skyfaller's recent activity
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Comment on Which web browser do you use? in ~tech
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Comment on Which web browser do you use? in ~tech
skyfaller Link ParentI'm very excited about Ladybird, and impressed that hobbyists have proved it is possible to write a browser from scratch, despite the absurd complexity of the modern web that lead some to declare...I'm very excited about Ladybird, and impressed that hobbyists have proved it is possible to write a browser from scratch, despite the absurd complexity of the modern web that lead some to declare that it is impossible to build a new web browser.
Still, the OP asked "Which web browser do you use?" and I do not believe that you use Ladybird. It is not usable yet. I tried to load this page in a recent build of Ladybird, and I couldn't even view the page title, let alone any of the comments.
Relatedly, the strength and weakness of SerenityOS in general, and Ladybird in particular, is that it is made for tinkerers by tinkerers. They do not produce ready-to-use binaries, they require anyone who wants to use the browser (or OS) to compile it themselves. This complete impracticability is what allowed them to build a community of hackers to do the impossible, as any serious or commercial venture would run screaming from the challenge, while these hackers are willing to do it for fun. Nevertheless, it's a significant barrier to entry for any computer user who has not reached the level of being able to compile their own software. Ladybird cannot be recommended to anyone as a browser they should actually use for web browsing, but rather as an invitation to tinker and experience the joy of coding.
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Comment on World scientists’ warning of a climate emergency 2022 in ~enviro
skyfaller Link ParentIf this is your real position, then you're my enemy and I am going to look for a way to screw you over before you can screw other people. Let you receive injustice first. Pulling together as a...At this point with how bad the situation is for climate change, injustice is inevitable.
If this is your real position, then you're my enemy and I am going to look for a way to screw you over before you can screw other people. Let you receive injustice first.
Pulling together as a world civilization is the only way to prevent the climate crisis from getting worse, we must all cooperate, nowhere is safe if fossil fuel industries can just move to a friendlier jurisdiction and continue with business as usual. Abandoning efforts to achieve justice means anyone suffering under the current system has no reason to cooperate, they will instead build infrastructure to become more comfortable so they can emit like we do. Climate justice is literally the only path towards meaningful climate change mitigation.
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Comment on World scientists’ warning of a climate emergency 2022 in ~enviro
skyfaller Link ParentFirst, we need to talk about climate justice. Because Canada has the most historical emissions per capita (or 2nd behind NZ depending on how you count), Canadians are in a way more responsible for...First, we need to talk about climate justice. Because Canada has the most historical emissions per capita (or 2nd behind NZ depending on how you count), Canadians are in a way more responsible for the climate crisis than anyone else on earth. If other countries are submerged by rising seas or flooding from extreme weather, or suffering from drought and fires, it is a moral necessity to take refugees from the crisis Canada created.
Second, note that these are historical emissions. A big chunk of Canada's emissions are in the past, building the infrastructure that Canadians enjoy today. Transitioning to renewable energy could be done using existing Canadian infrastructure that developing nations would have to build from scratch (which would release massive carbon emissions using today's tech). Assuming we don't want people to suffer and die, it could be easier to provide them with a reasonable standard of living at an acceptable carbon price in Canada than elsewhere.
Third, why would you treat the high emissions lifestyle of Canadians as fixed but not immigration policy? This seems like choosing ecofascism over trying to make Canada sustainable. If you don't make Canadians' lifestyle less carbon-intensive, the planet will probably burn with or without a few more Canadians.
Ultimately worrying about overpopulation is a bad plan, that way lies eugenics and genocide. Instead, recognize that inequality is the real enemy, we need to end billionaires and their private jets and yachts with helipads, and share our resources with others instead of living in decadent extravagance that will doom us all.
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Comment on Finally, the uncut version of The Muppet Christmas Carol is back in ~movies
skyfaller LinkBut it's on a streaming service, so you only can access it so long as you are subscribed, and they could arbitrarily remove it again for any (or no) reason at any time. If you want to archive...But it's on a streaming service, so you only can access it so long as you are subscribed, and they could arbitrarily remove it again for any (or no) reason at any time. If you want to archive stuff like this song, either it must be possible to buy physical media that you own, or resort to piracy. Given declining interest in / capacity for either solution, I guess we're probably just going to lose access to a whole lot of media. It's all going to fall down the memory hole!
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Comment on Defective altruism - the repugnant philosophy of “Effective Altruism” offers nothing to movements for global justice in ~humanities
skyfaller Link ParentI was being sloppy, I was using socialism as shorthand for socialist democracies, as opposed to communist totalitarian states run by dictators or a Party oligarchy. You are correct that leftist...I was being sloppy, I was using socialism as shorthand for socialist democracies, as opposed to communist totalitarian states run by dictators or a Party oligarchy. You are correct that leftist economics alone will not protect egalitarianism or equality, and that many communist countries are/were well known as places where "some animals are more equal than others". Some actual power of the people over their government is also necessary.
