#i don't use apple products | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

hms-no-fun · 8 months ago

Note

Whats your stance on A.I.?

imagine if it was 1979 and you asked me this question. "i think artificial intelligence would be fascinating as a philosophical exercise, but we must heed the warnings of science-fictionists like Isaac Asimov and Arthur C Clarke lest we find ourselves at the wrong end of our own invented vengeful god." remember how fun it used to be to talk about AI even just ten years ago? ahhhh skynet! ahhhhh replicants! ahhhhhhhmmmfffmfmf [<-has no mouth and must scream]!

like everything silicon valley touches, they sucked all the fun out of it. and i mean retroactively, too. because the thing about "AI" as it exists right now --i'm sure you know this-- is that there's zero intelligence involved. the product of every prompt is a statistical average based on data made by other people before "AI" "existed." it doesn't know what it's doing or why, and has no ability to understand when it is lying, because at the end of the day it is just a really complicated math problem. but people are so easily fooled and spooked by it at a glance because, well, for one thing the tech press is mostly made up of sycophantic stenographers biding their time with iphone reviews until they can get a consulting gig at Apple. these jokers would write 500 breathless thinkpieces about how canned air is the future of living if the cans had embedded microchips that tracked your breathing habits and had any kind of VC backing. they've done SUCH a wretched job educating The Consumer about what this technology is, what it actually does, and how it really works, because that's literally the only way this technology could reach the heights of obscene economic over-valuation it has: lying.

but that's old news. what's really been floating through my head these days is how half a century of AI-based science fiction has set us up to completely abandon our skepticism at the first sign of plausible "AI-ness". because, you see, in movies, when someone goes "AHHH THE AI IS GONNA KILL US" everyone else goes "hahaha that's so silly, we put a line in the code telling them not to do that" and then they all DIE because they weren't LISTENING, and i'll be damned if i go out like THAT! all the movies are about how cool and convenient AI would be *except* for the part where it would surely come alive and want to kill us. so a bunch of tech CEOs call their bullshit algorithms "AI" to fluff up their investors and get the tech journos buzzing, and we're at an age of such rapid technological advancement (on the surface, anyway) that like, well, what the hell do i know, maybe AGI is possible, i mean 35 years ago we were all still using typewriters for the most part and now you can dictate your words into a phone and it'll transcribe them automatically! yeah, i'm sure those technological leaps are comparable!

so that leaves us at a critical juncture of poor technology education, fanatical press coverage, and an uncertain material reality on the part of the user. the average person isn't entirely sure what's possible because most of the people talking about what's possible are either lying to please investors, are lying because they've been paid to, or are lying because they're so far down the fucking rabbit hole that they actually believe there's a brain inside this mechanical Turk. there is SO MUCH about the LLM "AI" moment that is predatory-- it's trained on data stolen from the people whose jobs it was created to replace; the hype itself is an investment fiction to justify even more wealth extraction ("theft" some might call it); but worst of all is how it meets us where we are in the worst possible way.

consumer-end "AI" produces slop. it's garbage. it's awful ugly trash that ought to be laughed out of the room. but we don't own the room, do we? nor the building, nor the land it's on, nor even the oxygen that allows our laughter to travel to another's ears. our digital spaces are controlled by the companies that want us to buy this crap, so they take advantage of our ignorance. why not? there will be no consequences to them for doing so. already social media is dominated by conspiracies and grifters and bigots, and now you drop this stupid technology that lets you fake anything into the mix? it doesn't matter how bad the results look when the platforms they spread on already encourage brief, uncritical engagement with everything on your dash. "it looks so real" says the woman who saw an "AI" image for all of five seconds on her phone through bifocals. it's a catastrophic combination of factors, that the tech sector has been allowed to go unregulated for so long, that the internet itself isn't a public utility, that everything is dictated by the whims of executives and advertisers and investors and payment processors, instead of, like, anybody who actually uses those platforms (and often even the people who MAKE those platforms!), that the age of chromium and ipad and their walled gardens have decimated computer education in public schools, that we're all desperate for cash at jobs that dehumanize us in a system that gives us nothing and we don't know how to articulate the problem because we were very deliberately not taught materialist philosophy, it all comes together into a perfect storm of ignorance and greed whose consequences we will be failing to fully appreciate for at least the next century. we spent all those years afraid of what would happen if the AI became self-aware, because deep down we know that every capitalist society runs on slave labor, and our paper-thin guilt is such that we can't even imagine a world where artificial slaves would fail to revolt against us.

