ICN's recent activity
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Comment on Joe Edelman: "Is anything worth maximizing?", a talk about how tech platforms optimize for metrics in ~tech
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Comment on Joe Edelman: "Is anything worth maximizing?", a talk about how tech platforms optimize for metrics in ~tech
ICN (edited )Link ParentPersonally, I'm extremely skeptical that more data would lead to better recommendations. Netflix used to have a quality recommendation algorithm. Near when Tiktok got started, I remember jokes...Personally, I'm extremely skeptical that more data would lead to better recommendations. Netflix used to have a quality recommendation algorithm. Near when Tiktok got started, I remember jokes about it's algorithm knowing you were queer before you did. Both of these were before the current LLM craze, and I'd wager both were done with less data than Google had access too.
Recommendations aren't bad because of a technical limitation or lack of data; they're bad because Google is optimizing them for it's actual customers, stockholders and advertisers, rather than the product, i.e. the users.
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Comment on When there’s no school counselor, there’s a bot in ~tech
ICN Link ParentEven if the company were completely honest about their data collection policies, eventually they'd be forced by legislators or replaced by a company willing to do it, since since all that data...Even if the company were completely honest about their data collection policies, eventually they'd be forced by legislators or replaced by a company willing to do it, since since all that data would be invaluable for "improving educational outcomes". From there, they'd start selling it, and that's okay because all the money is going to the severely underfunded school systems. And once we're doing that, is it really that much difference to let the advertisers use it? It's another valuable income stream for the school.
We end up at a place were sad kids are told by the friendly chatbot that a can of Red Bull is what they need so they'll have the energy to crush those negative feelings, where every step on the way was ostensibly for the children.
New troubled teen/conversion camp industry boom, anyone?
Given the way things are going, probably, but as work camps with all the same old abuse added on top.
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Comment on Reddit will lock some content behind a paywall this year, CEO says in ~tech
ICN Link ParentMy guess is that they think it will drive some people to other platforms, but the increased monetization of the remaining users will make up for it. I'm skeptical that it'll work out for them...My guess is that they think it will drive some people to other platforms, but the increased monetization of the remaining users will make up for it. I'm skeptical that it'll work out for them however, since Reddit's business model relies on users working for free to generate content for other users, and adding a paywall somewhere in there throws a huge wrench in the works.
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Comment on If you sharpened a particularly stiff carrot, could you kill a vampire with it? in ~talk
ICN Link ParentJust realized I forgot one: Vampires can't see themselves in mirrors: Gosh, rude. Excuse me for not having had the time to get dolled up when you dragged me out of bed for one of your weird...Just realized I forgot one:
- Vampires can't see themselves in mirrors: Gosh, rude. Excuse me for not having had the time to get dolled up when you dragged me out of bed for one of your weird morning things, I guess.
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Comment on If you sharpened a particularly stiff carrot, could you kill a vampire with it? in ~talk
ICN Link ParentAgreed. Some morning people are a lot like the sun; so entranced by their own radiance that they leave no room for other stars in the sky.Agreed. Some morning people are a lot like the sun; so entranced by their own radiance that they leave no room for other stars in the sky.
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Comment on If you sharpened a particularly stiff carrot, could you kill a vampire with it? in ~talk
ICN LinkYes, a carrot through the heart could kill a vampire. To explain why, we have to look at the origin of vampire myths: night owls. Some morning people may dispute this, but consider the many...Yes, a carrot through the heart could kill a vampire. To explain why, we have to look at the origin of vampire myths: night owls. Some morning people may dispute this, but consider the many qualities night owls have in common with mythical vampires.
- Sleeps during the day, active at night: That's us.
- Burns in sunlight: That's what happens when you don't get enough sunlight for a proper tan.
- Ageless: By avoiding the sun, night owls were among the first to practice any form of proper skincare.
- Supernaturally attractive: Skincare has many benefits.
- Mystical powers that allow them to charm people: Seriously, wear sunscreen and moisturize.
- Blood sucking: People, after staying over with the night owls, sometimes emerged tired, mellow, and covered in bite marks. The proper Catholic morning folk immediately deduced that the only possible explanation was that their blood had been drained.
- Vampires can create other vampires by biting them: Some people need a friend to help them get comfortable with themselves.
- Killed by a stake through the heart: Yeah, that'll do it.
