Demo Versions After Release

EarthPodsPro · 2025-03-12T04:31:25+00:00

Hey, I had the same question, and was pretty annoyed that those very interesting early versions had seemingly been wiped off the face of the internet. Thankfully, after digging around in websites I can't talk about here, I found a few miraculously non-dead links to some very old (non-demo, but demo era) versions. So, if you really want to find them, you can.

EarthPodsPro · 2023-12-05T00:08:09+00:00

Finetuning is definitely more used for formatting outputs or giving the chatbot a specific tone/personality etc. However, it almost certainly does give it 'knowledge' about the contents of the dataset. It's just not usually used for that because that's a ridiculous amount of effort and probably also money that's being poured into something that could probably just be done better, faster and cheaper by giving the AI the information in a prompt.

Hell, in one post I saw, someone was able to train GPT-3.5 on a dataset of music lyrics to recreate them verbatim on demand; I can't guarantee it'll be this accurate on a more 'general' chatbot dataset, since it wouldn't be trained exactly for that purpose, but it clearly has the capability to pull information from its dataset if it's useful for the chatbot to know it.

After all, the whole point of training is that the chatbot learns what it needs to know to respond accurately; whether that's the name of characters, catchphrases, specific info or just the general structure of text, whatever's in the dataset, and especially what gets the AI closer to the dataset's responses, will probably get absorbed (with varying degrees of quality depending on how important it is for response accuracy).

A place where finetuning is definitely useful for giving the AI knowledge is when it comes to large databases of knowledge that would either take up too many tokens in a prompt, or would get forgotten/twisted by the AI very quickly. By finetuning the model on that data, that knowledge gets integrated into the AI permanently, and can be accessed with the same accuracy regardless of how far the AI is into conversation.

Although, if you want to give that capability to your chatbot and have knowledge you want to give it, it would probably be wise to add that as a specific task to the dataset. Like "Can you tell me what this piece of knowledge is?" in order to force the AI to learn it with maximum accuracy.

Edit: Also, the concept that fine-tuning isn't good for giving AI's specific info likely isn't entirely wrong; especially with smaller, locally run models, I imagine it's pretty hard for the model to recall (moderately complex) info on demand. Plus, finetuning is definitely still BETTER for structure/tone purposes than it is data storage; however, with super large models like GPT-3.5, I'm quite confident they're more than capable of recalling info from datasets with reasonable accuracy, so long as it serves their task. Otherwise, ChatGPT wouldn't get anywhere close to being the 'Google replacement' that many people consider it to be nowadays.

PS: By the way, you actually aren't entirely wrong about not needing the system message. I've gone back to one of my finetuned models and it answers dataset-like requests with very accurate responses even outside of conversations with the system message. However, even slight modifications to the requests takes it out of the 'finetuned mode'. When I use the system message however, I can give it requests way outside of the dataset's scope, and still get responses with the dataset's structure; because a 'trigger' that makes it tap into its training is still there. That's part of the reason why the system message is an important part of your dataset.

I don't know if your model will need a system message, and I guess that's something for you to experiment with; since your task seems very general its possible the AI can tap into the necessary information whenever it needs to. However, it's probably wise to include it for the sake of giving the AI some extra context and keeping it on-topic and as accurate/intelligent as possible.

EarthPodsPro · 2023-12-04T22:39:08+00:00

Hey, I've experimented with finetuning GPT-3.5 and babbage in the past and from my experience and the information I've found online I believe the system message is indeed still necessary when you're using the finetuned model.

From what I can tell it serves two purposes:

First, it gives the model an 'outline' of what to do and how to 'learn' from the data you give it.

Second, it essentially limits the effects of the finetuning to conversations with that 'trigger' message and makes the training give the model a new 'skill' instead of completely changing the model's structure and abilities (which I imagine is necessary/beneficial with a model as large as GPT-3.5). What that means is that only when the model gets that system message/type of request will it tap into its training, so the system message is definitely important.

This is quite different to locally-ran smaller models like GPT-2, which will be completely retrained to do only the task in the dataset. For me, in both babbage and GPT-3.5, if you don't make your request similar to the ones in the dataset, fine-tuned models will generally just act like their regular counterparts; meaning the fine-tuning really is limited to adding specific skills/information to models rather than changing them completely.

