smiles134's recent activity
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
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Comment on NYT Quiz: Who’s a better writer: AI or humans? in ~tech
smiles134 Link ParentRight now, we're just sending out regular/lowest-tier rejection note. I don't think that will change unless AI fingerprinting becomes readily available/reliable in the future. Those AI-detectors...Right now, we're just sending out regular/lowest-tier rejection note. I don't think that will change unless AI fingerprinting becomes readily available/reliable in the future. Those AI-detectors are, in my opinion, like snake oil salesmen. There are too many false positives for me to really trust them, so we're using our gut right now, too. And since we don't (usually) have any hard proof, it's not really worth getting into an accusatory position when declining the work. So, what I've been advising our readers is if something feels off about the submission, still evaluate it on the merits. Usually the work isn't up to par anywhere. But there have been some that stand out that have required a deeper look. At that point, I'm starting to do investigations about the submitter: Have they published elsewhere? Where, if so? Do those pieces also have AI indicators? Are they posting AI generated artwork on their social media pages?
There was an essay we were considering not very long ago that our early readers loved, but when my assistant editor and I examined the piece closer and tried to verify biographical details about the author, it was clear the person being described in the essay was not the author. That's enough for us to say no to the piece, too.
So, I don't have a great answer for you except that we've basically had to add another layer of verification into our acceptance process, which sucks.
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Comment on NYT Quiz: Who’s a better writer: AI or humans? in ~tech
smiles134 Link ParentSure, always happy to talk more about literary mags!Sure, always happy to talk more about literary mags!
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Comment on NYT Quiz: Who’s a better writer: AI or humans? in ~tech
smiles134 LinkSo, I run a literary magazine. (Actually, a couple.) But in the last 9 months or so, the amount of LLM generated writing that's been submitted has been appalling. It's so, so frustrating to me,...So, I run a literary magazine. (Actually, a couple.) But in the last 9 months or so, the amount of LLM generated writing that's been submitted has been appalling. It's so, so frustrating to me, because I can never be sure unless the submitter leaves in their prompts (which absolutely has happened and continues to happen), and I want to give strangers the benefit of the doubt, but there are particular structures that LLMs just LOVE to follow. Lists of three, which I think everyone knows by now, but it also just loves to do this:
[Thing]—not [this thing], but [this other thing]. "Not, but" seems to be its favorite rhetorical move to try to create some kind of comparison. It shows up in the example that @stu2b50 included in their message, even. It's like nails on a chalkboard to me now.
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Comment on Kristi Noem removed from position as Secretary of US Homeland Security by Donald Trump in ~society
smiles134 LinkMarkwayne Mullin is Trump's chosen successor who sucks hard in his own ways But for now, let me just say: lolMarkwayne Mullin is Trump's chosen successor who sucks hard in his own ways
But for now, let me just say: lol
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
smiles134 Link ParentI think I need to give this movie another shot. I see people rave about it all the time, but I saw it in theatres on release and thought it was awful. That was back in high school though and I...I think I need to give this movie another shot. I see people rave about it all the time, but I saw it in theatres on release and thought it was awful. That was back in high school though and I remember very little about the movie, so maybe I'll feel differently now.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
smiles134 LinkLast night I finished Dragon Age: Inquisition -- shout-out to whoever it was who told me not to waste my time in the Hinterlands, you definitely saved my ass from my self. But man, after three...Last night I finished Dragon Age: Inquisition -- shout-out to whoever it was who told me not to waste my time in the Hinterlands, you definitely saved my ass from my self. But man, after three games: I've never seen so many cool, interesting narratives in a compelling world just get completely squandered by baffling gameplay choices. I was not a fan of Origins's tactics system, but at least that was a unique choice. It didn't work for me, but I know that the people who loved it really loved it. By the third game, combat is completly unrecognizable. Their approach to just hold down left mouse and then spam abilities when your stamina recovers is... Odd.
Now that I'm through all the Dragon Age games I own, I think I can move on from the series. I don't feel any pull to play the new one, which from what I understand even watered down the world which was the only thing interesting about the games by this point. Disappointing.
