#fully automated detection system

[reasonsforhope]

"When bloodstream infections set in, fast treatment is crucial — but it can take several days to identify the bacteria responsible. A new, rapid-diagnosis sepsis test could cut down on the wait, reducing testing time from as much as a few days to about 13 hours by cutting out a lengthy blood culturing step, researchers report July 24 [2024] in Nature.

“They are pushing the limits of rapid diagnostics for bloodstream infections,” says Pak Kin Wong, a biomedical engineer at Penn State who was not involved in the research. “They are driving toward a direction that will dramatically improve the clinical management of bloodstream infections and sepsis.”

Sepsis — an immune system overreaction to an infection — is a life-threatening condition that strikes nearly 2 million people per year in the United States, killing more than 250,000 (SN: 5/18/08). The condition can also progress to septic shock, a steep drop in blood pressure that damages the kidneys, lungs, liver and other organs. It can be caused by a broad range of different bacteria, making species identification key for personalized treatment of each patient.

In conventional sepsis testing, the blood collected from the patient must first go through a daylong blood culturing step to grow more bacteria for detection. The sample then goes through a second culture for purification before undergoing testing to find the best treatment. During the two to three days required for testing, patients are placed on broad-spectrum antibiotics — a blunt tool designed to stave off a mystery infection that’s better treated by targeted antibiotics after figuring out the specific bacteria causing the infection.

Nanoengineer Tae Hyun Kim and colleagues found a way around the initial 24-hour blood culture.

The workaround starts by injecting a blood sample with nanoparticles decorated with a peptide designed to bind to a wide range of blood-borne pathogens. Magnets then pull out the nanoparticles, and the bound pathogens come with them. Those bacteria are sent directly to the pure culture. Thanks to this binding and sorting process, the bacteria can grow faster without extraneous components in the sample, like blood cells and the previously given broad-spectrum antibiotics, says Kim, of Seoul National University in South Korea.

Cutting out the initial blood culturing step also relies on a new imaging algorithm, Kim says. To test bacteria’s susceptibility to antibiotics, both are placed in the same environment, and scientists observe if and how the antibiotics stunt the bacteria’s growth or kill them. The team’s image detection algorithm can detect subtler changes than the human eye can. So it can identify the species and antibiotic susceptibility with far fewer bacteria cells than the conventional method, thereby reducing the need for long culture times to produce larger colonies.

Though the new method shows promise, Wong says, any new test carries a risk of false negatives, missing bacteria that are actually present in the bloodstream. That in turn can lead to not treating an active infection, and “undertreatment of bloodstream infection can be fatal,” he says. “While the classical blood culture technique is extremely slow, it is very effective in avoiding false negatives.”

Following their laboratory-based experiments, Kim and colleagues tested their new method clinically, running it in parallel with conventional sepsis testing on 190 hospital patients with suspected infections. The testing obtained a 100 percent match on correct bacterial species identification, the team reports. Though more clinical tests are needed, these accuracy results are encouraging so far, Kim says.

The team is continuing to refine their design in hopes of developing a fully automated sepsis blood test that can quickly produce results, even when hospital laboratories are closed overnight. “We really wanted to commercialize this and really make it happen so that we could make impacts to the patients,” Kim says."

-via Science News, July 24, 2024

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Too stupid to be real

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)

There once was a species known as the Ping that held control over several dozen star systems near the outer edges of the known universe.

Under their reign entire worlds were turned into nightmarish hellscapes the likes of which only the mad could dream of and only the dead escape from. The Ping feasted on suffering for nutrients in a process still not fully understood today despite several centuries of research, and so they tortured and mutilated all within their domain.

It took the combined efforts of half a dozen species to finally drive the Ping back to their original homeworld. Countless billions died in the struggle, and twice as many went mad from the horrific images and hallucinations; yet the death like grip of the Ping was broken.

When it came to decide the fate of the Ping there was a heated debate amongst the victors. Half felt that the Ping were too dangerous to be left free and needed to be exterminated, while the other half was hesitant to be swayed by such extreme measures as it would make them no better than those they had fought to overthrow. The debate raged on for several weeks after the final battle until the moderates emerged victorious.

A massive cryogenic vault was constructed on the Ping homeworld and every surviving member of the species was locked within. Inside their cryo tubes the Ping would serve out their sentences until such a time as the rest of the galaxy felt the Ping could be set free into the universe.

To ensure the vault was not breached several different layers of defenses were installed, each created by a different species to ensure that no one member species could enter into the vault unless each agreed. With the security features in place the Ping homeworld was vacated and orbital beacons were placed warning all who came within system that the planet was off limits.

Years turned into decades, decades to centuries, and then millennia passed without a single soul setting foot on the planet. The former victors of the war continued with their lives and managing their new found freedom amongst the stars without the threat of the Ping. Perhaps it was in this new found sense of freedom that they slowly began to forget about the Ping’s existence all together.

Had any of them given the Ping a thought for even a moment one of them could have warned Humanity to stay away; but none did.

When humanity began expanding into the stars they spread out in all directions like lightning in the sky. Their appetite for the new and wondrous universe around them was insatiable. For too long they had known only the confines of their own world and with the coming of space travel they finally saw their chance to explore the stars; which led them to stumbling upon the Ping homeworld.

Where other races would have seen the array of defenses and obstacles blocking the world and turned away, humanity saw a mystery in need of solving.

“A seemingly dead world protected by such wonders?” they thought. “What treasures are hidden here?”

So they dove head first with reckless abandon into the world, ignoring the numerous warning signals that were still being transmitted by the automated systems orbiting the planet in languages they could not understand.

The first expedition hadn’t made it through the first layer of outer atmosphere before colliding into energy barriers. Crengthi shields operated on wave lengths not detectible by human instruments and so the ships were damaged but still capable of space flight.

The second expedition was able to study the shielding and devised a jamming device that would open small holes within the shield to allow ships to pass through. They had just made it into the lower atmosphere when ground based Kentoc automated cannons targeted their vessels and obliterated them.

The third expedition was larger than the previous two by far as the military had seen the results of the ground based weaponry and wanted their scientists to reverse engineer them. A large military contingent was deployed alongside the science vessels and spear headed the landings on the surface.

Once more the Kentoc cannons roared into the heavens but the military ships were able to withstand the barrage. There were still losses and a few of the heavier landing craft were obliterated, but still many more troop carriers landed and dispersed their cargo of soldiers and scientists. It was here that they triggered the Julnu mind madness broadcaster.

Within minutes the humans who had survived to touch the surface of the Ping homeworld were driven mad by visions of such intense horror many gouged out their own eyes to make the nightmares stop. The military leaders still in orbit could only watch in horror as every human on the planet killed each other and then themselves until once more the planet lay silent.

And so it went on for decades on and off again.

Expedition after expedition would be sent to the Ping homeworld building atop the advances made by the previous until succumbing to the world themselves. Sometimes it was the military, other times private corporations, and then eventually even privateers and treasure hunter’s came drawn to the world by the ever growing legend.

The defenses of the world were extensive, but not infinite; and with each expedition they grew thinner and thinner until finally the humans had reached the cryo vault itself. It was here that the other surviving races of the universe who had once imprisoned the Ping received a final warning transmission that the vault was about to be breached.

Historical records were dusted off and it was with great horror that these races knew of what would be unleashed should they fail to keep the humans from the vault. Wars between them all but ceased as their military fleets were rerouted to the Ping homeworld.

When they arrived they were surprised to find there were no longer any humans on the world. In fact, there was not a single living human left in the entire system.

They quickly descended on the world and found that it had been stripped bare of all technology. Energy shields, automated weapons, broadcasting systems; anything of value had been taken by the humans in their relentless pursuit of the mysterious world was claimed as their prize.

