Notices by Al Sweigart (alsweigart@mastodon.social), page 2

What is that sculpture in the middle of the room? How am I supposed to reach those shelves in the ceiling. Why is the skylight an irregular pattern? WHY DID ALL OF THIS LOOK NORMAL AT FIRST GLANCE?

(And why don't other people notice or care how obviously fake all this is?)

I have a fear of being incepted, like in the movie. I have a semi-regular worry that I'm dreaming or been induced into a dream-like state without realizing it, and totally bizarre things are happening but I never stop and think about it and I just accept it as normal.

The thing that worries me is that the bullshit is getting better and harder to spot.

I'm not young. I know the answer involves a deep dive discussion into anxiety levels, autism spectrum, the impulse to conform to societal expectations and hierarchy, the eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, etc etc.

But I suppose the childish part of me still wants myself and others to defy that because, well, look at it: It's not beautiful, it's nonsense bullshit.

The wise part of me wants that too.

(Yes, this post is a metaphor.)

@blogdiva I was actually thinking of making a "hidden object" mobile game but you point out AI-generated incongruities. It'd be easy to make content for: just use AI to do it.

My dad was an electrician in the IBEW union. That job paid for my college education. I got a computer science degree with no debt. I was able to take a risk moving to Silicon Valley and write Automate the Boring Stuff with Python in my spare time. I remember where I came from and whose shoulders I stood on.

America works best when we say UNION YES.

Shoplifting is just dumpster diving but skipping the middle steps.

CAPITALISM: Competition ensures that companies are constantly striving to offer superior products at lower prices.

ACTUAL CAPITALISM:

Whenever someone asks a "So are you saying...?" kind of rhetorical question, the answer is always, always, "No, and nobody was saying that."

Suffragetto was a board game published around 1908 where two teams, "women" and "police", vie to move past each others blockades.

Just in case if you were wondering if riots for social justice was anything new.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffragetto

"And this language is called JavaScript."

Because it's like Java?

"No. It's completely unlike Java. And this language is called C#."

Because it's like C++?

"No, it's more like Java."

Being born in the 80s, I'm of the "Oregon Trail" generation of computing.

Kids born in the 00s are of the "ChatGPT" generation of computing.

So where do you see yourself five years from now?

Heh.

Heheheh.

Ha ha ha. Five... five years... ha ha ha

HA HA HAAA HA HA HA HAAA HOO BOY

@april "If you don't pay for the product, you are the product" is such a quaint thought in 2023; they're going to make you product even if you pay. Capitalism doesn't leave money on the table.

@thomasfuchs Uhg. I saw the photo before I read the description and I immediately thought it was AI-generated art.

My brain has been permanently damaged beyond repair.

If buying isn't owning, then piracy isn't stealing.

I really have to insist that now is the time to switch to Firefox.

I'M SORRY EVERYONE. I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN UP DRINKING A LONG TIME AGO.

Remember when computers would do what you told them, instead of trying to constantly shove suggestions/reminders/ads that you don't care about and specifically uninstall or get blockers for?