hobbes64's recent activity
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of August 24 in ~society
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Comment on Chinese humanoid robots smash human records in 100m sprint and high jump at Beijing robot games in ~tech
hobbes64 Link Parentand soldiers to protect the owner class from the displaced human laborand soldiers to protect the owner class from the displaced human labor
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Comment on Japan tried to build an operating system for the entire world, then the US government intervened in ~tech
hobbes64 Link ParentThe concept you are talking about is progressive disclosure. There's a balancing act to show just enough to the user to give them context while not making them go too many levels down to get the...The concept you are talking about is progressive disclosure.
There's a balancing act to show just enough to the user to give them context while not making them go too many levels down to get the info they need.
It's possible to overdo it in either direction.
I think many Apple products show too little information at the top level and there are many "clicks" to find what is needed.
But sometimes I've been in meetings where product owners are too focused on click count, maybe because they read an article about how it's bad. -
Comment on Why your Amazon order confirmation emails have become so unhelpful in ~tech
hobbes64 Link ParentSounds like a reminder to stop using gmailSounds like a reminder to stop using gmail
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Comment on McDonald’s built a 515-page dossier on me in ~tech
hobbes64 Link ParentOther people have responded to you similarly as I will: it’s aggregate data that is the problem. You can be sure that McDonald’s will either sell this data or have it leaked in a hack. Then one...Other people have responded to you similarly as I will: it’s aggregate data that is the problem.
You can be sure that McDonald’s will either sell this data or have it leaked in a hack.
Then one day you’ll be denied health insurance because you eat too many burgers.
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Comment on Virgin Galactic wants your help naming its new Delta class spaceship in ~space
hobbes64 LinkI notice they they’ve learned to not really give the public free reign over the naming of things. So sadly we won’t have “Spacey McSpaceface” available.I notice they they’ve learned to not really give the public free reign over the naming of things. So sadly we won’t have “Spacey McSpaceface” available.
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Comment on New worlds, and what was your "Future Shock" moment? in ~life
hobbes64 LinkI had a future shock moment a few years ago when video calls became easy and common. When cell phones started having front-facing cameras for this purpose, also webcams became inexpensive and...I had a future shock moment a few years ago when video calls became easy and common. When cell phones started having front-facing cameras for this purpose, also webcams became inexpensive and common so you could have zoom meetings with multiple people. This was such a big dream for the future when I was a little kid and you can see video calls in some old sci fi movies.
But now that it's available, it turns out that almost nobody wants to be seen on camera so they leave it off. In fact, people hardly even call anymore because texting is more convenient.
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Comment on ‘X-Men’ finally unveils its cast, including Adam Driver, Inde Navarrette, Christopher Abbott in ~movies
hobbes64 Link ParentI agree it’s very good and one of the best marvel movies. Maybe on par with the first Ironman. For any criticism of the accuracy of the “science” in the movie: if we’re going to go there, one...I agree it’s very good and one of the best marvel movies. Maybe on par with the first Ironman.
For any criticism of the accuracy of the “science” in the movie: if we’re going to go there, one thing that very slightly bothers me about Spider-Man in general is how most of his spider powers have nothing to do with spiders.
- spiders don’t have super strength
- spiders don’t produce web from their arms/legs (this is related a plot point in the new movie. This is also covered in a funny way in The Venture Brothers)
- spiders don’t have super fast reactions compared to their prey. They just trap them or sneak up on them
- spiders don’t swing around like Tarzan
If Peter was really getting spider powers he’d lay traps for criminals and maybe bite them to paralyze them (or dissolve them)
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Comment on Less than a year on, Microsoft tells Mico to pipe down in ~tech
hobbes64 LinkIf I was responsible for this kind of stuff at Microsoft I would probably try again with Clippy as the face of AI. A lot of people would enjoy it ironically since it has been mocked so much. But...If I was responsible for this kind of stuff at Microsoft I would probably try again with Clippy as the face of AI. A lot of people would enjoy it ironically since it has been mocked so much.
But there's probably a great reason why I'm not responsible for this kind of stuff at Microsoft.
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Comment on Waving goodbye, carrying my bundle on a stick in ~talk
hobbes64 Link ParentI like to argue with people online as long as they aren't trolls. Sometimes it's hard to tell. But more than once I've changed my mind based on what someone else has said online. It's a good...I like to argue with people online as long as they aren't trolls. Sometimes it's hard to tell. But more than once I've changed my mind based on what someone else has said online. It's a good thing!
In real life I do software development and we have design meetings. In the past I used to do these with people I'd worked within person for a few years. We would have intense arguments about whatever design thing, sometimes raising our voices. Then we'd go to lunch together because none of that was personal, we were just passionate about the work.
Later I had similar meetings with people I didn't know very well. I had some online meetings and traveled to their office. I thought the meetings went find but I disagreed with a lot of what they were doing and let them know. A few days later I was called into a meeting with my boss and her boss and they told me I had some formal complaints against me. They didn't accuse me of being verbally inappropriate or anything but they somehow thought I was trying to undermine them.
Anyway on tildes I have occasionally posted things where it would be reasonable to have a lively argument and there is maybe a few upvotes and no replies. So it feels like an echo chamber which can be a bit boring if you'd like people to expose you to new ideas.
BTW I'm not trying to conflate people getting upset about some topic at work with some of the political things that are happening in the world. In politics there are people that are actively trying to silence or disappear groups of people. And there's rightly sensitivity in those areas in online forums.
