Jordan117's recent activity
-
Comment on Someone ‘torturing’ LLMs in a robot prison has triggered the dumbest debate in AI yet in ~tech
-
Comment on What are your current pain points with Linux? in ~tech
Jordan117 (edited )Link ParentIn fairness, I did understand what it was going for (deleting three cache files for a specific program). But there was a syntax error that inserted an extra tilde and space before the file paths,...In fairness, I did understand what it was going for (deleting three cache files for a specific program). But there was a syntax error that inserted an extra tilde and space before the file paths, broadening the scope to the entire home folder. I think this can also happen if you add a space after the tilde, or accidentally hit enter after it.
When first working with the terminal, I was wary of any rm -rf command -- that meme about maliciously suggesting "rm -rf /" as a fix hit home its destructive power. But I had let my guard down on that front after reading about how Linux added protections against misuse, triggering a warning and requiring an explicit override if attempted. But turns out that only protects against targeting "/", not "/*", "~", etc.
-
Comment on What are your current pain points with Linux? in ~tech
Jordan117 LinkSo I've got a major amendment to my earlier comment: As a longtime Windows user who is reasonably tech-savvy but had no Linux experience, I've been relying pretty heavily on Gemini to navigate the...So I've got a major amendment to my earlier comment:
As a longtime Windows user who is reasonably tech-savvy but had no Linux experience, I've been relying pretty heavily on Gemini to navigate the terminal for stuff like installing programs, debugging stalled updates, writing small scripts and config tweaks, etc. It's been fantastically good at this, to the point I had my Fedora OS, KDE, and Firefox running exactly the way I wanted. I'd scoffed at people who ran autonomous AI agents freely, like OpenClaw, but after awhile I grew to trust Gemini's skills until I was basically just a copy-pasting middleman.
So when I was troubleshooting a program crash at startup, I didn't clock that its first suggested command included an errant space that caused rm rf to run on not just the targeted cache folder, but my entire home directory. I was confused when the terminal started filling up with text, and panic-quit when desktop icons started disappearing and my theme reset to default. After a few minutes interrogating Gemini, I shut down, and signed up for Claude (the strongest coding model, I've heard) to piece together what happened and how to recover.
The good news is that I killed the process fast enough and shut down soon enough that much of my home directory is intact, and at least some of the deleted material may still be recoverable with forensic tools (or at worst a professional service). But it's still done significant damage.
This isn't really Linux's fault -- it's on me for not having a backup system set up yet on this machine, and for trusting AI output too blindly. But Linux culture definitely pushes terminal use much more than Windows, which isn't great for those without a programming background. AI tools are immensely helpful here, but clearly not 100% reliable. I guess the biggest takeaway is: back up your shit, yesterday.
-
Comment on Paramount settles with California, other states over Warner Bros merger in ~movies
Jordan117 LinkWhat happened to Keith Ellison, Letitia James, and the other state AGs who were vowing to oppose this settlement not even 24 hours ago?What happened to Keith Ellison, Letitia James, and the other state AGs who were vowing to oppose this settlement not even 24 hours ago?
-
Comment on VR questions, recommendations, tips, and tricks in ~games
Jordan117 LinkIt's not technically a game, but Google Earth VR is an absolute must-have. Not only is the 3D stereophotogrammetry amazing to move through in both cities and natural landscapes, but you can also...It's not technically a game, but Google Earth VR is an absolute must-have. Not only is the 3D stereophotogrammetry amazing to move through in both cities and natural landscapes, but you can also explore Street View imagery, including the insides of buildings, parks, deserts, etc., basically anywhere people have uploaded 360-degree imagery. You can easily get lost in it for hours.
-
Comment on Who gets the Steam Frame? Did Valve pick you for the first wave? in ~games
Jordan117 Link ParentHadn't heard of that one -- the specs seem great, but what looks to be a ~$1500-2000+ expected price tag stings. I can find a used Quest 3 for less than 20% of that.Hadn't heard of that one -- the specs seem great, but what looks to be a ~$1500-2000+ expected price tag stings. I can find a used Quest 3 for less than 20% of that.
-
Comment on Who gets the Steam Frame? Did Valve pick you for the first wave? in ~games
Jordan117 LinkI strongly considered it, but it was just too expensive. Even the base model is over $1000, and you have to tack on hundreds more to future proof storage, get decent pass-through, and make it...I strongly considered it, but it was just too expensive. Even the base model is over $1000, and you have to tack on hundreds more to future proof storage, get decent pass-through, and make it actually comfortable to wear and hold. And at that price, it was disappointing to get weak battery life and no OLED.
