OT - What are you doing right now?

Acn

JohnInCarolina said:

Cornholio said:

JohnInCarolina said:

Just helped my parents sign some tax documents electronically.  Easy if you know how to work all the technology, but much less so if you don’t.

Technological knowledge is definitely something people take for granted and don’t always see how hard things are for those who either weren’t around it until later in life or for those who don’t have consistent access to the internet. 

I bought my parents iPhones about a decade ago and helped them out with learning smartphones. Then my grandparents got iPhones and I still help my grandmother out on a regular basis. Patience is key!

My father is convinced that tech companies are in some global conspiracy whose main objective is to rob the elderly of their life savings.  

I’m not entirely convinced that he’s wrong...

Maybe just in the details, I'm not sure they're only into the life savings of the elderly.

Botch

Used to watch Scottie Kilmer (automotive SME) on EweTube, but he finally stayed retired, I guess; haven't thought about him in a long time.  
Seems he was upping his game, and his new video (just saw it this afternoon) is quite a bit higher in quality, and really a fascinating view:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wke4O8JqoNo
 
Along with holograms and Thermodynamics' "steam tables", the Wankel engine was something I could not quite, 100%, wrap my brain around; the animation here finally made it click for me (and regarding the guy who dreamed this thing up, in the 1950's, well, I'd like some of those drugs, thanks!).  Enjoy.  

WeberWho

Botch said:

Used to watch Scottie Kilmer (automotive SME) on EweTube, but he finally stayed retired, I guess; haven't thought about him in a long time.  
Seems he was upping his game, and his new video (just saw it this afternoon) is quite a bit higher in quality, and really a fascinating view:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wke4O8JqoNo
 
Along with holograms and Thermodynamics' "steam tables", the Wankel engine was something I could not quite, 100%, wrap my brain around; the animation here finally made it click for me (and regarding the guy who dreamed this thing up, in the 1950's, well, I'd like some of those drugs, thanks!).  Enjoy.  

I also watched this video earlier. He really does do a good job explaining it. I know he recently moved from Texas to Tennessee but he's still pumping out videos. He pretty much hates everything but Toyotas but I'll click on one of his videos here and there.  

Wolfpack

I used to buy my parents things that I thought would make their lives easier- Alexa, fancy remotes, surround sound, etc

Learned my lesson after going over to “fix” the remote multiple times- when something didn’t go as planned they would start pressing buttons. That led to frustrations on both sides 

Gulfcoastguy

Well I just heard that my 31 year old niece bought a pet pig and named it Bacon. I guess Covid fried her brain. I told mom that I would bring some of that wet rub that I used on the last pork loin and give Bacon a rub down.

JohnInCarolina

Gulfcoastguy said:

Well I just heard that my 31 year old niece bought a pet pig and named it Bacon. I guess Covid fried her brain. 

Seems to me that just serves as a helpful reminder not to get too attached to the old boy.

Gulfcoastguy

Just an update Bacon will be a sow. 

Legume

Gulfcoastguy said:

Just an update Bacon will be a sow. 

That’s a great name.

northGAcock

JohnInCarolina said:

Gulfcoastguy said:

Well I just heard that my 31 year old niece bought a pet pig and named it Bacon. I guess Covid fried her brain. 

Seems to me that just serves as a helpful reminder not to get too attached to the old boy.

I had a neighbor (before I moved last summer) who had a pet Pig “Walter”. They would open the front door, he would walk across the street and do his pig business, and then mosey back into the house.

northGAcock

northGAcock said:

JohnInCarolina said:

Gulfcoastguy said:

Well I just heard that my 31 year old niece bought a pet pig and named it Bacon. I guess Covid fried her brain. 

Seems to me that just serves as a helpful reminder not to get too attached to the old boy.

I had a neighbor (before I moved last summer) who had a pet Pig “Walter”. They would open the front door, he would walk across the street and do his pig business, and then mosey back into the house.

Follow up comment. They never picked up his duke(s), so I assume they did not consider him a pet. After all, the rules said pick up after your pets. 

JohnInCarolina

northGAcock said:

northGAcock said:

JohnInCarolina said:

Gulfcoastguy said:

Well I just heard that my 31 year old niece bought a pet pig and named it Bacon. I guess Covid fried her brain. 

Seems to me that just serves as a helpful reminder not to get too attached to the old boy.

I had a neighbor (before I moved last summer) who had a pet Pig “Walter”. They would open the front door, he would walk across the street and do his pig business, and then mosey back into the house.

