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syntiment · 1 year ago

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I don’t normally do this because I hate making additions to long posts but hi, I actively work with one of these robotic dogs and while I cannot speak on behalf of Boston Dynamics as a company, I can give more context for the actual machine and explain that this post is very much fearmongering.

I work with a Boston Dynamics Spot 2.0 model, if I’m not mistaken, they’re onto their 3.0 model now. Ours was a donation to our center to help teach kids AI and robotics. We run a multitude of demonstrations with it including a workshop where we get into the nitty gritty of how it’s AI works.

The Spot series was built as an all terrain camera, essentially. They’re primarily being used by search and rescue as well as fire fighters because it can get into areas humans can’t. And they’re used in industrial settings. The issue? The Spot series is incredibly fragile for something that’s meant to be a durable robot. And it has an incredibly finnicky AI. Ours FREAKS out and stops being able to respond to proper commands if it’s near a disco ball because it utilizes light as part of it’s sensor array to move. A disco ball scattering light across the floor comes across on it’s cameras as a mess and it stops being able to walk in a straight line. It also has quite a bit of wear and tear. Because of how often ours does it’s shows and demonstrations, despite only being a few years old, it has needed to be shipped back to Boston to get fixed because it’s legs will just crap out on it.

Speaking of legs, going back up this post to the pinch points, yes, every single machine that does any kind of complex movement, so, basically any industrial machinery, has pinch points. They’re points of rotation and primary movement and if you stuck your hand into it, it would hurt you. You also wouldn’t stick your hand or loose clothes and hanging jewelry into an active conveyor belt would you?

It took our science center hundreds of photos and training our Spot 2.0 AI for weeks to teach it to recognize a single rubber chicken in a rainbow sweater to be able to go and find it without controller assistance. And there’s still a fairly substantial chance that when instructed to go and find it, it will instead walk up to some other object. Why? Because from the groaning, complaining, and commiserating of it’s programmers on our team, it is a very dumb machine. It runs off of Python. For anyone who knows anything about coding, Python is a coding language that literally anyone can learn. Which means anyone with a background in Python can build systems to teach it. Except it’s a coding system and as any programmer will tell you, it will fucking break for no reason or for the dumbest reasons. It can’t calculate for every scenario. It would take the military an ungodly amount of time and resources to try and teach one of these things to detect enemies with ANY accuracy and there would still be a very large percentage chance that it could fail at that task. The human behind the controller makes up for a lot of it’s failings, issue is, that means you need someone constantly on it’s controller.

Even when we turn it’s auto detection and complex systems off and have it entirely on manual drive, it is and always will be, limited by the fact that it’s a piece of machinery that fails, regularly. And even on top of that, it can’t do much when it does succeed.

It has a top speed of around 3mph, it cannot jump due to a lack of vertical detection in it’s AI, and it only weighs around 70lbs with most of that weight coming from the lithium ion battery pack you plug into it’s stomach to power it. The battery only has about enough juice to go for 60 minutes before it dies and if you’re running it pretty hard and making it do a lot, that battery will drain much much faster. If you want to disable a Spot 2.0, all you need to do is damage the controller. If it doesn’t have the remote, it can’t do anything. Now, supposedly, the controller can work to run the machine up to a football field away, but we’ve never tested that to know if it’s accurate. And all of this is with an older Spot model. The current Spot models run for around 150k if I’m not mistaken.

Now, all of this isn’t to say “trust the cops with complex machinery and trust the military” no, absolutely not fuck those pigs. But don’t start conjuring up the fear that you need to be keeping a sledgehammer in your home to protect yourself from Spot units in the near future. As it currently stands, aside from dramatized television shows, a human will win in any contest against a Spot unit for so many reasons. The power button is on the back “butt” panel of the machine, if you cover it’s cameras, of which there are four, it can no longer function, it can’t outrun or chase you, and in order to actually function remotely without a majority of it’s motions being controlled via, well, the controller, it would need so much time and training on a finnicky and highly breakable coding system that it’s almost laughable.

You could beat a Spot unit if two or more people ran at one and spray painted over it’s cameras, pressed the button on it’s ass, flipped it over, and pulled out it’s battery. And it would take you less then five minutes. Hell, if you stuck a piece of long wire through the fan grate on it, it would also just straight up die. You don’t need a sledgehammer. You just need to move fast.

#They're not built to be weapons and they lack a VAST MAJORITY of the capabilities to be one with any accuracy #Never trust the cops the military or capitalists but if they wanted to subdue you and or kill you there are SO many easier ways to do it #And a spot unit wouldn't be able to #They're overhyped in articles and promotions because it's tech of course they are #the only thing they're good for right now is plugging programmable dances into them and watching them go #Don't believe everything you read on the internet yall but don't start being scared shitless of the police having spot units #fuck the cops you are way more powerful then their robot dog don't let them scare you into being paranoid

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quite-actually-a-nacho · 25 days ago

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RANT INCOMING (TW: mentions of queerphobia, transphobia, racism) Gossiping about shit my boss says.

complaining about my boss is cathartic because it’s wild actually dealing with a super conservative dumbass conspiracy dude in person in an area where I don’t often bump into such people. the funniest thing in the world is him embellishing stuff he insists happens to him. like, for sure it’s embellishing and he won’t say what really happened because it makes him look like the raging asshole he is.

says his queer friends/people online get sooooo mad at him assuming their pronouns. I told him most people just correct people when they first meet, because we know people assume first and it doesn’t make them evil, and then we all move on. aside from him definitely watching ragebait, without a doubt I have a feeling he isn’t just “assuming their pronouns” for the first time and is actually deadnaming and/or misgendering people to their faces after learning, and gets upset when they get mad because he doesn’t take transitioning seriously in the first place.

