David

David

@thermite.au

I create tech solutions that nearly always mostly work

239 followers255 following616 posts

I recently read an article about the Pickle 1 glasses and took some time to dig into their cybersecurity claims. The short version is that their claims simply don't add up. You can read my full post here: thermite.au/posts/pickle

thermite.auPickle.com's "Verifiable Privacy": Marketing vs Reality · ThermitePickle is selling “verifiable privacy” for Pickle OS and the Pickle 1 glasses. The problem is that the product customers can use today doesn’t match the story Pickle is selling.

This team is talking a big game, but the existing service they actually offer "Pickle OS" doesn't align with any of their marketing material, Terms and Conditions or Privacy Policy. They are lying, and you should not be giving this company your data (or money).

Legal terms of service can be confusing. They often hold things you don't like, and were happier, not knowing. The WeTransfer ToS are no different. Let me simplify it for you. If you upload a file onto the internet, regardless of type or purpose, you should assume it's going straight into an AI.

I'll never understand the point of posting bait or showing your ignorance, then blocking replies. Especially when the comment (like this one) is so intensely and obviously stupid. Do they know they are being rediculous and don't care, or are they ignorant? What do they hope to gain? Humans are odd.

David reposted

1) it was always fascism and fascism was the right word to use 2) they are building concentration camps and concentration camps are the right words to use 3) they are banning books and book bans is a fine way to describe the myriad ways they are banning them

For fucks sake, can people that say AI is useless, please pull their head out of their ass? Denying reality will not help your cause. Yes, AI has and will cause a great deal of economic harm to people. Yes it makes mistakes sometimes. But it works. And it works very well. That's why people use it.

There's people on here and other socials saying the US never learns its lesson regarding wars. Which is completely false. The US has learned very well from these and other conflicts. 2 x Iraq and 1 x Afghanistan wars cost the US less than 10,000 dead soldiers. Yet they killed close to a million ppl

That's one direct military US death for every 100 of the other country's. Who were mostly civilians. On top of that, the conflicts completely devastated both countries' infrastructure and social systems. At least another million people died due to indirect action.

What the US learned was that they could kill 2 million people and destroy 2 nation states at the cost of 10,000 US soldiers. And do it with complete impunity. All while pouring 8 Trillion dollars into the US military economy. So yeah, they learned. Just not the lesson people think they learned.

There seems to be some confusion about how you increase profits by using AI. Here's how it works. Very simple. Identify activity your staff do now and replace that activity with AI. Then either replace some staff and keep the salary. Or Keep the staff, but sell more. That's all there is to it.

The LA protests have given Trump exactly what he wanted. He's shown: His willingness to deploy troops. That the military will do what he asks. That states can't stop him. That democrats can't stop him, and republicans won't. This entire thing is a huge win for him and the project 2025 crew.

David reposted

This statement from Jonathan Joss's husband is heart breaking. No, headline writers, he wasn't "killed in an argument with a neighbor." He was *deliberately murdered* for being gay right after his dog was decapitated. Bet the murderer calls himself a "Christian." THIS is why Pride is important.

If you're hoping the Democrats will fix problems caused by Trump, then look at what commitments they are making. Not their objections, speeches or moral outrage. What measurable commitments have the Democrats made to reverse the damage he is doing?

What commitments have they announced as a party, to reverse the funding cuts, restore jobs, shift agencies back to sane science-based policies, restore women's rights, and protect minorities? Don't assume they will. Outrage is cheap; repairing the Trump damage will be very fucking expensive.

Systemic failings in government are not unique to the US. The last few months have done a great job of highlighting them, though. It's telling just how little power the government has to compel people to answer question's for instance. Take the confirmation hearing for Jared Isaacma, for example.

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If neither the Democrats or Republicans want to fix a broken system, then you're just fucked. Neither the elected officials nor their sycophants will ever be accountable, and the people who elected them will be subject to a revolving door of party self-interest.

Of course it's incredibly difficult to get something like this changed, even if the democrats wanted to, but not impossible. But they won't even try, it's not in their interest.

Systemic failings in government are not unique to the US. The last few months have done a great job of highlighting them, though. It's telling just how little power the government has to compel people to answer question's for instance. Take the confirmation hearing for Jared Isaacma, for example.

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This is not a Trump created problem, though he is using it to his advantage. It's been there for a long time. People who answer these question do so because they want to, not through any fear of refusing. If it helps them, they will answer. Otherwise, they just lie / obfuscate.

If US politics is to improve, that kind bullshit has to end. Nominees, for instance, should automarically fail if they answer this way. The problem is neither side wants to change it. They don't want to be the next person compelled to answer or not lie. So Democrats won't fix this.

Systemic failings in government are not unique to the US. The last few months have done a great job of highlighting them, though. It's telling just how little power the government has to compel people to answer question's for instance. Take the confirmation hearing for Jared Isaacma, for example.

He sat there and flat refused to answer a simple question by ‪@markey.senate.gov‬. This is someone wanting to be head of NASA, but before even being confirmed, shows he doesn't give a fuck about a congressman or a hearing process.

There's a lot of talk about the retrofit costs for Trumps 747 bribe. They could offset this by limiting it to US airspace etc. None of which addresses the security risks of taking a jet that a foreign country had full access to. How could you ever trust it wasn't riddled with surveillance equipment.

I think the whitehouse gave Trump some crayons to do the design for it propaganda site. If you're going to pitch bullshit, you could at least try and make it presentable.

US news outlets need to stop reporting on court cases that Trump has lost. Start reporting on what court ruling the administration / agencies have agreed to follow. The rulings are irrelevant if they are being ignored.

People and the press need to stop waving the polling data around. Trump doesn't give a fuck about the polling. 1) He's just going to lie and say everyone loves him. 2) You only need to care if you intend to be re-elected or care about your party. He doesn't, in either case.

There's a lot of "no king" commentary floating around, but people appear to have missed the point. Yes, a king is an unelected ruler, but it's much more than that. A king is seen as being above the regular citizen. They are special, respected, elevated. Your president, is just rebranded king.

Anyone from outside the US can see it. The president (both the role and the person in it) are treated with so much reverence. For someone who simply won the world's biggest b popularity contest. In Australia we treat our prime minister with the bare minimum of respect (ie fuck all) they are due.

They are just a shitty politician, and a lot dont even make it through a full term. Few people take them very seriously. Your president should be seen as a regular person. They are meant to be temping as a servant of the people. Instead, you've made them a ruler by another name.

Heres the problem @cnn.com you can't provide the public with accurate, honest reporting about Elon lying and destroying government institutions, when you're taking his money. He can't be your customer and a subject of criticism.

David reposted

Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions - rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking steps to make sure students can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect. Let’s hope others follow suit.

Stop worrying about how to stop fascism or the fall of democracy. Its already to late for that. Start thinking about how to remove it. You can't just vote it out. That's not how fascism works.

David reposted

He’s threatening media companies who are critical of him. He’s talking about sending Americans to foreign prisons. He’s signing executive orders to investigate former staff members who spoke out against him. He’s defying the Supreme Court. Don’t you see what’s happening here?

And that's that, the US democracy is officially over. The president and his administration no longer obey the courts.