Follow up comment. They never picked up his duke(s), so I assume they did not consider him a pet. After all, the rules said pick up after your pets. 

Maybe they just considered him as bacon.

hoosier_egger

Made French toast. Had the bread sitting on the chopping block. It picked up a nice garlic note which made for some interesting French toast. Looks like it is time to deodorize the block

Tbent

Finishing up a bartop arcade for the basement bar

WeberWho

Tbent said:

Finishing up a bartop arcade for the basement bar

I'm also digging the framed print in the background

SGH

JohnInCarolina said:

My father is convinced that tech companies are in some global conspiracy whose main objective is to rob the elderly of their life savings.  

I’m not entirely convinced that he’s wrong...

I certainly think they have some kind of global plan. Without trying to be political, look at recent events and it becomes obvious they are up to something. And I’m willing to bet it’s not good for average fellow like myself. 

JohnInCarolina

SGH said:

JohnInCarolina said:

My father is convinced that tech companies are in some global conspiracy whose main objective is to rob the elderly of their life savings.  

I’m not entirely convinced that he’s wrong...

I certainly think they have some kind of global plan. Without trying to be political, look at recent events and it becomes obvious they are up to something. And I’m willing to bet it’s not good for average fellow like myself. 

What they are up to primarily is getting you to spend as much time on their platforms as possible, because they make money in proportion to how many ads you see.  Watch the Social Dilemma if you haven’t already.

Ozzie_Isaac

JohnInCarolina said:

SGH said:

JohnInCarolina said:

My father is convinced that tech companies are in some global conspiracy whose main objective is to rob the elderly of their life savings.  

I’m not entirely convinced that he’s wrong...

I certainly think they have some kind of global plan. Without trying to be political, look at recent events and it becomes obvious they are up to something. And I’m willing to bet it’s not good for average fellow like myself. 

What they are up to primarily is getting you to spend as much time on their platforms as possible, because they make money in proportion to how many ads you see.  Watch the Social Dilemma if you haven’t already.

Social Dilema was incredibly disturbing.

alaskanassasin

I think is crazy that anyone should be surprised by any of the facts provided in the social dilemma.  I’m not even a “computer person” and I had no illusions about what’s going on.

RealDonaldTrump

Stay Woke

JohnInCarolina

alaskanassasin said:

I think is crazy that anyone should be surprised by any of the facts provided in the social dilemma.  I’m not even a “computer person” and I had no illusions about what’s going on.

The big picture, that they're basically trying to keep you hooked to the platform for ad views, really isn't that surprising.  Some of the details provided along the way, however, very much are.  

I am a computer person.  I understand quite a bit about how machine learning algorithms are designed and how convolutional neural networks develop.  Given all of that background, the film still changed the way I view these companies.  

Ozzie_Isaac

JohnInCarolina said:

alaskanassasin said:

I think is crazy that anyone should be surprised by any of the facts provided in the social dilemma.  I’m not even a “computer person” and I had no illusions about what’s going on.

The big picture, that they're basically trying to keep you hooked to the platform for ad views, really isn't that surprising.  Some of the details provided along the way, however, very much are.  

I am a computer person.  I understand quite a bit about how machine learning algorithms are designed and how convolutional neural networks develop.  Given all of that background, the film still changed the way I view these companies.  

Like they actively and admittedly manipulate you for the sole purpose of money, damn the consequences.  Basically, we are their golden goose.

21st Century Tobacco companies.

MJG

Signed papers for an early retirement/voluntary buyout yesterday. The next three months will be dedicated to whatever a “transition” is. I Will be heels up, and generally drunk, July thru September and then will figure out what the encore shall be. 25 years in at this company tomorrow. I had a good run. 

nolaegghead

MJG said:

Signed papers for an early retirement/voluntary buyout yesterday. The next three months will be dedicated to whatever a “transition” is. I Will be heels up, and generally drunk, July thru September and then will figure out what the encore shall be. 25 years in at this company tomorrow. I had a good run. 

Good luck!

30 years at my company last month and I'd retire right now if I didn't have to pay for health care.  Probably would have hopped around jobs too.

I don't understand why there's this huge resistance to a national health care system like the rest of the developed world.  The whole for-profit system ends up bankrupting people, having worse outcomes from lack of preventative care, spending inordinate amounts of time trying to fix automatically rejected claims and doesn't allow people to take extended time off for a walk-about or to pursue their dreams (unless they have generational wealth or saved money).

