LukeZaz's recent activity

  1. Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of June 15 in ~society

    LukeZaz
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I look at this article and it reminds me very much of the way Trump supporters view the world: The most important thing is what "looks strong." Might makes right, and as such you do negotiations...

    I look at this article and it reminds me very much of the way Trump supporters view the world: The most important thing is what "looks strong." Might makes right, and as such you do negotiations best by spitting on people.

    In case it's not obvious, I really don't like this worldview, and as such I don't really care for this article either. Does it make America look weak? Yeah, probably, to some people. But I think we should strive to care about more important things than "which party showed up first" or "did they shake hands." When people treat those as vital, they make internationally important decisions based centrally around theatrics. That's insane.

    I don't care that J.D. Vance showed up early to a meeting with someone who refused a handshake, and I will never browbeat someone for trying to end a war just because they were clumsy about it.1 I will, however, care about the fact that he was a large part of why it started to begin with, because that is worth caring about.

    1. Insofar as he can be given any credit for "trying to end a war," that is. It's pretty clear that Iran is pressuring the U.S. to end war in Lebanon too, and I rather doubt the current admin would care if they weren't being forced to.

    7 votes

  2. Comment on The global fertility crisis is worse than you think in ~society

    LukeZaz
    Link Parent
    I'll grant that there are certainly challenges to population shrinkage that would need to be tackled, but I think it's worth noting that those can be tackled without necessarily increasing...

    I'll grant that there are certainly challenges to population shrinkage that would need to be tackled, but I think it's worth noting that those can be tackled without necessarily increasing birthrate. Our current world may rely upon ever-increasing population counts, but there's no good reason it needs to.

    And as a followup to that, I suspect a fair chunk of the concern about this can be traced back to wealthy groups that rely upon exploited labor to make money, and who do not want the labor market to be a seller's market. Personally, I'm not worried, and I think most places have got bigger fish to fry.

    20 votes

  3. Comment on Cuba’s Communist Party approves opening economy in unprecedented move in ~society

    LukeZaz
    Link Parent
    This is convincing to me. I hadn't considered this an option, and I have my doubts it'll occur due to all the immense pressure, but it's still possible and so it gives me hope that looting may not...

    This is convincing to me. I hadn't considered this an option, and I have my doubts it'll occur due to all the immense pressure, but it's still possible and so it gives me hope that looting may not occur. Thank you.

    2 votes

  4. Comment on Cuba’s Communist Party approves opening economy in unprecedented move in ~society

    LukeZaz
    Link Parent
    I am too, being as I live in a failing capitalist state currently on its way to fascism. From my perspective, the same is true of capitalism. Well, mostly. If I'm honest about this, I don't think...

    I guess I'm biased, living in a post-communist country, but in my opinion the reason is clearly "because a variation of this is what always happens".

    I am too, being as I live in a failing capitalist state currently on its way to fascism. From my perspective, the same is true of capitalism.

    Well, mostly. If I'm honest about this, I don't think "always" or even "mostly always" is true for either system. Each has its version that works better and its version that works worse, in my mind, and I also wonder if the failures are so similar due to each model orbiting a superpower – the U.S. for capitalism, the USSR for communism – and thus propagating those countries' ills. If the brain starts failing, so do the organs.

    But I don't want to dwell on it too much. I suspect we've both got very different views due to where and how we grew up, and I'd rather us not accidentally press each others' sore points.

    I agree. Now imagine what they could do if they didn't live under an evil, oppressive, corrupt and inefficient system.

    For what it's worth, a system can be corrupt and still have parts that work great. Changing the system doesn't necessarily mean making the good parts better. For a capitalist example, I'd say that the U.S. is broadly awful, but the National Transportation Safety Board is fantastic.

    6 votes

  5. Comment on Cuba’s Communist Party approves opening economy in unprecedented move in ~society

    LukeZaz
    Link
    I am scared of this. I've seen what "private real estate development" and privatization do, and they're not pretty. For all of the likely faults of Cuba's politics, there's a lot of places where...