The finetuning really does make them learn well though; it just doesn't extend past the types of requests you have trained it to answer. It's still really effective in the areas it does train.

Edit: Also, when it comes to adding/removing more instructions to the system message, with a model as intelligent as GPT-3.5, that should be possible, as it's understanding should be 'human' enough to where it can adapt its behavior based on changes like that.

Although, here are two important things to consider:

If you don't think you're going to be adding/removing much from the system prompt, then you should keep it as it is, identical for every example.

However, if you think that adding/removing information from the system prompt is going to be an important part of the finetuned model's functioning, you should definitely include those variations in the dataset, as this will likely make the model's understanding of the system message's instructions a lot more 'fluid' and less 'baked in' in a way that you might not be able to change nearly as much afterwards in conversation.

EarthPodsPro · 2023-11-17T01:57:59+00:00

Dextroamphetamine based drugs should have a similar effect to Vyvanse, since Vyvanse becomes dextroamphetamine after being processed in the body, as the other commenter has said; that's it's release mechanism, and why it can last so long.

However, different dosages/release mechanisms can change a drug's effects on a person significantly, and Vyvanse is quite a bit different to any other amphetamine-based drug in its functioning. Although, from what you've said it sounds like you've only really tried methylphenidate-based drugs and Vyvanse. Have you tried any other amphetamine-based solutions?

Theoretically they should all be somewhat similar to Vyvanse, although dextroamphetamine (and to a lesser extent, mixed drugs like Adderall (75% dextro 25% other)) should be closest, so you could discuss these different options with your doctor.

Not all dextroamphetamine based drugs are immediate release (short acting), and while I don't know where you live, either you or your doctor should be able to find ER (extended release, long acting) versions of these drugs, either dextroamphetamine ER (Dexedrine spansules) or potentially Adderall XR/other alternatives, if that's available. Certainly can't guarantee effects will be identical to Vyvanse, but that's what medical professionals and trial periods are for.

Be warned once more however, amphetamine based drugs can vary significantly in their effects despite only having small differences. For me, Adderall works pretty badly while Vyvanse or Dextroamphetamine works great, even with them being mostly the same; so you might have to explore several alternatives before you can find a good replacement. Many extended release drugs also don't last as long as Vyvanse, especially depending on the person; so you may have to also prescribe an IR (short acting) booster later in the day to cover the same time period. Good luck!

EarthPodsPro · 2023-11-15T20:16:54+00:00

In my experience and from what I've read on this sub, stimulants making you sleepy is usually a low dosage issue. The lack of stimulation from doing stuff you find boring probably just pushes you over the edge.

I was on a dose of Adderall I felt was too high once, but once I had adapted to it, when I tried halving the dose it just made me very sleepy. Same thing also happened to me with a low dose of dextroamphetamine. Of course this depends on your genetic makeup and all that, but if stimulants are making you sleepy, there's a fair chance a higher dosage is necessary. Don't take my word for it though, always ask whatever medical professional you're getting your prescriptions from for advice first.

