/r/TechnologyTalk

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Meta discussion about /r/technology

Meta discussion about /r/technology

/r/TechnologyTalk

279 Subscribers

1

How to filter out all AI posts?

There is net Neutrality filter, which I don't mind, but I'm already annoyed by any posts with AI/Artificial intelligence in title.

0 Comments
2024/01/30
07:52 UTC

1

Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon and any smaller companies are not people

We must not (in a logical sense, not a morally one) confuse a company with a person. We can't, and must not use the term "they".
"It" is more appropriate.
It is not intelligent nor dumb.
It has no agenda nor desire.
It is an aggregate of many persons with many, and often antagonist, individual desires and agendas.

I think this misconception, and erroneous anthropomorphisation is one of the things that hinders us from progressing as a collective and as a civilisation.
Our previous collective misconception was to anthropomorphise chance. As a god or as several ones.
Most of us grew past this one, and it has led to the birth of science, extraordinary progress in knowledge and to countless technological innovations.Companies' boards', CEOs' and executives', decisions might be leading to their loss of market shares.
But if or when these companies file for bankruptcy, nobody will have died and we should not feel sorry for them.

What we should feel sorry for is that many people's life will be affected. What, I think, we can do, and must do (now in a moral sense) to prevent this kind of dire consequences (even if we still want to allow concentration of so much power in so few people's hands), is, at least, to be supportive of those whose life are the most damaged by such events.
And I mean, in an economic way. With money.
We need better, higher and more systematic unemployment benefits for those who are not in power, and thus, suffer the most when those who are, take the wrong decisions.

I know my rant doesn't sound like it has anything to do with technology. But I think that this is another misconception.
We can't allow ourselves to think technology and politics as separate matters.

Fuck technosollutionism.
Fuck Musk's, Besos', Bill Gate's and all those horribly powerful engineers' conception that technology, free market and individualism can and will bring us a brighter future (but love to all the smaller passionate engineers).

TL;DR :
I'm passionate about science and technology, but I'm sick of the bullshit of the corporate, consumerist sad spiral we are still falling into.
Companies are not people. We should not allow such concentration of power at the tops. We should fight for free health protection, higher and systematic unemployment benefits and free education, stronger worker protection laws, not for better fucking smartphones.

PS : I think I need a good Internet break...

0 Comments
2024/01/28
11:06 UTC

2

Why are extended reality (XR) technologies so niche?

They are so niche to the point that there isn’t even a related tag in the largest technology subreddit. I think I know why, but I’d like to hear more thoughts.

2 Comments
2024/01/18
23:50 UTC

2

The US is NOT THE WORLD

I saw a post about "Apple's popularity with Gen Z", and I just lost it.

I am a Gen Z, and Apple isn't the monopoly in my country. In fact, I would argue that for MOST of worldwide Gen Z, Apple is less popular than Android.

0 Comments
2023/02/22
05:36 UTC

4

AI model training on artists' work without consent is theft

Trolls and bots are out in force trying to make it seem like AI art is just "robots learning from images, just like humans"... Except they don't learn like humans, and they aren't humans.

These companies have stolen from artists and are hoping people don't make a big deal out of it. They're hoping they can "do it without permission and ask forgiveness later."

The problem here isn't that AI art exists, it's that they stole protected property and went through unethical means to gain the data - because that's what the art is to them, it's data, not art.

They could have learned to create the art themselves, paid artists to make it, or compensated artists for their existing work. They could have generated AI art to teach AI models (like some companies already do) or developed a dataset that people could freely contribute to. Instead, they've stolen millions/billions of peoples' hard work - that's why everything is popping up all of a sudden. It's a blitzkrieg with the hope that they can get away with it. It's theft on a massive scale involving millions/billions of victims.

They should not be allowed to monetize these APIs until artists are paid for the work that these companies used to develop these models.

2 Comments
2023/01/17
14:21 UTC

1

Hey guys,I’ve been thinking…

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to share something that's been on my mind lately. I've been thinking a lot about the impact of technology on our daily lives, and how it has both positive and negative effects.

On the one hand, technology has made our lives easier and more convenient in so many ways. We can connect with friends and family from anywhere in the world, access almost unlimited information at the touch of a button, and even complete complex tasks with the help of AI assistants.

But at the same time, I worry that our reliance on technology is starting to have negative effects on our relationships and our mental health. We are constantly bombarded with notifications and alerts, and it can be hard to disconnect and unwind. And because we can connect with anyone, anywhere, we may be losing the sense of community and connection that is so important for our well-being.

What do you guys think? Do you think the positive effects of technology outweigh the negative, or do the negatives outweigh the positives? I'm interested to hear your thoughts. Thanks for reading! Also I had an AI write everything before this little message.

