infpossibilityspace's recent activity
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Comment on Founder of collapsed Chinese property giant Evergrande sentenced to life in prison in ~finance
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Comment on Founder of collapsed Chinese property giant Evergrande sentenced to life in prison in ~finance
infpossibilityspace Link ParentMake it profitable to do the illegal thing? A lot of western countries do this, the only recent notable law with some teeth I can recall is the EU's Digital Markets Act which can levy a fine based...I think we could learn a thing or two from Australia in this case.
Make it profitable to do the illegal thing? A lot of western countries do this, the only recent notable law with some teeth I can recall is the EU's Digital Markets Act which can levy a fine based on a percentage of worldwide revenue.
I feel like theres already too much government in my life telling me what I can and cant do with my body in the US, I don’t trust them with the power to take down whole companies, even though I wish I could.
I do agree with you here, there's an eerie level of freedom-restricting controls being put in place, digital and physical surveillance being another example, and no sense that it's being done to benefit the general public. Having a powerful government can be great, if it can be trusted to actually serve the people.
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Comment on Founder of collapsed Chinese property giant Evergrande sentenced to life in prison in ~finance
infpossibilityspace LinkI really feel for the people who put their life savings into a prepurchase flat and lost it all. Hopefully they get some kind of recompense and closure from this. I find it so interesting how...I really feel for the people who put their life savings into a prepurchase flat and lost it all. Hopefully they get some kind of recompense and closure from this.
I find it so interesting how differently China comes down on illegal business practices compared to the west. Not to say they're always right, but when you see the $90M AUD fine the Australian government handed to Qantas airlines last year for illegally firing 1,800 workers and pocketing $500M in savings, for example, I think we can definitely learn a thing or two from China.
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Comment on Order of the Sinking Star | Release date announcement in ~games
infpossibilityspace (edited )Link ParentI understand your reservations due to his political beliefs, but I have some questions: While he's the figurehead of the team, he doesn't work alone. Do you know the opinions of every person who...I understand your reservations due to his political beliefs, but I have some questions:
While he's the figurehead of the team, he doesn't work alone. Do you know the opinions of every person who worked on this game? Would it make it better if they were firm leftists?
At what ratio of right/left people does it become unacceptable to support a team's project, or is it just the studio head that matters?
On a wider scale, do you vet every creator before buying something they made? What about artists who aren't as outspoken, do you err on the side of caution or buy it anyway?
Personally, I think we do a disservice if we write off someone's life work because they have a bad take, it should be taken in context. People still read H.P. Lovecraft even though it was well known at the time he was an awful racist and we don't strive to create a world he'd agree with, but that doesn't mean his art is worthless.
I disagree with his politics, but I don't get the impression he's a die-hard MAGA and I think the work he and his team create is interesting and different enough that I want to see more of it.
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Comment on What server location should I use for a VPN? in ~tech
infpossibilityspace LinkThe location matters less compared to what logs the VPN provider collects. A provider which doesn't collect any logs and uses ramdisks for their servers (the operating system is stored in RAM and...The location matters less compared to what logs the VPN provider collects. A provider which doesn't collect any logs and uses ramdisks for their servers (the operating system is stored in RAM and is destroyed when turned off) means you don't have to worry about government requests because they don't have anything to give.
For example, Mullvad reportedly fulfils both of these and if you don't want to give them any payment info you can mail them some cash. -
Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
infpossibilityspace LinkStranger, Baby by Emily Berry. I only started reading poetry this year and it's ridiculous I hadn't done it sooner, it's so much fun. Many of the poems relate to the feelings left behind after the...Stranger, Baby by Emily Berry.
I only started reading poetry this year and it's ridiculous I hadn't done it sooner, it's so much fun. Many of the poems relate to the feelings left behind after the loss of a loved one, but others have such brilliant humour it never feels like a downer.
She writes with such candour and humanity it's like her personality is just spilling onto the page. I even wrote a thank-you email (most authors don't hear enough praise in my opinion) but I couldn't find an email address so it's just sitting in my drafts.
I bought her other two books before I was even halfway through this one.
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Comment on How has climate change affected your life / plans? in ~enviro
infpossibilityspace Link ParentThanks, I needed to hear this. Hope is stronger than fear. Now I just need to find a partner 😆Thanks, I needed to hear this. Hope is stronger than fear.
Now I just need to find a partner 😆
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Comment on How has climate change affected your life / plans? in ~enviro
infpossibilityspace LinkWhether or not to have kids. I'm currently childless in my 30s and the progression of my desire to have kids has almost directly tracked with how messed up I think their future will turn out. I...Whether or not to have kids.
I'm currently childless in my 30s and the progression of my desire to have kids has almost directly tracked with how messed up I think their future will turn out. I fundamentally want kids, but I also want them to have a good life, and I'm really struggling to see a world where they won't have to deal with systemic droughts/floods/food shortages and the resultant political instability or conflicts. Even if we achieve net negative emissions in my lifetime.
