Mastodon Feed: Posts

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

I often think about what technology would look like if its evolution wasn't arced toward ad-tech. It's clear no one wants recording device sun glasses or AI best friends.

And it's clear that the only reason it's on the market is because a camera on our faces, and a robot trained to get us to divulge our secrets, are wonder surveillance innovations.

I wonder what all that money could build if the goal was selling us what we need.

adele@social.pollux.casa ("Adële 🐁") wrote:

After several decades using #Linux I can say that the best distributions, for me, are #Archlinux and #Debian
Arch when I need the last version of all the software I use, and Debian if I want a robust platform.

My both laptops and one server run Arch, other 4 machines use Debian (12 or 13)

Boosted by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):
Guillotine_Jones@beige.party ("Guillotine Jones, Flâneur") wrote:

@fromjason
Any argument that relies on a quotation from Sam Altman is probably overdue for a reevaluation.
Twenty-five cents and a quotation from Sam Altman will get you a USian quarter -- if that much.

Boosted by ChrisWere@toot.wales ("Chris Were ⁂🐧🌱☕"):
Sinjo@tech.lgbt wrote:

information superhighway? no thanks. I’ll be in the information barn

jscalzi@threads.net ("John Scalzi") wrote:

We're all aware this is not actually a spectacular indicator for the economy in general, right

https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/24/investing/gold-price-futures-soar

baldur@toot.cafe ("Baldur Bjarnason") wrote:

So, K-Pop Demon Hunters is a lot of silly fun, huh?

Boosted by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):
tiotasram@kolektiva.social ("Tiota Sram") wrote:

@fromjason you're correct here. This article is about power, not water, but I've seen concerns about similar impacts due to water use:

https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/report-home-building-to-halt-in-west-london-due-to-data-center-power-demands/

Whenever anyone starts quibbling about how per-query costs are low or some other such nonsense, you can remind yourself (and/or them): if these costs were so low, why would datacenter construction be canceling housing construction? In the middle of a housing shortage and homelessness crisis? It doesn't matter how low the marginal cost is if the (overhyped projected) volume results in significant opportunity costs.

jscalzi@threads.net ("John Scalzi") wrote:

It’s the final collection of new books and ARCs for 2025, and this one is a double decker! What here is something you would want to take with you into the new year?

ChrisWere@toot.wales ("Chris Were ⁂🐧🌱☕") wrote:

Playing some games live on HamishTV

https://watch.thepolarbear.co.uk/

Boosted by isagalaev ("Ivan Sagalaev :flag_wbw:"):
hanfastolfe ("Raoh") wrote:

El conejo en la esquina

#photography #streetphotography #travel #photo #darktable #fotosderaoh

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

JD Vance wearing eyeliner is actually the only cool thing about him

Boosted by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):
Em0nM4stodon@infosec.exchange ("Em :official_verified:") wrote:

My code phrases to signify distress if I ever get kidnapped will be:

"I agree with Sam Altman"

"You should stay on Facebook"

"I use AI every day, it's so useful!"

🙃

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

The debate over AI energy and water consumption doesn't exist in a vacuum.

Hank's video, too, exists in a moment of protest. Working class communities are fighting against data center proposals in their small towns. Increased cost of living is a key argument of the protest.

To discuss AI water consumption without contextualizing the debate; without sharing who's affected if Hank is wrong, is a dishonest omission.

Hank makes no mention of any of this until the last 30 secs of a 24 min video.

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

I won't share Hank's video because it feels like spreading pro-big tech propaganda, but you can find it on his YouTube channel.

The video, imo, feels way out of character for Hank. It's confusing, manic, and out of touch.

The video lacks any coherent takeaway, besides the encouragement for his audience to continue arguing over the semantics of water consumption, and not the material harms these data centers and their energy use cause local communities.

Boosted by jwz:
carnage4life@mas.to ("Dare Obasanjo") wrote:

How AI startup acquisitions work in 2025

Attachments:

• video: a16fe634aede5352.mp4

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

There's only one reason why the data center water consumption debate feels confusing and convoluted. It's the same reason why Hank Green's video does little to sway you in one direction or another, but instead seems to take 24 minutes just to conclude "who's to say?"

The reason is that these companies (OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, etc.) are hiding their data centers' water consumption figures from the public. That's it. Hank's whole argument relies on a single quote from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

People are using Hank Green's AI water consumption video to dismiss concerns about AI water consumption.