0 Comments
2022/12/13
05:50 UTC

1

Does anybody know how to give your Facebook page a username?

I recently created a page for a business but Facebook doesn't give me the option of creating a username. For some reason whenever I try to make one, i get an "alert" saying that I' not eligible to create a username. Based on some research you have to have over 25 likes on that page to be able to create your username but that makes bo sense. How am I supposed to get 25 people to like my post If I don't have a suitable username to help them reach my page? Does anyone have any tips on how I can fix this?

more info: • I am an admin for the page • I have tried the trick in which you use another admin account to create the username & it didn't work.

2 Comments
2022/11/08
13:47 UTC

2

What does the world lack in terms of technologies?

There are millions of technological solutions to our problems and they make our lives easier, but I don't think we have reached the maximum point where everything is solved thanks to these advances, so person who is reading me, what do you think the world is missing? to this? Can you mention any problem not yet resolved by technology or something that you have perceived that needs to be improved?

0 Comments
2022/11/07
22:49 UTC

8

Why is r/technology so anti technology?

r/technology is basically unbearable. It's literally filled with negative people who complain about everything and every post. Every other subreddit I use is pretty balanced, and provides value, but that one is crazy and real questions end up going to shit.

8 Comments
2022/11/04
21:20 UTC

4

Why is r/Technology so biased against Tesla and Elon Musk?

Why doesn't r/Techology cover anything technological about Musk's companies?

It would seem to me like people actually interested in technology would love to discuss the work of a guy whose companies are:

  1. Innovating battery electric vehicles with auto-pilot systems.

  2. Resupplying the International Space Station with astronauts and supplies by way of reusable rockets. We would still be dependent on the Russians were it not for SpaceX.

  3. Launching an orbiting high-speed internet system.

  4. Building an underground tunnel system that will be 34 miles long with 55 stops in Las Vegas

  5. Working on an AI-humanoid robot with a prototype soon.

  6. Trying to protect humanity by expediting our move to becoming a multi-planetary species.

  7. About to launch the most powerful rocket ever (which is reusable btw).

  8. Won the NASA contract for the new lunar lander (see most powerful rocket above).

I mean, this is just a list off the top of my head. It seems to me like most all of the r/Technology headlines are purposefully negative/hostile towards Tesla and don't consider the actual facts behind the behind the attention grabbing headlines. Why not talk about tech?

Examples:

  1. This Daily Star article. Is the Daily Star reputable? As a news source, it's garbage. Their story is clearly meant to make Tesla look bad. It juxtaposes situations to insinuate Tesla's are more dangerous than other cars. It seems to indicate the NHSTA investigation was the result of this car crash. Tesla's are super safe vehicles. The posted speed limit here was 40mph. What do you want to bet the car was not on autopilot and was traveling WAY over the speed limit? https://www.dailystar.co.uk/tech/news/elon-musks-tesla-ai-under-27009826

  2. Business Insider article. I am going to assume that Business Insider dislikes Tesla and would like to see them damaged. Is Volkswagen going to catch Tesla by 2024? No way. How do you catch someone in a race where you started later and aren't moving as fast? YOU DON'T. This article is wrong and will be wrong. https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-will-lose-crown-biggest-electric-car-maker-2024-study-2022-6?utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=webfeeds&utm_source=reddit.com

How do I know? Tesla just opened up 2 massive plants. They are having success with their new 4680 battery. They build the front of their cars out of a single piece of aluminum and the back out of a single piece as well. Then the connect them with the battery pack essentially acting as a frame. How is Volkswagen going to compete against that? There certainly are not by 2024. Have you seen Tesla's profit margin? Industry leading.

  1. Washington Post article about China's grip on Tesla...Nonsense. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/06/02/musk-twitter-tesla-china-impact/

China is certainly important to Tesla but China is important to the entire US economy as well.

My question is, why does r/Technology actually cover some technological aspects of Musk Inc. and not simply pick up these garbage stories meant to get clicks and show no concern for what is actually happening?

According to the UN, there are 1.3+ million road deaths per year and 50 million related injuries. Why the hatred for Musk??? He is actively reducing this number and saving lives.

5 Comments
2022/06/20
13:50 UTC

2

So, Facebook is now removing posts that contain any information on World War II

I work as a social media guy for a rather large YouTube channel. Most of their content is historical stuff dealing with World War II and serial killers (lots of serial killers.) Well, this hasn't really been a big problem until recently. I'd create a post, use the intro text from the video, and add a title to an image customized for Facebook's photo dimensions, bam boom, post done.

But, a post about a video describing the life of a prominent figure in the Nazi regime was removed (for whatever reason, I'm guessing here because there was no explanation provided by Facebook) simply mentioning him by name and using the word Nazi. The paragraph or so of intro text was not glorifying this person, and in fact, the opening sentence basically talked about how confusing it is for us when we look back and wonder why anyone followed Hitler at all since he was so clearly an evil dictator.

