seed
A seed is the small part of a plant that grows into a new plant. People also use it to mean a starting point, like the first idea in a conversation or the beginning of something bigger.
What a model may hear
- random seed programming and machine learning
- fix the starting value for random number generation so results can be reproduced
- database seed web development
- populate a database with initial data for testing or setup
- torrent seed peer-to-peer networking
- treat the user as a source uploading data to others, or request a list of such sources
- neural network seed deep learning
- set initial weights before training, affecting the model's final state
- cryptographic seed security and encryption
- use as entropy to generate keys or tokens
Where people and models part ways
“Give me a seed for my story”
Meant: An idea or prompt to start writing fiction
May be taken as: Returns a random number or code snippet for a program
Say instead: “Give me a story idea or creative prompt to begin with”
“I need to seed my new app”
Meant: Get initial users or content for a just-launched application
May be taken as: Generates database seeding scripts or asks for table schemas
Say instead: “How do I attract first users and add initial content to my new app”
“Set the seed to 42”
Meant: Use that specific starting point for whatever we are doing
May be taken as: Assumes random number generation is the task, ignoring other contexts
Say instead: “For this specific task, start from the value 42 so we get the same result each time”
“Plant a seed in the model”
Meant: Introduce an idea gently so it develops later in conversation
May be taken as: Attempts to inject data into a machine learning model's weights or training
Say instead: “I want to suggest an idea now that we can return to and develop later”
Tips
- Say 'random seed' or 'fixed seed' when you want reproducible randomness
- Say 'database seed' or 'seed data' when you mean initial test or setup data
- Say 'story seed' or 'creative prompt' when you want a starting idea for writing
- Say 'initial users' or 'early adopters' when you mean growing a product community
- Say 'plant an idea' when you mean introducing something to develop later in conversation
Often confused with
- prompt
- the full instruction given to a model, not just a starting point
- root
- the base of a hierarchy, not a beginning that grows
- bootstrap
- self-starting a system, not just providing a starting value
- epoch
- one full pass through training data, not a starting condition
- initialization
- setting all starting values, of which a seed may be one part
- spawn
- creating a running process, not a value that determines randomness