American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suing Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccine policy
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Wes's recent activity
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Comment on I wrote my first Chrome extension to simplify Wikipedia articles in ~comp
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Comment on TikTok is being flooded with racist AI videos generated by Google’s Veo 3 in ~tech
Wes Link ParentOr really, any digital creation tool. People have been using text-to-speech to say "funny racist messages" for as long as Microsoft Sam has existed. Photoshop, Blender, Source Filmmaker -- any...Or really, any digital creation tool. People have been using text-to-speech to say "funny racist messages" for as long as Microsoft Sam has existed. Photoshop, Blender, Source Filmmaker -- any creation tool can be used for good or evil.
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Comment on AI videos have never been better: can you tell what's real? in ~tech
Wes Link ParentI also got 7/10. Two of the ones I got wrong I was really undecided on, but still chose wrong in the end. The newscasting one felt the most difficult, due to the translucent desk which really made...I also got 7/10. Two of the ones I got wrong I was really undecided on, but still chose wrong in the end. The newscasting one felt the most difficult, due to the translucent desk which really made it difficult to trace the light/reflections.
Interestingly, a few jumped out to me as obviously real or obviously AI within just a few frames. Others I had to study intensely. It'll be interesting to study what these "tells" are (lighting, sound, compression artifacts?), and how they adapt over time.
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Comment on Junk Store 2.0 breakdown, separate from OSS version, $40 a year in ~games
Wes Link ParentThis only works for store pages in your browser, but I really like the Augmented Steam extension (the successor to Enhanced Steam). It shows HLTB times, ITAD integration (historical lows), and...This only works for store pages in your browser, but I really like the Augmented Steam extension (the successor to Enhanced Steam). It shows HLTB times, ITAD integration (historical lows), and tons more. It also has a notes feature that integrates with ITAD that I use for mentioning games I own on other platforms, to avoid rebuying them like a dummy.
The UI might be a little cluttered by default, but you can configure most of it and just leave enabled the features you like.
I'm not sure how useful it would be for the Deck specifically, but if you often browse the store on other devices, you might still get some value out of it.
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Comment on Passkey vs smart use of passwords in ~tech
Wes (edited )Link ParentKnowing the salt shouldn't actually help an attacker very much. In a scenario where a database is dumped, the attacker still needs to try every password manually to find the corresponding hash and...Knowing the salt shouldn't actually help an attacker very much. In a scenario where a database is dumped, the attacker still needs to try every password manually to find the corresponding hash and password. The goal of salting a hash is to defeat rainbow table lookups. As long as your salt is unique, it still manages to accomplish that goal.
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Comment on Anyone else notice that YouTube took away the kebab menu from shorts? in ~tech
Wes Link ParentI use RSS for videos too, though I found that playlist feeds specifically had a quantity limit where they stopped picking up updates (I want to say at 20 videos). As a result, I've had to follow...I use RSS for videos too, though I found that playlist feeds specifically had a quantity limit where they stopped picking up updates (I want to say at 20 videos). As a result, I've had to follow channel feeds directly instead. A little annoying for channels like CrashCourse, where I want to follow specific courses but end up seeing everything. Though I guess it's an excuse to see a wider variety of content as well.
Note I've not tested this in a few years, so things may have changed.
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Comment on Anyone else notice that YouTube took away the kebab menu from shorts? in ~tech
Wes (edited )Link ParentI think they likely mean on the homepage feed. There is occasionally a Shorts section insert, which you can hide for one month via the kebab menu. Mine is already hidden, so I can't confirm, but...I think they likely mean on the homepage feed. There is occasionally a Shorts section insert, which you can hide for one month via the kebab menu.
Mine is already hidden, so I can't confirm, but it sounds like that option may have been removed.
edit: Ah, sounds like you were right and it was just confusion over a moved button.
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Comment on Tulsi Gabbard admits she asked AI which US President John F. Kennedy files secrets to reveal in ~society
Wes LinkThe title says "admits", but it seems like it was more of a boast during a conference. That framing feels a little slimy from the Daily Beast. Regardless, this is clearly an inappropriate method...The title says "admits", but it seems like it was more of a boast during a conference. That framing feels a little slimy from the Daily Beast.
Regardless, this is clearly an inappropriate method for choosing anything of such importance. And while they don't specify which AI was used (only that it's an "intelligence community chatbot"), at this point I wouldn't be surprised if it was a cloud-hosted option which would have serious data policy concerns. There's very few examples of proper data handling techniques being used by this administration.
