raze2012's recent activity
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Comment on ‘I realised I’d been ChatGPT-ed into bed’: how ‘Chatfishing’ made finding love on dating apps even weirder in ~tech
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Comment on Gimp Tutorial for Idiot? in ~comp
raze2012 Link Parentyeah, I think it's best to think of GIMP as its namesake: used to manipulate images, especially in bulk operations. it's really poor for illustration and is unintuitive to the needs of the...yeah, I think it's best to think of GIMP as its namesake: used to manipulate images, especially in bulk operations. it's really poor for illustration and is unintuitive to the needs of the creative audience it's tried to seek for decades.
That said, I do find it a bit surprising how no one over this time has tried to fork GIMP and make a more intuitive front end for artists. Perhaps those people are prone to be headhunted by Adobe/Autodesk, or prefer to make their own paid software (GPL license would go against a commercial product).
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Comment on ‘I realised I’d been ChatGPT-ed into bed’: how ‘Chatfishing’ made finding love on dating apps even weirder in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentThat's all true, but I think the real issue is that we've given our matchmaking up to algorithms controlled by powers who have a vested interest to keep you around as long as possible. It only...That's all true, but I think the real issue is that we've given our matchmaking up to algorithms controlled by powers who have a vested interest to keep you around as long as possible. It only takes one look at Match.com's subsidaries to see that good ol' private equity has long invaded the aspect of dating. This lonliness is partially manufactured for that reason.
There's a lot of other issues to address these days, but this supposed "redpill" community really should be looking at the house dealing the cards instead of blaming women for their bad plays here. People have seemingly long forgotten that that term was used to uncover the true masterminds pulling the strings, not being edgy for edgy's sake.
But to more directly answer your comment, these are indeed issues that make it even harder (and dating apps stickier). A lot of it is economic to begin with; we definityely need to fund proper public transportation, build up proper third places, and encourage community. Everything is getting more expensive and Gen Z is only falling more and more behind. But the youth need to go that last mile as well and reach out to what resources we do have at the moment. You can't meet people if you're stuck inside.
As for male vs. female: from my readings it does affect both but males are disproportionately affected for cultural and even community reasons. You'll see many kinds of special interests groups if you look online, but many "men's clubs" have gone the way of the boomer. There's definitely questionable behavior promoted by such groups, but it's yet another channel that's stagnated as a place to just "be a man".
On a personal level, there are some great groups for my hobbies, but they really don't meet up enough. The pandemic relgated them all to monthly, and I don't know if that's enough contact to not be "lonely". I wish I could find more weekly stuff, even if they only met for an hour or so. Repetition matter more than how long the actual gathering is.
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Comment on Who owns America? Bernie Sanders says the quiet part out loud | What Now? With Trevor Noah in ~society
raze2012 Link ParentThis is like saying "Facebook relies on its users, that's not a monopoly!". You're semantically right, but a lot of oligarchical power runs on the fact that most people will be too lazy to wield...Vanguard is literally owned by its customers, that's not very oligarchic!
This is like saying "Facebook relies on its users, that's not a monopoly!".
You're semantically right, but a lot of oligarchical power runs on the fact that most people will be too lazy to wield their power. Or perhaps unaware they have that power to begin with. We may see boycotts for Disney, but no one's digging into their 401k and switching their investments for a true revolt.
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Comment on Do other people who grew up with an anonymous internet feel a bit hopeless at the moment? in ~society
raze2012 LinkI spent the last decade avoiding all the big social media, so personally I don't think much changes here for me. I don't really have too much attanchment to any social media that has my real...I spent the last decade avoiding all the big social media, so personally I don't think much changes here for me. I don't really have too much attanchment to any social media that has my real identity, so I'll just delete and move on if these policies start affecting there. The way these initiatives are enforced make me doubful it will really come to places like Tildes
Is it sad? A bit, but people always have the choices to simply not use those websites. They made their choice, as far as I see it. I've never been that vulnerable to popularity appeals, so I'll just keep searching for new communities as others get compromised.
No matter what I do, either the governments of the world or surveillance capitalists will build up a picture of who I am far beyond what I am comfortable with. My meagre efforts are like trying to stop the tide by kicking it.
Well to be frank, We had someone tell this to US citizens almost 20 years ago now. The people shrugged and moved on. So there goes that hope here.
