gary's recent activity
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Comment on Any significant changes to Tildes are extremely unlikely in ~tildes.official
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Comment on Why normal people aren’t using AI agents in ~tech
gary Link ParentYes that particular use of Siri is crazy. But I think the point it's trying to make is that Siri has improved a lot. Try to read less into the specific situation and more into the possibilities...Yes that particular use of Siri is crazy. But I think the point it's trying to make is that Siri has improved a lot. Try to read less into the specific situation and more into the possibilities beyond that use. I also tried the new Siri recently because I wanted to try a different coffee shop this past weekend. I remembered my friend had suggested a spot we ended up not going to, but I forgot the name. I tried searching "coffee" in my texts. I tried searching the name of the city (I remembered the wrong name). I considered scrolling up, but it was a long time ago, we had talked a lot since then, and I didn't remember the exact date. Then I asked Siri to do it and it did it.
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Comment on New label suggestion: a removable "One-sided" label that gradually reduces the comment's visibility in ~tildes
gary LinkHuh, I'm curious how many of my comments would get mislabeled as misinformation. A large chunk of what I comment is refuting something that I am sure is incorrect. Frequently, through the number...Huh, I'm curious how many of my comments would get mislabeled as misinformation. A large chunk of what I comment is refuting something that I am sure is incorrect. Frequently, through the number of votes, I gauge that what I write is not very popular. Would that mean that what I write is likely to be labeled misinformation? These labels are a proxy for popularity, sad as it is to say.
I'm sure I'm not always right, but from reading this thread I get the sense that the people most likely to use this feature are the people I see frequently holding absolutist views that are based on feels.
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Comment on Why normal people aren’t using AI agents in ~tech
gary Link ParentI'm guessing an IDE? What do they have you use? Or is it something else? I think an employer should consider letting their employee use up to 5% of their annual salary on tools if the tools are...I'm guessing an IDE? What do they have you use? Or is it something else? I think an employer should consider letting their employee use up to 5% of their annual salary on tools if the tools are going to make them move faster. More than 5% if it can be defended. Most employers are too penny pinching on tooling.
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Comment on Is it time to include pronouns? in ~tildes
gary LinkI like how on forums I don't have an image of what a person is. Eventually I pick up on someone's gender over time but for the most part, I have no idea what someone is. Like you, @NaraVara, and I...I like how on forums I don't have an image of what a person is. Eventually I pick up on someone's gender over time but for the most part, I have no idea what someone is. Like you, @NaraVara, and I don't care because your gender to me doesn't change how I consider your ideas. I wouldn't use the feature, but I wouldn't oppose it either.
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Comment on Why normal people aren’t using AI agents in ~tech
gary Link ParentOkay, maybe not, but who cares what Josh Miller thinks? If we don't reach 24/7 use of agentic AI use, it doesn't mean it can't still be an important part of our lives. The dismissals of AI in this...Okay, maybe not, but who cares what Josh Miller thinks? If we don't reach 24/7 use of agentic AI use, it doesn't mean it can't still be an important part of our lives. The dismissals of AI in this thread aren't scoped to just what Josh Miller is saying, but agentic AI in general.
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Comment on Why normal people aren’t using AI agents in ~tech
gary Link ParentI don't feel like you're really disputing anything I said, but maybe I'm misunderstanding? I've been using the $20/month plan for agentic use, coding on the side at home for fun every few days....I don't feel like you're really disputing anything I said, but maybe I'm misunderstanding? I've been using the $20/month plan for agentic use, coding on the side at home for fun every few days. I've also been having it do deep research reports for me ("how much is my condo worth?") once in a while. It's been more than adequate for my use. The really long, detailed report about my condo which included a list of comparable properties and analysis on those used 10% of my weekly usage budget.
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Comment on Why normal people aren’t using AI agents in ~tech
gary Link Parent$800/month is too expensive for sure, but some of the Chinese models are pretty solid now and 1-2 orders of magnitude lower in pricing. That gets it to where $10-20/month is a feasible price,...$800/month is too expensive for sure, but some of the Chinese models are pretty solid now and 1-2 orders of magnitude lower in pricing. That gets it to where $10-20/month is a feasible price, especially when you consider that the average person will use far, far fewer tokens than what I or @teaearlgraycold use.
The features themselves aren't very compelling for a normal person yet, but stuff like Apple's password reset feature for leaked credentials being agent-driven will become the norm. Truly consumer-focused experiences will eventually be built. Can we look at the technology and really think no one's going to find a way to incorporate a natural-language interfaced computing environment? We've only just begun to build out the next generation of interfacing, but it's been a dream for decades.
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Comment on Why normal people aren’t using AI agents in ~tech
gary Link ParentIt depends on their agent setup but Safari exposes an MCP server and if the agent runs locally, it's effectively "free". Maybe it runs in PCC though. Still, as capabilities get better, why...It depends on their agent setup but Safari exposes an MCP server and if the agent runs locally, it's effectively "free". Maybe it runs in PCC though. Still, as capabilities get better, why wouldn't what runs in PCC today run on-device in X years?
