vord's recent activity
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Comment on Android Quick Share can now work with iOS’s AirDrop in ~tech
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Comment on A new era of intelligence with Gemini 3 in ~tech
vord Link ParentYou say that in the same tone as "a computer will never beat a human at chess." Once again, we do have better options now, particularily for consumer goods. Especially when you remember that...You can't solve for that.
You say that in the same tone as "a computer will never beat a human at chess."
Once again, we do have better options now, particularily for consumer goods. Especially when you remember that markets and planned economies are not incompatible.
Take a kickstarter-like approach where people put forth proposals for new goods. Highly voted ideas get R&D resources, test products are put on the market.
Products are initially priced on market at a high premium over production costs, the margin of which serves as sales taxes. Goods which sell out quickly ramp up production. Otherwise their prices lowered until they do. Goods that do not sell before they hit production cost are slated for discontinuation.
This might sound an awful lot like what happens now, it's because it is. Because the primary difference between Walmart/Amazon/etc doing these kinds of logistics and Department of Production doing so is that the latter does not allow for vast wealth to be funnelled into private bank accounts.
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Comment on New ‘Stargate’ TV series ordered at Amazon from ‘Blindspot’ creator Martin Gero in ~tv
vord Link ParentI am still sad that Universe got canned just as it really hit its stride.I am still sad that Universe got canned just as it really hit its stride.
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Comment on A new era of intelligence with Gemini 3 in ~tech
vord Link ParentAnd that's why a planned economy did tend to collapse in the past. But there is one utterly critical difference: Computers have advanced to the point we could calculate the world's economic needs...And that's why a planned economy did tend to collapse in the past. But there is one utterly critical difference:
Computers have advanced to the point we could calculate the world's economic needs down to the last gram of aluminum in near realtime. And with modern ERP systems, most of the required hardware is already in place.
But instead, we're using that computing power to generate bad art and blather.
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Comment on A new era of intelligence with Gemini 3 in ~tech
vord Link ParentWhy would they not be paid? They're not being paid out of hypothetical future railroad profits. People vote to build railroad. They hire people to build railroad, provide the supplies from other...Why would they not be paid? They're not being paid out of hypothetical future railroad profits.
People vote to build railroad. They hire people to build railroad, provide the supplies from other industry, and them hire people to run and maintain it after. No need to charge people to use it, as all costs are born out of taxes taken out of said wages.
I'll end on the start of this subthread:
I would also broadly like to kill the idea of investment assets as a concept entirely, but realize that's a bit too communist for most people.
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Comment on A new era of intelligence with Gemini 3 in ~tech
vord Link ParentWe have a name for this: NIMBYism. It is the primary cause of housing crisises. Because people looking to preserve their home values pass laws to prevent creating enough housing supply to keep...We have a name for this: NIMBYism. It is the primary cause of housing crisises.
Because people looking to preserve their home values pass laws to prevent creating enough housing supply to keep home prices reasonable.
You would think market economists would understand: If you build sufficient housing, values more or less never go up because supply meets or exceeds demand.
Or, more simply: Housing as an appreciating asset relies on not building enough housing.
In absence of suppression of homebuilding, homes are a depreciating asset and more or less function with the same economics of cars. Cars would also appreciate in value if they only built 1,000,000 per year.
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Comment on A new era of intelligence with Gemini 3 in ~tech
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Comment on A new era of intelligence with Gemini 3 in ~tech
vord Link ParentI'll point out that state (well all) pensions are primarily doomed because of neoliberals gutting them, rather than any intrinsic failure of the pension system itself. We could recoup it instantly...I'll point out that state (well all) pensions are primarily doomed because of neoliberals gutting them, rather than any intrinsic failure of the pension system itself.
We could recoup it instantly by raising taxes on corporate profits by 90%, and corporate assets held by 2%.
(See sibling post for explaination of capital gains taxes. They turn into income taxes when removed)
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Comment on A new era of intelligence with Gemini 3 in ~tech
vord (edited )Link ParentI know what you're getting at, but the way that works in practice is that the 11th farmer is not a seperate entity, and if the 11 farmers feel the need for a second barn, they'll build another. In...I know what you're getting at, but the way that works in practice is that the 11th farmer is not a seperate entity, and if the 11 farmers feel the need for a second barn, they'll build another.
In case this wasn't obvious, this was more a pitch to the end of private business ownership towards a community-planned economy. There is no business. Just the labor to gather, refine, and distribute resources.
There is a reason I lead subthread with "this is too communist for most people"
There is much more nuance to this idea, but it's a much bigger topic.
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Comment on A new era of intelligence with Gemini 3 in ~tech
vord Link ParentCapital gains taxes are a new thing that were invented so rich people could avoid paying proper taxes on them. Capital gains taxes are a flat amount, usually lower than regular income rates....Capital gains taxes are a new thing that were invented so rich people could avoid paying proper taxes on them. Capital gains taxes are a flat amount, usually lower than regular income rates.
Before that, they were just taxed as income. With progressive brackets.
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Comment on A new era of intelligence with Gemini 3 in ~tech
vord (edited )Link Parent10 Amish farmers need a barn. They go into the woods, cut down trees, and build a barn. There is no investment. The wealth is the barn. Who owns the barn? They all do. If we need a railroad, we...10 Amish farmers need a barn.
