onceuponaban's recent activity
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Comment on What's something new you started doing this year? in ~talk
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Comment on Inline image support in ~tildes
onceuponaban LinkThis is something that I would see fitting a third party extension for those interested better than as a feature of the website itself.This is something that I would see fitting a third party extension for those interested better than as a feature of the website itself.
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Comment on Chatbots urged teen to self-harm, suggested murdering parents, Texas lawsuit says in ~tech
onceuponaban Link ParentWe wouldn't, because the models that are used for restricted/paid online services like character.ai aren't the same models as the ones that are freely available on places like Ollama's repository...We wouldn't, because the models that are used for restricted/paid online services like character.ai aren't the same models as the ones that are freely available on places like Ollama's repository or Hugging Face (and they cannot be, because giving access to the model's file would be equivalent to giving unrestricted access to whoever has the hardware for it, so the companies which do have access to these closed-source commercial models are obviously keeping them close to their chest). Banning the former would have absolutely no effect on the latter.
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Comment on Chatbots urged teen to self-harm, suggested murdering parents, Texas lawsuit says in ~tech
onceuponaban Link ParentBanning services like character.ai isn't going to remove the demand for it, and what character.ai is doing can be replicated with local-only software that already exists, and, more importantly,...Banning services like character.ai isn't going to remove the demand for it, and what character.ai is doing can be replicated with local-only software that already exists, and, more importantly, can be set up easily. We're not talking piracy back-channels here, there are resources available for doing this by installing a single program (and this is just one of many more options, including effective drop-in replacements for what character.ai provides).
character.ai and similar online services are at the forefront because they happen to be the most convenient to use with the local options still being niche, but should they disappear I can guarantee the existing users will swap to those faster than you can say "moving target", and they will also get even easier to use in the process.
Should those online LLM chatbot services be forced to take accountability for what happens through their platform? Absolutely. Will outright banning them accomplish anything good? I don't think so.
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Comment on Chatbots urged teen to self-harm, suggested murdering parents, Texas lawsuit says in ~tech
onceuponaban Link ParentThe LLMs that are available for local use aren't being commercialized, though (and in fact some of them forbid using them for commercial use yourself through their terms of use). What's more, as...The LLMs that are available for local use aren't being commercialized, though (and in fact some of them forbid using them for commercial use yourself through their terms of use). What's more, as the only situation they would end up being on someone's computer is if the user actively sought it out, having it be detected as malware by antivirus software would just mean the user would, at best, grant an exception for the model's file if they're savvy enough to do so, at worst disable the antivirus entirely, exposing them to many more threats than unwise use of an LLM. Also, remember who we're talking about; banning something is liable to make it even more desirable to a teenager if only for the sake of rebelling against authority.
Stepping out of the technical concerns and into the social ones, by banning LLM use (we're not talking about malware barging in uninvited, this is something that has to be deliberately installed and configured by the user), especially in a way that can be easily circumvented, all that would be accomplished would be obstructing access to information about LLMs without deterring anyone determined enough to get it on their machine (and a lonely teenager desperate for companionship of any kind definitely qualifies) which IMO makes the situation even more dangerous than if LLMs were established in the public consciousness as software anyone could get. I also do not think that an LLM's potential for harm is sufficient motive to classify it as malware. Yes, tragic deaths can be traced back to its misuse, but the same can be said of internet chatrooms or, of all things, games set in the Slenderman setting, and I think we both agree that IRC clients, Discord and the Slenderman games shouldn't be classified as malware either.
This ultimately falls to parents needing to teach their children about the dangers of misusing LLMs (which obviously means they themselves need to be taught about what LLMs are) and, should it come down to it, step in to stop them from using them. I believe a blanket ban would get in the way of that more than it would help.
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Comment on Never forgive them - On digital platforms vs users in ~tech
onceuponaban Link ParentOr for that matter, that running anything other than Windows is an option.Or for that matter, that running anything other than Windows is an option.
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Comment on Chatbots urged teen to self-harm, suggested murdering parents, Texas lawsuit says in ~tech
onceuponaban Link ParentIt is, at this point, too late for a ban. LLMs capable of convincingly acting as a chatbot can be ran locally on the user's hardware, and all it takes is a computer with a GPU strong enough to run...It is, at this point, too late for a ban. LLMs capable of convincingly acting as a chatbot can be ran locally on the user's hardware, and all it takes is a computer with a GPU strong enough to run modern games (and even that isn't strictly necessary, an LLM can run on CPU only albeit much slower). Even if we could in one fell swoop stop all research on generative AI, the existing models could still be disseminated and inevitably reach vulnerable people. I believe it would be wiser to direct efforts toward making the public aware of what LLMs exactly are, what they are (and aren't) capable of, and what they absolutely should not be used for.
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Comment on Armchair governing dictator - new rule for 2025 (fun) in ~talk
onceuponaban Link ParentAh, yes, the Roko doctrine.Ah, yes, the Roko doctrine.