</shrug>

Kayak

JohnInCarolina said:

alaskanassasin said:

I think is crazy that anyone should be surprised by any of the facts provided in the social dilemma.  I’m not even a “computer person” and I had no illusions about what’s going on.

The big picture, that they're basically trying to keep you hooked to the platform for ad views, really isn't that surprising.  Some of the details provided along the way, however, very much are.  

I am a computer person.  I understand quite a bit about how machine learning algorithms are designed and how convolutional neural networks develop.  Given all of that background, the film still changed the way I view these companies.  

There's a broader view about this than "these companies", but you have to go a little socialist and green, maybe...

Netflix’s ‘The Social Dilemma’ Tells Only Half the Story – Consortiumnews

nolaegghead

If you haven't watched the Black Mirror "Nosedive" episode, please watch it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQS2LpmgmnM

Hook_emHornsfan_74

nolaegghead said:

If you haven't watched the Black Mirror "Nosedive" episode, please watch it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQS2LpmgmnM

That was a great episode and it seems like we are heading towards something like that. 

nolaegghead

Just about everyone on this forum that's a regular is feeding their "persona".  Trying to be liked, or conversely hated by people they dislike.  Filling in gaps in their ego, painting with broad strokes a better picture than maybe they see themselves. 

Because the common denominator is not cultural or political (although you could argue it's classist in an economic sense since they're relatively expensive), it's not like your typical information source.  City people interacting with country folks, all sides of the political spectrum, religious and not.  Compared with where you mostly socialize in person or online, be it church or Chik-Fil-A, it's probably *more* diverse (but note there aren't many women and some minorities are under-represented.

The machine learning/AI/data mining/ad-driven sites like FB create confirmation bubbles (which is one of the problems with them).  So, in effect, you deal with opposing views maybe more than average or you just peace out because you're intolerant of them. 

Just an observation.

alaskanassasin

Ozzie_Isaac said:

JohnInCarolina said:

alaskanassasin said:

I think is crazy that anyone should be surprised by any of the facts provided in the social dilemma.  I’m not even a “computer person” and I had no illusions about what’s going on.

The big picture, that they're basically trying to keep you hooked to the platform for ad views, really isn't that surprising.  Some of the details provided along the way, however, very much are.  

I am a computer person.  I understand quite a bit about how machine learning algorithms are designed and how convolutional neural networks develop.  Given all of that background, the film still changed the way I view these companies.  

Like they actively and admittedly manipulate you for the sole purpose of money, damn the consequences.  Basically, we are their golden goose.

21st Century Tobacco companies.

I have always thought that they should pay us for our data, they’re taking something from us selling it and we are not being compensated 

nolaegghead

alaskanassasin said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

JohnInCarolina said:

alaskanassasin said:

I think is crazy that anyone should be surprised by any of the facts provided in the social dilemma.  I’m not even a “computer person” and I had no illusions about what’s going on.

The big picture, that they're basically trying to keep you hooked to the platform for ad views, really isn't that surprising.  Some of the details provided along the way, however, very much are.  

I am a computer person.  I understand quite a bit about how machine learning algorithms are designed and how convolutional neural networks develop.  Given all of that background, the film still changed the way I view these companies.  

Like they actively and admittedly manipulate you for the sole purpose of money, damn the consequences.  Basically, we are their golden goose.

21st Century Tobacco companies.

I have always thought that they should pay us for our data, they’re taking something from us selling it and we are not being compensated 

The way they see it is they are paying us by virtue of their services being "free" rather than subscription.

JohnInCarolina

alaskanassasin said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

JohnInCarolina said:

alaskanassasin said:

I think is crazy that anyone should be surprised by any of the facts provided in the social dilemma.  I’m not even a “computer person” and I had no illusions about what’s going on.

The big picture, that they're basically trying to keep you hooked to the platform for ad views, really isn't that surprising.  Some of the details provided along the way, however, very much are.  

I am a computer person.  I understand quite a bit about how machine learning algorithms are designed and how convolutional neural networks develop.  Given all of that background, the film still changed the way I view these companies.  

Like they actively and admittedly manipulate you for the sole purpose of money, damn the consequences.  Basically, we are their golden goose.

21st Century Tobacco companies.

I have always thought that they should pay us for our data, they’re taking something from us selling it and we are not being compensated 

Taxing them for using data is basically the remedy some of the people in the film are advocating.  It's much simpler to put in place, and doesn't work to actively encourage people to spend even more time on the platforms, which would be counterproductive.