Kwakigra

@Kwakigra@beehaw.org

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨AI Elections⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  λ definitely has my vote.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Capsaicin⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Science

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Stress⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  On the ACES assessment, every single one of the 10 things asked about is known to cause neurological issues in children which persist throughout their lives. Only a 0 is insignificant. A 1 is very significant. I also scored “low” and thought it didn’t mean anything, but I’ve since learned every single one means a lot.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Microsoft launches autonomous AI agents in November⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  When Microsoft hears " how can Microsoft get any worse?" they have always taken that as a challenge.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨‘Captain America: Brave New World' bombs at test screening⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  Yeah, like most MCU villains they started committing random acts of violence as their leader “goes bad.” The in-universe MCU Senate canonically already went bad. The solution proposed by the story was to kill the flag smashers and ask the people who (I keep repeating this) are canonically responsible for the problem due to their negligence, are asked to “do better.”

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨‘Captain America: Brave New World' bombs at test screening⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  They’re trying to do the impossible with this character. He is critical of the actions of the in-world corrupt establishment but also unquestioningly loyal to it. The climax of his last story was asking a bunch of senators who canonically caused a human rights emergency to try harder. He literally just asked them to try harder. That was the resolution. Also the people who were fighting for the victims of the human rights emergency that the MCU American senate canonically caused were all killed because boot-licking is framed as the “correct” way to address systemic issues. More than any other IP, I think this one is the US military’s favorite for recruiting purposes.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Ubisoft Director Claims "Non-Decent Humans" Are Wishing For Company's Demise⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  I’m proudly indecent in this and other regards.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Assassin Bug⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  The Cadaver Collector is real!?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Looking for a Tales-like RPG without active combat⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  The Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy series are probably what you’re looking for. Golden age Square JRPGS, especially Xenogears, are also generally great Jrpgs.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Oxygen⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  I like this one because it’s almost close to being true.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨is this true?⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Toad in the streets, Link in the sheets.

  You know, I think that’s accurate.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Platypuses⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  And when it hunts underwater it is deaf and blind, sensing electromagnetic signals from its prey with the duck-bill.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Can AI talk us out of conspiracy theory rabbit holes?⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I have two main thoughts on this

  1. LLMs are not at this time reliable sources of factual information. The user may be getting something that was skimmed from factual information, but the output can often be incorrect since the machine can’t “understand” the information it’s outputting.

  2. This could potentially be an excellent way to do real research for people who were not provided research skills by their education. Conspiracy theorists often start off as curious but undisciplined before they fall into the identity aspects of the theories. If a machine using human-like language is able to report factual information quickly, reliably, and without judgement to those who wouldn’t be able to find that info on their own, this could actually be a very useful tool.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Silicon Valley’s Very Online Ideologues are in Model Collapse⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Terminally online is an improvement for plutocrats. It used to be that they could never possibly glimpse beyond their limited social circles. Good for regular people to be exposed to just how infantile and narcissistic these “job creators” they used to worship are.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨best GBA games? I need recommendations⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis is one of the best tactical rpgs I’ve ever played. I was shocked how short it was when I finished only to find I had been playing for over 40 hours.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Crystals⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  In many circumstances the placebo effect is superior to common medical environments. I was completely dismissive of homeopathy until I came to understand its actual appeal. Obviously there is no proven physical mechanism of the substance itself; the water is just part of the ritual. The ritual of being cared for and being paid special attention to by another person who cares that you get better and can do nothing for you but give you that attention you need is 100% placebo oriented medicine and 0% drug.

  I was dismissive about crystals as well, but the reality is that if you are aware of them they are in some way altering your awareness by being present. The way they alter your awareness could be as simple as noticing an interesting looking stone, a reminder that there is a vast unknown and many others trying to find their way as you are, or a meditation weight and focus. I don’t know about crystal effects on vibrations other than to know that mass is literally energy and different compositions of molecular structures could have effects on the immediate environment beyond our ability to yet measure. I’m most comfortable saying that crystals definitely have some effect, definitely have assisted others in their healing journeys in some form or another, and beyond that I do not know many specifics.

• Google illegally maintains monopoly over internet search, judge rulesapnews.com ↗
  Submitted ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩ to ⁨technology@beehaw.org⁩ | ⁨5⁩ ⁨comments⁩
• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨4 things white people can do to start making the fediverse less toxic for Black people (DRAFT!)⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  OP, from this reception you may feel at least a little misunderstood. This is because you are being deliberately misunderstood because whiteness protects itself. Notice that no one commenting thus far has responded to you in good faith, but have only been dismissive or even reject the premise that this even could be a problem outright.

  Whiteness is interested in terminating any curiosity that challenges white supremacy. Exclusive white habitus is the expectation of those who identify with whiteness, and deviation is actively resisted. If white people didn’t do this there literally wouldn’t be white people and racism would be over. It persists because the people who maintain it are cultured to protect it by any means, especially by rejecting all challenges to it outside of an historical context.

  The reason I say all this is because I’ve attempted the same conversation you are attempting now and this has been what’s happened every single time. You can’t have a good faith conversation with anyone answering in bad faith. I think this effort is worthwhile and support it, but I advise not to waste too much time with anyone here who is more interesting in refuting you than the problem of racism.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Bethesda Game Studios has unionized!⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Bethesda has needed a lot more humanity for a long time.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨It’s official: No Nintendo console has lasted as long as Switch without being replaced⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I had a Switch for a few years before the Steamdeck came out. If all the games you want to play are available to play on Steamdeck, stick with Steamdeck. It’s more powerful, has way more games, you probably already have plenty of games to play on it, the games are way cheaper, and the degree which you can modify the software and hardware is pretty unique for a “console.”

