#Data Mining Tools Market

[reasonsforhope]

Green energy is in its heyday. 

Renewable energy sources now account for 22% of the nation’s electricity, and solar has skyrocketed eight times over in the last decade. This spring in California, wind, water, and solar power energy sources exceeded expectations, accounting for an average of 61.5 percent of the state's electricity demand across 52 days. 

But green energy has a lithium problem. Lithium batteries control more than 90% of the global grid battery storage market. 

That’s not just cell phones, laptops, electric toothbrushes, and tools. Scooters, e-bikes, hybrids, and electric vehicles all rely on rechargeable lithium batteries to get going. 

Fortunately, this past week, Natron Energy launched its first-ever commercial-scale production of sodium-ion batteries in the U.S. 

“Sodium-ion batteries offer a unique alternative to lithium-ion, with higher power, faster recharge, longer lifecycle and a completely safe and stable chemistry,” said Colin Wessells — Natron Founder and Co-CEO — at the kick-off event in Michigan. 

The new sodium-ion batteries charge and discharge at rates 10 times faster than lithium-ion, with an estimated lifespan of 50,000 cycles.

Wessells said that using sodium as a primary mineral alternative eliminates industry-wide issues of worker negligence, geopolitical disruption, and the “questionable environmental impacts” inextricably linked to lithium mining. 

“The electrification of our economy is dependent on the development and production of new, innovative energy storage solutions,” Wessells said. 

Why are sodium batteries a better alternative to lithium?

The birth and death cycle of lithium is shadowed in environmental destruction. The process of extracting lithium pollutes the water, air, and soil, and when it’s eventually discarded, the flammable batteries are prone to bursting into flames and burning out in landfills. 

There’s also a human cost. Lithium-ion materials like cobalt and nickel are not only harder to source and procure, but their supply chains are also overwhelmingly attributed to hazardous working conditions and child labor law violations. 

Sodium, on the other hand, is estimated to be 1,000 times more abundant in the earth’s crust than lithium. 

“Unlike lithium, sodium can be produced from an abundant material: salt,” engineer Casey Crownhart wrote ​​in the MIT Technology Review. “Because the raw ingredients are cheap and widely available, there’s potential for sodium-ion batteries to be significantly less expensive than their lithium-ion counterparts if more companies start making more of them.”

What will these batteries be used for?

Right now, Natron has its focus set on AI models and data storage centers, which consume hefty amounts of energy. In 2023, the MIT Technology Review reported that one AI model can emit more than 626,00 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent. 

“We expect our battery solutions will be used to power the explosive growth in data centers used for Artificial Intelligence,” said Wendell Brooks, co-CEO of Natron. 

“With the start of commercial-scale production here in Michigan, we are well-positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for efficient, safe, and reliable battery energy storage.”

The fast-charging energy alternative also has limitless potential on a consumer level, and Natron is eying telecommunications and EV fast-charging once it begins servicing AI data storage centers in June. 

On a larger scale, sodium-ion batteries could radically change the manufacturing and production sectors — from housing energy to lower electricity costs in warehouses, to charging backup stations and powering electric vehicles, trucks, forklifts, and so on. 

“I founded Natron because we saw climate change as the defining problem of our time,” Wessells said. “We believe batteries have a role to play.”

-via GoodGoodGood, May 3, 2024

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Note: I wanted to make sure this was legit (scientifically and in general), and I'm happy to report that it really is! x, x, x, x

[bi-writes]

whats wrong with ai?? genuinely curious <3

okay let's break it down. i'm an engineer, so i'm going to come at you from a perspective that may be different than someone else's.

i don't hate ai in every aspect. in theory, there are a lot of instances where, in fact, ai can help us do things a lot better without. here's a few examples:

ai detecting cancer

ai sorting recycling

some practical housekeeping that gemini (google ai) can do

all of the above examples are ways in which ai works with humans to do things in parallel with us. it's not overstepping--it's sorting, using pixels at a micro-level to detect abnormalities that we as humans can not, fixing a list. these are all really small, helpful ways that ai can work with us.

everything else about ai works against us. in general, ai is a huge consumer of natural resources. every prompt that you put into character.ai, chatgpt? this wastes water + energy. it's not free. a machine somewhere in the world has to swallow your prompt, call on a model to feed data into it and process more data, and then has to generate an answer for you all in a relatively short amount of time.

that is crazy expensive. someone is paying for that, and if it isn't you with your own money, it's the strain on the power grid, the water that cools the computers, the A/C that cools the data centers. and you aren't the only person using ai. chatgpt alone gets millions of users every single day, with probably thousands of prompts per second, so multiply your personal consumption by millions, and you can start to see how the picture is becoming overwhelming.

that is energy consumption alone. we haven't even talked about how problematic ai is ethically. there is currently no regulation in the united states about how ai should be developed, deployed, or used.

what does this mean for you?

it means that anything you post online is subject to data mining by an ai model (because why would they need to ask if there's no laws to stop them? wtf does it matter what it means to you to some idiot software engineer in the back room of an office making 3x your salary?). oh, that little fic you posted to wattpad that got a lot of attention? well now it's being used to teach ai how to write. oh, that sketch you made using adobe that you want to sell? adobe didn't tell you that anything you save to the cloud is now subject to being used for their ai models, so now your art is being replicated to generate ai images in photoshop, without crediting you (they have since said they don't do this...but privacy policies were never made to be human-readable, and i can't imagine they are the only company to sneakily try this). oh, your apartment just installed a new system that will use facial recognition to let their residents inside? oh, they didn't train their model with anyone but white people, so now all the black people living in that apartment building can't get into their homes. oh, you want to apply for a new job? the ai model that scans resumes learned from historical data that more men work that role than women (so the model basically thinks men are better than women), so now your resume is getting thrown out because you're a woman.

ai learns from data. and data is flawed. data is human. and as humans, we are racist, homophobic, misogynistic, transphobic, divided. so the ai models we train will learn from this. ai learns from people's creative works--their personal and artistic property. and now it's scrambling them all up to spit out generated images and written works that no one would ever want to read (because it's no longer a labor of love), and they're using that to make money. they're profiting off of people, and there's no one to stop them. they're also using generated images as marketing tools, to trick idiots on facebook, to make it so hard to be media literate that we have to question every single thing we see because now we don't know what's real and what's not.

the problem with ai is that it's doing more harm than good. and we as a society aren't doing our due diligence to understand the unintended consequences of it all. we aren't angry enough. we're too scared of stifling innovation that we're letting it regulate itself (aka letting companies decide), which has never been a good idea. we see it do one cool thing, and somehow that makes up for all the rest of the bullshit?

