balooga's recent activity
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Comment on Nathan Fillion says 'Firefly' animated series in development in ~tv
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Comment on Nathan Fillion says 'Firefly' animated series in development in ~tv
balooga Link ParentI know about Joss Whedon and I’m glad he’s not involved (yet curious about the legal means by which a new group can take control of his creation)… but I’m not familiar with Adam Baldwin being...I know about Joss Whedon and I’m glad he’s not involved (yet curious about the legal means by which a new group can take control of his creation)… but I’m not familiar with Adam Baldwin being problematic. What’s that about?
In general I’m pleased to see a 100% full cast reunion, minus Ron Glass, RIP. It would be fun to hear Mark Sheppard and Christina Hendricks come back as guests too. I’m probably forgetting some of the other side characters, it’s been a while.
I do think the success of this will rest on the strength of the writing, and I share @sparkle’s reservations about the team that’s been announced. Despite everything else, Whedon was very deft with world-building, character development, and witty dialogue. I’m not sure if the new torch-bearers will be able to continue with the same finesse. I’m also curious what it’s going to look like; the quality of the animation is just as capable of making or breaking this.
I hope it’s great.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of March 9 in ~society
balooga (edited )Link ParentLooks like it wasn't, earlier. Wonder what happened. In old.reddit.com it just says "[removed]". I'm not sure whether I should find that alarming. Ninja edit: Wayback's got it! Not-so-ninja edit:...Post is awaiting moderator approval.
Looks like it wasn't, earlier. Wonder what happened. In old.reddit.com it just says "[removed]". I'm not sure whether I should find that alarming.
Ninja edit: Wayback's got it!
Not-so-ninja edit: Reading it now. Holy crap, it's a bombshell.
What happened
The original version of this investigation was posted to r/linux, where it was mass reported and pulled down pending moderator review (150 upvotes, roughly 15k views before being pulled down some 40 minutes after being posted)
The content that was suppressed names Meta lobbying firms, traces documented payments, cites Senate LD-2 filings, and links to IRS records. It identifies Hilltop Public Solutions as the first confirmed entity bridging Meta's $45M super PAC and the DCA astroturf campaign. This is the kind of content that a well-resourced actor would have reason to suppress.
I cannot prove the mass reports were coordinated rather than organic. That is the point of the tactic: Reddit's infrastructure makes it impossible to distinguish genuine community objections from manufactured ones, and it rewards the behavior either way by automatically removing the content.
I mean, not be all conspiratorial, but the fact that it happened again with this post is pretty damning. Hope this gets Streisanded.
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Comment on Hisense TVs show ads during normal operation in ~tech
balooga Link ParentI have no idea how the economics of this work, but as far as I know all modern cars (at least in my part of the world) are equipped with always-on cell connections. My understanding is that these...I have no idea how the economics of this work, but as far as I know all modern cars (at least in my part of the world) are equipped with always-on cell connections. My understanding is that these are phoning home constantly with location and other data, to sell to brokers and/or insurance companies, and probably hand over to law enforcement whenever asked. Of course that’s also how OnStar-type services, remote start features, remote immobilizers, etc. are deployed. I might have details about this wrong, it’s a privacy nightmare that almost no one talks (or even knows) much about.
No one is paying subscriptions for that connectivity. They might be paying for services that run on them but the basic connectivity is paid by the automakers. Who can presumably pull the plug at any time when it becomes unprofitable for them. I seem to remember seeing headlines fairly recently about an older generation of cell-equipped cars that used a deprecated protocol that carriers were shutting off, leaving all those vehicles disconnected.
Anyway, if it makes economic sense for automakers to foot the bill, because the return is great enough to cover their costs… then surely TV manufacturers, who have been using ad revenue to subsidize their cheap products (usually sold at a loss or break-even with manufacturing costs) for years, could make it work too.
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Comment on Meta to acquire Moltbook, the social network for AI agents in ~tech
balooga Link ParentIt just kills me that there are so many incentives in this world to be a shitty person. I could do that. God knows I need the money. But I'm over here stuck in the grind with my stupid old...It just kills me that there are so many incentives in this world to be a shitty person. I could do that. God knows I need the money. But I'm over here stuck in the grind with my stupid old conscience, trying to keep pushing that rock up the mountain year after year like a loser.
