@Faintdreams@dice.camp
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

Faintdreams

@Faintdreams@dice.camp

Geek. Curious. #Critter. Cross-Platform User. Occasionally sweary.
Likes Problematic (so most) Disney films.
Bippity boppity back the fuck up.
Pronouns: She/They

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

mhoye, to random
@mhoye@mastodon.social avatar

Lazyweb, a question: let's say that you could teach a "cultural anthropology" type of course about computing to first year students, to prepare them for the codebases, communities, patterns and software philosophies of the programming world. You've got about ten weeks to run it. What would you teach in that course and why?

(RTs appreciated for reach.)

Faintdreams,
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

@mhoye

  • Engineering Disease is real
  • Spending too much time on Hacker News can rot your brain and reduce your capacity for Human Empathy
  • Ditto Reddit
  • When building something that Bad agents could easily use to cause harm to others, never assume that 'Nobody would ever do X'. Ensure that doing X is more trouble than it's worth for the Bad Agents.
  • When testing software / products make sure to have more women as test subjects, actually more minorities in general
Faintdreams, to LLMs
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

So, let me get this straight.

Their entire business model involves stealing from the open Internet and now they are running out of places to steal from?

There isn't a violin small enough in the universe for me to want to play regarding this.

"The internet may not be big enough for the LLMs." The Verge

https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/1/24117828/the-internet-may-not-be-big-enough-for-the-llms

#LLMs #LLMTheft #AI

Jyoti, to ElectronicMusic
@Jyoti@mas.to avatar

If you're involved in electronic music-making and you're not white, please DM me on here.

I've just been watching loads of footage and was aghast at how overwhelmingly white the whole thing is. I've seen more diversity at EDL marches.

So, I'm gonna try and do something about it. And the first thing is organising.

Faintdreams,
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

@Jyoti Fess from Reverb covered the event - they might be a good person to reach out to?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPlZBH0BF8I

Faintdreams, to random
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

John Scalzi's latest blog, on social Media and Facebook's 'Threads' in particular:

"My initial impression of Threads is that it is simple, ... and absolutely, completely 100% soulless. Like Instagram, its timeline is heavily focused on influencers, celebrities and commerce; it’s like someone made TMZ and the Shopping Channel have a hot night at the Mall of America, and this is what came out"

Which. Wow.

Sounds like the Plastics have won.

Faintdreams, to Babylon5
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

I GET TO WATCH NEW BABYLON FIVE TOMORROW.

IN 2023.

New !

Babylon 5 !!

::Squee!::

📺


Faintdreams, to books
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

It's World book day*!

What's your favourite source of legal and free ebooks?

Mine are:
1 - Gutenberg Books
2 - Libby (library App)
3 - Archive.org
4 - Libvox
5 - Smashwords
6 - Wikibooks
7 -Tech Books For Free
8 - Complete Works of William Shakespeare
9 - Baen books
10 - Local Library

[* Due to holiday scheduling it's on diff dates in the UK & Ireland to than the rest of the world - still Book Day ! ]

Links to all (except local library hopefully you have one!) are below.

Faintdreams, to random
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

Geek & Nerd friends!

Lemme tell ya a secret.
Ya ready?
Ok.

Your Geek Tribe is out there.

You might not have found them yet - but whatever makes you squee, no matter how niche, weird, mash-up, AU or bizarre you think your interest is - there is someone, perhaps multiple someone's, who think the same as you.

I try not to Yuck on anyone's Yum, because my Yuck is always gonna be someone else's Yum.

It's what it means to be human.

So go!

Find your People.

They are out there.

Faintdreams, to blender
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

Internet complainers:
I hate copious CGI !

Behind The Scenes: This was a massive practical effect that required vast amounts of, engineering, people power, designers and problem solving.

Internet Complainers:
That practical effect still looked crap!

Me: I think you'll find, what you actually dislike is Fun.
You hate FUN. 😑

Faintdreams, to random
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

Blizzcon 2024 has been cancelled.

Activision/Blizzard are a terrible companies, but my heart breaks for the hundreds of cosplayers who have poured untold thousands of craft hours into something, in preparation for an event that has now been cancelled.

"BlizzCon 2024 canceled, but promised to come back ‘in future years’" - Polygon

‘This decision was not made lightly’

https://www.polygon.com/blizzcon/24140370/blizzcon-2024-canceled

Faintdreams, (edited ) to random
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

Note to self: You bought your existing mobile phone - Moto g(30) - in Sept 2021.

The battery is slowly getting more and more B0rkked and it's not upgradable :C

Under 4 years seems.. not great for phone lifespan?

Currently running Android 12, with official software updates, but that's possibly due to end soon?

I wish buying consumer tech wasn't made so deliberately opaque.

May 2024 Edit:
[I am aware of the Fairphone and Google Pixel phones - ta !]