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Comment on Why normal people aren’t using AI agents in ~tech
gary Link ParentI wasn't trying to debate anything. Genuinely just curious! I've only started looking at my usage numbers and was fascinated by it. I think it's still possible for agentic use by normal consumers...I wasn't trying to debate anything. Genuinely just curious! I've only started looking at my usage numbers and was fascinated by it. I think it's still possible for agentic use by normal consumers some day. The $20/month plan at OpenAI has given me a lot more usage than I'd think for personal use. My cousin sent me a screenshot of a Chinese model with 100 million tokens used for $0.85 (heavily cached). Apple's building in agentic support in Safari, which would make basic use free for hundreds of millions. I see no reason the cheap end of the market can't develop.
EDIT: I'm using Opus 4.6/4.8/5 and Sol. Both are stupidly expensive compared to the "open source" options.
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Comment on Why normal people aren’t using AI agents in ~tech
gary Link ParentHow much is it costing you? I'm at ~$800/month now for work.How much is it costing you? I'm at ~$800/month now for work.
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Comment on ‘The Odyssey’ surpasses $1 billion, Christopher Nolan’s first movie since ‘Dark Knight Rises’ to reach coveted box office milestone in ~movies
gary Link ParentAt a glance, it looks like the recovery is among the big movies which now take up a larger share of the market. People go see large films for the cultural experience but the small and medium...At a glance, it looks like the recovery is among the big movies which now take up a larger share of the market. People go see large films for the cultural experience but the small and medium budget films are still languishing?
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Comment on Antisemitism on campus is 'systemic' and going unaddressed, says new report in ~society
gary Link ParentYou're making the assumption that the professor said it in front of a large enough audience that someone would corroborate. It's possible that the professor was overheard when speaking to a small...You're making the assumption that the professor said it in front of a large enough audience that someone would corroborate. It's possible that the professor was overheard when speaking to a small number of people that are sympathetic to them.
I heard a professor say that Hitler was a hero.
This is the entirety of the quote and all we have to go on. If you don't believe it, move on to the next quote.
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Comment on Antisemitism on campus is 'systemic' and going unaddressed, says new report in ~society
gary Link ParentThe suggestion from the instructor to focus on "the Israeli Police's role in sexual assaults" doesn't support that theory, but agreed that the student could be embellishing.The suggestion from the instructor to focus on "the Israeli Police's role in sexual assaults" doesn't support that theory, but agreed that the student could be embellishing.
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Comment on Antisemitism on campus is 'systemic' and going unaddressed, says new report in ~society
gary (edited )Link ParentIt depends on why the student got a 0 and what the original assignment was. It could be antisemitism, if the assignment was to write about sexual assault in general and portraying Israelis as...It depends on why the student got a 0 and what the original assignment was. It could be antisemitism, if the assignment was to write about sexual assault in general and portraying Israelis as victims is disallowed. Even if the assignment was to write about Israeli-committed sexual assault, the topic choice alone could be indicative of antisemitism. Again, all of it is "could" as we don't have the full picture and we only have the student's perspective.
Here's some examples:
- Write about sexual assault, but if you write about the Israelis being victims, you're getting a 0. (antisemitic)
- Write about sexual assault in a series of papers, but this week we're exploring just the Palestinian side as the victims and next week we're exploring the Israeli side (not antisemitic).
- Write about sexual assault but only where Israelis are the perpetrators (antisemitic).
EDIT: here's the actual quote from the report by the way, since it reads slightly differently from how the article presented it.
“A Women and Gender Studies professor graded me 0% on an assignment because I spoke about sexual assault on October 7, 2023. He suggested I focus instead on the Israeli Police’s role in sexual assaults.”
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Comment on New Zealand has a new official language — English in ~society
gary Link ParentGovernment agency names being in English is pretty defensible though. In your example, Health NZ is much more understandable to an English speaker than Whatu Ora and the confusion with Ministry of...Government agency names being in English is pretty defensible though. In your example, Health NZ is much more understandable to an English speaker than Whatu Ora and the confusion with Ministry of Health is still present even if Whatu Ora is the name. NZTA is easy to understand too, as NZ is obviously New Zealand and then an English speaker only has to map TA to Transport Agency. I never get confused that CTA is Chicago Transit Authority. The "T" is easy to remember as something transportation related. Naming official government agencies in a language only 4% can speak doesn't make much sense to me.
