balooga's recent activity
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Comment on Three North Koreans, one American accused by DOJ of ‘staggering fraud’ involving Fortune 500 companies in ~finance
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Comment on Jet Lag: AU$TRALIA | Trailer in ~hobbies
balooga LinkLooking forward to the YouTube drop! I really like the show but I'd be happy if I never had to hear Sam say the phrase "we are SO back" again. Super cringe. Either that, or I'm just old and out of...Looking forward to the YouTube drop! I really like the show but I'd be happy if I never had to hear Sam say the phrase "we are SO back" again. Super cringe. Either that, or I'm just old and out of touch.
No, it's the children who are wrong.
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Comment on Thoughts on the current state of discoverability and search in ~tech
balooga Link ParentWe're in a sort of AI arms race between the garbage content mills and the search engines. AI slop is definitely already a huge problem and only getting worse. But I do think generative AI tech...We're in a sort of AI arms race between the garbage content mills and the search engines. AI slop is definitely already a huge problem and only getting worse. But I do think generative AI tech also has great potential to help people find signal within the noise.
For search engines, on the user-facing side, LLMs are way better at sussing out the intent of a query than dumb keyword-matching and whatever other synonym-finding heuristics are tried. OP mentioned that it seems like intent is sometimes straight-up ignored, but a good model ought to be able to get to the meat of what you're looking for even if you're not sure how to phrase it.
Part of the reason things have deteriorated so badly is the culmination of years of escalating SEO tactics that aggressively undermine the efficacy of search algorithms. Maybe I'm naive but I hope that on the crawling side, smart AI will be able to read and catalogue page content in a more humanlike way than previously possible. It ought to be able to spot spam and bullshit in the same way a person would, and downrank those URLs accordingly. Right now we have a system where people can sling the lowest-effort nonsense and get top billing in the search results, but I'm imagining a future where the only way to secure those top positions is to provide actual value to real people.
Google recently announced they are migrating their flagship search over to something AI-focused. I don't know the details but if it's a step toward what I'm describing it could herald the kind of spring cleaning the web is long overdue for.
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Comment on Assassin's Creed Shadows | Official world premiere trailer in ~games
balooga (edited )Link ParentI’ve played probably a little less than half of the games — and very little DLC — so I’m sure I’m missing some data points. But I think the supernatural stuff is generally explained in-universe as...I’ve played probably a little less than half of the games — and very little DLC — so I’m sure I’m missing some data points. But I think the supernatural stuff is generally explained in-universe as Animus glitches, or Animus programs deliberately encoded in DNA by the precursor race, or straight up hallucinogenic trips. As far as I know the supernatural is still out of bounds, but things are pretty loosely-goosey what with the magic sci-fi tech.
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Comment on Wicked | Official trailer in ~movies
balooga LinkSomehow I've managed to avoid watching Wicked in any format or learning almost anything about the story, for all these years. So I don't know what to look for in the trailer that might indicate...Somehow I've managed to avoid watching Wicked in any format or learning almost anything about the story, for all these years. So I don't know what to look for in the trailer that might indicate what sort of adaptation this will be. Visually it looks amazing, and I love this interpretation of Oz. The revamp of the 1939 film's art deco Emerald City aesthetic seems perfect. Not knowing anything about the school parts I have to say those come across to me here as blatantly derivative of Hogwarts.
Regarding the cast (and again, with ignorance of the Wicked characters), I'm iffy about Ariana Grande. She can sing, but can she act? I did like her small part in Don't Look Up. I'm not familiar with Cynthia Erivo at all but she's honestly not showing a lot of range in the trailer. I think I'm excited about Jeff Goldblum's menacing take on the Wizard, though usually he comes across as just playing himself so I hope this works out a bit differently. I think I'm getting Michelle Yeoh fatigue lately.
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Comment on GPT-4o in ~tech
balooga Link ParentA thought I just had... does this mean that your tone will also be an input parameter? Will you get a different response based not only on what you say, but how you say it? Will the AI mirror your...speech to speech
A thought I just had... does this mean that your tone will also be an input parameter? Will you get a different response based not only on what you say, but how you say it? Will the AI mirror your emotional presentation? More concerningly, will accent also be a factor in how it responds?
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Comment on Femtosecond lasers create 3D midair plasma displays you can touch (2015) in ~science
balooga LinkSo this was 9 years ago. Has there been any advancement since then? I remember seeing this at the time but I don't believe I have seen any updates since then.So this was 9 years ago. Has there been any advancement since then? I remember seeing this at the time but I don't believe I have seen any updates since then.
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Comment on GPT-4o in ~tech
balooga Link ParentI like Pi too, as a conversational AI. It lacks a lot of the utility that ChatGPT has but the voices and personality are very good. Though it’s worth noting that the GPT-4o demos show a lot of...I like Pi too, as a conversational AI. It lacks a lot of the utility that ChatGPT has but the voices and personality are very good. Though it’s worth noting that the GPT-4o demos show a lot of vocal flexibility that Pi doesn’t have: adjusting speed, pitch, emotional inflection, whispering, singing, harmonizing, etc. It wasn’t perfect but Pi is quite one-dimensional in comparison. That said, I think I still prefer Pi’s default tone.
