bitshift's recent activity
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Comment on Introducing EmDash — the spiritual successor to WordPress that solves plugin security in ~tech
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Comment on 'Banal and hollow': Why the quaint paintings of Thomas Kinkade divided the US in ~arts
bitshift Link ParentThanks for linking those other paintings! My composition knowledge is limited to the "Someone once told me about the rule of thirds" level, so it's helpful to see examples to contrast it against....Thanks for linking those other paintings! My composition knowledge is limited to the "Someone once told me about the rule of thirds" level, so it's helpful to see examples to contrast it against. I can't fully articulate what's wrong with the rotunda—maybe it's too close to the river?—but I can feel the difference.
it feels like an echo of the current hubbub over AI
This analogy makes a lot of sense to me. Kincade optimized for selling his art to the mass market, to the detriment of qualities that artists and art critics care about. He mass-produced his art. And his art took over culturally because he optimized it for that. From the BBC article:
"There were actually other people who were painting cottages and Christmas scenes and putting them on plates and all that stuff," [Miranda Yousef] notes, "and the thing is that Kinkade's were so much better. His works just blew everybody else's out of the water."
Not that mediocre art is phenomenally good, but the artist was phenomenally good at making mediocre art.
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Comment on cq: Stack Overflow for agents in ~tech
bitshift Link ParentIf they can get a handle on misinformation, it could potentially turn into a great resource for humans as well.If they can get a handle on misinformation, it could potentially turn into a great resource for humans as well.
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Comment on Chuck Norris dies aged 86 in ~movies
bitshift Link ParentSomehow I missed this years ago. (YouTube link)Somehow I missed this years ago. (YouTube link)
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Comment on Tom Scott: England — Official teaser for Nebula in ~travel
bitshift Link ParentSome background on the subreddit thing, because I hadn't heard this before.Some background on the subreddit thing, because I hadn't heard this before.
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Comment on Tom Scott: England — Official teaser for Nebula in ~travel
bitshift LinkI read that in his voice. Just before my eyes passed "and", there was the slightest of pauses.visiting hidden infrastructure, ancient traditions, and more bells than you might expect.
I read that in his voice. Just before my eyes passed "and", there was the slightest of pauses.
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Comment on I before she — on the shift in narrative perspective in romance novels in ~books
bitshift Link ParentTrue. I read that last part as words said in the heat of the moment, but maybe they do literally hate fanfiction-the-whole-thing-for-everyone, not just fanfiction-how-it-affected-their-own-hobby.True. I read that last part as words said in the heat of the moment, but maybe they do literally hate fanfiction-the-whole-thing-for-everyone, not just fanfiction-how-it-affected-their-own-hobby.
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Comment on I before she — on the shift in narrative perspective in romance novels in ~books
bitshift (edited )Link ParentAt the risk of speaking for lou, it's not that people are enjoying fanfiction and would they please stop having fun. It's more along the lines of: Brazilian creative writing groups have gravitated...At the risk of speaking for lou, it's not that people are enjoying fanfiction and would they please stop having fun. It's more along the lines of: Brazilian creative writing groups have gravitated toward a fanfiction style, so if you're in that group, you're forced to interact with that style—even if you don't like or read fanfiction.
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Comment on I before she — on the shift in narrative perspective in romance novels in ~books
bitshift Link ParentThis is from a different community, centered around a different art form. But I had a similar experience where the community drifted toward a different way of making their art, losing (IMO) what...This is from a different community, centered around a different art form. But I had a similar experience where the community drifted toward a different way of making their art, losing (IMO) what made it special in the process. It's not the same thing, but I can empathize with feeling displaced, with mourning what was lost.
On the other hand, that community is thriving with their newfangled art style, and I'm trying not to yuck other people's yum—my friends are enjoying themselves, and who am I to criticize their tastes? I dunno. It's complicated.
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Comment on Ladybird chooses Rust as its successor language to C++, with help from AI in ~comp
bitshift Link ParentThe failure mode on that was super interesting: So the AI's ability to follow instructions was dependent on the amount of data processed, resulting in different behavior in the test environment...The failure mode on that was super interesting:
I said “Check this inbox too and suggest what you would archive or delete, don’t action until I tell you to.” This has been working well for my toy inbox, but my real inbox was too huge and triggered compaction. During the compaction, it lost my original instruction 🤦♀️
So the AI's ability to follow instructions was dependent on the amount of data processed, resulting in different behavior in the test environment versus the real thing. I can imagine ways to protect against that, such as prepending non-compacted prompts to every summary. But if you don't foresee needing to do that, you won't find out until it's too late.
(Also: more operations should be undoable, just in general. That helps humans, too!)
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Comment on NASA chief classifies Starliner flight as “Type A” mishap, says agency made mistakes in ~space
bitshift Link ParentI think the intended meaning was, "Stop giving them contracts for things," but the first time I read your words, I understood them differently: "Stop giving them contracts in this manner." As in,...On the other hand, if they are truly this dysfunctional, at what point do you need to stop giving them contracts like this.
