LukeZaz's recent activity
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Comment on Some observations about some of the conversations here in ~tildes
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Comment on Some observations about some of the conversations here in ~tildes
LukeZaz Link ParentAbsolutely. I’ve probably not been doing this as much as I should be, but it’s very important and very appreciated. Key to keeping heat down. Hey, neat, I’m doing it right now!For example, also noting areas of agreement is important.
Absolutely. I’ve probably not been doing this as much as I should be, but it’s very important and very appreciated. Key to keeping heat down.
Hey, neat, I’m doing it right now!
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Comment on Some observations about some of the conversations here in ~tildes
LukeZaz Link ParentOi, not contrarian enough! YOU ARE WRONG AND YOU SHOULD KNOW IT! Mmkay, there we go.Oi, not contrarian enough!
Yes, I'm defending the status quo. No, you can't stop me!
YOU ARE WRONG AND YOU SHOULD KNOW IT!
Mmkay, there we go.
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Comment on Some observations about some of the conversations here in ~tildes
LukeZaz Link ParentThe problem I’d see here is that effectively nobody’s sources are as varied as they think they are. That goes for all of us, really. I’d hazard a guess many people here, when they think of source...i.e. read the articles from trusted/varied sources and never read the comments.
The problem I’d see here is that effectively nobody’s sources are as varied as they think they are. That goes for all of us, really.
I’d hazard a guess many people here, when they think of source variety, are imagining engaging content from across the political spectrum… but in many cases are actually imagining content from across the American political spectrum. Or at least the imperial core. I mean, how many people here listen to news from, say, Cuba? I’d wager an answer somewhere in the region of “jack squat.”
But this goes for me too. My news sources very much slant socialist. Neutrality is a myth.
It is admittedly very comfortable to escape debates and restrict yourself to newspieces. But I can’t help but see that as inviting yourself into a bubble of your own biases; you selected for the news sources, after all.
(This is not to say that avoiding debate spaces can’t be healthy! Everything in moderation, and all that.)
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Comment on Seattle’s law mandating higher pay for food delivery workers is a case study in backfire economics in ~finance
LukeZaz Link ParentI’m going to be charitable and assume that by “not valuable” (a very gross choice of words) you mean “low-skill.” Not that that should matter, since “low-skill” jobs are still necessary for...What else should we do with people who are just kind of… not valuable?
I’m going to be charitable and assume that by “not valuable” (a very gross choice of words) you mean “low-skill.” Not that that should matter, since “low-skill” jobs are still necessary for society to function and people working them deserve living wages too.
Better that they subsidize themselves a bit rather than live entirely from the public purse.
U.S. welfare is anemic at best. You are presuming these people aren’t simply left to die.
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Comment on GPT-4o in ~tech
LukeZaz Link ParentCan I ask why you’re scared? I’m STEM-adjacent but I don’t find it very exciting either. More irritating, really, since I have no trust in OpenAI to do their work ethically.Can I ask why you’re scared? I’m STEM-adjacent but I don’t find it very exciting either. More irritating, really, since I have no trust in OpenAI to do their work ethically.
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Comment on GPT-4o in ~tech
LukeZaz Link ParentI'm no expert on this, but I'd say almost definitely not. There's a lot of nuance to voice acting that this absolutely cannot replicate yet, and even once it can, I have my doubts that the AI or...I'm no expert on this, but I'd say almost definitely not. There's a lot of nuance to voice acting that this absolutely cannot replicate yet, and even once it can, I have my doubts that the AI or its operator will be able to reliably adjust the character of the voice enough to adapt to the requirements of a given performance.
For comparison, I'm reminded of an (admittedly unverifiable) tweet that went around a while ago about how a company tried to hire prompt engineers to make AI art for their project, and how while some of the initial art was alright, the "engineers" were entirely incapable of adjusting the art in response to change requests, and ended up all being fired.
