Lia's recent activity
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of April 14 in ~society
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Comment on Light Phone III begins shipping on March 27th in ~tech
Lia LinkMy goodness, I don't need a new phone right now and this thing probably doesn't have everything I need from a phone. But I feel a compelling desire to preorder one! I haven't felt like this about...My goodness, I don't need a new phone right now and this thing probably doesn't have everything I need from a phone. But I feel a compelling desire to preorder one! I haven't felt like this about tech in a long time.
I absolutely love the simplicity, the monochrome UI, the mundane material choices, the fact that you can take it apart. That it is so un-phone-like.
I'm tempted to get this and get a new number for it, and never share that number with anyone other than my loved ones. No spam calls or messages to deal with, no ads (including notifications) that infiltrate my space, no endlessly browsing YouTube to find hacks that would allow me to make a UI more tolerable for my eyes and later, what to do when the hack stops working after an update. A small box that lets me be reachable without being disturbed. My freedom device. If only I could get a phone plan without monthly subscription fees that only charges for the calls, messages and data I actually use.
I really, really want one. In a beautifully irrational way!
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Comment on eBay privacy policy update and AI opt-out in ~tech
Lia Link ParentThey are close enough that I wouldn't need formal agreements to trust that they'll do what's best for me (and by extension, anyone who works for me). The problem is more practical. If they are to...You mentioned 'collaborators' -- are they folks that you could encourage to sign an agreement of some sort? Even if it's not a business relationship, many open-source projects have codes of conduct (and project licenses) that can help corral some potential avenues of disagreement.
They are close enough that I wouldn't need formal agreements to trust that they'll do what's best for me (and by extension, anyone who works for me). The problem is more practical. If they are to do their work, they're going to have to use Adobe software unless they've already migrated away from it. Asking them to adopt other software just to work on this one project would be excessive. I'm probably just going to accept that I can't practice complete Adobe hygiene as of yet.
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Comment on eBay privacy policy update and AI opt-out in ~tech
Lia Link ParentI've noticed the same and it is absolutely intentional. There's no reason to make it confusing other than trying to trick people to make an unfavourable choice. The GDPR regulation that mandated...I’m not sure if it’s an intended choice
I've noticed the same and it is absolutely intentional. There's no reason to make it confusing other than trying to trick people to make an unfavourable choice.
The GDPR regulation that mandated sites to offer the user these options in the first place is still fairly new and these rogue practices have emerged as an attempt to get around it. It's interesting to see whether there will be further regulation to ban some of them.
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Comment on Professional writer endorses short story written by OpenAI's new creative writing model in ~books
Lia Link ParentArtists don't all agree on what is or isn't art. So far this is one single artist saying that this piece qualifies. It's very much up for discussion and I was hoping to have such a discussion over...You, an admitted non-writer, kicked off this discussion by glossing over a professional writer's claim that a generated work had artistic merit. Worse, suggested she was being bribed rather than consider that maybe she just has a different opinion on the incredibly subjective question of how to define art. Maybe practice what you preach?
Artists don't all agree on what is or isn't art. So far this is one single artist saying that this piece qualifies. It's very much up for discussion and I was hoping to have such a discussion over here, but I guess there aren't that many other artists around.
Let's look at her claims regarding what makes this piece valuable. The main one is that it offers a perspective on otherness that is needed in our times. I can certainly agree that this perspective is needed. But has the piece actually helped spark new understanding in its readers? I explained above my experience of how society "others" artists. Rather than allow your mind to consider the experience of the othered, you have so far directed the conversation in ways that instead reinforce the othering.
This is what I mean when I distinguish art from entertainment. Entertainment is something that holds your attention for a moment, and then you go on with your life, fundamentally unchanged. It's not a bad thing and it absolutely does deserve to exist, but it is a different kind of thing than art.
That's basically the position of the vocal anti-AI crowd -- that any fool who can operate a pencil is more artistically valid than the most advanced diffusion model.
I'm not aware of people holding such a position and I certainly do not hold it myself.
