darkstar

joined 1 year ago
[–] darkstar@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 week ago

I'd argue that Perplexity is in this camp as well. It's my go-to for anything more open-ended or for multi-step research I need to do. No need to wade through garbage search results, and it cites its sources. Kagi seems to be doing very much the same thing, but in addition to their paid search engine service.

I don't know that I'd switch from Perplexity, but I could see an argument for it.

[–] darkstar@lemmy.dbzer0.com 23 points 7 months ago (6 children)

I think your question is misguided. Democracy doesn't mean a two-party system race to the bottom. Democracy can see democratically elected politicians that better resonate with each individual voter by eliminating first past the post voting and using ranked choice voting instead. The problem isn't that "half the country disagrees". You can't please everyone. The problem is that we've been divided and weaponized against each other, so the tribalism keeps us from finding common ground we may have. I doubt anyone votes FOR a candidate anymore. They seem to just vote AGAINST another candidate. Democracy works. It's our implementation of it that's failing.

[–] darkstar@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I would assume that's exactly what they'd do when he's released after his sentence is served.

[–] darkstar@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I lost my job six months ago and am currently struggling to find another. Even if I did find another job that paid what I was getting paid before, I would not and could not pay for your cancer medication. But that doesn't mean I would choose to turn a blind eye to it. I would continue to fight for basic human rights to water, food, a home, and healthcare, because that's what I've believed in and will continue to believe in. Maybe I wouldn't change anything in your lifetime or mine, but I'll still try. And maybe in a few generations, once we're gone, we opened the door for them to have those things that allow us to keep our dignity.

I won't pretend to know how you feel, so I won't give you any platitudes. How you choose to live your life is your own decision, and I won't insult you by pitying you. Your struggle doesn't mean it's impossible for you to make somebody else's life any better or worse, though, just through simple human interactions. Sure, people are starving, dying, and going through much worse than me, or even you. That takes nothing away from the problems we encounter, the joy or pain we feel. I'll do what I can to influence my circumstance, because nobody gets to tell me I can't do something. When possible, I'll try to do the same for others, even if nobody sees it or gives me a pat on the back. I'll hold out hope that others might do the same for me when they can, but I won't expect it because I'm not owed it.

I'm not saying any of this to prove I'm better than you in any way or to win an Internet argument. Call me whatever names you like. I promise I won't respond beyond this comment. I simply wish you well, or at least better than at present.

[–] darkstar@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Buddy, I hope you have a better day than you're currently having. I'm not sure what purpose putting your opinion on the Internet served if you were going to pretend it and any responses to it are pointless. Take care of yourself, man. You're talking like nothing and nobody matters. In the cosmic sense, you're right. Humanity, is just a flash in the pan, so none of us individually matters. In a human sense, even a small act of kindness might change somebody else's life, and I think those moments DO matter. I don't want to tell you how to live your life and I genuinely hope you don't misconstrue what I'm saying. I do actually hope you can live just a small amount less cynically and can see some positivity, despite how our political system and news keep pushing the negative in our faces day after day. I don't think hope is just for fools.

[–] darkstar@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 8 months ago (5 children)

It feels like you completely ignored my argument against outlawing fast cars and simply moved to your argument about SUVs and trucks. If you choose to hand-wave my points because you're "thinking of the children", then I see no merit in your argument. And you're saying that what I said is invalid because I believe the bill will pass? But that you can say whatever because you're fed up with the government's ineffectiveness so you're just being bombastic? That detracts from your own statements, if you're admitting your own rhetoric is just for effect because you have no faith in politicians.

I'm not talking about SUVs, trucks, politicians, or the US legal system. You made a point that cars that drive over 65 shouldn't be made, and I countered. I don't hear anything from you except "politicians won't fix it" while turning around and saying "fast cars should be illegal", which would require those very same politicians you've lost faith in to somehow be effective enough to pass that very legislation.

[–] darkstar@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 8 months ago (7 children)

You talk as if cars are appliances. Hell, even appliances go overboard. Why does a toaster or fridge need WiFi? Why does my washer or dryer have downloadable custom cycles? Because innovation is what sets companies and products apart. It's not always done "right", but who's to judge if a feature is superfluous? You? What makes you qualified?

Cars aren't just machines to get you from A to B. They certainly can be, but they're also a fashion item, a status symbol, marvels of engineering, and a tool for testing your skill. Cars can be taken to a racetrack and driven hard. Just because something is being misused doesn't mean it should either be illegal or shouldn't be made. Your view on this is incredibly myopic. Just because you aren't into cars doesn't mean the "right" thing to do is make all cars the same. And before you suggest making fast cars track only, that would be absurd and make the hobby even less approachable. Not everyone can have two vehicles (apartment buildings that only allow one vehicle, or a city with limited parking). That would be the same as when governments require permits for a product or activity, but make the permits impossible to get.

Other countries have figured out how to handle this situation in different ways. Germany has a harder test for getting your license. Not every idiot can pass. Some countries in Europe make fines a percentage of your income instead of a flat fee. That means breaking the law hurts everyone to a similar degree, rather than rich people paying the fine without a second thought as just the cost of doing business. If you really have a problem with cars then at least get creative with your solution. Trying to stamp them out is genuinely worse than this proposed bill.

[–] darkstar@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 8 months ago

Exactly. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. You get what you (didn't) pay for. If you try to cut employees by using AI then you deserve this. You also deserve this if you don't pay your employees a decent wage. But they won't learn anything from this.

[–] darkstar@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 8 months ago

It's annoying to me that sometimes I have to use Reddit because the only answer I can find to a problem I'm having is in a Reddit post or comment. I would prefer to never use it again, but I'll settle for only using it when strictly necessary.

[–] darkstar@lemmy.dbzer0.com 26 points 10 months ago (3 children)

I also like tools like Honey or CamelCamelCamel, which show you the actual price changes over time, and you can decide when the right time to buy is. Obviously, you never know when something will go on sale in the future, but it at least helps you see how good the current price is compared to the past month or year.

[–] darkstar@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

If you're upset that the average consumer won't be able to shoot something of that quality with their iPhone, you've got to fix your expectations. The average consumer won't even have the editing skills to pull that off, let alone any of the other myriad of tools required to turn recorded footage into a high quality production. As long as they only used iPhones, I don't think it's misleading at all to say it's shot on an iPhone.

A master at their craft doesn't need the best equipment to do their job well. Similarly, the average person won't magically be able to produce outstanding results just because you give them an expensive camera. If anything, the fact that the event was shot on an iPhone is Apple taking aim at content creators and marketing the iPhone to them as an alternative to expensive camera equipment.

[–] darkstar@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I don't know if you recall, but Zillow was found to be price fixing as well a few years back. They were buying up real estate, then pumping the Zestimate of any houses they owned. I remember seeing people compiling data on Reddit, tracking home values before the house sold to Zillow, and after. Zillow is just as shitty, and just as much of a middle man. So, yes, Zillow can do a lot of what the Realtor does, but I'd argue we deserve better.

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