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Comment on Meta to acquire Moltbook, the social network for AI agents in ~tech
balooga Link ParentVibe coded slop that collapsed under its own weight. I didn’t realize there was anything remaining to even sell. It’s got to be the easiest payday that guy’s ever had. How do I do this? I can vibe...Vibe coded slop that collapsed under its own weight. I didn’t realize there was anything remaining to even sell. It’s got to be the easiest payday that guy’s ever had. How do I do this? I can vibe code garbage too but nobody ever offers to pay me for it.
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Comment on The first multi-behavior brain upload in ~science
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Comment on Six months with Zen Browser in ~tech
balooga Link ParentCool, thanks for confirming. Looks like userChrome.css is supported with some kind of live-editing feature, which sounds useful. I’m tempted to switch but it’s hard to overcome the momentum of my...Cool, thanks for confirming. Looks like userChrome.css is supported with some kind of live-editing feature, which sounds useful. I’m tempted to switch but it’s hard to overcome the momentum of my current browser. I use Firefox Developer Edition and have a lot of things dialed in just how I like them. Tons of open tabs I would lose too, but of course that’s part of the problem and the reason why Zen looks interesting.
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Comment on I don’t know if my software engineering job will still exist in ten years in ~comp
balooga Link ParentIt’s interesting to see what the models do with less popular languages. They’re great with Python or JavaScript but if they haven’t been trained on a large enough corpus of something the cracks...It’s interesting to see what the models do with less popular languages. They’re great with Python or JavaScript but if they haven’t been trained on a large enough corpus of something the cracks begin to show.
I recently started a Codex project with AssemblyScript. I’m deliberately building a workflow around “read the relevant docs first, then code” and requiring a full build in the definition of done for all tasks, but it’s too early to say if that will be effective. AS is very similar to TypeScript (which is why I like it)… I’m not sure if that similarity is going to be helpful or a footgun for the AI. So far I’ve been really impressed with GPT-5.4 though.
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Comment on Six months with Zen Browser in ~tech
balooga LinkIs Zen any good for development? I assume it’s got Firefox’s dev tools baked into it? I’m also curious if it supports userChrome.css UI customization (or something equivalent).Is Zen any good for development? I assume it’s got Firefox’s dev tools baked into it?
I’m also curious if it supports
userChrome.cssUI customization (or something equivalent). -
Comment on I don’t know if my software engineering job will still exist in ten years in ~comp
balooga Link ParentI really have no idea at this point. I want to pursue a creative outlet. I’ve been dabbling in screenwriting and music production. Also continuing in software but on my own terms, as a solo game...I really have no idea at this point. I want to pursue a creative outlet. I’ve been dabbling in screenwriting and music production. Also continuing in software but on my own terms, as a solo game dev. I still enjoy writing code but it’s the other parts of the industry I’ve soured on.
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Comment on I don’t know if my software engineering job will still exist in ten years in ~comp
balooga LinkI’m an SE. Or was, until I was laid off last fall. AI was never mentioned as a factor in the layoffs but it’s certainly a factor in my prospects for future SE work. I know the state of agentic...I’m an SE. Or was, until I was laid off last fall. AI was never mentioned as a factor in the layoffs but it’s certainly a factor in my prospects for future SE work. I know the state of agentic coding today, I see its trajectory, and I can read the writing on the wall: We’re cooked. I was already burned out and looking for a career change before the layoff. This AI situation is just the last straw for me. In a way I’m grateful I won’t be actively in an SE role as the next few years play out. Still looking for the next thing, but I’m getting the signal loud and clear that it’s time for me to move on from dev work.
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Comment on Shipping a button in 2026… in ~comp
balooga LinkThis pretty well encapsulates my career burnout. So much PTSD crammed into under 10 minutes! Gonna need to just curl up in a ball for a while, then find a new vocation.This pretty well encapsulates my career burnout. So much PTSD crammed into under 10 minutes! Gonna need to just curl up in a ball for a while, then find a new vocation.