Also, that it's possible to find artistic meaning in a generated work, same as finding beauty or meaning in nature or readymades or found-footage collages. That's not discounting the worth of professional artists, just recognizing that their work is not the only thing that qualifies as art.
I think we simply have a fundamental difference in the way we use language. I'm guessing you're American? It's common over there to classify entertainment as art. I just think it's confusing and that more granularity would be better.
I agree with you that it is possible to find value in AI generated content. Some of it deserves to be called entertainment and some part is just slop.
I would agree that "it's harder for art to be a real job now that AI has made artmaking more accessible to non-professionals", but that's more an economic problem than a philosophical one.
Art as I define it has always been hard to have as a job because most people only want to be entertained - not challenged.
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Comment on eBay privacy policy update and AI opt-out in ~tech
Lia Link ParentNot if Reddit decides to put some of it behind a paywall and I don't want to pay to access my own content. I know this isn't the case right now but I don't care about that. I care about what the...You remain the owner in the most significant way, which is that you may continue to use, adapt, or move your content. It's still yours. You can copy it to a blog post, or post it to another website, or make any changes to it that you like.
Not if Reddit decides to put some of it behind a paywall and I don't want to pay to access my own content. I know this isn't the case right now but I don't care about that. I care about what the terms permit them to do, should they decide to.
In practical terms, I also can't financially profit of my content if a much larger entity with more traffic is already distributing it to paying users, even if I'm technically allowed to try. As well, I can't protect it from being modified and used for nefarious political purposes or some such, which means I'm not comfortable with associating my identity with the content, which further limits my "ownership" of the content.
...the bulk of the bolded text is completely normal and required for this kind of website.
In my opinion the bolded parts become problematic when license is granted to third parties and platforms, anywhere in the world, including ones that do not exist yet. And when there is a separate clause that takes away my rights to actually exercise my moral rights in any way. A right that can't be exercised is as good as non-existent.
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Comment on eBay privacy policy update and AI opt-out in ~tech
Lia Link ParentThat already pretty much makes me not the owner of my content for most practical purposes, but Reddit goes further: Even if I remain the content owner on paper, I don't have any power over what......you grant us a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, transferable, and sublicensable license to use, copy, modify, adapt, prepare derivative works of, distribute, store, perform, and display Your Content and any name, username, voice, or likeness provided in connection with Your Content in all media formats and channels now known or later developed anywhere in the world. This license includes the right for us to make Your Content available for syndication, broadcast, distribution, or publication by other companies, organizations, or individuals who partner with Reddit. For example, this license includes the right to use Your Content to train AI and machine learning models, as further described in our Public Content Policy.
That already pretty much makes me not the owner of my content for most practical purposes, but Reddit goes further:
You also agree that we may remove metadata associated with Your Content, and you irrevocably waive any claims and assertions of moral rights or attribution with respect to Your Content.
Even if I remain the content owner on paper, I don't have any power over what happens to it like an actual content owner does, and if I do, I irrevocably waive those rights.
I would be surprised if Tildes worked this way.
Edit: I went to see if the rules changed since I created my account here, but it still says the same, very reasonable thing:
you grant us a non-exclusive license to store, display and distribute that content in the context of operating the site
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Comment on eBay privacy policy update and AI opt-out in ~tech
Lia LinkUhh.. By browsing Tildes, for the most part. I've caught some stuff that I wouldn't have otherwise, including this post, so thank you for posting. Also: what Firefox news is that exactly? :D (I...How do you stay up to date with contract changes that might affect you, outside of widespread Internet outrage (such as recent Firefox news)?
Uhh.. By browsing Tildes, for the most part. I've caught some stuff that I wouldn't have otherwise, including this post, so thank you for posting. Also: what Firefox news is that exactly? :D (I use Firefox for browsing Reddit and only for that.)
What's your threshold -- if any -- for deciding whether to quit a company over contract changes? Alternatively, have you ever walked away from a purchase, service, or other acquisition over the terms of the contracts?
