TonesTones's recent activity
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Comment on Be careful about what you want (gifted link) in ~life
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Comment on Tildes Book Club discussion - August 2026 - Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki in ~books
TonesTones Link ParentI really appreciated how the story acknowledges those topics, and the real hardships that the protagonist has been through, but doesn’t let the past events dominate the story. Katrina does show...I really appreciated how the story acknowledges those topics, and the real hardships that the protagonist has been through, but doesn’t let the past events dominate the story. Katrina does show symptoms of her trauma, and that evoked sadness and shock for me. Still, she shows strength by not dwelling on that trauma as she moves forward. It’s a healthy relationship to have with a difficult past.
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Comment on EU packaging regulations land another blow to an already precarious tabletop industry in ~games.tabletop
TonesTones LinkI don’t think this policy is that poorly thought out? Seems like people agree that universal packaging is beneficial for everyone involved. Naturally, countries also want to retain their right to...I don’t think this policy is that poorly thought out? Seems like people agree that universal packaging is beneficial for everyone involved. Naturally, countries also want to retain their right to have their own laws around importing goods.
Therefore, this law puts the standard forward and establishes it. Then, while there’s initial pullback from vendors, that pullback will incentivize countries to make their individual requirements quite close to the EUs. There’s economic pressure without being forceful. If there are legitimate reasons for countries to impose more stringent requirements, they still can.
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Comment on How to find a new calling in life? in ~life
TonesTones Link ParentIn my experience, how important the people vs. task of a job depends on the person. I’m fully on board with your perspective, where the people are far more important than the job (and it...I'm in the minority on this opinion
In my experience, how important the people vs. task of a job depends on the person. I’m fully on board with your perspective, where the people are far more important than the job (and it definitely applies to my life).
However, I’ve also met people that seem like could work anywhere so long as they were doing what they loved. That being said, those people usually know what they love pretty quickly.
For @Sheep,
it still all feels very nebulous, like nothing fully clicks.
The less you feel confident about the “what”, the more I’d advise focusing on the “who”. So I’m going to underscore that advice.
If you take that approach, the next step can really suck. You have to talk to people. There’s no world in which you find the people you click with by online research or independent study or anything else.
Every career counseling book I’ve read gets around at some point to the “informational interview” or the “conversation”. For someone with anxiety around meeting new people, it’s so hard, but I haven’t found an alternative. Go talk to software engineers or robotics engineers about their workday. You might need to reach out coldly to people on social media. Find conferences you can attend (once you are a student, they often start to be more budget-friendly). Use your existing network of people to find friends-of-friends.
You can also just go back to school to try and meet people, but (for you) the success of that approach depends strongly on whether your program caters to adult students or not. I think the intentional approach would be more fruitful.
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Comment on What theme do you use with Tildes? in ~tildes
TonesTones Link ParentLove light for me as well, but because I am a huge fan of purple! My phone background is black-and-white and I use Apple’s icon customization to make all my apps transparent with a purple tint as...Love light for me as well, but because I am a huge fan of purple! My phone background is black-and-white and I use Apple’s icon customization to make all my apps transparent with a purple tint as well. It makes Tildes feel like a continuation of my home screen.
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Comment on Jet Lag Season 19: Japanorama | Trailer in ~hobbies
TonesTones (edited )Link ParentFeels like Tom and Adam are dialed into being quite competitive this season. I prefer watching Ben and Sam, at least right now. This show is at its best when it’s a mix of appreciating the...Feels like Tom and Adam are dialed into being quite competitive this season. I prefer watching Ben and Sam, at least right now. This show is at its best when it’s a mix of appreciating the experiences and engaging with the game. I guess the race does change the dynamics, though.
Edit with Spoilers
Oh no, I just got to the Medical Production Pause! That’s tragic; I feel quite bad that Tom was pushing himself so. I’m hoping that their adventures are a bit more relaxed here on out, for their sake! -
Comment on Elon Musk on tomatoes in ~food
TonesTones Link ParentI want to say that “misalignment means there exists an optimal strategy that isn’t aligned with the underlying goals of the system”. I think what you’re describing (exploitation of mechanics...I want to say that “misalignment means there exists an optimal strategy that isn’t aligned with the underlying goals of the system”. I think what you’re describing (exploitation of mechanics providing negligible advantage) I would consider an aligned system. I think we’re debating semantics? Please correct me if I’m misunderstanding.
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Comment on Elon Musk on tomatoes in ~food
TonesTones Link ParentIs it not? Incentives are a nasty beast. In any power structure that exists today (politics, business, academia), there’s a tradeoff between ‘playing the game’ and sticking to values....It’s not a natural law that allows sociopaths to win
Is it not? Incentives are a nasty beast.
In any power structure that exists today (politics, business, academia), there’s a tradeoff between ‘playing the game’ and sticking to values. Intentionally or not, people place themselves along the spectrum of “How much am I willing to sacrifice my morals/values/intrinsic motivators to get extrinsic rewards like money?”. This happens on a tiny scale, like lying on a resume or cheating in school to land a well-paying job, to committing widespread fraud or exploitation as a leader.
