qob's recent activity
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Comment on Did wokeness leave us worse off? (gifted link) in ~society
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Comment on How US doctors cashed in on the No Surprises Act in ~health
qob Link ParentSure, but they (like everyone else) get their money from the little guy. Every party directly involved may be swimming in money, but they won't get poor from robbing each other. They will just...Both parties can absolutely afford to make proper legal arguments.
Sure, but they (like everyone else) get their money from the little guy. Every party directly involved may be swimming in money, but they won't get poor from robbing each other. They will just increase their income and maybe become even richer because they have an excuse. I'll be surprised if big oil isn't making billions in additional profits because of the ongoing crisis.
Societies will always find ways to make the little guy pay.
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Comment on Framework reveals 13 Pro laptop with 20-hour battery in ~tech
qob Link ParentI would bet a hefty sum that every company with more than, say, 100 employees has someone attached to it (as an investor, shareholder, employee, etc) who did something most people would consider...I would bet a hefty sum that every company with more than, say, 100 employees has someone attached to it (as an investor, shareholder, employee, etc) who did something most people would consider an asshole move.
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Comment on How worried should I be about plastic water bottles? in ~talk
qob LinkPossibly relevant: https://tildes.net/~enviro/1oxu/glass_bottles_found_to_contain_more_microplastics_than_plastic_bottles -
Comment on I love you all in ~talk
qob Link ParentAnd if Tor doesn't work, does Snowflake work? To anyone who wants to help but doesn't know how, you can run Snowflake on your computer and be a VPN-like entry point for users in need. You don't...And if Tor doesn't work, does Snowflake work?
To anyone who wants to help but doesn't know how, you can run Snowflake on your computer and be a VPN-like entry point for users in need. You don't have to worry about someone using your connection for nefarious purposes because Snowflake routes through at least one more node before reentering the normal internet. Your IP won't show up in any logs.
I've been running Snowflake for years without issues.
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Comment on Boomer hate in ~society
qob LinkRich people have been fucking things up since the dawn of time and we refuse to really hold them accountable. Blaming immigrants, jews, boomers and millennials is easier because we love...Rich people have been fucking things up since the dawn of time and we refuse to really hold them accountable. Blaming immigrants, jews, boomers and millennials is easier because we love celebrities. Even if we pretend we're outraged because one of them said something incredibly vile, I think in some weird way we like them even more for it because it's gossip material. Look at how many headlines Elon Musk and other tech bros get for statements that are even stupider than you can imagine. But we still need to have someone to blame for their shit, so we need scapegoats.
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Comment on Possible first European rocket launch to reach orbit taking place in ~20minutes, livesteam here! in ~space
qob Link ParentIt was aborted. :( No reason was given. Doesn't sound like it was related to the boat. When the countdown was almost at zero, it was put on hold and a few minutes later they said it wouldn't...It was aborted. :(
No reason was given. Doesn't sound like it was related to the boat. When the countdown was almost at zero, it was put on hold and a few minutes later they said it wouldn't launch today.
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Comment on Commonly misspelled words quiz in ~humanities.languages
qob Link ParentI believe it's best to give up and assume that there is no connection between spelling and pronunciation in the English language. It's spelled "Luxury-Yacht", but it's pronounced...I believe it's best to give up and assume that there is no connection between spelling and pronunciation in the English language.
It's spelled "Luxury-Yacht", but it's pronounced "Throatwobbler-Mangrove".
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Comment on The 49MB web page in ~comp
qob Link ParentPeople have been telling me that it's not viable to disable Javascript in <current year> for decades. Probably since Javascript was introduced. And yet, many websites, especially articles, only...People have been telling me that it's not viable to disable Javascript in <current year> for decades. Probably since Javascript was introduced. And yet, many websites, especially articles, only become usable once you turn JS off. Yes, the functionality is often severely reduced, but if you only want to read the article and not login, share on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter, that's not an issue.
And for shopping, banking, Tildes, etc, I can enable Javascript selectively with uBlock Origin or NoScript to enable only the features I need.
Some website load code from so many domains that this is approach is too tedious, but in my experience, those websites are garbage with or without JS, so I just don't use them.
(BTW, I'm actually mostly vegan and I rarely eat beans.)
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Comment on The 49MB web page in ~comp
qob LinkIt's always fascinating to me to read these horror stories about modern websites because I've disbabled JS and see almost none of this crap. I don't understand how these website still get...It's always fascinating to me to read these horror stories about modern websites because I've disbabled JS and see almost none of this crap. I don't understand how these website still get visitors. If a barkeeper would punch everyone in the face if they orders a drink, he would be out of a job very quickly, even if the drinks were free. But somehow websites can do whatever they want and users are ok with it.
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Comment on In the world of tech, people constantly ask “Could chatbots ever be conscious?” but I feel like asking “Are you?” Take the test! in ~tech
qob Link ParentYes, this an extremely tricky subject overall. Most of what we do on a daily basis is unconscious, but we don't feel partially conscious. How many conscious decisions are required to be conscious?...Yes, this an extremely tricky subject overall. Most of what we do on a daily basis is unconscious, but we don't feel partially conscious. How many conscious decisions are required to be conscious?
I vaguely remember reading something about consciousnes being an illusion altogether. I recently learned that my brother voted for a conservative party, and when we talked about his reasons it was pretty hard for him to come up with something reasonable. In the end, he pretty much had to admit that his vote didn't align with his political attitude at all. It seemed to me like he didn't vote consciously, but it must have felt to him like he did.
I wonder how many of my beliefs and values that I think are based on thought and reason are actually just chaotic noise with a "VERIFIED AND CORRECT" label on it.
