Lia's recent activity
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Comment on Apple announces iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone in ~tech
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Comment on Apple announces iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone in ~tech
Lia Link ParentI buy all my tech second hand, directly from the previous owner. This is especially easy with Apple devices because there are so many people discarding nearly pristine items as soon as they can...I buy all my tech second hand, directly from the previous owner. This is especially easy with Apple devices because there are so many people discarding nearly pristine items as soon as they can get their hands on a newer model. It's a bit more work and you have to develop an eye for potential scammers and check the device diligently, but it's fun! And doing the extra work leads to my appreciating my device more. It feels special, one of a kind, even though obviously it isn't. Because it's the one I managed to hunt down from the confines of the www, the one that had the exact specs and colour I was after, an attractive price tag to boot and that was previously owned by a nice person.
I think it satisfies my hunting instinct, which is another plus really: I won't have to waste money and my mental health on a trophy hunting spree somewhere in Africa.
The ultimate upside is of course that Apple gets 0 euros of my hard earned money.
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Comment on Software for humans in ~tech
Lia Link ParentThanks. I don't hate the idea of AI, I just hate the companies that are developing it for all the wrong reasons because those reasons shape the way it's being marketed to the public and the use...Thanks. I don't hate the idea of AI, I just hate the companies that are developing it for all the wrong reasons because those reasons shape the way it's being marketed to the public and the use cases they focus on. And I do believe it's important to oppose them not just in spirit but in actions as well.
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Comment on Software for humans in ~tech
Lia (edited )Link ParentThanks for explaining. I agree that there isn't much difference in our opinions. I'm just getting tired of seeing people parrot the "AI is here to stay, there's nothing we can do about it"...Thanks for explaining.
I agree that there isn't much difference in our opinions. I'm just getting tired of seeing people parrot the "AI is here to stay, there's nothing we can do about it" black-and-white doomerism because in most cases it seems to imply that we have to take everything an AI company says or does as unavoidable. Use it or get left behind is another similar soundbite. And so on and so on.
It's as if Frodo went to Mordor and sent word back to Rivendell: "It's over, there are orcs everywhere and the air stinks. Nothing we can do, time to go home folks."
I wasn't intending to accuse @JCAPER in particular for this. His comment was well written and described many pain points accurately. I'm just inclined to call these propaganda-like statements out when I see them (when in an environment I actually care about).
Sorry to hear that some of your friends are reactive to the point of making you feel pressured. I can relate to their sentiment when so much of what I used to love about the world is being destroyed, mutilated, twisted into all sorts of sick forms against the original creator's will and intent, exploited, milked dry, what have you. The pain I feel can't be escaped because AI and the toxic people it enables (not you!) are everywhere. It's like a subtle form of torture and I can feel myself developing an allergy-like reaction to it. For example, nowadays just seeing the words "An honest question" feels extremely off-putting. As if I'd taken out a loaf of hand baked bread from its paper bag to discover it completely covered in mold.
Would it help at all to think of these reactions as potentially having nothing to do with you? If someone has food poisoning and ends up throwing up on your shoes, it's not necessarily because they're trying to influence you. They're just having a reaction that's out of their control. I know it isn't as cut and dried as this but maybe it can help alleviate some of the emotional weight of those experiences?
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Comment on Software for humans in ~tech
Lia Link ParentI see these questions often and they feel a little.. manipulative (perhaps unintentionally?). Because I've never seen anyone ask that we pretend LLMs don't exist. It's a straw man. Why do so many...But these models are a genie that are out of the bottle now. Are we supposed to pretend they don't exist? Should the americans 70 years ago pretended jet engines weren't a thing because the Nazis invented them? I don't think so.
I see these questions often and they feel a little.. manipulative (perhaps unintentionally?). Because I've never seen anyone ask that we pretend LLMs don't exist. It's a straw man. Why do so many people bring it up? Where/how does this completely disjointed thought pattern originate?