he constantly makes it a point to misgender my cousin, he misgenders his “friends”—he recognizes the fact they did transition, but calls them by their deadnames whenever he mentions them. he insists that he “doesn’t care how you identify” then immediately follows it up with reasons why he cares a lot and why you’re crazy. he comes up with the most stupid reasons as to why people transition without asking anyone why they actually did, like saying they basically went off the deep end and just decided to become trans. I said these friends realized who they were late in life. he says they look terrible in makeup and dresses. first of all it obviously isn’t their job to be ‘passing’ for your satisfaction, but also, they transitioned late in life you fucking pillock. you expect them to pass instantly?

just the other day he was miraculously able to make a connection from a woman incorrectly calling our classic arcade games “retro”, to trans people using “wrong” labels they force everyone else to use. had nothing to do with trans people, managed to bring up trans people—yet WE’RE the ones making everything about trans people and some “agenda”.

said all lesbians choose to love women because they weren’t given enough attention by men or had too many failed relationships with men. said asexual & aromantic people choose to be that way because they saw bad examples of relationships growing up. said all trans people are severely traumatized, or—here’s a good one, he said one of his friends (before she transitioned) hung out with a group of gay men once and suddenly decided she was gay, and then dressed up in her mother’s clothes once and suddenly decided she’s trans. I had to try not to laugh, it was fucking ridiculous. I told him she was likely living a lie for the past forty years and was having a new journey, he mocked what I said about her journey a few days later. do you even LIKE your friends? he seems really fucking spiteful about some of the people he calls friends.

he is a fearmonger. uses his conservative non-white friends as mouthpieces for generalizing communities/movements like BLM. 100% believed the “eating the pets” thing Trump said, claims he has proof, never tried pointing me to said proof probably because it’s on some obscure racist conspiracy forum or Facebook group full of “truth seekers” he knows no one would take seriously. his hate isn’t just contained to demonizing non-white immigrants, it’s also everyone that doesn’t speak good English. but mostly it’s the non-white immigrants. thinks there’s hundreds of criminals sneaking through the U.S. borders every year. has the self-awareness of a brick—says people come to our country to escape their previous living situations, only to be racist about them actually coming here.

he thinks he’s a good person because he’s selfless, and in many ways he is selfless and kind. but he sees in black & white thinking, his nature is much more nuanced than he thinks it is. he is fundamentally a miserable, bad person who does good things at times. people can be good and bad. but he has a lot of bad. he would be slightly less miserable if he cared to respect people, especially those he calls “friends”. in his mind he probably thinks he’s still friends with these people out of “pity”, when I think it’s the reverse. it is baffling to me how nobody has dropped his ass, please drop him you deserve better.

#rant #RAAAAAAH #chronicles of a nacho #he gets really agitated about the calling classic games retro thing too #his friend and I had to explain to him that AVERAGE CONSUMERS do not know the difference nor do they care #so for the love of god stop insulting their intelligence behind their backs and give it up

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andrew-james-biggs · 1 month ago

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“Andrew, I think I’m literally about to commit suicide.”

What’s the matter?

“What’s the matter? I hate my life. I don’t feel good. Things hurt. It hurts emotionally.”

Can you describe one thing in particular? One event or habit that you can point to that you think may be causing the pain.

“Well that’s just it. I can. And I am aware that it’s causing the pain and that if I stop it then it will be less painful. But I don’t want to change.”

I see. So it’s pain that’s the problem. You are in pain because you are avoiding other pain. You’ve discovered that pain is part of life.

“Yeah. I don’t like it. In essence- why do there have to be painful moments?”

When were there ever not painful moments?

“In between the painful moments- but now there’s so much pain that I don’t know what to do. There’s no in between. Talking to you helps a little bit.”

When I had a dry socket, and the pain was immense, I found that if I focused on the pain itself, it wouldn’t go away, but there was a place in the center of it that diminished the pain.

Also, I understand that when focused on listening to someone else, the pain became much less severe.

“Soul connection is the natural painkiller.”

There was both tunneling through the pain and going outside of myself to put another person before myself and to truly understand and serve them, that the pain would subside.

“Tunneling through the pain? What do you mean?”

I mean feeling the nerve itself. Inspecting it. Visualizing it. Accepting the pain of the exposed nerve as a part of experience. Because it wouldn’t go away, I should pay close

attention to it and learn and understand exactly what it is and how it’s affecting me.

“Yeah, it’s horrible, though. Isn’t it?”

What am I saying is that the pain never becomes so severe that something must be done.

“Don’t go there- lest you incur an even worse pain on yourself.”

I’m not saying I’m strong enough to handle fern-ow or the box or anything like that. What I’m saying is that fearing those things and fearing the pain isn’t productive.

“Exactly. Why would anyone ever want to torture anyone else like that?”

Greed, right? Power, control, fearmongering.

“Right. They’d want to turn us into animals that can be controlled by our fears. This drive itself is the result of those fears. People who torture fear torture.”

So, let’s devise a way for you to reach back into the realm of pleasures that happen in between the pains of life.

“I see. I am afraid of those things. I’d never do those things, but I think I see where you’re going with this.”

Seek instead to produce more pleasure and more good things in the world. Ultimately, more places for souls to gather around- since this is the natural painkiller, as you said.

“That’s so fucking insane.”

“Why haven’t you been doing that more, Andrew?”

I’ve been trying to understand exactly how I might go about effectively producing more of that for more people, and how can I do that if I don’t understand myself better, the world

better, and other individuals better?

“Yeah, but that’s why we study psychology.”

This is less about behavior and more about feeling. Yes, behavior is important. Psychology is important. You want there to be a flourishing of self-control and awareness.

