Turtle42's recent activity
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Comment on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and US influencers bash seed oils, baffling nutrition scientists in ~food
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Comment on I used to teach students. Now I catch ChatGPT cheats. in ~tech
Turtle42 Link ParentWe will need to restructure our entire existing notion of what education is. LLMs need to be a part of the learning process and we need to reconsider the kind of homework we assign to kids, and...We will need to restructure our entire existing notion of what education is. LLMs need to be a part of the learning process and we need to reconsider the kind of homework we assign to kids, and accept that they're going to use them. Study after study proves homework doesn't help kids learn, why do we keep assigning it?
Most public education (in my jurisdiction) teaches kids to simply pass standardized tests, hence the busy work like math problems and book reports. Most kids don't view the forming of a thesis, creating an argument, research, etc. fun the way you or I might about a particular topic we're interested in. I think that's the key. It's busy work to most of them. The passion for the subject needs to be instilled natively, somehow.
I've heard of something called the 4 C's of education: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. And from the way I feel like as a full grown adult, free without the confines of school and subjects I hated and homework I hated even more, I would have benefited immensely from an education with that kind of focus over the things they did focus on like algebra. I'm now free to do whatever I want, and it turns out I love computers and Linux. I've been pouring over the most boring documentation literature just to soak up everything as much as possible. I regret not learning this stuff sooner.
I found immense passion in having the freedom to read or write what I wanted whenever we had the opportunity to do so. Of course kids need to be taught a general foundation of knowledge, but alongside that knowledge needs to be a focus on the 4 Cs so then from a younger age than we probably think, need to let them roam free at school and tinker with literally everything we can provide them so interest can be sparked in something, where they can then use that knowledge to teach themselves where they will inevitably fail and have to try again, which is the most beneficial way I have found to learn as an adult. By messing with something myself, not from being lectured to. Which was definitely something that was missing from my own remarkably average public school experience.
We need to start treating an LLMs as a tool, kind of like a language calculator. And yes, I'm aware that models can hallucinate whereas a calculator by it's very nature does not. But they can also accomplish the kind of tasks incredibly well and efficiently when prompted intelligently and provided adequate context. Resistance is futile at this point.
I use a calculator to do basic arithmetic. We all do. I could do it in my head, but sometimes I just want to be sure. I kind of use Claude the same way, and I'm tired of being ashamed of it. I'm a photographer and enter art shows, and have to write artist statements. I like writing in general, but for some reason I hate writing artist statements. They're often dripping with ick and super egotistical and often meaningless, just using art buzzwords about identity and juxtaposition and I just hate it. I can show Claude a couple of pictures, give it my thoughts and feelings about the work in casual language while telling him a little of my own meaning. Then it does some AI magic with it's training content of literally everything ever created ever, and then it spits out something better than I ever could have wrote myself. Why is this a bad thing? We can pawn off this kind of busy rote work to a computer, let's focus on real stuff now.
Claude AI has taught me more in two months about literally whatever I'm working on than I could have ever taught myself alone, or even had access to previously. I cannot stress how average I am as a human. Someone much smarter than me with enough gumption could do great things if they were taught how to use this incredible tool correctly. We can't ignore this technology.
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Comment on Has anyone read the books listed in the New Lifetime Reading Plan by Clifton Fadiman? in ~books
Turtle42 LinkThe Overstory by Richard Powers was so spectacular in it's vivid descriptions of the forest and trees and the invisible world that goes on beyond our human comprehension and I still haven't read a...The Overstory by Richard Powers was so spectacular in it's vivid descriptions of the forest and trees and the invisible world that goes on beyond our human comprehension and I still haven't read a book that did what that book did to me and my perception of nature and the world and our existence as humans since. For that reason I nominate it.
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Comment on BookFusion: upload, organize, read, share and sync your eBooks in ~books
Turtle42 Link ParentWoah this is an amazing idea and project! Definitely going to bookmark this. Last year I both read a paperback version of The Stand and listened to the audiobook at the same time, I could not put...Woah this is an amazing idea and project! Definitely going to bookmark this.
Last year I both read a paperback version of The Stand and listened to the audiobook at the same time, I could not put it down. This would have been a great all in one solution, if I was using an e book for it.