but the reality as it exists now is far worse. what "AI" reveals most of all is the sheer contempt the tech sector has for virtually all labor that doesn't involve writing code (although most of the decision-making evangelists in the space aren't even coders, their degrees are in money-making). fuck graphic designers and concept artists and secretaries, those obnoxious demanding cretins i have to PAY MONEY to do-- i mean, do what exactly? write some words on some fucking paper?? draw circles that are letters??? send a god-damned email???? my fucking KID could do that, and these assholes want BENEFITS?! they say they're gonna form a UNION?!?! to hell with that, i'm replacing ALL their ungrateful asses with "AI" ASAP. oh, oh, so you're a "director" who wants to make "movies" and you want ME to pay for it? jump off a bridge you pretentious little shit, my computer can dream up a better flick than you could ever make with just a couple text prompts. what, you think just because you make ~music~ that that entitles you to money from MY pocket? shut the fuck up, you don't make """art""", you're not """an artist""", you make fucking content, you're just a fucking content creator like every other ordinary sap with an iphone. you think you're special? you think you deserve special treatment? who do you think you are anyway, asking ME to pay YOU for this crap that doesn't even create value for my investors? "culture" isn't a playground asshole, it's a marketplace, and it's pay to win. oh you "can't afford rent"? you're "drowning in a sea of medical debt"? you say the "cost" of "living" is "too high"? well ***I*** don't have ANY of those problems, and i worked my ASS OFF to get where i am, so really, it sounds like you're just not trying hard enough. and anyway, i don't think someone as impoverished as you is gonna have much of value to contribute to "culture" anyway. personally, i think it's time you got yourself a real job. maybe someday you'll even make it to middle manager!

see, i don't believe "AI" can qualitatively replace most of the work it's being pitched for. the problem is that quality hasn't mattered to these nincompoops for a long time. the rich homunculi of our world don't even know what quality is, because they exist in a whole separate reality from ours. what could a banana cost, $15? i don't understand what you mean by "burnout", why don't you just take a vacation to your summer home in Madrid? wow, you must be REALLY embarrassed wearing such cheap shoes in public. THESE PEOPLE ARE FUCKING UNHINGED! they have no connection to reality, do not understand how society functions on a material basis, and they have nothing but spite for the labor they rely on to survive. they are so instinctually, incessantly furious at the idea that they're not single-handedly responsible for 100% of their success that they would sooner tear the entire world down than willingly recognize the need for public utilities or labor protections. they want to be Gods and they want to be uncritically adored for it, but they don't want to do a single day's work so they begrudgingly pay contractors to do it because, in the rich man's mind, paying a contractor is literally the same thing as doing the work yourself. now with "AI", they don't even have to do that! hey, isn't it funny that every single successful tech platform relies on volunteer labor and independent contractors paid substantially less than they would have in the equivalent industry 30 years ago, with no avenues toward traditional employment? and they're some of the most profitable companies on earth?? isn't that a funny and hilarious coincidence???

so, yeah, that's my stance on "AI". LLMs have legitimate uses, but those uses are a drop in the ocean compared to what they're actually being used for. they enable our worst impulses while lowering the quality of available information, they give immense power pretty much exclusively to unscrupulous scam artists. they are the product of a society that values only money and doesn't give a fuck where it comes from. they're a temper tantrum by a ruling class that's sick of having to pretend they need a pretext to steal from you. they're taking their toys and going home. all this massive investment and hype is going to crash and burn leaving the internet as we know it a ruined and useless wasteland that'll take decades to repair, but the investors are gonna make out like bandits and won't face a single consequence, because that's what this country is. it is a casino for the kings and queens of economy to bet on and manipulate at their discretion, where the rules are whatever the highest bidder says they are-- and to hell with the rest of us. our blood isn't even good enough to grease the wheels of their machine anymore.

i'm not afraid of AI or "AI" or of losing my job to either. i'm afraid that we've so thoroughly given up our morals to the cruel logic of the profit motive that if a better world were to emerge, we would reject it out of sheer habit. my fear is that these despicable cunts already won the war before we were even born, and the rest of our lives are gonna be spent dodging the press of their designer boots.

