9 ms·

I don't really understand the backlash to this term. Is it really so crazy that learning how to use these tools effectively has become a thing?

packetlost 3y ago
Calling it "engineering" is the idiotic part, not the actual act. It's obnoxious that 15 minute after ChatGPT was announced there were people marketing themselves for outrageous prices as "prompt engineers".
- OJFord 3y ago
  I agree, but it's actually perhaps not as bad as white goods OEMs sending out 'engineers' to fit replacement parts, or ISPs' 'engineers' connecting faceplates for a fibre installation, etc. that we've had for years.
- imdsm 3y ago
  If people are willing to pay them for the value they bring, then no wonder they're marketing themselves that way. If it's effective and their goal is increased renumeration then they're smart people.
  - yamtaddle 3y ago
    > smart Shrewd, sly, or cunning, maybe. Possibly also smart, but that's closer to the specific quality that's being displayed.
- newswasboring 3y ago
  Can you show me one example of this? I understand 15 mins is probably an exaggeration. Maybe show someone who did it after 24 hours?
- thunky 3y ago
  The "prompt" part is just as dumb. Should we call a sysadmin a "prompt engineer" too? No, because that would be stupid.
sroussey 3y ago
An an electrical engineer, I often scoff at people using the term software engineer. Even though I belong in the software developer class. So you can imagine how I look at “prompt engineering”. True engineering is dealing with unchanging and unchangeable constraints (which you find in the natural world). It’s exceedingly difficult to do without a four year degree which is usually not enough. This other stuff you can learn in a weekend, well, I wish they would not take the word engineering.
- chankstein38 3y ago
  I'm not here to defend prompt engineering I could care less what it's called but why are you people so offended by people using the term? It's inarguable that there are people that are better at getting certain results from these new models in their first shot because they know how to interact with the system better than others and understand its inner workings better. Maybe the term engineer has been watered down from what you learned in school but in my and many other people's views its synonymous with hacker in a lot of these categories. I wouldn't call an electrical engineer an electrical hacker but if you weren't an electrical hacker you'd be a pretty garbage electrical engineer. If you've never messed around with or tested a concept or built a circuit for fun you'd probably hate your job and be worse at it. These people are doing these things with prompting and with software.
  - dmingod666 3y ago
    I think the real value is in context setting for API based access (for app integration)
  - jschveibinz 3y ago
    This comment is neither necessary nor productive.
    - chankstein38 3y ago
      Agreed lol you could've avoided making it instead of commenting to declare that

packetlost 3y ago

Calling it "engineering" is the idiotic part, not the actual act. It's obnoxious that 15 minute after ChatGPT was announced there were people marketing themselves for outrageous prices as "prompt engineers".

OJFord 3y ago
I agree, but it's actually perhaps not as bad as white goods OEMs sending out 'engineers' to fit replacement parts, or ISPs' 'engineers' connecting faceplates for a fibre installation, etc. that we've had for years.
imdsm 3y ago
If people are willing to pay them for the value they bring, then no wonder they're marketing themselves that way. If it's effective and their goal is increased renumeration then they're smart people.
- yamtaddle 3y ago
  > smart Shrewd, sly, or cunning, maybe. Possibly also smart, but that's closer to the specific quality that's being displayed.
newswasboring 3y ago
Can you show me one example of this? I understand 15 mins is probably an exaggeration. Maybe show someone who did it after 24 hours?
thunky 3y ago
The "prompt" part is just as dumb. Should we call a sysadmin a "prompt engineer" too? No, because that would be stupid.

sroussey 3y ago

An an electrical engineer, I often scoff at people using the term software engineer. Even though I belong in the software developer class. So you can imagine how I look at “prompt engineering”. True engineering is dealing with unchanging and unchangeable constraints (which you find in the natural world). It’s exceedingly difficult to do without a four year degree which is usually not enough. This other stuff you can learn in a weekend, well, I wish they would not take the word engineering.

chankstein38 3y ago
I'm not here to defend prompt engineering I could care less what it's called but why are you people so offended by people using the term? It's inarguable that there are people that are better at getting certain results from these new models in their first shot because they know how to interact with the system better than others and understand its inner workings better. Maybe the term engineer has been watered down from what you learned in school but in my and many other people's views its synonymous with hacker in a lot of these categories. I wouldn't call an electrical engineer an electrical hacker but if you weren't an electrical hacker you'd be a pretty garbage electrical engineer. If you've never messed around with or tested a concept or built a circuit for fun you'd probably hate your job and be worse at it. These people are doing these things with prompting and with software.
- dmingod666 3y ago
  I think the real value is in context setting for API based access (for app integration)
- jschveibinz 3y ago
  This comment is neither necessary nor productive.
  - chankstein38 3y ago
    Agreed lol you could've avoided making it instead of commenting to declare that