OBLIVIATER's recent activity
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Comment on Via, Waymo team up to bring robotaxis to public transit systems in ~transport
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Comment on Via, Waymo team up to bring robotaxis to public transit systems in ~transport
OBLIVIATER Link Parent$2 dollars is far below commodity price, it probably doesn't even cover the cost of the wear and tear on the vehicle and it's battery, let alone the dozens of other costs associated with running...$2 dollars is far below commodity price, it probably doesn't even cover the cost of the wear and tear on the vehicle and it's battery, let alone the dozens of other costs associated with running this project. This is basically free.
You can't even ride on a train for 2 dollars these days, let alone order a private car to drive you somewhere
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Comment on Via, Waymo team up to bring robotaxis to public transit systems in ~transport
OBLIVIATER Link ParentThe cars themselves aren't free, they're incredibly expensive. The very very very highly paid team of engineers that are constantly monitoring, adjusting, and fixing the software running on these...The cars themselves aren't free, they're incredibly expensive. The very very very highly paid team of engineers that are constantly monitoring, adjusting, and fixing the software running on these cars are incredibly expensive. The lawyers and salespeople that are responsible for making this whole deal happen in the first place are incredibly expensive. The server costs required to facilitate fleets like this are incredibly expensive.
Nothing about this is cheap for Waymo, they're subsidizing it incredibly heavily and probably losing a ton of money on every single ride; but of course those are RnD costs so it doesn't really count.
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Comment on Via, Waymo team up to bring robotaxis to public transit systems in ~transport
OBLIVIATER Link ParentWow, $2 a ride is basically free... I can't imagine that's remotely sustainable even with huge kickbacks from the government. Wonder how long they're going to keep this going before they have to...Wow, $2 a ride is basically free... I can't imagine that's remotely sustainable even with huge kickbacks from the government. Wonder how long they're going to keep this going before they have to jack up the prices
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Comment on Fossil fuel decline, though still nascent, is already hitting countries leading the electric vehicle boom like China and Norway in ~enviro
OBLIVIATER LinkThank god, we need some good news for once. I've been hoping, praying, and wishing on a star that the green energy revolution would pan out and we'd actually have a chance of getting our...Thank god, we need some good news for once. I've been hoping, praying, and wishing on a star that the green energy revolution would pan out and we'd actually have a chance of getting our dependence on fossil fuels down; this seems like it could be one of the 1st meaningful landmarks on that journey.
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Comment on Waymo has received their permit to operate at San Francisco International Airport in ~transport
OBLIVIATER (edited )Link ParentSure, you definitely could do that, but I want to think about what that might actually entail: You arrive at the airport after a long flight, you're mentally and physically tired (probably doesn't...Sure, you definitely could do that, but I want to think about what that might actually entail:
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You arrive at the airport after a long flight, you're mentally and physically tired (probably doesn't apply to a lot of people, but I definitely am like this after being on a plane for 5+ hours, especially if you had 1 or more connections)
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You need to go to baggage claim to get your luggage, let's say you brought 2 full sized suitcases, a purse/satchel, and a garment bag. (I personally don't bring a lot of luggage, but this seems to be representative of a lot of folks I know, especially if you're staying for more than a few days for a business trip or a wedding.) I'm not intimately familiar with SFO but at most airports this means a decent amount of walking dragging around your carry on. Once you get your luggage from bag claim, you need to get to a BART station, this means you have to haul your full luggage load to the nearest Air train station and catch that to the BART station. After that you need to transfer from the Air Train to the BART train, and if its crowded it'll be a hassle to bring your multiple bags on and off the train. (Some people may actually struggle to lift their luggage, this could be problematic if you have multiple heavy bags.)
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The BART train only has 2 lines at SFO so you may even have to make transfer to another line to get to Oakland, which can be stressful if your not familiar with the train lines, I've definitely missed a transfer before because of this (could add up to 20 minutes to your ride.) Once you arrive at your station, you have to order an Uber/Lyft to come pick you up at the station, this could be another 20+ minute wait depending on what tier of car you order and how busy it is. You then have to pick up your luggage and put it in the trunk or the back seat (sometimes the driver will help you with this, but not always)
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You then can drive to your final destination, get your luggage out again, and finally be able to go to your hotel/airbnb/etc. This whole thing probably took north of 1-2 hours and a lot of walking around with heavy luggage. You probably spent something like $15~ for the BART ticket and another 15-20 bucks for the Uber depending on how much you tip.