All the books I read last year inspired me to try to build my own catalog to add my physical library collection to a database and it ended up becoming a full fledged GUI app and had a similar idea to this (though not exactly) but quickly got in over my head. This looks so clean, I'm glad I didn't keep trying!
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Comment on Are most jobs not what you thought they would be? Expectations vs. reality. in ~talk
Turtle42 LinkI think there's always a "grass is always greener" element when it comes to something as big and confining as a career. At least for me, I'm always looking at the next thing to learn or do once I...I think there's always a "grass is always greener" element when it comes to something as big and confining as a career. At least for me, I'm always looking at the next thing to learn or do once I feel like my current interest in the task/job at hand feels depleted. Being confined is a surefire way to get me to start looking elsewhere.
My last job was exactly what I wanted to do. I got very lucky to land a job as a studio assistant for a famous photographer. I worked in photography which was what my degree is in, I got to work with the latest cameras and printers, and managed a whole digital and physical archive where I learned a ton about digital storage that sparked my latest hobby/passion in Linux.
Unfortunately the guy who I was the assistant to was a very unpleasant person to be around. Ultimately I left a perfect job because I could no longer jive with the boss after 7 years. This was over two years ago now and the whole situation still kind of stings.
But now I'm at a job not at all in my field, and I hate myself for kind of loving it. The hours are different which suits my lifestyle, it's independent so there's no micromanaging. The only downside, and it's a big one, is that it's way below my skillset, and leaves me searching for a challenge. Which is fine sometimes, I'm able to push myself in other more personal ways like learning Linux/storage and how to program. But having to spend 8 hours each day mopping floors when I could be doing something much productive, fun, and lucrative to me like building websites brings a nagging existential dread to my soul, telling me to get a real job because I'm better than this. But every time I hit the job boards they're either looking for unicorn applicants, or a total scam to harvest data. It's depressing and I've given up to be honest. The insurance, PTO, holidays, and overall quality of life/work balance is hard to beat and I constantly go back and forth between looking for jobs and being content with my current situation.
I'm rambling at this point and don't know exactly what point I'm trying to make for you. But I guess you just really need to look at the big picture. If there's something missing in your life and you have the safety net to chase after whatever it is, go for it. Life is too short. I felt that way when I left my "perfect" job. Looking back, it wasn't perfect and I felt it unhealthy to stay. I couldn't be that miserable forever, and if I end up mopping floors forever, so be it.
It will be whatever you make of it. Good luck!
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Comment on What artist, regardless of medium, did the most to progress their field? in ~arts
Turtle42 Link ParentWhile we're talking about Eggleston, he didn't just pioneer 'mundane' photography, his landmark exhibition at MoMA allowed color photography as a whole to be taken seriously as an art form. I...While we're talking about Eggleston, he didn't just pioneer 'mundane' photography, his landmark exhibition at MoMA allowed color photography as a whole to be taken seriously as an art form. I guess we also have Szarkowski to thank for that as well.
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Comment on Fog harvesting could provide water for the driest cities in ~enviro
Turtle42 Link ParentI haven't heard the term solarpunk before, and I love it. My first thought was Dune. Either way we are truly living in science fiction at this point.I haven't heard the term solarpunk before, and I love it.
My first thought was Dune. Either way we are truly living in science fiction at this point.
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Comment on What are your favorite static site generators for creating text based and fast blogs/web pages? in ~tech
Turtle42 (edited )Linkblot.im might be a bit easier for you, although it does cost $5/mo. I have one of my websites on it and it's much less involved than Hugo or something. You can link with git/dropbox/Google drive...blot.im might be a bit easier for you, although it does cost $5/mo. I have one of my websites on it and it's much less involved than Hugo or something.
You can link with git/dropbox/Google drive and simply type up a file and it uploads to your website. Once setup it was pretty simple to manage.
Edit: I was also able to tinker a little bit with the code to fix up mobile styling so you can still get some tinkering in.
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Comment on Dystopian book recommendations in ~books
Turtle42 LinkAnthem by Ayn Rand is a really quick read and very dystopian, one of the most dystopian books I've ever read. If you don't know anything about Ayn Rand just know she's very politically divisive...Anthem by Ayn Rand is a really quick read and very dystopian, one of the most dystopian books I've ever read. If you don't know anything about Ayn Rand just know she's very politically divisive and responsible for much of the individualist ideas prevalent today. Her ideas are radical and exaggerated, but I think she's an important author to read. It's a shame she needs such a caveat.
