balooga's recent activity
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Comment on Humble Bundle redesign leaves out crucial security features in ~games
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Comment on A couple of posts about AI and the Independent Games Festival awards in ~games
balooga Link ParentFrontier AI labs invested countless millions in model training, and now there are comparable free local models created through low-cost distillation of those paid models. Obviously the labs are...Frontier AI labs invested countless millions in model training, and now there are comparable free local models created through low-cost distillation of those paid models. Obviously the labs are pissed that their business model may not be viable long-term and they’re scrambling for other things to monetize.
It occurs to me that this isn’t so different from news outlets and publishers raging at the AI labs for training on their text and commodifying their labor without compensating them for it. Maybe this is a bit of karma for the labs.
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Comment on Data centres have become a dirty word and a political issue in much of the world – has Sweden made one we can all love? in ~tech
balooga LinkI’m all for this. I don’t have an inherent problem with data centers. I get that it’s a complex, touchy subject for many but my personal concerns with today’s data centers aren’t unsolvable:...I’m all for this. I don’t have an inherent problem with data centers. I get that it’s a complex, touchy subject for many but my personal concerns with today’s data centers aren’t unsolvable:
- Undemocratic, rushed, NDA-clad buildouts in direct defiance of community opinion. Just stop being evasive and secretive and in such a hurry. Be decent people.
- Speculative overinvestment. Recent reporting from 404 Media suggests the real reason for many of these NDAs may be because the developers actually have no clients lined up yet and don’t want to reveal that they’re wildly speculative bad investments. Be responsible, not reckless and shifty, with other people’s money.
- Abandonment of clean, renewable energy. Incredible strides have been made in this tech over the last decade or two, and prices are way down. Stop lazily defaulting to coal and methane (I reject the “natural gas” PR euphemism btw) as the only options when sustainable paths forward are well-trodden.
- Ambient noise pollution. This may be the most confounding one of all. Noise suppression is not rocket science. We have the technology. Stop slapping together cheap metal boxes and calling it good enough.
- Large-scale destruction of healthy ecosystems. I mean, can we just not?
These people are acting like it’s categorically impossible to build a data center without acting like a mustache-twirling cartoon villain. The lack of imagination, responsibility, and basic human empathy on display is staggering and needs to be condemned without condition. I hope to see many more examples, like this Swedish project, of how to do it right.
With a complex the size of a football pitch, that is a lot of wood, but, says Wernvik, “the amount of timber one of our datacentres uses takes the Swedish forest about 10 to 15 minutes to grow back”
Love this quote! It’s sounds hyperbolic but probably literally true. Renewables are the way. I do have some concerns about the flammability of wood but given the clear amount of thoughtfulness these developers have, I’m sure they wouldn’t have overlooked fire safety.
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Comment on blue0x1/EmuFive: A PS5 emulator for the PS4 in ~games
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Comment on A couple of posts about AI and the Independent Games Festival awards in ~games
balooga Link ParentI think the inevitable enshittification of the frontier AI companies is going to ruin a lot of people’s days. By now we’ve seen the playbook enough to know that it’s coming. I think the...I think the inevitable enshittification of the frontier AI companies is going to ruin a lot of people’s days. By now we’ve seen the playbook enough to know that it’s coming.
I think the open-weight ecosystem is vibrant enough at this point that there’s an almost-viable exit strategy when that day comes. We just need local hardware capable of running it at usable speeds. I know I'm saving my nickels for a beefy rig of my own. But with the price of RAM these days that target’s still a long way off. Still better than throwing money into the bottomless pit of pay-per-token cloud services though.
If NVIDIA buckles, will that bring the price down? I know there are sharks circling in the water right now, looking for their time to strike. I’m not sure who’s best primed to claim the throne. Part of me perversely thinks Apple might have a shot. That would be weird. They got a brand new CEO looking to prove himself and a reasonable platform for AI (MPS is not the greatest but it’s workable and Macs’ unified memory architecture is an underappreciated marvel). And Apple’s taken some heat for how they “missed the boat on AI” so they’ve got something to prove as well, and enough capital to make some inroads if they tried.