I honestly don't understand how my friends and family can see what's happening and continue with their family plans. Are they less fearful about the effects? Are they less informed? Are they just more optimistic?
I'd love some perspective on this, bonus points if you're a new-ish parent.
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Comment on PC upgrade vs replacement in ~tech
infpossibilityspace Link ParentAh, you're right, but it will require a BIOS update to add the compatibility.Ah, you're right, but it will require a BIOS update to add the compatibility.
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Comment on PC upgrade vs replacement in ~tech
infpossibilityspace Link ParentI think your motherboard can support up to a Ryzen 3950X, and with an extra 8GB of RAM you'd have a very capable media server with plenty of power for media transcription. I don't recall how good...I think your motherboard can support up to a Ryzen 3950X, and with an extra 8GB of RAM you'd have a very capable media server with plenty of power for media transcription. I don't recall how good the 3000 series is for gaming but I'm sure you could look up some benchmarks for the games you want and if that generation of CPU would be enough.
The good thing about a GPU upgrade is it's independent of the rest of your system, so you could do the cheap CPU/RAM upgrade and splurge on a GPU, then if you decide to build a new system in a couple of years it's only the CPU/MOBO/RAM to worry about.
Maybe an upgrade would last long enough that you could wait for AM6 and scoop a good AM5 system on the cheap.
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Comment on What self-help / personal development books did you find valuable? in ~books
infpossibilityspace LinkNot a book, but a philosophy podcast called Philosophize This by Stephen West. It starts as a chronological walkthrough from the beginnings of western philosophy from ancient Greece to the modern...Not a book, but a philosophy podcast called Philosophize This by Stephen West.
It starts as a chronological walkthrough from the beginnings of western philosophy from ancient Greece to the modern day, and then branches out wider and deeper.
As someone who's felt spiritually lost for much of his teens and 20s, with a strong connection to science and lacking one to religion, working through my own interpretation of these ideas over the past 6 years has given me an amazing amount of perspective and clarity about the person I want to be and how to present that to the people around me.
There's something comforting about feeling underwhelmed by the ideas I believed in the past, moved beyond, and then being affirmed that people smarter than me found those same limitations. It promoted an openness to being wrong about my current beliefs while also pushing me to consider what values are important to me, and I think that's something incredibly valuable in our current climate of polarised worldviews.
I'm almost frustrated that my education didn't show me these ideas sooner, but being able to recognise myself in the ideas and flaws being presented makes it so much more impactful than just appreciating it abstractly.
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Comment on Fines doubled as teens outsmart Australia's world-first social media ban in ~tech
infpossibilityspace Link ParentYep. I've experienced this first-hand emailing my representative about this exact topic given it's related to my profession, trying my best to educate them about the nuances of this issue, but...Yep. I've experienced this first-hand emailing my representative about this exact topic given it's related to my profession, trying my best to educate them about the nuances of this issue, but they're just not receptive to it.
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Comment on Fines doubled as teens outsmart Australia's world-first social media ban in ~tech
infpossibilityspace Link ParentThere's a constant tension between control and freedom, and the current zeitgeist is one where most politicians don't understand modern technology but understand damage is being done to society,...There's a constant tension between control and freedom, and the current zeitgeist is one where most politicians don't understand modern technology but understand damage is being done to society, and are flailing at any levers they have to try and reduce that damage.
There's also a growing authoritarianism in many countries which ties into this as people increasingly see their life and wellbeing as out of their control and elect people they see as having the power to control it.
They see the damage done by social media over the past 10 years and rightfully want to do something about it, but their efforts lack depth because the regulations being drafted are done as a reaction. Reducing people's freedom to access them will address some of the public's concerns, however it lacks nuance and don't actually address the core issue of how these platforms cause problems.
One of the key problems is that accountability for issues has been largely abdicated to the black box of the algorithm, making traditional regulation of companies difficult, and the law simply hasn't kept up.
In my opinion, we need a radically new method of forcing companies to act in a way that promotes public good. One example of this, which I heard from Yanis Varoufakis, would be to rebuild social ownership of assets and have a mechanism whereby the public has a say in how those assets get used.
These two videos have been very valuable to me in understanding our current situation, Cahal Moran also has an excellent book called "Why we're getting poorer". They're both very long but there's no filler
Everything was already AI - Unlearning Economics
The petrodollar is cracking - Yanis Varoufakis and Richard Wolff Skip to 3 minutes in. -
Comment on Accessible forms of poetry for journaling? in ~creative
infpossibilityspace Link ParentOoh, can you share the name of the website?Ooh, can you share the name of the website?
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Comment on Accessible forms of poetry for journaling? in ~creative
infpossibilityspace LinkOne of my favourite things about poetry is there really aren't any rules. Some rhyme, others don't. Some have a particular structure, like haikus, others use spacing on a page to emphasise...One of my favourite things about poetry is there really aren't any rules. Some rhyme, others don't. Some have a particular structure, like haikus, others use spacing on a page to emphasise something. To me, a poem is a painting made of words.