This is a pretty irritating situation because the title was not sensationalistic in the least, the photo looked more like a mug shot (so, conveying them as not a good person, I guess), and the text openly criticized the regime. Basically, if I'm to share content for this youtube channel on their Facebook page, it seems like I need to either remove all mention of persons connected to who we fought in World War II, the word Nazi, and any mention of any person in that regime at all, and I probably can't use any historical photographs of that person regardless of context.

Obviously, Facebook can do whatever they want with their platform, but it's pretty frustrating when you're only promoting factual and well-researched content that their automated algorithm flags things that, within context, probably wouldn't be flagged in the first place. And at this time, there seems to be no way to appeal or talk to a person for a manual content review.

1 Comment
2022/04/04
18:21 UTC

3

Most important technological innovation of the past 100 years?

I always found this to be a tricky question, as it seems like each major innovation (such as the internet or cloud computing) preceded another important innovation.

But which one caused the biggest inflection in our lives?

1 Comment
2022/02/12
21:56 UTC

3

idea I have abt a hologram

so I have thought this deeply the light rays of led if we concentrate it to go in a straight line we we can see it with our bare eye the light placed horisontlay now what if we control how concentrated the light is of the pixel which can make it look like it is fading away hence creating the basic screen size( with a lot of leds and to Crete pics we can make it so that the led is in a position where it is in particular concentration hence forming the image how is this idea ?????

0 Comments
2022/02/09
04:54 UTC

2

Gift for a beloved tech nerd

Help! I'm looking for holiday gift ideas for a beloved tech nerd. They seem to have all the best tech toys, but I still want to surprise them with something special and unexpected. Any ideas?

Other way to think about it - what's the best/most useful tech gadget you bought or were given this past year?

TIA

0 Comments
2021/12/07
20:22 UTC

1

Disassembled a shattered Garmin Drive Assist, need help

So, instead of buying a replacement screen, don't have the money, is there a way to use the camera off the dash-cam of this GPS, like besides a GPS, can i manipulate just the camera and use it for other purposes? as of right now i have the GPS down to just a motherboard, camera, speaker, micro SD ports, battery, and charging port, no screen so i can't view anything. someone please give my dumbass some fuckin' answers lmao

0 Comments
2021/01/31
16:19 UTC

3

Does anyone know where I might locate this cable, but with one USB-C end. To ensure my external hard drives work with USB-A and USB-C devices. (image below, I am aware adapters exist, would prefer below)

2 Comments
2021/01/17
13:06 UTC

2

Battery operated heaters

Seriously... why haven't they been invented yet? We have vehicles in space but can't create a heater that uses minimal power? What exactly is the issue?

1 Comment
2020/11/04
06:13 UTC

5

Mini dics

Just before the ipod there was the mini disc.

One of the things I like about it was the headphone wire had with it a display that included the controls. Why did that display tech not carry over on headphone wires?

1 Comment
2020/10/24
14:54 UTC

1

512GB Micro SD Card for under $100 CAD

Only a few years ago, I thought a 32GB SD card was all I ever need. It's amazing.

1 Comment
2020/10/15
18:36 UTC

2

Removed from r/technology: What does it mean for police radar with more angular vehicles like the CyberTruck/CyberCar?

I was thinking of the stealth bomber, and how all of it's angle's are designed to minimize radar reflection. Then I was thinking of Tesla's CyberTruck and how angular it is. If vehicles of the future take on a more angular shape will it make things like speed traps a thing of the past? Sorry if its a stupid question.

1 Comment
2020/10/15
03:55 UTC

2

Does anyone remember the technology that allows computers to operate during the apocalypse?

I think on r/technology or some other site, a post talked about someone making devices that could survive after the apocalypse. At least, that’s what I remember. But I can’t remember who made it or what it was called. Does anyone here remember?

4 Comments
2020/08/30
16:20 UTC

2

Why Facebook is considered as a tech company and constantly mentioned on this thread and on media overal?

What Facebook has to do with technology? Since when running and owning a website has anything to do with technology?

0 Comments
2020/07/06
14:02 UTC

2

Regarding Recent Trends

Hey guys, been wanting to mention this for a little bit and figured this is as good a time as ever (as the encryption bill is becoming more ominous). I've noticed a little more and more that this sub (well, technically r/technology) appears to be getting a little bit homogeneous in terms of ideological perspective. I've seen it in the comments and posts basically pointing to a group and saying, "See. Dumb".

Please do not misunderstand me, I completely understand where all of this is coming from and I don't want to start any political turmoil (this is not the sub for that). All I wanted to say was that non left leaning people who enjoy the latest technology and work in fields with that technology do in fact exist. Not everyone who isn't left is as incompetent with technology as the right leaning politicians would make you believe. That is all, thank you for taking the time to read my rant.

