firedoll's recent activity
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
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Comment on Vending machine error reveals secret face image database of Canadian college students in ~tech
firedoll Link ParentI agree. "Gamification" in particular is a pet peeve of mine, as I think it's often a messy system with no benefit that's tacked on after the fact for marketing purposes. It's funny you mention...I agree. "Gamification" in particular is a pet peeve of mine, as I think it's often a messy system with no benefit that's tacked on after the fact for marketing purposes. It's funny you mention slot machines though, as some Japanese vending machines also already randomly dispense an extra drink or gift after vending your purchase.
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Comment on Vending machine error reveals secret face image database of Canadian college students in ~tech
firedoll Link ParentI've poked my head into vending a little bit in the past, so I took a look and found a PDF for a smart vending machine from one of the vendors listed in the article, Invenda. I don't get the...I've poked my head into vending a little bit in the past, so I took a look and found a PDF for a smart vending machine from one of the vendors listed in the article, Invenda.
I don't get the impression it's power saving. The PDF says one of the reports available is "demographics," which reminds me of machines I saw for Japan that could detect the gender of the customer and highlight specific products. The PDF goes on to specifically call out some specific metrics: "foot traffic" and "gender/age/etc"
They also mention AI, because of course they do.
Do away with the limitations of traditional machines. Increase sales thanks to a multi-product basket and numerous upselling features: combo deals, promotions, animations*, enhanced imagery, AI product recommendations, gamification, cross-selling and sampling.
The machine could be using AI to do image processing and categorization of customers, then just storing the anonymized data and sending that to the cloud for reporting.
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Comment on How much does a creator's worldview influence whether you use their tech or consume their media? in ~talk
firedoll Link ParentI've been a DDG user for years and I'm generally pretty satisfied with a good portion of searches. If I'm just looking for a recipe or whatever, it does the job fine. There were occasional times I...I've been a DDG user for years and I'm generally pretty satisfied with a good portion of searches. If I'm just looking for a recipe or whatever, it does the job fine.
There were occasional times I would bail to Google when struggling with DDG, especially for more technical things, but I'm realizing that I don't do that much anymore. I think Google has buried so many organic results in favor of whatever they're pushing that I subconsciously stopped believing I had a good chance of finding things there.
That said, it feels like recently a lot of the long, AI generated spam that infected Google results has started to impact DDG as well and I'm struggling a little more to find things. I still prefer DDG though, since it feels like I'm more in control, my data is more private, and there's less litter along the side of the road.
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Comment on The work of online volunteers - Moderators’ work on Reddit and Facebook is crucial but not paid. We should be creative in how we compensate them. in ~tech
firedoll Link ParentI've branched out into using multiple content aggregation sites, especially since Reddit's debacles six months ago. Some of Reffit's users still seem to have a chip on their shoulder about the...I've branched out into using multiple content aggregation sites, especially since Reddit's debacles six months ago. Some of Reffit's users still seem to have a chip on their shoulder about the whole thing. New user growth on Reddit has potentially offset some of the blowback they received, but in the case that Reddit decides to burn goodwill again, I get the sense there's now competition users can flee to. Their market position feels weaker and moat smaller in that regard.
I also ended up on Reddit over a decade ago, in my case as an alternative to other communities that disintegrated. I think my view of Reddit is slightly less romantic: businesses and communities don't necessarily last forever, even if they have a big presence in our lives at the moment.
Administrating communities is hard work and if Reddit can't figure out how to make things more equitable for moderators and users, hopefully one of the newcomers can. Personally, I like the idea the idea of "donating" my contributions to more open spaces like the Fediverse. Or, I at least want to share the love a little more, rather than creating content for a single "rich internet company."
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Comment on The bizarre story behind Shinzo Abe’s assassination in ~humanities
firedoll Link ParentThanks. The situation is obviously evolving, and while I was aware of Yasukuni's history along with some of the other controversies/issues, this helps better flush out and connect the individual...Thanks. The situation is obviously evolving, and while I was aware of Yasukuni's history along with some of the other controversies/issues, this helps better flush out and connect the individual things in my head.
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Comment on The bizarre story behind Shinzo Abe’s assassination in ~humanities
firedoll Link ParentAgreed, it twists around into a couple very interesting angles. Including the ties to the potential ties to th Korean Central Intelligence Agency. I've been worried about Shinzo's sympathies...Agreed, it twists around into a couple very interesting angles. Including the ties to the potential ties to th Korean Central Intelligence Agency.
I've been worried about Shinzo's sympathies toward Japan's imperial and militarist past for a long time. But, I didn't realize his grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, was a suspected war criminal or linked to Manchuria.
The degree to which the Unification Church/Moonies/Family Federation for World Peace and Unification have ended up being linked to the government, and how much clout they had, is also wild. Considering Moon's comments, their right wing leanings, and the outreach tactics laid out in the article...
[The founder, Sun Myung Moon’s] own homophobia went far beyond the LDP’s; he once described gay people as “dirty, dung-eating dogs.”
...it really makes you question how much the "church" may have shaped current Japanese society and norms.
The Botherhood are jerks, so it can hard to get behind them at times, but I find Maximus particularly aggravating. He doesn't come across as a good person or little guy who's in a bad system, he's just a hypocrite and lair who takes every opportunity to put himself before others. Maybe that's fair for the Wasteland or it's part of his arc, but I don't think the way it's structured makes for a particularly compelling watch. The actor portrays him as overwhelmingly sniveling at times, which is also agitating.
I'm not really sure where they're going with his arc or themes. Maybe it's going to be some kind of Anakin Skywalker good guy becomes evil ruler thing, but he's not that good a guy to begin with. The most charitable take I've heard is that he represents the new player who just wants to get to the power armor.
While I think the show is good overall and enjoyed it, I find Maximus and the Brotherhood to be an instance where the writing falls apart a bit. Case in point: a friend unfamiliar with the lore was under the impression the power armor was a robot through the first episodes.