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Comment on Escape Simulator 2 | Coming October 21st to Steam in ~games
Wes LinkI really enjoyed playing Escape Sim 1 in a coop setting. They put a surprising number of puzzles into each room, and it makes me wonder how they come up with so much variety. The biggest issue I...I really enjoyed playing Escape Sim 1 in a coop setting. They put a surprising number of puzzles into each room, and it makes me wonder how they come up with so much variety.
The biggest issue I felt was the small size of each of the rooms. There just wasn't enough space to move around in. They improved this in some of the post-release content, like the Treasure Island map, so their engine was at least capable of it.
We didn't get too many looks at the environments in this trailer, but based on the fact that there's now four player coop, my guess is they've improved that here too.
It looks much nicer graphically, too. Will definitely be checking it out closer to release.
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Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of June 8 in ~games
Wes Link ParentI've yet to play Quern, but remember being really excited to pick it up. I'm going to need some kind of event to motivate me to play games from my backlog... I do have a short story about a...I've yet to play Quern, but remember being really excited to pick it up. I'm going to need some kind of event to motivate me to play games from my backlog...
I do have a short story about a similar game, Haven Moon. This is another Myst-like that released around the same time as Quern. I doubt the puzzles are as well crafted, but this one is kind of special to me due to how I played it.
Around 6 or 7 years ago, I moved into my current condo. I knew my internet wasn't going to be hooked up for a long time (I want to say 2 weeks?), so I downloaded a bunch of games and movies to keep me occupied during that period. Haven Moon was one of them.
I think I finally understand what it must have been like to play Myst on release. Back when you couldn't get frustrated on a puzzle, decide it was simply too unclear or unfair, and simply look up the solution. But nope, no internet. I needed to rack my brain and try everything. And so I did.
I explored the environments thoroughly while playing. I thought about the puzzles while not playing. I took screenshots of everything, and documented anything that looked off. I had numerous "Eureka!" moments that allowed me to progress. And eventually, after days of effort, I beat the game.
I tell you, I have never been so satisfied to see a game's credits before. Having all achievements and a playtime of "0 hours, 0 minutes" on Steam (due to offline mode), it remains one of my proudest gaming achievements. I can't even say it was a great game or anything, but I'll always remember it.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club discussion - April 2025 - Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky in ~books
Wes LinkFashionably late again, but at least this one was a shorter read (part of why I nominated it...). I'm glad to finally be working through my backlog and catching up in these threads. I will likely...Fashionably late again, but at least this one was a shorter read (part of why I nominated it...). I'm glad to finally be working through my backlog and catching up in these threads. I will likely skip a couple months though, then try to rejoin later so I'm no longer running behind.
Elder Race is tightly written and makes effective use of its limited page count. It still provides us backstory and context for this alien world, but much of the world-building emerges naturally through the alternating perspectives of Nyr and Lyn. Each provides their own unique understanding of this world, and we learn about their histories mostly through their own personal context.
Rarely did the book backtrack. While it might have been interesting to contrast their thoughts in every situation, it would have slowed the pace too much. For those few moments we did see things in stark contrast though - it really did highlight just how differently these characters saw the world.
I found both characters' perspectives enjoyable to read through, but I found that Nyr was especially humanized through his personal struggles. His years alone in his tower and utter loneliness are not unfamiliar to many of us. I found his dealings with "the beast within himself" to be a very honest depiction of depression. Difficult to describe, and yet impossible to ignore. His depression was never at the forefront of the story, but it was always lurking within him, and coloring every decision he made.
The DCS was also a good way of exploring the issue further. More than just being an interesting scifi gadget, it demonstrated an advanced form of bottling up one's feelings. Somehow, eventually, they will find a way to spill out. It seems that even with advanced technology, mental health is not something that can simply be ignored.
While Nyr felt closer to our own perspective, he was still unknown to us. He would occasionally remind us of this fact by employing his human augmentation or a futuristic toy. It was almost like contrasting our past and future, and we're stuck somewhere in the middle, not quite understanding either one.
The world though clearly belongs to Lyn. It is one of swords and shields, kings and queens, valor and bravery. At least, that is the world as she sees it. I liked that even here, the world that Lyn sees is very different from the one her mother sees, and closer to that of her grandmother.