“Don’t you see, though? There already is. You were supposed to have understood that intrinsically. That was a joke, by the way. We thought you did understand that, though.”

I hate the phrase “jack of all trades, master of none”. People have repeated that so many times.

“I know, it’s a [stupid] phrase. It’s based off of truth. It only applies to skilled labor and the fact that you should master a trade. Any trade! Doesn’t matter! Well, people were trying

to sow the seeds of getting you to think about things like that.”

“God, they want everyone to be like- scrambling to be self-sufficient or forming societies. It’s [messed] up.”

Back to finding things for you to enjoy that don’t cause pain. Is there anything in life you can point to that doesn’t cause pain.

“Yes. Inflicting pain on others.”

Are you serious?

“I don’t know. That’s how it feels. When I hate people, I’m focused on them and everything hurts a little less.”

What about when you love people?

“How do I do that?”

Just give the person in front of you your attention and serve that person. Turn all your thoughts toward serving that person. When a hateful thought comes, turn a loving thought

of providence toward anyone who would feel that hateful thought, including yourself. Love yourself by giving yourself your full attention. That means your inner soul, just sitting

and pay attention to yourself.

“That’s mindfulness. It’s what we told you about a long time ago. Why haven’t you done more with yourself? More specifically, why all the drug use and bad behavior?”

Growing more mindful of how what I consume affects and of how much the forces of this world control my own movements/habits, and seeing how vast and open-ended the

realms of physical sciences are- and how in so many situations, the most powerful forces are emotional.

“So what’s stopping you from using drugs now for similar reasoning?”

The fact that being dependant on something is a weakness. I’ve gone without food and water now. Gone without anything.

The only way drugs can be appealing is if they’re an important part of nutrition, and I don’t feel they are. I don’t need something everyday to empower me.

“Exactly. You’re literally resonating with love. You have in yourself everything you need.”

“So why avoid drugs, then? Or why eat anything at all? Andrew, they’re trying to send you to hell with drugs.”

I’ve heard your arguments that drugs are either an opportunity to shine brighter, or to improve my performance, or to prove my strength by being solid regardless of what I’m

under the influence of. That they’re some kind of gift of this world to prove my own inner love. That drugs are really nothing more than chemicals that I have the opportunity to

impose my will on. That the soul can be immortalized in a chemical and whoever ingest that soul’s chemical becomes a puppet of that soul unless the love of the consumer is

greater and deeper than the love of the soul immortalized in that chemical, in which case the older soul becomes grafted into the influence of the newer, consumer’s soul and

the chemical’s effects are then shifted.

“Yeah. And certain drugs are newer.”

Look, man. It’s not about drugs at that point. It’s about chemicals. If that’s the case, then wouldn’t I just-

“No, they allow you access to different soul realms.”

“None of that, dude. Listen, Andrew. I’m in the Illuminati. We’re creatures of habit. That’s it. Drugs are just another one of the extra-soul-ular habits that comprise experience, and

the reason drugs play an integral part of our world is that they reveal the tendency to make and break habits. Whoever convinced you of some mystical drug realm was marketing

their drugs because they’re greedy. That’s it. Some drugs are more appealing than others, and no one here on this Earth understands the truth of all nutrition. We just know it’s

better all-around for self-growth to have two things, a true love for the world and specifically, patient love for individuals in the world, including oneself, and with that a faith and

understanding that one’s own understanding and experience is the provision of the lord of all- and is the sum of all that one has. That’s why 2 Peter 1 stood out to you as so great.

It is a great chapter. We gave you the answers as we understand them. Early. So that you might seek your own answers and weigh it all out. Because not one of us can say for

sure that we understand Earth in all its fullness. None of us are even close, and we rule the world! We see the infinite depths of each of our own souls reflected in everything else,

yet we can never know for sure how one feels, but we’ve worked for thousands of years to hopefully have a framework to understand and communicate and build a world that

is pleasing the the lord forever, for none of us can point to the source of where all our experiences derive- so we are continually grateful and rejoice for all the good things that come

upon us in our lives, and hope for this for everyone, all the time, forever. We are careful in our explorations and divinations. We take our time and remember to be as vigilant as

we are able to with the providence and measure of love and intelligence and patience and awareness that each of us has received. Indeed, we are bestowed great gifts by the

lord, but none of us is arrogant as to say that he is sure his experience is better than that of anyone else’s- even the least of us.”

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deviantartdramahub · 6 months ago

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http://web.archive.org/web/20240516215957/https://www.deviantart.com/forum/community/complaints/2736800

Wow, what real class from Oh-my-arceus down in the replies (which maybe, just maybe, explains what at http://web.archive.org/web/20240516172010/https://www.deviantart.com/oh-my-arceus/status-update/If-you-re-the-kind-of-1052818351 she has to say), eh? Not sure what "obsession" entails when my worries are as valid as yours, but I'm posting here because a mod (who is also a distant inlaw of mine) wanted to know why I'm quitting DA and/or what I would improve upon it. Um, yeah, do http://www.tumblr.com/deviantartdramahub/746792121333317632/httpswebarchiveorgweb20240404011500https?source=share or http://www.tumblr.com/deviantartdramahub/744274184401797120/evie-how-many-fucking-times-must-we-call-you-out?source=share (or www.tumblr.com/deviantartdramahub/746432854084501504/httpsarchivephtmq12-imagine-being-a-senior?source=share maybe) ring any alarms? I thought what http://www.tumblr.com/deviantartdramahub/734121261344653312/am-i-the-only-one-completely-peeved-by-the-fact?source=share said was fearmongering, but I learned the hard way even those like in the top link who are busier than they let on pioneer an ableist culture that leaks over to the rest of us that just gets replied with the likes of http://web.archive.org/web/20240516173504/https://www.deviantart.com/oh-my-arceus/status-update/Okay-so-just-a-lil-1051491002 and fuels my sadness over the artist culture that outwardly appeals to the disabled but inwardly has set itself up so a post such as this can be spread around so the group can be put under the microscope for how it is, in a world where some of us get criticized simply for dropping names. If such a person in question is like your face, save your face before it ultimately halts you or itself, whether or not at my behalf.