Hanks video is terrible, by the way. It does nothing but encourage people to bicker over non-existent stats while AI companies continue to build data center kingdoms in poor communities.

Mastodon wrote:

Democracy shouldn’t end at the login screen.

Mastodon is the only major social network that answers to you. As a nonprofit, we’re building a digital commons where transparency, trust, and your participation shape the future.

Help us keep the Fediverse independent and thriving: Donate #SupportMastodon

https://joinmastodon.org/sponsors#donate

adam@social.lol ("Adam :prami:") wrote:

I’m sure it won’t be long before a white guy shows up to tell me that I’ve misunderstood what happened here, or that I’ve omitted all of the critical *nuance*.

Or that I’m just a “bully” who can’t stop “attacking” someone. Slap whatever labels on me you want, but I won’t stop holding privileged guys with influence to a higher standard.

adam@social.lol ("Adam :prami:") wrote:

This is what happens when you’re focused more on your brand image than on fostering genuine inclusivity. This is what happens when you’d rather double down on your bad take than reflect and admit that you were wrong.

Boosted by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):
timnitGebru@dair-community.social ("Timnit Gebru (she/her).") wrote:

"The ads, from a company calling itself Replacement AI, feature dark, dystopian taglines."

The ads, from a company calling itself Replacement AI, feature dark, dystopian taglines.

One reads: “AI does your daughter’s homework. Reads her bedtime stories. Romances her. Deepfakes her. Don’t worry. It’s totally legal.” Visitors to the Replacement AI website are greeted with a banner declaring, “Humans are no longer necessary.”

‘Stupid. Smelly. Squishy.’

https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/if-this-is-a-joke-the-punchline-is-on-humanity-replacement-ai-blurs-line-between-parody-and-tech-reality/

adam@social.lol ("Adam :prami:") wrote:

Manton would never engage in censorship, so I guess there’s a bug in Micro.blog that causes critical replies to vanish after a while.

October 3: https://archive.is/zhCQW

Today: https://archive.is/PLUw6

Boosted by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):
timnitGebru@dair-community.social ("Timnit Gebru (she/her).") wrote:

"Pressed on whether marketing an addictive AI chatbot to kids is ethical, Hardin shrugged: “I mean sure, but that’s not really our problem. That’s something parents or maybe lawmakers might want to look into.”

"AI safety" brought to you by the likes of The Future of Life Institute who are now armed with $700m+ thanks to crypto billionaires.

Boosted by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):
pheonix@hachyderm.io ("Windy city") wrote:

Putting this out there for anyone feeling the holiday spirit 🎄

Maintaining open-source software (like my Mozilla extension for YouTube) is a labor of love, but it does take time and energy.

If you have the means to support a small creator this Christmas, even a coffee makes a massive difference in my day!

Sending you all my love and wishing you a happy holidays and Merry Christmas ❤️

https://buymeacoffee.com/ppheonix

#holidays #cake #christmas #xmas #santa #merryChristmas #enshittification #art #music #painting

pzmyers@freethought.online ("pzmyers 🕷") wrote:

I've been neglecting Canada because I superficially assumed they would never be as bad as the US.

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2025/12/26/i-thought-canada-was-supposed-to-be-better-than-us/

chipotle@mstdn.social ("Watts Martin") wrote:

I’m giving up on network Time Machine for now. It not only takes multiple tries to get to work (on the same local network), it looks like if it fails, it starts over *without erasing the failed backup*, so I quickly get 1.5TB backup space used for a single 300GB backup.

pzmyers@freethought.online ("pzmyers 🕷") wrote:

Give spiders a plentiful food supply, and they cooperate to build vast communal webs.

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2025/12/26/i-wonder-if-we-could-at-least-vacation-in-albania/

baldur@toot.cafe ("Baldur Bjarnason") wrote:

From 2005-2010 I had a tendency to use photography to manage being in crowds and events. Being a self-appointed photographer was a way to avoid social interactions I barely understood. But it also means that I can’t really post any of it. So, instead here are some of the few I can post

baldur@toot.cafe ("Baldur Bjarnason") wrote:

These two are unironically a couple of my favourite photos. The window to the old used book store on Hverfisgata created a kind of impromptu collage

baldur@toot.cafe ("Baldur Bjarnason") wrote:

These photos are from 2008 in Iceland, using a Canon Powershot G9, a lovely little camera that I wish I still had.