Notices by myrmepropagandist (futurebird@sauropods.win)

People (left leaning media figures) stop calling "grok" responding to something on X "fact checking" just because the LLM happened to be right one time *challenge*

Difficulty? Impossible??

Even if it's funny. eg. "Elon go FACT CHECKED by his own bot" yes that's funny but no facts were checked, there was no such process. Please mention that this whole thing is a pantomime of critical thinking and media literacy not the real thing.

@iwein

Too many of the people who might want more reasonable vehicles have just opted out of having one at all. Carmakers don't care what someone like me thinks about their cars as I will never buy one.

If I had to I expect it would be a very annoying process.

I don't often draw people but this car inspired me to make a sketch I hope I can render into something worth showing some day.

Basically, a group of kids and adults are running across the crosswalk with ice cream, and pinwheels from NYC street fair. They are looking at each other and having a wonderful time.

Meanwhile, in the dim narrow window of the car, the driver leans forward frowning, straining, looking down to try to see what's going on right in front of them.

Life is passing you by.

The windows are tinted, or at least shaded, the car is so tall and high you can hardly see. The car is sound insulated and there is even noise canceling so nothing from the outside world can reach you in there.

And maybe the computer will drive for you sometimes too. It's like you never left your house. The world cannot touch you. You are alone.

Do we ever talk about how cars make people lonely?

Are these people really so fragile they need to be packed in a padded box like brittle bone China just to drive to the store? Would a summer breeze knock you over? Would the shouts of children at the playground shatter your ears? Is the sunlight on a bright summer day too bright for your eyes?

Is life too much for you?

I know in my core the only reason I don't have debt is because we had a little financial security growing up. And I haven't been hit by the natural and man made disasters that push people into this corner. Not about "financial planning" to the degree people think.

When I was younger, more broke over draft fees nearly ruined my life.

A $30 fee on a $4 purchase. I fought it. Yelled at them on the phone until they removed it. "Why would you think anyone would want this service?"

Buying some perfume online.

"Would you like an installment plan?"

For a $26 purchase.

If I wanted I could set up the installment plan for the $26 purchase and have it charge my credit card.

Call it "micro leverage on leverage."

Some puritanical grumpy voice deep in me that came from my dad is grumbling that it ought to be illegal to buy something like perfume like this. But really it shouldn't be possible for any purchase. In some ways buying food this way would be a sadder story.

Every single day there are all these offers to go into debt flying at my face. I don't even notice them anymore. And I can see easily how they could take over your life.

The "offers" have a tone that makes it seem like a normal thing to do. I think we should cancel all of these debits for those who have them. Let the creditors fail and make the whole thing illegal.

It's what Jesus would have done. Flip over the table. Scatter their coins and contracts and chase them out of the temple.

I search: garnet ant ring
Search "corrects" it: garnet and ring

I try: garnet "ant" ring
Search "corrects" it: garnet "and" ring

I try: garnet "ant" ant ring
Search "corrects" it: garnet "aunt" and ring

I try: garnet "ant" ant insect ant ring
Search "corrects" it: garnet "aunt" and insect ant ring

This is a wonderful technology that makes search so much easier. This was on etsy.

This new kind of "search correction" is like some kind of horrible forced normie filter for life.

You must mean whatever is more popular. And not "did you mean?" either... just not even bothering to show you the results for what you wanted to search for in the first place.

It's really insulting.

Design Challenge:

In the tiny kitchen I must have TWO objects on the floor that I trip over:

1. Waste Basket (Because it's an apartment it's like those at the office, small and simple a bucket.)
2. step stool (because i am short)

It seems to me that this could be somehow made into one object. A garbage can I could stand on.

Yes I could turn it over but I think you can see how that is not ideal.

Any designers out there looking for their big break?

@gbargoud

Recommendation algorithms could be good and helpful in some cases. I use one I made to help me find posts from people who don't post often and thus their posts get buried here.

A simple:

show me one (1) post from each person I follow from the last month is very powerful for finding out what people who are less active are posting. You know those people who only post like once a week... but then it's always some amazing photo they took or an incredible insight on some event.

I am an adult. I’m short, yes, but this is ridiculous. The hood on this truck is higher than my shoulder. It forms in 90° angle with the ground. hideous! There’s no way they could see me in the crosswalk.

They were double parked. Even with the engine off it felt unsafe to walk in front of this thing. I would be so embarrassed to drive a car like this if I were not … plowing snow?

@foone

Cutest photo ever. The machine is just jealous of you two.

@ingrid

"device hoarding?"

Is this a suggestion I give away my older devices more effectively so even fewer people need to buy new ones? Because that's the only correct way this could be called "hoarding"

I can think of a hoarding that's hurting a lot of people too.

No ads.
No* algorithm.
No tracking.
No influence campaigns.
No AI.
No face scanning.
No bots.

Just people on the internet talking to each other about all the little pointless things, (and big incredible things) in our lives.

*I realize that the demonization of the term "algorithm" in social media is unfortunate in many ways. The demonization of the words "social media" itself is also missing the point. But this is about a simple take on what I think a lot of people are looking for right now.

@catsalad

I often wonder when seeing videos what dogs make of cats?

They often seem both put-upon and yet also curious about a creature with very different a very different communication style.

A dog I used to dog-sit hated cats. Could not be allowed near them. Her opinion? "Destroy on sight." In her defense, as she was a sweet dog otherwise, she *did* come up as a stray. Maybe she had some bad experiences.

I wonder if dogs recognize cats as a category in the way they recognize humans?

@ngaylinn

People are scared that people look down on them for leaning on this tech, he may have been using it much more in ways you don't know about.

I think that there is an impulse to hide the use kind of says everything. The shame isn't coming from other people, it's ones own self-respect saying that this is lazy, inconsiderate, hollow.

AI use guilt is real. And justified.

@ngaylinn

I know of some one who asks AI things like "my co-worker asked me to cover for them, how do I say no without making them mad?"

It might be OK advice, but by using it one is avoiding the friction and danger of human interactions.

I get it. Social interactions are terrifying. But, if I use a machine to help me never make a "mistake" will anyone even know who I am anymore? I am an annoying person. That would be lost.

@ngaylinn

I guess that's why doing that for an email to a boss seems less offensive than doing it for an email to a friend.

That said, I don't even really think the tech is very good at this type of thing. You will always need to proof-read and edit, and edit and edit.

By the time you are done it's the same process.

Unless you close your eyes and hit "send" and hope no one notices you sound like a creepy overly friendly creature from an advertisement. And some people are doing this.