Ok so obviously that's not terrible, but its also not great and can be a pretty miserable experience for someone who is already stressed out by travel. If you're physically not very strong it could also be pretty exhausting for you as well, walking a long distance while carrying bags.
Now here's the alternative (let's assume Waymo is allowed to pick you up directly from the airport in this hypothetical, much like Uber/Lyft):
You go through steps 1 and 2, getting your luggage out of baggage claim. You make your way from baggage claim to the nearest rideshare pickup location (this may or may not require you to get on the Airtrain) You get into a waiting Waymo car with your luggage, you direct it to your destination, you sit in the car on your phone for 30-60 minutes. You then exit the car, grab your luggage, and you're at your destination. Estimated fare price right now for Waymo is between 40-65 bucks for a 10-25 mile drive through the city.
You probably saved over an hour of time and a lot of walking/hauling your luggage for maybe 20-30 dollars in savings? That may be worth it to some people, but for a lot of people (especially those who are arriving at SF) it probably very much isn't worth it.
(Disclaimer: I've only flown into SF once so my experience is very limited, I'm basing this mostly off my experience traveling to cities like LA and Boston which have similar train networks that I've used before. If I'm wildly off my estimations feel free to correct me, its mostly just a thought exercise on why taking BART may not be that good of an experience for someone with a lot of luggage.)
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Comment on AI content warning label in ~creative
OBLIVIATER Link ParentThere's actually been a lot of effort put into creating tools that can detect AI generated content but it seems to not be going very well. Everything I've seen so far has a huge problem with false...There's actually been a lot of effort put into creating tools that can detect AI generated content but it seems to not be going very well. Everything I've seen so far has a huge problem with false positives, I doubt it's really ever going to be a completely solvable problem.
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Comment on AI content warning label in ~creative
OBLIVIATER Link ParentThis sounds like a frustrating experience, but I don't know how an AI disclosure would help in this situation. If someone is going to be dishonest enough to copycat another musician with generated...This sounds like a frustrating experience, but I don't know how an AI disclosure would help in this situation. If someone is going to be dishonest enough to copycat another musician with generated songs and thumbnails, why would they not just lie about if they used AI or not? It kinda relies on the creator of the art to be honest, which doesn't seem to be a strong suit for anyone abusing AI to make an easy buck.
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Comment on Waymo has received their permit to operate at San Francisco International Airport in ~transport
OBLIVIATER Link ParentIf your destination isn't close to a station I can't imagine its fun to haul a bunch of luggage on the train, then off the train, then into an uber to get there. I usually pack light, but I know...If your destination isn't close to a station I can't imagine its fun to haul a bunch of luggage on the train, then off the train, then into an uber to get there. I usually pack light, but I know lots of people who bring 2-3 suitcases plus extra bags with them when they travel, and they certainly aren't going to do all that.
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Comment on Waymo has received their permit to operate at San Francisco International Airport in ~transport
OBLIVIATER Link ParentProbably just a 1st step to make sure there's nothing terrible is going to happen. Plus I imagine Uber/Lyft lobby pretty hard to keep Waymo out of their turf.Probably just a 1st step to make sure there's nothing terrible is going to happen. Plus I imagine Uber/Lyft lobby pretty hard to keep Waymo out of their turf.
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Comment on Is Tildes protected from malicious actors, aka paid trolls, aka bots? in ~tildes
OBLIVIATER Link ParentI'm so lucky AI doesn't over-use parentheses and semicolons or everyone would think I'm AI tooI'm so lucky AI doesn't over-use parentheses and semicolons or everyone would think I'm AI too
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Comment on Should I take a job to work on something I don’t believe in? in ~life
OBLIVIATER Link ParentInterviewing just sucks in general, especially in tech. They always want way more interviews than are required. That being said, in today's market it's far better to have a job already and be...Interviewing just sucks in general, especially in tech. They always want way more interviews than are required. That being said, in today's market it's far better to have a job already and be interviewing vs the alternative of not having a job and watching your savings get drained as every company slow rolls you into finally saying "sorry we went with another candidate." Although it sounds like your skills may be in enough of a demand where that isn't really an issue for you. It's a pretty miserable experience that makes you feel like you have to take anything that comes on the table despite it being a downgrade.