[genericpuff]

Webtoons Is Making Moves - So Should You.

We all saw it coming ages ago and now it's finally here. There's no more beating around the bush or doubting if anyone is "reading into it too much", Webtoons' use of AI in its more recent webtoons is not an accident, not an oversight, but by design, it always has been. And I guaran-fucking-tee you that the work that already exists on the platform won't be safe from Webtoons' upcoming AI integration through scraping and data mining. Sure, they can say they're not gonna replace human creators, but that doesn't change the fact that AI tools, in their current form, can't feasibly exist without stealing from pre-existing content.

Plus, as someone who's tested their AI coloring tools specifically... they're a long, LONG way away from actually being useful. Like, good luck using them for any comic style that isn't Korean manwha featuring predominantly white characters with small heads and comically long legs. And if they do manage to get their AI tools to incorporate more art styles and wider ranges of character identities... again, what do you think it's been trained on?

Also, as an added bit that I found very funny:

Um, I'm sorry, what fucking year is it? Because platforms like WT and Tapas have both been saying this for years but we're obviously seeing them backpedal on that now with the implementation of in-house publishing programs like Unscrolled which have reinvented the wheel of taking digital webtoons and going gasp physical! It's almost like the platform has learned that there's no sustainable profit to be had in digital comics alone without the help of supplementary streams of income and is now trying to act like they've invented physical book publishing!

"The future of comic publishing, including manga, will be digital"??? My brother in christ, Shonen Jump has been exclusively digital since 2012! What rock have the WT's staff been living under that they're trying to sell digital comics as the "future" to North Americans as if we haven't already been living in that future for over ten years now?? We've had an entire generation of children raised on that same digital media since then! This isn't the selling point you think it is LMAO If anything, the digital media market here in NA is dying thanks to the enshittification of digital content platorms like Netflix, Disney+, and mainstream social media platforms! That "future" is not only already both the past and present, but is swiftly on its way out! Pack it up and go home, you missed the bus!

Literally so much of WT's IPO pitch is just a deadass grift full of corporate buzzwords and empty promises. They're trying so hard to convince people that their business model is infinitely profitable... but if it were, why do they need the public's money? And where are all those profits for the creators who are being exploited day after day to fill their platform with content? Why are so many creators still struggling to pay their bills if the company has this much potential for profit?

Ultimately even their promised AI tools don't ensure profit, they ensure cutting expenses. The extra money they hope to make isn't gonna come from their content generating income, it's gonna come from normal people forking over their money in the hopes that it'll be turned around, and from Webtoons cheapening the medium even further until it's nothing but conveyer belt gruel. Sure, "making more than you spend" is the base definition of "profit", but can we really call it that when it's through the means of gutting features, retiring support programs, letting go editing staff, and limiting resources for their own hired freelancers who are the only reason they even have content to begin with? That's not sustainable profit or growth, that's fighting the tide which can and will carry them away at any moment.

I'm low key calling it now, a year or two from today we're gonna be seeing massive lawsuits and calls to action from the people who invested their money into WT and subsequently lost it into the black hole that is WT's "business model". This is a company that's been operating in the red for years, what about becoming an IPO is gonna make them "profitable"? Let alone profitable enough to pay back their investors in the spades they're expecting? The platform and its app are already shit and they're about to become even worse, we are literally watching this company circle the drain in the modern day's ever-ongoing race to the bottom, enshittification in motion, but they're trying to convince us all the same that they're "innovating".

Webtoons doesn't want to invest in its creators. We as creators need to stop investing in them.

[bitchesgetriches]

Why we’re against AI as a writing tool

Sophisticated AI tools like ChatGPT are the result of systemic, shameless theft of intellectual property and creative labor on a massive scale. These companies have mined the data of human genius��� without permission. They have no intention of acknowledging their stolen sources, let alone paying the creators.

The tech industry’s defense is “Well, we stole so much from so many that it kinda doesn’t count, wouldn’t ya say?” Which is an argument that makes me feel like the mayor of Crazytown. I don’t doubt the courts will rule in their favor, not because it’s right, but because the opportunities for wealth generation are too succulent to let a lil’ thang like fairness win.

I’m not a luddite. I recognize that AI feels like magic to people who aren’t strong writers. I’d feel differently if the technology was achieved without the theft of my work. Couldn’t these tools have been made using legally obtained materials? Ah, but then they wouldn’t have been first to market! Think of the shareholders!

We’re lucky to have the ability and will to write. We won’t willingly use tools that devalue that skill. At most, I could see us using AI to assist with specific, narrow tasks like transcribing interview audio into text.

At a recent industry meetup, I listened as two personal finance gurus gushed about how easy AI made their lives. “All my newsletters and blogs are AI now! I add my own touches here and there—but it does 95% of the work!” Must be nice, I whispered to the empty void where my faith in mankind once dwelt, fingernails digging into my palms. It’s tough knowing I’m one of the myriad voices “streamlining their production.”

I feel strongly that every content creator who uses AI has a minimum duty to acknowledge it. Few will. It sucks. I’m frothing. Let’s move on.

Read more.