But I think of anonymity more like a key to a door than a stronghold vault. Someone determined enough will pick my lock or break my window, but a lock works for 99% of potential ne'er do wellls. If I piss off the government it's definitely that 1%. I still think I can find enough niche communities that I can get what I want out of the internet without willingly giving anymore information to Google or Palantir or whoever wants to try and establish this digital ID on me. I won't make it that easy for them.
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Comment on ‘I realised I’d been ChatGPT-ed into bed’: how ‘Chatfishing’ made finding love on dating apps even weirder in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentCould be a bit of everything. But by nature of these large dating apps, we will mostly hear of the failure stories online. I'm sure attractive people wanting short or long term relationships (say,...Could be a bit of everything. But by nature of these large dating apps, we will mostly hear of the failure stories online.
I'm sure attractive people wanting short or long term relationships (say, the top 20% or so) see these apps as a goldmine. Though they were also ones who probably never had trouble pre-apps anyway. It's also a great boon for LGBT communities to find each other if they aren't in a hotspot.
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Comment on ‘I realised I’d been ChatGPT-ed into bed’: how ‘Chatfishing’ made finding love on dating apps even weirder in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentThe app turns it into a competition. And if you engage like it's a competition, your goal of course is to "win". Like many aspects of life, we see the ramifications of turning it into a game. But...This guy, like many guys, seems to see the entire thing as a charade that only gets in the way of him getting "a girl."
The app turns it into a competition. And if you engage like it's a competition, your goal of course is to "win". Like many aspects of life, we see the ramifications of turning it into a game. But whatever lines the shareholders' pockets, I suppose.
Don't you think you'll both have a bad time if, in your actual relationship, your partner has a completely different framing of what a relationship is than you do?
People would rather put on a mask and get someone around them than be themselves and potentially remain lonely, I suppose. The app also excacerbates this behavior, seeing all those swipes that won't even give you a reply back. Add in the "loneliness epidemic" and you may legitmately have some young adults with zero support network.
Sadly, in some ways a "mate" might be easier to form than a genuine friendship. I use "loneliness" in quotes, but there are some real effects being had on Gen Z that aren't really being addressed anywhere.
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Comment on ‘I realised I’d been ChatGPT-ed into bed’: how ‘Chatfishing’ made finding love on dating apps even weirder in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentTo be fair, the typing part isn't difficult. But this advent of online dating made dating life even more of a... well, dating sim. Less about "just be yourself" and more about "can you say what...To be fair, the typing part isn't difficult. But this advent of online dating made dating life even more of a... well, dating sim. Less about "just be yourself" and more about "can you say what they want to hear?". There's so much competition out there and just getting to the first date is so hard to begin with. Some people may feel like there's no real choice here.
the cat is out of the bag now, there's no going back
There's plenty of time to go back. But society's been pretty horrible thus far in reversing the Black Mirror dystopia tech has, so I'm not too confident. I'll just keep going my own path and staying genuine.
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Comment on Denmark plans social media ban for under-15s – PM Mette Frederiksen links social media use to anxiety, depression and lack of concentration in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentIt's still worldwide instant communication, so I think it's popularity would still be there, because there's intense demand for that. Would it be anywhere near as sticky or profitable without all...It's still worldwide instant communication, so I think it's popularity would still be there, because there's intense demand for that.
Would it be anywhere near as sticky or profitable without all the dark arts developed over the 2010's? Not by a long shot. But I'll admit that at that scale even the purest algorithms and best faith moderation may not prevent many of the effects we see today. Especially in the classroom. Kids in general simply have less self control to moderate any behavior, even if it's not egging them to consume more.
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Comment on Denmark plans social media ban for under-15s – PM Mette Frederiksen links social media use to anxiety, depression and lack of concentration in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentAre those more common in your country? Those are extremely rare in the US to begin with. And when they do occur, boarding schools tend to be thought of with prestige reserved for the most wealthy...Are those more common in your country? Those are extremely rare in the US to begin with. And when they do occur, boarding schools tend to be thought of with prestige reserved for the most wealthy families. The ability to pay for rent and board and tuition all at once for grade school is a very high bar to meet.
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Comment on Denmark plans social media ban for under-15s – PM Mette Frederiksen links social media use to anxiety, depression and lack of concentration in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentAhh,, I didn't consider that point. Classes tended to be 20-30 students max and that's around what a single teacher can manage (it's also just a fire hazard to jam more people in the rooms we...classes got too big for teachers to meaningfully engage with every student as individuals
Ahh,, I didn't consider that point. Classes tended to be 20-30 students max and that's around what a single teacher can manage (it's also just a fire hazard to jam more people in the rooms we had). Even then, it's stretching it a bit to manage 20 kids less than 90% of them are disciplined.