    I am scared of this. I've seen what "private real estate development" and privatization do, and they're not pretty. For all of the likely faults of Cuba's politics, there's a lot of places where this could make everything worse. Housing being restricted for the sake of profit, banks extracting wealth, worsening of medical care... I suspect ecological damage is most likely of all though, as I've heard Cuba has done quite well on that front, but I don't think private equity would give a shit.

    Double this all for the fact that this is almost certainly due to the massive pressure that the fuel crisis has caused. This means that "opening up" the economy could end up meaning something similar to Venezuela — that is to say, looting. It'd be U.S. companies getting sold first dibs and creating local monopolies with reckless abandon because they'd be backed by the U.S. government, which wouldn't care about the consequences for the local population when run by Democrats, much less Republicans who literally want to annex the place. Then we add on the fact that this was done with absolutely no promise of the fuel blockade ending, and just... eugh.

    I can't be certain what of this will happen or won't, though, as while I am certain that privatization is a broadly terrible policy, I don't have much information on exactly where the Cuban government might already be fucking up; The United States wanting Cuba to fail for so long makes it hard to trust criticism of the latter, especially with Republicans poisoning the well. So for all I know housing is already extremely terrible and couldn't get much worse.

    Even so, I worry. Things would have to be very, very bad for privatization to be a better option.

    11 votes

  6. Comment on Cuba’s Communist Party approves opening economy in unprecedented move in ~society

    LukeZaz
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I feel like this gives little consideration to the circumstances Cuba has been under nationally since the Soviet Union fell apart. I don't know why folks seem eager to blame communism whenever...

    I feel like this gives little consideration to the circumstances Cuba has been under nationally since the Soviet Union fell apart.

    I don't know why folks seem eager to blame communism whenever Cuba's economic issues come up, considering the U.S. has had the country in a veritable headlock for decades. I may not exactly be eager to proclaim that Cuba's government is good, but this still feels deeply unfair. I don't see anyone blaming Cuba for its current fuel crisis, so how is this justified?

    Frankly, I consider the ecological and medical wins that Cuba has managed to be damn impressive, considering the situation they've been stuck in.

    Maybe it's just the way Cuba was structured, but we saw more corruption day to day than we'd ever seen in our lifetime.

    Could you elaborate on this? I have difficulty telling if I should believe accusations of corruption with regard to Cuba due to it being hard to differentiate between legitimate and propaganda-backed criticisms, so it'd be nice to hear from someone who has been there.

    20 votes

  7. Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of June 15 in ~society

    LukeZaz
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    This isn't mentioned in part because the study wasn't about that and doesn't answer it as a result. The article does talk about skill loss from other technologies, however: Personally, I do care...

    but doesnt talk about whether the AI had a positive impact when it was available

    This isn't mentioned in part because the study wasn't about that and doesn't answer it as a result. The article does talk about skill loss from other technologies, however:

    Other technologies have made particular skills obsolete in the past, notes Tapani Rinta-Kahila, an information-systems researcher at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. For example, GPS navigation systems have eroded people’s navigation skills. Generative AI tools, however, are “the first technology that automates various cognitive faculties around thinking and interpretation, which were long considered unique human skills”.

    Personally, I do care about this. Neural nets still have problems in them that real doctors do not, and that's assuming we're using those rather than just throwing ChatGPT or Claude at it like a moron. Racial bias becomes more systemic, for example. So the best way to use them when they work is to do so as a backup option1 — but if the doctors trust it to do the work, then we're offloading, resulting in deskilling. Supervising doesn't work when that happens because if the doctor's ability to detect polyps independently is atrophying from this, then so too is their ability to supervise. This can very easily make the neural net a worse option.