0 Comments
2020/06/26
05:49 UTC

1

What was it like to own the first MP3 players that held only 32/64 MB of music?

A day in the life of it. Did it really suck as much as I can imagine having only 32/64 MB of music on your device until you got to computer to refresh the content (likely daily)? I went the MiniDisc route at the time in 2000 and eventually burned CDs before moving to a hard drive-based device and eventually my phone. I would imagine having one of the flash-based MP3 players at the time must've felt very restricting as you could not swap music out or buy new music on the go like you would a CD player.

2 Comments
2020/04/29
04:29 UTC

2

What according to you could be the next big thing after internet?

Sometimes, am found thinking what could be the next big thing after Internet. I think about the recent technologies that might get popular as internet have got. I feel like VR, IoT will be the game changers.

0 Comments
2019/11/04
20:25 UTC

1

What technological advancement was irrelevant?

2 Comments
2019/10/18
09:54 UTC

1

PSA on google casting devices

Remember a google casting device can be seen on your network. Period. That means that anyone that is connected to the same network as the device can(if they have google home) connect to/modify your device. If you are on a University campus using the student wifi and your google devices are connected to this wifi, that means that all of the people that are on that network can blare their Own music at full volume without your consent and the only thing you can do is stop the devices and/or kick them off temporarily. Please keep this in mind when you start hearing teletubbies at 2 am on your google home mini.

0 Comments
2019/08/07
16:45 UTC

1

Digital Cameras and the Rectangle View

I’ve been wondering this for a while why we do the following with our technology, but I can’t seem to find a good answer. I’m hoping maybe by opening up a discussion others can let me know why, or better yet maybe get this pushed somewhere real.

So let’s say you’re out at a party and your friends want a group selfie photo. You pull out your phone and hold it up, grab a quick new selfie that’s pretty sweet, but oh no you’ve held your phone vertically and now Karen is partially cropped out of the photo. But here’s the thing, the cameras itself on your phones or other digital cameras are all round lenses that take round photos. We then programmed the device to cut the photos to rectangles. So why can’t we just remove the crop from the photo and get Karen back in?

Here’s another example, you took a photo a while ago and you think it would look good on Instagram. You really want the square look that Instagram is known for, but all the stuff that makes the photo great are along the edges. Again, why can’t we just do like a uncrop of the photo and get it back to a square?

This has been driving me crazy for a while, like why are we limiting our technology to a rectangular format when it’s not that? Instead, it should start rectangular because that’s wha we are used to but then we should be allowed to pull it back or change it as we need.

Oh, and all those times you took a video while holding your phone the wrong direction would be fixed also.

0 Comments
2019/03/31
21:06 UTC

3

Sources to keep on top of IT news?

I work in IT where I'm partly reaponsible for managing projects and budgets for the company. I want to be able to contribute more when it comes to trends that are developing, recent developments among big companies like Cisco or Microsoft, or possibly things that are impacting manufacturers and could affect prices or availability of hardware.

I'm pretty new in corporate IT so I'm not sure where to start. Any recommendations for news sites, subreddits, and other sources I can keep on top of as part of my workday? Thanks!

3 Comments
2018/12/15
17:11 UTC

1

AMP websites on /r/technology

AMP is, IMHO, equally a threat to the open internet as the end of Net Neutrality.

There's been a number of people trying to highlight the problem of AMP.

  1. Kill Google AMP before it kills the web
  2. Why Google Amp is bad for your site
  3. The Problem with Amp
  4. Google AMP is not a Good Thing
  5. Why AMP is bad for your site and for the Web
  6. and so on...

I've noticed in the last couple of weeks there's been a sharp uptick in submissions of AMP related websites.

Often the person posting the link to them has absolutely no idea that they've never left Google and are more or less posting an AMP site.

So I was curious if we could come together (either as the community or mods) and find some kind of solutions to push back.

  1. Have Automoderator detect and ban AMP submissions
  2. Have Automoderator or another bot notify the poster he/she submitted an AMP link with educational links about the dangers of AMP.
  3. Have a bot maybe post the non-AMP link in the comments and a short explanation as to why.

Thoughts? While I don't feel Reddit or any site for that matter is "my personal army", an army is what it will take to push back against AMP taking over and engulfing the entire web.

For those of us who go out of our way to avoid being sucked into the Google ecosystem - this will remove that choice from us entirely. The web, outside of other major players like Amazon, Facebook, etc.. will become Google. What's left of the net's decentralized nature will be brought into the Google ecosystem.

And that's incredibly too much control for any one player to have.

So thoughts? Is there anything we can do here on Reddit to push back?

0 Comments
2018/10/26
13:07 UTC

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