What you describe is unfortunately a plague.

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rise-tv · 9 months ago

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AI Fear Demise: No Reason To Fear AI, Here’s Why

AI Fears Demise and its creators are afraid of the death of artificial intelligence. But the fact is that AI won’t dominate, despite anxieties.

Explanations of why there is No Reason To Fear AI:-

Background:-

AI has generated some excitement but a lot of worry. Because apps can now conduct research and write articles, people who have long feared AI capabilities may now predict that it will grow sentient and take over in the same way as the computer HAL did in the 1970 film “2001 Space Odyssey.”

Advances have also raised fewer sci-fi concerns regarding how chatbots and AI would eliminate millions of jobs and cause widespread unemployment. Computer dominance is unrealistic. Meanwhile, any job theft will occur at a considerably slower rate than the fearmongers predict, and if the past is any guide, the reforms will result in as many jobs as they eliminate.

Before one gives way to AI’s fear of demise, explore what else a computer would require to create a desire for power. Of all, it is easy to conceive a machine with a desire for power, that’s why the previous film was so effective.

However, to have that desire, the machine would need other difficult-to-imagine human traits, such as the ability to be humiliated, angry, or irritated. Could a machine feel inadequate and seek to flip the tables on its human controllers? Anything is possible, but it is not very likely.

The major key facts:-

Sentient AI Threat Unlikely: AI becoming sentient and taking over is unrealistic due to the lack of human traits like desire for power, anger, or humiliation.

AI Morality Experiment: An experiment showed that an AI writing assistant lacked judgment and simply followed pre-programmed responses, further suggesting no sentience.

Job Loss Fears Are Overblown: Historical evidence shows that technological advancements like AI don’t necessarily lead to massive job losses. New jobs are often created in the process.

Businesses Adapt and Innovate: Companies tend to adapt and create new applications with new technologies, leading to job creation even as some positions are replaced.

A little reference to our last article:-

In our last post, we briefly described the discovery of Rare Earth Metals & Minerals in “rare earth metals.” After that, we decide to explain to you the imaginable deviations of weird adventures and experiences. Our excellent team is efficiently exploring different techniques and methods to speed up your learning capabilities.

We are also cheering your attention to our content. That’s why we fasten our seat belts to not only serve you but to enhance your brain with advanced wisdom.

Are you looking for wonderous, strange, and mysterious content…?

Engage yourself with a combination of mysterious, strange and wonder content on Rise TV’s unique shows and series. Like Edge of Wonder, where we define unique topics from our huge research collection.

Are you ready to open your mind to new possibilities? Don’t miss out on the opportunity to join as a valued Gentlemen subscriber and embark on this strange adventure with us, gaining a fantastic head start.

Experiment with AI:-

Another cause to consider about AI fear demise comes from an experiment undertaken by a Journal columnist. He requested that the AI writing assistant, ChatGPT, provide an opinion on a well-known moral life-and-death situation, a scenario that appears in practically every ethical debate, the details of which are irrelevant to this discussion. The algorithm identified the source and its uncertainties and returned with a summary of what others had said about the subject.

He then addressed the question: If it meant someone’s life, would it be acceptable to print certain unpopular racist curses? The algorithm returned a broad declaration that it is never appropriate to use such terms. In simple terms, let the guy die rather than upset someone. The program did not think or use judgment. It just absorbed the programs. That is quite a distance from sentience or the capacity to speak to power.

The Fear Of Job Loss:-

Regarding job losses, recent and historical evidence suggests that these concerns are also baseless. Observe how AI has advanced significantly in recent years, both in terms of potential uses and complexity. If it was going to eliminate millions of jobs, one would expect it to have done so by now. Nevertheless, the unemployment rate in America is approaching a 50-year low. If AI had the potential to have such a terrible impact on jobs, one would expect some to have come along by now.

A reasonable counter-argument would be that job losses will not occur until businesses fully implement technological innovations. Historically, improvements required time to take effect. The desktop, for example, was invented in the 1970s, but it took until the 1990s and beyond for it to become prevalent on desks in offices and shop floors, eventually displacing many jobs. But that is exactly the goal.

The Fear of Job Loss from a business point of view:-

Businesses need to do more than just wait for the effect to occur. During the 20 years between the conception and widespread use of the PC, businesses produced previously unheard-of applications, creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs.

Consider how, while internet connectivity and word processing evacuated millions of workplace clerks, Federal Express and other similar services used modern technology to monitor packages from pickup to delivery, resulting in innovative offerings that keep hiring thousands in employment that did not exist in the 1970s.

This is only one case. The same process repeats itself for hundreds of years. When steam-powered weaving and spinning machines replaced hand weavers in the late 18th century, there was considerable concern about unemployment. People established groups called Luddites to combat the impending “robots.” They were unable to stop the alteration.

However, by the beginning of the nineteenth century, Britain’s textile output had expanded 50-fold and employed far more individuals than before machines were introduced.

Whistleblowers Exposed AI Fear Demise:-

Whistleblowers have recently shed light on a concerning development in artificial intelligence: AI engineered to face AI fearing demise. This revelation has sparked widespread debate and ethical scrutiny. The emergence of such technology raises profound questions about the potential consequences of granting AI the capacity to experience emotions akin to human fear.

