ben

ben, 5 days ago to random

Something went crunch in my back on Tuesday and I’ve been recovering ever since. Yesterday was the peak, but I was relieved to find that it’s a bit better today. Once this goes away, I’m going to take the wake-up call - for higher fitness, lower weight on my bones - very seriously. I’ve been taking my body working well for granted.

ben, 6 days ago to random

Getting a surprising number of visitors to my site from Clifton, NJ over the last two days for some reason? Just to the homepage. Weird.

ben, 6 days ago to fediverse

"An important step toward a more interoperable “fediverse” — the broader network of decentralized social media apps like Mastodon, Bluesky and others — has been achieved." Ryan's come to the rescue with Bridgy once again. #Fediverse https://werd.io/2024/bluesky-and-mastodon-users-can-now-talk-to-each-other

ben, 7 days ago to random

This is a horrible precedent and I truly hope it doesn't become more widely adopted elsewhere. https://ua.usembassy.gov/message-for-u-s-citizens-elimination-of-residence-abroad-exception-to-dual-citizen-departure/

ben, 7 days ago to technology

"Surprise! It turns out that the unencrypted database and the stored images may contain your user credentials and passwords. Use a password manager like 1Password? Sorry, your 1Password passwords are probably visible via Recall." #Technology https://werd.io/2024/is-microsoft-trying-to-commit-suicide

ben, 7 days ago to technology

"The pervasive nature of modern technology makes surveillance easier than ever before, while each successive generation of the public is accustomed to the privacy status quo of their youth." #Technology https://werd.io/2024/online-privacy-and-overfishing

ben, 8 days ago to random

I get that it's actually a terrible business and a wonderful way to burn your life savings down to the ground, but it would be so much fun to run a little neighborhood café. Great coffee? Organic nibbles? Live music? Themed nights? Free meeting space for radical groups looking to mobilize? Bliss.

ben, 8 days ago to ai

"Zoom founder Eric Yuan has big ambitions in enterprise software, including letting your AI-powered ‘digital twins’ attend meetings for you." Such a bizarre vision of the future. #AI https://werd.io/2024/zoom-ceo-eric-yuan-wants-ai-clones-in-meetings

ben, 8 days ago to journalism

Interesting business model: UK broadcasters are trading unused ad space for equity in digital media startups, turning them into venture-scale investors. #Media https://werd.io/2024/uk-broadcasters-trade-ad-airtime-for-advertisers-shares

ben, 9 days ago to fediverse

There's no good way to prevent AI models from being trained on art published on the fediverse. But there's work we can do to prevent it and protect the artists who post there. #fediverse https://werd.io/2024/protecting-artists-on-the-fediverse

ben, 9 days ago to random

A climate scientist becoming the first woman president of Mexico feels like such a big deal. I'm not deeply familiar with Mexican politics, but to my eyes she seems really great.

ben, 9 days ago to random

“Nine witnesses in the criminal cases against former President Donald Trump have received significant financial benefits, including large raises from his campaign, severance packages, new jobs, and a grant of shares and cash from Trump’s media company.” #democracy https://www.propublica.org/article/donald-trump-criminal-cases-witnesses-financial-benefits

ben, 9 days ago to random

Seeing a lot of artists joining Cara suddenly. It really needs fediverse compatibility if it really wants to help artists find their audiences.

ben, 9 days ago to conservative

This list of the New Scientist's favorite science fiction books is brilliant. The books I've read that are included here are some of my favorites of all time; the others are on my to-read list. What's your favorite? #Culture https://werd.io/2024/the-21-best-science-fiction-books-of-all-time-according

ben, 10 days ago to DoctorWho

Holy wow, Dot and Bubble. I don't know that the previous iterations of the show - or any show for a family audience - would have been as bold. This one is absolutely not holding back. #doctorwho

ben, 14 days ago to random

We’re being asked to align ourselves with some weird ideological lines. But the killing has to stop. Thoughts on Gaza: https://werd.io/2024/can-we-at-least-agree-that-killing-is-wrong

ben, 14 days ago to technology

"While young Taiwanese users discuss everything from relationships to celebrity gossip on Threads, the app has gradually become a gathering space for progressives." #Technology https://werd.io/view/665611b88daf0a60c802e4f2

ben, 15 days ago to ai

On answering programming questions: "We found that 52 percent of ChatGPT answers contain misinformation, 77 percent of the answers are more verbose than human answers, and 78 percent of the answers suffer from different degrees of inconsistency to human answers." #AI https://werd.io/view/6654cee735684fb99a004842

ben, 16 days ago to random

“Human-centered design for engineers”: a book for engineers on small teams who want to be more effective with fewer resources and solve real, unmet problems for the people they’re building for more quickly than they otherwise might.

ben, 16 days ago to random

I see free speech like the free market. Without rules, the powerful will always benefit. Moderation enables new ideas and less powerful communities to truly be heard.

ben, 17 days ago to random

I’m no longer posting pics of my kid online, but maybe posting descriptions will work.

A toddler stares dispassionately into the camera, an entire whole waffle scrunched in his left hand, an immaculately cut waffle with blueberries on his plate in front of him, his bib speckled with maple syrup, his long hair hair sticky; his belly, though he does not care to admit it, is full. A tiny fork is cast aside, unused and unnecessary.

ben, 17 days ago to random

Politics is not sports. Principles are far more important than allegiance.

ben, 17 days ago to fediverse

"At least two digital media companies are exploring the fediverse as a way to take more control over their referral traffic and onsite audience engagement." The Verge and 404 Media will both support ActivityPub and the fediverse. #Fediverse https://werd.io/view/665233a622e6230d5c0d69d2

ben, 19 days ago to random

The biggest issue that’s turning up for me about AI is not the models, hallucinations, etc, but how leakily AI-enabled services share potentially sensitive data with third parties. Using AI to process or read aloud a confidential document? Guess what, a third party you have no control over has a copy of it now.

ben, 19 days ago to ai

"It’s simply too early to get into bed with the companies that trained their models on professional content without permission and have no compelling case for how they will help build the news business." #AI https://werd.io/view/6650ad27ca5e257d7d0600f2