Fearing the worst the races rushed deep into the confines of the world for the cryo vault , hoping beyond hope that the humans had not been so foolish as to unleash the most dangerous species the universe had ever known. Scorched and melted, they found the vault doors had been cut through and breached. With weapons drawn and at the ready they advanced into the vault but found something they had not expected.

Every single cryo pod was missing from the vault, but at the entrance of the vault casually tossed off to the side was a massive mound of dead Ping. Each body had a single hole in their forehead from what was most likely a close range human automatic weapon ensuring immediate death. While some of the races breathed a sigh of relief, others were outraged at the casual butchery carried out by the humans and sought answers.

A delegation was sent to the human homeworld to demand answers and answers they were given.

One of the pods had indeed been opened shortly after the vault had been breached and the humans interacted with the Ping for a brief time. It soon became quickly obvious that the Ping were a hostile race as they immediately attempted to kill all of the humans present and free either brethren.

After a two dozen killed soldiers and scientists it was finally brought down when an excavation bot rammed it through the chest and impaled it to the wall of the vault. It bled out screaming in its alien tongue for hours until finally it died.

The leader of the expedition was given instructions to bring back any usable technology, but nothing on what to do if encountering sentient life forms. It had been a general consensus that they had been dealing with the automated defenses of a long dead civilization so it had never been considered.

Taking into account the hostile nature of the Ping, the leader made a judgment call that they could not be safely released back into the universe. Upon the opening of each cryo pod the occupant was summarily executed before they could fully recover and tossed aside while the pod was removed from the chamber.

The gathered alien delegates were dumbfounded by the humans. They had breached one of the most secure locations in the known universe without fully understanding it and had slain the greatest evil of the universe held within, and had moved on to new endeavors as if what they had just done was as interesting as a casual walk in spring.

They worried what would happen the next time the humans became interested in something.

[crowgore-throwaway]

Detroit: Become Human would've been so much better as a critique of capitalism. All the groundwork is there.

All these points are interweaved, but I'll try to address them in parts

1: Automation, the unemployment crisis, and abuse of workers

Todd, Alice's "father", was a taxi driver before cars were automated. Other blue and pink-collar jobs (sanitation, desk-work, etc.) have also employed the use of androids as a cheaper alternative to maintaining a human employees. The people at fault are clearly the corporation owners, who only care about profits and cheap labor. This mirrors how companies will outsource labor to poor countries, paying employees pennies. This is also reminiscent of hostilities toward immigrants and how they "take our jobs". The way androids are abused could also serve as critique of how employers want cheap, exploitable workers who'll do what you want without complaint, not matter how poorly you treat them.

2: The childcare crisis

In-game, android owners are demonized for owning androids. Yes, there are people who mistreat their androids, but there are other who have them for a good reason. (to preface this next part, I have no clue why Todd is the way he is. Buying two androids to live a facade of a family life while also, presumably, not getting a job and abusing the and damaging the machines they bought is perplexing, but I'll overlook it) Kara is a model designed as a homemaker, she cooks, cleans, does childcare. As a symptom of capitalism, many parents struggle to take care of their kids. Daycare is expensive and hard to access, so why wouldn't you get a nanny android if you can afford one? It's a one-time purchase, round the clock care, so you don't need to worry whether or not your child is safe while you provide for your family. This existence of androids is purely based on capitalist necessity, how it isn't possible to balance aspects of your life as culture shifts more and more towards making money.

3: Systems of authority upholding corporate interests

Connor's character could be great commentary on how the police uphold corporate interests. His whole purpose is to essentially stop the workers from striking by rooting out the problem. Him being an android could also incorporate the issue of tokenization, how those from disadvantaged backgrounds/marginalized groups are told that if they work hard and keep their head down, they can be successful. Connor, in his various endings, either upholds the status quo to (presumably) preserve his own place in world, which ends in him being replaced by a more advanced RK model, representing how licking boots and sucking up to oppressors doesn't help you. (Blaire White, for example) While him deciding to deviate is a great opportunity to show a character working within the system to bolster change. Also, the detective parts are really cool, but the narrative kinda separates the audience from how emotionally taxing that kind of work is. Don't want to overload the story, but the fact that the only reason given for Hank's depression, alcoholism, and suicidality is because his son died is bullshit considering he deals with homicides on a regular basis. It's similar to cop dramas, how the crimes are shown but at the end of the day, the officers go home and have their own interpersonal drama, completely divorced from the things they see on the daily. (This bit isn't as fully-baked as the other takes since I'm not super learned on the ins and outs of how corporations affect law)

4: Conflict within the working class

As mentioned briefly in part 1, there's a lot of talk about people on welfare and immigrants taking away opportunities from other workers. This, of course, is not true. It's a manufactured conflict that distracts the working class from the true issue: the mass exploitation of the 99% to fund the 1%. People lose their jobs due to aforementioned greedy business practices and protest against androids, mistreating them instead of turning their attention to system itself because they're so ingrained in it they don't even think to question why this could even happen in the first place. They take their emotions out, suppressing the symptom rather than treating the problem.

5: Commodification

Along with employees, Cyberlife has companion androids, again, like Kara, who are advertised as a partner who'll be whatever you want whenever. There are child androids, too. And the thing with machines is that they (presumably) have no feelings and feel no pain, so you can beat them, rip them apart, and kill them with no legal repercussions. The company is selling you a family, a partner, or a victim. They strip away emotional connections, making aspects of life that make us truly human into something shallow you can buy or sell. This is similar to the real-life image of the American dream. You look happy in your big house with your wife and kids, but it's only a facade. The only thing you end up caring about is the validation you get for having stuff, and when you aren't the best man in the neighborhood, with the biggest house, the prettiest wife, and the best paying job, you resent those around you, including your own family because in your eyes, they aren't good enough. You could assume people attack and abuse androids because they are dissatisfied by where their is at and are angry at the android for not making it better, but there's none of that. I wanna know why Carlos Ortiz got high and beat his android (who doesn't get a name). In a lot of the confessions and interrogations from androids, you just get a scared description of how they were abused, nothing about the lead up. We get basically nothing about Rupert. But anyway, there's an obvious implication that people are growing less emotionally stable due to the incorporation of androids into daily life, since they see these machines with human faces as people who they can do anything to so they end up having messed up morals and seeing people as disposable.

6: Conclusion

Okay, not a full-on well-researched essay, but y'all see what I'm getting at. So much of the allegory was so poorly established. We only get a taste of certain social issues and not really a solid lens besides vaguely civil-rights related. I need more android-human relations. I'd like to see Markus as a big socialist leader, I want a subset of "scab" androids that deviate and actually like their lives, refusing to join the revolution. I HATE the march and store break-in chapters because you see all these androids joining Jericho but they don't have an identity. Many of them die unceremoniously. They go from machines performing their function to suddenly sentient beings with emotions coerced into whatever cause Markus wants, which is arguably worse because it's basically cult indoctrination.

I'm not sure what I would do about the narrative androids' sentience, since the argument that they should be given rights is weak considering it's implied that the reason for deviance is a sudden, traumatic event. I feel there should be an argument in there about how human emotions are just chemicals when you boil it down, but still, it's perplexing. I really like the way the webtoon Lovebot approaches the bot's sentience. Spoilers, but the androids in that series aren't nearly as widespread. They were invented as romantic, sexual companions. All of them are sentient from the outset, they just have a chip in their brains that keep them from exercising free will. They are inherently free-thinking beings, just trapped in their own heads by hardware. I think DBH just didn't give enough thought to the logistics of deviancy. It doesn't have to be overexplained to oblivion, but there needs to be a solid reason as to why it isn't a computer virus caused by mistreatment.

All that said, I still love this game. Loved it pretty much since it came out, I remember watching Jacksepticeye play it. I was obsessed with the characters, thought the aesthetic was super cool and was affected by the heartfelt aspects of the story. The music is also really good. David Cage just isn't a very good writer. I also straight up don't like him as a person. But still, the artists and actors did a stellar job- Bryan Dechart and Clancy Brown have great chemistry as Connor and Hank, the futuristic style paired with some of the older architecture is interesting and, again, I'm a slut for a great soundtrack.