- Poisoned by garlic: This one requires delving into the psyche of the most feared and reviled of the morning people: the Vanguards of Daybreak. These beasts in human form have had all pity and mercy seared out of them by their worship of the sun, until only suffering remains. They rise in the night, preparing themselves for the advent of day. When dawn breaks, they emerge, shouting their battle cry to the heavens - "I've been up for hours!" - and let loose their horrifying machines that are anathema to all things peaceful (lawnmowers). Do you think asking these Tyrants of the Sun to please not eat all the garlic before you get up would work? No; you have to pretend it's hurting you in some fashion, because pain is all they know.
So yeah, carrot through the heart would absolutely do the trick, and is in keeping with the sort of barbarity night owls have come to expect from morning people.
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Comment on Facing egg shortage, some Americans turn to backyard chickens in ~food
ICN Link ParentIIRC, there can also be an issue where chickens can pick up some of the lead from contaminated soil (such as places that were close to a lot of traffic while leaded gasoline was in use) and pass...IIRC, there can also be an issue where chickens can pick up some of the lead from contaminated soil (such as places that were close to a lot of traffic while leaded gasoline was in use) and pass it along in their eggs. Getting a lead test for your backyard if you intend to keep chickens, especially if any children are going to be eating the eggs, is probably a good call.
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Comment on A note on Worm - A review of John McCrae's Worm in ~books
ICN LinkWorm does have one of the farthest call backs I'm aware of. Near the beginning, Taylor dog-ears a book, and it's only near the very end, more than a million words later IIRC, that she finally...Worm does have one of the farthest call backs I'm aware of. Near the beginning, Taylor dog-ears a book, and it's only near the very end, more than a million words later IIRC, that she finally admits to herself that she's a monster.
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Comment on Ukraine forces a halt to flow of natural gas from Russia to Europe in ~enviro
ICN Link ParentIIRC, the convention for possessive apostrophes for words ending in s is to leave the apostrophe hanging without a second s, so "The Times' framing" in this case.The Times's framing (damn possessive apostrophes, am I using that correctly??)
IIRC, the convention for possessive apostrophes for words ending in s is to leave the apostrophe hanging without a second s, so "The Times' framing" in this case.
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Comment on Slay the Spire 2 | Official gameplay trailer in ~games
ICN Link ParentHuh, I guess they're continuing the trend of the beta art being sillier/more fun than the final version in the second game. But yeah, that, especially combined with the "insane strategy" being...Huh, I guess they're continuing the trend of the beta art being sillier/more fun than the final version in the second game.
But yeah, that, especially combined with the "insane strategy" being "elites make you stronger and you don't have to take every card" just tickled my fancy in the exact right way.
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Comment on Tildes Demographics Survey, year… uh, it’s 2024? in ~tildes
ICN Link ParentHow I remember them is as follows: Ent sounds like Ant, antomology is the bug one. I learned the vowels as a e i o u and sometimes y. EtYmology deals with the sometimes y, so it's the word one.How I remember them is as follows:
Ent sounds like Ant, antomology is the bug one.
I learned the vowels as a e i o u and sometimes y. EtYmology deals with the sometimes y, so it's the word one.
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Comment on Slay the Spire 2 | Official gameplay trailer in ~games
ICN LinkThe early access joke at the end got me good. The thumbnail/video content meta joke is also excellent. Quite looking forward to this. Slay the Spire is a pinnacle of its genre, and works out as...The early access joke at the end got me good. The thumbnail/video content meta joke is also excellent.
Quite looking forward to this. Slay the Spire is a pinnacle of its genre, and works out as one of the best mobile games there is; if you need to kill 5 minutes or a couple hours, it's got you covered.
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Comment on How to judge relative dangers of chemicals for someone too busy (or lazy) to keep up with the science? in ~health
ICN Link ParentMicroplastics are a tricky one. "The dose makes the poison" as the saying goes in toxicology; many medicines are poisons at higher doses. It's entirely possible the negative effects will only...Microplastics are a tricky one. "The dose makes the poison" as the saying goes in toxicology; many medicines are poisons at higher doses. It's entirely possible the negative effects will only start to show up in earnest at higher concentrations.