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Comment on Is there any interest in building a Tildes successor? in ~tildes
hobbes64 LinkI'm a software developer and I could help build such a thing. And the idea is interesting to me. But I would not want to be responsible for maintaining it, except through occasional pull requests....I'm a software developer and I could help build such a thing. And the idea is interesting to me. But I would not want to be responsible for maintaining it, except through occasional pull requests. I'm not worried about unpaid work, but I don't want to on call in the evening or weekends to put out fires. I've already done enough of that shit in my life.
I'd be interested in participating in the design too, but you can't design such a site with just developers or people who are trying to fix what's wrong with reddit or lemmy. Because it's hard to anticipate the unintended consequences and people like me haven't done anything like real market research.
It seems like there are two main problems that happen to social media sites:
- If everyone is anonymous, bad eggs and bots will ruin everything
- If the site gets too successful, there becomes pressure to monetize it. So it gets sold to an owner who is a bad egg and enshittifies it.
So it seems like the simplest strategies are to keep it small and build a system of trust with the users. Either with some kind of real id thing (I know, that's awful) or an invite system like tildes has.
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Comment on Josh Kushner, Bob Iger to buy Los Angeles Lakers for $12.5B in ~sports.basketball
hobbes64 Link ParentYou should use your powers for good. Maybe invest a bunch of money in Tesla and Meta.You should use your powers for good. Maybe invest a bunch of money in Tesla and Meta.
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Comment on Elon Musk on tomatoes in ~food
hobbes64 Link ParentI've decided that being a sociopath is a cheat code for life, at least in capitalism. You don't need to be very smart to get ahead if you have a little luck and absolutely no morals. Being born...I've decided that being a sociopath is a cheat code for life, at least in capitalism.
You don't need to be very smart to get ahead if you have a little luck and absolutely no morals.
Being born into wealth is a multiplier.
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Comment on Any significant changes to Tildes are extremely unlikely in ~tildes.official
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Comment on Any significant changes to Tildes are extremely unlikely in ~tildes.official
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Comment on How often are you eating plant based meals? in ~food
hobbes64 Link ParentThe way that Costco promotes food is interesting. And by interesting I mean shitty. There’s a whole category of junk food that they sell in a way that implies (or states) that it’s healthy. For...The way that Costco promotes food is interesting. And by interesting I mean shitty.
There’s a whole category of junk food that they sell in a way that implies (or states) that it’s healthy. For example:
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Dark chocolate. Oooh it’s got antioxidants.
No dudes it’s just candy -
Fried Kale or seaweed. Or fried vegetable crisps
Yeah these have the same nutritional merits as Cheetos.
They also have a lot of things like “line caught tuna” and I seriously doubt this has any meaning at all.
It isn’t just Costco, most places have similar marketing of junk food as health food and greenwashing. But I just notice it more at Costco. Maybe because I sometimes go to the Costco that’s in the relatively affluent part of town where they have disposable income.
And regarding protein: yeah most people eat way too much protein and the idea that you need to supplement iron or B vitamins if you don’t eat meat is largely nonsense.
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Comment on Any significant changes to Tildes are extremely unlikely in ~tildes.official
hobbes64 Link ParentI agree it’s pleasant but also I feel like I’m in a bubble here where I get only tiny pushback on things that might be controversial. So either we’re pretty aligned politically or there just is...I agree it’s pleasant but also I feel like I’m in a bubble here where I get only tiny pushback on things that might be controversial. So either we’re pretty aligned politically or there just is almost no engagement when people disagree.
I have seen some spirited arguments here but it’s been rare for me to be in the middle of one.
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Comment on Josh Kushner, Bob Iger to buy Los Angeles Lakers for $12.5B in ~sports.basketball
hobbes64 Link ParentYeah I'm out. I fortunately stopped watching much pro sports a few years ago so this doesn't affect me as much as it once did. I can't imagine watching sports now anyway due to the constant...Yeah I'm out.
I fortunately stopped watching much pro sports a few years ago so this doesn't affect me as much as it once did.
I can't imagine watching sports now anyway due to the constant gambling ads but I used to go to Lakers and Dodgers games sometimes. And now I won't.
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Comment on Spirit Halloween parent company to acquire Hot Topic in ~finance
hobbes64 Link ParentInterestingly, the "Spirit" name comes from another business name and really has nothing to do with ghosts or anything like that. Spirit Halloween - WikipediaInterestingly, the "Spirit" name comes from another business name and really has nothing to do with ghosts or anything like that.
Joe Marver created the Spirit Halloween business model, a pop-up store catering to Halloween revelers. A dress retailer, he replaced his store's usual merchandise with Halloween items in 1983 and named the store after his Spirit Women's Discount Apparel business.
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Comment on The hall of shame: the worst AI-generated flyers in ~design
hobbes64 LinkMany of them are so busy. Like a Where's Waldo puzzle. When writing software, one should follow a principle of "YAGNI" (You Aren't Gonna Need It) so that you don't write extra code that will never...Many of them are so busy. Like a Where's Waldo puzzle.
When writing software, one should follow a principle of "YAGNI" (You Aren't Gonna Need It) so that you don't write extra code that will never be used. This is an especially useful concept to tell AI too, because unlike humans, it isn't lazy at all and will modify 15 files when a person would stop and ask a follow up question first before doing something stupid.So I think when people design posters with AI, they need to tell it that it doesn't have to tell a separate story with every pixel.
How Canada can save Americans and defeat America
As Canada is learning (the hard way), the "art" of all of Trump's deals can be summed up in a single word: "renege"
This post from Cory Doctorow has to be read slightly carefully, or at least fully, because near the beginning it isn't completely clear if he is criticizing Candian PM Carney or praising him. But yes he's heavily critical of Carney. And of course savagely critical of Trump and US Tech companies.
But he lays out a way for Canada to get out from under some unfair practices related to digital rights and trade.