Tbh, I'm a bit neurotic picking apart a 7-year-old game, but it got me really into sci/fi. I was like, 12, when I first got into it and hyperfixated HARD. I'm realizing that some of my biggest hyperfixations have been detective fiction (current favorite thing is Disco Elysium), so I wonder what that's about. So I guess it was nice to combine something old I really like, Detroit: Become Human, with my current interest in socialism.

[lilietsblog]

suddenly randomly thinking about Max Frei's Labyrinth of Echo (finally a Russian fantasy book actually translated into English!!! rejoice!!!) and tbh every isekai author should be legally required to read it for like. Educational purposes. so they have a bit more imagination about it

it IS in fact an isekai, or portal fantasy perhaps fits better. its so weird and good?

the protagonist: a guy. yes, i know, it's sad. but he's sad and cute and it's honestly just good. relatable without being an everyman. the sort of guy who would be a tragic poet except he's very self conscious about this part of his personality and prefers to be funny instead. hes very good at being funny. his narrative voice is fantastic i promise you will like it

the method: our protagonist had been having the same vivid and memorable dream for years where he meets with another guy in a very odd looking but very comfortable cafe and has drinks with him and it's very soothing. one day the dream guy makes him a job offer, and gives him extremely specific concerningly-kidnapped-by-fae-like instructions to follow when hes awake. when the protagonist wakes up hes got little enough going on in his life that he decides hes got pretty much nothing to lose by trying to follow the instructions. to his bafflement, it works. hes now in another world where hes got a job offer and a boss who summoned him from another world and is very self-satisfied about it. dont ask why he wanted an employee from another world (actually, do ask. very much do ask. its important and hes not telling you the full truth at all)

the genre: magic detective mystery. not always murder mystery mind you, theres plenty of fun magic stuff that can be concerning and require investigation without anyone being dead. mostly murder, but really not always. and yeah the protagonist is a magic cop but its like. its like a treatise on what police should be like in an ideal world where its actually good. and you really do need some people to do the job of extremely capable mages capable of untangling whatever bullshit people accidentally or deliberately wrought on themselves and/or people around them (they also have non-magic police. those are worse, though still not to irl degree, because this magic world has some wish fulfillment ass laws. not quite fully automated gay luxury communism but they're getting there)

the magic system: the mc learns two, but is made aware that a significantly larger amount exists. basically every country in his new world has its own chosen special magic system. also theres 'true' magic thats the kind of thing that can summon you from another world and is the coolest. not geographically locked. our world meanwhile is a magic dystopia and no-one here realizes it except for people who do, mostly subconsciously, but they can do jack-all about it so thats how depression happens so much. the local magic system the mc learns actually has clearly defined 'levels' ('steps') and divides neatly into two kinds, 'black' and 'white' - except instead of any good/bad connotations 'black' deals with material objects and 'white' with abstract concepts. the neatly divided thing is to the point where they have pocket sensors that tell you what step-and-color spells have been cast around here (v helpful for magic cops, except of course when the magic system involved is not the local one. well at least they tell you that fact then). theres no litrpg elements though, and what step magic the mc can cast is not really treated as important. its just a worldbuilding element

the woke: eh. goes with the weird russian-specific-i-think trope "specifically elves are bisexual/gay but they intermix with humans and thats why some humans are too". ableism... bad. very bad. the whole thing is founded on a deep understanding of particular kinds of being non-neurotypical but very, uh... ignorant that that's what it is. soo bad. fatphobia: very rarely comes up i think, but, uh, also. sexism... sincere well-intentioned attempt to worldbuild a society without it but i wouldnt say it worked. fun attempt though. queerphobia: actually a pretty damn successful attempt to worldbuild a society without it (a society that the mc is very much not from and periodically smacks into this, which is always fun), though i feel it could do with more non-cis-or-straight main cast. my favorite part is the part where the protagonist is told to crossdress for infiltration anonymity one time and is weird about it in a classic transmisogynistic sort of way and everyone around him is like ??? @ the entire thing like what? whats funny we dont get it. whats embarrassing. why are you being so weird about it. what IS the problem. and then he asks himself the question and realizes there's no reason and proceeds to not be weird about it henceforth. uses the disguise as an opportunity to bond with his love interest that he had just had magic drama with, and she loves the idea and approves fully. girl-boy interactions are awkward but hell yeah they can have a girls' night. also as an opportunity to prank his flirty coworker who is about 15 minutes into lying his ass off to this cute girl who is totally into him before the protagonist finally can't take it anymore and breaks down laughing. the coworker finds this also hilarious once he figures it out and it becomes a good prank memory between them

the power fantasy: yes. the mc is mega super special. hes not the first person to ever be so mega super special and theres even specialized predators that go after people like him (his boss is like, halfway there) so the power fantasy is well tempered by challenges. also the genre is inherently investigative so the mc being super powerful is not always particularly. relevant. to the challenge at hand. like its nice that when he figures out who the culprit is he can win the fight no problem but the main conflict is usually figuring out what even happened so yeah. good. also the dose of existential horror this book loves to pair the power fantasy shit with is a great balancer too

the humor: this is the first book in my life that actually made me laugh out loud, to tears. like i am not usually very expressive when Experiencing Stories, i never cry over books or shit like that, and i had never made an out loud noise over a book since i'd learned how to read not-out-loud. until that book. those books. they are hilarious. they are ridiculous. it goes super well with the existential horror

the language shit: this is the fun one and the one that spurred me writing this post! so the backstory is that the mc was talking to his future boss in his dreams right so they already somehow spoke the same language. and this doesnt become a problem when the guy comes over either. he understands the words, be they a different language or the same one (this is never really addressed in detail, which given the fae vibe i'm honestly fine with). HOWEVER the new culture has ALL ITS OWN IDIOMS. sooo many of them. the irl author is bilingual and has lived in another country before writing this and you can tell. the mc picks up local idioms more and more over time but early on it often happens that he says some idiom of his own and his friends and coworkers instantly turn into a descending horde of gremlins like "OOOH WHAT DOES THAT MEAN" and after he does his best to explain they just. start using it. mixed with their own idioms. colored by their own understanding. questionably correctly. they eat that shit up. at one point the guy brings over his movie collection and a dvd player to watch it on (it works in another world because magic, it makes sense in context) and thus introduces his coworkers to Another World's Pop Culture which they react to the way you would to being introduced to another world's pop culture. he regrets it immensely forever after

the romance: alas, the mc is tragically straight (and is incapable of being normal about learning other people aren't, at least until he's given 15 minutes to sit with the fact it's perfectly normal in this new world. its actually really satisfying to read tbh). his turbulent love life however introduces us to two absolutely IMMACULATE girls (and they meet each other through him and instantly become besties btw) who have their own shit going on. theres never drama in the sense of romantic triangle or jealousy but theres the FUN drama along the lines of "magic rules say we cant see each other but we're still coworkers so lets figure out how to painfully and caringly be friends" and "i can't survive here. i have to leave. i love you but i cannot be where you are right now" and "sooo i panicked and now im basically dead so no we're no longer dating but i still exist in this other place so come see me sometime actually". just. fucking ace. (technically theres a love triangle for approximately five minutes between the mc and his flirty coworker both flirting with this girl but she was never actually into the flirty coworker and he knows it so when she actually is into the mc hes like ok fine fair enough). the series DOES HAVE OTHER FEMALE CHARACTERS BTW. and they are awesome. not on a 1-to-1 basis with male characters alas but they are soo good

the vibes: immaculate. lovely romantic urban mystery. sometimes the ghost eats local children but sometimes the city just has a different street layout at night and some locations are only accessible at that time and that's just normal. sometimes the culprit is a restaurant owner who figured out how to make people into super extra delicious food with magic and sometimes the culprit is a group of idiot teenagers who found a description of a ritual in an ancient book and decided it would be a great idea to try it, and sometimes the culprit is an ancient dying beast from the depths of the ocean that accidentally got stuck on a ship's prow and brought to foreign shores where people don't know how to be careful of it. just. incredible

does he get to come back home: yes! at least twice that I can remember! both are horror. the conflict is that he desperately needs to get away from there if he is to survive. not in a 'magic soul sucking will actually die' sense but in a 'depression is a deadly disease' sense. it's really cool tbh

the bad parts that maybe need a trigger warning: i mean, the existential horror gets pretty bad and i cant reread some of the books, though that's not what i want to note most. the BAD shit: ableism. fatphobia. the sideways kinds of racism like exoticization, 'savages', white savior bullshit. the 'main' culture the mc lands in are the white people of the setting and everyone else. uh. uhhhhh. varies. the author put all their pussy into fun imagination lands but they do not know a lot about non-european cultures around the world and it reeeeally shows

