hobbes64's recent activity
-
Comment on Pluribus full season discussion in ~tv
-
Comment on What’s a point that you think many people missed? in ~talk
hobbes64 Link ParentI noticed the brand recognition issue when I was a little kid and I was trying to figure out why McDonald's had commercials with a clown and strange costumed characters and sometimes didn't even...I noticed the brand recognition issue when I was a little kid and I was trying to figure out why McDonald's had commercials with a clown and strange costumed characters and sometimes didn't even mention food.
-
Comment on Feeling weird about my career with respect to AI in ~life
hobbes64 LinkI have a lot of concerns about AI too, but with respect to programming, here is a different perspective. When I first became a programmer in the late '90s, I had a few books from college that I...I have a lot of concerns about AI too, but with respect to programming, here is a different perspective.
When I first became a programmer in the late '90s, I had a few books from college that I took with me everywhere. These books had algorithms and patterns. One of the books was "The C Programming Language", which showed the implementation of various low-level functions. I would refer to the books as needed.
A few years later, when java and then c# came out, programming became somewhat different. There were more high-level languages and things were moving a bit faster. I didn't ever have to figure out how to write a sort algorithm anymore, I just had to find which library had the best one. At this time, my colleagues and I would frequently go to bookshops and buy new books. We bought a lot of those O'Reilly books that have the animals on the covers. These books would usually be good and accurate for 6 months to a year. Things were speeding up though and you had to keep learning the new libraries etc.
A few years after that, things were speeding up again. Javascript was becoming a big thing. We stopped buying books to keep up, we would just go to sites like Stack Overflow (nee Experts Exchange).
Now we aren't searching the internet for answers. We are using copilot in vscode or intellij.
But it's really all the same thing, just sped up. It's slightly different in that copilot can kind of write some code for you, but that's hardly different than pasting a block of code from a book or from Stack Overflow. It's just happening faster. Also, a lot of the world thinks AI is more powerful than it is and that it can replace people. That's probably the dangerous part.
Early in my career I was kind of jealous of engineers who came before me when things were lower level. They often had to carefully write very low level code in assembly or whatever. It seems more satisfying than just calling someone else's libraries. I guess that is kind of what you are thinking, but magnified.
-
Comment on Mac advice for a long time Windows user in ~tech
hobbes64 LinkIt took a while to get used to the differences but I now prefer the mac interface to windows. I agree with the other posters here that say you should try to get used to the differences instead of...It took a while to get used to the differences but I now prefer the mac interface to windows. I agree with the other posters here that say you should try to get used to the differences instead of overriding them.
It took me longest to get used to command instead of ctrl, but now I am able to automatically switch if I'm using mac or windows or linux.For a dev, the terminal shell is much better than windows command or powershell.
If you are working in a place is mostly a windows shop, you may have some issues with proxy and may need to setup cntlm.
For utility apps, I recommend
-
Comment on Two visions for the future of AR smart glasses in ~tech
hobbes64 Link ParentYeah it sounds like a dystopia to me. Already people are not present most of the day, now they will be in la la land, being fed nonsense and distractions every moment.Yeah it sounds like a dystopia to me. Already people are not present most of the day, now they will be in la la land, being fed nonsense and distractions every moment.
-
Comment on Let franchises end in ~movies
hobbes64 LinkHere is the link for the same essay on Nebula, in case you have that and prefer it to youtube: Let Franchises EndHere is the link for the same essay on Nebula, in case you have that and prefer it to youtube: Let Franchises End
-
Comment on Bringing back the battleship? - Railguns, US shipbuilding and a 35,000 ton bad idea? in ~engineering
hobbes64 Link ParentRecent tweet from former US representative Adam Kinzinger:Recent tweet from former US representative Adam Kinzinger:
I propose renaming Earth, "Trump." The Trump
rotates around shiny trump every 12 trumps.
Each trump has approximately 30 trumps, and
each of those trumps has 24 trumps. Each
trump consists of 60 trumps.Won't be long now till someone introduces a bill.
