful or critical programs, but for the vast majority of users, their computer is just a wrapper for accessing the internet. That's not without good reason- the 21st century is built upon the understanding that our lives revolve around the internet. Our careers, finances, communications, and entertainment have all fundamentally changed as a result of having constant online connection. It's important for users to remain knowledgeable about the browser marketplace and the options available to them, as these choices can significantly impact their security, privacy, and overall digital experience.

Edge

For many, Edge is merely the program you use to install Chrome. In the future this will be regarded in hindsight as a bad move, for reasons we will discuss later. For all intents and purposes, Edge is actually a decent browser. In many ways, its likely the best option for a large amount of people.
Edge lives in the shadow of its older brother Internet Explorer. You could do worse than use Internet Explorer, but the choices of browsers were particularly slim during the height of Internet Explorer's popularity and many acknowledged the fact that they were forced to use it due to Windows's dominant operating system market share. Rarely will you see a product or service reach such dominance without some negative ramifications; they innevitably decay and bloat until a new paradigm is established. Internet Explorer was usurped by Chrome, and Edge was created in compromise of complete surrender.
Built on the same engine as Chrome, the experience is largely the same. If you're using Windows anyway, there's no major compelling force to reinstall Chrome outside of familiarity. Most importantly, it's more resource efficient, which is what the majority of users will care about anyway. Edges's privileged position in the Microsoft ecosystem allows Edge to better manage memory allocation and suspend background processes on Windows in ways Chrome's multi-platform approach cannot match. I actually respect the deep integration with Windows as it encourages users to interact more with their [1] system instead of renting their soul to Google's cloud.
[1] | By their, of course I mean Microsoft.

Chrome

Google, and by extension Chrome, is the main force propagating the "enshittification" of the internet [2]. Almost everything exists downstream of Google's mismanagement of search engine optimization, popularization of online advertisement, and blatant monopolization tactics. It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that I refuse to use Chrome on these principles alone, but how does it compare to other browsers in its functionality?
At one point in time, it was admittedly pretty revolutionary- it overtook Internet Explorer for a reason! It was faster, updated more frequently, and popularized extensions (though they existed before), all within a sleek presentation that echoed the minimalist zeitgeist of the time. Chrome was the inevitable conclusion to people's rebellion against Internet Explorer and a good example of how competition drives for higher quality products and services.
It now represents all the problems of unchallenged monopoly, having grown bloated and predatory with its collection of user information. For years now every "update" seems to cater more and more towards Google's interests as opposed to that of the consumer. This was most clearly reflected in the transition towards Manifest V3, which severely impacted community-driven privacy tools and ad-block extensions. The total assimilation of Google-centric authentication leaves users prone to a complete upending of their digital footprint in the event of account hijack. These insults are only possible because of Chromium's overwhelming monopoly on the webengine space.
Did I mention that it's slooowwwwww?
[2] | Microsoft certainly has its fair share of blame for steering us in the wrong direction as well. Dylan Beattie's The Web That Never Was presents an interesting, alternative account of the early development of the internet.

Opera

"No, no, its fine, I just didn't think it'd be Chinese." (Bloated and closed-source spyware)[3]
[3] | Fans of Opera might like Vivaldi, largely developed by former Opera employees and follows similar design principles. It's a bit too "feature-rich" for my tastes, and the fact they haven't fully open-sourced leaves me a tad skeptical, but man, do I admire tab stacks.