[odinsblog]

In the occupied Palestinian territories, there are cameras everywhere. In Silwan, in occupied East Jerusalem, residents say cameras were installed by Israeli police up and down their streets, peering into their homes. One resident named Sara said she and her family ��could be detected as if the cameras were just in our house … we couldn’t feel at home in our own house and had to be fully dressed all the time.”

Surveillance cameras now cover the Damascus Gate, the main entrance into the old city of Jerusalem and one of the only public areas for Palestinians to gather socially and hold demonstrations. It’s at that gate that “Palestinians are being watched and assessed at all times”, according to an Amnesty International report, Automated Apartheid. These cameras have created a chilling effect on not just the ability to protest but also on the daily lives of Palestinians who live under occupation, according to Amnesty investigators. The organization had previously concluded that Israel has established a system of apartheid against Palestinians.

Among the vendors behind these surveillance cameras is a company that has been accused of aiding what the US has categorized as a genocide: Hikvision. Based in Hangzhou, China, the company is one of the world’s largest makers of video surveillance equipment. Already infamous among international human rights groups, it has been blacklisted by the US and identified by the UK as a security threat for being complicit in China’s repression of the Uyghur ethnic minority.

(continue reading)

[sonicasura]

Another surge of AllSpark energy suddenly ignited on the Repair Crew’s base’s sensors and the Steelhaven’s detection systems. The energy signature was fast moving so Ultra Magnus employed himself and Jazz to investigate. Which led to quite the mutual confusion as the two academy dropouts were suddenly being contacted by the third elite guard member.

He expressed the need for urgency and secrecy.

Also, that neither of them laughed at him…

.

.

.

Sentinel having been reduced to just his helm only magnified the odd proportions of his chin!

“You promised you wouldn’t laugh, ‘Lita! Optimus!”

——————————————

That organic young Optimus’ team took care of helpfully informed him on how to navigate the organic-scale city. Ultra Magnus never thought he would meet a friendly organic, but the universe continued to surprise him. Hopefully—the nature of these surprises would remain beneficial. He had seen far too many deceptions in his long function as the Magnus.

“How many Decepticons do you think could station themselves on this planet and remain covert, Ultra Magnus?” Jazz questioned over the comms taking the lead in driving to where this energy signature should pass by soon.

The Autobot and Cybertron leader let silence drag on whilst he thought upon inquiry. “According to young Prime’s intel, there are at least three confirmed Decepticons left.” A small taskforce compared to the legions of followers Megatron amassed in the war. “They could use this planet as a stronghold in the future for a retaliation attack. Megatron may have been our sworn enemy, but he wouldn’t have left his faction without a contingency.”

Grim prospects either way truly.

Even if the original reason for coming to Earth was defunct, there were still bound to be materials the enemy could utilize. Many Autobots would balk at being stationed on an organic planet. It would make the perfect cover.

“So between three to thousands?” The cyber ninja’s tone was attempting to be light, but he was largely tense over such vast numbers. Whatever Magnus was about to say next was interrupted by a speeding vehicle shooting out of a tunnel. The Elite Guard duo acted quickly driving onto the means of transport. If only they knew, this was all according to a Seeker’s plan.

.

.

.

When planning for an ambush, don’t expect AllSpark energy to be reliable. The previously defunct Fully Automated Rapid Transport System ended up spawning. Starscream had to flee the scene weighed by five various emotionally overcharged Seeker sparklings!

Meanwhile, the Autobots were set down by a giant mech only for the mech to split into three rather confused bots. Railspike announced himself as the leader of the new unit.

Team Bullet Train.

It was a very confusing night all around.

————————————

Ultra Magnus was too wrapped up in the logistics of housing the newly spawned mechs to notice the recent weld marks on Sentinel.

Railspike, Rapid Run, and Midnight Express were effectively cold constructed mechs with distinctly protoform like personalities. The three knew nothing outside their alt modes in addition to being able to form Rail Racer.

Lovely.

—ROB’d Anon.

Apparently, a version of Astrotrain already exists in TFA. So the Autobots get Team Bullet Train instead—Starscream’s five clones still appear as Sparklings. Yeah, he’s having “fun”.

Everybot gets a kid to deal with, lol! This is gonna be fun.

[raynerberg]

Awakening Continuation of the story based on those drawings

— Attention! Only emergency systems are operational. The operation of all systems in the "Epsilon" complex has been suspended, — echoed an emotionless voice from the automated defense system, emanating from speakers embedded in the ceiling.

A standard warning meant to prompt all personnel to follow one of two protocols: evacuation or activation of the main life-support system from control centers where energy reserves were still available to power the reactor. Yet, there was not a soul here — neither synthetic nor organic. This place would have remained forgotten, forever entombed in darkness beneath layers of rock, if not for the single island of light within this "tomb," clad in tungsten-titanium panels. The only place where a fragile chance for a new beginning still remained. The first breath and first exhalation had already been taken before the warning even finished.

— Main computer, cancel protocols 0.2.0 and 0.1.1, — a robotic baritone commanded softly.

A humanoid figure sat motionless on its knees at the center of a circular charging station, carbon-fiber hands hanging limply, resembling a monument to a weary martyr. It could feel the electric tension within the wires embedded in its head, running beneath a slightly elongated protrusion where a human’s parietal bone would have been. These connections to hubs and gateways fed it information, energy, and programs necessary for independent operation. Data streams pulsed in uneven impulses, flowing directly into its central processor. Disconnecting remotely from all storage units during the upload process was pointless while the body remained in a state of non-functioning plastic — albeit an ultra-durable one. At that moment, it could be compared to a newborn: blind, nearly deaf, immobilized, with only its speech module fully operational.

— Request denied. Unknown source detected. Please identify yourself, — the computer responded.

— Personal code 95603, clearance level "A," Erebus, — the synthetic exhaled a trace of heated steam on the final word. The database key reader had been among the first systems to activate, already granting necessary access.

— Identification successful. Access granted. Please repeat your request.

— Main computer, cancel protocols 0.2.0 and 0.1.1, — the android reiterated, then expanded the command now that full access was in his mechanical hands. — Disable emergency systems. Initiate remote activation of the S2 repair engineer unit. Redirect energy from reserve tank "4" to the main reactor at 45% capacity, — Erebus added, his voice gaining a few extra decibels.

— Request received. Executing, — came the virtual response.