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Comment on Two pizzas for me - What is this article trying to say? in ~tech
balooga Link ParentNot gonna lie, I’ve been tempted to try it. But that whole morality thing keeps spoiling my fun!Not gonna lie, I’ve been tempted to try it. But that whole morality thing keeps spoiling my fun!
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Comment on GPT-4o in ~tech
balooga LinkI wish OpenAI's branding wasn't so imprecise. I have a paid ChatGPT account and I'm able to select "ChatGPT 4o" as the model, but the experience looks about identical to ChatGPT 4. It is...I wish OpenAI's branding wasn't so imprecise. I have a paid ChatGPT account and I'm able to select "ChatGPT 4o" as the model, but the experience looks about identical to ChatGPT 4. It is noticeably faster. I haven't done a deep dive yet on the quality of the output; I'm largely interested in coding assistance and I doubt the multimodal emphasis will help with that, I'm a bit concerned it could actually be weaker in that area. There's no audio/video input so I can't do anything like what's shown in the demos. So... it's cool that I guess I can use the model today but what I have access to feels wholly different from the sizzle reel.
From a tech standpoint this (the demos, not what's up on ChatGPT right now) feels like a major breakthrough. People have been comparing it to Her and that seems fair. As a human though, I don't think I'll have much tolerance for the personality and voices they've given it. Too bubbly and eager to pepper in one-liners, and at the same time so corporate vanilla. If I'm going to be having long conversations with an AI in the future, it'll need to come off a little more phlegmatic or risk being just exhaustingly tryhard. I guess this is officially the uncanny valley of voice synthesis.
Also the response time is super fast, but still slow enough that interruption seems to be a frequent occurrence. Looks like it handles that about as gracefully as one would hope, but on a more reflexive level I really bristle at crosstalk. I don't want that to become the norm.
It does feel like we're on the cusp of some pretty radical changes in the way we use our technology. Five years ago I would've never guessed this was coming so quickly. The demo where they put two AIs side-by-side to have a CSR conversation gave me shivers, though I'm not sure if they were good shivers or bad shivers.
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Comment on Generative AI for Krita in ~tech
balooga LinkI had never heard of Krita before but I've been a GIMP user for many, many years. Anyone familiar enough with the two to do a comparison?I had never heard of Krita before but I've been a GIMP user for many, many years. Anyone familiar enough with the two to do a comparison?
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Comment on Classic ’90s Halo precursor FPS launches on Steam for free in ~games
balooga LinkI don’t… think… this is news? I’ve had the free Aleph One versions of Marathon 1, 2, and Infinity for ages. Is what’s on Steam any different? I’m guessing it’s just more visible to regular folks...I don’t… think… this is news? I’ve had the free Aleph One versions of Marathon 1, 2, and Infinity for ages. Is what’s on Steam any different? I’m guessing it’s just more visible to regular folks now, whereas before fans had to go looking for it specifically.
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Comment on EA is looking at putting in-game ads in AAA games — 'We'll be very thoughtful as we move into that,' says CEO in ~games
balooga Link ParentIn Burnout Paradise's defense, apart from silly conceits to add stunt jumps and shortcuts all over the place, the game world is meant to be a realistic depiction of American roadways. Which, in...In Burnout Paradise's defense, apart from silly conceits to add stunt jumps and shortcuts all over the place, the game world is meant to be a realistic depiction of American roadways. Which, in real life, have billboards all over the place. I think putting them in the game adds verisimilitude, and it would've been a bit uncanny if they weren't there. Maybe it helps that "Find and smash all 100 billboards" is a collectable goal and it's actually fun since they're all set up as puzzles that you have to figure out. (Though none of the collectible billboards are the ones with real ads on them).
I would have been a lot more annoyed if ads were strewn all over the menus, loading screens, and between songs on the in-game radio. The approach they used is unobtrusive. Actually until now I didn't even realize the billboards in-game were for real things, they seem pretty bland and are for things I don't recognize. But I was a latecomer to the game, aka after the Obama election, so by the time I played those ads had been pulled. Maybe all the real ads were by then, leaving just placeholders? I'm not sure. I think if they had big brand logos I know I would've been more annoyed. There's definitely a gradient of acceptability.
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Comment on Musi’s free music streaming app is a hit with thrifty teens. The app claims to tap content on YouTube, but some in the music industry question the legitimacy of that model. in ~music
balooga Link ParentI get it, but I file this squarely under “not my problem.” It’s YouTube’s business to secure its revenue stream, not mine — and the social contract you mention doesn’t exist. People put billboards...I get it, but I file this squarely under “not my problem.” It’s YouTube’s business to secure its revenue stream, not mine — and the social contract you mention doesn’t exist. People put billboards up on the side of the highway, but that doesn’t mean anyone is obligated to look at them.
If YouTube is going to run a publicly available media server, then they get to control that server. And I on the other hand get to control the client that connects to it, on my hardware that I own. They don’t get to dictate to me how I use my computer. Since the dawn of the internet there has been a cat-and-mouse game between those who believe information wants to be free, and those who keep trying increasingly convoluted and legislation-backed ways to lock it down.