[sgiandubh]

Tools of the trade

Came home an hour ago from a reception I literally fled (busy week in this respect, unfortunately). And I kept being internally nagged during the short taxi ride, by what is probably at least this season's Anon. Landed in @bat-cat-reader's inbox with regard to Marple's most recent innuendo:

I had to know more about this, since I had no idea such deep diving tools were now available for pretty much everyone. Here's the gist of how it works, in pics and a quick review:

What Snoopreport promises its subscribers is to basically keep them posted on the targeted accounts' online behavior patterns...

... without the need to publicly follow them on Insta (sounds familiar?)...

...leaving no trace (zero accountability, because it uses only public data: this can be interpreted differently, in a different legal system/context, since several European countries, as I already discussed, have more protective legal provisions for a person's right to his/her own image)...

... at minimal costs (I suppose the most cost-effective, if we assume this is one of the used monitoring tools, would be the small business pack, allowing the super sleuth to track 10 different accounts, for peanuts):

A review of this product I have checked here (https://www.techuntold.com/snoopreport-review/) points out the obvious Achilles' heel of this app. Snoopreport obviously does not work for private accounts:

Which brings up a logical question: could the (in)famous 'resource' be S's private Insta account, in which case it would be very difficult for the sleuth to admit stalking it? Is it even technically possible to stalk a private Instagram account and remain unseen?

The answer to the latter is yes: other actors of this apparently very lucrative market, such as Glassagram (https://glassagram.com/), do not have Snoopreport's scruples and monitor even private accounts.

I think this is pretty self-explanatory and to be honest, it gave me the chills:

Serious reviews (https://www.techuntold.com/glassagram-review-spy-instagram/) are raving about this one, calling it the best app on the market, mainly because you can save all the snooped content on your own device:

... and the price, for stalking (their own choice of vocabulary, not mine, for once) an unlimited number of accounts is reasonable:

Best of it? They've been around since 2017.

In a nutshell: is it legal? it would seem so, in the US, not so sure about the UK/EU. Is it moral? It's up to you to decide what to think of a firm which has no problem admitting to encouraging stalking (but hey, don't listen to the nutcase here, huh?) and uses completely different real-life situations (infidelity, kids' monitoring) to assert its legitimacy and utility.

What I mean by this very long and illustrative post is this: you do not need inside sources/information to have one day the idea of crossing what is obviously (at least in my book) a red line. You just have to be able (lots of free time), willing (asserting power over a very thirsty and not so digitally skilled audience) and voilà: a Super Sleuth is born.

It is one thing to analyze and speculate, based on open sources, to your heart's content. It is a different affair altogether to obsessively monitor someone, with so much detail and personal (& financial) investment, over a substantial period of time. I will die on this hill and you will never change my mind on this one.

Is the emperor naked? I wouldn't venture speculating. What I do know, is that this emperor is a very, very sad one.

[theonlythingtheyfearistruth]

WHY DYSTOPIA MUST BE BORING TO SUCCEED

The "Boring Dystopia Strategy" is a highly strategic and often subtle method employed by those in power to create an enduring, all-encompassing authoritarian government. The genius of this approach is that it doesn't look like a dystopia at first glance. Each step toward oppression is disguised as a necessary solution to a societal problem, creating a series of small, unassuming changes that collectively transform society into a high-surveillance, debt-ridden, and highly regulated landscape. The result is a quiet but relentless march towards a government structure that controls nearly every aspect of daily life, cloaked in the language of safety, responsibility, and "public good."

Key Components of the Boring Dystopia Strategy

Enhanced Surveillance as Crime Prevention Surveillance systems are marketed as tools to make communities safer. The rationale is straightforward: if there are cameras everywhere, criminals are less likely to act. At first, this seems like a good idea. However, as surveillance expands, it reaches a point where privacy no longer exists—every action and interaction is tracked and recorded. People's movements, purchases, conversations, and even thoughts (through social media and data mining) become data points in a government database. The population is conditioned to accept surveillance under the guise of crime prevention, even though the surveillance network eventually exists to deter any resistance to the growing system of control.

Financial "Disincentives" as a Form of Behavior Control Insurance companies, incentivized by government policies, implement "dynamic" pricing models that penalize risky behavior. Drivers with even minor infractions, young drivers, or anyone with imperfect credit face skyrocketing insurance costs. While it’s presented as a means to reward safe drivers and reduce accidents, it’s ultimately a method of forcing people into line. Over time, these small financial penalties accumulate, and as people find themselves unable to afford the rising costs, they are pushed further into debt or forced to depend on the very government that created the conditions of their hardship.

The Department of Bureaucracy: A Growing Web of Useless Jobs New laws and regulations are introduced to solve every conceivable social issue, resulting in bloated departments filled with superfluous workers whose roles add no real value to society. The justification is often to create jobs and stimulate the economy, but these positions end up creating layers of bureaucracy that slow down meaningful progress. This web of inefficiency puts financial strain on both the government and the people, leading to higher taxes and fees. With each new law or regulation, the cost of compliance grows, straining both businesses and individuals who can't afford to play by an ever-increasing list of rules.

Rising Cost of Living as an Inevitable "Economic Shift" As government regulations add costs to every industry, prices naturally increase. This is explained away as the cost of progress or as an unfortunate byproduct of addressing critical social issues, like "ethical sourcing" or "green initiatives" that are actually revenue-boosters for corporations. As inflation rises and wages stagnate, the lower class is squeezed financially. Each attempt to improve their situation—whether by taking a second job or reducing expenses—is offset by further price increases or surprise taxes. This creates a cycle where economic mobility is nearly impossible, locking the lower class in place.

Debt as a Tool for Control As the cost of living rises, debt becomes unavoidable for many. Loans, credit cards, and financing options are promoted as solutions, pushing people into a system of lifelong debt repayment. With growing financial obligations and little hope of ever breaking free, individuals are forced to work harder, often taking on additional jobs, which leaves them with less time and energy to question or resist the system. Debt chains the population to the very system that oppresses them, creating a sense of dependency on government stability, even as that stability is the source of their financial despair.

