slade's recent activity
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
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Comment on Getting permission from your significant other in ~life
slade LinkI think it's largely option 3, at least as I see it anecdotally. Once you're in a family unit, you generally have to check with the family (or the family calendar) before booking your time. IMO...I think it's largely option 3, at least as I see it anecdotally. Once you're in a family unit, you generally have to check with the family (or the family calendar) before booking your time.
IMO it's not a gendered or boss/subordinate thing. It's just how you respect each other. I always assume people who frame it that way are joking.
Going deeper, I can say I've never heard the phrase "check with the boss"used by a woman or about a man; only by men about women. I think a lot of times it's because they rely on their partners to manage their schedule, putting their partner in the position to say yes or no.
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Comment on Anticipating a world where LLM use is widespread in ~tech
slade Link ParentI would rephrase this to say that LLMs are capable of being demonstrably less malicious than humans. My expectation is that as we refine and polish the technology, we will also refine and polish...LLMs are demonstrably less likely to be malicious than humans.
I would rephrase this to say that LLMs are capable of being demonstrably less malicious than humans. My expectation is that as we refine and polish the technology, we will also refine and polish how we can weaponize it for purposes of selling things and controlling information.
I think we're in the "build trust" phase of a new industry. I don't think it's long before LLMs are asked to misrepresent undesirable facts or serve as incognito sales consultants.
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Comment on Why Swedish schools are bringing back books in ~books
slade Link ParentI agree. There's a critical mass that, once reached in your neighborhood, not having a phone means not participating in the dominant form of socialization among your peers. I experienced a lesser...I agree. There's a critical mass that, once reached in your neighborhood, not having a phone means not participating in the dominant form of socialization among your peers. I experienced a lesser version of this in my my twenties when I passed on the Facebook bandwagon. It wasn't long before I wasn't invited to things, didn't get pictures. When I did it was extra effort just to share things with me after sharing them with everyone else, which only lasts for a while before people get tired of it. I wasn't cut out, but I effectively cut myself out by not subscribing to feed-based socialization.
I'd like opt out to be a strategy, and it is, but depending on your kid's social circle, the sacrifice may be very real. I definitely think kids are better off without phones, social media, infinite scrolling, and "algorithm"-fed content. But in the same way that I think humans are. As long as people flock to these platforms/behaviors in adulthood, I don't see them seriously protecting their children from them.
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Comment on Introducing EmDash — the spiritual successor to WordPress that solves plugin security in ~tech
slade Link ParentI'll join delphi in my WordPress hate. The early part of my career was pure WordPress (back around 2007 I think), and I remember always being shocked that such popular software was just monolithic...I'll join delphi in my WordPress hate. The early part of my career was pure WordPress (back around 2007 I think), and I remember always being shocked that such popular software was just monolithic plates of spaghetti. It was not good.
I always felt that WordPress didn't become popular for being well-built or well-architected. A lot of platforms did the same thing as WordPress, with some features better and some worse. I mostly think that WordPress just got lucky. Its plug-in/theme packaging was a big draw for users and builders, but it wasn't anything novel.
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Comment on Introducing EmDash — the spiritual successor to WordPress that solves plugin security in ~tech
slade Link ParentThat seems like the best strategy for rolling out any new standard that requires bank interaction. It ensure that banks can be consumers of the standard, like the rest of us.That seems like the best strategy for rolling out any new standard that requires bank interaction. It ensure that banks can be consumers of the standard, like the rest of us.
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Comment on 'Banal and hollow': Why the quaint paintings of Thomas Kinkade divided the US in ~arts
slade Link ParentI can only laugh. I worked for an art vendor in 2000s and remember when we launched our Thomas Kinkade offering. It was a big event for us and led to a ton of orders. I remember being drawn in by...I can only laugh. I worked for an art vendor in 2000s and remember when we launched our Thomas Kinkade offering. It was a big event for us and led to a ton of orders.
I remember being drawn in by the warmth of his paintings. I used to imagine being inside those houses. But I also recognized that they were thematically basic and repetitious. Back then I didn't think to Google people, so I just assumed he was this old grandfatherly type recluse who just liked to paint. I guess I imagined him living in one of those little winter hamlets.
Then I read about him peeing on Winnie the Pooh and heckling other artists and I can only laugh. If I were a fan I'd be disappointed, and I'm certainly surprised, but at the same time not. The disconnect between his product and his persona seems to be consistent with someone who was just marketing and hustling for cash.
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Comment on Pokémon Go players built a thirty-billion-photo map for AI in ~tech
slade LinkIt sounds like they didn't do it for AI. They did it for harmless fun. It was then used to feed AI.It sounds like they didn't do it for AI. They did it for harmless fun. It was then used to feed AI.
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Comment on Backrooms | Official trailer in ~movies
slade Link ParentIf the antagonist is not an inert physical structure, I will be very disappointed. I watched the first half of the trailer and I'm optimistic.If the antagonist is not an inert physical structure, I will be very disappointed.
I watched the first half of the trailer and I'm optimistic.
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Comment on Scientists uncovered the nutrients bees were missing -- colonies surged fifteen-fold in ~science
slade Link ParentThe more I think about the word "livestock", the more dystopian it feels.The more I think about the word "livestock", the more dystopian it feels.