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Comment on What is the best modern-ish OS to install on older computers? (Parameters within) in ~comp
onceuponaban LinkThrowing Damn Small Linux into the ring, having seen a resurgence earlier this year. Its current incarnation is a spin-off of AntiX, itself a Debian derivative, and it can run on very low spec...Throwing Damn Small Linux into the ring, having seen a resurgence earlier this year. Its current incarnation is a spin-off of AntiX, itself a Debian derivative, and it can run on very low spec machines while still attempting to be a complete desktop distribution. Obviously it won't pull off any miracles regarding browsing the web, but the overall experience should be usable.
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Comment on Kagi Small Web in ~tech
onceuponaban Link ParentOn that note, the "fire up the LLM to answer if you append a question mark to your search" behavior is itself an option that can be toggled on or off in your settings. The funny thing is that as...On that note, the "fire up the LLM to answer if you append a question mark to your search" behavior is itself an option that can be toggled on or off in your settings. The funny thing is that as I'm not on the "Kagi Ultimate" plan where most of the AI features have been shunted off to, that makes this toggle the only option I have access to in the "AI" settings category.
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Comment on Kagi Small Web in ~tech
onceuponaban Link ParentI haven't properly used SearXNG yet, my experience with it was, of all things, hooking it up to local LLMs I've been toying with so I could tell it to look up information on the Internet, and...I haven't properly used SearXNG yet, my experience with it was, of all things, hooking it up to local LLMs I've been toying with so I could tell it to look up information on the Internet, and while checking if SearXNG itself worked it seemed like a pretty nice piece of software to use, both in performance and ease of use (whether the language model can use it effectively is another matter entirely lmao). Should Kagi not pan out in the long run it does seem to be an attractive option to avoid falling back to using Google or Bing and I'll definitely look into it further.
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Comment on What have you spent "too much time" trying to fix or streamline? in ~talk
onceuponaban LinkMy Linux install is an ever evolving construction site. By this point I have spent a lot more time messing with configuration files in a fruitless quest to find the "most effective" way to do...My Linux install is an ever evolving construction site. By this point I have spent a lot more time messing with configuration files in a fruitless quest to find the "most effective" way to do things or going back from scratch to try something new than using my computer for actual tasks and this shows no sign of stopping anytime soon.
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Comment on Kagi Small Web in ~tech
onceuponaban Link ParentRegarding profitability, they announced that they reached that threshold back in may, as far as I'm aware they still are. Personally, one of my reasons to use it is the peace of mind of knowing...Regarding profitability, they announced that they reached that threshold back in may, as far as I'm aware they still are. Personally, one of my reasons to use it is the peace of mind of knowing that paying for this service ensures that Kagi's goals are aligned with mine as its customer, rather than having a tool I use every day as my primary gateway to information on the Internet be subject to the whims of unknown actors. I'm hoping that Kagi's continued existence will show that this is a healthier approach to the relationship between a search engine and its user and that other companies will start adopting this model as an alternative to the runaway data siphon that Google has become.
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Comment on Girl, so confusing: Will the “Brat” memes help or hurt Kamala Harris? in ~society
onceuponaban Link ParentAn actually accurate picture of how people perceive the Internet as a seamless portion of their social life vs strictly a way to entertain yourself would probably require survey data that I don't...An actually accurate picture of how people perceive the Internet as a seamless portion of their social life vs strictly a way to entertain yourself would probably require survey data that I don't know where to look for, but my own set of anecdotal evidence suggests it's a generational thing, where the cutoff is whether the person was born before or after the Internet became omnipresent. Obviously the line is blurry since I conclusively stand on the "socializing outside and inside of the Internet does not feel fundamentally different to me" side while you're on the "the internet and social life are two separate things" side despite the fact that according to our respective bios we're roughly the same age, but I do think that whether you started socializing with your peers before or after the Internet became an unavoidable fixture of society has a lot of impact (and while I'm picturing the "internet is everywhere" threshold as a moment in time for brevity, geographical and cultural factors are definitely at play)
I also think that we have a different perspective regarding memes. Assuming I understood you correctly, you associate interacting with memes with idle entertainment rather than "serious" interaction with the Internet and therefore opposite to treating the Internet as meaningful and "real", and in the context of browsing memes just for the sake of it, I'd agree. However I think there is something important to consider: memes, by their very nature as the cultural analogue to genes, are not just mindless entertainment, and I, as someone who interacts with memes a lot, see them as a medium of communication and expression just like long form text and other forms of media would be. They're the representation of an idea important enough to the creator to shape it into a form optimized for sharing and/or further editing. Sometimes just for fun, sometimes as a way to share their interests, sometimes as an artistic exercise, sometimes as a way to fit in with the community they wish to integrate with. This is something I consider an important aspect of socialization (... at least within the Internet, something tells me that I would rightly be seen as insane if I were to react to a joke in person by whipping out my phone with a picture of the FlareWheeze emote), and I think this is a mindset a lot of people who sit on the other side of this "omnipresent Internet" threshold share, consciously or otherwise. Given that Tildes is specifically a space that caters to long form discussion over memes, I suspect I'm in the minority with this mindset in this specific place, but I think it is a lot more prevalent on the wider Internet.