Rather than pretending LLMs don't exist, I see demands to hold accountable the criminals who created them, as well as all the other criminals whose crimes are now being produced on an industrial scale with the help of said LLMs. Demands to limit how much further oppression can be carried out by the rogue companies, demands for fair compensation to those who spent their lives creating something that got exploited without consent, etc. Suggestions to perhaps not use these things indiscriminately, let alone pay for subscriptions until the companies start playing a fair game, etc.
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Comment on X corp is taking down Nitter instances and demands takedown of project repository in ~tech
Lia Link ParentHotel rooms then? Whatever you meant when you suggested that. I want online platforms where people from all walks of life can meet and connect if - and only if - they are able to behave...Hotel rooms then? Whatever you meant when you suggested that.
I'm confused, do you want the ability to do this or don't you?
I want online platforms where people from all walks of life can meet and connect if - and only if - they are able to behave themselves. In my book that isn't a bubble. When you stop extending the same privileges and kindness to others that you yourself expect to receive, that's when you should get kicked out. If not, everyone else will have to withdraw into a bubble in order to protect themselves.
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Comment on X corp is taking down Nitter instances and demands takedown of project repository in ~tech
Lia Link ParentHotels are places you go to with people you know in real life. Online platforms, by default, are places where anonymous people with unknown identities congregate. When you first go in, even if...If you really wanted to compare it to service industry, it'd be a hotel or a venue where you can have a private room.
Hotels are places you go to with people you know in real life. Online platforms, by default, are places where anonymous people with unknown identities congregate. When you first go in, even if they give you tools to "look the other way", you will be exposed to other people's behaviour before you have the chance to implement your personal bubble.
The real issue is precisely this ability to withdraw into a makebelieve reality that helps deepen all sorts of scewed thought patterns because you'll get likeminded individuals to reinforce them, even if only a handful of such individuals exist globally. Even if the same features "help" others to protect themselves form toxicity, the actual problem is that the platform allows the toxicity in the first place.
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Comment on LG smart TVs caught logging audio with screen off and snooping on local devices in ~tech
Lia Link ParentJust a tentative heads up: someone in the comments is calling this out for undisclosed AI use and saying there are multiple errors in the instructions. But they didn't specify the errors and I'm...Just a tentative heads up: someone in the comments is calling this out for undisclosed AI use and saying there are multiple errors in the instructions. But they didn't specify the errors and I'm not tech savvy enough to know what to believe.
All I can say is I feel very lucky for having had extremely low (non-existent) interest in putting a TV in my home for around 20 years. If I ever wanted one again, I'd look for a second hand device from before the surveillance economy era. Who cares if image quality isn't just as great? Human perception is notoriously adaptive and will absolutely get used to it in a few seconds.
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Comment on X corp is taking down Nitter instances and demands takedown of project repository in ~tech
Lia (edited )Link ParentIf I go into a restaurant where a bunch of people at some table are doing nazi salutes, I expect the waitstaff (or ultimately, the owner) to address their behaviour. If they instead tell me to...If I go into a restaurant where a bunch of people at some table are doing nazi salutes, I expect the waitstaff (or ultimately, the owner) to address their behaviour. If they instead tell me to just look the other way, I'm out of there and won't go back. Why would I go spend money there when I can go to some other place making the world better, not worse? I will also call it a nazi diner any chance I get. Is that not just common sense?
It isn't impossible for online platforms to address these things either, despite their claiming otherwise. It's a solved problem. Letting uncouth behaviour flourish on your platform is a deliberate choice.
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Comment on Invite request spam problem - vet through other social media? in ~tildes
Lia Link ParentYes, drama is bad. Conflict and differing opinions can exist without drama. When it gets far enough to qualify for drama, there's always someone at whose expense it happens. That's not an...Yes, drama is bad.
