delphi's recent activity
-
Comment on Google Chrome silently installs a 4 GB AI model on your device without consent in ~tech
-
Comment on We must keep age verification from killing anonymity online in ~tech
delphi Link ParentI was surprised too, but more about the automated aspect than the self-checkout. I guess there are attendants around, albeit one per six check stands instead of two per one.I was surprised too, but more about the automated aspect than the self-checkout. I guess there are attendants around, albeit one per six check stands instead of two per one.
-
Comment on We must keep age verification from killing anonymity online in ~tech
delphi Link ParentThat model works fine for buying booze because you, y'know, are buying booze. You're acquiring a physical object. Having to go somewhere, in person, just to verify your access to a service would...That model works fine for buying booze because you, y'know, are buying booze. You're acquiring a physical object. Having to go somewhere, in person, just to verify your access to a service would be a huge source of friction, enough that people wouldn't want to do it.
Plus, why should stores bother? There's no money in this. You just get non-customers into your store that don't buy anything and are probably pissed off that this is necessary at all.
I hate the age verification scheme too, but this would arguably be the worst way of doing it. And let's not leave it merely implied - very quickly this would be outsourced to startups that offer an appliance or a verification machine at the gas station so that no workers need to be involved, and those will absolutely store your ID after scanning. I could be wrong here, but I'm not. It's already happened. My local (German!) grocery store has started rolling out little phone-looking attachments to self-checkout kiosks that verify your age for 18+ items, with a truly horrifying privacy policy, that of course... no one reads.
-
Comment on Where can I find the best lanyard? in ~life.style
delphi Link ParentSorry, should have been more clear. Yes, I guess I just need some way to keep all my things together and tie a ribbon loop to it. I'll check out Nite-Ize, thanksSorry, should have been more clear. Yes, I guess I just need some way to keep all my things together and tie a ribbon loop to it. I'll check out Nite-Ize, thanks
-
Where can I find the best lanyard?
I really don't know where to put this, so feel free to move, but I have this issue. I carry a LOT of shit on my keychain. Two sets of keys of four each, a SIM removal tool, a tiny retractable box...
I really don't know where to put this, so feel free to move, but I have this issue. I carry a LOT of shit on my keychain. Two sets of keys of four each, a SIM removal tool, a tiny retractable box cutter, a USB drive full of installer ISOs (you never know), an AirTag, a CPU with a hole punched through, a 3D printed whistle, and that may very well grow.
Now the problem I have is that the lanyard that I currently have has, over time, widened the gap on the karabiner to the point that I'll regularly lose a key ring in my pocket when pulling it out. Nothing major's happened yet, but it's a matter of time.
So, clearly, I need a better one. A higher quality one. But going on the eTailers of today I really only get garbage. A pack of 20! For ten bucks! Well, thanks, but we all know they'll suck. And frankly, I really don't know how to get my hands on a high quality one. I bet they're out there, I'm sure, but where do I look? What's good, what's bad? I really don't need the high-end climbing gear, or do I? Is my key lanyard a candidate for buy it for life, and if so, am I ready for that commitment?
Looking for any and all advice on this.
PS: I don't wear the lanyard. I'm one of those assholes that puts the active end in my pocket and lets the lanyard itself dangle out.
24 votes -
Comment on "Why was I invited to Beast Studios?" - A comprehensive investigative analysis of YouTube's biggest channel in ~tech
delphi Link ParentI hope that's what they're doing, especially with how dark it's in that sound stage and you'd kind of have to be binning down, but considering how incompetent they've been I have little hope. The...I hope that's what they're doing, especially with how dark it's in that sound stage and you'd kind of have to be binning down, but considering how incompetent they've been I have little hope. The "Two Drink Limit" sign in the editing bay is also telling a different story.
-
Comment on "Why was I invited to Beast Studios?" - A comprehensive investigative analysis of YouTube's biggest channel in ~tech
delphi LinkThe biggest indictment of the entire operation to me was using an Alexa 65 as an A camera for a game show that is 95% B-roll by volume. That camera shoots in 2.4 x 1 by default, he's not even...The biggest indictment of the entire operation to me was using an Alexa 65 as an A camera for a game show that is 95% B-roll by volume.
That camera shoots in 2.4 x 1 by default, he's not even using most of that sensor when shooting in 16:9-style 4K (which you wouldn't do, but he's been shown to be incompetent in everything else, so I can only assume).
