Geek Stuff category archive
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
At the Kansas City Star, Dion Lefler recounts some Facebook Frolics with Meta’s AI chatbot.
The Cryto Con 0
The grifter gifter.
The Fix Is In . . . 0
. . . and it’s all about the algorithm.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
El Reg reports that, apparently, once ChatGPG makes a mistake (and it makes a lot of them), it will exist in perpetuity. Here’s the lede; follow the link for the details.
Stray Thought 0
My ISP has outsourced its email to Yahoo! (I gather that a number of ISPs are outsourcing their email services because they are lazy cheap sons of b–oh, never mind). Until I figure out how to import my emails into a mail client such as Thunderbird–my personal favorite–I am stuck with using Yahoo!’s webmail interface, which is not only clunky, but which also includes advertisements disguised as emails in my inbox.
Which leads me to remark that . . . .
Despite what Yahoo! would have me believe when I delete an email exchange from my inbox, an exchange of emails is not a “conversation.”
It is, at worst, an annoying but necessary task. At best, it is a correspondence.
But it’s not, by any stretch of the imagination, a “conversation,” for Pete’s sake.
Furrfu.
It’s All about the Algorithm 0
Shorter Cameron Smith: Paul Simon was prescient.
Performance Art 0
Via Job’s Anger.
Aside:
As far as I can tell, the only argument against TikTok is that it is owned by a company based in China and that China may somehow be benefiting therefrom. There seems to be no evidence beyond that suspicion that it is any more–or less–vile than any other internet corporate surveillance “social” media outfit.
I wonder what America’s reaction would be if China were to move to ban Facebook and Twitte–er–X and other platforms because they are based in the U. S.?
The Disinformation Superhighway 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Stacey Woods offers some tips to avoid being taken in by scams on “social” media.
It’s required reading, because, as has been so often demonstrated, “social” media isn’t.
The Search for the Scream 0
Yesterday, I climbed my stairs and heard a high-pitched screaming sound that came from I knew not where, but it seemed to be coming from my room.
I entered my room, but could not locate its source. It seemed to come from everywhere.
I went to the breaker box and opened the breaker for my room and the sound went away, proving it came from my room.
I closed the breaker and the sound came back, still seeming to come from everywhere.
Twits Own Twitter X Offenders
0
Above the Law reports that Elon Musk seems ill-deposed.
Quality Construction at a Price that Frights 0
Emma and the crew discuss some issues encountered by persons who have purchased Tesla Cybertrucks and later discovered that they were well and truly trucked.
Also, too . . . .
Aside:
I happen to know someone who owns a Tesla.
I asked him about Tesla’s “autopilot.” He told me it was like an enhanced cruise control that could, for example, sense when cars ahead were slowing down and react accordingly.
I asked him if he ever read a book while he was on “autopilot.”
He said, “No.”
No doubt because he’s sane.
Twits Own Twitter X Offenders
0
Elon Must styles himself as a “free speech absolutist” (unless, of course, someone tweets–or is it now Xcretes?–something with which he disagrees).
Au contraire, says the editorial staff of the Las Vegas Sun, which argues forcefully that Musk does not even understand what “freedom of speech” means.
Geeking Out 0
One of my computers died after long and faithful service, so I’ve been having fun tweaking my new one, which I ordered with the Debian Linux OS and the Plasma desktop environment. In a few more days, I’ll have it set up to my satisfaction. In the meantime, I’ve others to use, as the Going Linux guys say, to get stuff done.
I must say, I was somewhat taken aback. I ordered it Sunday night and it arrived, configured to my specifications, on Wednesday, much earlier than I expected.