Conflict and differing opinions can exist without drama. When it gets far enough to qualify for drama, there's always someone at whose expense it happens. That's not an acceptable price to pay for other people's fun, not even if those people are careful to not cause the drama.
Let's find other ways to enjoy our lives and online activities.
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Comment on Is there any interest in building a Tildes successor? in ~tildes
Lia Link ParentI understood as much. That's the first step out of three in the bag. The other two: It's easy to say "these are our values" and an entirely different thing to actually build and maintain a forum...I think for me, the entire purpose would be to replicate or at least model on the existing foundations written in those documents.
I understood as much. That's the first step out of three in the bag. The other two:
- It's easy to say "these are our values" and an entirely different thing to actually build and maintain a forum that aligns with them in practice. This is a huge challenge even for private individuals in their personal lives, of which they are entirey in charge, but it must be a great deal harder for someone running an online community.
- Even if someone were to somehow achieve the above, there's still another hurdle: making me (and other potential users) believe it. If I don't see and believe, I won't become a part of the thing no matter how great it is.
I'm sorry that I don't have help of advice to offer. I will say that I appreciate your desire to build a community and that you recognise the value of kindness.
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Comment on We economists have done the maths: ‘growth’ is a doomed strategy – there is a better way in ~finance
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Comment on McDonald’s built a 515-page dossier on me in ~tech
Lia Link ParentI tend to agree for the most part. It's probably a net positive for society if a restaurant can accuratey predict how much food should be prepared any given day and what amount of ingredients...I tend to agree for the most part.
It's probably a net positive for society if a restaurant can accuratey predict how much food should be prepared any given day and what amount of ingredients needs to be stocked to accomplish that, etc. Wasting resources is really problematic for our environment.
As long as they're not making an extra buck out of selling this data to others for targeted advertising, it's fine.
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Comment on We economists have done the maths: ‘growth’ is a doomed strategy – there is a better way in ~finance
Lia Link ParentI've never hear the name. Can someone fill me in?Jason Hickel
I've never hear the name. Can someone fill me in?
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Comment on Is there any interest in building a Tildes successor? in ~tildes
Lia LinkFor what it's worth (and do mark this noise if appropriate), my personal interest in this is low. The main reasons I joined and have been as active on here as I have - in order of importance: the...For what it's worth (and do mark this noise if appropriate), my personal interest in this is low.
The main reasons I joined and have been as active on here as I have - in order of importance:
- the documentation that clearly demonstrates that the founder/admin knows what they're doing and that their values and goals very closely align with mine,
- the high quality of the existing conversations on here when I first got invited,
- the fact that moderation practice was actually in line with the above mentioned values and goals,
- the person who invited me, whom I didn't know but whose thinking was diverse and exceptionally measured so I immediately developed a lot of respect for them when looking at their comment history (unfortunately this person has not been active in recent years).
None of these can be easily replicated. For example, you could copy some of the documentation about the purpose and goals of the site but that wouldn't be enough for me. Deimos wrote that himself so I could trust that he actually understands what he's doing and will be able to implement it too.
Nowadays there's another reason for me to want to remain on Tildes: the fact that AI slop generators can't easily get in. I can more or less trust that most users on here are real humans with human reasons to be active on the site.
I made a post recently where I attempted to workshop a new label. Not because I don't like it here - I do. I just had even higher hopes for the site because the starting point is so amazing. Had Tildes been able to develop in this desired direction, I would have wanted to up my participation by writing more in-depth posts about topics that are important to me. Things that would take a lot of effort and putting myself on the line professionally (and as a human being). If I can't trust a forum to handle it with care, it doesn't make sense to do it. I've never seen a forum that could, so my online communications have been limited to things I can drop any time without feeling bad about it. Tildes, the way it is now, is perfectly adequate for that and I don't believe any spinoff can achieve the same level easily, or at all.
I'll be happy to be proven wrong of course.