-
Comment on CBS News pulls report on “brutal and torturous conditions” at El Salvador prison where Donald Trump Administration sent deportees in ~tv
hobbes64 LinkHere's an Atlantic article about the topic. Cancel Culture’s Boomerang Effect How we got to a place where free speech means whatever conservatives want to say. The article is kind of blaming...Here's an Atlantic article about the topic. Cancel Culture’s Boomerang Effect
How we got to a place where free speech means whatever conservatives want to say.The article is kind of blaming political correctness as a doorway to this suppression of free speech. It's kind of correct, but also kind of wrong and doesn't seem to understand the paradox of tolerance. Anyway, here is the meat of the article:
Every society that has ever existed has had views that are mainstream and views that are fringe. The free-speech frauds who captured the discourse over the past decade understood this, but their true objection was that they did not unilaterally have the power to define which was which. For example, in a 2018 Times column, Weiss complained that “leftists” were engaged in a “concerted attempt to significantly redraw the bounds of acceptable thought and speech.” This was meant to sound sinister, menacing. In fact, this is politics. Every faction is always trying to “redraw the bounds of acceptable thought and speech.” In a free society, the government allows people to have those arguments. Such disputes are not a threat to free speech; they are free speech.
When I say that CBS News’s Bari Weiss understood this, you needn’t take my word for it. In November, shortly after being given the reins to one of the oldest broadcast-news organizations in the country, Weiss used identical language to describe her own project: “I think it’s about redrawing the lines of what falls in the 40-yard lines of acceptable debate and acceptable American politics and culture,” Weiss said at the Jewish Leadership Conference. “And I don’t mean that in, like, a censorious, gatekeeping way.”
What’s the difference between her “redrawing the lines” of acceptable speech and other people doing it? What makes one “censorious” and “gatekeeping” and the other not? Well, because she gets to decide. That’s what so much of the free-speech panic was ever about: making sure the right people were in charge of what you see, hear, and read. Notably, this has very little to do with reporting the news, which is supposed to be what CBS News does. But if the point of installing Weiss was to ensure that she would gatekeep on behalf of right-wing interests, that is precisely what she appears to be doing.
In that 2018 column, Weiss complained that so many people seemed to believe that “the real cause for concern are the secret authoritarians passing as liberals and conservatives in our midst.” Seems like they were right to be concerned. Upon reflection, her conclusion that misguided leftists were focusing on minor issues when there were true threats to freedom of speech was prescient. It applies neatly to the campus PC obsession that helped elevate Weiss to a position where she could block the publication of a story about the United States government rendering men to an overseas gulag without trial.
Here is a related article from September. We should appreciate the people who leak and share suppressed information and protest what is happening.
Lower than Cowards
The surrender of America’s elitesOne by one, American leaders supposedly committed to principles of free speech, due process, democracy, and equality have abandoned those ideals when menaced by the Trump administration. These cascading acts of cowardice from the people best positioned to resist Trump’s authoritarian power grabs have made Trump seem exponentially more powerful than he actually is, sapping strength from others who might have discovered the courage to stand up. Defending democracy requires a collective refusal to acquiesce to lawless behavior from many different sectors of society. All of these powerful people trying to save their own skin have effectively multiplied Trump’s attacks on constitutional government, by enhancing a false sense of inevitability and invincibility.
The sheer number of American elites willing to acquiesce to the destruction of democratic institutions is demoralizing. But it’s worth noting that many ordinary people seem to be made of sterner stuff. ICE detainees such as the Palestinian-rights activist Mahmoud Khalil, for example, have continued to speak publicly about the administration’s abuses. These are people who stand to lose their homes, their freedom, their families, and they are showing more courage than people who have summer homes and trust funds. Protesters continue to show up in the streets, risking being brutalized by armed agents of the state. In Washington, D.C., citizens called to serve on grand juries have refused to indict people accused by the Trump administration of political crimes.
The people, it turns out, are far more courageous than their leaders.
