10,000 Published Medium Articles
Mastering the Art of Prompt Engineering
“The difference between genius and stupidity is; genius has its limits.” — Albert Einstein
Enter the Matrix
March 24th, 2024 — Welcome to the fold, seeker. Witness this exhilaratingly mundane revelation: the power to automate your seemingly riveting publishing endeavors on Medium is now within your grasp. And should you, by some twist of fate, find yourself yearning for respite in this bleak reality, take heart! The comprehensive tutorial descends from the digital heavens, awaiting your command on the vast aisles of Amazon. In a realm where fleeting dreams succumb to the weight of harsh truths, why not dare to plunge into the abyss of automated publishing? Let your Medium membership serve a purpose, even if only to ease the burden of existence.
UPDATE!
March 20th, 2024 — Medium appears to have caught on, posts appear to be limited to 50 per day now. The experiment was a success!
Game Over, Human (writers)
Starting on February 20th, it took me 24 days to published 10,000 articles. Perched behind my MacBook, its glow tastefully subdued by the orange-tinted glasses perched on my nose — a knight’s visor against the dragon of blue light — I set off on what could only be described as a digital quixotic quest. My trusty steed? A cup of coffee, its aroma a beacon of hope in the early hours, whispering sweet promises of alertness and inspiration. Beside it, my secret weapon: a Zyn, subtly taking its place like a clandestine spy hiding in plain sight between gum and cheek, delivering its quiet vigor with the finesse of a covert operative.
With this eclectic ensemble, I embarked on a marathon of creation that spanned from the absurdly ambitious to the delightfully deranged. Armed with Python, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, and a penchant for prompt engineering AI into a frenzied ballet of words, I dove headfirst into the labyrinth of content creation. This wasn’t just about churning out articles; it was about weaving tales of culinary fervor à la digital Ramsay, concocting bittersweet symphonies of cocktail lore, and unravelling the yarns of crypto in a way that would make even the most stoic blockchain crack a smile.
Every keystroke was a note in this symphony, every article a movement in an opus dedicated to the digital age. And through it all, my MacBook stood resilient, a beacon in the swirling tempest of tabs and texts. The dance of my fingers across the keyboard, powered by caffeine and the subtle kick of my undercover ally, became a testament to the power of human will…or perhaps just a testament to what one can accomplish when adequately caffeinated and slightly buzzed on rebellion.
This adventure wasn’t just a testament to endurance or the might of machine learning; it was a love letter to the whimsy of creation, a nod to the serendipity that ensues when technology meets tenacity. And as the final article nestled itself among its 10,001 siblings (medium only displays counts up to 9999), it was clear that this journey was less about the destination and more about the delightfully madcap voyage through the vast sea of content.
In The Beginning…
Back in the halcyon days of late 2022 and the brisk beginnings of 2023, my journey into the labyrinthine world of prompt engineering began. The mission? To sift through the dense thicket of legalese and financial jargon that festoons the Federal Register and EDGAR — the former being the daily journal of the U.S. government that documents all manner of bureaucratic pronouncements, and the latter, the Security and Exchange Commission’s electronic database, where the financial skeletons and triumphs of corporations are laid bare for all to see.
However, as these things tend to go, a mere dive into the depths of government and corporate disclosures wasn’t enough to sate my hunger for creation. In a stroke of what some might call genius (or madness, depending on who you ask), I stumbled upon the idea of not just analyzing and summarizing this content but giving it a voice — quite literally. Enter ElevenLabs’ voice cloning technology, my ticket to transforming dry, often snooze-inducing federal content into something… listenable.
From this amalgam of technology, voice clones, and sheer will, Laxfed Paulacy was born. An avatar, if you will, embodying the spirit of my endeavors — a digital chimera with the dulcet tones inspired by the O.G. A.I., Max Headroom, but with a personality infusion that’s undeniably all me. Laxfed became the mouthpiece for a newfound podcasting venture, taking the original content produced through prompt engineering and character-driven development and spinning it into daily Spotify podcast episodes.
Laxfed’s voice, an homage to Max Headroom’s digital rasp, carries with it not just the echoes of A.I.’s past but a fresh twist of sarcasm and wit, perfectly suited for narrating the otherwise staid proceedings of the Federal Register and the corporate ballet on EDGAR. Through this voice, what began as a quest to make sense of governmental and corporate disclosures has morphed into an audacious experiment in content creation, breathing life into the esoteric and oft-ignored corners of public records.
And so, with my MacBook as my stage, orange-tinted glasses as my shield against its glow, and the subtle company of my unspoken ally dripping into my bloodstream, I embarked on this venture. Not just as a content creator, but as a digital maestro, orchestrating a symphony of words, voices, and technology into something that could very well be the first of its kind. For those intrigued by the fusion of technology, satire, and government filings, you’re cordially invited to tune into the auditory odyssey that is Laxfed Paulacy’s podcast:
A Follower Count That Basically Skyrocketed
Embarking on this voyage with a modest army of 614 followers — a select group of individuals whose discernment in following me can only be described as impeccable — I found myself at the conclusion of this wild ride sitting atop a digital throne built by 827 loyal subjects. That’s right, through the magic of relentless content bombardment, I managed to charm an additional 213 souls into my digital realm.