-
Comment on Brave Origin (Nightly), a paid, bloat-free version of Brave in ~tech
delphi LinkObligatory reminder that the Brave company is the brainchild of Brendan Eich, inventor of JavaScript and the largest homophobe in Silicon Valley, to the point where Mozilla fired him for this....Obligatory reminder that the Brave company is the brainchild of Brendan Eich, inventor of JavaScript and the largest homophobe in Silicon Valley, to the point where Mozilla fired him for this.
Obligatory secondary reminder that Brave Browser includes a cryptocurrency mechanism that rewards you with tokens upon viewing ads shown to you on your new tab page.
I can’t imagine why anyone in their right mind would pay money for this. I haven’t the least bit of interest in this.
-
Comment on What is Mastodon for? in ~tech
delphi LinkI personally feel like any discussion of Mastodon's numerous failures as a social media replacement[1] fall apart when you realise that nothing of any mainstream value ever happens on Mastodon....I personally feel like any discussion of Mastodon's numerous failures as a social media replacement[1] fall apart when you realise that nothing of any mainstream value ever happens on Mastodon. It's all theatre more than anything. The ants in the ant farm insist that it's a bold experiment in federation and free speech, but it's all just roleplay as far as I can tell.
There's no way to say this kindly as the facts here are just unkind, so don't mistake this as me hating, I'm sure to some the Mastodon experience is ideal, but... when have you ever heard "oh, did you see that viral mastodon post"? And while we're on the topic, why is Mastodon just... like that? It seems deliberately designed to be as obtuse as possible, and thus self-organises and -selects for people willing to put in a lot of effort for a very tiny increase in quality of life. I don't think that's a good starting point for a platform that - in concept - was meant to be for "living in the moment" and sharing tiny snippets of your life, like Twitter was. A platform like that demands as little friction as possible. Hell, Twitter shipped with SMS posting as a core feature because it was the easiest way to bring your thoughts on there in 2006.
Add to that the fundamental friction of the federation as a concept and having to pick an instance as your first decision, before even having learned what Mastodon is all about, and this is just feels to me like another LessWrong. As in, "if you don't want to interact with our system and its numerous designed inefficiencies, you're not the kind of person who would be welcome or at home here". You can do that, Tildes' invite system fundamentally uses the same mechanism, but if you do you can't pretend to be the next generation's online town square.
[1]: Mastodon also conceptually fails at this because its community wants high quality respectful interactions with nuance, something the interaction model of modern social media simply is incompatible with. There's a reason Tildes looks, feels and plays like a BBS or a Usenet group.
[PS]: They also have to know that nobody in their right mind would willingly use the term "toot" to describe a post. The thing you share around? Farts. Inconsequential and unpleasant. Talk about setting yourself up for failure.
-
Comment on Matt Mullenweg says “the wheels have fallen off” in wide-ranging WordPress critique in ~tech
delphi Link ParentSure, but it's not like he really ever cared about the best user experience. He wants clout. That's understandable if you ask me, and if I cared a little more about WordPress I'd call for it to be...Sure, but it's not like he really ever cared about the best user experience. He wants clout. That's understandable if you ask me, and if I cared a little more about WordPress I'd call for it to be turned into a consortium
-
Comment on Matt Mullenweg says “the wheels have fallen off” in wide-ranging WordPress critique in ~tech
delphi LinkI mean, is he wrong? Wordpress is a slow, bloated mess that coasts largely on collective inertia and doesn't add anything useful in its many updates, aside from a much, much worse UX. What used to...I mean, is he wrong? Wordpress is a slow, bloated mess that coasts largely on collective inertia and doesn't add anything useful in its many updates, aside from a much, much worse UX. What used to be a lean, effective blogging platform now is a frankensteined-together hodgepodge of rent seeking plugins that barely work once you stack up even a small amount. The theme situation is somehow worse, the now four competing editors (MCE, Gutenberg, Elementor and the fourth one that escapes me at the moment) are all miserable to work in.
Delenda est, as far as I'm concerned. It's time we move on, for a multitude of reasons.
Edit: I mean, yeah, he's an asshole, but what else is new?
-
Comment on Have you played with bubbles recently? in ~talk
delphi LinkI'd like to subscribe to all future entries under the "whimsy.childlike" tag pleaseI'd like to subscribe to all future entries under the "whimsy.childlike" tag please
-
Comment on Valve is working on Proton for ARM processors in ~games
delphi LinkIf this means Proton for Apple Silicon... well, I don't know what then, but I'm cautiously optimistic.If this means Proton for Apple Silicon... well, I don't know what then, but I'm cautiously optimistic.