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Comment on GPT-4o in ~tech
LukeZaz LinkAm I the only one who felt like the female voices were sounding a little too friendly? Nobody I know talks like that in anything resembling normal conversation, and I can't help but wonder if the...Am I the only one who felt like the female voices were sounding a little too friendly? Nobody I know talks like that in anything resembling normal conversation, and I can't help but wonder if the space being very white-male-tech-bro is affecting the outcome again.
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Comment on Weekly Israel-Hamas war megathread - week of May 6 in ~news
LukeZaz Link ParentIt can be about more than one thing at once. But you’d have to ask the students about that. Though I am confident helping Gazans (and stopping Israel’s atrocities) is indeed the primary goal....It can be about more than one thing at once. But you’d have to ask the students about that. Though I am confident helping Gazans (and stopping Israel’s atrocities) is indeed the primary goal.
Personally, I find divestment wholly insufficient on its own. But I suspect the students asking only for that feel they wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything bigger. Which I would not agree with, but I would understand — they’ve already faced a lot of pushback as is, after all.
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Comment on Is Nebula worth it? in ~tech
LukeZaz (edited )Link ParentI haven’t delved deep into the clip, and so I only really have feelings to speak to, but in the interest of not having it go unanswered, I’ll just say a couple things: I have seen enough of Second...I haven’t delved deep into the clip, and so I only really have feelings to speak to, but in the interest of not having it go unanswered, I’ll just say a couple things:
- I have seen enough of Second Thought’s content that I am very confident they do not see all Israelis as occupiers, much less valid targets for attack.
- Despite this, I still heavily disagree with the statement itself. I do not believe that hostage-taking of noncombatants is appropriate, whether they are occupiers or not.
Being as the Israel-Hamas situation is so ridiculously complicated, there are obviously millions of additional details I could expound upon here; for example, the massive difference in power between the two groups, or the inevitability of violence given how oppressed Gaza has been for so long. But I’m not trying to write an essay. Suffice to say: Taking civilian hostages is an unsurprising outcome, but it is still bad.
All in all, I am inclined to believe the statement was a mistake, and that more nuance is present in J.T.’s actual beliefs. It is however worth noting that I am, as a frequent watcher of their content, obviously biased.
I do still have questions regarding this clip, though. I can’t find myself very trusting of the person who posted it (seemingly extremely pro-Israel), but I also want clarification from J.T. as well. I might be able to get more details later. If I do, I’ll try to post about it here.
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Comment on Is Nebula worth it? in ~tech
LukeZaz Link Parent…from Vaush? Eugh. I haven’t heard Vaush say anything worth listening to, and I have tried. Color me skeptical on that one. Anyway, he wasn’t kicked off anything. J.T. has said multiple times that...this rather damning video
…from Vaush? Eugh.
I haven’t heard Vaush say anything worth listening to, and I have tried. Color me skeptical on that one.
Anyway, he wasn’t kicked off anything. J.T. has said multiple times that he felt Nebula’s stance on Israel-Palestine was too both-sides for him to be comfortable with, so they agreed to part ways. It was amicable, and there was no bad blood.
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Comment on Bike brands start to adopt C-V2X to warn cyclists about cars in ~transport
LukeZaz Link Parent“Waiting for the perfect solution” implies that we don’t already have better options than this, and simultaneously that any such solution would actually get implemented. The reality is that our...“Waiting for the perfect solution” implies that we don’t already have better options than this, and simultaneously that any such solution would actually get implemented.
The reality is that our politicians do not care about cyclists or pedestrians.
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Comment on Jack Dorsey quits Bluesky board and urges users to stay on Elon Musk's X in ~tech
LukeZaz Link ParentFor a joke, it's a pretty comfortable place so far. I have no expectations of it staying that way for more than a few years, sure, but that's how enshittification works. Right now, it's leagues...For a joke, it's a pretty comfortable place so far.
I have no expectations of it staying that way for more than a few years, sure, but that's how enshittification works. Right now, it's leagues better than Twitter.