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Comment on In the world of tech, people constantly ask “Could chatbots ever be conscious?” but I feel like asking “Are you?” Take the test! in ~tech
qob LinkWe don't even have a clear definition of consciousness. Different fields of study define it differently so they have a useful word they can work with. To an emergency medic, you are conscious if...We don't even have a clear definition of consciousness. Different fields of study define it differently so they have a useful word they can work with. To an emergency medic, you are conscious if you look like a human and react to basic stimuli like simple questions.
Until we can agree on what consciousness actually is in scientific terms, discussing what is or isn't conscious seems rather pointless to me. It's like spiritual people arguing about which teachings of god are correct while everyone has their own ideas of what "god" is.
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Comment on Reducing Europe's nuclear energy sector was 'strategic mistake', EU chief Ursula von der Leyen says in ~society
qob Link ParentThere's also the rebound effect). Not sure how that differs from Jevon's Paradox and induced demand. They all seem to refer to the same phenomenon.There's also the rebound effect). Not sure how that differs from Jevon's Paradox and induced demand. They all seem to refer to the same phenomenon.
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Comment on Reducing Europe's nuclear energy sector was 'strategic mistake', EU chief Ursula von der Leyen says in ~society
qob LinkKazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia control more than 50 % of the global uranium production. How is that not a disadvantage? Wind, solar and batteries are not only vastly cheaper and faster to build...Being "completely dependent on expensive and volatile imports" of fossil fuels puts Europe at a disadvantage to other regions, von der Leyen said in a speech.
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia control more than 50 % of the global uranium production. How is that not a disadvantage? Wind, solar and batteries are not only vastly cheaper and faster to build but can also be recycled indefinitely. Once you are running close to 100 % on renewables, you don't really need to import all that much anymore, leaving you in control over your economy and not some saudi prince or a baby king.
If we're crying over spilled milk, we should lament that we didn't invest more in renewables 30 years ago.
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Comment on Can coding agents relicense open source through a “clean room” implementation of code? in ~comp
qob Link ParentThe GPL isn't rejecting copyright, it simply enforces that users get access to the source code so they have control over the software they use.The GPL isn't rejecting copyright, it simply enforces that users get access to the source code so they have control over the software they use.
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Comment on Can coding agents relicense open source through a “clean room” implementation of code? in ~comp
qob LinkCopyright has been dead since copying data became free. It is a dead horse and we keep riding it. Engineers are forced to dance around legal intricacies when they could do actual work. They would...Copyright has been dead since copying data became free. It is a dead horse and we keep riding it. Engineers are forced to dance around legal intricacies when they could do actual work. They would literally be more productive if they played with a puppy or watched wallpaper dry.
My apologies to any law nerds who enjoy this sort of stuff. But please don't force normal people to play your weird games.
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Comment on What are you no longer a fan of? in ~talk
qob (edited )Link ParentI think this is just part of the human condition. Very few people are ready to jeopardize their wellbeing for complete strangers. We've been knowingly buying products made by slaves for many...- Exemplary
I think this is just part of the human condition. Very few people are ready to jeopardize their wellbeing for complete strangers. We've been knowingly buying products made by slaves for many decades. Not because we support slavery but because it's the easiest option in a life full of mixed hardships and temptations.
This is why competition is a bad way to run an economy. It encourages this type of behaviour. I believe that we could already live in a utopian world if we would just teach our kids that caring for each other is more important than caring for ourselves, because then you will never run out of people that care about you.
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Comment on Single vaccine could protect against all coughs, colds and flus, researchers say in ~health
qob Link ParentI think you overestimate the impact of popular memes from foreign cultures. Even the most die hard Star Trek fans in the UK still spend the majority of their lives interacting with other Brits....I think you overestimate the impact of popular memes from foreign cultures. Even the most die hard Star Trek fans in the UK still spend the majority of their lives interacting with other Brits.
Foreign culture is extending local culture, not replacing it. Brits learned from Star Trek that Americans say "yellow alert" instead of "amber alert", but they still say "amber alert" if they talk to each other about things that have zero relation to Star Trek.
If there was a Samurai movie fad in the US, Katana sales would probably go up, but Americans would still kill each other with guns.
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Comment on Single vaccine could protect against all coughs, colds and flus, researchers say in ~health
qob Link ParentStar Trek is a US show. Americans, man. You guys don't even understand there are other cultures if you are given a concrete example. :)Star Trek is a US show.
Americans, man. You guys don't even understand there are other cultures if you are given a concrete example. :)
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Comment on In a blind test, audiophiles couldn't tell the difference between audio signals sent through copper wire, a banana, or wet mud in ~tech
qob Link ParentSounds like a nightmare. If I can enjoy 96 kbps MP3 over shitty speakers, why would I spend thousands upon thousands on equipment to ruin that experience? I assume it's your job to do that, so...and you'll never be able to stop hearing it.
Sounds like a nightmare. If I can enjoy 96 kbps MP3 over shitty speakers, why would I spend thousands upon thousands on equipment to ruin that experience?
I assume it's your job to do that, so this question isn't really for you. But I know there are audiophiles who are just regular dudes with too much cash.
I don't really disagree. But we if we know many people are like that, is it smart to just ignore that and insist on the most advanced ethical goals we can think of? Wouldn't it be smarter to reach for lower hanging fruit? The assholes aren't going to say: "Oh, I didn't know you guys were serious. I guess you are right. Let's ignore my feelings and have it your way." They will double down, and so will we, and it will end in violence.
We usually understand this instinctively in everyday life. If a customer is sort of a dick, maybe we tell them to seek business elsewhere, but we don't tell them they are literally worse than Hitler and should go die in a ditch with a cactus up their arse. But in political discussions, we forget that for some reason. We throw diplomacy overboard and anyone who suggests compromise is a traitor. I don't see how this is supposed to do more good than harm.