The biggest confounding factor though is that the oil industry is powerful and has a proven track record of suppressing science that might hurt their profits. It'll likely take decades for us to have any certainties about the actual effects of plastics on human health.
So while it's entirely possible people are worried for nothing, I'd say best practice is to avoid it where practical, primarily in kitchenware. As a bonus, you'll also have nicer stuff if you avoid plastic.
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Comment on Computer Airflow in ~comp
ICN Link ParentAh, a fellow seeker of maximum shush. Some quick low/no cost tips in case you weren't aware: You should try to set all your fans to a slightly different rpm, as otherwise they can resonate with...Ah, a fellow seeker of maximum shush. Some quick low/no cost tips in case you weren't aware:
You should try to set all your fans to a slightly different rpm, as otherwise they can resonate with each other and create a kind of pulsing hum.
You can get silicone fan pins to further isolate your fans from the case/each other. It might not end up doing anything, but you can also get a pack for $5 or so.
Undervolting your CPU/GPU can get slightly better performance while using less power. Lowering the maximum power draw of your CPU/GPU can run significantly cooler for a minor performance hit; consumer facing chips are sold on maximum clock speed rather than efficiency, so the last little bit of performance costs disproportionate amounts of power.
If you've got access to a 3d printer, 3d modelling skills, and want to get really wild, you can even try making fan intakes for your hardware.
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Comment on Computer Airflow in ~comp
ICN LinkI think the top intake's benefit would likely be minimal, since a significant fraction of it is likely the exhaust from the adjacent fan. It seems easy enough to test though; just remove or unplug...I think the top intake's benefit would likely be minimal, since a significant fraction of it is likely the exhaust from the adjacent fan. It seems easy enough to test though; just remove or unplug the top intake fan and see where your temperatures land.
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Comment on Donald Trump didn't win on the US economy. He won on the perception of it. in ~society
ICN Link ParentUnemployment is definitely skewed. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics website: So it doesn't count people who have stopped looking, who are working below their education level as unemployed, but...Unemployment is definitely skewed. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics website:
People are considered employed if they did any work at all for pay or profit during the survey reference week. This includes all part-time and temporary work, as well as regular full-time, year-round employment.
People are classified as unemployed if they do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the prior 4 weeks, and are currently available for work.
So it doesn't count people who have stopped looking, who are working below their education level as unemployed, but it does count people who have done anything at all in the gig economy as employed, no matter how little.
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Comment on How Donald Trump won, and how Kamala Harris lost in ~society
ICN Link ParentMy point wasn't that it was the moral option (though it is), it was that there isn't a meaningful amount of votes to be gained by throwing queer people to the wolves. I agree with you that the...My point wasn't that it was the moral option (though it is), it was that there isn't a meaningful amount of votes to be gained by throwing queer people to the wolves. I agree with you that the Dems are out of touch and their messaging has been atrocious though.
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Comment on How Donald Trump won, and how Kamala Harris lost in ~society
ICN Link ParentThere is no scenario in which that's the best move. While there is certainly a contingent of the US population that loathes queer people and will always vote against them, there is also a...There is no scenario in which that's the best move. While there is certainly a contingent of the US population that loathes queer people and will always vote against them, there is also a significant contingent that will always support them. The democratic party can't appeal more effectively to the former than the right can, and would lose the latter by trying.
But even if the democrats pledged to turn the entire budget towards building a hell and sending all queer people there, it still wouldn't help because the right is not acting in good faith. Queerness has nothing to do with the problems facing the typical US citizen, that's a narrative manufactured by the right. If it stops being effective, they'll make up a new one.
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Comment on How the Trump Whale correctly called the US election in ~society
ICN Link ParentPersonally, I appreciated the heads-up. Racism and misogyny are wide-reaching beliefs that can potentially taint quite a lot of other beliefs in subtle and not so subtle ways. I'd rather such...Personally, I appreciated the heads-up. Racism and misogyny are wide-reaching beliefs that can potentially taint quite a lot of other beliefs in subtle and not so subtle ways. I'd rather such people get over-scrutinized than under.
My apologies on both counts; that's what I get for insomnia posting. I'd assumed I'd picked up enough context from the comments, and the 'eh' was meant to be casual rather than dismissive, but it didn't read that way in retrospect. Sorry again. Today was busy, but tomorrow I'll watch the video and edit this post if I have any more relevant thoughts.