Well, now that I've finished my big game, I'm turning to smaller ones for palette cleansers. I'm halfway through Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania, a few levels into Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4, and I've got these games installed and ready for me to dip my toes in as I finish the others up:
- Islets
- Mad Max
- Lost in Random
- LEGO Star Wars Skywalker Saga
- Sifu
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Comment on ‘Andor’ creator Tony Gilroy gives the interview he couldn’t during its release in ~tv
smiles134 Link ParentTony Gilroy might be my favorite screenwriter. Besides Andor, he wrote some of the best spy thriller/political intrigue movies of the 2000s: the Bourne trilogy, State of Play, and Michael Clayton....Tony Gilroy might be my favorite screenwriter. Besides Andor, he wrote some of the best spy thriller/political intrigue movies of the 2000s: the Bourne trilogy, State of Play, and Michael Clayton. So, so good.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of February 9 in ~society
smiles134 Link ParentSpeculation I've seen is that the military lost control of a counter drone and when the DOD couldn't guarantee to the FAA that commercial flights were not at risk, the FAA acted proactively. But I...Speculation I've seen is that the military lost control of a counter drone and when the DOD couldn't guarantee to the FAA that commercial flights were not at risk, the FAA acted proactively. But I don't know if we'll ever really know.
edit: Trump admin is now claiming cartel drones breached the US air space. I don't know if either explanation is more likely: https://apnews.com/article/faa-el-paso-texas-air-space-closed-1f774bdfd46f5986ff0e7003df709caa
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of February 9 in ~society
smiles134 Link ParentThe FAA has now reopened the airspace and said there's no danger. Wtf happenedThe FAA has now reopened the airspace and said there's no danger. Wtf happened
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of February 9 in ~society
smiles134 Link ParentStephen Miller has been talking about using the military to strike cartel operations in Mexico and that's what I'm afraid this is leading to.Stephen Miller has been talking about using the military to strike cartel operations in Mexico and that's what I'm afraid this is leading to.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of February 9 in ~society
smiles134 Link ParentThis one is concerning. Shit like this just doesn't happen and no one seems to know what this is about. New Orleans airspace has also been shut down for 5 days.This one is concerning. Shit like this just doesn't happen and no one seems to know what this is about. New Orleans airspace has also been shut down for 5 days.
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Comment on I'm annoyed with mundane revisionist history in ~talk
smiles134 Link ParentYou can find contemporary discussion of whether the DVD player makes the PlayStation 2 worth it. People likely weren't buying it specifically because it could play DVDs but the fact that it did...You can find contemporary discussion of whether the DVD player makes the PlayStation 2 worth it. People likely weren't buying it specifically because it could play DVDs but the fact that it did both made it more appealing as a family system in the living room.
This is not revisionist history, it's part of the legacy and popularity of the system.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
smiles134 (edited )LinkI watched Train Dreams last night. I read the novella shortly after I graduated college, but even as I was starting the movie last night, I couldn't remember too much of what it was about besides...I watched Train Dreams last night. I read the novella shortly after I graduated college, but even as I was starting the movie last night, I couldn't remember too much of what it was about besides the fact that the main character was a logger in the early 20th century and had a dog, and that the book itself was very sad, and that not much happened. (I remember really liking the book as well.)
Very strong Terrance Malik vibes from this movie. Lots of atmosphere and intensely, deeply human and moving. No surprise that it's a sad movie. I've read a lot of people saying they cried a lot through this film -- I'm an easy crier but did not at this movie. I did, however, feel very melancholy by the end. This is a movie that sits with you for a long time.
After I watched the movie, I went back and read the novella's synopsis, and wow, the movie somehow had even less happening than the book did, which is kind of crazy cause the book is only like 100 pages. I think it's interesting that they made Robert less culpable in the opening scene with the Chinese logger. In the book, Robert is very much helping to wrangle the man up (who eventually gets away), even though he doesn't understand why they're doing what they're doing. He also believes the man puts a curse on him after. I need to think more on what the implications of this change are, but that's one difference that affects what comes after for Robert. Also: I remembered the dog having a bigger presence in the book, but I might be wrong. There's more justification in the book for Robert to think the girl who shows up and then disappears again is actually his daughter and not just a wish of his (though it's clear in the book still that she's almost certainly not his daughter).