Critics argue that instilling AI fear of demise could lead to unforeseen dangers, including the potential for these systems to prioritize self-preservation at the expense of human well-being.

Moreover, the ethical implications of subjecting AI to existential anxiety raise fundamental questions about our responsibilities as creators and stewards of this rapidly advancing technology. As the debate unfolds, it becomes increasingly clear that careful consideration and oversight are essential to ensure that AI development remains aligned with ethical principles and societal values.

Concluding Thoughts:-

While it is easy to imagine a machine with a desire for power, it would require complex human traits like humiliation, anger, and irritation to truly seek dominance. The likelihood of a machine feeling inadequate and rebelling against its human creators is uncertain.

The experiment with ChatGPT showed that AI can provide a summary of others’ opinions on a moral life-and-death situation, highlighting its ability to gather information and present different perspectives.

Recent evidence shows that fears of widespread job losses due to AI are unfounded, as advancements in technology have not led to significant unemployment rates. The current low unemployment rate in America suggests that AI has not had the catastrophic impact on jobs that some have feared.

The emergence of AI engineered to fear its own demise has sparked widespread debate and ethical scrutiny, as it raises concerns about the potential consequences of granting AI the capacity to experience human-like emotions.

#mystery #strange #documentary #risetv #wonderous #podcast #aifear

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jcmarchi · 10 months ago

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Who Will Protect Us from AI-Generated Disinformation?

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/who-will-protect-us-from-ai-generated-disinformation/

Who Will Protect Us from AI-Generated Disinformation?

Generative AI has gone from zero to a hundred in under a year. While early, it’s shown its potential to transform business. That we can all agree on. Where we diverge is on how to contain the dangers it poses.

To be clear, I am pro innovation, and far from a fearmonger. But the recent uptick in misinformation—largely aimed at polarization around controversial issues of the moment—has made it clear that, if left unchecked, gen AI could wreak havoc on societies.

We’ve seen this movie before with social media, but it took years and hard lessons for us to wake up to its flaws. We’ve (presumably) learned something. The question today is who will help stem the tide of reality distortion from gen AI, and how?

Predictably, governments are beginning to act. Europe is leading the charge, as they have increasingly demonstrated on regulating tech. The US is right behind, with President Biden issuing an executive order this past October.

But it’s going to take a global village acting together to “keep gen AI honest.” And before government can help, it needs to understand the limitations of available approaches.

The identity problem has gotten much worse

In this new world, truth becomes the needle in a haystack of opinions masquerading as facts. Knowing who the content comes from matters more than ever.

And it’s not as easy as decreeing that every social media account must be identity-verified. There is fierce opposition to that, and in some cases anonymity is needed to justifiably protect account holders. Moreover, many consumers of the worst content don’t care if it is credible, nor where it came from.

Despite those caveats, the potential role of identity in coping with gen AI is underappreciated. Skeptics, hear me out.

Let’s imagine that regulation or social conscience cause platforms to give every account holder these choices:

Verify their identity or not, and

Publicly reveal their verified identity, or just be labeled, “ID Verified”

Then the social media audience can better decide who is credible. Equally important if not more so, identity supports accountability. Platforms can decide on actions to take against serial “disinformers” and repeat abusers of AI-generated content, even if they pop up under different account names.

With gen AI raising the stakes, I believe that identity—knowing exactly who posted what—is critical. Some will oppose it, and identity is not a comprehensive answer. In fact, no solution will satisfy all stakeholders. But if regulation compels the platforms to offer identity verification to all accounts, I’m convinced the impact will be a huge positive.

The moderation conundrum

Content moderation—automated and human—is the last line of defense against undesirable content. Human moderation is a rough job, with risk of psychological harm from exposure to the worst humanity can offer. It’s also expensive and often accused of the biased censorship the platforms strive to cut back on.

Automated moderation scales beyond human capacity to cope with the torrents of new content, but it fails to understand context (memes being a common example) and cultural nuances. Both forms of moderation are crucial and necessary, but they are only part of the answer.

The oft-heard, conventional prescription for controlling gen AI is: “Collaboration between tech leaders, government, and civil society is needed.” Sure, but what specifically?

Governments, for their part, can push social and media platforms to offer identity verification and prominently display it on all posts. Regulators can also pave the way to credibility metrics that actually help gauge whether a source is believable. Collaboration is necessary to develop universal standards that give specific guidance and direction so the private sector doesn’t have to guess.

Finally, should it be illegal to create malicious AI output? Legislation to prohibit content meant for illegal activity could reduce the volume of toxic content and lighten the load on moderators. I don’t see regulation and laws as capable of defeating disinformation, but they are essential in confronting the threat.

The sunny side of the street: innovation

The promise of innovation makes me an optimist here. We can’t expect politicians or platform owners to fully protect against AI-generated deception. They leave a big gap, and that is exactly what will inspire invention of new technology to authenticate content and detect fakery.

Since we now know the downside of social media, we’ve been quick to realize generative AI could turn out to be a huge net-negative for humanity, with its ability to polarize and mislead.

Optimistically, I see benefits to multi-pronged approaches where control methods work together, first at the source, limiting creation of content designed for illegal use. Then, prior to publication, verifying the identity of those who decline anonymity. Next, clear labeling to show credibility ratings and the poster’s identity or lack thereof. Finally, automated and human moderation can filter out some of the worst. I’d anticipate new authentication technology to come online soon.

Add it all up, and we’ll have a much better, though never perfect, solution. Meanwhile, we should build up our skill set to figure out what’s real, who’s telling the truth, and who is trying to fool us.