This sounds pretty radical in 2024 but I’ll continue to say it even as the Overton window slides further away from me. I think it’s inevitable that the pendulum will swing back, eventually. The ultimate destination of the DRM mindset can only be an anti-human corporate dystopia. It’s unsustainable.
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Comment on Musi’s free music streaming app is a hit with thrifty teens. The app claims to tap content on YouTube, but some in the music industry question the legitimacy of that model. in ~music
balooga LinkI’ve never heard of Musi but it sounds like a brilliant idea. I’ve replaced all of my YouTube activity with FreeTube, a desktop app that scrapes the site to bypass ads and all the other crap that...I’ve never heard of Musi but it sounds like a brilliant idea. I’ve replaced all of my YouTube activity with FreeTube, a desktop app that scrapes the site to bypass ads and all the other crap that riddles the YT platform. It’s a glorious, streamlined alternative viewing experience.
I don’t see how what Musi’s doing is any different. There’s a ton of music available for free on YouTube, and I could use FreeTube to approximate Musi’s functionality too, but it doesn’t have a music-specific UI which is where the real value is. As far as I’m concerned, if YT is going to serve free content, it’s our right as users to consume it in whatever way we see fit. I have zero problem with stripping out user-hostile bloat on the client side.
Obviously, I recognize that the people who make the rules don’t think like me. These decisions always favor big business and bolster their IP protections. So now that the media (and RIAA + YT) have set their gaze on Musi, I’m certain its days are numbered.
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Comment on Behold, the $400 red pineapple in ~food
balooga Link ParentAnother story that came to mind for me is Cory Doctorow’s novella “Unauthorized Bread”, from the Radicalized Anthology. It’s about refugees jailbreaking their appliances to circumvent DRM and...Another story that came to mind for me is Cory Doctorow’s novella “Unauthorized Bread”, from the Radicalized Anthology. It’s about refugees jailbreaking their appliances to circumvent DRM and vendor lock-in.
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Comment on Expanding upon other peoples' thoughts in discussions in ~talk
balooga LinkSome of this probably depends on the kind of work you’re doing and the purpose of the meeting, but generally speaking I’d rather the silence be broken by a question than a fluff statement. Instead...Some of this probably depends on the kind of work you’re doing and the purpose of the meeting, but generally speaking I’d rather the silence be broken by a question than a fluff statement. Instead of echoing what someone else said, try to find something to ask about it. This could be in the form of…
- Requesting clarification on an ambiguous detail about the idea
- Trying to poke holes in the idea (constructively, playing devil’s advocate)
- Asking someone else who hasn’t spoken in a while, by name, what they think of the idea
This approach signals curiosity, not just engagement, and it can help strengthen whatever it is the team is planning together. I’m mainly thinking of work scenarios where you’re architecting stuff, as my background is in software development. It might not go over as well in D&D, which is more akin to improv and benefits from a “yes, and” mindset. Asking too many questions there is likely to annoy the DM and other players.
As an aside…
it's kind of annoying to see a mute icon pop up when it's supposed to be an active conversation
I’d posit that modern Zoom etiquette calls for everyone to be muted whenever they are not actively speaking. This reduces the likelihood of unexpected background sounds breaking in through someone’s hot mic, disrupting the meeting. It also removes any general ambient noise, producing a more focused aural space. In my experience, when everyone but the speaker remains muted, just the act of seeing that icon disappear from someone’s tile can signal that they have something to say, approximating a nonverbal cue we have in face-to-face conversations but not online. This can help minimize crosstalk if people are paying attention to it.
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Comment on Behold, the $400 red pineapple in ~food
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Comment on Remnants of a legendary typeface have been rescued from the River Thames in ~design
balooga LinkThat’s a much larger dump than the headline suggested at first read. I don't know much about traditional letterpress or how publishing houses collected and organized their typefaces but I wouldn’t...Green managed to recover a total of 151 sorts (the name for individual pieces of type) out of a possible 500,000.
That’s a much larger dump than the headline suggested at first read. I don't know much about traditional letterpress or how publishing houses collected and organized their typefaces but I wouldn’t have expected a set to contain so many pieces. I was picturing one guy emptying out a banker’s box of letterforms into the river; this sounds like a truckful (wagonful?) that would have required a team of people to unload. Assuming that 500k figure is correct.
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Comment on Microsoft readies new AI model to compete with Google, OpenAI in ~tech
balooga LinkI thought MS had a special partnership with OpenAI? Seems strange to me that they would be competing directly now.I thought MS had a special partnership with OpenAI? Seems strange to me that they would be competing directly now.
I can't help but wonder if this is related to that American animation work discovered on a North Korean server. How confident is the DOJ that only these three North Koreans are implicated? At risk of conspiratorial thinking, I can imagine an elaborate scheme where tons of remote work is proxied out of the country like this, to a whole network of DPRK laborers, perhaps even with Pyonyang's blessing. I have a hunch (albeit an unsubstantiated one) that this headline is just the tip of the iceberg.