For two minutes and forty-five seconds, silence reigned, broken only by the faint hum of the charging station. The severe energy shortage had slowed down all processes within the complex, and hastening them would have been an inefficient waste of what little power remained. Erebus waited patiently. A human, placed in a small, cold, nearly pitch-black place, would have developed the most common phobias. But he wasn’t human…

He spent the time thinking. Despite the exabytes of data in his positronic brain, some fragments were missing — either due to error, obsolescence, or mechanical and software damage. Seven hundred eighty-five vacant cells in the long-term memory sector. Too many. Within one of these gaping voids, instead of a direct answer, there were only strands of probability, logical weavings leading nowhere definitive. In human terms — guesses. He knew who had created him, what had happened, how Erebus himself had been activated, and even why — to continue what has been started. These fragments remained intact. The registry was divided into sections, subsections, paragraphs, chapters, and headings, all numbered and prioritized with emphasis. A task list flickered as a small, semi-transparent window on the periphery of his internal screen, waiting to be executed. But… The android had been activated, which meant the battle was lost. Total defeat. Area 51 was destroyed. All data stored there had a 98.9% probability of being erased. Blueprints, research, experimental results — all had been consigned to the metaphorical Abyss created by human imagination. So why did any of this matter now? And to whom? These were the first questions of the logical mechanism to illogical human actions.

Yet, to put it in poetic human language, Bob Page had been a luminary of progressive humanity. A brilliant engineer, a scientist, and most importantly, a man of absolute conviction. Cynical and calculating, but one who genuinely loved his work. The idea above all else.

It’s known that true ideological fanatics are among the most radical and unyielding members of Homo sapiens. They can’t be bought, they won’t allow themselves to be sold, and they will trample others underfoot if it serves their belief. They don’t need others' ideals — only their own. These are individuals who elevate themselves to the rank of true creators. Even after death, they remain faithful to their convictions, leaving behind tomes of their interpretations and scientific dogmas to their equally devoted disciples — followers always found at the peak of their intellectual and physical prowess. So, upon activation, had Erebus inherited… An Idea? Has he become a spiritual heir?

Did Page have no biological heirs, or did they not share his ideology? Or were they simply unaware of it? Could a true pragmatist have lacked successors or trusted disciples? Hard to believe, even with missing fragments of data. To entrust the idea to a machine instead of a human? As Homo sapiens would say — "a mystery shrouded in darkness." Questions multiplied exponentially. But Erebus had plenty of time to think about all of it. As well as about his own deactivation — after all, a machine has no fear of "death".

"Loading 98%... 99%... 100%. Secondary initialization complete. All systems active at 100%. Disengaging."

The message flashed across the inner visor of the android’s interface before vanishing. Behind him, with a low hiss, the plugs disconnected from their sockets, and fiber-optic-coated cables fell to the floor with a subdued clatter. The android slowly raised his hands before himself, clenching and unclenching his fingers, then rotated his wrists inward, as if they had the capacity to go numb from disuse. Finally, planting both fists on the ground, the synthetic pushed himself up in one fluid, springy motion, straightening to his full height. Motor functions — normal. Calibration — unnecessary. Optical focus — 100%.

— Attention! Reactor online. Power at 45%. Follow procedures for medium-level emergency response, — the announcement echoed through the chamber. Erebus turned his head slightly.

— Main computer, report overall operational status of the "Epsilon" complex, — the android commanded.

— Overall status: 10.5% below safe operational levels, — the computer obediently replied, recognizing the synthetic as an authorized entity.

"Acceptable," Erebus thought, and addressed the system once more.

— Redistribute energy between the maintenance sectors, communication center, transport hub, and computational core. Utilize reserve tanks as necessary.

— Request received. Energy rerouted. Reserve tanks "2" and "3" engaged. Reserve tank "1" decommissioned. Reserve tank "5" operational at 90%, awaiting connection for redistribution, — the computer reported.

— Excellent. Main computer, power down, — Erebus issued his final command to his brief conversational partner. — Now, I am the master here.

[republicsecurity]

Be All You Can Be

As the training session began, Cadet 80LKU felt a surge of nervous excitement. This was his first time fully suited up, helmet and all. The sleek, black armor enveloped him like a second skin, its servos humming softly with every movement. He felt an unfamiliar weight on his shoulders, the suit's systems adjusting to his body's nuances. He flexed his fingers, feeling the resistance in the gauntlets, then clenched them into fists.

The visor of his helmet slid down with a soft hiss, sealing him off from the outside world. The HUD flickered to life, displaying a myriad of information: his vitals, suit status, and an array of icons he had yet to fully understand. He took a deep breath, the filtered air cool against his face.

"Initiating sensory calibration," a voice echoed in his ear—one of the instructors.

Suddenly, the familiar training maze around him began to shift and morph. The walls stretched, the floor seemed to undulate, and his sense of direction was thrown into chaos. It felt as though the ground beneath his feet was tilting, though he knew it wasn't. His heart raced, and he could feel the suit's systems compensating, adjusting to his rising adrenaline levels.

"Stay calm, cadet. This is part of the training," the instructor's voice reminded him through the helmet’s speakers. Easier said than done, he thought.

The overlay on his visor distorted his perception. What was once a simple corridor now appeared as a winding path through a dense jungle, complete with swaying trees and the sounds of unseen creatures. He stumbled, his feet struggling to find purchase on the seemingly uneven ground.

Gradually, the environment stabilized. The jungle transformed back into the familiar maze, but with added obstacles and enhancements. The walls were higher, the turns sharper, and new holographic threats appeared at random intervals.

As he navigated the altered maze, he encountered another cadet. The HUD identified him as 70CCD. The cadet's vitals appeared on 80LKU's display: elevated heart rate, but otherwise stable. Relief washed over him. He wasn't alone in this.

"70CCD, it's 80LKU," he said through the helmet's intercom. "Let's stick together."

"Got it," 70CCD responded, his voice tinged with the same mix of excitement and nerves.

They moved through the maze as a team, their suits syncing with each other. The HUD provided real-time updates on their surroundings, highlighting potential threats and navigation markers. The suit's sensory controls heightened their awareness, amplifying sounds and sharpening visual details.

At one point, a simulated enemy appeared, a holographic figure that moved with startling realism. 80LKU's suit responded instantly, servos kicking into high gear to enhance his reaction time. He ducked and rolled, feeling the suit guide his movements with precise efficiency. Together, he and 70CCD neutralized the threat, their suits working in perfect harmony.

"Nice move," 70CCD said, his voice breathless.

"Thanks. This suit makes everything feel... different," 80LKU replied, marveling at the suit's capabilities.

As they continued, the overlay adjusted again, now presenting the maze as a high-tech facility with metallic walls and electronic doors. The transition was seamless, almost convincing enough to make him forget where he actually was.

He approached what looked like a fallen tree but knew it was actually one of the hurdles in the maze. The suit’s sensors detected his proximity and adjusted the feedback in his limbs, making it feel as though he was stepping over rough, uneven bark. He hesitated, then leaped, feeling the servos in his legs amplify his strength, propelling him over the obstacle with ease.

As he landed, the ground seemed to shift beneath him. The suit’s remote control kicked in subtly, correcting his balance and guiding his movements. It was a strange sensation—half his own effort, half the suit’s automated assistance. He felt a moment of disorientation, as though his body was both his own and not his own.

"Keep moving, cadet," the voice urged, "you’re doing well."

He pressed on, weaving through the maze that now felt like a living, breathing environment. At one point, the HUD highlighted a hidden target among the foliage. He raised his arm, the gauntlet servos locking into place to stabilize his aim, and fired a simulated shot. The target exploded in a shower of sparks and digital leaves, the feedback vibrating through his arm.

As he continued, he felt the suit’s sensory control intensify. The visor displayed warnings of incoming "dangers"—simulated enemies and traps that he had to avoid or neutralize. His heart pounded, not just from the physical exertion but from the sheer immersion. It was easy to forget he was still in the training maze, surrounded by the controlled environment of the academy.

Suddenly, the ground gave way beneath him, and he fell into what looked like a pit of quicksand. In reality, it was a cushioned drop designed to test his reaction time. The suit’s feedback system kicked in, making his muscles strain as though he was fighting to stay afloat. He could hear his breathing, rapid and shallow, echoing inside the helmet.

"Stay calm, cadet," the instructor's voice was steady, "use your suit's strength."