The Final Stage: Disempowerment Disguised as "Efficiency"

As the population is weakened by financial strain, endless surveillance, and a tangled bureaucracy, the final stage involves introducing measures to "simplify" governance. This might mean fewer elected officials, streamlined decision-making processes, and the merging of regulatory bodies for "efficiency." In reality, this final stage centralizes power even further, leaving those at the top with almost unchecked authority, a situation that the people, too exhausted and indebted to resist, accept as necessary.

The Boring Dystopia Strategy works because it does not announce itself as an authoritarian takeover. Instead, it subtly shifts the balance of power by presenting every oppressive measure as a solution to a social ill. And because each step is introduced slowly, over decades, the population becomes accustomed to the new reality, accepting surveillance, debt, and regulation as the normal costs of a safe and responsible society. By the time people realize the extent of their powerlessness, the dystopian state is fully entrenched, with every escape route closed off.

[plaguedoctormemes]

i'm not deleting my tumblr blogs but this whole debacle with the AI stuff is discouraging me to at least not post original content here and limit my time on social media in general. Also to be clear on my stance on AI, which I think is very much influenced by my background as both an artist and a professional graphic designer: I think it can be a very useful tool and I don't even necessarily inherently find it completely harmful. Some forms of AI are already well used and completely normalized, but I find most of the time generative AI as we know it is pretty harmful and its harms outweighs its benefits currently (largely grifts, scams and misinfo). It needs regulation desperately, but old cunt politicians are too dumb to really care about or understand how important the issue is right now. I do not believe that AI will simply peter off or crash. From a marketing standpoint, i feel like AI usage will cool off or become more specialized (like creating whole machines *just* trained on individual brands for personal use and whatnot) but I have no idea how far away that would be. I just believe there might come a time where everyone is over the "spectacle" of generative AI and will find it inaffective or inherently associated with cheapness. At least in the most base sense in advertising, it is generally much better to have your own photographs and original branded artwork as it proves authenticity. You can only see a illusionist do so many tricks before you're bored by them and expect them, and we're already getting to the point where even the average Joe is tired of hearing about AI and the future, and at least when it comes to art and writing i just... don't care? i don't give a shit about it. BACK TO TUMBLR: I'm aware that its likely that mine and everyone elses' posts here have already been scraped. My thing is that it's more the symbolism of Tumblr's "opt-out" choice: memorial blogs, inactive blogs, and so on are going to be scraped without consent. No banners or pop ups to notify users of this change, you either have to either HAPPEN UPON to see staff's post or see others talk about it to even know about it. Since the beginning of this whole AI boom i had no issue with AI data training as long as it's consentual and ethical, but obviously it most of the time isnt. Tumblr's method of rolling out this change was purposely underhanded. I'm never going to simply be "okay" or normalize in my mind the fact that big tech companies feel entitled to people's privacy- which i believe extends to our online lives. I don't think myself or anyone else should ever feel completely apathetic to the fact that people you don't know, that definitely do not need it, are making money off of you without your consent or knowledge. Just to be clear this isnt about what is and isnt "real art" or whatever for me. It's just a huge distraction from the main point, a big debate that will go absolutely nowhere. What's more important about it is that big techs and billionaires don't have interest in making the world a better place, they only care about eliminating our "distractions" that get in the way of them making money and accumulating more wealth. My solution: We need to make them deepthroat shotguns and machetes.

[paintgonewrong]

Okay I am genuinely getting more and more sick of this fucked up world each day.

I have ADD. Habits are hard to keep up for me, to do normal things in general is something I often forget. Drinking, as an example.

So, what do I do? I try to remind myself to drink via a medium that I use very often. My phone.

Is it a bit ridiculous? Yes.

Does this show just how dependant I am on this thing and how often I use it? Also yes.

I am already annoyed about these circumstances. However, I want to live a healthy life and if I need to use tools to do that, so be it. Sometimes you just need help.

Downloaded an app, opened it.

"Accept cookies".

What the actual fuck.

Is this seriously what we've come to???? Selling data of people trying to drink enough water??? What the fuck do you use that data for, why would you need it?

I am so sick and tired of everything, and I mean

everything

being monitored.

Reading an article? Cookies.

Playing an online game? Cookies.

Looking up a website for a doctor's office? Let us track your activity on this website.

Searching for baby names? Heyyyyyyy there, how about you give us your data for free so we can make profit off of selling your attempt to give the life you're creating right now an adequate name<3

Need a certain thing? Yeah, so, you know the search engine you're using that's already adding to your profile every little scrolling motion and every word in the search bar to sell you as a person to corporations? Mhm. We, as a website, are going to need moooore data. What, you're looking for a specific model of that? Okayyyyy just gonna tell the boss real quick. No biggie. We now know that you most likely own this other thing, considering that that part you're looking at is only suitable for that<333

Ah, you need to drink water? LET US SELL THAT DATA, YOU DEHYDRATED IDIOT.

And the worst part is, you can't even decline all of those cookies. You cannot say "no data of mine is being collected, go fuck yourself", that's impossible. I hate that so much.

Our souls are basically being sucked into our phones and that's kinda exactly what we want, because then we have entertainment tailored to ourselves, but at the same time, those extensions of our souls are being marketed and made profit off of.

I just wanted to drink enough water, why should I have to sell my soul for that you cunt.

[bananapancakewithcondensedmilk]

The Exploitation of Humanity and the Earth: Unveiling the Truth About Our System

In the world we live in today, it often feels like everything is designed to keep us running on a treadmill—always striving, never arriving. Beneath the surface of modern life lies a system engineered to exploit not only us as individuals but also the earth itself. This isn’t conspiracy or exaggeration; it’s a structural truth about the consumer-driven, profit-oriented model of society we inhabit. Here’s a closer look at how the current system exploits, deceives, and profits from our disconnection.