The best way I can put it is Wilhoit's formulation of conservatism: "There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect." And his inverse statement: "So this tells us what anti-conservatism must be: the proposition that the law cannot protect anyone unless it binds everyone, and cannot bind anyone unless it protects everyone."
If you think that capitalist societies have the same law for the rich and the poor, well, it sure isn't that way in the USA. And as the climate crisis progresses, I predict that all countries will either fall to fascism or rise to meet the mounting danger with socialism; they must eventually choose to sacrifice some portion to steal luxury for the remainder, or deliver climate justice for all and protect the vulnerable. The middle ground will vanish under the rising waters. Capitalism without at least some Green New Deal-style socialism lacks the will or ability to protect its people, there is no pure capitalist solution without human sacrifice. And none of the other aspects of the law matter to people left to die.
Distributing resources more evenly is tricky when the people with the most resources also have the most power, and getting to a more egalitarian place while preserving democracy isn't easy. Fascists hate democracy, and capitalists will cheerfully destroy democracy (or allow it to be destroyed) if they think that's required to continue making their profits, even if they don't think of themselves as fascists. And of course if you have a revolution, there's a high chance that coup-plotters will never give power back to the people. But preserving the neoliberal status quo is truly not an option. Change is coming, one way or another.
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Comment on Defective altruism - the repugnant philosophy of “Effective Altruism” offers nothing to movements for global justice in ~humanities
skyfaller Link ParentFrankly I think the drive to "optimize" inherent to "effective altruism" will tend to create other utility monsters, even if longtermism is somehow excised from the movement. Using utilitarianism...Frankly I think the drive to "optimize" inherent to "effective altruism" will tend to create other utility monsters, even if longtermism is somehow excised from the movement. Using utilitarianism as a guide to try to do more good than harm can be troubling but is probably harmless in most real world situations. Trying to optimize utils is a disaster because the units are made up and can't actually be compared apples to apples, you can't do math with them. You will find any utility monster and feed it everything you can, becoming a paperclip maximizer.
I hesitate to speculate as to other realistic short-term utility monsters, but an obvious one is just conventional eugenics and/or racism. If you convince yourself that, say, people who have had genetic treatments to increase intelligence just matter more than other people (perhaps because you believe they're more likely to create better intelligence-enhancing treatments), you could pour all your resources into creating Gattaca. If there are only a handful of genetically engineered children, they could be classic utility monsters.
One of the best defenses against utility monsters is making egalitarianism a fundamental principle, which is what the "Defective altruism" article is arguing for. Socialism is the best way to guard against, well, fascism, despite the scoffing of many in this thread.
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Comment on Defective altruism - the repugnant philosophy of “Effective Altruism” offers nothing to movements for global justice in ~humanities
skyfaller LinkI think the simplest takedown of "effective altruism" is that it can essentially turn the potentially infinite people of the future into a "utility monster" whose interests can massively outweigh...I think the simplest takedown of "effective altruism" is that it can essentially turn the potentially infinite people of the future into a "utility monster" whose interests can massively outweigh the interests of everyone alive today, even though those future people are only theoretical as of now.
Certainly protecting future people is vital, and our current civilization tends towards dangerously short-term thinking, but one question is, how much do you discount the interests of the future people, and when? What is the discount curve? Refusing to discount them at all could result in mass death and horrifying conditions for the very real people of today.
And since we suck at predicting the future, making decisions about theoretical futures based on almost certainly flawed predictions is an ethical nightmare.
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Comment on Occlusion Grotesque. An experimental, organic typeface in ~design
skyfaller LinkIs this under an open font license? I don't see a license on the web page, and I downloaded the font and I don't see a license in the zip file either. I'm happy to gleefully pirate stuff, but this...Is this under an open font license? I don't see a license on the web page, and I downloaded the font and I don't see a license in the zip file either.
I'm happy to gleefully pirate stuff, but this would probably receive more attention and wider adoption if it were under an open license and institutions worried about copyright infringement could use it safely.
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Comment on A major quake in the Pacific Northwest, expected sooner or later, will most likely create waves big enough to wipe out entire towns. Evacuation towers may be the only hope, if they ever get built. in ~enviro
skyfaller LinkMaybe this is just my depression talking, but it's hard for me to believe that our society will take the necessary steps to protect these people who are at risk from tsunamis. Our society has...Maybe this is just my depression talking, but it's hard for me to believe that our society will take the necessary steps to protect these people who are at risk from tsunamis.