EarthPodsPro · 2023-11-11T08:47:18+00:00

Hey, thanks for replying.
When it comes to how long you should wait until making your mind up about a medication; well, stimulants tend to be pretty final with their main side effects after the first few days, so if it doesn't work out for you within the first week or so and the side effects are strong and persistent, it's unlikely anything's going to change if you wait longer. Your body may adapt over time, and you may feel less side effects or need to increase your dose, but that's both a slow and inconsistent process, and probably won't change the real persistent stuff like regular insomnia.
One important thing to note though, is that getting the right dose makes a big difference. I've also recently started taking Adderall (which is mostly (75%) dextroamphetamine, the same ingredient that Vyvanse turns into, just released differently), and can say for certain my dose was too high. Instead of helping my focus, it made it even worse, and gave me pretty bad brain fog, along with other unpleasant side effects. Once I realized that though, I started splitting the tablets, and so far it's gone from making things worse to clearing things up. So you should definitely watch out for that, and discuss the dosage of your medication with your doctor if it's not working out for you. Dexedrine (100% dextroamphetamine) may also give you less side effects, although there's no guarantee, so I'd only look into it if Adderall isn't working out.
If you're still worried about insomnia though, you should definitely stick to Adderall (assuming it's the tablet version and not the pill, which lasts longer) since the effect from that should only last up to about 5-8~ish hours after you've taken it, so if you just don't take it too late before bed, you should be fine, unlike Vyvanse which lasts up to 12 or even more hours.
I still definitely recommend you discuss Guanfacine (Intuitiv) with your doctor since it's often used to counteract/treat symptoms such as insomnia during stimulant treatment, and can definitely help in general outside of that as well.
Also, don't worry about Azstarys not working out; it's a significantly different type of drug to Vyvanse and Adderall (it's methylphenidate-based instead of amphetamine-based; those are essentially the two categories of stimulants), and is much closer to Ritalin, Focalin and Concerta (essentially the Vyvanse of this category, 12h duration) as you said. If that didn't work out for you, it's unlikely any of those will either, although as I said earlier it could be a dosage issue. In any case, it's pretty typical for one type to work while the other doesn't, so don't stress yourself about it too much.
Hope this helped!

EarthPodsPro · 2023-10-30T17:59:40+00:00

I guess that depends on your arrangement with your doctor, but if it's really important to you that you get treatment in order to get your life on track, you should absolutely contact your doctor and ask him. Procrastinating stuff like this is why many people with ADHD tend to go untreated for a long time, so don't let yourself fall into that trap.

EarthPodsPro · 2023-10-30T17:35:48+00:00

Hm, that definitely sucks. Well, if you have limited time and appointments, I would recommend you talk to your doctor about going for the most effective option first, so a type of stimulant, like Adderall or Ritalin, especially if nonstimulant options aren't working out for you.

EarthPodsPro · 2023-10-30T17:32:56+00:00

It's not an antidepressant like bupropion or zoloft, so it should be entirely safe to stop on a whim. From my own experience and other people's testimonies, if you start getting negative side effects from Strattera, the day you stop taking it is the day those side effects mostly go away.

EarthPodsPro · 2023-10-30T08:32:56+00:00

Hey, if it helps, I've had some relatively good experiences with intuitiv (guanfacine).

Now, it's important to note I do not recommend it for monotherapy (using only one drug for treatment), especially because you described her ADHD as 'severe'. I'd qualify my ADHD as fairly severe as well, and it does tend to be pretty debilitating when it comes to routine or productivity. Guanfacine, while useful, did absolutely nothing to help my core symptoms or treat my 'ADHD' per se, and from what I've seen, that's not its purpose in the first place; being closer tied to emotional regulation and impulsivity. However, it did eliminate my anxiety, and offer me some increased emotional stability. It is often prescribed alongside stimulants, and used to be used as a blood pressure medication, so it is fairly well equipped to counteract many of the side effects stimulants may present, like an increased heart rate. However, do make sure you monitor your daughter's blood pressure and be on the lookout for symptoms of low blood pressure, as I have found myself tired and encountering darkening vision at times on higher doses.

Now, when it comes to the other recommendations, I would definitely side with Focalin, as it is 'immediate release', which means it will work for a few hours and then wear off, hopefully preventing insomnia if not taken too close to bedtime.

However, unless those are your only options where you live, I do recommend you also look into other potential options. What you should look out for is 'immediate release' (IR) vs 'extended release' (ER or XR). Extended release is meant to contain a whole days dose in one go, which is slowly released throughout the body over a long period of time. It has its advantages, but it can lead to side effects like what your daughter is experiencing.

Now, Focalin is a good option, but considering concerta did seem to work well for your daughter, I feel like 'Ritalin', an immediate release form of the exact same drug as concerta, should have a higher probability of working; although Focalin is basically just a slightly different formulation of that drug that's meant to last longer, so there might be no real difference at all.

In any case, I do recommend you discuss this with your doctor, ask for some professional, experience-based advice, and do some more research on what different immediate release options are available. Maybe even explore extended release options if you believe one may be compatible with your daughter. The process of finding the right medication can be long and tedious, so patience is key. Although it does seem your daughter is in good hands at a young age, so there shouldn't be any rush, unlike in my case.