A post covid environment with even more kids and teachers being paid less compared to my grade school 10-15 years ago? That's a recipe for disaster. Not to mention that in the US parents WANT their kids to have phones (something about "but what if I need to contact them?" Well, you contact the school and they can contact the kid. Like pre ubiquitous cell phones).
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Comment on Denmark plans social media ban for under-15s – PM Mette Frederiksen links social media use to anxiety, depression and lack of concentration in ~tech
raze2012 (edited )LinkSocial media bans are always thorny; I agree with the idea behind it and you really should as a parent limit their internet activity in general to build good habits. But governmental intervention...Social media bans are always thorny; I agree with the idea behind it and you really should as a parent limit their internet activity in general to build good habits. But governmental intervention rarely works out well when it comes to the Internet.
This statement doesn't help either:
She did not specify which social networks the new measures would affect, but said it would cover “several” social media platforms. She said there would be an option for parents to give permission to their children to use social media from the age of 13.
If we're being honest, most social media isn't "bad". It really comes down to the big ones ran by algorithms designed to maximize engagement. Literal drug dealers of the digital era. If more places were like Tildes there would be few issues in engaging with them. Or at least, no more issues than any act of having peers forced to interact in school for 7-8 hours a day.
(but then again, would Tildes still have these norms if it was the size of any "ban-worthy" media? quite the conundrum...)
The other ambivalence around this is that these initiatives rarely address the real issues. Conviniently mentioned here:
In her speech, the prime minister cited figures showing that 60% of 11- to 19-year-old boys did not see a single friend in their free time
I always imagined Denmark as a very "accessible" city, so this was a bit surprising to hear. But I would not be surprised of this statistic if it's similar in he US. Here, we made everything hostile to loitering, charge to participate anywhere and are charging more and more, and kids who can't drive have no safe way to get to a town square and hang out. Add in how more 2 income households have busy parents who can't drop their kids off on demand and we have a recipe for the stay-at-home teen holed up in their room.
No surprise this ends with kids communicating in the last "free" way possible through the net, or at least cheaply through game lobbies in the case of teeenage boys. Much of society took away all the traditional options we thought of as "teen spaces" 30-40 years back. But I don't see too many initiatives to properly "bring back" community. No building, only restricting whatever is left. No wonder Nepal's generation simply rebelled in retaliation; it takes you back to an old African proverb:
"The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth"
Didn't mean for this to get so negative. But I just hope this is the start of an initiative to really "rebuild community" and not the end.
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Comment on Denmark plans social media ban for under-15s – PM Mette Frederiksen links social media use to anxiety, depression and lack of concentration in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentMaybe it's just the honors class environment (I graduated 2010), but we just followed the rules for the most part. one simple warning here and there and it wasn't much worry. Not to say there was...Maybe it's just the honors class environment (I graduated 2010), but we just followed the rules for the most part. one simple warning here and there and it wasn't much worry. Not to say there was never any cheating (or in my case, a blaring alarm you forgot to turn off. 7AM classes but your alarm is set for 730-8), but you just didn't make it blatantly obvious you were on your phone, especially during a test day.
I do absloutely agree with no phones in class, though. It's a place of focus and phones are a distraction from what the teacher prepared for you that day. It should be a norm similar to being quiet in a library.
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Comment on How some veterans exploit $193 billion US Department of Veterans Affairs program, due to lax controls in ~society
raze2012 Link ParentOnly you can vouch for youself. The benefits are there for a reason, so you may as well see if you qualify.Only you can vouch for youself. The benefits are there for a reason, so you may as well see if you qualify.
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Comment on How some veterans exploit $193 billion US Department of Veterans Affairs program, due to lax controls in ~society
raze2012 Link ParentPerhaps, but one extreme is better than the other. One extreme means vets get care and some "overspending" is done on some people who know how to access the channels. The other extreme leaves our...Perhaps, but one extreme is better than the other. One extreme means vets get care and some "overspending" is done on some people who know how to access the channels. The other extreme leaves our troops on the streets, weakens trust in the nation, and causes a variety of mental health issues on top of physical ones.
In my experience, it's lack of exposure that vets even have such options rather than "fraud". So they'll never use channels they don't have.