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Comment on Weekly Israel-Hamas war megathread - week of May 6 in ~news
LukeZaz (edited )Link ParentDo you think this all started on October 7th, and nothing came before? Israel has been abusing the people of Palestine for over 70 years now. If you're interested in hearing more, I'd really...This entire situation happened because Hamas murdered and kidnapped hundreds of people. It's continuing because Hamas hasn't released them. Hamas can stop this literally any time they want, but they are choosing not to.
Do you think this all started on October 7th, and nothing came before? Israel has been abusing the people of Palestine for over 70 years now. If you're interested in hearing more, I'd really recommend watching this documentary. It covers a small portion of what happened — namely the Gaza border protests. But suffice to say: Israel is and always was a colonial state. It stole land, and killed the native population to enforce such. It has continued to do so for decades since, stealing yet more land over the years. In modern times, Palestinians are second-class citizens in even their own country, as Israel controls access to food, water, electricity, and every border crossing.
If anyone acted first, it was Israel and its allies. Hamas, and organizations like it, awful though they are, are the result of decades of abuse.
Israel has an obligation to its citizens to recover hostages and minimize future attacks. Stopping fighting does exactly nothing to help that goal, and just gives Hamas time to rearm and commit another atrocity.
I've said it elsewhere in this thread, but nothing Israel is doing is accomplishing either of these goals. All it serves to do is ruin their international reputation, further push the people of Gaza into supporting Hamas (as their choice increasingly becomes "fight or die"), risks the lives of the hostages by way of collateral damage, and last but not least, murders innocents en masse.
[...] -- keep in mind they are the elected government of Gaza --
The last election in Gaza was held in 2006. That is not legitimate governance.
by holding and killing hostages while knowing that as long as they refuse to release the hostages, Israel will continue attacking.
Judging by the past, Israel would continue attacking for some time anyways, and even after they stopped, would still be committing horrible human rights abuses.
Hamas does not have the power to stop Israel in any way. I firmly believe Hamas should release the hostages regardless, out of simple respect for human life if nothing else. But I do not think for a second that Israel would stop killing innocents in response.
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Comment on Weekly Israel-Hamas war megathread - week of May 6 in ~news
LukeZaz (edited )Link ParentSo the answer is to... what? Kill everybody in Gaza, including the hostages? Because that's what they're doing. What they're also doing is massively incentivizing the people they're hurting to...Israel does not want a ceasefire under conditions that will lead to another October 7th the next time they've made movements towards peace that Gaza seems be responding to and don't have enough soldiers supervising the border.
So the answer is to... what? Kill everybody in Gaza, including the hostages? Because that's what they're doing.
What they're also doing is massively incentivizing the people they're hurting to join Hamas. That's what you do when you back people into a corner and give them no option but death: They join the nearest resistance movement they can, even if it's nasty as hell. Honestly, I'm impressed (and glad) at how many Palestinians are still critical of Hamas after all this.
It's worth noting by the way that, before October 7th, conditions in Gaza still weren't good. It was and still is described as an "open-air prison" for a reason. And Gazans tried to remedy this peacefully. A protest in 2018-2019 sought to get Israel to back off and stop abusing the people of Gaza, and Israel responded with snipers on everyone from medics to children. Israel's government was never interested in peace.
So Israel continues its campaign in order to try and exact a high enough cost that what they will eventually give in exchange for the hostages won't be viewed as "worth it" in hindsight.
This will absolutely never work. Not only does deterrence virtually never work anywhere to begin with, it also presumes that those being deterred would care about the punishment. I think it's safe to say Hamas is more than willing to sacrifice Palestinian lives to accomplish its goals. Also, this is collective punishment, which is a war crime.