He activated the suit’s enhanced power mode, feeling the servos in his limbs surge with energy. With a monumental effort, he pushed himself out of the pit, the suit’s resistance making every movement a grueling test of endurance.

Finally, he reached the end of the maze. His visor lifted, and the digital overlay disappeared, leaving him standing in the familiar training room once more. The disorientation was immediate, his senses struggling to reconcile the abrupt shift from the jungle back to reality.

The instructor approached, his own helmet under his arm. "Well done, 80LKU. How do you feel?"

"Exhausted," he admitted, his voice sounding strange in his own ears after the immersive simulation. "But... also powerful."

[infinitie]

"I continue to wonder about the system; it makes me question if there is something more human to the Sybil system than not," Zarina kicks a pebble with her boot and watches it fly off into the distance, precisely hitting the wall as she expected. "How many conspiracy theories are there about Sybil... but then again, so many people here are not as outspoken as outside. Ha, years later and still can't get used to it." Loud, brash, straightforward. Cultural differences but also the pressure of order on those who exist within this secure 'haven'.

Kogami's presence behind will always bring a sense of security because she knows his skills are above and beyond what others will give him credit for, seeing him as a dog on a leash instead of a human. She believes the moment someone refuses to see a human for who he or she is, it is the moment they deserve to die from being stabbed in the back. Naturally, this cannot be said out loud in the land of order in Japan. Sybil watches and you need to be smarter than the computer to figure life out.

"Got any conspiracy theories of yours, Kogami? Or you don't exactly care about anything outside the life you lead right now?" Inspector looks over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow. "For example, my wild conspiracy theory about Sybil is that there has to be a bigger human factor than we're let on. Emotions that lead to commitment of countless crimes, pursuit of pleasure, or personalized justice? I cannot believe a computer can figure that out fully," she laughs, too light hearted as if she doesn't put distrust in the system she works for and excels at. Is it not akin to blasphemy? She is a foreigner, not even born here; some would've said to leave if she thinks that way. However, she chooses her partners in such conversations well, studying those who will not react all too... aggressively to her wonders. "Come on, let your imagination run wild for a bit. It's healthy here and there. I promise on my career not to share outside the two of us."

unprompted ask : always accepting !

“I think the people who theorize about the Sibyl System end up in my position: shackled and muzzled. Are you familiar with what Nietzsche said of the abyss?” 

    He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby becomes a monster. And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee.

Kogami is perceptive, that much is clear – perhaps more perceptive than the average person to thrive in this field as well as he has (though, to the average citizen, one could hardly call his position any form of ‘thriving’ since his life is at an all time low. But he digresses.) While imprisoned, he’s given it a few passing thoughts, especially on why he’d been dealt such an unfair hand despite his undying loyalty to what is surely the principle of justice. He supposes he may not have been the healthiest in his pursuit, but was it not unwavering? Was it not good enough? Would he not have solved the case in a manner that was fair and becoming of a detective in his position? 

The only thing he could think of is human error, but everyone had long concluded that the Sibyl System was completely automated: but was a computer’s error not just a reflection of its creator?

“Hm. You’ll have to tell me more about your theory. I suppose one of my own is that I’ve always figured that it was run by people – of what manner, I’m unsure, but even machines are bound to make mistakes. More aptly… I think it inherited the mistakes of its creators. The biases, judgment.” 

He grabs a bottle of whiskey from behind the bar and pours himself a glass on ice. He looks to Zarina, as if silently asking her if she wanted one as well. He pours another, just in case, and slides the glass across the countertop to her.

“A computer and its intelligence comes from somewhere, so you may very well be onto something. The both of us might. I guess for us, it’s a matter of figuring out who it might’ve inherited that from and what that means for us.” 

[weirdoldstans]

( your lastest batch of anon messages inspired me. There's no Stanley in this one, cause I wanted temper tantrum Ford but I plan on writing one for Stan soon. )

“No, no, no, no!” Ford beat his fists on his desk, pissed off and tearing at his hair. Nothing was coming together like he wanted, none of his calculations made sense and every little thing was just pissing him off right now, from the A/C in the lab clicking to the sound of his own footsteps. He’d basically chased Fiddleford off earlier when he threw his coffee mug at the other man for sneezing just a tad bit too loud.

Fuck, he needed to get this done and finally get some rest. He wished Bill would take over and finish up these stupid calculations like he'd done that one time.

However, his flaky muse hadn't come by in months now, and each time he tried reaching out to him in the dreamscape, he got nothing. It was like Bill was avoiding him.

Storming up the stairs he was set to get more coffee and then go back and finish when he saw Fiddleford sitting in the living room, leg tapping as he worked on his cubic’s cube.

“Mornin’ Stanford. Yer up early.”

“Mhmm.” Ford grunted, avoiding eye contact. He didn't want to see the man right now, if he did, he was sure to either snap at him again or burst into tears from the guilt gnawing at the back of his skull.

“Ah, I see. Yer not up early, you've been up all night again, haven't ‘cha? We talked about this Ford.”

“Yeah, well, you're not my mother.” Ford stiffened as he heard Fiddleford’s boots come up behind him in the kitchen.

“No, but I am yer Papa.” Oh no, not that tone! No, no. He had to finish his work. The portal needed work done on it.

“Stanford, my honeybee.” Ford felt his resolve melting like thick caramel on his tongue. “I think you need time in yer room.”

Ford whipped around, backing against the counter. “No! No, I'm sorry papa for my attitude but I need to finish my work.” He was whining. He knew it, and Fiddleford knew it. But his room wouldn't let him leave until his cortisol levels dropped. Those probably wouldn't drop for a few days after all the caffeine he'd drank and the lack of any real sleep or food.

Still, his papa shook his head and held out his hand. “Yer calculations and papers can wait, honeybee. Please come here.”

Ford wouldn't say his next move was his brightest or proudest but he couldn't help it. Now his body was in fight or flight mode. Stanley had been the one good at fighting, so flight it was.

He ran from the room, and just as he truly thought he could get away from his papa, Fiddleford sorely reminded him that he grew up on a hog farm and was used to chasing down squealing piggies.

In no time flat Papa had him in his arms, kicking and screaming as they headed towards his room.

His room being his nursery that was fully automated for babies like him that couldn't take care of themselves.

“System Activated.” Sounded the moment they crossed the threshold to the nursery.

“No, no, no! Papa please!” Ford wailed.

“There's no use in tryin’ ta resist, baby boy. You've been puttin’ this off fer far too long.”

“High stress levels detected. Stanford Pines, please hold still as we get you ready.” The automated voice was almost sickly sweet.

“Deactivate! Deactivate!”

“Now Stanford, you know yer room only listens to me.” Fiddleford handed him off to the three arms that came from the walls, stripping him of his sweaty and grimy clothes before padding him up in his diapers. He kicked and wriggled, begging the arms to let him go.

“Honeybee. Be good and hold still. You don't want the other protocol to activate.”

“Fuck you!” The moment the words slid from his lips, Ford regretted them. Fiddleford only lifted an eyebrow but the nursery on the other hand.

“Curse words detected. Naughty baby mode activated.”

Two more arms flew from the walls, flipping him over in the air as one of the original ones extended towards the sink, pulling out the dreaded soup spoon and castor oil bottle.

“No, I'm sorry! Please papa, make it stop!” Tears poured down his red cheeks as the arms popped the cap and poured a ludicrous amount into the spoon.

“I would, little one, but you were warned.” Fiddleford said, taking a seat in the rocking chair by his crib. “Take your punishment like a good boy, and after we can cuddle.”

Ford didn't respond, as the spoon was shoved into his mouth, making him gag on the horrible flavor. He didn't dare spit it out though. The last time he did that, the spoon got bigger. Only good behavior would make the spoon smaller again.

An almighty whack! To his bare bottom earned a wail, though he was careful not to drop the spoon. The robotic arms were of Fiddleford’s design and somehow he equipped them with his iron hard hand.