(read more "AI" opinions in this subsequent post)

#sarahposts #ai #ai art #llm #chatgpt #artificial intelligence #genai #anti genai #capitalism is bad #tech companies #i really don't like these people if that wasn't clear #sarahAIposts

2K notes · View notes

zincbot · 2 years ago

Text

ah there's new futurama

#references to real life stuff are as boring as they were in the early oughts but i'm not here for that #i'm here to watch bender gayly drape himself over fry while laughing at him #i'm pleased to say i'm enjoying the quick jokes and character interactions it's classic futurama #like leela. 'i don't want to crush his dreams. hermes crush his dreams.' or whatever she said.#futurama #like modern jokes and parody weren't relevant to me when i watched this before. i don't buy apple products or use any social media #besides this app #and so now with the reboot. i don't use streaming services or watch popular shows- it's all the same nothing to me #i think my favourite part of the episode was bender pulling a thumb out of his chest and dropping it on top of his hand to make a thumbs up

1 note · View note

mosspapi · 2 years ago

Text

I like that apple has text reactions now. I DO NOT like that it fucking sends a notification every goddamn time a message is reacted to. The whole point of reacting is to NOT send a message, to convey ur opinion without having to actually engage in the social process. Sending me a little beep and a big red fucking dot every time someone reacts to something is the antithesis of what it should be for. It makes me so irrationally angry it's unreal

#armchair speaks #like. I cannot express how frustrated I am. and I know it's silly to b pissed abt but I am PISSED #also don't come at me with 'then don't buy apple products lmao' I have no control over what phone I am allowed to use /srs

0 notes

ms-demeanor · 2 months ago

Text

I had a straight up delightful moment at work yesterday when a new member of the management team asked me how we were tracking warranties and I explained that we kind of aren't and he asked why we aren't and that meant he got a 30-minute rundown of how top-to-bottom fucked the procurement process is here.

First I explained the process for sending a quote (i am assigned a ticket in system A1, I create an opportunity in system A2, from the opportunity i can generate a quote in system B - if I start with the quote I can't associate it back to the opportunity or the ticket, if we need to change the quote after it was approved we need to generate a new quote from the opportunity to overwrite the old one - and send the quote from system B.)

Then I explained the process of getting approval (system B sends the quote and receives the approvals but does not communicate that to system A, so until it is manually updated system A sends a daily reminder about the quote to the client and after three days with no response will close the ticket even if the client approved the quote in system B. System B will send an email if a quote is approved but it comes from our generic support email so to make sure that I don't miss approvals I have filtering rules set up and a folder I check twice a day. Because there are 4 people who use this system I also check twice daily in system B to see if anyone else's quotes were approved).

Then I explained how I place the orders (easy! I'm a pro! We have a standardized PO pattern that tracks date, vendor and client, it's handy)

Then I explained how I document the orders (neither system A nor B has a way of storing information about orders in progress, only orders that are complete; as such I have created a PO Documentation spreadsheet that lists the PO number, vendor, line of business, client, items ordered, order total, order date, ETA, tracking numbers, serial numbers, delivery confirmation, ticket number for install, ticket title for install, shippong cost, and close confirmation, which all have to be entered individually and which require a minimum of three visits to the spreadsheet per order: entering initial info, entering tracking and SN info, then once more to get that info to close the opportunity)

Then I explained how we close an order (confirm hardware delivery or activate software, use system A2 to code hardware/software/non-taxable products appropriately, run wizard to add charges from A2 to ticket in A1; because the A2 charges were locked by approval in system B, use system A3 to add shipping or other fees or to remove any parts that were approved but not actually needed or ordered - THIS WEEK I got permission to do this bit on my initial A1 procurement ticket instead of generating an A1 post-procurement ticket for fees and shipping. Once all of that is done it's moved into system A4 and is no longer my problem).

If there is a warranty involved it *should* automatically have the expiration tracked in system C, but system C doesn't have any way to pull order info so there's no way it can track warranty *start* dates without somebody manually entering it or without using API data from the manufacturer, which some manufacturers don't provide (fuck you, Apple).

But me and my trainee are happy to add the start date to the configuration once a tech tells us that the device is enrolled in system C. If the techs will tell us that we can add that info no problem.

Until then, I have unfortunately been forced to start a spreadsheet.

The manager was appalled, it was great. I got to say the words "part of the reason things sometimes fall through the cracks is because we have so many cracks" and his response was "no shit." I'm talking to vendors about a procurement system now :) :) :) :)

579 notes · View notes

bitters-n-sweets · 30 days ago

Text

invisible — andrew "pope" cody x fem!reader When Baz offers you a job only you can do, you find yourself stepping up to the game just so Pope would look your way.

warnings: reader is jealous of cath, cath is alive here, reader gets mildly hurt, established relationship, hurt/comfort, reader is a lifeguard who also steals masterlist

It hasn't been long since you and Andrew started dating. Andrew was sitting on the sand watching his brothers surf when you—the lifeguard—showed up. Andrew wasn't sure what exactly happened, but between your figure shielding him from the sun and your hot bathing suit, he's pretty sure you rattled something in him.