Tchaikovsky saves time by leaning on some fantasy tropes, but I think that's perfectly reasonable for a novella and helps keep the pace up. I would have liked to learn a little more about some of the unusual differences alluded to, like the aquatic people and their role in facilitating trade. In a way, they seemed a mashup of this "historical" fantasy period, and the technological future that allowed their genetic modification in the first place.
I appreciated the attention to cultural norms: the weight of names, the taboo of touch. Nyr is an anthropologist, but even he struggles to pick up on some of these rules despite studying these people for many years (or storm seasons).
The demon was a very interesting baddie. The "invisible communication" with no detectable mechanism was genuinely creepy to me, since it violated my own understanding of the world. The metaphor of a seal being under the ice was a nice way of expressing that. The entity never felt malicious, exactly. It was no different than a virus or parasite: something just doing what it was programmed to do. Whether that is genetic programming or one of intelligent design is a question left unanswered.
I found the ending was slightly predictable, as the whole "nuke my body from orbit" thing had been foreshadowed a few times at that point, but it didn't feel cheap. I'd argue there was room left for a potential sequel though.
I actually found Nyr's resolution quite satisfying. He finally makes the hard decision to cut ties with his old life, and chooses to integrate into the society that until now, he's only studied from afar. To specifically do so as a "court sorcerer" feels like an acceptance of that world. To him, it may just be science, but it's magic to everyone else. And after being humbled by the unknowable demon, he's seemingly come to realize there may be no practical difference.
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Comment on I think I’m done thinking about genAI for now in ~comp
Wes LinkI read most of the post, but as with others skimmed a few paragraphs that felt like they were repeating. I don't know Glyph, but they seem like a decent person. They approach the topic by...I read most of the post, but as with others skimmed a few paragraphs that felt like they were repeating.
I don't know Glyph, but they seem like a decent person. They approach the topic by expressing their feelings, but clarify they're not stating an absolute truth. They acknowledge they might be wrong, or they might be right, but after two years of trying to figure it out, they're left exhausted and are ready to move on. I think that's completely fair. I like generative AI, but even I feel some exhaustion at the constant march of news, progression, and discussion about it online.
I do think they have some misunderstandings about the technology, and I'll address those specifically, even if I don't disagree with their view as a whole (or right to hold it).
First, I think they undersell local models. Local models are actually very good, and suitable for many use cases. Various quants of Gemma and Llama work great for coding and conversation. While cloud models are constantly leapfrogging each other, the release of DeepSeek's R1 was fully open-weight, and considered state-of-the-art for its time. Yes it required substantial hardware to run, but it is local, and you can run quants or distills to still get most of it in a much smaller package.
Local models are also quite easy to use, at least for techies. It's not as simple as opening a website, but tools like LM Studio provide an easy frontend for downloading and interacting with models. More on the development side, ollama (as powered by llama.cpp) also provides an easy API layer for coding tools. These are pretty close to plug and play experiences.
Models are also being quantized specifically to run on smaller devices like phones. I actually think that's very cool, and empowering for those with poor connectivity. It reminds me of when I'd stored text dumps of Wikipedia on my first gen iPod Touch, so I could look up anything on the go. Having a natural language interface though is a much more accessible approach.
A little further down, I think Glyph is also a little confused about how the energy demands are distributed. Running inference locally doesn't make any real difference in terms of energy cost. In fact, cloud providers are probably more efficient due to better token caching, and using specialized hardware (as opposed to our gaming GPUs). However, inference is not the major energy consumer in any case. What's actually expensive is the training step. This requires a significant amount of compute, and every company is running their own version of it.
In some ways, this does make it easier to excuse as a customer. Individually, nobody is using that much electricity. Outside of those long "deep reasoning" queries, most prompts can be measured in fractions of a penny. However, I don't like this argument because it ignores that we're creating a market for LLM providers as well. In the same way that consumers blame "oil companies" for creating all the carbon pollution, while also driving gas guzzling vehicles. If we create a market, we are also responsible for the energy costs of training these models.
So I do recognize the problem. At the same time, I also recognize the tradeoff. LLMs provide significant utility, at least to me, and seemingly to the one billion ChatGPT users. I want these tools to continue to get smarter, more accurate, and faster. So I guess I am the car user in this case.