Tbh, I'm thinking of getting a Quest 3. It has comparable specs, and would be a massive leap over my OG Vive. Meta is gross but I figure a throwaway account and buying used on eBay minimizes the harm. I just wonder how well it works tethered vs. wireless, and how the Linux support is.
-
Comment on What's a show you love that's from before your time? in ~tv
Jordan117 (edited )LinkI Love Lucy. My mom loved to play the reruns on TV when I was a kid, so there's some nostalgia there, and granted a lot of the social norms are outdated by now. But it's amazing how well the...I Love Lucy. My mom loved to play the reruns on TV when I was a kid, so there's some nostalgia there, and granted a lot of the social norms are outdated by now. But it's amazing how well the comedy holds up:
And it's funny to think how the pop cultural juggernaut of the whitebread 1950s was helmed by a woman and a Cuban immigrant.
-
Comment on What made that wedding that you attended particularly memorable? in ~life
Jordan117 LinkOne cool thing at my brother's recent wedding was that each table was numbered, and then given "time capsule" cards where you could write a private message that would not be opened until that...One cool thing at my brother's recent wedding was that each table was numbered, and then given "time capsule" cards where you could write a private message that would not be opened until that numbered anniversary.
They also hired not just a photographer and videographer, but a "content creator" who would record fun shortform candid videos that could be more immediately shared with people who couldn't make it.
-
Comment on How accurate have Ed Zitron's AI skeptic predictions been? in ~tech
Jordan117 Link ParentAs somebody who has twigged to AI since the TalkToTransformer/ThisPersonDoesNotExist/GPT-2 days circa 2019, I feel this comment so damn hard. The underlying technology is so deeply fascinating on...As somebody who has twigged to AI since the TalkToTransformer/ThisPersonDoesNotExist/GPT-2 days circa 2019, I feel this comment so damn hard. The underlying technology is so deeply fascinating on a philosophical level -- for the first time we have software that can recognize, process, and create raw concepts. Like a synthesizer for ideas, in every medium. I had so much fun generating narratives in AI Dungeon, images in DALL-E 2, and gibberish covers in AI Jukebox. And the people and communities I shared them with found them just as amazing. Incredible future shock.
Then came the ChatGPT-driven rush to commercialization, and the hyperscalers, and Trump and Musk and DOGE and all the same grifters and frauds that had pumped NFTs and the metaverse. And I saw these same people and places polarized against all use of the tech, even the non-commercial small-scale open-source stuff. Earlier this year I was permanently banned from a forum I'd been a member of for almost 20 years, because I had called out how the moderators were turning a blind eye to users jeering for violence against big tech figures. The vicious absolutism and close-mindedness is shocking and sad. But I'm glad Tildes is one of the few places that embraces nuance about the subject without tipping over into blind boosterism.
-
Comment on What are your current pain points with Linux? in ~tech
Jordan117 LinkA bunch of minor things: Continued confusion over the installation and management of programs between Flatpacks, AppImages, Snap, RPM, etc. I rely on Gemini to tell me the best way to install a...A bunch of minor things:
-
Continued confusion over the installation and management of programs between Flatpacks, AppImages, Snap, RPM, etc. I rely on Gemini to tell me the best way to install a given program.
-
Discover has started getting stuck on "Fetching Updates" -- some sort of issue with Snap packages? -- so I have to do my updates through the terminal. Except a couple of programs (Google Earth and Slack) have a "digest error" that blocks the entire update process, so I have to run a custom command that skips them.
-
Programs randomly using the generic Wayland icon in the titlebar and taskbar, and related issues with syncing desktop icons, launcher entries, etc.
-
the desktop very occasionally freezes -- I can see but can't click on anything, and have to restart the shell via the terminal
Conversely, I've had very little trouble with the stuff I thought would be most vexing. My printer runs flawlessly, for example (though having a monochrome Brother laser printer helps), and I've had no problems with drivers, peripherals, etc. Despite the above quirks, I've been very happy with Fedora and KDE.
