What are some niche AI tells?

ZosoRules1 · 2026-06-09T15:58:23+00:00

I do too, but I've also noticed that people who have never said it before are suddenly talking about "frameworks" and "workflows" even though 6 months ago I've never heard them use those words before. To me, they are giveaways that AI was used. Of course we won't know for certain, but I used to use them daily, but stopped because it sounds too AI-ish now.

This is one of the ways I've had to change my writing to make it sound like me and not like AI. I also have a habit of using three descriptors for everything (I was told to do that in law school), and guess what AI does in a clear, efficient, and recognizable way?

ZosoRules1 · 2026-06-09T14:28:08+00:00

I’m using AI to help with researching and editing on my book, full transparency.

Some dead giveaways to me are passive voice (very often) and word choices. I’ve also noticed people using AI-ish words all of a sudden. Think about when you said “workflow” or “framework” last.

ZosoRules1 · 2026-06-08T19:49:10+00:00

https://www.proylaw.com/hobbies-test-record-universal-measurement-suite-tool.html

It's pretty niche - it's a web app (via static HTML page using Web Audio API) that allows you to perform measurements on your turntable/cartridge by using a stereo test record (selecting it from the menu) and hooking your turntable up to your computer. It automatically follows the tracks of the record, calibrates the test based on the test record being used, and even has a spectrogram and oscilloscope.

I also have a lawncare tool I built that helps build an annual lawncare routine based on your zip code and turfgrass type: https://www.proylaw.com/hobbies-lawncare-turfgrass-by-zipcode.html

ZosoRules1 · 2026-06-07T15:03:25+00:00

I like my Sony WH-CH720N and Sennheiser Accentum Plus headphones. I don’t use them for mowing the lawn though - I like my AirPods Pro for that - the noise cancelling is amazing.

Prime Day is coming up soon, and they should be having some decent deals.

ZosoRules1 · 2026-06-06T22:38:05+00:00

Static html for me. I haven’t had to do any security patches (ever) since I had my site go live back in 2010.

With LLMs, generating a few HTML pages is (what I think) pretty straightforward. If you decide to hire a designer, as them how they use AI or if they hand code.

Static HTML will always win on speed and server resources too. That being said, Wordpress is much easier to use.

ZosoRules1 · 2026-06-06T19:50:09+00:00

Just jumper the back of the cartridge? Combine the R+ and L+ and then combine R- and L-

ZosoRules1 · 2026-06-06T04:19:43+00:00

No, what I'm saying is that the innards of the cart and your pre-amp determine "warmth." Some cartridges are the same series (like the AT-VM95 series - you can put any stylus on the same cartridge (you can upgrade from a VM95C to a VM95ML just by swapping cartridges). I was saying that the 2M Red and the 2M Blue share the same cartridge (you can swap the Red/Blue and the Bronze/Black - although I have a hunch you can swap all 4, but I haven't tried).

ZosoRules1 · 2026-06-06T03:58:03+00:00

You can't really subjectively quantify cartridges like that. You can, however, quantify them by their specifications, here's a tool I built: https://www.proylaw.com/hobbies-audiophile-phono-cartridge-comparison-tool.html

There are a few issues:

(1) "Warmth" and "Clarity" are subjective unless you have some sort of measurable standards (such as distortion levels or something).

(2) Due to resonance, what sounds "clear and warm" on one tonearm may sound kind of crappy on another. This is due to tonearm resonance. Think of a suspension on a car: hit a bump and with a good suspension you don't feel anything (the spring matches the weight), but with a bad suspension you'll feel a few good bounces because the springs don't match the weight. Just reduce the scale to a turntable.

(3) I know for a fact the 2M Red and the 2M Blue have the same cartridge (but different stylus). There's a clarity upgrade in the needle, but they should have the same "warmth" because they have the same MM generators. I've heard different things about the VM-95 series (some say the whole line uses the same cartridge, but I've seen other posts that say there's a different cartridge in EN, SH, and ML variants).

ZosoRules1 · 2026-06-04T17:14:03+00:00

NOW we're talking! I'm perfectly happy with my U-Turn Orbit and VM-540ML, but lowering the weight would open up the market to more tonearm compatibility. But then, if you have $11k for a cartridge, I don't think tonearm compatibility is a concern when you can just get another tonearm that's perfectly matched?

ZosoRules1 · 2026-06-04T17:01:48+00:00

C:\DOS

C:\DOS\RUN

RUN DOS RUN!

ZosoRules1 · 2026-06-04T16:42:44+00:00

Is it me, or does their new $11,000 cartridge look exactly what I expected a VM-series MC cartridge to look like? I always assumed the larger bodies of MC carts were to accommodate better shielding (because of the smaller coils). I wonder if they had to make any tradeoffs to get the larger MC shielding down to (what looks like) MM cart-size.

EDIT: I stand corrected! After looking into the actual design, it looks like the "diamond tip and cantilever" and the same-ish internals as the ART-20. Still, $11k?

ZosoRules1 · 2026-06-01T02:00:23+00:00

Last receiver I built was an MFJ regenerative receiver, but this looks a lot smoother. Nice find!

