I don't particularily like AI - I find far to many people use it to pretend they are knowlegable in areas where they aren't.

But... I don't really mind it in this case (as long as it's accurate)

And.. I don't think in necessary - All I really want/need to see is an exact type/model number .. if I'm looking for something, I already know exactly what I'm looking for - and given a model, professor Google can fill me in on exactly what an item that "looks like it might do" is.

---

What I really want to see is datails of the exact item being offered.

It's condition and operational state.
Anything that has been added/changed/removed (this includes things where a given model might have different OEM parts)

Law212 wrote on 2026-05-22, 20:03:

keenmaster486 wrote on 2026-05-22, 19:59:

Okay this is literally the first auction I found. I searched "ibm vga card" because it was the first thing that came to mind (I' […]
Show full quote

Okay this is literally the first auction I found. I searched "ibm vga card" because it was the first thing that came to mind (I've been looking for one).

Notice how it tells me what it is (I already know what it is, that's presumably why I'm looking for it!) and does not describe the specific item at all.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/397941165920

Copy code to clipboard

1The Tseng Labs Vintage ISA VGA Graphics Card is a rare find for vintage computing enthusiasts. Specifically designed for IBM systems, this GPU/Graphics Card is perfect for revitalizing or restoring antique computers. With a vintage design and compatibility with IBM products, this graphics card offers a piece of computing history for those seeking to experience the nostalgia and charm of retro technology. Ideal for collectors or those wanting to enhance their vintage computing setup, this Tseng Labs graphics card is a unique and sought-after component.

Yup everything sounds the same now. Also if you dont use the Ai slop then the algorithms wont promote your listings

How do the algorithms know which is AI slop, and which isn't?

MattRocks wrote on 2026-05-27, 12:33:

Law212 wrote on 2026-05-22, 20:03:

keenmaster486 wrote on 2026-05-22, 19:59:

Okay this is literally the first auction I found. I searched "ibm vga card" because it was the first thing that came to mind (I' […]
Show full quote

Okay this is literally the first auction I found. I searched "ibm vga card" because it was the first thing that came to mind (I've been looking for one).

Notice how it tells me what it is (I already know what it is, that's presumably why I'm looking for it!) and does not describe the specific item at all.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/397941165920

Copy code to clipboard

1The Tseng Labs Vintage ISA VGA Graphics Card is a rare find for vintage computing enthusiasts. Specifically designed for IBM systems, this GPU/Graphics Card is perfect for revitalizing or restoring antique computers. With a vintage design and compatibility with IBM products, this graphics card offers a piece of computing history for those seeking to experience the nostalgia and charm of retro technology. Ideal for collectors or those wanting to enhance their vintage computing setup, this Tseng Labs graphics card is a unique and sought-after component.

Yup everything sounds the same now. Also if you dont use the Ai slop then the algorithms wont promote your listings

How do the algorithms know which is AI slop, and which isn't?

Mostly keywords and phrases. Each platform has their own criteria

Law212 wrote on 2026-05-27, 14:38:

MattRocks wrote on 2026-05-27, 12:33:

Law212 wrote on 2026-05-22, 20:03:

Yup everything sounds the same now. Also if you dont use the Ai slop then the algorithms wont promote your listings

How do the algorithms know which is AI slop, and which isn't?

Mostly keywords and phrases. Each platform has their own criteria

That's not how AI works - AI simply produces averages of whatever originally-human material the AI ingested.

If you filter out AI, you actually filter out the human voices that come closest to the averages that AI found in its source material. That's not the average human voice. It's the average human voice in the selected source material.

So, if you train AI on academic journals then the AI will sound like the average among published professors. If you filter out the resulting AI slop, then you filter out published professors who are just being themselves. I'm not saying the professors write slop. I'm saying that the professors will be phrase and use vocabulary that resembles the AI slop.

The same applies to AI trained on different material, such as music creation AI sounding like the average of published singers in a certain genre (e.g. not like the average published professor trying to sing 😉 )

You can do things with ChatGPT like ask it to emulate a specific known author, and it then produces slop that resembles the averages of that particular author's material. You can also provide it with samples of your own written works and ask it to emulate that for future slop - that way you can filter yourself out 😉

So back to eBay, I've no clue what they are doing but whatever it is it doesn't feel right.

