New article: this time, we use Heidegger to explain why the "it's just a tool" line that often comes up in tech is so very silly:
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New article: this time, we use Heidegger to explain why the "it's just a tool" line that often comes up in tech is so very silly:
https://deadsimpletech.com/blog/no-such-thing-as-just-a-tool
@iris_meredith Interesting, although I don't think I agree with the premise of what "just a tool" means. (Or at least that's not the way I would use the phrase.) Still, there are some insightful points in there.
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@iris_meredith i have been thinking about this very claim lately, and my conclusion is that it isn't *even* a tool. a tool is something you control, and with practice, master. you don't control an LLM. you just sort of, ask it, and it obeys, more or less, according to its interpretation of what you asked for. that's not a tool, it's a servant.
@mrsbeanbag I think the blog and the reasoning in it is really good. I’m going to use it in the future. But I also agree with you that LLMs really strain the definition of “tool”.
The same person giving the same LLM the same exact input more than once to solve the same problem more than once will get 2 different outputs (probably similar, but not at all identical). That makes it a strange “tool,” indeed.
And there’s so much cargo culting around just the right phrases to prevent this problem or that problem. People can develop expertise with a tool. But LLMs’ non-determinism limit the value of past experience with respect to future performance.
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New article: this time, we use Heidegger to explain why the "it's just a tool" line that often comes up in tech is so very silly:
https://deadsimpletech.com/blog/no-such-thing-as-just-a-tool
@iris_meredith this isn't really gonna make us feel different about LLMs (which we don't and don't intend to use) but it is making us more seriously consider the implications of having a gun (which we currently do not but have wanted to, it just wasn't enough of a priority and financially unviable). while it's certainly not a new idea that carrying one does influence the wielder, we should consider that simply being aware of it doesn't make us immune to such influence. not that we would be allowed to carry a gun here anyway.
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@iris_meredith this isn't really gonna make us feel different about LLMs (which we don't and don't intend to use) but it is making us more seriously consider the implications of having a gun (which we currently do not but have wanted to, it just wasn't enough of a priority and financially unviable). while it's certainly not a new idea that carrying one does influence the wielder, we should consider that simply being aware of it doesn't make us immune to such influence. not that we would be allowed to carry a gun here anyway.
@elexia
Honestly, the biggest worry I have with guns is the propensity we have to use them on ourselves. I know quite a few gun owners (who universally are very careful with that influence), and that's consistently my biggest fear. -
@elexia
Honestly, the biggest worry I have with guns is the propensity we have to use them on ourselves. I know quite a few gun owners (who universally are very careful with that influence), and that's consistently my biggest fear.@iris_meredith yeah that's true.
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New article: this time, we use Heidegger to explain why the "it's just a tool" line that often comes up in tech is so very silly:
https://deadsimpletech.com/blog/no-such-thing-as-just-a-tool
@iris_meredith I remember when I discovered (indeed, at a sichuanese restaurant) that you are not supposed to eat all the chili
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New article: this time, we use Heidegger to explain why the "it's just a tool" line that often comes up in tech is so very silly:
https://deadsimpletech.com/blog/no-such-thing-as-just-a-tool
@iris_meredith a pet peeve of mine is forbidding the word "just" (as in easy) in professional settings, because it's hiding real decisions people have to make. It's sloppy, in the Leslie Lamport "thoughts are sloppy, writing is sharp" way.
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New article: this time, we use Heidegger to explain why the "it's just a tool" line that often comes up in tech is so very silly:
https://deadsimpletech.com/blog/no-such-thing-as-just-a-tool
@iris_meredith Bookmarked & boosted. It also made me realize I can describe Heidegger to developers in dev terms. Like so: You see, Heidegger is kind of the React of 20th century philosophers,
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Cheers, happy Sunday. -
New article: this time, we use Heidegger to explain why the "it's just a tool" line that often comes up in tech is so very silly:
https://deadsimpletech.com/blog/no-such-thing-as-just-a-tool
@iris_meredith thank you! That was a terrific read.
But I just have to mention Frank Elavsky's rant here: https://www.frank.computer/blog/2025/05/just-a-tool.html -
J jwcph@helvede.net shared this topic