They go into the woods, cut down trees, and build a barn. There is no investment. The wealth is the barn. Who owns the barn? They all do.
If we need a railroad, we build a railroad. When the railroad is done, we use it for free. Because it was already paid for by the laborers who made it.
It differs from investment, because as the term is usually used, it implies seeking returns upon money spent. If you want to call a system where the villiage owns the wealth a 'government investment', then sure.
I prefer to think of it more as a democratically-allocated resource distribution.
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Comment on A new era of intelligence with Gemini 3 in ~tech
vord Link ParentI'll rephrase: There are no retirement investment accounts. Social security instead pays out roughly 2 to 3 times what it currently does, and the vast majority of people are way better off. The...I'll rephrase: There are no retirement investment accounts. Social security instead pays out roughly 2 to 3 times what it currently does, and the vast majority of people are way better off.
The wealth that currently goes to shareholders would go to employees via wages and the government via taxes on said wages.
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Comment on A new era of intelligence with Gemini 3 in ~tech
vord Link ParentOnly people in the top 10%ish would see any sort of meaningful change if we strangled away risky investment. And even then, many probably still be better off without the perpetual uncertainty. You...Only people in the top 10%ish would see any sort of meaningful change if we strangled away risky investment. And even then, many probably still be better off without the perpetual uncertainty.
You enhance Social Security and minimum wage to where it should be and the concept of investments as retirements becomes moot.
You chop off the top of the ownership pyramid, and hand the wealth that currently goes to the investment class to the tax coffers, and we'll have all sorts of assets for speculative benefits programs.
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Comment on A new era of intelligence with Gemini 3 in ~tech
vord Link ParentWell, for one, all of the money these megacorps have aquired from us over the last 20 years gets to be sunk into rapidly depreciating datacenters that consume ungodly amounts of power and water...Well, for one, all of the money these megacorps have aquired from us over the last 20 years gets to be sunk into rapidly depreciating datacenters that consume ungodly amounts of power and water while becoming a nuisance to the locals.
It's setting a giant pile of money on fire and then telling all the poor people that they didn't need that money anyway.
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Comment on A new era of intelligence with Gemini 3 in ~tech
vord Link ParentI would rather make high-risk investment virtually impossible by strangling it via intelligent regulations that actively punish short-term gains. Would this kill VC culture? Hopefully. I would...I would rather make high-risk investment virtually impossible by strangling it via intelligent regulations that actively punish short-term gains.
Would this kill VC culture? Hopefully.
I would also broadly like to kill the idea of investment assets as a concept entirely, but realize that's a bit too communist for most people.
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Comment on A new era of intelligence with Gemini 3 in ~tech
vord (edited )Link ParentDon't really care about the investments. Care more about people who have entire lives uprooted because companies (and the government that sets the rules) can't/won't get their shit together. You...Don't really care about the investments. Care more about people who have entire lives uprooted because companies (and the government that sets the rules) can't/won't get their shit together.
You stabilize the boom/bust cycle of employment, everything else will sort itself out given time and sane policy.
Strong unions, eliminating the concept of capital gains taxes, and periodically assessing a tax on asset value would probably go a long way.
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Comment on US Federal Government oversight of K - 12 education moved out of Department of Education to Department of Labor in ~society
vord Link ParentI can't say I'm an expert, but I do know that universal free public schooling came about during Reconstruction, as black folk began voting and getting representation for the first time. Needless...I can't say I'm an expert, but I do know that universal free public schooling came about during Reconstruction, as black folk began voting and getting representation for the first time.
Needless to say, the racist conservatives have been trying to undo it ever since.
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Comment on A new era of intelligence with Gemini 3 in ~tech
vord (edited )Link ParentDunno bout you, but I would prefer a financial system that isn't essentially a roulette wheel which hits 00 every decade or so. Which recovers on paper for the people with millions/billions to buy...Dunno bout you, but I would prefer a financial system that isn't essentially a roulette wheel which hits 00 every decade or so. Which recovers on paper for the people with millions/billions to buy low/sell high while the average working person has a really shit time for 5-7 years, and then hits another economic downturn just as they're hitting stability.
I'd much prefer a slow, steady, upward progress which reflects genuine improvement rather than hype cycles and bad debts.
Especially when most people's retirement money is locked up in it.
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Comment on Weird Al Yankovic 2026 tour of ninety cities in ~music
vord LinkI'll see yall in Hershey. Be there or be, well, somewhere else I guess.I'll see yall in Hershey. Be there or be, well, somewhere else I guess.
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Comment on A new era of intelligence with Gemini 3 in ~tech
vord LinkThis pairs nicely with the Google CEO aknowledging we're in a catastrophic AI bubble.This pairs nicely with the Google CEO aknowledging we're in a catastrophic AI bubble.
A fitting time to read The Internet Con, or at least to read up on it's core point:
The tech giant's walled gardens exist primarily because of legal structures rather than technical feats. Eliminating these structures and specifically allowing malicious interperability allows more people to compete.
This interop is how these giants got giant in the first place. It's time for us to allow the small players without legal departments do what Google has done here.