Fuck AI so much, it's impossible to find DIY information on the internet now
I'm a data librarian, and I've tried since the beginning of current "AI" (LLMs) to tell people that one of the big problems is that it's corrupting all the indexes. When you can't find anything, the result is very close to being the same as if nothing had ever been written at all.
Which I know is what you already said, but I just wanted to repeat it again.
When I ask, I get good results:
"Step 1: Identify Your Fascia Material
Your approach depends entirely on what you're drilling into.
🛠️ Step 2: Gather the Right Tools
📝 Step 3: Mark and Pre-Drill" …
I find that when I ask an ambiguous question I can get some hilarious results. It's important to remember that the "intelligence" part of AI isn't true. AI is quite dumb and needs very explicit language …
@CTHW I don't want an AI generated result though, I want the kind of thorough, detailed DIY instructions I could find by searching the internet a few years ago. They're still out there, just impossible to locate in a sea of slop
@afewbugs
An edited response:
Drilling into your roof fascia is a straightforward job, but the exact method depends on your fascia material. Here is the safe and correct way to do it.
🔍 Step 1: Identify Your Fascia Material
Your approach depends entirely on what you're drilling into.
· Timber/Wood: The most common material, but can be prone to rot. Pre-drilling is essential to prevent splitting.
· uPVC or Aluminum: Very durable, low-maintenance, and common in modern homes. Requires specific bits to avoid cracking.
· Composite: Often a mix of wood and plastic. Requires special bits to allow for expansion and contraction.
· Stone/Granite: Rare but very difficult. You'll likely need professional tools like diamond-tipped or carbide bits, and hammer drills are usually ineffective.
🛠️ Step 2: Gather the Right Tools
Based on the material, you'll need the right bit: …
📝 Step 3: Mark and Pre-Drill …
AI can be a useful tool. It takes accuracy and thought. It can also filter the "slop".
@CTHW I'm not trying to prompt an AI to give me instructions, I just want to do a basic internet search and find a website where someone has actually done this and written about the potential pitfalls to look out for. I already know what my fascia is made of, I don't need a formulaic instruction to "gather my materials" with a list of Amazon referral links which are the reason the site was generated in the first place, to make the creator money not to actually impart useful information. I am not trying to prompt an AI to feed me some bullshit it's assembled with no understanding of context at enormous environmental cost, I am complaining that search engines are not the useful tool they used to be for these projects.
@afewbugs Did you ever get an actual answer? I have one, though I'm also a bit of a hack. Mostly just make sure the plastic isn't all crispy from sitting in the sun and that whatever you're going to be screwing into is right behind the fascia so you don't end up warping the plastic when securing the blind. Apart from that, I don't thiink you should have any issues...if that's still helpful...
Don't suppose any real humans out there know whether you can drill through plastic fascia boards to screw external blinds into the roof struts or whether they'll just crack and shatter do you? #askfedi
