Fiachra's recent activity
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Comment on What are your predictions for 2026? in ~talk
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Comment on She fell in love with ChatGPT. Then she ghosted it. in ~tech
Fiachra Link ParentThe simple fact that they built the UI to look like a chat client instead of AskJeeves has had enormous consequences for society.The simple fact that they built the UI to look like a chat client instead of AskJeeves has had enormous consequences for society.
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Comment on What are some of your "life hacks" you use regularly? in ~talk
Fiachra Link ParentThat's my life hack - flip the coin and pause before you look at it. Feel which outcome you're rooting for. Then don't even look at the coin and just do that one.That's my life hack - flip the coin and pause before you look at it. Feel which outcome you're rooting for. Then don't even look at the coin and just do that one.
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Comment on The populist revolt against cognitive elites in ~society
Fiachra Link ParentThat's an interesting point. I suppose it comes down to the circumstances that cause the food desert in the first place. Are they likely to last long term? Is it possible to know when the game has...That's an interesting point. I suppose it comes down to the circumstances that cause the food desert in the first place. Are they likely to last long term? Is it possible to know when the game has changed and therefore pick the right time to privatise the public stores? Situations will vary greatly, I'm sure.
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Comment on The populist revolt against cognitive elites in ~society
Fiachra Link ParentBut those two parties have different definitions of "making it work". Private businesses fail to make it work if they don't turn a profit long term. What would constitute government "not making it...if major chains, for which the deck is stacked in every conceivable way, can’t make it work, we should be very skeptical that the government can
But those two parties have different definitions of "making it work". Private businesses fail to make it work if they don't turn a profit long term. What would constitute government "not making it work"? If the stores exist and make food accessible in food deserts, but it operates at a loss, that's just a worthwhile social service being funded by taxes, one of many. I think they'd have to be losing quite a lot of money to be considered a failure and risk closure. Can you imagine the electoral risk to a future mayor who tried to shutter them?
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Comment on The populist revolt against cognitive elites in ~society
Fiachra Link ParentSorry, because I feel like I'm going insane here, but wasn't Mamdani's exact pledge with grocery stores to open like four or five publicly owned ones in food deserts that don't already have any?...one of the major promises Mamdani made was to lower the price of groceries in New York by creating publicly owned, city-run grocery stores. Experts objected that grocery stores typically operate on slim margins and that the major costs occur further up the supply chain. Like most educated people, Mamdani probably knows this.
Sorry, because I feel like I'm going insane here, but wasn't Mamdani's exact pledge with grocery stores to open like four or five publicly owned ones in food deserts that don't already have any? Either I've completely got my facts wrong or the above quoted (any many other opinion pieces like it) doesn't really apply to his policy at all.
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Comment on Other people might just not have your problems in ~life
Fiachra LinkA good lesson, and I can add that sometimes, it's possible to go from one state to another: you can start at "what trick does everyone else use to do this??" to "iunno how I even do this I just...A good lesson, and I can add that sometimes, it's possible to go from one state to another: you can start at "what trick does everyone else use to do this??" to "iunno how I even do this I just do". If we forget the path we took to solve problems, then forget we even had them, we wind up doing a disservice to the people walking the same path after us. It's tempting to forget; after all there's so much shame tied up in it that we'd prefer to never think of it again. Many a generation before us has made that mistake and not taken the time and patience to teach people that we could help if we really tried.
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Comment on Other people might just not have your problems in ~life
Fiachra Link Parent"Enlightenment is hard, but it's not complicated" (paraphrased)"Enlightenment is hard, but it's not complicated"
(paraphrased)
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Comment on Fifteen killed in shooting targeting Jewish community at Australia's Bondi Beach, police say in ~news
Fiachra Link ParentAustralia have a history of taking action to control guns after mass shootings, I'm relieved to see that attitude hasn't changed due to the political winds of that last decade.Australia have a history of taking action to control guns after mass shootings, I'm relieved to see that attitude hasn't changed due to the political winds of that last decade.
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Comment on The Windows 11 crisis in ~tech
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Comment on Candice Owens and the death of the decay of the American brain in ~society
Fiachra Link ParentAt first glance I read it as an optimistic headline, but I was wrong.At first glance I read it as an optimistic headline, but I was wrong.