1. The System’s Foundation: Exploiting Disconnection

At the heart of the system is disconnection—from nature, from ourselves, and from each other. This disconnection isn’t accidental; it’s deeply embedded in the design of our society because it drives dependence on external solutions.

How We Are Disconnected:

From Nature: Urbanization and industrialization have distanced us from natural environments, making nature seem like a luxury rather than a birthright. As a result, we now buy bottled water, air purifiers, or supplements to "restore" what nature once freely provided.

From Ourselves: Advertisements constantly tell us we’re not enough—too flawed, too old, too imperfect. This creates insecurities that fuel industries like beauty, fitness, and pharmaceuticals, all offering external fixes for internal struggles.

From Each Other: Individualism and competition are promoted over community and collaboration, ensuring that our emotional needs are unmet and driving us to seek fulfillment in consumption rather than connection.

This disconnection is the perfect environment for exploitation, creating a perpetual cycle of dissatisfaction and dependence.

2. The Cycle of Exploitation

The system is structured to perpetuate itself by creating needs that don’t naturally exist, then selling us solutions that often exacerbate the very problems they claim to solve.

The Creation of False Needs:

Industries thrive on convincing us that we lack something essential:

Beauty and Wellness: Instead of embracing natural self-care, we’re sold endless products that promise unattainable standards of beauty, many of which damage our skin, hair, or health.

Technology and Entertainment: Gadgets and apps keep us hooked, distracting us from deeper fulfillment while mining our attention and data for profit.

Convenience Culture: Foods, tools, and services are marketed as time-savers, even as they erode traditional skills and self-reliance, keeping us dependent on external sources.

Exploiting the Earth:

This system doesn’t stop at exploiting people; it also systematically exploits the planet:

Resource Extraction: Natural resources are over-extracted and commodified, from water to fossil fuels, devastating ecosystems and communities.

Planned Obsolescence: Many products are designed to fail or become outdated quickly, ensuring constant consumption and waste.

Environmental Degradation: Consumer goods—from fast fashion to single-use plastics—contribute to pollution and climate change, creating crises that disproportionately affect marginalized communities.

3. Why the System Thrives on Our Unhappiness

The system profits from keeping us unhappy, insecure, and disconnected. A content, self-sufficient population wouldn’t need most of the products and services currently being sold.

Key Mechanisms of Control:

Consumerism as Identity: We’re taught to define ourselves by what we own or consume. Brands sell not just products but lifestyles, convincing us that happiness lies in the next purchase.

Addiction to Instant Gratification: Convenience and entertainment industries keep us hooked on quick dopamine hits, distracting us from long-term fulfillment and self-awareness.

Exploitation of Labor: The system’s structure depends on cheap labor, often from the Global South, to produce the goods consumed in wealthier nations. This perpetuates cycles of inequality and exploitation.

By keeping us focused on acquiring, achieving, or fixing ourselves, the system ensures we remain too preoccupied to question its underlying structure.

4. The Truth: Most of What We Consume Isn’t Necessary

You’re absolutely right—the majority of products and lifestyles promoted by the system are not essential. They’re manufactured desires, created to keep us consuming.

Essentials vs. Non-Essentials:

Essentials: Shelter, clean water, nutritious food, meaningful relationships, and a connection to nature.

Non-Essentials: Most fast fashion, processed foods, beauty products, and even certain aspects of modern technology and media.

Reclaiming our lives means questioning what is truly necessary and stepping away from consumption patterns designed to keep us dependent.

5. Reconnecting as Resistance

The most radical act we can take in this system is to reconnect—with ourselves, with others, and with the earth. By prioritizing what truly matters, we disrupt the cycle of exploitation and reclaim our power.

Practical Steps to Reconnect:

Nature: Spend time outdoors, grow your own food, or use natural remedies and self-care practices.

Self: Focus on mindfulness, self-compassion, and holistic health rather than external fixes.

Community: Build meaningful connections and collaborate with others to create systems of mutual support.

By stepping out of the system’s manufactured disconnection, we heal not only ourselves but also the world around us.

Final Thoughts

The system we live in thrives on disconnection, dissatisfaction, and overconsumption. It’s a machine designed to exploit both humanity and the earth for profit, all while perpetuating the illusion that we need more than we truly do. But the truth is simpler: we are enough, and nature has always provided what we need.

Recognizing this is the first step toward liberation. By reconnecting with what truly matters, we reclaim our autonomy, heal ourselves, and resist a system that profits from keeping us broken. True fulfillment isn’t found in what we buy—it’s found in who we are, the relationships we build, and the harmony we create with the world around us.

[reasonsforhope]

"As countries around the world begin to either propose or enforce zero-deforestation regulations, companies are coming under growing pressure to prove that their products are free of deforestation. But this is often a far from straightforward process.

Take palm oil, for instance. Its journey from plantations, most likely in Indonesia or Malaysia, to store shelves in the form of shampoo, cookies or a plethora of other goods, is a long and convoluted one. In fact, the cooking oil or cosmetics we use might contain palm oil processed in several different mills, which in turn may have bought the raw palm fruit from several of the many thousands of plantations. For companies that use palm oil in their products, tracing and tracking its origins through these obscure supply chains is a tough task. Often it requires going all the way back to the plot level and checking for deforestation. However, these plots are scattered over vast areas across potentially millions of locations, with data being in various states of digitization and completeness...

Palmoil.io, a web-based monitoring platform that Bottrill launched, is attempting to help palm oil companies get around this hurdle. Its PlotCheck tool allows companies to upload plot boundaries and check for deforestation without any of the data being stored in their system. In the absence of an extensive global map of oil palm plots, the tool was developed to enable companies to prove compliance with regulations without having to publicly disclose detailed data on their plots. PlotCheck now spans 13 countries including Indonesia and Malaysia, and aims to include more in the coming months.

Palm oil production is a major driver of deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia, although deforestation rates linked to it have declined in recent years. While efforts to trace illegally sourced palm oil have ramped up in recent years, tracing it back to the source continues to be a challenge owing to the complex supply chains involved.