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Comment on Megan Ellison is hiring: Annapurna mogul revs up movie ambitions again in ~movies
balooga Link ParentThis is so much fascinating context. I have loved Annapurna Interactive games, and Annapurna movies — though I wasn’t aware Annapurna even did movies or that there was a connection there. I...This is so much fascinating context. I have loved Annapurna Interactive games, and Annapurna movies — though I wasn’t aware Annapurna even did movies or that there was a connection there. I certainly never suspected that thoughtful, artistic indie company had any association with the Ellisons. Never heard of Megan before. So I’m learning a lot here and have a lot of very conflicted feelings about the whole thing, which are slightly assuaged by this picture of her place in the family dynamic.
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Comment on Sony pulls back from PlayStation games on PC in ~games
balooga Link ParentHeh, I’ve been using that word for years but never knew what it was abbreviating. The more you know 🌠Heh, I’ve been using that word for years but never knew what it was abbreviating. The more you know 🌠
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Comment on Using procedural generation to create the 10,000 landscapes in The Sentinel in ~games
balooga LinkThis is really cool. I wasn’t familiar with The Sentinel but I’ve been learning about procgen and it’s always interesting to see how it’s been used by others.This is really cool. I wasn’t familiar with The Sentinel but I’ve been learning about procgen and it’s always interesting to see how it’s been used by others.
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Comment on Documents reveal a web of financial ties between Donald Trump officials and the US industries they help regulate in ~society
balooga Link ParentI honestly don't know why people still talk about impeachment like it means anything at all. Trump was impeached twice. Nothing happened. He was not removed from office. Two other presidents were...I honestly don't know why people still talk about impeachment like it means anything at all. Trump was impeached twice. Nothing happened. He was not removed from office. Two other presidents were impeached before him, and nothing happened to them either. Impeachment sounds like a useful tool on paper, but in practice it's completely toothless. After 250 years it still has yet to do the thing it's intended to do, even once.
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Comment on Tell me about your favourite web-based logic puzzles! in ~games
balooga Link ParentSorry to keep bumping this thread but I’ve got a few days of stats under my belt now (I was #1 yesterday!) and finally decided to try the guest account migration flow with Discord. This is within...Sorry to keep bumping this thread but I’ve got a few days of stats under my belt now (I was #1 yesterday!) and finally decided to try the guest account migration flow with Discord. This is within the PWA on iOS.
I was able to authenticate and authorize Gametje but the next screen afterward was the login view on your side, with the Discord/Google/Guest choices. The Discord option just repeated that process, returning me to the same place. Since I don’t want to use Google and there are no other choices on this screen (or standard nav controls because PWA) I tried Continue as Guest. That brought me back to the game, but with my existing session wiped. Looks like I lost all my stats. 😭
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Comment on US Pentagon leverages AI in Iran strikes amid feud with Anthropic in ~society
balooga LinkI think this is the context we were missing in the last thread about this. Anthropic's two objections were autonomous killing, and mass surveillance. I think we weren't really sure what to make of...I think this is the context we were missing in the last thread about this. Anthropic's two objections were autonomous killing, and mass surveillance. I think we weren't really sure what to make of that because Claude isn't particularly well suited for either.
The missing piece is that Palantir is the backend for both. Maven is using mass surveillance to facilitate (semi-)autonomous killing. Claude is just a frontend they've integrated with that system. Which violates their ToS. Things make a lot more sense now.
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Comment on LLMs can unmask pseudonymous users at scale with surprising accuracy in ~tech
balooga Link ParentI was just thinking about the value of a tool that could do that retroactively. I’m careful about what I write but still, it all just lives online forever after I hit the post button. It’s...I was just thinking about the value of a tool that could do that retroactively. I’m careful about what I write but still, it all just lives online forever after I hit the post button. It’s anybody’s guess how some long-forgotten throwaway comment could be used against me years from now by some internet historian with an axe to grind. Some people have taken to nuking all their post history but that’s too destructive for my tastes; I want people to be able to read threads in the future without having to guess what used to be in the deleted parts.
But if I had a bot that waited until a thread I participated in was dormant, and then came in and fuzzed my comment, that could be interesting. It would have to use an LLM specifically prompted to (1) remove stylometric identifiers, and (2) replace all remotely identifiable details with fabrications. While also taking the whole context into consideration so it doesn’t change the meaning of the comment or break continuity with any later replies in the thread. I wonder if anybody would find that useful. Probably a lot of people would hate it, lol
Thanks for the context. Maybe they'll give him the "Chevy Chase in Community" treatment, lol.