Our society has given up on taking meaningful action to address the clear and present danger of a pandemic that is killing 2,000-3,000 Americans each day. We are bored of mass death and choose to ignore it instead. That's people dying right now! How can our society possibly invest the effort required to prevent future deaths, even if they are very predictable future deaths?
What is the purpose of warning people of death to come if they show no interest in the death that is already here?
The article concludes:
A comprehensive federal solution with accompanying funding is needed
I don't know whether to laugh or cry. The federal gov't can't pass legislation to protect elections and democracy, i.e. its own existence. How will it protect the vulnerable people who rely on it?
Before we can address the threat from tsunamis, we must rediscover our ability to deal with any threat at all.
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Comment on What's up with the NFT hate? in ~tech
skyfaller (edited )Link ParentI'm not convinced that proof-of-stake actually works: https://yanmaani.github.io/proof-of-stake-is-a-scam-and-the-people-promoting-it-are-scammers/ Proof-of-work is an unconscionable waste of...I'm not convinced that proof-of-stake actually works: https://yanmaani.github.io/proof-of-stake-is-a-scam-and-the-people-promoting-it-are-scammers/
Proof-of-work is an unconscionable waste of energy and hardware in a climate crisis, but you should be skeptical of people who claim that proof-of-stake will fix that.
Even if proof-of-stake does work, it really amounts to the golden rule, "he who has the gold makes the rules". PoW and all of its alternatives will make the rich richer because they give inherent advantages to anyone who already has existing resources: https://scribe.rip/everestpipkin/but-the-environmental-issues-with-cryptoart-1128ef72e6a3
Inequality itself is a major driver of the climate crisis, and cryptocurrency will only entrench and accelerate that inequality:
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Comment on Why do we use Tildes? in ~talk
skyfaller Link ParentTL;DR: TLDR (and excessive brevity) reduces the quality of discussion, considered harmful ;-)TL;DR: TLDR (and excessive brevity) reduces the quality of discussion, considered harmful ;-)
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Comment on DuckDuckGo goes carbon negative in ~tech
skyfaller Link ParentI have traveled the opposite direction. I previously was cautiously optimistic about carbon offsets, but now I think they are at best a distraction and at worst a way to funnel money to the worst...I have traveled the opposite direction. I previously was cautiously optimistic about carbon offsets, but now I think they are at best a distraction and at worst a way to funnel money to the worst polluters.
- https://climateadproject.com/offsets/
- https://pluralistic.net/2020/12/12/fairy-use-tale/#greenwashing
- https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/26/aggregate-demand/#murder-offsets
Conventional approaches to carbon offsets like planting trees have been shown to be ephemeral by the increasingly out-of-control wildfires burning down offsets at an alarming rate. Also, tree monocultures are not nearly as resilient as actual forests, i.e. not something humans can quickly create. Your best bet is preserving existing forests, which can't scale up. New technology is unproven and I don't believe it can scale enough to matter before 2050. It's not that direct carbon capture couldn't be beneficial to humanity, it's that we'll have to solve the climate crisis without it, or we won't have a chance to deploy it.
But before we can even address the practical problem of how one offsets carbon, we must solve the systemic problem of incentives. Offset markets are a market for lemons, where meaningless cheap offsets will drive out good meaningful offsets, because it is much cheaper to do nothing and play shell games than to actually offset emissions. I discovered a local eco-friendly shop was offsetting their emissions with the specific fraudulent offset covered in this article: https://bloomberg.com/features/2020-nature-conservancy-carbon-offsets-trees/ TL;DR: The Nature Conservancy has been corrupted to sell carbon offsets for forests on land that were already nature preserves and were never going to be logged. I told my local shop this. They are still offering the same fraudulent offset in their shopping cart today, perhaps because they do not have the time to research and find an offset that isn't a lemon, or perhaps because plausibly non-fraudulent offsets would be too expensive.
It's too bad that the only sustainability strategy DuckDuckGo discusses in this announcement is carbon offsets. I'm sure they mean well, but I'm not convinced that this accomplishes anything at all in the absence of other efforts to dramatically reduce emissions. Everything about our society must change, carbon offsets aren't a silver bullet.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~comp
skyfaller Link ParentI also aspire to support older, simpler browser engines, and I have to say... how do you test with Opera Presto? Do you have an ancient copy of it running somewhere? Is that... safe? Where did you...I also aspire to support older, simpler browser engines, and I have to say... how do you test with Opera Presto? Do you have an ancient copy of it running somewhere? Is that... safe? Where did you get it? How do you install it?
I've been able to install and test with NetSurf and Pale Moon, and I've been using those as representatives of simpler browsers, but even if I wanted to support old proprietary browsers (and I'm not sure I do, seems like encouraging people to browse unsafely), I don't know how I would run a copy of IE4. At least NetSurf is maintained, and if I leave Javascript turned off, that has to reduce the security risk.