Recent regulatory proposals have, however, made it imperative for companies to find a way to prove that their products are free of deforestation. Last June, the European Union passed legislation that prohibits companies from sourcing products, including palm oil, from land deforested after 2020. A similar law putting the onus on businesses to prove that their commodities weren’t produced on deforested land is also under discussion in the U.K. In the U.S., the U.S. Forest Bill aims to work toward a similar goal, while states like New York are also discussing legislation to discourage products produced on deforested land from being circulated in the markets there...

PlotCheck, which is now in its beta testing phase, allows users to input the plot data in the form of a shape file. Companies can get this data from palm oil producers. The plot data is then checked and analyzed with the aid of publicly available deforestation data, such as RADD (Radar for Detecting Deforestation) alerts that are based on data from the Sentinel-1 satellite network and from NASA’s Landsat satellites. The tool also uses data available on annual tree cover loss and greenhouse gas emission from plantations.

Following the analysis, the tool displays an interactive online map that indicates where deforestation has occurred within the plot boundaries. It also shows details on historical deforestation in the plot as well as data on nearby mills. If deforestation is detected, users have the option of requesting the team to cross-check the data and determine if it was indeed caused by oil palm cultivation, and not logging for artisanal mining or growing other crops. “You could then follow up with your supplier and say there is a potential red flag,” Bottrill said.

As he waits to receive feedback from users, Bottrill said he’s trying to determine how to better integrate PlotCheck into the workflow of companies that might use the tool. “How can we take this information, verify it quickly and turn it into a due diligence statement?” he said. “The output is going to be a statement, which companies can submit to authorities to prove that their shipment is deforestation-free.” ...

Will PlotCheck work seamlessly? That’s something Bottrill said he’s cautiously optimistic about. He said he’s aware of the potential challenges with regard to data security and privacy. However, he said, given how zero-deforestation legislation like that in the EU are unprecedented in their scope, companies will need to sit up and take action to monitor deforestation linked to their products.

“My perspective is we should use the great information produced by universities, research institutes, watchdog groups and other entities. Plus, open-source code allows us to do things quickly and pretty inexpensively,” he said. “So I am positive that it can be done.”"

-via Mongabay, January 26, 2024

--

Note: I know it's not "stop having palm oil plantations." (A plan I'm in support of...monocrop plantations are always bad, and if palm oil production continues, it would be much better to produce it using sustainable agroforestry techniques.)

However, this is seriously a potentially huge step/tool. Since the EU's deforestation regulations passed, along with other whole-supply-chain regulations, people have been really worried about how the heck we're going to enforce them. This is the sort of tool we need/need the industry to have to have a chance of genuinely making those regulations actually work. Which, if it does work, it could be huge.

It's also a great model for how to build supply chain monitoring for other supply chain regulations, like the EU's recent ban on companies destroying unsold clothes.

[cdphotography]

No

What a mess its all become. Social media has rarely been accountable though they've been yanked into line now and them  by exasperated governments. All too often its felt like a gesture rather than a change. Safety, and common decency, has now become a question of political positioning. Decency is about this mythical threat called 'The Left'. Insult and hate speech instead is 'free speech'. It seems to have been forgotten that the right to free speech also comes with it a duty of responsibility. Somehow we're at the point where human beings need to be reminded how to be humane. As a species we've always had a dodgy streak and when we've given into it we're the most destructive force imaginable. Look at the fascist era of the 1930's. Racism and othering was made the norm. Government controlled media pushed out misinformation and propaganda. The result was millions dead. We've seen it time and time again since then and only have to look at Ukraine, Israel/Palestine, Myanmar, Sudan and countless other wars raging at the moment to see the results today. And now Meta has joined Elon Musk's X in removing safeguards for marginalised communities and people at risk of self harm through suicide and channels promoting anorexia and community intolerance. Musk is actively using his platform to undermine legitimate governments whose agendas he disagrees with and call the their removal and the jailing of their politicians. All in the interests of 'free speech'. All of a sudden free speech means its ok to incite hatred and into some of the most powerful positions in the world we see isolationist, aggressive, truth averse leaders coming to the fore. 

I'm terrified. And if you're not you should be. 

So we do what we can. Activism is one thing and important. If it wasn't leaders wouldn't be trying to suppress it. Somehow that's still free speech. We only have to look at the my own UK government and their legislation to restrict protest for an example of mature democracy gone very wrong. It's yet to be repealed under the new government. 

So I can only make my own small protest. I can make my voice heard as can we all. But we can stand up to the insanely wealthy tech valley oligarchs who would risk our safety and wellbeing for profit and positions of power. They don't care though to be fair Zuckerberg has the decency to look uncomfortable every time he's called out for poor decision making and lack of accountability. 

I'm gay. I'm disabled. A target for abuse and that's now  been made ok. So for me its goodbye to Facebook and Instagram and their algorithm distorted, toxic platforms. We can add unsafe to that list of failings. You don't get to insult me and mine my data for profit. Frankly, you can fuck off. I've already left X. Musk has made it a propaganda tool and a platform to disrupt society, and to promote and normalise his far right views. Not to mention the fact that its become a haven for trolls. You'll find me instead on BlueSky (where incidentally a lot of my colleagues in healthcare have transferred to), on MeWe as a Facebook replacement, and on Glass and Tumblr to promote my photography. 

To be honest I'm pissed off with the move. There's nowhere near the market penetration on these platforms for my artwork, and moreover Facebook has been a remarkable tool for maintaining my real world friendships and communication. But if I don't make the move then I'll be waiting a lifetime to get off those sneering, hate filled platforms, waiting for everyone else I know to do the same. Well we have to start somewhere. Of my circle of  real friends five have opened MeWe accounts. Its a start. Lets hope the competition for our engagement on non-algorithm driven, kinder platforms becomes stronger and we have some effective choices. 

The time for social media to take responsibility for their negative effects on the world is well overdue.  