    (As automation does, this also runs the risk of rendering even more jobs as "unnecessary," which is both reckless in its current speed and also generally dangerous in a world that demands labor for survival.)

    I'm a bit of a luddite

    Good! Worker's rights are important, and that's what Luddites were often about.

    1. For example, I think the best way might be to have it operate in the background, as easy to ignore as possible, and it only shows up if it detects something when the doctor didn't. Any other outcome results in no message at all, to prevent reliance on the tech.

    Edit: Rephrased second paragraph to clarify that I don't think supervisory use works.

    5 votes

  8. Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of June 8 in ~society

    LukeZaz
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I'm very tired right now so I could be misreading, but this makes me feel you might be downplaying the fact that Platner had a Totenkopf tattoo? Much as I often hold my nose when time comes, I...

    pragmatism vs purity tests on the left,

    the media's obsession with gossip and scandal over policy,

    I'm very tired right now so I could be misreading, but this makes me feel you might be downplaying the fact that Platner had a Totenkopf tattoo?

    Much as I often hold my nose when time comes, I would not be able to vote for someone who has done that, regardless of how bad the opposition was. That's Nazi shit. There is no "lesser of two evils" voting when that's where the bar is.

    1 vote

  9. Comment on Proton sponsors far-right French YouTuber, claims lack of awareness in response to backlash in ~society

    LukeZaz
    Link
    Welp. I'm not sure I want to switch just yet, but this second strike of three is a damn bad omen so might as well get the conversation started: Someone's already mentioned VPN alternatives, but...

    Welp. I'm not sure I want to switch just yet, but this second strike of three is a damn bad omen so might as well get the conversation started:

    Someone's already mentioned VPN alternatives, but does anyone have any suggestions for trustworthy alternatives for email? I'd suggest some but I only know a name or two and I haven't had time to vet them any.

    4 votes

  10. Comment on GOG apologies for emailing Nazi runes to its followers in ~games

    LukeZaz
    Link
    From the article: This article does a good job at pointing out how egregious this is, as GOG's response on Twitter (CW: Replies have actual Nazis in them) absolutely doesn't fully address this. I...

    From the article:

    GOG has apologized for a "Slavic adventure" newsletter sent out today that featured a number of very distinct Nazi runes in its subject line.

    To be clear, this is not a misunderstanding, or images that look kind of alike, or a misinterpretation of an ambiguous situation: That's a Sonnenrad, a kolovrat, and the extremely unmistakable double Siegrune of the SS—quite possibly second only to the swastika as the most distinctive emblem of the Nazi regime.

    This article does a good job at pointing out how egregious this is, as GOG's response on Twitter (CW: Replies have actual Nazis in them) absolutely doesn't fully address this. I can't imagine any method of displaying these symbols in this order would look like anything else. An earlier response on Reddit makes things look even worse to me:

    What was displayed in several devices as doppelrune is out of our control. ᛋ was displayed as ϟ on several devices (might display for you differently here as well just letting you know). We should pay more attention to checking it on a different systems and devices. I also recognize that placing two such runes next to each other could create an unfortunate association with symbols used by the Nazi regime. This was noticed before distribution, and out of respect for local sensitivities, the material was not sent to the German community.

    Emphasis mine. They saw the problem before distribution, and chose to let it fly anyways, taking only the steps necessary to avoid literally breaking German law.

    52 votes

  12. Comment on Satisfactory | 1.2 launch trailer in ~games

    LukeZaz
    Link Parent
    I get what you're saying, but I think that's probably a case of the barrier being a lazy one. A good challenge is interesting to face and rewarding to overcome; by contrast, something simple and...

    I get what you're saying, but I think that's probably a case of the barrier being a lazy one. A good challenge is interesting to face and rewarding to overcome; by contrast, something simple and boring ("arbitrary rocks") doesn't give either. Often, it's just a weirdly-indestructible door with a weirdly-overcomplicated lock, and it ends up feeling exactly as stupid as it is.