This startling revelation shines a spotlight on a universal truth previously unbeknownst to the masses: the path to internet stardom is paved with an unyielding flood of articles. Who would have thought that the secret ingredient to becoming an online sensation was simply to unleash a tsunami of creativity upon unsuspecting readers? Clearly, the algorithm gods smiled upon my digital offerings, whisking me away from obscurity and into the warm embrace of 213 more followers, each undoubtedly drawn to the unique blend of wit, wisdom, and whimsy that defines my corner of the internet. In this era of digital enlightenment, it seems that quantity, sprinkled with a dash of quality, does indeed have a quality all its own.
Jack of All Trades
Let’s peel back the curtain a bit more on this whole affair. It wasn’t just about cranking out content en masse. Absolutely not. Each one of those 10,000 articles was a labor of love, meticulously crafted through the artful application of prompt engineering and imbued with a soul through character-driven narratives. This was no factory assembly line; this was the digital equivalent of artisanal bread-making, where each loaf is infused with its own unique flavor and flair.
Here, every article was a jewel, delicately carved from the raw stone of artificial intelligence by the steady hand of a craftsman (that’s me, in case you were wondering). Characters sprung from the page (or screen) with vivacity, from a virtual Gordon Ramsay doling out culinary wisdom (and scorn) to a mixologist whose creations were as infused with sarcasm as they were with spirits.
In essence, while the headline might scream “quantity,” the reality whispered “quality” in a tale of technology married seamlessly with creativity. This wasn’t just a deluge of digital content; it was a collection of tales, each thoughtfully woven and proudly presented to the world.
Recipes
First off, the kitchen dramas. Inspired by none other than Chef Gordon Ramsay himself, these cooking recipe articles didn’t just tell you how to whip up a soufflé; they practically screamed at you for over-whipping the eggs. Culinary excellence with a side of verbal abuse, just how we like it.
Cocktails
Then there were the cocktail recipes, penned by a character so dripping in sarcasm and melancholy, you’d swear the drinks could serve themselves out of sheer pity. This character clung to their disdain and gripe like a martini clings to its olive — a perfect blend of bitter and twisted, with a splash of existential crisis.
Python
For the pragmatists among us, I churned out straightforward Python and LangChain content. Tutorials, tips, and tricks that served as a gentle reminder that, yes, you too can automate your way to digital infamy with just a bit of code and a lot of hope.
Crypto
And who could forget the sardonic takes on current crypto news? With the grace of a bull in a china shop, these articles took the volatile world of cryptocurrency and added a much-needed dose of reality check — wrapped in sarcasm, of course.
Propaganda
Last but certainly not least, the pièce de résistance: a madlibs-style article headline generator. The LLMs took these prompts and ran with them, producing tongue-in-cheek propaganda that was as believable as it was amusing. It was like watching AI discover satire, and frankly, it was beautiful.
A Triumph of Will, Wit, and Wi-Fi
This grand escapade, my foray into the wilderness of digital content creation, was never about blindly tossing words into the void to see what echoes back. Far from it. This was a deep dive into the uncharted waters of creativity, where the currents of automation and the winds of digital engagement meet in a perfect storm. Through this journey, I didn’t just sprinkle a few digital breadcrumbs across the vast internet; I carved out a path, broad and inviting, for others to follow, should they dare.
But this path isn’t just about following in footsteps. It’s about igniting a spark, a beacon for those poised on the edge of content creation, ready to plunge into the depths but unsure where to begin. I’ve expanded my digital footprint, yes, but in doing so, I’ve tossed the gauntlet at your feet, a challenge and an invitation to join me in reshaping the landscape of digital content.
Keep your eyes peeled and your wits about you, for the tutorial I’m piecing together is no ordinary guide. It’s a map to treasure, one that may well change the course of your digital voyage — or at the very least, offer a hearty chuckle along the way. In the grand tapestry of content creation, if I’ve managed to stitch together a narrative that stands out, then rest assured, you’re more than equipped to weave your own masterpiece.
The Tutorial Is Nigh
The unbridled lunacy of launching 10,000 articles into the digital void wasn’t purely a self-indulgent romp through the fields of artificial creativity — though, let’s be honest, it was a riot. Beyond the laughs and late-night coding sessions, it stands as a lighthouse for every would-be digital da Vinci, signaling a path through the tumultuous seas of content creation. Fear not, for I am currently toiling away, piecing together a tutorial that promises to be your compass, guiding you through the bewildering yet bewitching labyrinth of prompt engineering, character crafting, and the dark arts of persuading AIs to spin coherent tales.
But here’s the deal: to embark on this adventure, to truly seize the chalice of knowledge I’m fermenting, you’ll need to subscribe to email notifications. Now, hold your horses — before you imagine your inbox besieged by an avalanche akin to my 10,000-article spree, let me reassure you. You won’t be spammed into oblivion. Quite the contrary, the next ping from me will be nothing short of the Holy Grail, a beacon amidst the digital fog, heralding the arrival of the tutorial that could very well turn the tides of your content creation journey.
So, take a leap of faith, click that subscribe button, and prepare for a revelation that will arrive not with a spammy whimper, but with a groundbreaking bang. This is not just another drop in your digital bucket; it’s the clarion call to arms (or pens, or keyboards) for the next generation of content creators, armed with wit, wisdom, and a smidgen of AI-assisted wizardry.
Let’s band together and set sail into this brave new world of AI-assisted storytelling, where the only limits are the bounds of our collective imagination. Together, we’ll explore the furthest reaches of creativity, armed with the tools of automation and a dash of human ingenuity. Remember, in this realm, being overqualified is just another term for being adequately adventurous.