I regularly walk away from websites when they give me the cookies opt-out panel with the hidden sections for "legitimate" interest that you have to tick off one by one if you actually want those off. There have been rare occasions when I've spent time actually ticking them off because I really wanted to access the content on that site. Most of the time I decide the content wasn't worth the effort.
The most recent software I walked away from was Adobe's transition to cloud based and the subscription model introduction. "Upgrading" to that didn't seem worth the new features that came with it, so I just stuck with the CS versions of their programs. If I had transitioned, then at the very least I would have gotten out with the latest policy changes and user outrage. I would also like to prohibit all my collaborators from ever uploading any of my work to their cloud, because according to Adobe, this now grants them rights to do whatever they please with my work. So far this hasn't been an issue but things may be about to change and I'm not sure how to handle it yet.
ETA: Reddit is a company that I haven't felt the need to quit, at least not yet, but I've been mindful about my behaviour there from the very beginning because it clearly states in their TOS that they own all content that I create on that platform. I simply don't create things that I would mind losing.
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Comment on Professional writer endorses short story written by OpenAI's new creative writing model in ~books
Lia Link ParentI've seen you around and noticed that I often appreciate what you have to say. More than happy to take your word for it!I've seen you around and noticed that I often appreciate what you have to say. More than happy to take your word for it!
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Comment on Professional writer endorses short story written by OpenAI's new creative writing model in ~books
Lia Link ParentHaha, I'm glad that some people like it! That's the plight of the artist. In order to get better, you have to develop a more critical eye. As the direct result of that, you won't enjoy the world...Haha, I'm glad that some people like it!
As someone still struggling to get better at writing I have very mixed feelings...
That's the plight of the artist. In order to get better, you have to develop a more critical eye. As the direct result of that, you won't enjoy the world as much as you did before. Choose mindfully what you get better at!
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Comment on Professional writer endorses short story written by OpenAI's new creative writing model in ~books
Lia Link ParentNothing better than a dictator that dictates the things I want. :)Nothing better than a dictator that dictates the things I want. :)
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Comment on Professional writer endorses short story written by OpenAI's new creative writing model in ~books
Lia Link ParentI have a hunch that I really like the moderating policy here, but I'm miffed that it's hard to verify that when I can't see for myself what got removed. Oh well, I'm sure I'll live through this...I have a hunch that I really like the moderating policy here, but I'm miffed that it's hard to verify that when I can't see for myself what got removed.
Oh well, I'm sure I'll live through this immense disappointment! ;)
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Comment on Professional writer endorses short story written by OpenAI's new creative writing model in ~books
Lia Link ParentThe thing is, I'm a professional artist. If I don't have a solid idea of what art is and isn't, I'm unable to do my job. Are you going to tell a programmer that it's silly to gatekeep what...I think it's silly to try gatekeeping what is or isn't art.
The thing is, I'm a professional artist. If I don't have a solid idea of what art is and isn't, I'm unable to do my job.
Are you going to tell a programmer that it's silly to gatekeep what constitutes as good code and say that ChatGPT's code isn't solid? I've used AI to create things with Python and Javascript that I wouldn't have been able to make on my own, but I'm under no illusion that they aren't professional quality, and if a programmer tells me so, I believe them.
The idea of this post isn't to criticise people's personal tastes. Everyone is free to enjoy and consume whatever content they want, obviously. Whether the story qualifies as art is a separate conversation, one that I find extremely important, as I explained above. Have you given some thought to the reason I gave? Did you consider the possibility that I may be well informed wrt what I speak of?
In a nutshell, what you seem to be saying is "art isn't a real job". You probably didn't intend to come across that way and it is indeed a common sentiment and as such, easily adopted. Just something I wanted to point out.
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Comment on What's the oldest tech you use, and why do you still use it? in ~tech
Lia LinkI have an Apple LED Cinema Display, introduced in 2010. I bought it just a couple years ago, used, obviously, when my old Dell that I got for free from the previous owner started acting up. Why? I...I have an Apple LED Cinema Display, introduced in 2010. I bought it just a couple years ago, used, obviously, when my old Dell that I got for free from the previous owner started acting up.