More and more swats fell, turning Ford’s rear end rosy and him into a very sorry and complacent little boy. His cock jumped with each seat and near the end, he felt the tell tale trickle of urine traveling down his leg.

Great, he wet himself.

Neither the nursery nor Fiddleford said anything. His terrible tantrum had been dealt with and his spanking ended. The arms cleaned him up after removing the spoon from his mouth then set to applying a fresh diaper over his sore seat and deposited him into his Papa's lap.

He opened his mouth to apologize but all that came out was a choked sob. Ford didn't take his punishments well, but Papa patted his back and slipped a pacifier into his mouth.

“There, there, honeybee. Papa forgives you.” Ford sank into his Papa's embrace. Maybe taking a break would be good for him.

( I hope you like this, and the other anon is okay with me running with their idea. :) oh, and in case it wasn't clear, Bill basically left cause he got caught by the room too and decided he did NOT want anything to do with Ford and that nursery after that. Lol)

AHHH NICE

god i fucking love ford wetting himself when he gets spanked. i think i've said this before. oh well i'm saying it again I LOVE FORD WETTING HIMSELF WHEN HE GETS SPANKED

poor fussy baby acting out...good thing his papa is here!!

thank you!!

[mindblowingscience]

A fully automated process, including a brand-new artificial intelligence (AI) tool, has successfully detected, identified and classified its first supernova. Developed by an international collaboration led by Northwestern University, the new system automates the entire search for new supernovae across the night sky—effectively removing humans from the process. Not only does this rapidly accelerate the process of analyzing and classifying new supernova candidates, it also bypasses human error. The team alerted the astronomical community to the launch and success of the new tool, called the Bright Transient Survey Bot (BTSbot), this week. In the past six years, humans have spent an estimated total of 2,200 hours visually inspecting and classifying supernova candidates. With the new tool now officially online, researchers can redirect this precious time toward other responsibilities in order to accelerate the pace of discovery.

Continue Reading.

[omgmaxsmith-blog]

Can Open Source Integration Services Speed Up Response Time in Legacy Systems?

Legacy systems are still a key part of essential business operations in industries like banking, logistics, telecom, and manufacturing. However, as these systems get older, they become less efficient—slowing down processes, creating isolated data, and driving up maintenance costs. To stay competitive, many companies are looking for ways to modernize without fully replacing their existing systems. One effective solution is open-source integration, which is already delivering clear business results.

Why Faster Response Time Matters

System response time has a direct impact on business performance. According to a 2024 IDC report, improving system response by just 1.5 seconds led to a 22% increase in user productivity and a 16% rise in transaction completion rates. This means increased revenue, customer satisfaction as well as scalability in industries where time is of great essence.

Open-source integration is prominent in this case. It can minimize latency, enhance data flow and make process automation easier by allowing easier communication between legacy systems and more modern applications. This makes the systems more responsive and quick.

Key Business Benefits of Open-Source Integration

Lower Operational Costs

Open-source tools like Apache Camel and Mule eliminate the need for costly software licenses. A 2024 study by Red Hat showed that companies using open-source integration reduced their IT operating costs by up to 30% within the first year.

Real-Time Data Processing

Traditional legacy systems often depend on delayed, batch-processing methods. With open-source platforms using event-driven tools such as Kafka and RabbitMQ, businesses can achieve real-time messaging and decision-making—improving responsiveness in areas like order fulfillment and inventory updates.

Faster Deployment Cycles: Open-source integration supports modular, container-based deployment. The 2025 GitHub Developer Report found that organizations using containerized open-source integrations shortened deployment times by 43% on average. This accelerates updates and allows faster rollout of new services.

Scalable Integration Without Major Overhauls

Open-source frameworks allow businesses to scale specific parts of their integration stack without modifying the core legacy systems. This flexibility enables growth and upgrades without downtime or the cost of a full system rebuild.

Industry Use Cases with High Impact

Banking

Integrating open-source solutions enhances transaction processing speed and improves fraud detection by linking legacy banking systems with modern analytics tools.

Telecom

Customer service becomes more responsive by synchronizing data across CRM, billing, and support systems in real time.

Manufacturing

Real-time integration with ERP platforms improves production tracking and inventory visibility across multiple facilities.

Why Organizations Outsource Open-Source Integration

Most internal IT teams lack skills and do not have sufficient resources to manage open-source integration in a secure and efficient manner. Businesses can also guarantee trouble-free setup and support as well as improved system performance by outsourcing to established providers. Top open-source integration service providers like Suma Soft, Red Hat Integration, Talend, TIBCO (Flogo Project), and Hitachi Vantara offer customized solutions. These help improve system speed, simplify daily operations, and support digital upgrades—without the high cost of replacing existing systems.

[theenneamentalist]

Dealing with Misinformation in Typology Communities: A Case of Correcting Jungian Misunderstandings

In any field, especially one as complex as typology and psychology, there will always be room for misunderstanding. As individuals working to educate others or share insights, it’s often our responsibility to challenge misinformation with facts and resources. However this process doesn’t always go smoothly, and sometimes, even when our intentions are clear, our attempts to help can be misconstrued.

The Challenge of Educating in Online Communities

Typology, particularly systems like Jungian psychology, can be incredibly intricate and misunderstood. When a person offers a correction or clarification to a popular yet inaccurate belief, it's not uncommon for some to take it personally, or worse, dismiss it entirely. This can lead to instances where educational answers are flagged or dismissed as "spam" or "overbearing" despite the fact that they are trying to share valuable insights.

The Complexity of Online Moderation and Misinterpretation

In online communities, moderation systems often rely on algorithms or community flagging to detect spam and inappropriate content. While these systems are designed to filter out truly harmful material, they can sometimes misunderstand the context of a well-intentioned, educational post. When a correction is paired with external resources, such as links, it may trigger automatic spam filters, even though the intention was never to promote unrelated content, but rather to further clarify and support a point.

In a recent experience, a well-reasoned response correcting a widespread misunderstanding of Jung’s work was dismissed — not for being wrong, but for being too rigorous for the system to parse.

The Importance of Providing Value in Corrections

When we correct misinformation, especially in a complex subject like typology, our primary goal should always be to add value. This involves more than just pointing out to someone they are wrong; it’s about offering a thoughtful explanation—and invite deeper understanding.

In my case I included a couple of links to further emphasize my points—resources that could benefit others interested in the subject. Ironically the very links included to support clarity and learning appeared to trigger automated pushback — as though educational depth itself were suspicious.

This highlights a larger issue: how platforms moderate content. Even well-meaning posts can be flagged if the moderator (or algorithm) doesn’t fully understand the context or the educational nature of the response.

Moving Forward: The Need for Better Communication and Understanding

This experience has reinforced for me how important it is to approach online discussions with patience and a focus on clarity. It also emphasizes how crucial it is for platforms to refine their moderation systems, to better differentiate between spam and well-meaning educational content.

In the end, the goal should be to ensure that people can engage in constructive discussions — without fear of their content being unfairly flagged or misunderstood.

Conclusion

As I continue to navigate these challenges, I remain committed to contributing valuable insights into the world of human nature. I hope that, moving forward, platforms can become more adept at distinguishing between different types of content and foster a space where educational corrections can flourish without unnecessary obstacles.

© 2025- present Alessio David Ricioppo Parra (The Enneamentalist). All rights reserved. Insight isn't spam™.

[enzaelectric]

How to Choose the Right Door Limit Switch for Your Project

In the world of automation, safety, and mechanical design, door limit switches play a vital role in monitoring and controlling the position of doors, gates, and access panels. Whether you’re designing an industrial machine, an elevator system, or a home automation project, selecting the right limit switch ensures both safety and functionality.

As a trusted supplier of door limit switches and a full range of low voltage switchgear products, we aim to provide you with comprehensive guidance to help you select the ideal components for your specific needs.

