lostwax's recent activity
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Comment on OpenAI hacked Australia's Medicare portal in ~tech
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Comment on Everyday/week seems to fly by as I get older, how to change one's perception? in ~life
lostwax Link ParentI feel you. With ADHD thrown into the mix for us. He stops arguing because he's forgotten what he was doing and is now constructing an underwater catapult out of lego and a broken pen.I feel you. With ADHD thrown into the mix for us. He stops arguing because he's forgotten what he was doing and is now constructing an underwater catapult out of lego and a broken pen.
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Comment on A college girl was exploited on camera. A network of anonymous men got to work. in ~tech
lostwax Link ParentFair enough. Outside the criminal realm I can't comment - suing people in that manner isn't really a thing here.Fair enough. Outside the criminal realm I can't comment - suing people in that manner isn't really a thing here.
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Comment on A college girl was exploited on camera. A network of anonymous men got to work. in ~tech
lostwax Link ParentI don't know, it seems fairly easy - if you participate, you're guilty of a crime. I'm reasonably certain that's how it works here in Australia for basically everything; help someone commit murder...I don't know, it seems fairly easy - if you participate, you're guilty of a crime. I'm reasonably certain that's how it works here in Australia for basically everything; help someone commit murder and you can be charged with murder, even if you didn't actually kill anyone. If they were identifiable I don't believe there would be any legal impediment to all involved being prosecuted here, even if not necessarily each for the same crime.
The culpability of Twitter might actually be a more grey question, unfortunately.
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Comment on There is no epidemic of loneliness, but there is an epidemic of social scurvy in ~life
lostwax Link ParentI'm lucky in that I have the choice but this is why I'm a hard no to remote work. There are people I work with that I know I'll never see outside of work or beyond this job but I know what they...I'm lucky in that I have the choice but this is why I'm a hard no to remote work. There are people I work with that I know I'll never see outside of work or beyond this job but I know what they did on the weekend, I know when life is good or bad to them, we have a laugh. You only get that with a lot of forced exposure to each other and work is the only place a lot of people can get that these days. It's so, so valuable.
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Comment on There is no epidemic of loneliness, but there is an epidemic of social scurvy in ~life
lostwax Link ParentI think it can be hard to make the change from school and uni, where socialising is essentially handed to you on a plate, to later life where it becomes work and a thing you need to choose to do....I think it can be hard to make the change from school and uni, where socialising is essentially handed to you on a plate, to later life where it becomes work and a thing you need to choose to do. No idea if that applies to you but understanding that I need to work at it now, everyone does, has been useful to me.
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Comment on There is no epidemic of loneliness, but there is an epidemic of social scurvy in ~life
lostwax Link ParentI knew a bloke who got scurvy years ago. It turns out you can't live on weed and two minute noodles.I knew a bloke who got scurvy years ago. It turns out you can't live on weed and two minute noodles.
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Comment on There is no epidemic of loneliness, but there is an epidemic of social scurvy in ~life
lostwax LinkMany years ago I was in the middle of a bad breakup and saw my doctor when I really wasn't in a good place mentally. Being fairly sharp she picked up on that and asked a few rather direct...Many years ago I was in the middle of a bad breakup and saw my doctor when I really wasn't in a good place mentally. Being fairly sharp she picked up on that and asked a few rather direct questions. Among the things she pushed me towards was socialising, to the point of directly and forcefully saying "if you get any kind of invite to see people or go out I want you to say yes and do it". It definitely helped but if it hadn't come in the form of a prescription from a doctor I'm not sure I would have done so well.
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Comment on Share your favorite live music performance recordings in ~music
lostwax LinkGood lord, how many would you like? Damien Rice and Earl Harvin in a backpacker's in Berlin this got me through lockdown, I have no idea how many times I've watched it. Shot on a tripod but by an...Good lord, how many would you like?
Damien Rice and Earl Harvin in a backpacker's in Berlin this got me through lockdown, I have no idea how many times I've watched it. Shot on a tripod but by an amateur and with good audio. It does a really good job of putting you there and it is a fantastic show.
Smashing Pumpkins in Brixton in 1996 this got my infant son through lockdown. Loudy! He asked for it so many times. Damn sight better than the wiggles. The pumpkins are at their peak here to my mind.
Pearl Jam at Pink pop 1992 if you even kind of like Pearl Jam this is worth a watch. If it's not doing it for you skip to the last song, that is a moment of transcendence.
John Prine at the house of Strombo a beautiful gig from a master songwriter later in life.