Why? I don't pay more for tech than I must, for one thing. In my line of creative work, budgets are minuscule and funds must be primarily allocated elsewhere, so I'll get whatever does the job and allows for a visually uncluttered work area (important!). Apple devices tend to excel in that department. This monitor is also an upgrade from my old one in terms of size.
I read reviews that say it's much less bright than modern displays but I don't want my screen to be brighter. I even wonder if the excessive brightness of our screens is one reason for some modern health issues? For reference, I keep the screen of my iPhone 12 Pro at one of the lowest settings and sometimes it's still not dim enough for me. When my M1 MacBook Pro is on 55% brightness, it's about similar to the Cinema Display.
I also had to buy an adapter to connect the monitor via HDMI. The adapter needs its own power source from a USB port, which is really the only annoying part of using this monitor. However, it's not taking up any of my M1's ports because I also have another old piece of tech: a mid-2015 MacBook Pro Retina.
Use cases for the old MacBook:
- It serves as a platform that lifts my M1 to a comfortable height that allows a wrist pad to sit in front of it without feeling bulky, and my hands to be in the most ergonomic height while working.
- It provides a USB power outlet for above mentioned adapter. The battery is shot, but that doesn't matter because the Cinema Display comes with a charging cable that I keep plugged in (this also conveniently keeps that cable off my desk).
- Once or twice a year, when I need to use some software that has since changed to a subscription model, such as SketchUp Make or the Adobe CS suite, I can do so on this laptop. It still has the compatible OS and all my past favourite programs installed. Now that I have the Affinity suite, Blender and DaVinci Resolve, I don't need to use them often. But when I do, it's often critical and it would be insanely annoying to faff around with subscriptions, cancellations and all the predatory gimmicks that come with them.
A third ancient piece of tech I still use is a Wacom Intuos 3 tablet, released in 2004 for digital drawing. I still use it because it still does the job I need it to do. It's likely the only piece of IT hardware that has been completely functional with every computer I've tried to use it with. Back when I bought it I was a PC user, then switched to Macs, and no matter which OS or drawing app I throw at it, it never lets me down.
Outside of IT gadgets, I recently paid a pretty penny for a 1960's buttonhole attachment that turns my sewing machine into a high quality buttonhole maker. Of course, all modern sewing machines come with a setting that makes buttonholes, either automatically or semi-automatically. But I've used many sewing machines and I've never used one that would turn out buttonholes of decent quality. Scratch that, they're not even acceptable quality! A built-in setting looks cleaner and less intimidating to the end user, and the buttonhole quality can't be easily evaluated when purchasing a machine, which is probably why this is now the standard way of making buttonholes domestically.
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Comment on Professional writer endorses short story written by OpenAI's new creative writing model in ~books
Lia (edited )Link ParentIt's provoking thought because it's a milestone in AI creative writing, not because of the artistic value of the story itself. Sure, we could get into an debate about whether or not that qualifies...It's provoking thought because it's a milestone in AI creative writing, not because of the artistic value of the story itself.
Sure, we could get into an debate about whether or not that qualifies as concept art or some such, but frankly, I'm not here for that.
(Edit: missing word)
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Comment on Professional writer endorses short story written by OpenAI's new creative writing model in ~books
Lia (edited )Link ParentTo me reading it felt similarly off-putting as visiting some stock image site and seeing a stream of flat, fake depictions of every mundane phenomenon imaginable - all carefully stripped of any...To me reading it felt similarly off-putting as visiting some stock image site and seeing a stream of flat, fake depictions of every mundane phenomenon imaginable - all carefully stripped of any signs of real human life and imperfections. (Note that those sites have been like that long before AI became a thing.) Every time I have to visit one, it's an unsettling experience and brings to mind David Lynch's depictions of the cliché, two-dimensional people of Hollywood in Mulholland Dr.