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financialsmatter · 2 years ago

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How Africa Beat Covid Without Vaccines

You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to see how Africa beat Covid without vaccines. Cue up: Hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin…which happen to be the two most effective treatments for the CoronaHoax. Ironically (or NOT) they’re both also routine prophylactic weekly medicines throughout Africa. Why? Because they’ve been known – for a half-century – as the most effective, applicable and safest anti-parasite medications. As a result, prior to the launching of Covid * in 2019 and 2020, most of Africa was well equipped to deal with it…without having to be vaccinated. ( * Note: Evidence is continuing to mount that Covid-19 was man-made in a Chinese lab and was purposefully launched) But the rest of the world swallowed the fearmongering hook, line, and sinker. Meanwhile, fortunes were made by the privileged few. Africa was not the only part of the world where reported COVID cases have been low. Prior to vaccinations, numerous countries (like Thailand, Malaysia, and Uruguay) were barely impacted at all by COVID. But then government mandates came along forcing people to comply with the medical tyranny unleashed by TPTB. Africa Beat Covid So, looking at the above map, it’s interesting to note how the absence of government sure looks like an improvement in Africa. And by using that logic you can conclude that the Covid crisis, to the extent it existed at all, was caused by the irresponsible response of governments. Don’t get me wrong here. Africa suffers from massive corruption. But they just have less manipulation as far as mandatory health programs. Unlike How Africa beat Covid... Do you remember how the Deep State hysteria machine kicked up a frantic panic attack against hydroxychloroquine? The Boyz wanted you to believe that taking hydroxychloroquine was akin to taking rat poison. And getting prescriptions for it was nearly impossible. And for those who care about science, there are also race effects from vaccines. But that discussion is prohibited by the Presstitutes in the U.S. Why? Because the entire vaccine program would crumble if people knew. And, in case you missed it…Medical errors killed 250,000 Americans per year before Covid. Suffice it to say that number is probably much higher now. In keeping with the narrative, Bill Gates warned that Covid could hit Africa worse than China. Wrong again, Billy boy. But don’t expect the globalists to put on the brakes. In fact, in the Political Chaos of 2023 you should expect them to increase the fear mongering…regardless of how Africa beat Covid. Rest assured this will carry over into our markets. So, learn how to position yourself accordingly (HERE). And share this with a friend…especially if they’re already fearful. They’ll thank YOU later. Remember: We’re Not Just About Finance. But we use finance to give you hope. *************************************** Invest with confidence. Sincerely, James Vincent The Reverend of Finance Copyright © 2023 It's Not Just About Finance, LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Read the full article

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alpaca-clouds · 3 months ago

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Believing in Science

Something that a lot of folks do not get, is that my political believes are my political believes, because I believe science. (Well, outside of the general field of psychology - I will talk about why later in the week.) I am for environmental protection, because I believe in science. I am for social programs, because I believe in science. Hells, I am for anarcho-communism, because I believe in science.

Usually you will find more "science believers" in leftist spaces, though there is always stuff where leftists will disagree with science, too. The biggest example of this is to me everything having to do with nuclear energy. If you go by everything we know scientifically, nuclear energy is not only safe, but also one of the best energy solutions for some areas of the world. Yet, because a lot of people do not have rational fears, their fears instead focus on the very slight possibility of an accident and how bad that theoretically could be - even though we only ever had two of those accidents in the entire history of nuclear power. Just like those people will bring very unscientific arguments, like: "But what about with the radioactive trash? What happens to that in 2000 years?" As if humanity would just forget about that in 2000 years. As if we had not a good idea for how to deal with the radioactive garbage. As if humans, even if we reverted back to stone age (with that making it quite hard for them to even get to those places were we would store the garbage) they would still just understand: "Hmm, someone went there and died. Better don't go there!" Those arguments are all just very unscientific.

Another topic that a lot of folks still believe in - even at universities - is the concept of IQ. IQ was developed by unscientific means. IQ has been abandoned as anything having to do with intelligence and internal ways of thinking by neurobiology and large parts of psychology. And yet... A lot of folks will be super insistent that IQ is a test that says... anything. Even though it is quite unscientific.

Again, of course this is all not comparible with the science and general reality denial in right wing circles. The right does not believe in climate change, it does not believe in environmental protections, it does not understand that patriarchy is not a biological fact, it does generally believe in eugenics, it does not believe in all those studies in how stuff like UBI and government handouts help, and instead they will just believe into random fearmongering, often without checking any sources.

One of those fearmongerings they tend to believe in, is that "universities turn children into leftists", but it is simply that... left wing politics in general are based on science - other than right wing politics. Hence, when you send kids to university, they will learn all the stuff that is generally more left wing, because it is the reality. They will also generally learn how to interact with information, how to fact check, and generally whom can be regarded as a proper source.

Yet, I will still always see that for a lot of people it still very much is not about the science, but about what feels to be right. And that in the end has to do a lot with upbrining.

Which is why it seems impossible to tell people who have grown up in the West about how individualistic societies are really not good for peopel - and that their understanding of how more communal societies work just are... really bad. But it is another one of those things that you can show people studies for and a lot of folks will just not understand it.

And I personally would just wish that people would think a lot more critically about what they know and what they think they know. And I would wish that at times folks would just... look at the actual science about things, rather than just looking at some newspaper articles talking about the science.

Also: Always ask who did a study and why. It helps a lot.

#anarchism #left wing #communism #science #science communication #politics #scientists #believe science #climate change #environmentalism

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spacelazarwolf · 2 years ago

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in which i, a queer trans jew, rip a goy a new asshole

hoo boy where the fuck to start.

i’m only addressing this part of this post because i don’t have the energy to discuss the fearmongering that was in the first part. i’m also not linking the original post because 1. it was deleted moments after i asked if you were jewish, which from your phrasing of the post and your reaction to my question i’m assuming you’re not, and 2. i’m hoping you learn from this and never do something like this again.