Blaze Foley at the Austin Outhouse No video with this. I keep coming back here, he's definitely not sober but there are some incredible sections. Clay Pigeons is one of my favourite songs.
Dr Collossus at the Gaso RIP to this venue unfortunately. Great gig from a novelty band that can actually play.
Grace Cummings on KEXP She's always better live, this is great.
Benjamin Clementine in a church in Paris I don't know where to begin on this. The first song is extraordinary, the second is probably not for everyone. An artist that isn't afraid of a bit of perversity.
There's many more where these came from should you be interested.
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Comment on The American religion of self-storage facilities in ~life
lostwax LinkI have a workshop. I'm not even going to describe the level of unrelated crap in it. Apart from tools and timber it's been on a downward trend for the last half decade or so, thankfully. I...I have a workshop. I'm not even going to describe the level of unrelated crap in it.
Apart from tools and timber it's been on a downward trend for the last half decade or so, thankfully. I recommend getting rid of stuff.
Is a religion Australians increasingly share unfortunately
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Comment on Marginalia Search is an independent, open source, keyword-based Internet search engine with its own crawler operating out of Sweden in ~tech
lostwax LinkI've been using it for at least a couple of years and regularly find it better for the old building or trade information I often need. DDG and google are likely to present me various variations on...I've been using it for at least a couple of years and regularly find it better for the old building or trade information I often need. DDG and google are likely to present me various variations on slop, Marginalia will at least give me something different and there's a reasonable chance it'll be useful. It serves up plenty of utter nonsequiturs as well, which is disconcerting if you aren't used to it.
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
lostwax LinkHeavy psychedelic from Seedy Jeezus. Spring is coming and it's good stuff with the windows down in the car. I just assume the people around me also like it.Heavy psychedelic from Seedy Jeezus. Spring is coming and it's good stuff with the windows down in the car. I just assume the people around me also like it.
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Comment on Where do we go from here? (Regarding AI) in ~tech
lostwax Link ParentMy first thought is that economies of scale apply whether you're paying for a machine or a person to make your stuff and it's not obvious to me that automation would automatically help a small...My first thought is that economies of scale apply whether you're paying for a machine or a person to make your stuff and it's not obvious to me that automation would automatically help a small company compete with a big one. But I can roughly follow the line of thought and don't hate your guts.
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Comment on Where do we go from here? (Regarding AI) in ~tech
lostwax Link ParentI agree. I think the idea that material comfort equals greater quality of life is the primary article of faith for the western world and like any article of faith many people get very defensive...If you have not visited one of these "highly religious countries" with "low quality of life", I would encourage you to look beyond measures and quantitative comparisons. I grew up in a few such countries as a child and youth and now, living in Pennsylvania, I would not say that they were less happy or welcoming to strangers than those I interact with here. Rather, the friends I made there were, to me, the standards of loyalty and honor to which I have rarely seen an equal in my life now.
I agree. I think the idea that material comfort equals greater quality of life is the primary article of faith for the western world and like any article of faith many people get very defensive when it's questioned or challenged.
Taken as an absolute it's a lie that many of the failings of society can be ascribed to, from over consumption to environmental degradation because it promises at heart that more equals better. The second lie that comes with it is the belief that those people over there or those people in the past have it or had it worse and are or were unhappy because they had less.
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Comment on What is your "when I found out about 9/11" story? in ~talk
lostwax LinkI was filling in for my boss for six weeks or so in a university department, which meant I had access to a computer and internet connection. I'm on the other side of the world so everything was a...I was filling in for my boss for six weeks or so in a university department, which meant I had access to a computer and internet connection. I'm on the other side of the world so everything was a bit dislocated and I think it happened overnight, very early in the morning on the 12th? I didn't catch wind of it until I was on campus but then it was everywhere, replayed ad nauseum on every TV screen. I think I kept up to date largely via Slashdot. Not much work got done.
More broadly there's two things that stick out. The first was that on a fairly lefty university campus on the other side of the world there was an undercurrent not quite of the US deserving the attacks but a significant feeling of we could see something coming and a lack of surprise, in hindsight. The second was the level of goodwill towards the US, incredibly high immediately after, getting pissed up the wall in the medium term. Of course the current whitehouse occupant is still pissing.
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Comment on Where do we go from here? (Regarding AI) in ~tech
lostwax LinkI'll take a stab, as one of the rarer non white collar, non tech people here Good luck with that! I currently build things for a living and have never used AI. Neither has anyone I work with. I'm...I'll take a stab, as one of the rarer non white collar, non tech people here
Do you think AI will take your job? Why or why not?