My hope - and I recognize this might come off as an excuse - is that this helps further the push for alternative energy investment. Solar panels are getting extremely good, and extremely cheap, but are still not suitable for data center use. Nuclear is, and although we should have been building more nuclear for decades now, big tech companies are finally taking an interest. I hope this renewed interest helps motivate countries to do the same, and gets some economies of scale going.
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Comment on May 2025 Backlog Burner: Conclusion and Recap in ~games
Wes Link ParentOh wow, I can't believe you actually cleared the entire alphabet. And on a non-golf card, too. Very impressive! As usual, you've brought forward an interesting smattering of games from a whole...Oh wow, I can't believe you actually cleared the entire alphabet. And on a non-golf card, too. Very impressive!
As usual, you've brought forward an interesting smattering of games from a whole bunch of different platforms. There's even another Playdate in the mix!
I liked the original OlliOlli when I played it near its release. I definitely get the issue with muscle memory being a hinderance though. I've played a ton of THPS, and some of those reflexes are embedded deep. I think because it was a different platform though, and probably a different controller layout, I didn't have quite as much trouble in this case. However, I always need some acclimation time when switching between similar games for this exact reason.
I had never heard of "The Urbz", but what a strange and unique looking game. I think I almost prefer the more focused and RPG-heavy life sim as opposed to the full sandbox that is the modern Sims franchise. Don't get me wrong, I like sandboxes too, but having some direction and a little story can be a strong motivator.
I wonder if Yo-Kai Watch will ever end up on Steam. Level-5 has ported some of their other, more-recent titles. Will definitely be one to watch for.
Great pics, as always. I love the angry trucks in the Excitebike screenshots. Makes you wonder how they got stacked up like that in the first place.
Thanks for the fantastic write-ups as always, @J-Chiptunator. I hope you had fun going through your different libraries and hunting for new games to try.
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Comment on Favorite mobile games for short play sessions? in ~games
Wes Link ParentAs far as I know, he's created all of them himself. Increpare (Stephen Lavelle) is probably best known for developing Stephen's Sausage Roll. Unrelatedly, he was also an old flatmate of Terry...As far as I know, he's created all of them himself. Increpare (Stephen Lavelle) is probably best known for developing Stephen's Sausage Roll. Unrelatedly, he was also an old flatmate of Terry Cavanagh's.
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Comment on May 2025 Backlog Burner: Conclusion and Recap in ~games
Wes Link ParentWell done again on the anti-bingo. That's a Backlog Burner first. I'm glad to hear your opinion on Celeste has improved. Were you eventually able to focus less on the death counter? I found it...Well done again on the anti-bingo. That's a Backlog Burner first.
I'm glad to hear your opinion on Celeste has improved. Were you eventually able to focus less on the death counter?
I found it really helpful to focus on just beating the current screen in any one moment. Since you only need to pass it once, and your progress is then saved, it makes each challenge feel much more achievable. Each screen is also fairly short, so this gives you a sense of constant progression.
I think it's definitely a great little game, and I was happy to play a version of it for my card, too.
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Comment on May 2025 Backlog Burner: Conclusion and Recap in ~games
Wes LinkThanks to everyone who participated! I enjoyed reading all of your write-ups, stories, and thoughts. There were some very impressive comments this month, and a huge level of variety in the types...Thanks to everyone who participated! I enjoyed reading all of your write-ups, stories, and thoughts. There were some very impressive comments this month, and a huge level of variety in the types of games being played. It's a great opportunity to discover some of these classic titles that I've either overlooked, or am just learning about for the first time.
May was a bit of a time crunch for me so I didn't have as much time to play as I'd hoped, but I still had fun with the games I submitted. I figured it might be interesting to share some of the titles I'd planned to write about, but didn't get enough time to make work. So these were the losers that didn't quite make the cut.
Similar to my GTA V entry, I wanted to return to a game I'd started previously but then put down: Slopecrashers (Style). This is a game that I've been looking forward to playing, and so I picked it up on release.
What I found is that I loved everything about the game - the maps were fun, it had cute animal characters, there were tons of secrets and unlocks - and yet I had a hard time playing more than a few runs at a time without wanting to stop. I can't say why exactly, because I can't point to any obvious flaws.
I think maybe it's just that the Snowboard Kids-esque nostalgia trip I've been hankering for is more than just the game. If you're not sitting on an old dusty couch in someone's den, swapping sweaty controllers with your pal, taking turns to beat the dumb challenge that is clearly bugged because there's no way it's supposed to be this hard... without that, you're just missing something.