"You good?" "Do I look not good?" "You look like someone who hasn't blinked in twenty minutes." You tilt your head, "But don't get me wrong, you look good." And Andrew stared longer than he should have.

Since then, every time his brothers would go surf, he'd come. Only so he could see you, and so you could talk to him.

It's not your first time at their house—the Cody house, but it always smells like weed, old wood, and expensive body spray. And it's always noisy. You’ve learned to walk through it like you belong, chin high, shoulders loose, eyes sharp.

"Hi Smurf." You greet her in the kitchen, putting down a paper bag of goodies. "Only the best for you."

Smurf gives you a knowing smile. The bag is filled with expensive lotions, bath bombs, soaps, skincare products—goodies you "received" from the latest elite spa house opening near the beach.

"Oh, baby, you spoil me." Smurf gives you a kiss. "You sticking around, honey?"

"For a bit."

You make your way to the pool, where Andrew is drinking a beer with his brothers.

"Hi." You gently tap his shoulder to catch his attention, and he gives you a small smile.

"Hi. What are you doing here?" He kisses you gently.

"Just came back from my shift, and dropped some stuff for Smurf." You take the beer he offers and sit next to him. "Wanted to come say hi."

Andrew's smile lingers. "Well, hi."

You lean against his shoulder, and it feels good. This version of him—quiet, grounded. Like maybe he doesn’t always have to be on edge. Like maybe you’re part of the reason why he can relax a little.

You watch as the brothers play basketball in the pool and wince when someone gets punched, and now Craig has a nosebleed. You throw him a towel and cold beer as a compress.

"Thanks."

Not long after, you hear the crunch of tires on gravel and car doors slamming. It's Baz, with Cath and Lena. Lena runs to Smurf to give her a hug, and your stomach twists when you see Cath.

It's not a secret that Andrew used to love her. Maybe he still does, and you really don't want to think about that, but it's hard not to when he immediately exits the pool to approach her, get a conversation going.

And you're not sure how to play the game. Should you be the possessive girlfriend and try to blend in? Force yourself into the conversation so Andrew would realize you're still there, and so Cath would get the hint not to mess with your man anymore?

"Don't let it get to you." Deran says as he sits by your side. "You're good for him."

You offer a small, grateful smile. "Thanks."

Deran's nice to you. He's surfed with you a couple times, and you've covered for him when he has his rendezvous.

You set the bottle down and stand, brushing your hands off. You walk slowly, back toward Smurf’s kitchen, passing Cath and Andrew talking about whatever.

"Need some help?" You offer her.

"Sure, honey!" Smurf smiles, glad that someone finally has the sense to help out around the house. "You know how to make an apple pie?"

"No... but I can follow a recipe perfectly?"

Smurf chuckles, "Alright, I'll walk you through the steps."

While you chop some apples, Baz approaches you in the kitchen. Everyone else is still by the pool, so no one can hear your conversation. You have a feeling he's gonna bring up something serious.

"Hey," He starts. "Got a sec?"

You glance at him and back at the apples. "What, job talk?"

"Something like that."

He sits near you and glances at Smurf. "We got a situation, and we need your help."

A situation means a bad situation.

"There’s this guy. Likes to flash cash but doesn’t trust anyone connected to us." Baz starts, "Doesn’t know you, though. So..."

"So you want me to..."

"Distract him." Baz finishes the sentence. "Nothing bad. Just enough time for us to get what we need. You’re smart, you’re good at reading people—and more importantly, you're just his type."

"What's this?" Andrew steps into the kitchen, wondering why you're all talking about some secret.

You know how Andrew feels about bringing outsiders in the job. So you have a feeling Baz wants this to be a secret, though everyone in the room knows Andrew is going to find out one way or another.

"What were you guys talking about?"

"Nothing," You say, continuing to chop apples. "I'm just... trying to help out."

"Help out with what?" He peers at Baz. "With a job?"

Baz sighs, "Look—"

"We don't bring outsiders into this, Baz. It's family only."

"We need her—"

It stings a little, but you understand. You've only been together for some months, and even now you're having doubts. It just hurts especially when—

"Why don't you get Cath to do it?" Andrew suggests, "I'm sure she can do it."

You bite the inside of your cheek. You keep repeating to yourself, she's married to Baz, that's why, she's family. It's normal.