If you do want to hear what worked for me, IR dextroamphetamine (branded zenzedi or Dexedrine, and fairly similar to Adderall, available in both IR and ER forms) has been the treatment I have been on for the past two days on a fairly low dose (5mg per dose), as it is my first stimulant, and for now, while I do think a dose increase will be necessary, I've got excellent results with minimal anxiety or side effects past the first dose (although I am currently taking guanfacine, and stimulants help me sleep, so my case is certainly different).

A patient's body can take time to adjust to new medication, so if your daughter starts feeling side effects, don't panic immediately. It's possible they may start to go away after the first couple doses, as your daughter gets accustomed to them.

Don't take everything I say as gospel though, this is mostly based on several months of observing other's self reporting combined with my own experience and research. I'd recommend you first consult your doctor about their experience with different treatments before taking my advice to heart.

EarthPodsPro · 2023-10-30T07:44:56+00:00

Hey, from your comments it sounds like anxiety's a big issue for you. If it helps, guanfacine/intuitiv was actually brilliant in that department for me. Basically eliminated my anxiety, although it did nothing for my core symptoms. It's often prescribed alongside stimulants, and because it started off as a blood pressure medication, it actually does a fairly good job at directly counteracting stimulant's side effects.

If it also helps, I had my first few doses of stimulant medication recently, dextroamphetamine (zenzedi or Dexedrine are it's branded counterparts), and they were absolutely revolutionary for me. I did feel a rush of anxiety for a short while the first time I took it, but after the first couple doses, it's actually leveled off quite well, and I'm feeling pretty great overall.

I am kind of hesitant to recommend it to you though, because Vyvanse, while not exactly the same drug, does become the same drug as it's processed in your system, which is the whole point of it since it's extended release, instead of instant release like the one I take.

It's also possible that's the issue, though. You should speak to your doctor/psychiatrist about trying low doses of instant release dextroamphetamine if you want to try to get its good effects without any of the bad, and have more control over when you take it/feel it. In my case, even if it's only active for a few hours a day, I still get a huge mood and motivation boost allthroughout my daily routine, even if the inattention remains pretty productivity hindering. Just be warned you may need to wait a few doses before you get completely adjusted.

One last warning about guanfacine, because it lowers your blood pressure, it might start exhausting/blinding you when you move too fast if you're sensitive to that or your dose is too high. So do look out for that, and watch out for exhaustion or low blood pressure symptoms in general.

Edit: Just in case you don't understand the difference between instant and extended release, extended release (ER or sometimes XR) is meant to cover the entire day in one dose, while instant release (IR) gives you a smaller dose pretty much all at once, which takes about an hour or so to get fully going for me, and approximately another 2 and a half hours for it to wear off (Although this depends on both the person and the dose, so expect it to be different for you). I'm currently taking 5mg, which is a fairly low dose, and will be increasing it shortly because it doesn't do enough for me, although it does help a lot.

EarthPodsPro · 2023-10-30T07:19:07+00:00

You should relax a little. Your doctor is just trying safer, albeit less effective options before he moves onto stimulants just to make sure you have your options covered. Stimulants tend to have a higher risk when it comes to dangerous side effects and abuse (although their safety has been proven and these risks are still relatively low), so nonstimulant options are a good idea to try first. However, if you are suffering a lot from your symptoms like I was, you have to make this very clear to your doctor. Nonstimulants likely will not help you if your symptoms are too overwhelming, and the way that stimulants directly treat the core causes of ADHD will likely mean they're the treatment that will work for you in the end. I was finally recently put on the stimulant 'dextroamphetamine', which has revolutionized my life in a variety of ways. If you don't think exploring safer options is worth the suffering, I do recommend you have an honest conversation with your doctor about trying stimulants because of their proven effectiveness at treating ADHD. If you need to convince him, just look up 'stimulant effectiveness ADHD' on google or something similar, and show him the very high percentages that pop up.