It has inspired other media like Rush's rock opera 2112, if you're into that sort of thing as well.
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Comment on Dystopian book recommendations in ~books
Turtle42 Link ParentGreat suggestion! I read Severance last year and loved it. I'm right in the millennial age group it seems directed towards. I also thought it oddly prophetic considering the subject matter, it...Great suggestion! I read Severance last year and loved it. I'm right in the millennial age group it seems directed towards. I also thought it oddly prophetic considering the subject matter, it echoed things I went through during the pandemic as well.
In the same vein, albeit much more graphic and less dystopian and more horror, it reminded me very much of Stephen King's The Stand, which I didn't know even existed until last April. It seems lesser known than many of his other iconic novels, (Carrie, IT, Misery, etc.) that I've personally deemed it one of the greatest underappreciated American horror novels.
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Comment on The hardest working font in Manhattan in ~design
Turtle42 Link ParentInteresting is putting it lightly. Long read but so so worth it if you're into design or typography, shit, even keyboard nerds and mechanical engineers might find intrigue in this. I work at a...Interesting is putting it lightly. Long read but so so worth it if you're into design or typography, shit, even keyboard nerds and mechanical engineers might find intrigue in this.
I work at a school and immediately started walking around looking for old signs with this font/typeface and it took only seconds to find an example of it.
I loved taking typography in college, I continue to enjoy it with a passing fascination but type nerds often take it to the next level, as evidenced by this essay.
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Comment on Stolen Kingdom | Official trailer in ~movies
Turtle42 LinkBright Sun Films has some of my favorite video content on Nebula. The Bankrupt series tickles that part of my brain that is also into Air Disasters, Modern Marvels, and How It's Made style shows....Bright Sun Films has some of my favorite video content on Nebula. The Bankrupt series tickles that part of my brain that is also into Air Disasters, Modern Marvels, and How It's Made style shows. Absolutely stellar educational content.
This looks like it transcends even that level of content. I love insights into little news moments like this too. Thank you for sharing, I've fallen off Nebula content lately, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for this.
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Comment on National Stonewall Monument has had all references to trans people erased in ~lgbt
Turtle42 Link ParentDefinitely not. I'm sure they see this as retribution for tearing down confederate statues. They don't care about history, they care about rewriting it to fit their worldview.Definitely not. I'm sure they see this as retribution for tearing down confederate statues. They don't care about history, they care about rewriting it to fit their worldview.
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Comment on [SOLVED] What's the scifi book? in ~books
Turtle42 Link ParentI LOVED this book when I was a kid. I barely remember what happens in it, but I remember not being able to put it down.I LOVED this book when I was a kid. I barely remember what happens in it, but I remember not being able to put it down.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
Turtle42 Link ParentI've been trying to get into Darktable for years. It's by far the best for my needs especially because I'm so used to Lightroom. a I've been using it again lately and I think I'm finally getting...I've been trying to get into Darktable for years. It's by far the best for my needs especially because I'm so used to Lightroom. a
I've been using it again lately and I think I'm finally getting it the more I tinker with and configure it to my preferences.I just wish it was a little more approachable out of the box, I would have taken to using it a decade ago. Lightroom was so self teachable to me because the UI is amazing and it has a flow. Darktable is missing that, I feel like there's no rhyme or reason to some features or improvement to the modules section and while after using this, Lightroom definitely feels limited in scope of features comparatively, I wonder if maybe that's also a good thing? I'm sure I'm a couple of tutorials away from making it work so this time I won't give up.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
Turtle42 (edited )LinkAh just basic dumb linux homelab stuff lately, compared to the wild projects everyone else here is working on. I want to move away from SoftRAID on MacOS because they have switched the licensing...Ah just basic dumb linux homelab stuff lately, compared to the wild projects everyone else here is working on.
I want to move away from SoftRAID on MacOS because they have switched the licensing fees and structure of the software since I first adopted it over a decade ago. I am using ZFS on all my Linux servers and have been testing it on MacOS lately with a backup drive of the data, just hesitant to pull the trigger and wipe and rebuild this pool.