MattRocks wrote on 2026-05-28, 08:47:

That's not how AI works - AI simply produces averages of whatever originally-human material the AI ingested. […]
Show full quote

Law212 wrote on 2026-05-27, 14:38:

MattRocks wrote on 2026-05-27, 12:33:

How do the algorithms know which is AI slop, and which isn't?

Mostly keywords and phrases. Each platform has their own criteria

That's not how AI works - AI simply produces averages of whatever originally-human material the AI ingested.

If you filter out AI, you actually filter out the human voices that come closest to the averages that AI found in its source material. That's not the average human voice. It's the average human voice in the selected source material.

So, if you train AI on academic journals then the AI will sound like the average among published professors. If you filter out the resulting AI slop, then you filter out published professors who are just being themselves. I'm not saying the professors write slop. I'm saying that the professors will be phrase and use vocabulary that resembles the AI slop.

The same applies to AI trained on different material, such as music creation AI sounding like the average of published singers in a certain genre (e.g. not like the average published professor trying to sing 😉 )

You can do things with ChatGPT like ask it to emulate a specific known author, and it then produces slop that resembles the averages of that particular author's material. You can also provide it with samples of your own written works and ask it to emulate that for future slop - that way you can filter yourself out 😉

So back to eBay, I've no clue what they are doing but whatever it is it doesn't feel right.

The Ai will write descriptions based on what keywords the ebay algorithm looks for. Based on which ads do better and get more views that the rest. You can see that if you set up your own ad and write it on your own and dont hit key words then you get minimal views, but let AI write it and it will add the keywords and then your views go up. Ive seen it many times.

Law212 wrote on 2026-05-22, 20:03:

Yup everything sounds the same now. Also if you dont use the Ai slop then the algorithms wont promote your listings

It's almost as if someone with a vested interest in the "success" of AI is deliberately forcing the use of AI to guarantee its adoption.

keenmaster486 wrote on 2026-05-22, 19:59:

[…]
Show full quote

Copy code to clipboard

1The Tseng Labs Vintage ISA VGA Graphics Card is a rare find for vintage computing enthusiasts...

LORT that is PAINFUL!

Law212 wrote on 2026-05-28, 14:56:

The Ai will write descriptions based on what keywords the ebay algorithm looks for. Based on which ads do better and get more views that the rest. You can see that if you set up your own ad and write it on your own and dont hit key words then you get minimal views, but let AI write it and it will add the keywords and then your views go up. Ive seen it many times.

eBay must be prioritizing listings with those keywords to push sellers to rely on AI descriptions. It aligns with the current trend of companies trying to fit AI into all possible workflows so they can later show figures of "increased adoption", thus justifying their massive investments. Heck, I just happen to be doing planning for a project at work and the director I report to insisted on creating a simple Gantt diagram and other trivial stuff using Copilot so that "the metrics look better with higher percentages of AI being used". A few days ago the VP of technology was proudly telling us of how most of his presentations were mostly AI-generated, followed by the usual "this is bigger than the industrial revolution" or "this changes everything". It's like all these types are following a script, to the point when it becomes indistinguishable from a Reddit bot post.

Maybe we can come up with a shinier thing than AI to distract management and keep them contained so we can go back to doing actual work.

TheMobRules wrote on 2026-05-28, 16:43:

Law212 wrote on 2026-05-28, 14:56:

The Ai will write descriptions based on what keywords the ebay algorithm looks for. Based on which ads do better and get more views that the rest. You can see that if you set up your own ad and write it on your own and dont hit key words then you get minimal views, but let AI write it and it will add the keywords and then your views go up. Ive seen it many times.

eBay must be prioritizing listings with those keywords to push sellers to rely on AI descriptions. It aligns with the current trend of companies trying to fit AI into all possible workflows so they can later show figures of "increased adoption", thus justifying their massive investments. Heck, I just happen to be doing planning for a project at work and the director I report to insisted on creating a simple Gantt diagram and other trivial stuff using Copilot so that "the metrics look better with higher percentages of AI being used". A few days ago the VP of technology was proudly telling us of how most of his presentations were mostly AI-generated, followed by the usual "this is bigger than the industrial revolution" or "this changes everything". It's like all these types are following a script, to the point when it becomes indistinguishable from a Reddit bot post.