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Comment on California goat grazing faces crisis after wage change in ~enviro
gary (edited )Link ParentOur entire society is predicated on the idea that some jobs require 24/7 on-call while not paying 24/7. The concept of an hourly wage and overtime derives from jobs that are hourly, but some...Our entire society is predicated on the idea that some jobs require 24/7 on-call while not paying 24/7. The concept of an hourly wage and overtime derives from jobs that are hourly, but some professions are outside of the traditional 8 hour structure. Paying overtime based on that has no moral grounding any more than not paying overtime based on that. It's just about desired outcomes. In this case, the government desired that goat herders should get paid consistent overtime with other professions. If the result is that goat herders get paid more but the same amount of goats grazing is the same, that's a win-win. If the result is that there are fewer goat herders and less grazing, it's a lose-lose.
EDIT: And the reason sheep herding has an exemption is because sheep herding economics probably wouldn't support it. Either it does and it should follow goat herding or it doesn't and goat herding should follow it.
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Comment on California goat grazing faces crisis after wage change in ~enviro
gary Link ParentIf it's truly a 24/7 job, then 3 shifts of 8 hours just multiplies the current cost by 3, which brings the cost to about the same. It's probably going to be some mix of shift work, more goats per...If it's truly a 24/7 job, then 3 shifts of 8 hours just multiplies the current cost by 3, which brings the cost to about the same. It's probably going to be some mix of shift work, more goats per herder, an "on-call" dedicated herder, and even then it's not clear this would work. The study itself notes that only "sometimes" is it possible for there to be a dedicated herder in an on-call system where one herder manages multiple flocks. If it's 1 designated on-call herder per flock, we get back to the same expensive problem.
Herders said they actively worked seven to eight hours a day or 49 to 56 hours a week. Daily routines could be interrupted by animals escaping, predators, or other events that required immediate responses, and thus herders were on-call 24/7. During lambing and kidding season (from October to November) both ranchers and herders are often on duty and frequently working almost around the clock.
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Ranchers said that it was not possible to designate non-duty time if one herder is responsible for 1,000 animals in a remote area, since time off for one herder would require a relief worker to circulate among herders, and the off-duty herder may not be able to leave the workplace. Ranchers said they could not afford the additional cost of hiring relief herders. However, there are sometimes several flocks of animals and several herders in proximity, suggesting that a hub and spoke system could allow several herders to be based in permanent housing or a motel and provided with vehicles to travel to their flock for the workday. House- or motel-based herders could be paid hourly wages and could work split-shift schedules, giving them time off during the middle of the day when the animals rest. A hub and spoke system could allow one herder to be on duty overnight while the other herders were off duty.I would also like to copy this comment from the article's comment section:
I had a small grazing business; 40 goats. This business like many agriculture based businesses is very different from what many people know and understand, so I think some opinions are essentially uninformed. When a business runs on a 24 schedule, like caring for any living being -- plant or animal, including human -- there is no real downtime. Someone always needs to be on duty and responsible and there needs to be a great deal of continuity of care, so that simply hiring someone to take the next shift is not optimal or even practical. Also grazing work, especially for very large jobs like hundreds or thousands of acres, can take a person too far away from any regular home for commuting.
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Comment on California goat grazing faces crisis after wage change in ~enviro
gary Link ParentYou'd think so (and I would too), but the California government hasn't done a great job up till now and I doubt increasing expenses would make that better. Said government is also the power...You'd think so (and I would too), but the California government hasn't done a great job up till now and I doubt increasing expenses would make that better. Said government is also the power preventing the insurance premium increases you mention so.. it's not looking great.
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Comment on California goat grazing faces crisis after wage change in ~enviro
gary LinkGoat herders were paid ~$60k + room&board. Sheep herders were also paid about ~$60k + room &board. A law made it so that goat herders were not considered the same as sheep herders and goat herders...- Goat herders were paid ~$60k + room&board.
- Sheep herders were also paid about ~$60k + room &board.
- A law made it so that goat herders were not considered the same as sheep herders and goat herders now need to be paid ~$240k + room&board.
It seems pretty understandable that if your labor costs go up $150k+/employee overnight, you'll have a hard time making payroll. The charges to your customers were calculated considering the old wage and the new wage is so much higher that you'll have to go convince customers to pay way more before the next time you need to pay your employees. Maybe they will and everyone will be happy! Or maybe they won't because wildfire risk is a cost that everyone bears but unless everyone's paying then why would I suddenly pay a shit ton more?
I hope you guys remember this when we get the next major wildfire in California and someone says "why don't they just have goats graze the hills". Who's going to pay $240k + room&board to a goat herder when they could pay $60k + room&board for a sheep herder? Lol.
You don't get to speak for all white men though, and that attitude pervaded enough such that my race is now sometimes included with this idea that people can't be racist towards us. It's the epitome of the white man's arrogance to believe that their tolerance for racism out of some feeling of guilt should allow them to then redefine what racism means, impacting everyone else and depriving them of a say in it. Keep your "systemic racism" definition to yourself. If you're okay with someone being racist to you, fine, but don't put that on me.