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Comment on Where do you consume technology news from? in ~tech
onceuponaban LinkMore of an answer to what leads me to the tech news I end up consuming, but a combination of Tildes itself and a French blogger's personal link aggregator which very often covers tech news. I also...More of an answer to what leads me to the tech news I end up consuming, but a combination of Tildes itself and a French blogger's personal link aggregator which very often covers tech news. I also keep tabs on Gamers Nexus for consumer hardware stuff and Brodie Robertson's channel for the Linux space on Youtube.
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Comment on The diabolical rise of ‘dine and dash’: ‘It feels like a betrayal’ in ~misc
onceuponaban Link ParentWhile a lesser factor, even a positive voice could induce a misreading; the "please keep [...]" might be taken as a prompt to action before the customer scans the rest of the message, in which...While a lesser factor, even a positive voice could induce a misreading; the "please keep [...]" might be taken as a prompt to action before the customer scans the rest of the message, in which case the natural action would be to remove the card, as the intended behavior to keep the card inserted would be a *non-*action.
I have no idea how that could be mitigated, though, and it's still definitely a better solution than the alternative.
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Comment on What irrational video game requirements do you have? in ~games
onceuponaban LinkA video game may cost money to buy OR contain in-game purchases. If it has both, I'm out. I also have extremely low tolerance for in-game purchases in general.A video game may cost money to buy OR contain in-game purchases. If it has both, I'm out. I also have extremely low tolerance for in-game purchases in general.
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Comment on One in four school-starters in England and Wales not toilet-trained, say teachers in ~life
onceuponaban Link ParentI don't think it's a matter of not being able to tell the difference and more of just instinctively trying what they know works with other things. After all, a swiping motion in the correct...I don't think it's a matter of not being able to tell the difference and more of just instinctively trying what they know works with other things. After all, a swiping motion in the correct direction will turn a physical page just fine. As for children's books, I would expect that the fancier ones' interactive nature would if anything strengthen the link between a book and a digital device in a child's mind. This is just speculation, though. My niece is around three years old and was raised with these books alongside touch screen devices so I guess I could check how she handles a standard book down the line.
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Comment on One in four school-starters in England and Wales not toilet-trained, say teachers in ~life
onceuponaban Link ParentI mean, the second one doesn't seem shocking to me. A young child's first instinct when coming across something new will be to try what worked with something they're familiar with. Parents are...I mean, the second one doesn't seem shocking to me. A young child's first instinct when coming across something new will be to try what worked with something they're familiar with. Parents are unlikely to leave a child with a book until they're at least starting to learn to read, but a tablet's basic functionality can be used before that.
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Comment on Game recommendations, specifically in ~games
onceuponaban Link ParentI've not actually played these games but from watching others play it they seem to fit the bill: Nova Drift (although instead of scrolling the field is static and it's your ship that wraps around...I've not actually played these games but from watching others play it they seem to fit the bill: Nova Drift (although instead of scrolling the field is static and it's your ship that wraps around it) and Hyperspace Dogfights. Both of these games go all in on the upgrade aspect.
Getting my life back in order in general. In a twisted way, the pandemic gave me time to recover as the world ground to a halt pretty much at the exact same time I mentally broke down, but now's the time to get things back on track, starting with applying for social welfare while looking for a job. I also got my hands on a raspberry pi and associated hardware to set it up as a home server, primarily for data storage which should give my family some much needed peace of mind, and to avoid getting rusty regarding my IT/CS skills which ties back into job searching.
As for something more concrete (though nothing's been done yet, I'm waiting on my raspberry pi to be set up to get started on that, as it takes precedence and will also be helpful for hosting the project itself) I've also had the idea of reviving this project. Itself an improvement over a similar idea, it was an online flag detector of sorts which let you draw in a small window while letting you know which of the user-submitted flags it was most similar to. The list wasn't curated at all and quickly got flooded with joke entries, swastika spam, and general low quality entries harming the detector's accuracy (I suspect this is why the author eventually wiped the database and made it nonfunctional).
I'm planning on picking up where this project left off by implementing a way to actually moderate submissions upfront (so not every country suddenly becomes Nazi Germany because someone thought it would be hilarious to spam swastikas under every country listed while I wasn't paying attention), as well as expanding its scope. The way to submit new entries was to make a specific drawing then choosing from a hard-coded list of countries which was itself checked against another hard-coded list. This was good enough to prevent incorrect requests from a browser, but this means that a given country can only be ever recognized properly through a single flag, which is an issue for countries which used different flags throughout history (or for that matter still have multiple flags today). This also prevents making entries for historical countries which don't exist anymore, notable non-country entities which have a flag, and fictional countries, which I think would be nice features to add. Having fully custom entries would also avoid one unfortunate bug with the hard-coded checklist of the original project which made Bosnia and Herzegovina an "invalid" country to submit, which predictably made people angry 💀
Another feature I'd like to add would be to display multiple matches according to a threshold rather than just the highest, which would allow recognizing separate countries with very similar/identical flags, or at least identical enough that there wouldn't be any differences on the low res limited color drawing space. (think Monaco/Indonesia, Chad/Romania, Luxembourg/Netherlands...)