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Comment on Weekly Israel-Hamas war megathread - week of May 6 in ~news
LukeZaz Link ParentThis is true, but the way I see it, as I've articulated in another comment a bit ago, is that Israel is the one who's responsibility it is to get a ceasefire to happen. This is for two reasons:...This is true, but the way I see it, as I've articulated in another comment a bit ago, is that Israel is the one who's responsibility it is to get a ceasefire to happen. This is for two reasons:
- Rescuing hostages requires that the hostages be alive, and
- Israel is indiscriminately killing almost anyone they find in Gaza whatsoever.
Hamas has done awful things; October 7th is no minor matter. But they aren't engaging in mass-scale collective punishment, nor are they even remotely capable (let alone attempting) to obliterate an entire nation. Israel is the one in power, here, and the one doing virtually all of the murdering now. It is on them to stop. If they want the hostages back – and I'll be frank with you, I don't think Netanyahu gives a damn – the best way to do that is to not raze the city they're in.
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Comment on Weekly Israel-Hamas war megathread - week of May 6 in ~news
LukeZaz (edited )Link ParentYeah, I'm sure Israel, the country that's currently committing war crimes by the bucket, is offering excellent ceasefires that anybody would accept. Look, I criticize Israel and not Hamas because...Yeah, I'm sure Israel, the country that's currently committing war crimes by the bucket, is offering excellent ceasefires that anybody would accept.
Look, I criticize Israel and not Hamas because Hamas is not currently bombing an entire country to the point of ethnic cleansing. They physically can't do what Israel is doing. Israel is under a moral obligation to stop murdering civilians, and so it is their failing that a ceasefire has not occurred. I would be happy if Hamas were open to more kinds of ceasefires, but it's Israel who I distrust to adhere to human decency. This is because Israel is the government best poised to violate it, and – as the last several months have shown – Israel is scarcely held accountable for its actions.
Besides, have you seen how Israel's spokesman and supporters in the country talk about this? They literally refer to Palestinians as "human animals," and claim incessantly that there are "no innocents" and that everyone in Gaza must be killed. Why is it the IDF you're worried about defending online?
(edits: tone, elaboration. Trying not to come off as hostile, but this topic isn't an easy one.)
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Comment on Weekly Israel-Hamas war megathread - week of May 6 in ~news
LukeZaz Link ParentI’d thought the conversation had drifted some. My mistake. Still, there's a point to be made here in that Biden is choosing not to help (and in many ways continue to harm) Palestine, because he...I’d thought the conversation had drifted some. My mistake.
Still, there's a point to be made here in that Biden is choosing not to help (and in many ways continue to harm) Palestine, because he would rather back Israel. If that’s what he does there, how could I trust him to do anything to help the ICC? From my perspective, he’s already decided to favor Netanyahu quite strongly.
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Comment on Weekly Israel-Hamas war megathread - week of May 6 in ~news
LukeZaz Link ParentHe could start by publicly calling for a ceasefire, or condemning the atrocities being committed. That would require only his voice. Besides, if I recall correctly, he sure managed to get weapons...He could start by publicly calling for a ceasefire, or condemning the atrocities being committed. That would require only his voice. Besides, if I recall correctly, he sure managed to get weapons given to Israel without congressional approval just fine.
Biden has agency, and he is choosing deliberate inaction at best.
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Comment on Weekly Israel-Hamas war megathread - week of May 6 in ~news
LukeZaz Link ParentI’d suggest you maybe not interpret the sparse, vague information we have as though it were a legal document? We don’t have the exact text in front of us. The quote I provided itself says this was...I’d suggest you maybe not interpret the sparse, vague information we have as though it were a legal document? We don’t have the exact text in front of us. The quote I provided itself says this was only the “broad contours” of the proposal.
That said, acting like Hamas would shoot the hostages before handing them over is patently ridiculous. Regardless of the wording, Israel would immediately back out of the deal in such a scenario, and all involved parties would know that.
If you’re worried about the safety of hostages, a better thing to be concerned about might be the fact that Israel is seemingly doing everything it can to avoid a ceasefire, even as it bombs the areas the hostages are likely being kept in.
Topic tag filters should be able to do this for you.