[itcareerblogs]

Top 10 In- Demand Tech Jobs in 2025

Technology is growing faster than ever, and so is the need for skilled professionals in the field. From artificial intelligence to cloud computing, businesses are looking for experts who can keep up with the latest advancements. These tech jobs not only pay well but also offer great career growth and exciting challenges.

In this blog, we’ll look at the top 10 tech jobs that are in high demand today. Whether you’re starting your career or thinking of learning new skills, these jobs can help you plan a bright future in the tech world.

1. AI and Machine Learning Specialists

Artificial Intelligence (AI)  and Machine Learning are changing the game by helping machines learn and improve on their own without needing step-by-step instructions. They’re being used in many areas, like chatbots, spotting fraud, and predicting trends.

Key Skills: Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, data analysis, deep learning, and natural language processing (NLP).

Industries Hiring: Healthcare, finance, retail, and manufacturing.

Career Tip: Keep up with AI and machine learning by working on projects and getting an AI certification. Joining AI hackathons helps you learn and meet others in the field.

2. Data Scientists

Data scientists work with large sets of data to find patterns, trends, and useful insights that help businesses make smart decisions. They play a key role in everything from personalized marketing to predicting health outcomes.

Key Skills: Data visualization, statistical analysis, R, Python, SQL, and data mining.

Industries Hiring: E-commerce, telecommunications, and pharmaceuticals.

Career Tip: Work with real-world data and build a strong portfolio to showcase your skills. Earning certifications in data science tools can help you stand out.

3. Cloud Computing Engineers: These professionals create and manage cloud systems that allow businesses to store data and run apps without needing physical servers, making operations more efficient.

Key Skills: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), DevOps, and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).

Industries Hiring: IT services, startups, and enterprises undergoing digital transformation.

Career Tip: Get certified in cloud platforms like AWS (e.g., AWS Certified Solutions Architect).

4. Cybersecurity Experts

Cybersecurity professionals protect companies from data breaches, malware, and other online threats. As remote work grows, keeping digital information safe is more crucial than ever.

Key Skills: Ethical hacking, penetration testing, risk management, and cybersecurity tools.

Industries Hiring: Banking, IT, and government agencies.

Career Tip: Stay updated on new cybersecurity threats and trends. Certifications like CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) or CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) can help you advance in your career.

5. Full-Stack Developers

Full-stack developers are skilled programmers who can work on both the front-end (what users see) and the back-end (server and database) of web applications.

Key Skills: JavaScript, React, Node.js, HTML/CSS, and APIs.

Industries Hiring: Tech startups, e-commerce, and digital media.

Career Tip: Create a strong GitHub profile with projects that highlight your full-stack skills. Learn popular frameworks like React Native to expand into mobile app development.

6. DevOps Engineers

DevOps engineers help make software faster and more reliable by connecting development and operations teams. They streamline the process for quicker deployments.

Key Skills: CI/CD pipelines, automation tools, scripting, and system administration.

Industries Hiring: SaaS companies, cloud service providers, and enterprise IT.

Career Tip: Earn key tools like Jenkins, Ansible, and Kubernetes, and develop scripting skills in languages like Bash or Python. Earning a DevOps certification is a plus and can enhance your expertise in the field.

7. Blockchain Developers

They build secure, transparent, and unchangeable systems. Blockchain is not just for cryptocurrencies; it’s also used in tracking supply chains, managing healthcare records, and even in voting systems.

Key Skills: Solidity, Ethereum, smart contracts, cryptography, and DApp development.

Industries Hiring: Fintech, logistics, and healthcare.

Career Tip: Create and share your own blockchain projects to show your skills. Joining blockchain communities can help you learn more and connect with others in the field.

8. Robotics Engineers

Robotics engineers design, build, and program robots to do tasks faster or safer than humans. Their work is especially important in industries like manufacturing and healthcare.

Key Skills: Programming (C++, Python), robotics process automation (RPA), and mechanical engineering.

Industries Hiring: Automotive, healthcare, and logistics.

Career Tip: Stay updated on new trends like self-driving cars and AI in robotics.

9. Internet of Things (IoT) Specialists

IoT specialists work on systems that connect devices to the internet, allowing them to communicate and be controlled easily. This is crucial for creating smart cities, homes, and industries.

Key Skills: Embedded systems, wireless communication protocols, data analytics, and IoT platforms.

Industries Hiring: Consumer electronics, automotive, and smart city projects.

Career Tip: Create IoT prototypes and learn to use platforms like AWS IoT or Microsoft Azure IoT. Stay updated on 5G technology and edge computing trends.

10. Product Managers

Product managers oversee the development of products, from idea to launch, making sure they are both technically possible and meet market demands. They connect technical teams with business stakeholders.

Key Skills: Agile methodologies, market research, UX design, and project management.

Industries Hiring: Software development, e-commerce, and SaaS companies.

Career Tip: Work on improving your communication and leadership skills. Getting certifications like PMP (Project Management Professional) or CSPO (Certified Scrum Product Owner) can help you advance.

Importance of Upskilling in the Tech Industry

Stay Up-to-Date: Technology changes fast, and learning new skills helps you keep up with the latest trends and tools.

Grow in Your Career: By learning new skills, you open doors to better job opportunities and promotions.

Earn a Higher Salary: The more skills you have, the more valuable you are to employers, which can lead to higher-paying jobs.

Feel More Confident: Learning new things makes you feel more prepared and ready to take on tougher tasks.

Adapt to Changes: Technology keeps evolving, and upskilling helps you stay flexible and ready for any new changes in the industry.

Top Companies Hiring for These Roles

Global Tech Giants: Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and IBM.

Startups: Fintech, health tech, and AI-based startups are often at the forefront of innovation.

Consulting Firms: Companies like Accenture, Deloitte, and PwC increasingly seek tech talent.