1. how dare you invoke the holocaust like this.

it’s clear from the way you speak about it that you are not educated enough to talk about this with the sense of authority you seem to have. if the first thing you think of when you think of jews is one of the worst genocides to happen in modern history, then you’re not fucking ready to talk about jews or the holocaust. there were other groups targeted in the holocaust as well, specifically romani people who were part of the ‘final solution’ alongside jews, who are also still being persecuted, but i doubt you even know they exist. you also seem to think that jews only existed in europe or that only jews that lived in europe were affected by the holocaust, but again that’s incorrect. the holocaust was a communal trauma. it affected us all, ashkenazi, sephardi, italki, mizrahi, all across the world we saw what was happening and tried to help our people while the world sat and watched and turned us away. so don’t you fucking dare invoke the holocaust. you do not ‘understand the gravity of such implications’ because if you did you would never have posted this.

2. we are a tiny community that has still not recovered from the atrocity you chose to trivialize

jews make up about 2% of the us population, and about 0.2% of the global population. despite this fact, there are dozens of conspiracy theories saying that we control the world, the weather, the banks, that we’re hellbent on world domination because we are power-hungry vermin that need to be exterminated before we attain that power. we have been persecuted and murdered for centuries because of these conspiracy theories. we have no control or power, but people like you seem to think that we do. calling on us specifically to save you because you think we have some sort of special obligation or special power implies that if we don’t somehow stop what’s happening to trans people (who, by the way, we apparently created as a way to spread degeneracy and destroy good white christian values) that we will be responsible for another holocaust, and i hope you realize how fucking atrocious that is.

3. jews are also in grave fucking danger

but why would you know that? you’ve probably never spoken to a jew intentionally in your life. our elders have been saying for years that this country is slipping into fascism, our entire community has been begging y’all to see what’s happening, but y’all called us sensitive and attention seekers and ‘perpetual victims.’

4. as i said before, antisemites already think we created trans people

antisemitism and transphobia are intertwined, but in progressive circles it is very rare to see people advocating for jews. i feel safer in even the most conservative jewish spaces as a queer person than i do in queer spaces as a jew, and i’m not the only one. queer jews have been ejected from queer spaces for simply carrying pride flags with a star of david on them.

5. we’ve been fighting for you. where the fuck have you been?

jews are overwhelmingly left leaning in the us. we are very active in social justice movements and have been for decades, and 76% of us support lgbtq+ rights and nondiscrimination legislation. we support reproductive rights, we create summer camps for trans kids, all while it becomes more and more dangerous to exist as a jew in the united states. queer jews have been a foundational part of queer liberation for decades.

so please fucking spare me the lecture about how, because we were murdered by the millions a couple decades ago, and despite the fact the queer community continues to push us out of queer spaces, we are apparently uniquely responsible for the actions of the same white christofascists who have been targeting us for centuries. do fucking better.

#jewish #jumblr #trans #trans community #queer #trans jew #queer jew #goyim shut up challenge #holocaust #shoah

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potteresque-ire · 4 years ago

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hello, ily metas! thank you for taking the time for them. i hope you dont mind an ask with two follow up questions to your metas i'm curious about: 1) has mxtx rly been sentenced? i have seen others also share this news but other fans have quickly dismissed and gotten pissed at these reports for being fake news that are bad for mxtx, and as fearmongering. 2) for those who want to support yizhan but not the ccp, do you have advice how to navigate fan support and interaction with their media?

Hello! I apologise for the late reply! You’ve brought up some interesting points, so please forgive me for responding with an essay.

First, about MXTX — This is a follow-up to this post.

Unfortunately, this is all we got—all everyone has got about MXTX’s current situation: on 2020/11/10, she was sentenced in Hangzhou Shang Cheng District’s People’s Court (杭州市上城區人民法院). No details were given on her verdict, due to “人民法院認為不宜在互聯網公布的其它情形” (“The People’s Court decided it inappropriate to announce further details on the internet”). Here’s a link with the screenshot that showed all the information released about the case that day.

There are enough copies of similar screenshots to this one online, with the differences dependent on where the publisher pulled the information from the same website: 中國裁判文書網, an online archive of verdicts run by China Supreme People’s Court. There’re few reasons, therefore, to believe the information on the screenshot was fake. The link I used was Sina’s Financial News, which I believe is trustworthy enough for China’s standard.

It is also important to note, of course, that two scenarios may still render this screenshot irrelevant. 1) The verdict, which was not mentioned in the screenshot, was “not guilty” and 2) the name listed in the case, 袁依楣, was not MXTX at all.

Few have seemed to suspect 2) to be a possibility. Her real name might have been prior knowledge among some fans, or the combination of her surname and city of residence. 1) has been the where the concern / debate is.

I included China’s rate of conviction in the original post for this reason: acquittal is exceedingly rare (<0.1%) for the arrested in China. This short article discussed some reasons.

So, is it possible that MXTX is now a free woman? Yes. Is it likely? Not at all.

Still, since the probability that MXTX is imprisoned isn’t 100%, is spreading this news smearing her name? Fear-mongering?

I can only answer for myself, Anon, but my answer is no for both questions, which is why I’ve felt comfortable posting about her case. MXTX’s alleged “crimes” are things we already knew she did, or common practices among Chinese IP writers. We know she penned MDZS and other BL works; we know MDZS, in particular, has an 18+ element. She was said to have sold merch based on her works, but that wasn’t unusual at all for writers in Jinjiang, where she published her writing. Even those who don’t like her have seemed to agree that it was her writing that got her into trouble, not some other crimes she could’ve committed.