This text quite literally describes some of the images found on those sites (I don't want to read it a second time, but one example I remember is a mention of a green sweater, the way it was mentioned and the things it came bundled with). I feared that at some point it'll get to the level of: In her living room she had a framed print that said 'Live, Laugh, Love', or something equivalent. Granted, it didn't get as bad as that, but not much better either.
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Comment on Professional writer endorses short story written by OpenAI's new creative writing model in ~books
Lia Link ParentI must confess that I, too, skipped over about 40% of it. (Edit: I'm also morbidly curious about what eight comments have been removed from below yours! I'm not yet familiar with the moderating...I must confess that I, too, skipped over about 40% of it.
(Edit: I'm also morbidly curious about what eight comments have been removed from below yours! I'm not yet familiar with the moderating policies of Tildes and I'm not around frequently enough to catch the offending content in time.)
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Comment on Professional writer endorses short story written by OpenAI's new creative writing model in ~books
Lia Link ParentThanks for bringing up her work. That title does seem interesting.Thanks for bringing up her work. That title does seem interesting.
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Comment on Professional writer endorses short story written by OpenAI's new creative writing model in ~books
Lia (edited )Link ParentAre you quite sure you'd like to stand behind this statement? Absolutely nothing, you say? (In your defence, this is a quite common quip from people with only passing interest in art.) To me, art...Art is nothing if not subjective.
Are you quite sure you'd like to stand behind this statement? Absolutely nothing, you say? (In your defence, this is a quite common quip from people with only passing interest in art.)
To me, art is either nourishing for the soul or thought-provoking / transgressive, or in the best case, both. Content that merely provides an escape is called entertainment. Where the line should be drawn is up for debate, of course, but I would caution against trying to draw it if you haven't given it some serious thought and aren't regularly revisiting your reasoning. As an analogy, there are foods that taste delicious and create an addiction but in the end are bad for your health. Essentially, foods that are not nourishing even if they may seem so to the untrained palate.
Once you become more mindful of what you consume, you will be able to tell the difference in taste, but some people never get there. The consequence is a notable, nation-wide deterioration of human health - physical health when it comes to food and emotional/social health when it comes to art. Both developments worry me.
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Comment on Professional writer endorses short story written by OpenAI's new creative writing model in ~books
Lia LinkFor quick reference: a link to the story itself. I myself am not a professional writer, but I am a somewhat demanding reader of fiction and an artist in a different field. I found this story...For quick reference: a link to the story itself.
I myself am not a professional writer, but I am a somewhat demanding reader of fiction and an artist in a different field.
I found this story upsetting in the way it conjured up visual cliches on my mental stage. I've long been bothered by such cliches, especially when consuming audiovisual entertainment produced in America, and I am expecting this to only ramp up now that generative AI is being employed at multiple stages of production. It's another way for content producers to produce more for less - higher quantity for less funding, that is - but with that comes a dilution of quality that so far doesn't seem to bother mass audiences. I've been asking myself how far this erosion can advance before the tide turns.
This is the first time, if my memory serves, that I've felt harassed by similar visual clichés when consuming written content. This could simply be because I'm not an avid enough reader, especially of English language content. Despite the fact that it doesn't register as a piece of art to me, the text is clearly a step forward in AI-generated fiction writing. I can understand how people at OpenAI would evaluate the artistic merit of this piece the way a proud parent evaluates whatever new skill his child recently picked up - with inevitable positive bias. What's harder to understand is why a professional author would end up endorsing it.
I'm not familiar with Jeanette Winterson but I hear she is considered to have some credibility as an author. It doesn't seem to add up for someone like that to call this piece "beautiful and moving". I'm left to wonder whether she may have been paid more than her normal fee to ensure a positive take. What do my fellow Tildeans think?
Side note: I am decidedly not discussing any of the points Winterson makes in the article because that would distract my mind from looking at the core message: whether or not this qualifies as art.
Trump on a microphone, talking about sending "homegrown" US criminals to El Salvador and how they need to build more facilities - people laughing in the background:
https://bsky.app/profile/pbump.com/post/3lmryeyuj6s2v