-
Comment on What are your predictions for 2026? in ~talk
hobbes64 Link ParentAlternate: the car is terrible but Max wins 9 races anywayAlternate:
the car is terrible but Max wins 9 races anyway -
Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of December 15 in ~society
hobbes64 Link‘They’re Delusional If They Think This Is Going to Go Away’‘They’re Delusional If They Think This Is Going to Go Away’
The Trump administration’s release of the long-awaited Epstein files didn’t provide what survivors were looking for.
... The Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed by Trump on November 19, requires the attorney general to make public, within 30 days, “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” in the DOJ’s possession that relate to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. The cache was believed to include flight logs, internal DOJ communications, and even records concerning the “destruction, deletion, alteration, misplacement, or concealment” of Epstein-related evidence.
The law tries to preempt a possible work-around by the DOJ. It explicitly bars the department from withholding, delaying, or redacting records because of “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity,” even for “any government official [or] public figure.”
Members of Congress and staff for the House Oversight Committee told me that they were alarmed by the DOJ’s silence in the days and hours before the release. Staff for Senator Jeff Merkley and Representatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie had repeatedly sought guidance from DOJ officials on what would be released and how the department was preparing. The lawmakers never got a response.
-
Comment on Disclosure Day | Official teaser in ~movies
hobbes64 Link ParentHmm maybe like Signs (the M. Night Shyamalan movie) Spoiler I think the “aliens” in that movie are actually supposed to be demons even though there’s crop circles and other phenomena that are...Hmm maybe like Signs (the M. Night Shyamalan movie)
Spoiler
I think the “aliens” in that movie are actually supposed to be demons even though there’s crop circles and other phenomena that are usually associated with extraterrestrials. -
Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of December 15 in ~society
hobbes64 Link‘Who’s Gonna Stop You?’ Listen to Trump Press Georgia Speaker Over 2020 Vote. Related story on raw story, which is mostly just a repost of the Times story: New audio emerges of Trump directing...‘Who’s Gonna Stop You?’ Listen to Trump Press Georgia Speaker Over 2020 Vote.
In a newly obtained recording of a phone call from late 2020, President Trump can be heard pressing the speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives to hold a special legislative session to overturn Mr. Trump’s election loss.
Related story on raw story, which is mostly just a repost of the Times story: New audio emerges of Trump directing Republicans on how to overturn election results
"Who’s gonna stop you for that?" Trump is heard saying.
"A federal judge, possibly," Ralston replied with a laugh.
Later in the call, Trump is heard giving direction on how Ralston would conduct the special session, and baselessly alleged that he had won Georgia by hundreds of thousands of votes (he in fact lost by roughly 12,000 votes statewide). Trump repeated debunked conspiracy theories about ballot boxes being stuffed at Atlanta's State Farm arena, as former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani frequently argued.
"If we had a special session, we will present, and you will say, ‘Here, it’s been massive fraud. We’re going to turn over the state,'" Trump said.
Ralston never committed to holding the special session, though the call was used as evidence in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) prosecution of Trump and his associates. Willis alleged that Trump illegally solicited Ralston to violate his oath of office by calling a special session "for the purpose of unlawfully appointing presidential electors from the State of Georgia." Judge Scott McAfee ultimately quashed those initial charges, saying Willis was not specific enough in naming what specific statutes had been violated.
-
Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
hobbes64 Link ParentI’m also enjoying Pluribus a lot. It’s a show where I’ll ask a question, and the writers anticipated the question because it’s answered a few minutes later. It’s also the kind of show that...I’m also enjoying Pluribus a lot. It’s a show where I’ll ask a question, and the writers anticipated the question because it’s answered a few minutes later. It’s also the kind of show that benefits from listening to a related podcast. The Prestige TV podcast has some episodes about it. They also cover Slow Horses but I’ve on watched one episode of that from the new season.
-
Comment on Disclosure Day | Official teaser in ~movies
hobbes64 Link ParentYeah I agree. This is a premise that should really interest me. But the trailer just seems weird. Animals acting like they're with a Disney Princess is somehow annoying me. Hopefully it's just a...Yeah I agree. This is a premise that should really interest me. But the trailer just seems weird. Animals acting like they're with a Disney Princess is somehow annoying me. Hopefully it's just a bad trailer and the movie is good.