    When considering we're talking about features that were only present in old Early Access versions, I think it's safe to say what used to be there wasn't exactly well-designed or thoroughly finished. Were it to have gotten actually fleshed-out, I suspect it'd have been much more engaging. This all said, scope creep is absolutely a valid reason to drop this feature, especially considering how long Satisfactory's development had been.

  13. Comment on Satisfactory | 1.2 launch trailer in ~games

    LukeZaz
    Link Parent
    I think this is less a case of people not caring and just wanting to build, and more a case of "If you put in an easy way to bypass a challenge, people will take it." Gamers will optimize the fun...

    Turns out that most people "just want to build man" so the whole seriousness of biomes was mostly dropped.

    I think this is less a case of people not caring and just wanting to build, and more a case of "If you put in an easy way to bypass a challenge, people will take it." Gamers will optimize the fun out of games, after all; that's why accidentally creating challenge skips is usually a mistake.

    6 votes

  14. Comment on Serious relationship problem, seeking advice in ~life

    LukeZaz
    Link Parent
    Blunt honesty: This is one of a handful of comments in this thread I would recommend OP not follow. I know you mean well, but intentionally or otherwise you've implied that a no-conversation...
    • Exemplary

    Blunt honesty: This is one of a handful of comments in this thread I would recommend OP not follow. I know you mean well, but intentionally or otherwise you've implied that a no-conversation move-out-now answer is a good first resort when it would be more accurately described as "burning bridges," made worse by advising that OP keep eternal secrets. Again, no ill will to you, but this just isn't good advice, and I'm flummoxed as to how it got the vote count it did.

    @TossAway111, you've been given a lot of very good advice in this thread, but it's not the comment above. There's a smorgasbord of wonderful comments to pick from, as I'm sure you've seen given how closely you've clearly been reading the thread, but just to echo some of them:

    • jambo's comment puts forth questions to further understanding and posits a possible source for the issue. When they suggest answers, they do so in a way that respects nuance and differences between people.
    • R3qn64's comment does similar, but crucially, puts off any advice before the question is answered, which is seriously important with issues this complex.
    • DynamoSunshirt is also asking questions – you might be seeing a pattern here – and when they provide advice, they recommend options that rely on shared trust and respect.
    • DefinitelyNotAFae's posts throughout the thread have all been good, level-headed and understanding: [1], [2], [3]
    • MimicSquid talks about very similar circumstances they've dealt with in the past, which is doubtless useful for you in both understanding and in knowing you're not the first to have this problem.
    • Drewbahr has a long post that both gives great advice and precedes it with some important reminders about the available context that we have, and the background they're coming in with. It is an excellent post that deserves the exemplary it got, and I'd honestly recommend everyone read it.
    • Last but not least, Carrow's comment is the best one here in my mind, by a country mile. I trust you've already taken this one to heart, but the level of sympathy and consideration given to all parties plus the relative understanding of the problem puts this one slightly above even Drewbahr's post.

    The only thing I could possibly add to this thread that hasn't already been said is this: If you've avoided therapy due to possible time constraints, please remember that even one or two sessions can help you find a solution. If you can afford that much, it's worth trying.

    21 votes

  15. Comment on Patagonia sues drag queen Pattie Gonia for trademark infringement in ~lgbt

    LukeZaz
    Link Parent
    Really? Rewriting my own joke to be funnier, right in front of my crab rangoons? Why, I oughta sue you for a dollar, plus legal fees!

    Really? Rewriting my own joke to be funnier, right in front of my crab rangoons? Why, I oughta sue you for a dollar, plus legal fees!

    15 votes

  16. Comment on Patagonia sues drag queen Pattie Gonia for trademark infringement in ~lgbt

    LukeZaz
    Link Parent
    Much as the suit is justified, I can't help but laugh a bit when it comes to stuff like this: Reads like such a tongue twister. "How much Patagonia would Pattie Gonia gonia if Pattie Gonia could...