  The Switch has an edge in form factor and is more convenient for me to use. Although Switch emulation on the Steamdeck is pretty decent, I still prefer the original hardware to play Animal Crossing or Zelda.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Physics⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I love the honesty of actual science.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Are you embracing AI?⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  The Luddites should have been dismantling capitalists if they wanted to solve their problem.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨favorite gaming medium?⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Tabletop in person. I miss it. Secondly, in-person co-op. These are two mediums are being extinguished because of how difficult it is to profit from humans relating to one another in person and giving each other things for free.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨UK election: TikTok users being fed misleading election news, investigation finds⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Satirical, fake AI-generated clips show Rishi Sunak declaring, “Please don’t vote us out, we would be proper gutted!” and making unevidenced claims about how the Conservative leader is spending public money - including how he will send his “mates loads of dosh”.

  I thought this article would be making a case against TikTok.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Finish him. 🪓⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  There are probably more obstacles to my daydream than I’m aware of. That being said there is nothing static about science. Comparing what we’re doing now to what we were doing a century ago, two centuries ago, and three centuries ago we might as well be comparing completely separate enterprises based on almost completely different fundamentals. Academia has never been as organized and wide-reaching as it is today so it may seem like a monolith, but it’s a new monolith which I’m not sure will remain exactly as it is for long (relatively). I think there’s some room for experimentation.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Finish him. 🪓⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Fortunately I don’t need to have all the answers in my imaginary journal. I imagine it more as a cooperative enterprise among scientists who have become disenchanted with established academic paradigms and are looking to do the research and experimentation in that zone which is of interest to scientists themselves but not necessarily supported by the need to publish in the areas most emphasized by the academic establishment. This is not anything against what exists and what is being produced which I personally consider to be important, only to provide additional avenues to serve science in ways it’s not currently being served.

  You’re right that credentials in this model are fuzzy. At least at the beginning it would be composed exclusively of scientists already working in their field who would want something like this. It could be possible that these scientists answering only to their immediate guerilla journal peers may see fit to support the research of an individual with no doctorate but who has demonstrated their self-education has made them capable of designing an experiment which can be quantified, criticized, and re-produced. Whether this standard would be agreed upon by the greater community would certainly be controversial with plenty of politics involved, but that reality it outside of the scope of my daydream.

  As for the sustainability, it’s as in question as any open source project. It lives and dies based on peoples’ desire to do it only because they want to do it and others want to support them doing it. This couldn’t be a career alternative to academia because making it into a business or non-profit would defeat the purpose as it would attain the same vulnerabilities to a much more severe degree than the much larger and stable existing model.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Finish him. 🪓⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Not necessarily. Just because my theoretical journal wouldn’t be subject to the existing academic establishment it does not mean it would accept everything. This journal would be more rigorous because it would be composed exclusively by fidelity to the scientific process. I am not anti-academia, only acknowledging that the existing structures are so large and composed of so many egos that there is necessarily over-focus on some areas and under-focus on other areas as a consequence of the structure. My pretend journal wouldn’t be for everyone rejected from those institutions for explicit reasons of incompetence, it would be for those scientists who want to pool resources to do work that would not be easy to support on the current academic model.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Finish him. 🪓⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I often fantasize about guerilla science done by serious people outside of official channels. While there are plenty of crackpots who desire this for political reasons, I would really like to see an open-source “journal” by and for those scientists who are in it purely for science and have become disenchanted with the current model which is compromised in some ways that prevents progress on certain concepts.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨What do you personally use AI for?⁩ ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  So many times I wanted to know the name of an actor who played a character after the first episode and the top result was something like “[Character Name] (deceased)” or " Villain: [Character Name]."

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨What do you personally use AI for?⁩ ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Some of my common uses are:

  1. Asking extremely niche scientific questions: I don’t depend on these answers but in the answer is usually the specific terminology I can then search and find the answers I was looking for. I have learned a lot about the properties of metals and alloys this way and what the planet could look like with different compositions.

  2. Re-phrasing things: At work when I’m drained and out of patience I can tell that what I’m writing in my emails is not really appropriate, so I have GPT re-phrase it. GPT’s version is typically unusable of course but it kicks my brain in the direction of re-phrasing my email myself.

  3. Brainstorming: The program has endless patience for my random story-related questions and gives me instant stupid or cliche answers. This is great for me because part of my creative process since I was a kid has been seeing in media something that was less than satisfying and my brain flying into all the ways I could have done it better. I ask the program for its opinion on my story question, say “no idiot, instead:” and what comes after is the idea I was looking for from my own mind. Sometimes by total chance it has a good suggestion, and I can work with that too.

  Fun uses which are less common:

  1. Comedy use: I once had it generating tweets from Karl Marx about smoking weed every day. The program mixed marxist philosophy and language with contemporary party music to endlessly amusing results. Having historical figures with plenty of reference material from their writings opining on various silly things is very funny to me, especially when the program makes obvious mistakes.

  2. Language Manipulation: If some philosophical text which was written to be deliberately impenetrable is getting too annoying to read, the program is decent at translating. If I plug in a block of text written by Immanual Kant and have the program re-write it in the style of Mark Twain, the material instantly becomes significantly easier to understand. Re-writing it in the style of stereotypical gen-z is hilarious.