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Comment on Incentives are for losers in ~society
Lia Link ParentI'm curious about the type you're referring to! I can't detect a type, but others are so there must be something there. Is there a general descriptor for it that you (or someone else) would like...I'm curious about the type you're referring to! I can't detect a type, but others are so there must be something there. Is there a general descriptor for it that you (or someone else) would like to share?
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Comment on Incentives are for losers in ~society
Lia LinkReading this was a positive experience for me, thanks for posting! The article introduces a concept I keep detecting in people but didn't know the name for: illusion of explanatory depth. It...Reading this was a positive experience for me, thanks for posting!
The article introduces a concept I keep detecting in people but didn't know the name for: illusion of explanatory depth. It supports the same explanation I've landed at wondering why so many people do so many bad things despite having the logical processing ability to realise they're bad, and despite their obvious intention to be a good person (myself included of course). The observation that mindlessly following incentives can lead to extremely horrific outcomes, similar to the WWII era's "just following orders" is important and should be highlighted every chance we get.
Unfortunately the human brain works by creating shortcuts that enable us to turn off cognitive processing as often as possible. Turning it back on to check ourselves must be done with deliberation. We should also make it a regular practice. Just like going to the gym one time is a step in the right direction but won't actually change much, developing our mental models is a neverending process.
Some criticism: the author seems to imply that as soon as a person is met with something that conflicts with their current world view, they are likely to reprocess it. This is not at all the case as the author very likely is aware. We have a host of defense mechanisms that we tend to pull out first, in order to avoid the cognitive/emotional labour we'd have to do in order to actually change our existing beliefs. The first step of doing the required work is often to recognise that we are in fact using one of these mechanisms, not actually processing the internal conflict in a way that could lead to a change. We might not even be aware that there is a conflict to begin with so learning to catch our defenses in action is a good start.
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Comment on Incentives are for losers in ~society
Lia (edited )Link ParentI read your comment before reading the article, but even when I tried to discern this insufferable character from what was there, I could not. Maybe it's just a matter of taste? Maybe I'm not well...But he sounds absolutely insufferable.
I read your comment before reading the article, but even when I tried to discern this insufferable character from what was there, I could not. Maybe it's just a matter of taste? Maybe I'm not well versed enough in English to pick up some of the tells?
On the other hand, you bring up "sky daddy" as an example when it should be clear that it was a reference to some teenagers' view of their god - not an expression the author would use.
Whatever the case, I'll note that this was a perfectly fine read for me, even if just to let others know they might want to give it a go.
There are just better ways to do science communication than this.
I don't think this was intended to be science communication first and foremost? It reads as a person fed up that people are not using their brains and the awful consequences of this, wishing to call attention to the phenomenon.
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Comment on Choosing a printer in ~tech
Lia Link ParentNow that I think of it, the satisfaction of pressing those physical buttons probably alleviated some of the pain of having to spend a few extra seconds of my life to get the configuration done.Now that I think of it, the satisfaction of pressing those physical buttons probably alleviated some of the pain of having to spend a few extra seconds of my life to get the configuration done.
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Comment on Choosing a printer in ~tech
Lia Link ParentYep, I've experienced a couple troublesome printers myself and thought I was doomed. But the Xerox has been great and frictionless to the extent that I sometimes say "I love you" to it out loud XD...Yep, I've experienced a couple troublesome printers myself and thought I was doomed. But the Xerox has been great and frictionless to the extent that I sometimes say "I love you" to it out loud XD
The only thing I dislike about it is that wi-fi had to be configured using a numpad. Each number button will cycle through 3 letters, first lower case, then upper case, so if you need the third one in upper case, you have to press the button 6 times to get it. My wi-fi has a fairly long name and password. It was a pain in the butt. Everything else works like a charm and without any extra steps or enshittification!
Fingers crossed, hoping they haven't installed a chip that makes it go kaputt at a predetermined time. (Actually, that's probably illegal in the EU so I won't need to worry about it.)
Proportions look silly.