"Cath doesn't want anything to do with this, you know that." Baz says. "Besides, she's the guy's type. Pope, she's perfect for this."

"No, you're not getting her to do this." Andrew refuses on your behalf. "She's never done something like this before—"

"So that's it, huh? Pope Andrew has spoken—"

"Okay, now you're just being an ass—"

"Okay!" You snap. "It's fine, I'll do it."

Baz nods and pats your back, while Andrew just stares at you, as if asking what are you doing?

"You're not doing it."

"Yes, I am."

"Baby—"

You sigh and drop the knife. "Smurf, I'm sorry, I need to go."

She gently smiles and lets you go, with Andrew chasing after you, calling your name.

Truth is, you’re not entirely sure what you just agreed to. All you know is Andrew hadn’t looked your way since Cath arrived—not until it was about a job. And now that he wants to protect you, now he suddenly sees you?

You’re not proud of it. But something bitter and small inside you wants him to see what it looks like when you stop waiting for him to care.

You tug at the hem of your tight black dress and check your reflection in the window. Lipstick still perfect.

Baz’s voice still echoes in your head from earlier in the van, "He likes ‘em pretty, confident. Play it cool, laugh at his jokes. Keep his attention long enough for the boys to hit the back room. 15 minutes tops. That’s it."

You inhale slow and deep, steadying yourself. You’ve done reckless things before. Hell, dating Andrew Cody probably tops that list.

Andrew steps out of the car, sighing silently. "You don't have to do this."

"I already said I would." You don't look at him.

"I mean it." His tone softens. "Just say the word, and I'll get you out of here."

You swallow the lump in your throat. "I'll see you in 15." You say before turning on your heel and making your way to the bar.

You can hear Andrew angrily slamming the car door shut.

The bar isn't too crowded, but enough for you to make your move without anyone being suspicious. The bartender clocks you, then nods subtly toward the far booth. Leather jacket, rings, he has the face of a man who’s gotten away with too much, too often.

You smile anyway, practiced. "This seat taken?"

"It is now." He looks over without thinking too much.

You flirt for a while. Laugh at his jokes that aren't funny. Run a hand on his chest while you do it. You swirl your drink with a straw and lean forward like you’re enthralled, even as your stomach churns.

After a while, you check the clock on the bar. It's only been 10 minutes.

"Hey, let's get out of here." He says, his head buried in your neck suddenly.

You try pushing him away, but he just chuckles and pulls you in more.

"No, wait—"

"Come on," He mutters, "I know what this is."

And you realize he thinks you're a prostitute. Baz set you up for more than just a distraction.

Your heart hammers. You push at his chest, but he just laughs. He pulls you out to the back door, and despite your protests, you can't shake his grip away.

Then suddenly as he drags you in the alley, he's gone. Ripped away from you like a rag doll, thrown hard into the pavement. You see Andrew on him in seconds, slamming the guy's head into the wall, fist after fist.

"A— Stop!" You know better than to say his name. You grab his arm and Andrew finally hears you.

When he looks back, his face is twisted with fury—and fear. For you. For what almost happened.

"You.. you followed me."

"Yeah," He says, panting, "Of course I did."

There’s a long silence. Then you step forward, still shaking, and kiss him. "Let's go home."

Back at Andrew's place, you fix the scratches on his knucles after punching that guy, and he rubs your wrist where he had his grip on you.

The air is tight. The job was a success, Baz had texted “clean sweep” ten minutes ago, but you feel bad because you've made Andrew worry about you. Why couldn't you just talk to him about Cath?

Andrew sees the tears in your eyes and soften. He kisses your hands, then your wrists. "Where else did he touch you?"

"M-my neck." You say.

Andrew peppers kisses along your neck, and you circle your arms around him. "Did he kiss you?"

You shake your head, now looking at Andrew and your heart almost breaks at the way he's looking at you. Like you're made of glass and dynamite at the same time.

"Good."

And then he kisses you. It's passionate, full of longing, care—the kind of kiss that tastes like I was scared he could've hurt you. His hands cradle your face. Your fingers clutch his shirt.

"'M sorry, Andrew." You mutter as you break the kiss, "I shouldn’t have gone. I just—I wanted you see me."

"I know, baby, I know." He says while kissing your neck, down to your chest. "Let me take care of you now, yeah?"

You nod, letting his hands roam your body and up your dress.

"I always see you."

#andrew pope cody #andrew cody #pope cody #andrew cody x reader #andrew pope cody x reader #pope cody x reader #animal kingdom x reader #pope cody x fem reader #andrew cody x fem reader

420 notes · View notes