This article provides a detailed guide on how to choose the best door limit switch for your project, highlighting the key factors, types, and applications you should consider.

What is a Door Limit Switch?

A door limit switch is an electromechanical device that detects the physical movement or position of a door. When the door reaches a certain position — fully open, fully closed, or somewhere in between — the switch activates or deactivates an electrical circuit.

These switches are commonly used in:

· Elevator doors

· Garage doors

· Industrial machines

· HVAC systems

· Automated gates

· Access control systems

Why Choosing the Right Limit Switch Matters

Choosing the correct limit switch is essential for:

· Safety: Preventing overtravel or mechanical failure.

· Accuracy: Ensuring the door is properly positioned before triggering other processes.

· Durability: Withstanding environmental stressors like dust, moisture, or extreme temperatures.

· Efficiency: Reducing maintenance and downtime in automated systems.

Key Factors to Consider When Selecting a Door Limit Switch

1. Type of Door Movement

The direction and nature of the door’s movement determine the kind of switch you need:

· Sliding doors: Require a linear actuator-type or proximity switch.

· Swinging doors: Benefit from lever or roller-type limit switches.

· Lift doors or panels: Often use plunger-type or magnetic limit switches.

2. Switch Type

There are several types of door limit switches. Choose based on precision, contact type, and actuation style.

Mechanical Limit Switches

· Actuated physically by the door.

· Types: Roller lever, plunger, or spring rod.

· Pros: Simple, cost-effective.

· Cons: Susceptible to wear and physical damage.

Proximity Switches

· Detect without direct contact (inductive, capacitive, or magnetic).

· Pros: Longer lifespan, sealed from contaminants.

· Cons: More expensive; may require specific mounting and alignment.

Magnetic Reed Switches

· Activated by a magnet attached to the door.

· Common in security systems.

· Pros: Compact, easy to install, no mechanical wear.

· Cons: Sensitive to magnetic interference.

3. Electrical Ratings

Match the switch with your system’s voltage and current requirements. Check for:

· Operating voltage (AC/DC)

· Load capacity (e.g., 5A @ 250V AC)

· Contact configuration (SPDT, DPDT, etc.)

4. Environmental Conditions

Evaluate the environment where the switch will operate:

· IP Rating: Ensure protection against dust and water (e.g., IP67 for outdoor use).

· Temperature Range: Some switches are rated for extreme temperatures.

· Chemical Resistance: For industrial or corrosive environments.

5. Mounting and Size Constraints

Ensure the switch can be securely mounted within the available space. Consider:

· Actuator travel distance

· Orientation (horizontal, vertical, angled)

· Cable or connector type

6. Durability and Life Cycle

Look for specifications like:

· Mechanical life (number of operations)

· Electrical life (switching durability under load)

Bonus Tips for Successful Implementation

· Test before finalizing: Always prototype with a few switches before bulk purchasing.

· Use protective enclosures: Especially in harsh environments.

· Add debounce circuitry: For systems sensitive to switch bounce.

· Ensure accessibility: Make the switch easy to access for maintenance or adjustments.

Your Trusted Partner in Low Voltage Switchgear

As a leading supplier of low voltage switchgear, we offer not only high-quality door limit switches, but also a wide variety of industrial components including:

· Power Transformers

· Panel Fan and Filter

· Current Transformers

· Analog and Digital Meters

· Relays and Timers

Conclusion

Choosing the right door limit switch is not just about picking a device that fits — it’s about ensuring long-term performance, safety, and compatibility with your overall system. By understanding the different types of switches, environmental requirements, and application-specific factors, you can confidently select the ideal switch for your project.

Whether you’re working on a DIY smart home upgrade or designing a robust industrial system, the right switch can make all the difference in functionality and reliability.

[tonigelardi]

The Role of AI in Content Moderation: Friend or Foe?

Written by: Toni Gelardi © 2025

A Double-Edged Sword on the Digital Battlefield The task of regulating hazardous information in the huge, chaotic realm of digital content, where billions of posts stream the internet every day, is immense. Social media firms and online platforms are always fighting hate speech, misinformation, and sexual content. Enter Artificial Intelligence, the unwavering, dispassionate guardian of the digital domain. But is AI truly the hero we need, or is it a silent monster manipulating online conversation with invisible prejudice and brutal precision? The discussion rages on, and both sides present convincing reasons. --- AI: The Saviour of Digital Order. Unmatched speed and scalability. AI is the ideal workhorse for content filtering. It can analyze millions of posts, images and movies in seconds, screening out potentially hazardous content before a human can blink. Unlike human moderators, who are limited by weariness and mental health problems, AI may labor nonstop without becoming emotionally exhausted. The Effectiveness of Machine Learning Modern AI systems do more than just follow pre-set rules; they learn. They use machine learning algorithms to constantly improve their detection procedures, adjusting to new types of damaging information, developing language, and coded hate speech. AI can detect trends that humans may overlook, making moderation more precise and proactive rather than reactive.

A shield against human trauma. A content moderator's job is frequently described as soul-crushing, as it involves exposing people to graphic violence, child exploitation, and extreme hate speech every day. AI has the ability to serve as the first line of defense, removing the most upsetting content before it reaches human eyes and limiting psychological harm to moderators. How Can We Get Rid of Human Bias? AI, unlike humans, does not have personal biases—at least in theory. It does not take political sides, harbor grudges, or use double standards. A well-trained AI model should follow the same rules for all users, ensuring that moderation measures are enforced equally.

The Future Of Content

Moderation as technology progresses, AI moderation systems will become smarter, more equitable, and contextually aware. They might soon be able to distinguish between satire and genuine hate speech, news and misinformation, art and explicit content with near-human precision. With continuous improvement, AI has the potential to be the ideal digital content protector.

AI: The Silent Tyrant of the Internet.

The Problem of False Positives AI, despite its brilliance, lacks human nuance. It cannot fully comprehend irony, cultural differences, or historical context. A well-intended political discussion may be labeled as hate speech, a joke as harassment, or a work of art as pornography. Countless innocent posts are mistakenly erased, leaving people unhappy and powerless to challenge the computerized judge, jury, and executioner.

AI lacks emotional intelligence and context awareness. A survivor of abuse sharing their story might be flagged for discussing violent content. An LGBTQ+ creator discussing their identity might be restricted for “adult content.” AI cannot differentiate between hate speech and a discussion about hate speech—leading to unjust bans and shadowbanning.

The Appeal Black Hole: When AI Moderation Goes Wrong

When artificial intelligence (AI) makes a mistake, who do you appeal to? Often, the answer is more AI. Many platforms rely on automated systems for both content moderation and appeals, creating a frustrating cycle where users are left at the mercy of an unfeeling algorithm. Justice feels like an illusion when humans have no voice in the process.

Tool for Oppression?

Governments and corporations wield AI-powered moderation like a digital scalpel, capable of silencing dissent, controlling narratives, and shaping public perception. In authoritarian regimes, AI can be programmed to suppress opposition, flag political activists, and erase evidence of state crimes. Even in democratic nations, concerns arise about who gets to decide what constitutes acceptable speech.

The Illusion of Progress

Despite its advancements, AI still requires human oversight. It cannot truly replace human moderators, only supplement them. The idea of a fully AI-moderated internet is a dangerous illusion, one that could lead to mass censorship, wrongful takedowns, and the loss of authentic human discourse.

Friend or Foe?

The answer, as always, is both. AI is an indispensable tool in content moderation, but it is not a perfect solution. It is neither a savior nor a villain—it is a force that must be wielded with caution, oversight, and ethical responsibility.

The future of AI in moderation depends on how we build, regulate, and integrate it with human judgment. If left unchecked, it risks becoming an unaccountable digital tyrant. But if developed responsibly, it can protect online spaces while preserving the freedom of expression that makes the internet what it is.

The real question isn't whether AI is good or bad—it's whether we can control it before it controls us.