-
Comment on Esoteric Ebb | Fully Ramblomatic in ~games
delphi LinkI haven't played the game and I doubt I will, but I did massively enjoy Disco Elysium and it's probably my second favourite game of all time. To those who have played it: Does it bring something...I haven't played the game and I doubt I will, but I did massively enjoy Disco Elysium and it's probably my second favourite game of all time. To those who have played it: Does it bring something new to the table other than "D&D Disco Elysium"? Because I struggle to contain my cynicism when looking at such a vulnerable, raw, angry, caring and earnest piece of art like Disco Elysium and seeing it filtered through the aesthetic and mechanics of Critical Role.
-
Comment on The center has a bias in ~tech
delphi Link ParentI don't really wanna get into it, but I did mean "thin the population by removing those with undesirable traits so they won't reproduce" which unless I'm completely mistaken is eugenicsI don't really wanna get into it, but I did mean "thin the population by removing those with undesirable traits so they won't reproduce" which unless I'm completely mistaken is eugenics
-
Comment on The center has a bias in ~tech
delphi Link ParentNot to invoke the ol' whataboutism, but there are plenty of technologies that are much more grey and do not in the slightest gather that much ire from the general public, so I have a hard time...Not to invoke the ol' whataboutism, but there are plenty of technologies that are much more grey and do not in the slightest gather that much ire from the general public, so I have a hard time taking this point seriously. What about AI makes it so much worse than, say, cryptocurrency? Or the global stock market? Or nuclear power?
-
Comment on The center has a bias in ~tech
delphi (edited )Link ParentThe conversation at hand is "is AI good or bad?", so answering or at least discussion of that question requires that you examine AI first. If your position - like the negative side of the argument...The conversation at hand is "is AI good or bad?", so answering or at least discussion of that question requires that you examine AI first. If your position - like the negative side of the argument here - is that AI is so inherently bad we shouldn't even give it that time of day, then you're not interested in having the conversation in a nuanced way to begin with, and therefore we can discard that position in favour of the ones that are actually interested in a discussion about the topic.
To put it simply, if your goal is to have a conversation (is AI good?), then the available options are "Yes", "Maybe", and "No" and variations thereof. "I'm not even going to discuss the question because I believe it's not worth it" is not a valid answer to that question.
Yes, Maybe, No, Potentially, It Depends, Signs point to yes, these are all answers, and getting to whichever one of them will mean having reached a new quantum of understanding. "We will never know because I'm not going to discuss it" does not add any new insight.
-
Comment on The center has a bias in ~tech
delphi LinkThis is conceptually very related to another thing I learned recently: Discussing a topic in good faith and with the goal of arriving at a new, better understanding does not mean giving all sides...This is conceptually very related to another thing I learned recently: Discussing a topic in good faith and with the goal of arriving at a new, better understanding does not mean giving all sides the same time and consideration. Sounds counter-intuitive, but is entirely true; say you're discussing eugenics. One side says "we shouldn't kill people to optimise for a defined 'ideal' in society", the other one says "we should kill people to optimise for a defined 'ideal' in society". Both of these points are valid points logically, and correct english grammar, yet we do not need to consider one side because it's patently absurd and incorrect by most systems of value. This is the same way. To discuss AI, you need to grok AI, and that means to be capable of loving it just as much as being capable of hating it. I don't see the loud anti-AI camp being charitable on that side.
-
Comment on I miss technology that was meant to be used as a tool in ~tech
delphi LinkYeah, you're right. Totally. But now it falls upon us, the people who are annoyed by the status quo, to build something new and better. Like https://delphi.tools/, which I built because I echo...Yeah, you're right. Totally. But now it falls upon us, the people who are annoyed by the status quo, to build something new and better.
Like https://delphi.tools/, which I built because I echo this exact sentiment
-
Comment on Introducing EmDash — the spiritual successor to WordPress that solves plugin security in ~tech
delphi Link Parenthttps://imgbox.com/vBOMkHgO - bottom of the x402.org page.https://imgbox.com/vBOMkHgO - bottom of the x402.org page.
I can't imagine it's without consent. Like, sure, maybe without what we, the nerds with strong opinions, would call consent, but there's DEFINITELY a provision somewhere in the EULA that they're allowed to do this.