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Comment on Looking for surreal horror/mindbending in ~books
slade Link ParentI just got to and through Embassytown from this recommendation thread, and wanted to share that it's the one I've enjoyed most so far. spoilers I teared up when Spanish Dancer spoke to Avice for...I just got to and through Embassytown from this recommendation thread, and wanted to share that it's the one I've enjoyed most so far.
spoilers
I teared up when Spanish Dancer spoke to Avice for the first time.
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Comment on Olympic committee announces a broad ban on transgender athletes and athletes with differences in sex development in Women’s events (gifted link) in ~lgbt
slade Link ParentI couldn't agree more. This is something I've felt for most of my life: The sheer time and energy and wealth that goes into fighting against people quietly living their lives is upsetting. What...I couldn't agree more. This is something I've felt for most of my life:
why are you spending mental effort coming to a conclusion on this, a topic which barely affects a handful of people
The sheer time and energy and wealth that goes into fighting against people quietly living their lives is upsetting. What would happen if we took every dollar spent on *-phobic lobbying and theater and spent it on, I don't know, healthcare and education? I wonder how things might look different?
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Comment on Google’s TurboQuant AI-compression algorithm can reduce LLM memory usage by 6x in ~tech
slade Link ParentOr maybe we just move 6 times faster towards the bubble pop.Or maybe we just move 6 times faster towards the bubble pop.
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Comment on The man who made San Francisco's flock of wild parrots famous dies at 74 in ~enviro
slade LinkI remember watching this documentary back when it came out and Netflix carried interesting programming. It seemed like this guy found his best possible niche in life caring after these birds, and...I remember watching this documentary back when it came out and Netflix carried interesting programming. It seemed like this guy found his best possible niche in life caring after these birds, and I always thought it was a very fairy tale story that the woman who made the documentary fell in love with him in the process, and they got married. It's interesting that he eventually lobbied against publicly feeding them (which is IMO a good decision).
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Comment on Reddit will implement human verification to tag and combat bots in ~tech
slade LinkI've long assumed - to the point where you'd have a hard time convincing me it's not true - that reddit are the biggest enabler (if not provider) of bot activity on their website. The pre-AI bot...I've long assumed - to the point where you'd have a hard time convincing me it's not true - that reddit are the biggest enabler (if not provider) of bot activity on their website. The pre-AI bot activity on reddit was both overwhelming and easily detected, yet they never put systems in place to detect them.
There's a lot of incentive for a business, who's entire value is user submitted content, to use bots to fake user generated content.
I don't have any faith that reddit is doing this to fight bot traffic, as bot traffic is good for reddit. Maybe to fight the wrong bot traffic according to reddit's needs, which will not align with the users.
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Comment on Lyme disease vaccine shows 70 percent efficacy, Pfizer says in ~health
slade Link ParentI have little kids and have already pulled four ticks off of them this season. I lose sleep at night wondering if I messed up moving us out to the woods.I have little kids and have already pulled four ticks off of them this season. I lose sleep at night wondering if I messed up moving us out to the woods.
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Comment on Android to debut "advanced flow" for sideloading unverified applications in ~tech
slade Link ParentYes. I wouldn't like it, and I'd feel a sense that I should be personally exempted because I'm savvy, but in terms of designing responsible technology, I think the reality is that phones are used...Yes.
I wouldn't like it, and I'd feel a sense that I should be personally exempted because I'm savvy, but in terms of designing responsible technology, I think the reality is that phones are used broadly by people who don't (and will never) understand how they work. Like my 80 year old mom, who grew up without a computer and calls herself a Luddite, with a little pride, but is on her phone all the time. I do believe that they need protection, even at the cost of convenience for me. AI exacerbates the need, because it could absolutely impersonate me to my mom and get her to do something stupid under the guise of urgency.
Having said that, I've spent no time thinking about the problem, so I ain't necessarily think that what they've done is the only or best way. But I'm impressed by the cleverness - it is simple to implement and communicate, and neuters an entire class of scams that generally work on low-tech people.
There are probably other ways to do it that I'd also find reasonable, maybe moreso.
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Comment on Android to debut "advanced flow" for sideloading unverified applications in ~tech
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Comment on Digg has shutdown (again) in ~tech
slade LinkIf you don't know what digg "needs" to become, maybe it doesn't need to become anything? This reads like a mission statement of "we tried doing what we wanted and that didn't pan out, so next...He'll continue as an advisor to True Ventures, but Digg will be his primary focus. We couldn't think of a better person to help figure out what Digg needs to become.
If you don't know what digg "needs" to become, maybe it doesn't need to become anything? This reads like a mission statement of "we tried doing what we wanted and that didn't pan out, so next we'll try anything we can to survive". I'm curious to see what the next iteration looks like.
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Comment on Proton Mail helped US FBI unmask anonymous ‘Stop Cop City’ protester in ~tech
slade Link ParentI don't get that at all... I wonder how often people are accusing people of being AI? Especially as AI gets better at acting like people, and people start accidentally acting like AI.I don't get that at all... I wonder how often people are accusing people of being AI? Especially as AI gets better at acting like people, and people start accidentally acting like AI.
Perdido Street Station, after just finishing Embassytown and seating it as my latest favorite. I was going to read Generation Ship as part of a casual book club with my dad, but my mom spoiled the ending to me after we'd been discussing for a bit that I'd only just started it. I wasn't loving the prose, so having the ending spoiled killed my ambition to read it. I might come back later.