Asymptomatic

There must be intelligent life down here

Post Creation Workflow
April 04, 2024
Sn blog workflow

While writing this blog, I would like to be able to create a workflow that allows me to quickly create posts written in my own voice and post them to the site without a lot of effort. One of the things that causes a lot of effort to take place is having to type out every single word. These days, it’s pretty easy to use a microphone to record new spoken content and have it transcribed into something that can be posted online. I’ve recently been experimenting with a tool called AudioPen, which records my voice, transcribes it, and then submits it to an AI model to rewrite the content a bit. This is particularly interesting because if you’ve ever recorded yourself speaking live and listened back to it, you’ll note that you make a lot of mistakes, the grammar isn’t necessarily correct, and what you generally hear is pretty forgivable if you’re a listener, but not very forgivable if you are a reader of that transcribed text. I really wouldn’t want to publish directly transcribed text to the website without a significant amount of editing, and so it’s nice that it sends it through this AI model, which corrects some of the grammar and enhances some of the wording to really get at the meaning. Unfortunately, the prompt that AudioPen uses is a little more aggressive than I would like and removes a lot of what makes my voice hear, at least my written voice, sound like me. I tend to sound more like an AI model, so I’ve been playing with some other tools to hopefully make this as easy of a workflow, but with less loss of fidelity in the transcription.

I’ve been exploring a workflow that enables me to quickly generate posts in my own voice with minimal effort. One of the biggest challenges is the need to type out every single word. Nowadays, it’s fairly straightforward to record spoken content with a microphone and have it transcribed for online posting. I’ve been experimenting with a tool called AudioPen, which records my voice, transcribes the content, and then enhances it through an AI model. This approach is particularly fascinating because, as many of us might have noticed, live speech often includes numerous mistakes. The grammar might not be on point, and while these errors are generally forgivable to listeners, they are less so to readers of the transcribed text.

Three Development Projects
March 27, 2024
development code

I’ve been dedicating my spare time to three development projects lately, some of which are continuations of past work, while others are new ventures. Allow me to elaborate on them.

Firstly, there’s Tin (using the chemical symbol Sn), the software that powers this website. I’m quite pleased with Tin’s progress, as it now boasts numerous features I’ve long wanted to implement. In fact, it has made creating and posting new content significantly more effortless. I recently added pagination functionality, enabling users to navigate between pages and allowing Google to index all 3,000+ posts on the blog. Additionally, I re-enabled the search feature, which has been performing well. As I continue developing Tin, I plan to enhance the interactive front-end for post composition, streamlining the process of writing and publishing content directly on the site.

Reflecting on Legacy
March 20, 2024
legacy memory meaning life

I ought to have titled this blog “I’ve Been Thinking” since it seems each post involves me thinking about some thing and never actually doing more than that. Lately, my thoughts have been on my mother-in-law, who is currently facing medical challenges. Her children are preparing an obituary for when her time comes. Naturally, this has led me to reflect on how I’d like to be remembered and the legacy I’d leave behind.

Legacy is a weighty word, but it captures that essence – what I hope to achieve in life. As cliche as it sounds, considering what my obituary would say while I’m still alive is an intriguing exercise. It prompts thoughts about whether I’ve accomplished everything I’d hoped to and what more I have to achieve.

Rethinking My Coffee Routine
March 18, 2024
routine coffee morning

Over the past month, I’ve considered altering my coffee routine. It’s not about changing the quantity, but rather the flavor of the coffee pods I’ve been using for some time now. Previously, I had a Blue Bottle Coffee subscription, grinding their monthly roasted beans and brewing with a French press. However, due to expenses, I switched to Keurig coffee pods from the local grocery store. While affordable and decent, the taste has become monotonous.

Occasionally, I’ve enjoyed good coffee while out on trips or weekends, and I’d like my home coffee to emulate that flavor instead of the pods’. This doesn’t refer to Starbucks coffee, as I find its burnt taste unappealing. A standout example is Roosevelt Coffee Roasters in Columbus, which serves a delightful oat milk latte with honey. Their smooth coffee flavor is what I prefer over the bitter taste of locally acquired options.

Influencing Musical Preferences
March 07, 2024
Spotify mere exposure music AI tastes psychology

The Mere-Exposure Effect is a phenomenon stating that the more you are exposed to something, the more you develop an affinity for it. Lately, I’ve been using Spotify’s “Songs for You” feature, which creates a playlist of songs based on your past listening habits. I’ve noticed that it recommends earworms – catchy tunes that get stuck in my head. While these songs are somewhat similar to my usual music preferences, they’re not what I would expect to discover during my musical explorations.

This makes me wonder if there is some hidden option within Spotify’s corporate structure, or perhaps even the Illuminati, where artists can pay to have their songs promoted more frequently. As a result, listeners experience the mere exposure effect and ultimately develop a liking for the song, wanting to listen to it more.