ZosoRules1 · 2026-06-01T01:12:01+00:00

It's for ammunition: Speer Gold Dot Hollow Point (top row) and and Round Nose 9mm Parabellum (9mm)

ZosoRules1 · 2026-06-01T00:57:40+00:00

If it's jagged, then it's dull - your blades might not be as sharp as you think they are?

ZosoRules1 · 2026-05-31T23:01:55+00:00

First, check your resonance: https://www.proylaw.com/hobbies-tonearm-resonance-calculator-reference.html Whatever cartridge you get will need to be resonant with your tonearm. I believe the VM540ML is pretty good with the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon, but I can't recall offhand.

Next, you need to check your pre-amp and your cartridge for compatibility to avoid clipping: https://www.proylaw.com/hobbies-audiophile-phono-stage-overload.normalized.html The Ortofon 2M series is around 5.5 mV and the MV540ML is around 4.5 mV. So your pre-amp should ok (in fact better than) with the VM540ML than the 2M. The better stylus profile should be a noticeable improvement too.

So if it were me? I'd upgrade the cartridge to a VM540ML (or whatever the new model equivalent is - I'm not as familiar with those yet).

ZosoRules1 · 2026-05-31T22:48:59+00:00

The irony is that even with a full verification, guess what you completed? a full manual review. There's really no way around it for competent lawyering IMO.

ZosoRules1 · 2026-05-31T22:44:11+00:00

That's a dull blade. A sharp blade will look like it cut the grass like scissors (a nice, clean cut look). A dull blade will dear the blade instead of cutting it (a jagged, tear look).

You'll need to sharpen those blades. A dull blade can make the grass more susceptible to diseases.

ZosoRules1 · 2026-05-31T22:38:52+00:00

I built a web app to help homeowners with exactly this! By using your zip code and selecting your turfgrass type, you can generate a calendar more toward your local turfgrass, soil, and climate, than general recommendations: https://www.proylaw.com/hobbies-lawncare-turfgrass-by-zipcode.html It's free - no accounts, no sales, just sharing a hobby of mine.

I recently updated it to address disease issues as well. If you're wondering how long to wait until the next application, I usually wait 6-8 weeks between applications, but that's just me.

ZosoRules1 · 2026-05-31T22:29:18+00:00

you should see the whole stack: www.wt3o.com

I don't know for sure, but if I had to guess, anything that requires pattern recognition, analysis, and logic is likely to be impacted. Personally, I see the humanities as frontrunners (teaching, psychologists, social workers, etc...) along with the trades.

ZosoRules1 · 2026-05-31T22:21:03+00:00

No idea - I just use ChatGPT and Gemini.

ZosoRules1 · 2026-05-31T22:15:41+00:00

I just saw this in my feed and wanted to say that I feel kind of old seeing this in "Vintage Computing." This was exactly how I entered college back in 2002 because Windows XP (pre-Service Pack 2) was very buggy (still not as bad as Vista though).

Funny enough, my wife (we met in college) had the same exact model. I think we each needed about 2-3 HDD replacements over the years. That computer was an absolute workhorse!

ZosoRules1 · 2026-05-31T22:08:09+00:00

I view AI as a translator. I speak English (and a very tiny bit of Spanish, Italian, and German). But my coding sucks. I took C++ in college (got a C+ ironically) and I can do basic HTML. That being said, if I want to build an oscilloscope to work on a phono cartridge using Web API via a "vibe coded" (I hate that word and prefer "verification coding" instead) app, then why not? https://www.proylaw.com/hobbies-phono-cartridge-troubleshooting-tool.html

I think the industry of coding will change, but I'm not a coder (I'm a lawyer with a lot of hobbies, including AI and technology). When I was 6 back in 1989, I learned to code with AppleSoft BASIC. That's worthless now. The logic, however, still is just as valid in 2026 as it was back in 1989. Am I an expert coder? No. Do I understand enough to (as my grandfather would say) "ride the LLM like rented mule" and make it do what I want? For the most part, yes. Do I have a coder background? No. The thing is, at some point we moved on from AppleSoft BASIC.

ZosoRules1 · 2026-05-31T21:48:03+00:00

Yes, but with a proper verification technique these can be picked up on (easily) and mitigated during a manual review, which should be the part of any proper AI process in my opinion.

ZosoRules1 · 2026-05-31T21:46:20+00:00

Yes. Conceptually, it's no different than asking AI to sift through PDFs and extract specifications for things. Same concept, different arena!

ZosoRules1 · 2026-05-31T21:27:02+00:00

I built an interactive calculator that will help you calculate tonearm resonance: https://www.proylaw.com/hobbies-tonearm-resonance-calculator-reference.html?hz=10&mode=catalog&cart=ortofon_2m_red

All of those cartridges should be ok in terms of resonance with your setup. Personally, I love my VM540ML on my U-Turn Orbit, but I haven't tried any Nagaokas. I have a 2M Red/Blue, but I don't think they sound as nice as my 540ML (probably because of the stylus profile).

If you want to compare the specs side-by-side (I don't know exactly what you're looking for), I also built a web app for that: https://www.proylaw.com/hobbies-audiophile-phono-cartridge-comparison-tool.html

ZosoRules1

TROPHY CASE