I think the intended meaning was, "Stop giving them contracts for things," but the first time I read your words, I understood them differently: "Stop giving them contracts in this manner." As in, is there a different way we could dole out the work that would have better incentives for them, or a way to pay for the engineering work that wouldn't have Boeing management completely in charge?
(It's not an ideal situation to have to micromanage the company, but maybe that's preferable to having the wings fall off the US's next fighter jet.)
Ideally we'd go back in time and stop the merger with McDonnell Douglas, but that's not an option at this point. Not literally, at least.
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Comment on Ladybird un-chooses Swift as its successor language to C++ in ~comp
bitshift Link ParentThat it's not a nice language? Or that cross-platform adoption would harm it?That it's not a nice language? Or that cross-platform adoption would harm it?
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Comment on The ten best and ten worst US foreign policy decisions in ~humanities.history
bitshift Link ParentI hope I wasn't being overly nihilistic by linking that parable! I meant to inspire perspective, not apathy. The glib answer is, "Because it's the right thing to do," and although it's not an...I hope I wasn't being overly nihilistic by linking that parable! I meant to inspire perspective, not apathy.
why do anything at all
The glib answer is, "Because it's the right thing to do," and although it's not an intellectually satisfying answer, I feel it in my bones. Nothing matters, sure, but also everything matters.
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Comment on The ten best and ten worst US foreign policy decisions in ~humanities.history
bitshift Link ParentI also hope it will be positive eventually! Sometimes I think about the grade school history textbooks a century from now. We've had a bunch of presidents who were anti-establishment and/or...I also hope it will be positive eventually!
Sometimes I think about the grade school history textbooks a century from now. We've had a bunch of presidents who were anti-establishment and/or grifters, and I remember once learning the material. But by now I've forgotten most of what they did.
US presidents prior to 1926, for whom I can remember something without looking them up:
- George Washington and Abraham Lincoln (happy birthday!) are cemented in history.
- Jefferson is iconic, though sometimes for problematic reasons.
- Andrew Jackson and Theodore Roosevelt are memorable for being larger-than-life action men.
- Andrew Johnson did something wrong (can't remember) and got impeached; memorable for being the first, I guess.
- Grover Cleveland was the first to serve non-consecutive terms, but I don't know why he got voted out.
- William McKinley and James Garfield, noteworthy for being assassinated.
- Wilson was the WWI guy. Coolidge was the "You lose" guy, though I don't remember if that actually happened.
- Harrison was that guy who caught a cold and died right away.
A century from now, who will school kids remember from the years 1926-2026? FDR, JFK, Nixon, Obama. George W. Bush because of 9/11, Johnson because of civil rights, Eisenhower because of freeways. Trump might be the COVID guy in the same way that Hoover was the Depression guy, but I'm not sure that will be memorable long term (cf. Spanish Flu). Reagan was the "Tear down this wall" guy. Not sure if they'll remember Clinton.
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Comment on The ten best and ten worst US foreign policy decisions in ~humanities.history
bitshift Link ParentDefinitely! I learned some stuff reading it. Re: having to wait to judge the ramifications: I'm reminded of the parable "The old man lost his horse": A man's horse runs away. His neighbors say how...Definitely! I learned some stuff reading it.
Re: having to wait to judge the ramifications: I'm reminded of the parable "The old man lost his horse":
- A man's horse runs away. His neighbors say how horrible it is, but his dad says, "Maybe, who knows."
- The horse returns with a herd of wild horses. Neighbors say how wonderful, but his dad says, "Who knows."
- He falls off one of the wild horses and breaks his leg. Neighbors say how horrible, but his dad says, "Who knows."
- The broken leg exempts him from military service, and he survives while many other men died… Who knows?
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Comment on The ten best and ten worst US foreign policy decisions in ~humanities.history
bitshift LinkI'm curious about their criteria. Sometimes the ranking seems to be based on whether an action was shameful versus upright, and other times it's just whether it was a savvy decision in the...I'm curious about their criteria. Sometimes the ranking seems to be based on whether an action was shameful versus upright, and other times it's just whether it was a savvy decision in the interest of the country.
It feels strange to see the Louisiana Purchase listed as a good policy decision, simultaneously with the Trail of Tears (which it enabled) being listed as a bad one. I mean, it also makes total sense, because I can't call the Louisiana Purchase a bad deal for the US, nor can I condone the Trail of Tears—and they happened under different leadership as well. I'm just saying it sounds weird to hear, "The US expanded! :-)" and in the same breath, "The US expanded. :-("
I was surprised to see the bombing of Nagasaki listed as a foreign policy fail. My layman's understanding was that it forced an unconditional surrender, which led to the US remaking Japan and maintaining military dominance in the region. Maybe that would have happened anyway, but I can also imagine a world where the Cold War unfolded very differently in East Asia. (Also, if weather really was a factor, was it even a decision? As long as we're brainstorming alternate history: if the skies had been clear for two more days, and the Japanese had surrendered during those two days, we'd be praising the US for their restraint.)