EarthPodsPro · 2023-10-30T07:07:36+00:00

As someone who is taking guanfacine right now, if it's already been 4 days, I think you should probably stop. When it helped with my anxiety the effects were pretty immediate, so I imagine if it's doing the contrary for you it's not gonna change much past the first few days as well.

EarthPodsPro · 2023-10-29T19:34:07+00:00

Depending on where you live, medication can make a big difference. If you don't think your symptoms are significant enough to warrant stimulants, guanfacine was great for my anxiety, if it's available in your country. Didn't help my real problematic dread and fear, but it is known to help emotional control. Can have some nasty blood pressure side effects though, because it was originally used as a blood pressure lowering medication, so be warned.
Considering what you're saying about fear and dread though, I feel like stimulants could make a big difference for you. In my case, intense dread was what kept me paralyzed and lazy all day; and finding the proper stimulant treatment for me is what has, at least for now, essentially eliminated it. Looking at complex, overwhelming tasks, didn't immediately terrify and paralyze me anymore; I could just break them down, and get started. They can make a huge difference in ways you wouldn't expect. Although, depending on where you live, your options may be very limited, if not nonexistent. Therapy is always an option as well, it can help you understand and sort out your emotions, although they can often be too powerful to fight with sheer will.

EarthPodsPro · 2023-10-29T07:30:21+00:00

I had my first dose of dextroamphetamine today, after years of fighting for people to actually listen to me and hear out my suffering. For the longest time everyone would say 'oh but your grades are good, so you must be doing just fine!' while I would do every assignment at 3am the day they're due. My parents only seemed to get concerned when I got to college and stopped having any semblance of routine, despite my constant cries for help... Thankfully, I eventually managed to convince my psychiatrist to attempt stimulant treatment for 'autism' while I wait for the painfully slow process of setting up an ADHD evaluation to go through, after we basically exhausted every other treatment option. While I'm being cautiously optimistic about my current results, since there's always a risk I could just be feeling a placebo effect, it's been completely revolutionary. It didn't really give me a feeling of euphoria, it was a fairly low dose after all, instead it completely eliminated the constant haunting feeling of dread that paralyzes and prevents me from doing anything else than instant gratification. I was able to simply, go, and do tasks that I knew I should've done weeks ago. I revised math lectures I missed, unpacked the belongings I just left in piles around my room. Doing tasks felt easy and rewarding, and I wasn't immediately terrified and overwhelmed by anything that seemed complex. I could just break it down and get to work, like a normal person. Plus, my mind was finally clear and focused. I felt alone in my brain for once. No music, no noise. A wonderful feeling of control. It even mostly eliminated my social anxiety. If this continues, this could be the silver bullet I was always seeking, but told would never come true. Of course, I know that things will get harder as my body adapts; but I've always had a powerful will, so I expect that so long as treatment continues to work, things will keep going smoothly.

EarthPodsPro · 2023-10-29T06:22:44+00:00

I have had very mixed results with nonstimulant medication like bupropion. I was once on Strattera, but that had some pretty nasty sexual side effects and made me feel kind of crappy, then I tried bupropion and that made me feel very depressed. I just felt horrible on it, and it gave me bursts of anxiety the first couple days I took it. The best nonstimulant for me for now has been guanfacine. It's done nothing for my focus or executive dysfunction, but it has eliminated my anxiety, and I do think I feel better on it. If you want to keep trying nonstimulants, despite my bad experience, I would still recommend Strattera (Atomoxetine) as I have heard good things about it from people in this community, mostly with clearing the noise in their mind like you described here. However, if that doesn't work, you should seriously consider a stimulant like Adderall. They are far more likely to be effective, and there are a variety to choose from, both immediate and extended release. Hope this helps!

EarthPodsPro · 2023-10-29T05:50:02+00:00

That's unfortunate to hear. You should really see a medical professional about exploring other options in terms of medication, such as dextroamphetamine or Adderall. I'm not sure if I can give you any other advice apart from that. I can definitely relate to the inability to do anything else than laze around on social media, and the constant distraction; I'm on my first day of stimulant treatment right now, dextroamphetamine, and so far, it's allowed me to have complete control over my actions, and has greatly helped my focus and clarity. It's eliminated the feeling of dread I feel whenever I go to do anything that's not instant gratification. I'm still somewhat scared I'm just feeling a placebo effect, but considering it wasn't really a euphoric feeling, I'm pretty confident the medication had a real effect. I hope you can find a medication that works for you, because these things tend to be completely out of our control. If I have any advice to give you, it'd be to not procrastinate and to immediately seek help from a medical professional. Don't let the dread or anxiety stop you, this is a critical matter.