I'm currently reading Let The Light In by Lemn Sissay. He did a project to write a 4-line poem every morning for 10 years and compiled the best ones into this book. Here are a couple of my favourites so far:
Day breaks
And a split-yolk sun
Oozes on a lightly toasted
And buttered sky
In the way light talks to a river
In the way a river holds the night beneath
In the way spring calms winter
In this way we should speak -
Comment on So I fell for a phishing in ~comp
infpossibilityspace Link ParentAbsolutely this. I work in cyber and have even seen people trained in this stuff get caught out by lapses of judgment. In a way we're almost more likely to because we get overconfident and...Absolutely this. I work in cyber and have even seen people trained in this stuff get caught out by lapses of judgment. In a way we're almost more likely to because we get overconfident and complacent.
It's a good reminder to stay humble.
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Comment on So I fell for a phishing in ~comp
infpossibilityspace LinkFirst of all great job in recognising it (better late than never!) and staying calm enough to secure your account quickly. I'm curious what they asked you to do? They triggered an MFA event and...First of all great job in recognising it (better late than never!) and staying calm enough to secure your account quickly.
I'm curious what they asked you to do? They triggered an MFA event and got you to enter/tell them the code?
The Google thing would have invalidated all active sessions, kicking them out of anything they could access. The two things that might be an issue are (1) can they get back in, and (2) what could they do with the info they saw.
Regarding (1), I would double-check they didn't add a new MFA device to your account or disable the MFA option. That's pretty much the only thing they can do to regain access other than phishing you again.
For (2), I'd keep a watchful eye on your bank statements for any transactions you don't recognise, at least for the next month or two. If your profile has lots of personal info on it (addresses etc.), also keep an eye out for indicators of identity theft, like unexpected letters or your credit rating suddenly dropping.
I don't think there's much else you can do at this stage other than keeping a keen eye for anything suspicious, I'd be curious if other people here have ideas (edit, @skybrian and @rudism note some great things to check, in line with (1)). If you do see something, I'd advise getting in touch with your bank/local authorities just in case.
Fun fact, phishing via a phone call is known in the industry as "vishing" (voice-phishing)!
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Comment on What do you think of robots in the military? in ~tech
infpossibilityspace Link ParentI'm not encouraging us to blindly elect representatives just because they have military training, I'm questioning what life experiences may be indicative when voting for someone. There are some...I'm not encouraging us to blindly elect representatives just because they have military training, I'm questioning what life experiences may be indicative when voting for someone. There are some people who enjoy the destruction of war, yes, but also those who have come away from it seeking a more peaceful life.
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Comment on What do you think of robots in the military? in ~tech
infpossibilityspace (edited )LinkOn one hand, fewer deaths of soldiers is a good thing, however I think the mechanisation of war does more harm in the long run because it dehumanises the conflict. It's a lot easier to distance...On one hand, fewer deaths of soldiers is a good thing, however I think the mechanisation of war does more harm in the long run because it dehumanises the conflict.
It's a lot easier to distance yourself from the death and destruction you're unleashing if you direct it through a screen. It's morbid, but sending soldiers home in body bags is a constant reminder to the public and to leadership of the consequences of war, which is a strong deterrent to continue fighting. Mechanisation turns it into a bizarre economic battle of who can build drones fastest and how much damage your infrastructure can sustain before you collapse.
In my opinion, it's already a failing that the people in charge of starting a war are so emotionally distant from it's consequences. Would we have fewer wars if our presidents/prime ministers family actually had to pick up a gun and risk their lives? I think so.
I can also see it empowering an authoritarian regime to suppress it's people for that same reason. What can the public do if a corrupt leader subjugates their own people using drones?
So no, I don't think it's ethical, but as @skybrian says, very little about war is ethical. Should drones act autonomously? I think it should always be clear who is accountable and what the consequences are for errors. When that is unclear, it's a sign we should stop doing it until/unless it gets resolved.
I believe this is a wider issue we have not been taking as seriously as we should, like when police facial recognition flags an innocent person, or an LLM leading someone to psychosis.
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Comment on An open letter to the University of California Regents requesting that standardized testing be re-introduced into admissions, >200 UC Professors signatures in ~humanities
infpossibilityspace Link ParentFrom that link, the additional program is just a summer class, ours is a full academic year and costs the same as one, too. The additional time probably alleviates the burden on professors and...From that link, the additional program is just a summer class, ours is a full academic year and costs the same as one, too. The additional time probably alleviates the burden on professors and students since they're not having to cram before the course starts.
Also, they don't need to accept every student who wants to take the remedial course, they can just say no.
I'm no expert but from what I understand, property was pretty much the only way for a normal family to build wealth, and it created a classic bubble of people doing anything to buy, even buying more than one. The demand was so big that they were willing to purchase sight-unseen. The average price-to-yearly-income of properties in Beijing or Shenzhen was hitting 30x or 40x, compared to 5x-10x here.
It seems like their real estate bubble expanded faster than the laws could keep up, and by the time the 3 Red Lines for limiting company debt were put in place, Evergrande was instantly hitting the limit and fell over.