Jonathan Brown Jonathan Brown

Grok vs. ChatGPT 4 and 5. Fixing issues with my blog post.

A balanced view of how Grok stacks up against ChatGPT 4 and 5. From user experience to integration potential, this revised analysis aims to help readers better understand the evolving strengths and limitations of these AI models.

💡 Whether you're an AI enthusiast or exploring tools for your business, staying informed is key.

👉 Read the updated post and let me know what you think: [link]
💬 Your feedback helps shape future content—drop a comment or share if you found it helpful!

#AI #ChatGPT #Grok #ArtificialIntelligence #TechBlog #MachineLearning #LLMs

I was curious about how good the versions of AI tools I subscribe to actually work in helping me craft and update blog posts. So, I asked Grok 4, ChatGPT-4 and ChatGPT-5 to make suggestions. The specific prompt was intentionally simple and vague:

  • Analyze my blog post and note any errors. Also, suggest changes for making it more interesting. https://www.jdb.net/blog/privacy-focused-unifi-protect-setup-a-guide-for-security-conscious-users

Note, I use ChatGPT via my Copilot for Micrsoft 365 subscription.

General Observations

As one might expect, GPT-4 was the weakest and had the fewest suggestions. ChatGPT versions did make SEO suggestions that Grok did not. In my opinion, Grok had the most extensive suggestions. Here is a PDF that has the output of all 3 versions as well as the original version of the blog post. As of this post I’m working on updating the post with some of the suggestions.

Differences: Grok vs. ChatGPT-4 vs. ChatGPT-5

ChatGPT-4 focused on grammar, clarity, and actionable advice, suggesting minor style fixes and the addition of visuals and real-world examples for engagement.

ChatGPT-5 provided deeper content enhancements, recommending a compelling hook, audience segmentation (home vs. business), internal links, SEO optimization, and more interactive elements like checklists and questions.

Grok emphasized its continuously updated knowledge and flagged formatting inconsistencies, outdated references, and the need to address recent UniFi Protect updates and vulnerabilities. Grok also suggested standardizing headings, fixing markdown artifacts, and updating links for portability.

My Process

I started out thinning I could run the blog post through Copilot on Edge (GPT-4) to get some hints on making my blog post more interesting to read. Then the idea hit me that it might be interesting to see what the different AI platforms I had could do in that regard.

Summery

In revisiting the comparison between Grok and ChatGPT versions 4 and 5, it's clear that refining the original post was essential to provide a more accurate and balanced perspective. By addressing previous inaccuracies and clarifying key distinctions in capabilities, user experience, and integration potential, this updated analysis offers readers a clearer understanding of how these AI models stack up. Whether you're exploring AI for personal use or professional applications, staying informed about their evolving strengths and limitations is crucial—and this post aims to be a helpful step in that direction.

If you found this breakdown useful, consider subscribing to the blog or sharing your thoughts in the comments—your feedback helps shape future content!

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Jonathan Brown Jonathan Brown

Privacy-Focused UniFi Protect Setup: A Guide for Security-Conscious Users

In an age where surveillance is everywhere, even your own security system can become a privacy risk if not configured properly. UniFi Protect offers powerful tools for home and business security, but with great power comes the responsibility to protect your own data. This guide walks you through a privacy-first setup of UniFi Protect—ensuring your footage stays secure, local, and under your control.

In an age where surveillance is everywhere, even your own security system can become a privacy risk if not configured properly. UniFi Protect offers powerful tools for home and business security, but with great power comes the responsibility to protect your own data. This guide walks you through a privacy-first setup of UniFi Protect—ensuring your footage stays secure, local, and under your control.

Much of this is overkill for a home system, but businesses should have a security plan and process in place for their security camera system and much if not all of the information will apply.

🔍 Why Privacy Matters in Surveillance

While UniFi Protect is designed to be self-hosted and doesn’t rely on cloud storage, there are still risks:

  • Unauthorized remote access

  • Data leaks from misconfigured networks

  • Overexposure of camera feeds to unnecessary users

A privacy-focused setup minimizes these risks while maintaining full functionality.

🧱 Step 1: Keep It Local

Avoid using cloud backups unless absolutely necessary. UniFi Protect stores footage locally on devices like the UniFi Dream Machine Pro or Cloud Key Gen2 Plus. To enhance privacy:

  • Consider using RAID configurations to enhance data redundancy

  • Set up external drives or NAS for local backups.

  • Disable remote backups unless encrypted and under your control.

🔐 Step 2: Harden Remote Access

If you need remote access:

  • Use VPNs (UniFi Network routers like the Dream Machine make this easy) instead of exposing ports.

  • Disable Ubiquiti’s remote access unless you trust their cloud infrastructure.

  • Use strong, unique passwords and enable 2FA on your UniFi account. Don’t use SMS as a 2nd factor it’s just too easy to compromise.

🧭 Step 3: Limit Camera Exposure

Not every camera needs to be accessible to every user:

  • Create user roles with limited permissions.

  • Disable live view or playback for users who don’t need it.

  • Avoid placing cameras in sensitive areas like bedrooms or private offices.

🧩 Step 4: Network Segmentation

Use VLANs to isolate your UniFi Protect system:

  • Place cameras and NVR on a dedicated VLAN.

  • Restrict inter-VLAN traffic using firewall rules.

  • Ensure IoT devices are isolated from your NVR to prevent unauthorized access. I found this may be difficult as some of my home IoT devices did not faction well when VLANed. Sonos was uniquely difficult as the mobile app only see devices on the same subnet.

🧼 Step 5: Regular Audits & Updates

Privacy isn’t a one-time setup—it’s ongoing:

  • Regularly review user access logs.

  • Keep firmware and software up to date. Turn on automatic updates to keep your UniFi system updated.

  • Audit camera placement and coverage zones to avoid overreach.

🧠 Bonus: Ethical Surveillance Practices

  • Inform guests or employees about camera presence.

  • Avoid audio recording unless legally permitted.

  • Use motion and smart zones to reduce unnecessary recording.

  • ✅ Final Thoughts

UniFi Protect gives you full control over your surveillance system—but with that control comes the responsibility to protect your privacy. By following these steps, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing your security system isn’t compromising your personal data.

Some of these solutions are complicated to implement. Feel free to contact me if you need help. I’m happy to give up 30 minutes of my time to give you some direction.

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