I still hope to rope some friends into buying this game eventually because I do think I could capture at least a little of that magic in multiplayer. But as it is, I wasn't able to progress far enough that I felt it deserved its own submission.
It's unfortunate too, because the animal counter would have exploded.
Before Summer came on too hard, I was hoping to get in some more VR gaming time. I decided to pencil in Yupitergrad (Verticality) for week 3 of the event, thinking it'd be a great balance for some of the slower games I'd been playing. That same week though, I needed to assemble a bunch of furniture, and I was sore and bruised all over. My VR plans were ruined!
I decided for my wildcard, I'd roll a die. A very large, 453-sided die. That is in fact the total number of games in my backlog. And that's only counting Steam!
The roll I got was 125, which was Gloomwood (Wildcard)! HowLongToBeat reported a 5 hour campaign, and the game only weighs in at 2GB, so I felt it was a perfect pick. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it happen in time, so this one sat unplayed. Sorry New Blood, but I still love your other games.
I'm secretly hoping that by writing these down, they'll be "super backlogged" for next time. If I remember, and am still feeling in the same mood next time, they might just get a second chance.
Thanks for reading, all, and I'm looking forward to doing it all over again come November.
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Comment on Which translation tools are LLM free? Will they remain LLM free? in ~tech
Wes LinkMost likely all translation tools fall under the category of artificial intelligence. Google Translate has used some form of machine learning for at least a decade, and has received updates in its...Most likely all translation tools fall under the category of artificial intelligence. Google Translate has used some form of machine learning for at least a decade, and has received updates in its techniques as new technologies become available. Other tools like Grammarly also make use of machine learning to power their models. They may not use transformers currently, but still use RNNs and other AI approaches in their models.
It's likely that even basic grammar and spell checkers in document editors are now using some limited form of AI that might be considered an "assist", per Clarkesworld's rules. Unfortunately, AI is a very widely-scoped subfield of computer science, and includes essentially any form of computer decision making which covers a lot of useful tools.
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Comment on May 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 5(ish) Discussion in ~games
Wes Link ParentYet another last minute bingo! And wow, those are some ambitious titles you started (or resumed, in the case of The Witcher 3). Fantastic progress, and definitely a deserved victory. Thanks for...Yet another last minute bingo! And wow, those are some ambitious titles you started (or resumed, in the case of The Witcher 3).
Fantastic progress, and definitely a deserved victory. Thanks for participating again this month!
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Comment on May 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 5(ish) Discussion in ~games
Wes Link ParentCongrats on the double bingo! Saving the Wildcard slot for last is a very definitive way to finish. I completely get what you mean when calling a game "exhausting". Some games just require you to...Congrats on the double bingo! Saving the Wildcard slot for last is a very definitive way to finish.
I completely get what you mean when calling a game "exhausting". Some games just require you to be completely engaged at all times. They're often super rewarding, but also very stressful and frankly tiring to play.
I think it's something that begins to diminish in time as you get more familiar with the game though. While at first you feel like you're needing to think on your feet and make constant decisions in real time, eventually it begins to be more like descending a decision tree. "If I have this item, do X, otherwise...". Getting to that point of familiarity can just take a lot of practice.
I remember feeling so utterly overwhelmed the first time I played Ultrakill, where single bosses would just destroy me in seconds. By the end of the game, those same bosses were regular enemies and I was destroying them in seconds. I didn't have any major upgrades or anything; I'd just figure out their movesets, and understood my own weapon rotations far better.
I'm actually going through that right now with Elden Ring: Nightreign, having never played a battle royale game where the circle closes in on you. I find the constant time pressure and frenetic gameplay to be very stressful, and I can only handle an hour or two at most. However, I expect that in a few more sessions, I'll have begun to build a model of knowing what to focus on, and should be able to figure out where I need to be heading at any given time.
It sounds like FIGHT KNIGHT has that same difficult, intensive energy, though possibly from two different dimensions (the macro decision making, and the micro combat mechanics). So all that is to say, I completely understand and empathize with you, but I also believe you'll crack that nut if you stick with it.
The article mentions that the extension will automatically suggest those if they're available, and auto-generate a simplified version if they're not.
I think it's a very clever idea, and a good use of LLMs. I'd be curious to see the prompt used to adjust the reading level, though.