I also reinstalled Linux on a T2 2018 Mac Mini again after something happened to the previous install on it, I'm hoping to move my photography workflow entirely to FOSS but I often still get caught up tinkering with other things. For instance, I checked out Docker again and I forgot how easy and fun it was.
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Comment on Phishing tests, the bane of work life, are getting meaner in ~tech
Turtle42 Link ParentI failed my first phishing test recently and it genuinely bothered me, despite the seemingly low stakes. I've always considered myself security-conscious, so being part of the "record-breaking 14%...I failed my first phishing test recently and it genuinely bothered me, despite the seemingly low stakes. I've always considered myself security-conscious, so being part of the "record-breaking 14% CTR" at our school district was particularly frustrating for me.
What's more concerning is the complete absence of any security awareness training at our institution. No onboarding materials, no periodic briefings, not even a notification that we'd be subject to these tests, aside from the failure reports. It feels fundamentally unfair to assess employees on practices they haven't been trained on.
It's a bit concerning though, and perhaps I lack knowledge on the subject. But as a lower-level employee, the fact that I could potentially compromise our systems through a phishing link suggests the real vulnerability isn't just employee awareness - wouldn't it be inadequate access control and system hardening? Ideally, a low level employee email account should be setup in such a way that it could be phished every day without any concern for privilege escalation.
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Comment on Super Bowl LIX Megathread in ~sports.american_football
Turtle42 LinkVibes in Philly are palpable and we are hype.Vibes in Philly are palpable and we are hype.
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Comment on a/s/l? Tildes user survey question. in ~tildes
Turtle42 Link ParentA little but not as much as I should. Mostly when I'm traveling. Although I did win an award last year at a juried exhibition so that was validating. I used to do a lot of street photography but...A little but not as much as I should. Mostly when I'm traveling. Although I did win an award last year at a juried exhibition so that was validating.
I used to do a lot of street photography but it feels bad these days. Now it's mostly pictures of trees and my cats :)
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Comment on a/s/l? Tildes user survey question. in ~tildes
Turtle42 Link31/m/Pennsylvania, USA Haven't answered that question in awhile! What a blast from the past. I love this idea, haven't seen any of the previous surveys and want to participate so I'll start I...31/m/Pennsylvania, USA
Haven't answered that question in awhile! What a blast from the past. I love this idea, haven't seen any of the previous surveys and want to participate so I'll start I guess.
By trade and degree I'm a photographer/artist.
By occupation I'm currently a janitor/custodian which sounds bad but I weirdly love it.
For seven years I was a famous photographers assistant but he wasn't very nice to work for. Managing his 500TB of storage got me really into self hosting, data hoarding, and Linux though so that's currently my main hobby along with light web development, art making, writing, and reading.
I have some issues with this article and I can't substantiate it with any expert knowledge, but this following paragraph doesn't sit right with me.
I read a book about Ultra processed foods last year (Ultra Processed People by Chris Van Tulleken) that was rather eye opening about the impact of UPF on our health as a society. It doesn't really call out seed oils IIRC, but it talks about study after study showing how good real food is for you, and how bad UPFs are, and how they're engineered to be overconsumed. He essentially says: "If whatever you're eating was designed in a lab/made in a factory with the goal of making money for a company that enriches shareholders, then it's likely a UPF. If it's made with ingredients you can find in your kitchen to nourish you, then it likely isn't a UPF." This phrasing is overly general, sure, but it stuck with me. And is likely why I find the above paragraph so off-putting. Especially when at the end of the article, they mention that "tallow is processed too". But it's not nearly as processed as vegetable oils, considering tallow can be easily made in any regular home kitchen.
So I can see why people might be put off by something like that, especially when the alternative feels a less bad, and doesn't involve chemicals I've never heard of, to give crisco more money when I already have olive oil or butter or whatever at home already? Even if health studies prove otherwise. I can't look at a bag of Doritos the same way ever since reading that book and I'm not really that sad about it. I don't think seed oils are the problem as much as ultra processing, but I can't blame people for wanting to avoid something that feels bad. I can blame them for getting their information from terrible sources and our health secretary for being an idiot though :)