The Loopback Parrot

July 11, 2025

admin

🐦 Tutorial: Building “The Loopback Parrot” — A Gossip Network Simulator in Anvil

Concept
We’re simulating a small “coworker gossip model” where:

You seed the network with a statement.
The message propagates across a few nodes.
Eventually it loops back to you, slightly mutated, like your nosy coworker repeating your own words back at you.

Why it’s AI/ML-ish

Demonstrates feedback loops in networks (like RNN instability).
Shows data corruption when information passes through noisy layers.
Illustrates why source attribution matters in both human gossip and ML training data.

1. Anvil UI Setup

TextBox: seed_text — for your initial “fact” (e.g., Staplers have expiration dates).
Button: start_button — to launch gossip propagation.
TextArea: output_area — to show each “hop” in the network.

2. Server Module (Fake Gossip Model)

import random
import anvil.server

# Slight word mutations to simulate gossip drift
MUTATIONS = [
    lambda t: t.replace("staplers", "staple guns"),
    lambda t: t.replace("expiration dates", "best-by stickers"),
    lambda t: t + " (heard it from someone important)",
    lambda t: "Apparently, " + t.lower(),
    lambda t: t.replace("dates", "data"),
]

@anvil.server.callable
def propagate_gossip(seed, hops=5):
    message = seed
    chain = [f"Start: {message}"]
    
    for hop in range(1, hops+1):
        # Randomly mutate the message
        if random.random() < 0.7:  # 70% chance of mutation
            mutation = random.choice(MUTATIONS)
            message = mutation(message)
        chain.append(f"Hop {hop}: {message}")
        
    # Loopback to origin
    chain.append(f"Returned to you: {message}")
    return "\n".join(chain)

3. Client Form Logic

from ._anvil_designer import LoopbackParrotFormTemplate
from anvil import *
import anvil.server

class LoopbackParrotForm(LoopbackParrotFormTemplate):
    def __init__(self, **properties):
        self.init_components(**properties)
        self.output_area.text = ""

    def start_button_click(self, **event_args):
        seed = (self.seed_text.text or "").strip()
        if not seed:
            self.output_area.text = "Please enter a starting fact."
            return
        self.output_area.text = "Simulating gossip..."
        result = anvil.server.call("propagate_gossip", seed)
        self.output_area.text = result

4. Try It

Seed: Python’s print() is deprecated in some time zones.
Hit Start.
Watch your “fact” travel through the gossip network and come back as:
“Apparently, python’s print() is deprecated in some best-by stickers.”

5. Takeaway

In ML, a feedback loop without quality control can turn clean data into nonsense. In the office, it can turn “I like coffee” into “I heard you run an underground espresso cartel.”

🧪 Seed the Gossip Network

You can try The Loopback Parrot (and other experimental tools) live at:

https://hirabarton.anvil.app

Open it, seed the gossip network, tweak the chaos, and see how quickly your “facts” turn into pure nonsense.

Note: The Loopback Parrot is not responsible for any actual rumors started in your workplace. Unless they’re funny.

The Lab