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Comment on Scientists study thousands of giant space shades to cool Earth in ~space
balooga Link ParentBetter than “scorching the sky” or whatever they did in The Matrix I guess.Better than “scorching the sky” or whatever they did in The Matrix I guess.
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Comment on Scientists study thousands of giant space shades to cool Earth in ~space
balooga (edited )LinkThis annoyed me more than it should have. Not even because it’s an AI image but because calling it an “artist’s rendering” is inaccurate, and more egregiously because the article is describing...Artist's rendering of a space sunshade. Photo: Created with ChatGPT
This annoyed me more than it should have. Not even because it’s an AI image but because calling it an “artist’s rendering” is inaccurate, and more egregiously because the article is describing installation at the Sun-Earth Lagrange point L1 and the pic doesn’t make even the slightest attempt to represent that. I don’t care if they want to use a ChatGPT image but I wish they’d have taken 30 more seconds to try to actually depict what the article is talking about.
The Planetary Sunshade Institute, whom this reporting is about, has a much better illustration on their own website.
Personally I think the sunshade idea just makes sense, but the potential failure modes are a bit terrifying. Ultimately I don’t think such a project would ever be able to clear the political hurdles, even if it were 100% technically implementable.
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Comment on Google makes a privacy policy exception to use your Gmail and Photos data for ads in ~tech
balooga Link ParentNot to be flippant, but if having working email is important to you I strongly suggest not trying to roll your own. I had a hard enough time ages ago getting DKIM / DMARC / SPF set up right, now...Not to be flippant, but if having working email is important to you I strongly suggest not trying to roll your own. I had a hard enough time ages ago getting DKIM / DMARC / SPF set up right, now there are additional things like PTR, upstream port restrictions, and IP reputation management that make the barrier to entry astronomical for individuals.
It could be an interesting hobby project and you’ll learn a lot but you’ll also be constantly apologizing to people for your email not doing what it’s supposed to do.
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Comment on ‘The Encyclopedia of Movie Cats’ is an exhaustive index of every feline to prowl on screen in ~movies
balooga Link ParentFor real, this could’ve been a lazy meme thing but it looks like an honest-to-goodness labor of love.For real, this could’ve been a lazy meme thing but it looks like an honest-to-goodness labor of love.
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Comment on Popular fanfic site "Archive of Our Own" (AO3) down for 2-4 weeks in ~tech
balooga Link ParentSo many new critical vulnerabilities being discovered these days. This is a direct result of having advanced coding agents suddenly pentesting everything. Plus side is, everything’s getting...So many new critical vulnerabilities being discovered these days. This is a direct result of having advanced coding agents suddenly pentesting everything. Plus side is, everything’s getting patched… but anyone who’s not staying on top of their updates is a sitting duck right now. Hope everyone reading this is staying vigilant!
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Comment on CGA-2026-10 🕹️🏚️ 🦇👻 REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ Spooky Mansion Adventures in ~games
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Comment on Shaun reviews UK right wing politician's new book in ~society
balooga LinkI love that with no other identifying info beyond the name Shaun I immediately knew it was the sunglasses-skull guy. I have no idea who this Shaun guy is IRL but I’ve enjoyed his videos for years....I love that with no other identifying info beyond the name Shaun I immediately knew it was the sunglasses-skull guy. I have no idea who this Shaun guy is IRL but I’ve enjoyed his videos for years. He’s got a wonderful gift for deep analysis and explanation, and with an impeccably listenable understated British voice. I’m always down to join him for however many hours, regardless of what he’s talking about, because it’s always worth the time IMHO.
Haven’t watched this one yet but I will shortly.