Brave

It's honestly impressive how hard Brave has fumbled being the most obvious solution for browser migrants- an important case study on how users will seldom forget and forgive when they are unknowlingly mistreated.
For those that don't know, Brave initially advertised itself as the "crypto browser" at the dawn of cryptocurrency's public spotlight into the public in 2016. The premise, simply, was that advertisements would pay the user for their viewership in the form of $BAT, Basic Attention Token. Users could in-turn exchange $BAT with each other easily online, with Brave providing easy front-end additions to popular social media. A commenable, novel, and radicle idea that challenged the industry standard for monetization online. However, crypto has since lost public interest in widespread integration with scandals like FTX and NFTs, but even before these Brave had its own scandal. It was discovered that Brave was pocketing user's $BAT tips on behalf of creators that hadn't fully integrated into the Brave suite.
Brave has since pivoted its branding towards being the "privacy browser." It's been a smart move, as it's largely the reason they're still relevant today. They've managed to screw this up too, by injecting affiliate links unbeknownst to its users. Privacy-focused folks don't take kindly to actions being taken on their behalf without their consent. Privacy-focused users additionally often take great care to only use software that fits within their ideals, for whom some of which Brave's CEO may call into question. Whether or not this is of importance to you is largely irrelevant- it stains the growth of the browser by impeding the recommendation of it. Go ahead, try and recommend anyone online to use Brave and you'll be met with an immediate barrage of links to privacy concerns, controversies, and a visceral distaste for anything crypto-adjacent in today's tech climate.
These are the hurdles of getting someone to install Brave- the first 10 minutes are exclusively spent having to explain how to fully disable ads, remove unwanted crypto features, and acknowledge the scandals surrounding the browser with a defensive "yes, but... it's not Chrome!" If these things don't matter to you it's a decent enough browser that remains open source, with a robust ad-blocker that works post-Manifest V3. However, I worry about its long-term support and developmenet as growth will innevitably stagnate. Additionally, much like Edge, Chrome, and Opera, Brave is built atop of the Chromium engine, which threatens the future of the web with a Google-controlled hegemony. Out of principle, I personal seek browsers built atop alternative webengines.

Firefox

As a longtime Firefox supporter, Mozilla's recent privacy policy update has significantly undermined my confidence in its future. Mozilla has had its ups and downs in the public eye throughout the years, but I can't imagine a single worse update in Firefox history. Even if the implications of these policy updates are more overstated than many are making them out to be, the fact that Mozilla would risk its last remaining competitive advantage of "privacy-first" principles severely calls into question the future of their organizational trust.
Additionally, we mustn't become complacent with mediocrity just because the alternatives are worse. It's no secret the development of Firefox has largely remained... stagnant? What was once the beacon of browser innovation now struggles to implement features Chrome shipped years ago. It may technically remain the best possible choice for privacy-conscious users at the moment, but that's less an endorsement of Firefox and more so an indication of the dystopian state of popular browsers in 2025.
Promised features remain in perpetual development hell, proper onboarding remains overly technical and complicated, and the mobile experience continues to lag so far behind the competition that correctly identified the market's needs for speed and accessibility. The browser's performance on resource-constrained devices remains cumbersome despite years of optimization efforts. In spite of these glaring issues Firefox has long been the default recommendation in privacy circles for anyone looking to venture away from Chrome, seemingly existing for that sole reason. It is a browser that has come to be defined not by what it is, but by what it's not- and for the majority of users, it's simply not a good browser; a reality painfully reflected in its steadily declining annual user base.
And yet, despite everything, Firefox still proves that there is a genuine demand for non-Chrome browsers, a demand that grows more urgent as Chrome begins to reach the same levels of market dominance that once defined Internet Explorer [4]. Firefox's continued existence provides us an opportunity to examine what features the next generation of browsers must prioritize, that being everything Firefox is not as a user experience while preserving everything it aims to stand for in principle. Users not only want a privacy-respecting browser, they want one that doesn't feel like a compromise in every other aspect of the experience. Firefox represents the right ideals trapped within the wrong execution. Where does this leave us?
[4] | Chrome's peak user base currently sits around 69%. Not nice. Internet Explorer's peak userbase was around a whopping 96%.