Good luck with that! I currently build things for a living and have never used AI. Neither has anyone I work with. I'm not entirely sure what we'd use it for. You can't automate what I do.
Are you considering a career change or any other big life decisions because of the changing world?
Not really. Twenty years ago I had a much more technical job and it's reinforcing that I won't be heading back that way.
How are you advising your children, regarding schooling and careers?
My son is seven. He's good with his hands and I'm encouraging that and his interpersonal skills. He has an extremely low diet of tech, he can pick that up later if he needs to. Us gen x ers managed to often be highly skilled technically without having a technical childhood, often more competent than those who are younger.
Do you have a subscription to an AI service?
No, not on your Nellie
Do you think that this technology will be a net positive or a net negative?
Negative, with some fields in which the effect is positive. But societally, negative.
How do you think the human race will change, if at all?
Evolution isn't that quick. Culture is and will change though.
Do you think we will see a serious incident driven by AI in the near future?
Driven by someone driving AI, yes.
Does it bother you that humans may not be the dominant intelligence at some point? Do you think this is even possible?
I'm not the dominant intelligence in many settings. I'm more interested in wisdom and experience in any case.
Does any of this affect your sense of identity or individuality? How do you feel about your skill set and hobbies?
It's irrelevant
What do you think it means to be human in a machine dominated world?
As judged by who? Outside of a human mind I'm not sure it means anything to be human at all, full stop.
Overall, are you feeling optimistic or pessimistic?
Humans will find a way to connect, appreciate beauty and otherwise do the good things humans do. Is that optimism? Perhaps. Am I optimistic about the broad societal and environmental context that we'll do that in? No.
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Comment on Where do we go from here? (Regarding AI) in ~tech
lostwax Link ParentThe irony of this is striking, particularly as a currently mostly blue collar worker. More seriously, how on earth does automating blue collar work, which, as you note, isn't much fun for the...I gtfo'd of software engineering and I'm angling to get into manufacturing automation. We're on track to destroying white collar jobs as a whole, and I want to work towards a future where our material needs are protected from profiteering when half the job market implodes.
The irony of this is striking, particularly as a currently mostly blue collar worker.
More seriously, how on earth does automating blue collar work, which, as you note, isn't much fun for the worker, protect from profiteering? My feeling is the historical record suggests the opposite is more likely.
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Comment on Software for humans in ~tech
lostwax Link ParentIf I were you I'd be concerned it's a way to subconsciously bury my head in the sand, as there isn't any research required (which, to be clear, isn't the same as saying we shouldn't do any)....For the environment impact, I guess I got magical thinking, but I feel like it's the only way to speed up research to save the earth.
If I were you I'd be concerned it's a way to subconsciously bury my head in the sand, as there isn't any research required (which, to be clear, isn't the same as saying we shouldn't do any). Perhaps the biggest impediment to environmental progress is the lack of any consensus that we should make progress. In this I'd say AI is on balance an impediment, as well as being environmentally detrimental directly.
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Comment on UN says world will miss its climate target, warming must be reversed in ~enviro
lostwax Link ParentI think it's awareness that pissing off broader society only gets you so far and is often counter-productive combined with the heavy handed response from even liberal democracies to anyone that...I think it's awareness that pissing off broader society only gets you so far and is often counter-productive combined with the heavy handed response from even liberal democracies to anyone that gets even vaguely near heading in the direction of direct action.
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Comment on Small talk, ice breakers, lines in ~talk
lostwax Link ParentI agree it's good conversation, I disagree it's a good conversation starter, I think here it would generally be considered a bit rude. It's too personal to open with with a stranger. Having to...I agree it's good conversation, I disagree it's a good conversation starter, I think here it would generally be considered a bit rude. It's too personal to open with with a stranger.
Having to roll with the question is why it's rude - it puts the questioned person in a position that is uncomfortable no matter how they respond; they either shut down conversation, which they might want to do but isn't polite, or they're talking about stuff they don't want to, or they get dishonest. There's no good option.
That seems approximately right. An interesting snippet I saw reported the other day is that the reserve bank is seeing inflation from the AI boom but isn't seeing any gain in productivity and they aren't sure if any is coming. It's not a sure bet the government is making.
Beyond that my loosely engaged perception is that Albo is one of those guys who believes in compromise and tries to keep everyone happy at all times. Don't rock the boat. Strong action is foreign to him.