-
Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of December 15 in ~society
hobbes64 Link ParentNot that anything said by Bondi or Trump should be believed, but if 258 million American lives were saved, she must mean that excess deaths under Biden was about 74% of the population each year....Not that anything said by Bondi or Trump should be believed, but if 258 million American lives were saved, she must mean that excess deaths under Biden was about 74% of the population each year. Or something.
-
Comment on Donald Trump administration policies slashing staffing and funding for public lands are waking a sleeping political giant in Montana. Will either party notice? in ~society
hobbes64 Link ParentI saw an interesting comment on Lemmy related to whether people really "voted for this". Basically, most people just vote for some idea in their head and project that onto a candidate that they...I saw an interesting comment on Lemmy related to whether people really "voted for this".
Basically, most people just vote for some idea in their head and project that onto a candidate that they prefer for whatever reason. It's unlikely that many republican voters really know the party's position on substantial things, otherwise they would lose every election.
-
Comment on Sick of smart TVs? Here are your best options. in ~tech
hobbes64 Link ParentI've never let it connect to my network and I can tell on my router that it is not joining. I do have some neighbors wifi networks in range, so it is possible I guess if one of theirs is not...I've never let it connect to my network and I can tell on my router that it is not joining. I do have some neighbors wifi networks in range, so it is possible I guess if one of theirs is not secured. But then Samsung won't really know it is me, will they? I guess in some indirect way they could know that someone on my block is watching certain things.
-
Comment on Sick of smart TVs? Here are your best options. in ~tech
hobbes64 Link ParentI don’t think it matters because if I’m using a separate device to get the content, it probably doesn’t know much about my habits. Let’s say I have Apple TV connected to a smart tv. I never gave...I don’t think it matters because if I’m using a separate device to get the content, it probably doesn’t know much about my habits.
Let’s say I have Apple TV connected to a smart tv. I never gave the smart tv network access and I don’t run any apps on it. All the input is coming from the Apple TV device. I think it’s unlikely that the smart tv can know what I’m watching. Maybe it could know the time I’m watching something and that’s about it. Other than that it’s just displaying pixels coming through the hdmi. Unless hdmi somehow reports more about what it is displaying than I expect, or the tv has some kind of AI which is recognizing the content it is displaying. -
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
hobbes64 Link Parentlol I played NGU idle for almost 2 years. When I beat it I replayed it again for 1.5. It’s a good idle game because you mostly don’t have to play it very much each day. I certainly would have...lol I played NGU idle for almost 2 years. When I beat it I replayed it again for 1.5. It’s a good idle game because you mostly don’t have to play it very much each day. I certainly would have taken way longer without the wiki.
The dev made another game NGU Industries (I think) but it wasn’t very good and was abandoned. I think a sequel to ngu idle may be in development. -
Comment on US shoppers, drawn by steep discounts, power through Black Friday in ~finance
hobbes64 Link ParentI hope the voters are worried, and use that worry to vote more appropriately in the future.I hope the voters are worried, and use that worry to vote more appropriately in the future.
I like the show very much. The questions that it poses are very interesting and it makes one think about our modern world. For example, maybe the hivemind is the media, and especially social media, which allows you to know about everything but not really feel it properly because there is too much.
With a show like this, I often like listening to a podcast too. There was a lot of interesting commentary on The Prestige TV Podcast. I listened to the first episode of the official podcast too which had some interesting information about the original idea of the show and some of the difficulty making it.
I'm sometimes distracted a bit by technical aspects of a plot. I know it isn't the point of the show, but I think about how things could work and sometimes it doesn't make sense. For example, I don't think the hivemind makes sense and would basically require magic to work. They try to explain it as sort of a wifi signal, but nobody's finite brain could really hold all the information, it would need to be moved around as needed locally and certain knowledge would need to be swapped out to make room. It would have to keep syncing specialized data from somewhere else on the network and that would be slow.
From the perspective of the hivemind, I don't understand why they would be in a rush to convert the "indies" (people who are immune from the virus). Seems like you would like to keep them around because they could do things that the hivemind can't, like create new art or solve problems in different ways than a hivemind could.