The Future

As the world has continued to gather online, we've unfortunately been left with worse and worse means of access. Browsers that once provided pristine environments now shovel slop into our faces expecting us to take it. The necessity for internet connection is being exploited to harvest unprecedented amounts of user information, while search continues to deteriorate under the weight of SEO-farming and algorithm manipulation. What was once a gateway to knowledge has become a gateway to surveillance, with each browser representing a different compromise we're forced to accept.
Despite this, I maintain an extremely optimistic view for the future of browsers for the simple fact that the internet is here to stay. I foresee a Cambrian Explosion of browsers, each tailoring themselves to specific flavors of users. Chrome proved that it was possible to overtake market majority with a well-designed product in-demand. As users grow increasingly frustrated with the status quo, there will be a wider market demand for alternatives that respect both privacy and user experience. Linux has already proved this year-on-year with its steady increase in user base, and I expect we'll see something similar with browsers in the near future.
My latest foray has been into the fresh Zen Browser, but many alternatives have been in development for years- such as Librewolf, IceCat, and other Firefox-based forks that prioritize privacy and performance without the organizational baggage. The next generation of browsers will need to balance privacy, performance, and personalization in ways that today's browsers remain too scared (or too greedy) to implement. Until then users should embrace and support alternative browsers that respect these tenants of browsing before its too late.

...oh yeah, people use Safari, huh?

What A Year It's Been

28 Jan 2025

Another year, yet another redesign. If anyone else has been here from the beginning, I think that's five thus far? I'm starting to lose count. We'll be starting fresh just one last time, if that's alright. I apologize for the inconvenience. For everyone else, welcome to my humble dwelling within cyberspace. This is where I document the various ventures I can't help but indulge in as well as my attempts to corral language into ways I like. Updates have historically come few and far between but I've been working to improve that. I hope you enjoy your stay.
Last year was absolutely sensational. My wife and I had a beautifully close wedding with our friends and family, and a thrilling honeymoon revisiting my childhood home in Hawaii. After many, many trips around the nation we decided on a new place to settle down. We bought our first home, and just last week we finished the process of moving everything in. I've been given the opportunity to reflect on another closing chapter of my life, and acknowledge with gratitude the change I was allowed to endure across that time. As I embark upon this coming voyage I'm filled with excitement for the further changes I see coming, and wonder for those which I don't.
For the first time since I can remember I chose to not establish "resolutions" this New Year's. Instead I've shaped "resolves" that I hope to guide me throughout everyday decisions. I believe these will be more effective by not setting goalpost minimums that act as facades for change, but rather evolving the criteria by which I wish to continue growing.
Firstly, I'd like to simply engage more with those around me, whether that in-person or online. Our modern societal conventions encourage avoidance, which is awfully drab in a reality which any conversation can alter the shape of your life. As I take this change in physical environment as a chance to have a greater impact on my local community, so will my presence online hopefully be much more intentional and in-tune with those I wish to connect with. Secondly, as many have trended towards online over the last few months, I'd like to simply build more. I have a terrible habit of drafting sprawling lists that never see past the dust and cobwebs that gather atop of them- this year rather, I desire more concise and achievable notes that leave much of the work in the details. Third, I want to boldly pursue new topics of intrigue by avoiding temptations of busy work of mere bolster. I hope to enrich my hobbies with new knowledge and the courage to push into areas I underestimate myself in.
Additionally I have two minor advices for myself- less sugar, more photos. So many quiet views took my breath away last year that I've rekindled my love for photography, and rediscovered the necessity for bodily health. I'm by no means a calorie counter (yet), but my wife and I have made active changes to better understand the holistic view of everything coming into our bodies in hopes of reaping more energy out of each of us. My last sentiment is an underlying virtue that encompasses everything- more present. Intentional "being" and disciplined behaviors are already making me more aware everyday, which more mindful perceptions and seemingly sharper mental acuity and control.
I hope this journey has been as gorgeous for you all as it has been for me. May each step we take be one that appreciates the trail behind us while blazing our path ahead.