FoxQuirk 🦊 @quirk@computerfairi.es

Why is that? "Passively reading someone else's code just doesn't engage my brain in the same way. It's harder to do properly":

https://twitter.com/qntm/status/1773780355708764665

There's a name for this phenomenon: "automation blindness." Humans are just not equipped for eternal vigilance. We get good at spotting patterns that occur frequently - so good that we miss the anomalies.

18/

That's the good kind of automation, and we all benefit from it. But it only takes a small twist to turn this good automation into a *nightmare*. I'm speaking here of the *reverse-centaur*: automation in which the computer is in charge, bossing a human around so it can get its job done.

13/

I like having an automated system that does the robotically perfect trick of never forgetting something important.

There's a name for this in automation circles: a "centaur." I'm the human head, and I've fused with a powerful robot body that supports me, doing things that humans are innately bad at.

12/

Here's a fun AI story: a security researcher noticed that large companies' AI-authored source-code repeatedly referenced a nonexistent library (an AI "hallucination"), so he created a (defanged) malicious library with that name and uploaded it, and thousands of developers automatically downloaded and incorporated it as they compiled the code:

https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/28/ai_bots_hallucinate_software_packages/

1/

I think we're approaching this collective brainstorming all wrong. We're not going to solve the xz problem by throwing pennies at burnt out over worked hobby maintainers or by making them jump through extra bureaucratic hoops in the name of security theater. There's only one reasonable solution here and it's to turn maintaining critical open source projects into REALITY TELEVISION.

if you try to play a dvd in vlc in the united states, the mc double def dp (disk protector) pops up and starts rapping about how you're circumventing technological protection measures and you should actually have paid for cyberlink powerdvd you despicable little pirate you

Climbing the ladder, one Nya at a time~

Doc to me: Could you be pregnant?

Me: Nope - they removed my uterus.

Doc: Are you sure? You look young. Maybe it was your appendix?

Me: I know the difference between my appendix and my WOMB.

Doc: Orders pregnancy test anyways

We really need to discuss how AFAB patients get treated by many doctors. If you need to do a pregnancy test on everyone as a matter of course - then just do the test. But don’t waste time arguing with me about whether I know the difference between an appendix and my LITERAL womb when I’m having a life threatening cardiac emergency.

#Gaslighting #disability #ChronicIllness #Spoonie #ableism #discrimination #advocacy

My Wii Pointer cursor set is finally finished. It replaces all the default windows mouse cursors with nice and crisp renders of the Wii Pointer hand. And I've thrown in some extra icons too so every style of cursor is new!! (despite the alt. cursor barely ever being used in Windows >.<)

I'm also releasing the vector image files that I made during the creation of this cursor, as I know a few people wanted high quality versions of the Wii Pointer hand ^^

Downloads and a bit of a longer writeup here:
https://primm.gay/extras/other/cursors/

touchHLE v0.2.2 is out! https://github.com/touchHLE/touchHLE/releases/tag/v0.2.2

If you want many eyes on your open source project, you need to get rid of assholes.

Bad community management is a security risk.

Assholes bully sole maintainers.
Assholes gatekeep and keep maintainer numbers low.
Assholes waste time on the mailing list with petty bullshit.
If you fundraise, assholes are bullying your grant writers and community managers.

Some of the best security contributors don't write a single line of code. They yeet assholes.

figured it out

“When drivers fail to yield for pedestrians, it’s not because they can’t see them, it’s because they don’t care.” Kudos to @VisionZeroYVR for this brilliant intervention. https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bricks-vancouver-crosswalk-pedestrian-safety #TheWarOnCars

Happy April Fool's Day, reposting this old classic is all I got, hope you have a good one and nobody does something shitty as a "joke"

Jesus has risen*

*in some markets. past performance is not indicative of future performance. this toot is not financial advice

My favorite Ren Faire story:

I knew a guy who kept a Starfleet insignia pinned to the inside of his garb. A few times per season, some folks would come to the Faire cosplaying as a Star Trek landing party, investigating a “primitive” world.

He would take them aside, show his insignia, and identify himself as a Starfleet officer on a cultural research mission. He’d call them out for breaking the Prime Directive and ruining his research. Then he’d demand to know what ship they’re from, and threaten to get them court martialed if they didn’t change into something less conspicuous.