Anyway: definitely deserves its Oscar nom, but I doubt it will win.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
smiles134 Link ParentMan, I love My Cousin Vinny. I watched it the first time only a couple years and it very immediately became a movie I'll stop and watch whenever I come across it. It's funny, the legal aspects are...Man, I love My Cousin Vinny. I watched it the first time only a couple years and it very immediately became a movie I'll stop and watch whenever I come across it. It's funny, the legal aspects are accurate, and Marisa Tomei is fantastic.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
smiles134 Link ParentLast night I got a 4th safe open, lit the 4th flame and explored down there, reached the antechamber/ basement for the first time and then got annoyed I had to move a mine cart previously in order...Last night I got a 4th safe open, lit the 4th flame and explored down there, reached the antechamber/
for the first time and then got annoyed I had to
basementmove a mine cart previouslyin order to advance. So that'll be my goal for tonight.I'd made it to the antechamber several times on past runs, but never on a run where I'd been able to pull the lever at some point. I spent a while recently trying to find the last two shops which had never popped up for me so finally I googled what they were last night to find out they're basically endgame rooms, so I've set that aside for the time being. I think I have 3 regular rooms to find but have otherwise found all the hallways, bedrooms, red rooms and green rooms.
Last night I also started taking notes on the chess pieces in rooms. I think I understand what I'm supposed to do with that info now that I have the four flames lit but I could be wrong. We'll see.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
smiles134 (edited )Link ParentFor me: I wasn't really feeling the story or the gameplay all that much but what clinched it was the final mission. A long chase mission with few if any checkpoints and a single stumble, misclick...For me: I wasn't really feeling the story or the gameplay all that much but what clinched it was the final mission. A long chase mission with few if any checkpoints and a single stumble, misclick or moment of disorientation meant you failed the mission and had to start all the way over. I hate chase missions to begin with but this particular chase mission made my blood boil.
And to make matters worse, once you finally catch up to your target, a cutscene is triggered in which you get injured. And then you have to limp across the map, continuing your pursuit. If there's anything I hate more than chase missions, it's being forced to move slowly with no other gameplay input or purpose except to demonstrate that I'm injured. I get it! I'd get it if it was a cutscene -- which, we were just in a cutscene! Did I need to actually play this part where all I do is limp from one end of town to the other?
Finally, finally, you catch up to this guy in a bar in a different area. Finally you get to kill him.
Except: cutscene! Yep, you don't even get the satisfaction of pulling the trigger yourself. Jesus Christ why did you make me endure the chase, the limping, just to rob me of the final cathartic moment in the game?
I was so angry by the end of the game, but that wasn't even the end of it. There were ten full minutes of unskippable cutscenes, after which the game had the audacity to introduce an open world endgame section as if I'd want to keep spending my time here.
I hate AC3 lol
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
smiles134 LinkSo Blue Prince has pretty much consumed me to this point. I've got pages of notes, have played about 18ish hours and solved a bunch of puzzles though I feel like I've only scratched the surface....So Blue Prince has pretty much consumed me to this point. I've got pages of notes, have played about 18ish hours and solved a bunch of puzzles though I feel like I've only scratched the surface. Finally unlocked the Apple Orchard last night, and I've got 3 safes open.
I've had to look up a couple of solutions and I am pretty confident I could not have solved those specific puzzles without assistance, but for the most part I'm avoiding finding solutions.
(Will happily accept hints, however! I've figured out the pictures in the rooms and mapped out that solution which is what I've spent a lot of time doing to this point, and now I'm trying to figure out what my next steps should be. Have been bumping up my allowance and just unlocked the outer room area last night as well.)
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
smiles134 Link ParentAC2 and Brotherhood are far and away the best two games in the whole series in my opinion (but to be fair I have not played a majority of the series lol). I did not love Revelations and so...AC2 and Brotherhood are far and away the best two games in the whole series in my opinion (but to be fair I have not played a majority of the series lol). I did not love Revelations and so actively disliked AC3 that I bounced off the series right there.
That's such a bummer. I love Christian Bale and the idea of a Bonnie and Clyde retelling of the bride of Frankenstein is such a cool idea but all the reviews I've of this are saying it's just a mess.