I don't actually care that much for Grok the model because I think they are more or less homogenous with like, a small house spin on how "smart" they are and some other features like their behavior in a harness etc. Personally I have no problem believing that it might be good at doing what you ask directly instead of wandering or trying to be independent or whatever. I wouldn't call it out as paid marketing and I also just don't really think about this topic very much.

However, the comment I did reply to seemed to think that just because you ran a forum that you would be unlikely to be biased. This is like obviously false, if anything you have major internet brain where you spend enough time on the internet where you come up with a whole complex about how you are contributing the uncommon opinion the site needs to hear or whatever, when it's just the same dreck from the rest of the internet sprinkled in here when it hasn't been posted enough by someone else. That is not directly "I used Grok and thought it was good at x" but, like, it's clear that it's something that is at the periphery of a whole network of positions you hold that are aligned this way.

I don't necessarily think this is bad and in fact I think most people on the internet at least basically post in this way but I do think it's important to be aware of it at least. I'm not sure you are. I can tell you more or less where my slop opinions come from and I don't think it would be accurate in any capacity to describe them as bucking "the prevailing HN orthodoxy". I, uh, think you should probably describe your comments differently.