That would make sense.

AlaricD wrote on 2026-05-28, 16:37:

Law212 wrote on 2026-05-22, 20:03:

Yup everything sounds the same now. Also if you dont use the Ai slop then the algorithms wont promote your listings

It's almost as if someone with a vested interest in the "success" of AI is deliberately forcing the use of AI to guarantee its adoption.

Absolutely. Nothing like this is by chance, it is studied, planned and enacted and the regular people just think its happened on it own and its natural change and follow the trends. This has gone on for ages.

keenmaster486 wrote on 2026-05-28, 16:50:

Maybe we can come up with a shinier thing than AI to distract management and keep them contained so we can go back to doing actual work.

They are too stuck in ass coverage mode at the moment according to reports from friends and fam in various industries. i.e. they put the company several million in the hole with it and it's showing no benefit, even causing revenue decline and extra expenses from unintended consequences. So management go mad with the hatchet, cutting jobs and expenditure in other areas, further crippling the company, just to push off their sacking for another quarter or two. Current mantra "It's gonna work bro, you'll see bro, trust me bro, it's the future bro..." yup, full contamination with the AI techbro mind virus.

AlaricD wrote on 2026-05-28, 16:37:

Law212 wrote on 2026-05-22, 20:03:

Yup everything sounds the same now. Also if you dont use the Ai slop then the algorithms wont promote your listings

It's almost as if someone with a vested interest in the "success" of AI is deliberately forcing the use of AI to guarantee its adoption.

That's indisputable logic. I don't think this ends well.

keenmaster486 wrote on 2026-05-28, 16:50:

Maybe we can come up with a shinier thing than AI to distract management and keep them contained so we can go back to doing actual work.

The retro resistance? 😀

I'm sure we could pitch an IBM XT against cloud-powered ChatGPT in a chess match and win.

The AI listings are trash. I've noticed that it gets things completely wrong.

I'll be searching for something specific and it will come up with listings for those things but it is n even close to what the title or description is.

Can't trust any of the listings now. Have to very carefully verify by looking at the pictures.

This is going to bite eBay in the rear in a very bad way.

cyclone3d wrote on 2026-06-14, 04:01:

The AI listings are trash. I've noticed that it gets things completely wrong.

Yeah, I have noticed especially things like getting the connector interface wrong. Saying a PCI video card is AGP or vice versa for example.

RetroPCCupboard wrote on 2026-06-14, 04:18:

cyclone3d wrote on 2026-06-14, 04:01:

The AI listings are trash. I've noticed that it gets things completely wrong.

Yeah, I have noticed especially things like getting the connector interface wrong. Saying a PCI video card is AGP or vice versa for example.

The AGP / PCI / PCIe thing has been happening for a very long time, even normal people get them listed wrong a lot of the time.

The one that bothers me is cards getting called GPUs that are very clearly NOT a GPU.

cyclone3d wrote on 2026-06-14, 04:01:

Have to very carefully verify by looking at the pictures.

Sellers are not photographing the useful details, and if you look really closely you find Ai is now doctoring their photos.

keenmaster486 wrote on 2026-05-28, 16:50:

Maybe we can come up with a shinier thing than AI to distract management and keep them contained so we can go back to doing actual work.

If you figure what shiny thing we can use to distract them, let me know.

Upper management at my own work is aggressively pushing AI, despite the fact they are all clueless about technology. They seem to view AI as magic that can solve anything.

Shponglefan wrote on 2026-06-14, 12:18:

Upper management at my own work is aggressively pushing AI, despite the fact they are all clueless about technology. They seem to view AI as magic that can solve anything.

Ah yes, the old formula, parodied in the underpants gnomes "Collect underpants, ???, profit" and witnessed by us GenX as "be on internet, ???, profit" in the dotcom boom and bust, and now it's "Use AI, ???, profit."

Though maybe it is useful to encourage thinking of it as literal magic, and by literal, I mean dig up all the old literature, folk tales and legends about magic, The Sorcerers Apprentice etc etc, where it blows up in your face if you use it carelessly.

Well, there is one positive to eBay implementing AI trash. I scored a couple Corsair XMS DDR1 TCCD 512MB sticks for $30 along with a bunch or other random RAM and. Few CPUs.

All because the AI description and title said it was a lot of DDR2 RAM.