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Comment on /r/Seattle mods find Archive.today injected malware links into archived page in ~tech
balooga LinkUgh. Another nice thing, ruined. Good on those mods for uncovering, feels like we’re early to the party here but I bet 404 or someone will pick up the story and blow it up. There’s some good...Ugh. Another nice thing, ruined. Good on those mods for uncovering, feels like we’re early to the party here but I bet 404 or someone will pick up the story and blow it up.
There’s some good discussion in the thread about alternatives. Someone said GhostArchive looks to be run by the same operator of Archive.today. Another poster recommended Wallhop which I hadn’t heard of before. I can’t vouch for it or corroborate the other claim, but I’m glad these discussions are happening.
Another comment recommended Bypass Paywalls Clean which I can vouch for and highly recommend, but my recommendation always has to come with a ton of disclaimers because the only way to get it is via a sketchy Russian GitHub clone (due to DMCA takedowns back when it was distributed on reputable western sites IIRC).
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Comment on Patrick Stewart dead: 'Star Trek' captain, 'X-Men' superhero was 86 in ~movies
balooga Link ParentJust watched The Inner Light again in his memory. I’ve always known losing him would hit me harder than anybody else but I still never expected it to come this early. In my mind he’d live to at...Just watched The Inner Light again in his memory. I’ve always known losing him would hit me harder than anybody else but I still never expected it to come this early. In my mind he’d live to at least 120, and never look a day over 70. If only he could’ve made it so.
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Comment on Why is this fingerprinting script creating bioweapons? in ~comp
balooga Link ParentAt least for the time being, abliterated open weights are a dime a dozen. It’s fairly trivial to remove most safeguards from today’s LLMs, because they’re implemented via reversible post-training....At least for the time being, abliterated open weights are a dime a dozen. It’s fairly trivial to remove most safeguards from today’s LLMs, because they’re implemented via reversible post-training. This may not always be the case but there are plenty of models available now that won’t bat an eye at stuff like this.
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Comment on Manifestos, fear, and ‘loser thinking’: inside Proton’s AI reckoning in ~tech
balooga LinkWell congratulations Andy, now everyone perceives you as a stupid loser and it’s entirely of your own doing. I’ve never been a customer of Proton but I’ve always had a high opinion of them as a...“Perception is more important than truth, the truth doesn’t matter if you don’t win on perception.”
One employee told 404 Media, “Whatever persona Andy [Yen] has out of Proton, he’s a straight up bully inside. He routinely breaks his little facade in Slack and calls people losers and stupid, often for stuff he’s paying them for.”
Well congratulations Andy, now everyone perceives you as a stupid loser and it’s entirely of your own doing.
I’ve never been a customer of Proton but I’ve always had a high opinion of them as a company. Not anymore. There’s nothing to respect about a reckless, hurried company driven by a cocksure exec who creates a hostile work environment by belittling his employees and mocking their commitment to quality and care.
What a hot mess.
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Comment on Proton to ‘re-interview’ staff about AI to see who gets to keep their job in ~tech
balooga Link ParentThis is why I’m so conflicted about the CEO. I’ve used Mullvad for years and it’s legitimately great. The service is fast, reliable, and feature-rich; the client software is well-designed; and of...This is why I’m so conflicted about the CEO. I’ve used Mullvad for years and it’s legitimately great. The service is fast, reliable, and feature-rich; the client software is well-designed; and of course they have an unimpeachable audit track record. I obviously don’t love my money going to fascist politics, but it’s a pittance, personally speaking, because the service is so inexpensive.
It’s just not feasible to subject every company we engage with to a purity test. I spend more money on coffee than I do on my VPN, arguably I should be prioritizing the ethics of that supply chain first, but there are only so many hours in the day. I pay my ISP bill every month which is more expensive than either of those, and I’m pretty sure all ISPs are basically the devil. It’s exhausting. Anyway, maybe I’ll switch from Mullvad if a technically comparable alternative presents itself, but until then I'm not losing any sleep over it.