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Comment on Should I take a job to work on something I don’t believe in? in ~life
OBLIVIATER LinkJob is a job, unless its making you miserable I say go for it. Very few people are lucky enough to work on something they're passionate about, and they get through life just fine. You just need to...Job is a job, unless its making you miserable I say go for it. Very few people are lucky enough to work on something they're passionate about, and they get through life just fine. You just need to fulfill yourself with other things like hobbies, friends, family, etc. I think there's very little chance that this new offer will be a downgrade considering what you've said in your post, so there's really nowhere to go but up.
And hey, if things don't work out, at least you won't be completely miserable while looking for another job right? It takes a lot of pressure off things when you can passively look for work while you already have a job vs feeling pressured to take another job because things are miserable where you are now (basically the situation you're already in)
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Comment on Investment club? in ~finance
OBLIVIATER Link ParentProbably the best strategy out there anyway haha, everything else just feels like gambling in today's incredibly irrational market.Probably the best strategy out there anyway haha, everything else just feels like gambling in today's incredibly irrational market.
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Comment on Vimeo enters into definitive agreement to be acquired by Bending Spoons for $1.38 billion in ~tech
OBLIVIATER Link ParentIt is not a good time to work in tech (or work at all tbh, shits been pretty grim for a while now)It is not a good time to work in tech (or work at all tbh, shits been pretty grim for a while now)
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Comment on Vimeo enters into definitive agreement to be acquired by Bending Spoons for $1.38 billion in ~tech
OBLIVIATER Link ParentGetting acquired is terrible for employees who have to work there, it's good for people with equity if they don't value their job that much. My company acquired 4 other companies during Covid...Getting acquired is terrible for employees who have to work there, it's good for people with equity if they don't value their job that much.
My company acquired 4 other companies during Covid boom, totalling around 600 extra employees. 500 of those people no longer work at the company, almost all from layoffs.
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Comment on Reddit announces new limits on moderating large subreddits and for moderators to remove content sitewide in ~tech
OBLIVIATER Link ParentNot only is everything an ad/bot account, it's all constantly reminding me how fucked up American politics are too. Legitimately every major sub is just constant trump trump trump or bot reposts...Not only is everything an ad/bot account, it's all constantly reminding me how fucked up American politics are too. Legitimately every major sub is just constant trump trump trump or bot reposts of someone's cat that probably died 15 years ago, it's unusable.
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Comment on Reddit announces new limits on moderating large subreddits and for moderators to remove content sitewide in ~tech
OBLIVIATER Link ParentYeah they had the limit at 1 for any sub with over 1 million visitors for a few months when they first announced this to the mods, they upped to 5. I think that's a perfectly fine limit now.Yeah they had the limit at 1 for any sub with over 1 million visitors for a few months when they first announced this to the mods, they upped to 5. I think that's a perfectly fine limit now.
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Comment on Reddit announces new limits on moderating large subreddits and for moderators to remove content sitewide in ~tech
OBLIVIATER (edited )Link ParentI used to kinda be a "power mod" not to the level of any of the big ones, but still a few defaults. I like this limit idea but it's a little low. Should be like 3~ big subs, not just one. Other...I used to kinda be a "power mod" not to the level of any of the big ones, but still a few defaults. I like this limit idea but it's a little low. Should be like 3~ big subs, not just one. Other than that it's a good idea.
Edit: oh they changed it since I last read about this. It's now a limit of 5, that's perfectly fine IMO
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
OBLIVIATER Link ParentSilksong story progression spoiler (no details, just a structural thing) Click to expand spoiler. Yeah if you haven't gotten to Act 3 you're missing out on the most amazing part of the game, it's...Silksong story progression spoiler (no details, just a structural thing)
Click to expand spoiler.
Yeah if you haven't gotten to Act 3 you're missing out on the most amazing part of the game, it's really really really good. I'm not talking about like side quests and stuff either, it's main story stuff.
For a regular EV, or for an EV with a significant amount of expensive prototype technology strapped to it?