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Comment on The latrine disaster in Erfurt in ~humanities.history
Fiachra Link ParentYou're right, the only place I can imagine that's worse is a medieval battlefieldYou're right, the only place I can imagine that's worse is a medieval battlefield
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Comment on The latrine disaster in Erfurt in ~humanities.history
Fiachra LinkJesus Christ the guy just went to work the next day. Thoughts and prayers to the victims I guess.After the disaster, Henry VI immediately departed Erfurt and resumed his military campaign,
Jesus Christ the guy just went to work the next day. Thoughts and prayers to the victims I guess.
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Comment on Your phone is a fake house in ~tech
Fiachra Link ParentI recently got a new pc after not having one for a year. The way I described the feeling was "like I regained access to a room of our house". It really does feel like a private personal space.I recently got a new pc after not having one for a year. The way I described the feeling was "like I regained access to a room of our house". It really does feel like a private personal space.
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Comment on Immigrants ‘plucked out of line’ at US citizenship oath ceremony at Faneuil Hall, group says in ~society
Fiachra LinkIn a society that actually wanted people to respect legal paths to citizenship, it would be a priority to not arbitrarily fuck with people on that legal path. Don't attach unnecessary risk to the...In a society that actually wanted people to respect legal paths to citizenship, it would be a priority to not arbitrarily fuck with people on that legal path. Don't attach unnecessary risk to the path you want people to choose.
Obviously, we all know the current leadership prefers for immigrants to not engage with the legal process and give them an easy excuse to deport. But man, this is just not good immigration policy even by their own standards.
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Comment on Volodymyr Zelenskyy ready for 'honest' work on US-backed plan as Europeans push back in ~society
Fiachra Link ParentI have seen people literally explain their position as, America is the centre of capitalism, therefore anyone who acts against America is the good guys. Russia, China, North Korea, the Taliban,...I have seen people literally explain their position as, America is the centre of capitalism, therefore anyone who acts against America is the good guys. Russia, China, North Korea, the Taliban, anyone.
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Comment on Without looking, do you have a vague idea of your coordinates? in ~talk
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Comment on Without looking, do you have a vague idea of your coordinates? in ~talk
Fiachra LinkI'm putting this in the same mental category as blood type: I have no idea, most people I know have no idea, but I'm going to find out next chance I getI'm putting this in the same mental category as blood type: I have no idea, most people I know have no idea, but I'm going to find out next chance I get
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Comment on Without looking, do you have a vague idea of your coordinates? in ~talk
Fiachra Link ParentI'm waiting for the tildes user who lives on that island and still doesn't know their coordinatesI'm waiting for the tildes user who lives on that island and still doesn't know their coordinates
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Comment on Ireland among countries boycotting Eurovision after Israel allowed to compete in ~music
Fiachra LinkNot sure why BBC are leading with Ireland in the headline when Spain is one of the "big five". Why single us out?Not sure why BBC are leading with Ireland in the headline when Spain is one of the "big five". Why single us out?
A murder will take place that is connected to a bet made on a prediction market (like Polymarket or Kalshi)
There will be several (5 or more) high profile data breaches in 2026 linked to companies use of AI in their tech stack. Either bad insecure code generated by AI or a customer service bot being talked into turning over the whole database.
A moral panic related to AI generated images of real people will take place, but it won't be directly about revenge porn or CSAM. It'll be a dumb and repugnant conspiracy theory that only tangentially involves those things. "AI images are turning kids trans" or "immigrants are deepfaking our wives", something like that.
Trump will be hospitalised for a confirmed medical episode and recover enough to go back to work for at least one full day.
You're going to make to at least May before remembering Mamdani even exists because he'll be a surprisingly average and scandal-free mayor, and so make few or no headlines for most of the year.
Elon Musk will attempt to sue the government of Sweden alleging some bizarre form of leftist conspiracy. If the case finds any resolution at all by the end of the year, it will not be in Musk's favour.
The political right will pick some random new food or drink product as a culture war battlefield, whether or not their counterparts on the left care enough to fight them on it.
The Saudi royal family will make a play into the film industry in some way, either on the production side or by hosting their own film awards.