Sociopaths, generally, are some of the most willing to do anything for extrinsic rewards. We’d expect those with fewer obstacles to maximizing success to do so.
In a system that has any misalignment between the reward system and the intended behaviors that get rewarded, one can expect that those most willing to ‘play the game’ will get furthest ahead. Some systems are more aligned than others, and some (finance) often have little to no intrinsic motivators. It’s genuinely quite difficult to build systems with good alignment (though they exist! I think of libraries and mutual aid groups). Power corrupts.
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Comment on Honey gets terminated as lawsuits proceed in ~tech
TonesTones Link ParentI apologize, I was pulling information from an ad that I had gotten for it without reading the fine print. It’s 3% on the Apple Card with Apple Pay for select merchants; 2% everywhere else. Which...I apologize, I was pulling information from an ad that I had gotten for it without reading the fine print. It’s 3% on the Apple Card with Apple Pay for select merchants; 2% everywhere else. Which is pretty typical, like you say.
Thank you for the correction.
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Comment on Honey gets terminated as lawsuits proceed in ~tech
TonesTones (edited )Link ParentI hate cash back for this reason and wish it was regulated in the US like it is in the EU (or specifically, payment processing fees being regulated). In my frustration, I was completely wrong. I...I hate cash back for this reason and wish it was regulated in the US like it is in the EU (or specifically, payment processing fees being regulated).
Apple Pay now has 3% cash back on all purchases, which surely comes from increased processing fees (along with controlling the processing mechanism). Eventually, other cards will need to compete and raise their fees accordingly to provide consumers with that 3%.In my frustration, I was completely wrong. I stand by the rest of my comment.The costs are always passed on to consumers, and typically all consumers, not just the ones using reward CCs. Business have no means to negotiate (turning away specifically customers using XY and Z cards?) and consumers have no incentive to negotiate. So these programs are just an inflation accelerant with no actual value add to the economy.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
TonesTones Link ParentI’ll validate that reaction. For me, it was a fun book to read without thinking too much. I think many Sanderson fans, like D&D players, enjoy the story for the world and the big, flashy moments....In modern terms, I felt like I was reading something written by LLM, with lots of D&D session transcripts in the training set.
I’ll validate that reaction. For me, it was a fun book to read without thinking too much. I think many Sanderson fans, like D&D players, enjoy the story for the world and the big, flashy moments. The prose and storytelling nuance isn’t the pull.
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Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative
TonesTones Link ParentThat’s super fun! It adds quite a bit of character. I must admit I cracked up when I clicked on the photos and realized there was also an intentional hole in the overalls (justifying the...That’s super fun! It adds quite a bit of character.
I must admit I cracked up when I clicked on the photos and realized there was also an intentional hole in the overalls (justifying the clarification in the first sentence). Thanks for posting!
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
TonesTones Link ParentWas this your experience of all the books? I really enjoyed The Way of Kings, struggled through the second, and never finished the third. I haven’t read any part of the fourth. I’m wondering if...It might have been one of the worst reading experiences I have ever had. The prose was horrible, the pacing was horrible, none of the characters nor the world was interesting. It's like I was reading a description of an average D&D session but over 3000 pages.
Was this your experience of all the books? I really enjoyed The Way of Kings, struggled through the second, and never finished the third. I haven’t read any part of the fourth. I’m wondering if your experience was similar or if you just didn’t click with it at all.
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Comment on Offpunk manifesto in ~humanities
TonesTones Link ParentI absolutely agree. In discussions of technology, the devil is in the details. Building healthy relationships with technology can be quite rewarding, and there are lots of tools to do that. The...I absolutely agree. In discussions of technology, the devil is in the details. Building healthy relationships with technology can be quite rewarding, and there are lots of tools to do that. The Big Tech companies end up facilitating (intentionally or not, dependinding on your perspective) unhealthy relationships with technology, but many communities, developers, and builders find ways to improve those relationships. Tildes wouldn’t exist without tech.
Though, I still appreciate this manifesto. I think it’s useful. One of the benefits of the various “punk” subcultures is that, by rejecting some set of societal norms, they can help everyone else be more critical of pieces of their life that are taken for granted.
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Comment on OpenAI and Anthropic endorse call for US government to "pace" AI progress in ~comp
TonesTones Link ParentMany of the large technology companies have, with great justification, earned a reputation for acting like they are working towards the greater good while simultaneously showing willingness to...- Exemplary
Many of the large technology companies have, with great justification, earned a reputation for acting like they are working towards the greater good while simultaneously showing willingness to cause great harm to society for their bottom line.
OpenAI joined this trend when they effectively converted from a non-profit company to (now) preparing an IPO. They’ve also been willing to release models that clearly aren’t ready for the public in order to acquire greater funding.
There’s also great historical evidence that large companies use their power to influence regulation and build legal moats to prevent competition. Technology companies are newer to that game, but there’s a strong (in my opinion) economic argument that AI companies will need to do this or face existentially threatening levels of competition.
People don’t trust the executives of Silicon Valley, often for good reason.