Faintdreams, to random
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

Wow. This took a mere two days to go predictably, stunningly, awfully WRONG.

"Eating Disorder Helpline Disables Chatbot for 'Harmful' Responses After Firing Human Staff
'Every single thing Tessa suggested were things that led to the development of my eating disorder.' " - Vice.com

https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjvk97/eating-disorder-helpline-disables-chatbot-for-harmful-responses-after-firing-human-staff

https://dice.camp/@Faintdreams/110451487029095664

Faintdreams, to Wyze
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

Camera people !

I have an older camera Canon G15 (2012), and the battery appears to be degrading.

A new one from official canon parts vendors is around £75 but a knock off battery from eBay / Amazon is around £20 .

My question: how reliable and safe are 3rd party batteries ?

I really like my camera and want to continue using it, but it needs a battery!

[Please boost for visibility. Thank you.]

Faintdreams, to random
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

Today is Autumn Equinox.

Will now have to daily fight urge to stay under weighted blanket, with a large mug of Hot chocolate, reading fiction books.

I don't currently have access to a fireplace - but if I did - you can bet your Bippy I would be Fireside reading.

Happy Autumn Equinox Everyone 🍁🍂

Faintdreams, (edited ) to photography
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

[THANK YOU ALL: All Sorted now ]

UK people. I need to print approx FIVE photos, postcard size to put into frames and give as gifts.

My printer broke.
I can frame them myself.

What is a good, quick online photo printing service ?

Also, I need them to deliver the photos to me. None of this 'pick up in store' nonsense.

Reccs and suggestions please?

Thank You.

Faintdreams, to random
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

Uh. Oh.

Rip Tumblr I guess. 😖

"Tumblr’s owner is striking deals with OpenAI and Midjourney for training data, says report.
The deal has been rumored on the site for days, but there’s still little concrete detail." - TheVerge.com

https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/27/24084884/tumblr-midjourney-openai-training-data-deal-report

Faintdreams, to random
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

Today had the most frustrating, infuriating conversation with Mother who has a head full of conspiracy theory rubbish & Pseudo science including (but not limited to:

  • Lockdowns weren't because of Covid
  • No Vaccines work
  • Catching COVID is 'No worse than a bad cold'
  • She can make a 'strong' Chicken and Garlic (plus secret herbs?!) soup which cures covid
  • Not wanting to catch COVID is 'Living my Life in Fear of the inevitable'.

Am so sad & exhausted of all this

COVID IS NOT OVER. 😖

Faintdreams, to random
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

RIP Louis Gossett Jr.

What a career!

My favourite film of his seems to be one hardly anyone else has seen. He was under full prosthetics and still gave a stellar, heart-rending performance.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enemy_Mine_(film)

Faintdreams, to StarTrek
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

We did it!

Getting in just under the wire, Boyf and I have successfully finished watching the entire Season 4 of Star Trek Discovery.

First watch for him, rewatch for me.

Huzzah!

BRING ON SEASON FIVE.

Faintdreams, to knitting
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

I know in when you decide '"This project isn't working I'm going to undo it and start again and/or reuse this yarn for something else" it's commonly know as - but is there a term for the same concept, but ?

I have two cosplays which I'll most likely never, ever, wear again but involved lots of (potentially) re-uasable fabric.

Also any tips on how to deal with the emotions of needing to undo all you're previous hard work ? :C

Faintdreams, to random
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

THIS IS ABSOLUTE BULLSHIT.

"Single-sex toilet law proposed for new buildings.

New restaurants, public toilets, shopping centres and offices in England will be required to have separate male and female toilets under proposed legislation, the government has said." - BBC News

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cv2xly8vxreo

Faintdreams, to folklore
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

Always interesting when someone's justification for not liking Thing = 'It deviates from Canon' when 'canon' is myth & Folkore

Especially Vampires 'cause 'canon' definitely isn't what the majority think

My interest is (as a hobbyist scholar of) Vampires & other imaginary creatures that use blood and/or souls as sustenance

Example: Sherlock Holmes Deerstalker Hat

What people really object to is "This new thing deviates from MY first exposure to the Thing!"

Faintdreams, (edited ) to random
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

Feeling spicy!

Reply to this for a fantasy tinged compliment*.

Provide pronouns (if you like) for a more personal touch 😉

[This offer valid for up to five hours from time of original posting]

Faintdreams, to random
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

This is just hipster Littering.

😠 😑

https://realityfragments.com/2024/05/13/how-to-keep-bored-people-entertained-in-the-future/

Faintdreams, to random
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

Remember:

For everything that one person finds to be Easy another person somewhere else on the planet finds doing the exact same thing Incredibly Difficult through no fault of their own.

Faintdreams, to random
@Faintdreams@dice.camp avatar

Probably a long shot - but does anyone know of an easy(ish) way to have Mastodon posts automatically cross post to a Dreamwidth account ?

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