In conclusion,  the tech world is constantly changing, and staying updated is key to having a successful career. In 2025, jobs in fields like AI, cybersecurity, data science, and software development will be in high demand. By learning the right skills and keeping up with new trends, you can prepare yourself for these exciting roles. Whether you're just starting or looking to improve your skills, the tech industry offers many opportunities for growth and success.

[shadowmaat]

Artificial Incompetence

The conversations around "artificial intelligence" are getting a bit bonkers. Not that they're really conversations so much as screaming matches. And not that we're talking about true artificial intelligence so much as algorithm blending programs.

I don't like the recent fad of ABPs. It has a lot of the same earmarks and defenders as NFTs had, and boy howdy did that not work out well for folks. I don't think ABPs have been tied to the fake currency market, but their current implementation is still going to do more harm than good, in my opinion.

I'm not gonna say that writing or art should be "hard" or that people need to "struggle" in order to create things. I do, however, believe that they need to do the goddamn work themselves. Feeding prompts into a content generator doesn't make you a writer or artist. Well, scam artist, maybe. It's taking words/brush strokes from someone else and claiming credit for it. Even if you mention you used an ABP you still didn't create the art yourself, you just fed a program some prompts or the name of some artists you like and it spat out something you claimed as your own.

That's one of the big hangups I have with this fad: taking credit for someone else's work. Reaping all the perceived benefits (kudos, reblogs, etc) without actually doing anything to earn it.

If I give someone a prompt and they write a fic based on it, that story isn't mine. Sure, they might mention I gave them the prompt, but they were the one to write the actual story. Not me. My name doesn't go on the author line and I can't boast to others about the fic I wrote. Because I didn't.

I'm all for accessibility tools to help people complete tasks, and if ABPs were being widely used to help make creative efforts more accessible, I might have a different opinion. As it stands, however, the vast majority of people currently using ABPs aren't using them to help with their own creativity, they're using them as a substitute.

The arguments about data scraping and plagiarism are important, especially if we want to make sure that ABPs stop doing that, but from where I stand it still all boils down to people trying to loophole past responsibility and effort.

It gets worse when you switch gears from fic writing to essays and articles. At least in fiction stuff is supposed to be made up, so, all jokes aside, if some details are wrong it doesn't really matter.

When students start submitting essays to their teachers that they didn't write or sites try using an ABP to write articles, facts become a lot more important. And ABPs are infamous for making shit up whole cloth, even to the point of citing imaginary sources for their facts. That is, quite frankly, dangerous.

You think the past few years (decades, centuries) of misinformation have been bad? It can get a whole lot worse. These programs can seed in just enough "real" information to sell their bullshit as legitimate, and if even some experts have to double-check stuff to figure out what's false, where does that leave the rest of us? Especially all the ones who don't fact check at all before reblogging/believing something they read?

I think the future of artificial intelligence- real artificial intelligence- could be incredibly cool, and when the first AI submits a fic to AO3 I hope I'm around to read it. Right now, though, it's less about exploring potential and all about exploiting it.

[elsa16744]

Empowering Businesses with Comprehensive Data Analytics Services

In today’s digital landscape, the significance of data-driven decision-making cannot be overstated. As organizations grapple with an overwhelming influx of data, the ability to harness, manage, and analyze this information effectively is key to gaining a competitive advantage. **Data analytics services** have emerged as essential tools that enable companies to transform raw data into valuable insights, driving strategic growth and operational efficiency.

The Role of Data Management in Modern Enterprises

Effective data management lies at the heart of any successful data analytics strategy. It involves systematically organizing, storing, and protecting data to ensure its quality and accessibility. A robust data management framework not only supports data compliance but also allows for the seamless integration of data from various sources, making it possible for businesses to have a unified view of their operations. This foundational layer is critical for maximizing the potential of data analytics services.

Turning Raw Data into Strategic Insights

Raw data, on its own, has little value unless it is processed and analyzed to reveal trends and patterns that can inform business strategies. Data analytics services help organizations unlock the true value of their data by converting it into actionable insights. These services leverage sophisticated techniques such as predictive analytics, data mining, and statistical modeling to deliver deeper insights into customer behavior, market trends, and operational efficiencies.

By employing data analytics, companies can optimize their decision-making processes, anticipate market changes, and enhance their products or services based on customer needs and feedback. This approach ensures that businesses stay ahead of the curve in an ever-evolving market landscape.

Driving Innovation Through Advanced Analytics

Data analytics services are not only about analyzing past performance; they are also instrumental in shaping the future. By integrating advanced analytics techniques, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, businesses can identify emerging patterns and predict future outcomes with higher accuracy. This predictive capability enables organizations to mitigate risks, identify new revenue streams, and innovate more effectively.

The integration of real-time analytics further enhances a company’s ability to respond promptly to changing market conditions. It empowers decision-makers to take immediate actions based on the latest data insights, ensuring agility and resilience in dynamic environments.

Implementing a Data-Driven Culture

For businesses to truly benefit from data analytics services, it is crucial to foster a data-driven culture. This involves training teams to understand the value of data and encouraging data-centric decision-making across all levels of the organization. A culture that prioritizes data-driven insights helps break down silos, promotes transparency, and supports continuous improvement.

Organizations that embrace a data-driven mindset are better positioned to leverage analytics to drive strategic growth and deliver superior customer experiences.

Partnering for Success

Choosing the right partner for data management and analytics is vital. Companies like SG Analytics offer a range of tailored solutions designed to help organizations manage their data more effectively and gain valuable insights. From data warehousing and data integration to advanced analytics, these services provide end-to-end support, ensuring businesses can make the most of their data assets.

By leveraging data analytics services from experienced partners, companies can focus on their core objectives while simultaneously evolving into data-driven enterprises that thrive in the digital age.

Conclusion

In the era of big data, the ability to transform information into insights is a crucial differentiator. With comprehensive data analytics services, businesses can harness the power of their data to drive informed decisions, innovate, and maintain a competitive edge. The key lies in effective data management, advanced analytics, and fostering a culture that values data-driven insights.