Finally, I just have to comment on the Tildes metadata:
Published Jan 1 1793
Word count 36 words -
Comment on Hundreds of mysterious Victorian-era shoes are washing up on a beach in Wales in ~humanities.history
bitshift Link ParentThank you for sharing that! It's the first clear explanation I've seen on the topic. I was reading the BBC article which does make a passing reference to the shoes being "embedded in the river...Thank you for sharing that! It's the first clear explanation I've seen on the topic.
I was reading the BBC article which does make a passing reference to the shoes being "embedded in the river banks," implying they washed ashore years ago and erosion is releasing them. But the article also mentions that "shipwrecks from the Victorian era could now be starting to degrade and fall apart," implying the shoes only recently left the wreckage and washed ashore. Very confusing.
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Comment on Grok AI generates images of ‘minors in minimal clothing’ in ~tech
bitshift Link ParentFYI, ECLAG citing the Stanford study might not be the best support of their argument. There's a game of telephone where ECLAG's position paper has (their boldface): …with footnote 7 citing the...FYI, ECLAG citing the Stanford study might not be the best support of their argument. There's a game of telephone where ECLAG's position paper has (their boldface):
Similar to pornography, the stimulation arising from watching CSAM,
including AI-CSAM, is proven to often increase CSAM addiction and even fuel existing
fantasies of in-person child sexual abuse.7…with footnote 7 citing the Stanford paper, which says something similar but in much milder words. The most relevant part I could find:
However, neither the viability nor efficacy of such a practice has been sufficiently studied and many warn that, for some, this material could have an adverse effect—lowering barriers of inhibition or contributing to existing fantasies of real-world abuse.16
…which is much less confident wording. Insufficient study? And who's the "many"? Grumble grumble avoid weasel words next time, but I presume they mean the studies cited by the summary paper that is footnote 16 (my cherrypicking from the relevant section):
The material has been argued to potentially serve as a gateway to contact offending (Maras and Shapiro 2017), as the offender may become desensitized to passive viewing, finding it to be insufficient over time (Schell et al. 2007).
While engaging with abusive material does not inevitably result in contact offending (Henshaw et al. 2015), there are effects to the exposure of such.
Given VCSAM is related in content to CSAM, the ongoing effects of exposure to VCSAM is an important avenue for future research.
So there are real concerns, founded in real pathways by which an increase in AI imagery might increase physical harm to children. But there's also a lot of carefully hedged language (and the cliché of researchers saying more research is needed). ECLAG's wording of "is proven" feels like a stretch when describing the current research, even assuming their conclusion is correct.
I didn't dig any further. But I will say that, after that deep dive, I'm more concerned than I was beforehand re: AI imagery. Most of my increased concern is around the second-order effects, though, and Pandora's box is already open to varying degrees on that front. (And unfortunately that's a larger issue than just CSAM cases—regardless of the crime, seeing is no longer believing when it comes to evaluating evidence.)
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Comment on Indie Game Awards rescinds Clair Obscur's GOTY wins over use of generative AI [for now-removed background assets] in ~games
bitshift Link ParentTotally agree that what makes a game "indie" is hard to quantify. I used budget as an example since that was something @macleod mentioned, and it was an easy way to demonstrate following the...CO33 was developed like a high budget AA(A) game [...] Even that is hardly quantifiable.
Totally agree that what makes a game "indie" is hard to quantify. I used budget as an example since that was something @macleod mentioned, and it was an easy way to demonstrate following the letter of the rules without satisfying the spirit.
I still have a question, though. What qualifications does one currently need to enter a game for the Indie Game Awards?
Maybe the answer is there are no qualifications. Maybe accepting any and all games for consideration, then kicking out the ones that don't "feel right" on technicalities, is just an example of the system working. And if you're a big studio that's definitely not indie by any metric, you're probably going to filter yourself out because there's nothing to gain by trying.
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Comment on Indie Game Awards rescinds Clair Obscur's GOTY wins over use of generative AI [for now-removed background assets] in ~games
bitshift Link ParentComing in as a curious outsider here… How come they weren't disqualified right off the bat for being professional game devs? One scenario I'm imagining is there's some entrance criteria for who is...Coming in as a curious outsider here… How come they weren't disqualified right off the bat for being professional game devs?
One scenario I'm imagining is there's some entrance criteria for who is truely indie, such as (and I'm making this up), "It can't be a true indie game if you spent more than $10 million." And the E33 team had a budget of $9.5 million, so they said to themselves, hey, let's go enter our game for that award! We might step on a few toes because for other cultural reasons we're unlike everyone else there, but we satisfy the letter of the law, right?
(Again, I'm making up that scenario. But if the awards were searching for a technicality on which to throw them out, I'm curious how they got into it in the first place.)
Em dashes are still cool—but it's up to us to take them back from the machines!