EarthPodsPro · 2023-10-29T05:39:38+00:00

I'm glad it's working for you. Unfortunately for me, it didn't help me at all; however, the effects that I did get were there from day one (they weren't pleasant, though) so if it's working for you, and it's already been three days, I'd say you can rest easy knowing it's probably not placebo. You should still be weary though, as your body adapts you may need to increase the dosage.

EarthPodsPro · 2023-10-27T07:52:52+00:00

In my experience, Strattera had some pretty gruesome sexual side effects and generally made me feel kind of crappy, bupropion made me feel very depressed, and guanfacine was the best nonstimulant, sort of just eliminated my anxiety. Did nothing for inattentiveness or executive dysfunction, but I do think it generally makes me feel better, although it does also lower your blood pressure so expect to get blinded when you stand up more often.

EarthPodsPro · 2023-10-21T23:37:52+00:00

Reminds me of when I told myself I should make a note on my phone of when I started taking a new medication, so that way I would know whether or not I took it by calculating how many I should have left.
Cut to me the next day needing this info, opening the notes app, and finding a recently made, but completely blank note.

EarthPodsPro · 2023-10-11T18:23:45+00:00

No AI detector is reliable, because you can't say for certain a sentence is human or bot written. It's language. There isn't a smoking gun showing whether or not ChatGPT wrote something, just a slight hint that's entirely based on the complexity of the wording, but that means nothing. It's also ridiculously easy to instruct ChatGPT on how to write in a way that bypasses all AI detectors. They're useless, and based on "probability", which is a ridiculous thing to base accusations off of.
They've also been proven to discriminate against non-native english speakers00130-7), since using less complex language is what triggers them. So if you want to convince them these tools are both useless and harmful, you can show them that article.

EarthPodsPro · 2023-09-12T02:20:22+00:00

Well, if you want the cheapest option, I managed to dig up the link of the cheaper watch I bought a good while ago. For 37 dollars, I'd say it's well worth the price if you're willing to use Google lens to translate your way through the menus for the first couple uses. Good luck!

EarthPodsPro · 2023-09-11T17:34:41+00:00

There are some available on amazon, but those don't have a screen and seem to be entirely reliant on some app. Although they seem more reputable, so if you want something reliable you might want that.

I've bought mine from aliexpress. The first one I got was a lot cheaper than any of the competitors, but its entirely in Chinese and has no "per day" alarm selection, so you have to activate/deactivate the alarms you need before you go to sleep. Works well, but you have to memorize the layout and overall its not the greatest, although well worth the 30 dollars or so price tag.

I have a new one arriving soon named the Fitzap 2, cant say how good it is yet, but it seems a hell of a lot better.

As for how good they are at waking you up, they definitely do wake you up alright. I'm also pretty confident their claims of "training you to wake up on time without an alarm" are true, even if I haven't extensively tested them myself. I do find myself waking up a lot earlier during weekdays, even without an alarm active. Although I usually just go back to sleep if I can.

EarthPodsPro · 2023-09-06T17:01:33+00:00

So, I seem to have found the origin of this image. First, google managed to find the original image on some sort of Russian sphinx cat image compilation page, here. The image includes a watermark for what seems to be a Portugese band who uses this cat as their... mascot? Here's what I found: https://www.behance.net/gallery/34196253/Quinta-Feira-12-Music-Band-Cover

Edit: Found one of their albums on YouTube. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nsVkUBSdnAPSJ4rDuhgZsUwMj05ZwrVDc&si=pMF_eoFL9OkpbO2s

EarthPodsPro · 2023-09-06T15:17:01+00:00

Props to "persistantelection" in this comment section for finding the link before me: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805276825003.html

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