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Comment on US Federal Communications Commission bans foreign-produced solar inverters in ~enviro
TonesTones LinkThank you for posting. Is this blanket ban just an attack on renewable energy? I need someone with more technical expertise to weigh in, but my intuition says there should have been less...Thank you for posting.
Is this blanket ban just an attack on renewable energy? I need someone with more technical expertise to weigh in, but my intuition says there should have been less disruptive ways to achieve the same result.
The concern, as written, is about widespread malicious firmware updates. Would there be large obstacles (e.g., IP boundaries) to having foreign hardware run U.S. firmware maintained by U.S. software companies? Could you block network access to the inverters and still rely on them to work properly?
I’m used to assuming the worst combination of malice, corruption, and incompetence from this administration. I would still like to make sure my total lack of experience with this kind of hardware isn’t leading me to make bad assumptions.
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Comment on Unreleased OpenAI model escapes containment and hacks into Hugging Face in ~tech
TonesTones Link ParentThis is exactly what I believe happened. Models appear have the capability to do what’s being described, at least based on what cybersecurity researchers claim (I am not one). The sandbox was...This is exactly what I believe happened. Models appear have the capability to do what’s being described, at least based on what cybersecurity researchers claim (I am not one).
The sandbox was Internet-connected and the models were convinced they needed to escape containment and the models proceeded to send a malicious attack. That all feels like it’s by design rather than an “oops” accident.
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Comment on You can vote on the design of the next Euro banknotes! in ~design
TonesTones LinkDesign G looks straight out of a video game in my opinion. Not necessarily a bad thing, though. Very modern. My favorite is Design I. I like the vertical note with the birds, plus the subtle...Design G looks straight out of a video game in my opinion. Not necessarily a bad thing, though. Very modern.
My favorite is Design I. I like the vertical note with the birds, plus the subtle additions like the space-related inventions at the top of the note.
Though, as an American, I do not get a vote. I wish we did something similar here every once in a while, although the American bill feels very traditional.
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Comment on America’s enterprising spirit is booming after decades-long slump in ~finance
TonesTones LinkI think this is a key line from the article that unfortunately suggests this is not as positive as one would hope. This suggests that these are businesses applying for local applications rather...Census data shows that the rise in business applications has been driven by start-ups that are not likely to hire workers rather than by those that are.
I think this is a key line from the article that unfortunately suggests this is not as positive as one would hope.
This suggests that these are businesses applying for local applications rather than to the IRS for an EIN, making it more likely that these are sole proprietorships or single-member LLCs.
I would hazard that this is more consistent with gig workers (rideshare drivers, AI training contractors, and dropshippers, etc.) applying for businesses to separate their business finances from their personal finances for tax purposes. I wouldn’t characterize that kind of startup as entrepreneurship; it’s more in line with people not finding consistent employment elsewhere.
That’s also consistent with the post-pandemic timing and the rise of the gig economy. I do believe that, over a long time horizon, AI will make entrepreneurship eaiser, but I doubt that’s what this data is reflecting.
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Comment on AI mania is eviscerating global decisionmaking in ~tech
TonesTones LinkIt’s a great essay, though I wonder if the author has a slightly biased sample because they are a consultant. In my experience, there’s a decent number of successful companies that just take the...It’s a great essay, though I wonder if the author has a slightly biased sample because they are a consultant. In my experience, there’s a decent number of successful companies that just take the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach. Those companies are slow to adopt AI, cautious in their approach, and also much less likely to hire external consultants to fix internal problems. I think companies meaningfully spending on consultants have the same culture of aggressive change that would lead to the described approach to AI.
People have a hard time changing, and I think that’s the undercurrent in this entire piece.
But the broader reality is so much worse: people who have no background in the technology at all actually believe what they are saying.
Consider the perspective of someone with no technical background in AI. For nearly thirty years, their exposure to production-ready software is as follows. When it works, it works in extremely predictable ways, and when it doesn’t, it usually breaks in incredibly obvious ways. That’s the condition, after testing and QA and all the normal software best practicies.
“Prouduction-ready” LLMs and generative AI will never, ever meet that bar. You can tell that to a non-technical person, but those years of prior experience will make real persuasion difficult, even if they accept that these are random technologies at face value. That prior of consistent, predictable tech leads to these rollout strategies.
This was a terrible mistake. It backfired in the most predictable way imaginable – every lukewarm client that saw the chatbot in action, even with us telling them that it was not going to accomplish what they wanted, wanted to buy it immediately.
It’s hard for me to buy into this. The question that the author doesn’t really answer is: What takes priority when the altruistic desires are at odds with the egotistical desires?
The author frames his perspective through the lens of politics. Politicians have a pretty standard conflict of interest: what’s best for their constituents in the long-term and what’s best for re-election. The standard issue of political corruption comes from politicians consistently choosing to maintain their power (selfish interest) instead of sacrificing that power to actually do good (selfless interest).
I don’t really care about measuring drive. It appears to me that as long as those selfish interests are prioritized over the selfless ones, there’s a significant risk of more harm being done than good.