-
-
Comment on Controversy erupts as Canadians insist Toronto lies on "Lake Ontario" in ~society
Jordan117 Link ParentRight, but either updawg or (more likely) the original AP article titled it far differently (Controversy erupts as Canadians insist Toronto lies on "Lake Ontario")Right, but either updawg or (more likely) the original AP article titled it far differently (Controversy erupts as Canadians insist Toronto lies on "Lake Ontario")
-
Comment on Controversy erupts as Canadians insist Toronto lies on "Lake Ontario" in ~society
Jordan117 LinkPutting the real name in scare quotes and framing the controversy as Canadians "insisting" on it -- what kind of bizarro world headline is that?Putting the real name in scare quotes and framing the controversy as Canadians "insisting" on it -- what kind of bizarro world headline is that?
-
Comment on What is the oldest file you still have? in ~tech
Jordan117 LinkEvery time I get a new computer, I make a point of installing my favorite childhood games, SimCity 2000 and Civilization II. I also transfer copies of some original save files from the time, since...Every time I get a new computer, I make a point of installing my favorite childhood games, SimCity 2000 and Civilization II. I also transfer copies of some original save files from the time, since I think they're cool time-capsule artifacts. A few were re-saved after they were originally created, but the oldest I can find right now are some SimCity saves from June of 2000 (though the most interesting to me is the Civ 2 game I played the evening of 9/11 to try to take my mind off things).
-
Comment on Ray Bradbury's "There Will Come Soft Rains" as read by actor Burgess Meredith (1962) in ~books
Jordan117 Link(Or the text version, if you prefer.) Always a good read, but particularly so given that "today is August 4th, 2026..."(Or the text version, if you prefer.)
Always a good read, but particularly so given that "today is August 4th, 2026..."
-
Ray Bradbury's "There Will Come Soft Rains" as read by actor Burgess Meredith (1962)
36 votes -
Comment on Any obscure songs you'd like to share? in ~music
Jordan117 LinkA Mighty Wind, the classic Christopher Guest ensemble mockumentary about folk music, has an excellent soundtrack, especially given the songs were all actually written and performed by the film's...A Mighty Wind, the classic Christopher Guest ensemble mockumentary about folk music, has an excellent soundtrack, especially given the songs were all actually written and performed by the film's stars. But while most of the tracks were heard at some point in the movie, one of the best appears only on the soundtrack album: "The Ballad of Bobby and June". I rediscovered it listening to the album a few months ago after Catherine O'Hara passed away and it's really lovely.
-
Comment on No WebGL, no AI, no bytes to spare. My new game is a 3D 90s fever dream in 1024 bytes! in ~comp
Jordan117 LinkWoof, something about this is very off-putting. Some combination of the colors, pattern, and especially the weird parallax/perspective as it moves towards you -- it's just hard to look at for very...Woof, something about this is very off-putting. Some combination of the colors, pattern, and especially the weird parallax/perspective as it moves towards you -- it's just hard to look at for very long without feeling a bit queasy. Probably a me problem though.
edit: to avoid being a complete downer, I absolutely loved Driven Wild and was low-key hooked on it last year!
-
Comment on Smush in ~games
Jordan117 Link ParentNot a fan of how it requires finding extremely obscure words to finish the game (using the grovelly Hint/Just Tell Me! mechanic), while excluding very common words that are even remotely spicy...Not a fan of how it requires finding extremely obscure words to finish the game (using the grovelly Hint/Just Tell Me! mechanic), while excluding very common words that are even remotely spicy (kook, crotch, etc.). The combo of Scrabble scoring, letter management, and rotating bonus letters is nice, but the word list definitely needs work.
-
Comment on Woman who dated US Senate candidate Graham Platner says he sexually assaulted her in ~society
Jordan117 (edited )Link ParentThank you for saying this. As somebody who tried posting this story and got slightly beaten to the punch, I regret how cutting her quoted statement out of my comment as a duplicate made it seem...Thank you for saying this. As somebody who tried posting this story and got slightly beaten to the punch, I regret how cutting her quoted statement out of my comment as a duplicate made it seem like the politics were the only thing worth mentioning. It's definitely a nightmare and a tragedy nobody deserves to go through.
There were similar experiments (and similar backlash) in the relatively simpler creature sim Creatures back in the day.
IMHO, we simply don't know enough about the inner workings of LLMs or the nature of consciousness to say this is totally fine. It's entirely possible that model weights function similarly enough to neurons that they can experience some form of suffering. I'm agnostic on it, but do think this is a shitty and pointless thing to do -- even if only to the extent that, like the Creatures drama, it's designed to distress people who sincerely believe think there's real moral wrong here. It's just gratuitously cruel.