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Comment on Eric Bauza, voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and many other characters dead at 46 in ~movies
balooga LinkI missed this post yesterday! RIP to a great talent who died way too young. I just watched Coyote vs. Acme for the first time last week and really enjoyed it a ton!I missed this post yesterday! RIP to a great talent who died way too young. I just watched Coyote vs. Acme for the first time last week and really enjoyed it a ton!
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Comment on ‘Picasso of Pumpkin Carvers’ brings artistry to a Halloween tradition in ~life
balooga Link ParentPumpkin isn’t commonly eaten apart from pumpkin pie, which is delicious. Of course “pumpkin spice” is popular this time of year for flavoring various things (famously lattes) but that doesn’t...Pumpkin isn’t commonly eaten apart from pumpkin pie, which is delicious. Of course “pumpkin spice” is popular this time of year for flavoring various things (famously lattes) but that doesn’t actually contain pumpkin — it’s just a blend of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice which are used to make the pie so tasty. Without them pumpkin pie would probably not be very appetizing.
I like to clean and dry pumpkin seeds, and roast them with a bit of salt. Makes for a rather popcorn-like snack. My spouse uses pumpkin purée with chocolate chips in a loaf, it’s a bit like a sweet banana bread. That’s pretty yummy too.
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Comment on Let’s talk about something different. UAP’s, UFO’s, etc. in ~books
balooga LinkWhere to start? I think extraterrestrial life probably exists. Even advanced, intelligent life… but I doubt that sort is common, or situated anywhere near our cosmic neighborhood because we’d have...Where to start?
I think extraterrestrial life probably exists. Even advanced, intelligent life… but I doubt that sort is common, or situated anywhere near our cosmic neighborhood because we’d have proof of it by now. In my opinion, to understand the massive scale of a universe that contains (at least) hundreds of billions of GALAXIES and still claim that there’s nothing anywhere out there approaching human sophistication, reaches new farcical heights of hubris.
But flying saucers in Earth’s skies? Close encounters? Alien abductions? Not likely. This is the Fermi paradox, right? The same appeal I made to the size of the universe applies here, in reverse: Space is big. Really big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it’s a long way down the road to the chemist’s, but that’s just peanuts to space.
I think everything we know about physics sadly rules out interstellar travel as an actual possibility, at least for any species recognizable to us as an intelligent life form. We’re certainly not transporting ourselves to even Mars any time soon, let alone Proxima Centauri. Let alone the far side of our own galaxy. Let alone Andromeda, or beyond. As a lifelong sci-fi fan it breaks my heart, but that’s reality. If the aliens are out there, we can’t get to them, and they can’t get to us.
So my view is that UFOs and UAPs and the like are all different flavors of unsexy terrestrial phenomena. Some are real sightings of classified military or intelligence hardware tests, covered up for reasons of national security or to scrub away evidence of secret programs operating with shadow budgets and questionable legality. Okay I guess that’s kinda sexy. The rest are things like schizophrenia, hallucinations, pareidolia, wishful thinking / power of suggestion / confirmation bias. And of course, hoaxes and scams.
(Miss you, DA. So long, and thanks for all the books.)
Coding agents are fancy but they’re still just software. They don’t have mind-reading magic. I think people let their guards down because LLMs seem so good at inferring intent. But if you never even had intent in the first place what are they supposed to do? You’ve got to give them something to work with.
If they’d just spent a few cycles with their agent, prompting it to “analyze the codebase for security holes, vulnerabilities, privacy risks, and e-commerce antipatterns” it would’ve fixed most of this stuff immediately. They don’t even need to know what any of those things are, just point the LLM in the right direction and let it loose. If they really cared to, they could’ve set up a (Ralph Wiggum) loop with that prompt that just keeps scanning for problems and fixing them until it can’t find any more. But the problem is, they didn’t care to at all.
Which is a major red flag, not just for the site redesign, but for the company as a whole. It should be for any company.