    Much as the suit is justified, I can't help but laugh a bit when it comes to stuff like this:

    In early 2025, after seeing Pattie Gonia selling PATTIE GONIA-branded apparel on Pattie Gonia’s pattiegoniamerch.com website, Patagonia again asked that Defendants stop commercial use of the PATTIE GONIA name

    Reads like such a tongue twister. "How much Patagonia would Pattie Gonia gonia if Pattie Gonia could Patagonia?"

    15 votes

  17. Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of May 25 in ~society

    LukeZaz
    (edited )
    Link
    Can't find any good articles on it right now, but a video's been posted that shows a protester at Delaney Hall getting their leg run over and broken by an 18-wheeler after ICE shoved them against...

    Can't find any good articles on it right now, but a video's been posted that shows a protester at Delaney Hall getting their leg run over and broken by an 18-wheeler after ICE shoved them against the vehicle while it was moving. I'm linking directly since it's not a very graphic video (you can barely see the leg at all), but nevertheless, viewer discretion and all that: https://bsky.app/profile/marisakabas.bsky.social/post/3mmv6laq3j22h

    For some context, Delaney Hall is the camp where a hunger strike is ongoing inside to protest inhumane conditions. The former protest was started in solidarity after ICE began to move the leaders of the hunger strike to other locations.

    Personally, I'm most disturbed by the fact that the protester being attacked hasn't gotten any news coverage that I can tell. I expect ICE to be brutal, but I'd hoped it'd at least not get ignored.
    Edited to clarify last paragraph, as Delaney Hall's hunger strike has in fact received media attention

    7 votes

  18. Comment on Corporations can vote in some Delaware elections, judge says in ~society

    LukeZaz
    Link Parent
    When it comes to absurd voter manipulation like this, it only needs to work once, and suddenly someone owns the whole town.

    When it comes to absurd voter manipulation like this, it only needs to work once, and suddenly someone owns the whole town.

    2 votes

  19. Comment on The Enhanced Games are Sunday. Here's what to know about the controversial event. in ~sports

    LukeZaz
    Link Parent
    It being philosophy, there's never a correct answer, and rarely ever an easy one, but I'd like to think that "Society should not require you to die early to have nice things" is still a good...

    It being philosophy, there's never a correct answer, and rarely ever an easy one, but I'd like to think that "Society should not require you to die early to have nice things" is still a good approximate goal to be aimed for. It applies just as well to manual labor as it does to competitive sports, and I'd say that these drug games take us farther from it.

    Of course, it being philosophy, I should head off the obvious counter of "What's 'early'? What're 'nice things'?" These are valid questions because my "goal" is still vague. But no real good is likely to come from me defining everything that rigorously; language is always going to be reductive, and I'm just trying for "good enough to fill in the blanks with personal values." Consider those questions to be left as tasks for the reader.

    2 votes

  20. Comment on The Enhanced Games are Sunday. Here's what to know about the controversial event. in ~sports

    LukeZaz
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I think your first point has a lot of issues. First, it's assuming that a kid who's naive about ordinary sports wouldn't also be just as naive about drug games too. Second, I think saying it's...

    I think your first point has a lot of issues. First, it's assuming that a kid who's naive about ordinary sports wouldn't also be just as naive about drug games too. Second, I think saying it's "impossible to catch up" is unfair given that this event has already had several athletes win who never used drugs to begin with. And most importantly for third, if it's kids you're worried about, I'd think the "advertising drugs to children" part might be more important? Because for any kids watching it, this event is functionally doing that.

    As for your second point, yeah, that's more salient, but I think there are way better ways to handle openness for the sake of health. If someone's the kinda person to have a drug problem, it's best they get rehab without also being deliberately encouraged to keep using by a sport. Put another way: It'd be better to have a safe space to come clean without that space also telling them that it might give them a trophy if they dope some more.