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Comment on Way past its prime: how did Amazon get so rubbish? in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentI've never had trouble with packaging, but the price increases and my decreased spending from my work situation made me quit. Prime doesn't give you points for Twitch anymore (which you can use to...I've never had trouble with packaging, but the price increases and my decreased spending from my work situation made me quit. Prime doesn't give you points for Twitch anymore (which you can use to donate and support your favorite streamer) so that definitely didn't help.
I remember the breaking point for me being Amazon Prime, where a Prime subscription would still show you ads on Prime videos. I barely even watch shows on Amazon, but I absolutely hate the concept of a premium subscription still deciding to double dip with ads (and ofc I wasn't paying another $9 for a dedicated prime video subscription on top of the increased $15 price).
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Comment on We’re seniors. It’s not our responsibility to fix the housing supply. in ~society
raze2012 Link ParentI wouldn't dismiss it all on noise. A lot of the zoning laws that makes it hard to build new houses came from them fighting to keep their home value going up and up. So it's not like they did...I wouldn't dismiss it all on noise. A lot of the zoning laws that makes it hard to build new houses came from them fighting to keep their home value going up and up. So it's not like they did nothing and just happen to sit on valuable land.
Kicking out existing people from homes helps no one. But if they care about their future generations, they need to let them build.
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Comment on Apple pulls ICEBlock from the App Store in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentIf the masters truly owned the tools, they wouldn't be freaked out everytime people record ICE doing fascist stuff. They wouldn't be frantic to call out undesirable photos as AI everytime someone...If the masters truly owned the tools, they wouldn't be freaked out everytime people record ICE doing fascist stuff. They wouldn't be frantic to call out undesirable photos as AI everytime someone takes a peek at someone from the wrong angle.
They are bringing changes in ways not anywhere near as accessible 80 years ago. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. These aren't tools anyone can control anymore.
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Comment on OpenAI’s H1 2025: $4.3b in income, $13.5b in loss in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentSora is invite only right now. But unless they announce some sort of premium subscriptions, it seems like ads are inevitable once they open it up.OpenAI isn’t doing ads as such, not yet anyway.
Sora is invite only right now. But unless they announce some sort of premium subscriptions, it seems like ads are inevitable once they open it up.
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Comment on OpenAI’s H1 2025: $4.3b in income, $13.5b in loss in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentAds for a black box oracle sounds like the exact dystopia Silicon Valley would laugh at 10 years ago. Didn't take much to sell their souls, I guess. Reality is stranger than fiction, though. Seems...Ads for a black box oracle sounds like the exact dystopia Silicon Valley would laugh at 10 years ago. Didn't take much to sell their souls, I guess.
Reality is stranger than fiction, though. Seems instead that ChatGPT is trying to turn into Tiktok to get that money back: https://andrewmayne.com/2025/10/04/sora-the-chatgpt-moment-for-generative-video/
Having your entire social media become AI Slop feels like yet another omen dozens of sci-fi stories warned against.
It wasn't as talked about, no. But essays and arguments like Bowling Alone have been around as early as the 90's (and made into a book in 2000) and it speculates about this decline going back as far as the 50's. So this impact didn't necessarily start as soon as the internet enabled it.
But the internet is a major catalyst; it sped up effects already in motion. Gen Z having their entire life with such tools were hit much harder, but the collapse of communities could be felt with millennials and even Gen X.
The phone issue is a chicken and egg situation, I suppose. if phones disappeared for a week or month, would those addicted to scrolling try to go out? They still can't afford multiple bar trips just to meet up with people. Malls won't be rebuilt nor would any issues with parks/libraries be properly resolved. But if we did relieve them of economic/structural issues they would still likely be set in their habits. There won't be one magical issue to fix this issue.
It's definitely had some impact, yes. There's no real place to make romantic approaches IRL anymore, so it just doesn't happen among younger people. Small talk is also less and less a thing as well, so no ice broken even in small encounters. Pushing more and more to apps to provide these solutions (only to be ignored many more times).
There's definitely some conversational skills not passed down that keeps peers at a distance. So many issues to work through.
I'd say less "opt out" and more "de-prioritized". I'm sure many people may want a partner, but the effort required is higher than ever. But there's so many other things you need to do these things as well.
On a personal level (note that I'm a younger millenia), it'd be nice. But my current priorities are trying to find a job in this hellhole of a job market, and then paying off my debts. When I'm more secure I can focus on improving myself physically and then seek out hobbies that aren't male dominated (as right now, most gatherings for tech meetups are also doubling as networking opportunities). Economic relief would definitely help for me think more of dating.