Here's a crappy work-in-progress blog post about how I try to use progressive enhancement with CSS to support simpler browsers: https://www.maximumethics.dev/blog/2021/09/progressive-enhancement/
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~movies
skyfaller LinkHere's what's not clear to me: Do I need to watch 2 and 3 before watching this movie? (I didn't see 3 after being disappointed with 2.) Is this some sort of reboot or continuity shift, like how...Here's what's not clear to me: Do I need to watch 2 and 3 before watching this movie? (I didn't see 3 after being disappointed with 2.) Is this some sort of reboot or continuity shift, like how some Terminator properties ignore Terminator 3?
Neo seems to be lost in the Matrix again, with this talking to a psychologist and having to take the red pill again... how did this happen? He's known about the Matrix since early in the first movie. Did his memory get wiped? I don't understand what the situation is supposed to be at the beginning of the new movie.
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Comment on Moderators of hundreds of popular subreddits sign open letter calling on Reddit founders to do more to combat COVID-19 disinformation in ~health
skyfaller Link ParentIs Tildes not a Reddit alternative? I recognize it's tiny, but I put effort into seeking it out because of the many flaws of Reddit, and it seems to be doing a good job with moderation so far....Is Tildes not a Reddit alternative? I recognize it's tiny, but I put effort into seeking it out because of the many flaws of Reddit, and it seems to be doing a good job with moderation so far.
Every time I see more stupid behavior like this from Reddit, I spend a little more time on Lobsters, Raddle, Lemmy, etc... Maybe they're no threat today, maybe the real competition to Reddit doesn't exist yet, but complacency has killed many powerful companies in the past.
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Comment on Climate change: IPCC report is 'code red for humanity' in ~enviro
skyfaller Link ParentSimilarly to purely direct solar heating vs. some electric hybrid, I think that a slow cooker like the instapot adds significant complexity to a thermal cooker that can be very simple and...Similarly to purely direct solar heating vs. some electric hybrid, I think that a slow cooker like the instapot adds significant complexity to a thermal cooker that can be very simple and long-lasting. It's not just a question of energy use while cooking, it's also a question of embodied emissions, maintenance, and eventually e-waste.
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Comment on Climate change: IPCC report is 'code red for humanity' in ~enviro
skyfaller Link ParentOh man, I really wanted the predecessor to that solar oven that was purely solar, the GoSun Grill. I recognize that adding electricity as an option makes it significantly more flexible, but I...Oh man, I really wanted the predecessor to that solar oven that was purely solar, the GoSun Grill. I recognize that adding electricity as an option makes it significantly more flexible, but I question its effect on simplicity/durability/repairability. I wish I had assembled the money to buy it before they stopped selling it.
Would love to hear more about your experiences with that model.
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Comment on Climate change: IPCC report is 'code red for humanity' in ~enviro
skyfaller (edited )Link ParentI mean, clearly the answer is no. In the developed world, even people living in energy poverty are currently living above the carrying capacity of the planet. The US and Europe will need to...I mean, clearly the answer is no. In the developed world, even people living in energy poverty are currently living above the carrying capacity of the planet. The US and Europe will need to dramatically change the way they live. It won't necessarily require them being less comfortable, so long as they are willing to learn new ways of doing things.
My favorite example, because it's something I do regularly that has generally improved my life, is using thermal cookers / fireless cookers. You get your pot of food cooking, then throw it in an insulated container so that it continues cooking without further energy input.
- You don't have to babysit the pot while it cooks, for fear of fire or children harming themselves
- You can take it with you somewhere while it's cooking, e.g. to a picnic, it can be portable
- It's especially great in the summer, because less cooking time means your kitchen heats up less
- And of course it saves energy / reduces emissions
All that's required is that you acquire one of these simple devices and learn to use it. I love the hi-tech Thermos Shuttle Chef because it's compact (yes, it's made by the same Thermos company you see in the USA, but for some reason only seems to be sold/marketed in Asia), but a simpler design like the Wonderbag is cheap enough the gov't could probably just give one to every household.
It's not a sacrifice, it's a genuine life improvement. But it's not how the US or Europe currently lives (even though thermal cookers were popular until the 1970s in the US, after which they were thoroughly forgotten).
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Comment on Climate change: IPCC report is 'code red for humanity' in ~enviro
skyfaller Link ParentI really think overpopulation is not something we should focus our attention on: https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/9/26/16356524/the-population-question TL;DR: focus on womens'...What do you think about malthusianism and the idea that there are or will soon be too many people in the world to have appropriate living standards for all of them as it relates to climate change?
I really think overpopulation is not something we should focus our attention on: https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/9/26/16356524/the-population-question TL;DR: focus on womens' rights and economic inequality instead to get similar results without troubling eugenics overtones.
What was the point of writing this comment?