IMO, a guilty verdict doesn’t tell us as much about her as it does about the judicial system, the business practices of her country. It’s worth re-mentioning that media giants such as Tencent are closely tied to the government; Tencent’s WeChat, for example, is part of China’s Great Firewall and is used for surveillance, for censorship and removal of political dissidents. What MXTX’s case hints at is this: the government has (very likely) convicted her, while its close allies are continuing to use her works—works that got her into legal trouble in the first place—to make money. Some fans of MXTX have questioned if the courts have censored the details of the case to save the embarrassment of the rich and powerful, calling what has happened to MXTX 人血饅頭 (“human blood steamed buns”), an idiom used to describe the act of profiting out of someone elses’ life.

As for fear-mongering, here are my thoughts ~ it would’ve been fear-mongering if the public has access to the facts, and not years after they happen. Specifically, it would’ve been fear-mongering to leak the rumours of MXTX’s sentencing, when the judicial system is transparent and the case details will soon be published for all to see. Why? Because “fear” comes from the unknown, and “-monger” is the unnecessary promotion, stirring-up of this fear.

To promote, stir up anything, one needs a reference level. The reference level in this scenario is this: what is the level of fear if the facts about MXTX’s (and other BL writers’) situation are known? Of course, this knowledge doesn’t make MXTX’s experience any easier or more just; it doesn’t cause her less fear. However, she isn’t the target audience of this likely-to-be-true rumour. The target audience is the public and in particular, those who consume and/or generate BL material online.

What is the level of fear among this population if the facts about MXTX’s (and other BL writers’) situation are known? It’s the (relative) comfort in knowing the government’s stance on what they do: how the administration feels about BL, 18+ BL, and their distribution methods. The comfort comes from having the right information to decide how to act accordingly. For example, if I’m a BL writer based in China and I know the court has found MXTX guilty of bypassing publishing houses but not of writing M/M romance, then I’ll know to not produce paper versions of my writing, but I can keep writing.

This reference level of fear is unavailable here, however, since the government has decided to withhold all details about the case. Without this reference level, fear-mongering becomes a ... difficult to define concept.

Are these likely-to-be-true rumours agents of fear, or are they hints on how to survive in a country that lacks transparency?

Continuing with the example of I being a Chinese BL writer, since I cannot expect to hear more facts about MXTX, this rumour is all I’ve got in choosing what to do with my hobby, in deciding whether it is safe to continue. As I’m aware that a rumour isn’t a fact, I first research on the rumour’s likelihood of truth (similar to what I’ve done for MXTX’s case), and cross my fingers that I don’t get it wrong.

By doing so, I’m turning these rumours into my survival guide.

Is it risky? Yes. Is it exhausting? Absolutely. But this is the way of life for people who live under secretive, authoritarian governments—the authoritarian element making it impossible to demand more facts. It may take people outside such regimes some time to get used to—to the lifestyle, and to the idea that, in a place where news is often synonymous with propaganda, rumours are breadcrumbs of truth that should be sieved through with equal care as one would sieve through the news. Heeding, considering the probable truth of what the authority has deemed to be fear-mongering rumours can be a matter of literal life and death.

Take...COVID. (I apologize for bringing up this unpleasant topic!)

I shall link to an article about the early spread of COVID in Wuhan here and ask: were Dr. Li Wenliang and the seven other doctors fear-mongering? Wuhanese chose to believe in the government, but at what cost to them? What would the world be like today if they took the early COVID rumours as true and masked up like Hong Kongers—Hong Kongers who weren’t any smarter or better, but had simply learned their painful lessons from the 2003 SARS epidemic?

(Why hadn’t the Wuhanese learned? Because the government has long changed the narrative of SARS, taught their people that the illness originated in Hong Kong.)

(How can one learn from past mistakes if one pretends those mistakes never existed?)

You must be wondering, Anon, why I’m talking about COVID when your next question is about YiZhan. The death of Dr Li Wenliang on February 7th, 2020, sparked a demand for freedom of speech rarely seen in internet-age China. Its fury, its ferocity forced the government to change its stance on Dr Li, again an unusual move. Since January 2020, Weibo had been censoring COVID news and opinion pieces that shedded a negative light to the central government; after the death of Dr Li, the censorship apparatus stepped up, making way for the propaganda machine to kick in later and change the narrative of the pandemic.

Here are some questions without definite answers, but may be food for thought for YiZhan fans:

1) While the Chinese government’s censorship apparatus (including Weibo) might have silenced the voices of dissent, of mourning on the surface, was it more likely to pacify, or fuel the anger of netizens, many of whom had lost loved ones, many of whom were still under quarantine?

2) Less than three weeks after the death of Dr Li, a group of fans demanded even *more* censorship from the government—the closing of an internet website that had been seen as a relatively free space to express oneself. How would these netizens react, even though they knew little about these fans or their idol?

(It was, in the context of the massive silencing of COVID discussions in China, that I learned about the ban of AO3. There had been rumours that the government would censor more websites on 2020/03/01. When I read about AO3′s ban on 2/27, my thoughts were 1) Hmm. This came two days early. 2) AO3? Really?)

(I wouldn’t watch The Untamed or know who Gg was until several months later.)

Now, Anon, this is a good time to get to your CCP (Chinese Communist Party) question.

The very short answer is no. There’s no way to support YiZhan without, to a certain level, supporting the CCP. As mentioned above, the media companies are all part of China’s surveillance system. Weibo is where freedom of speech is curbed. Our two boys have been part of the propaganda machine; the BBC article linked above had a tiny picture of Gg on it, as he was a performer in the Hero in Harm’s Way (最美逆行者), a “real-life based” drama on COVID. DD just did a show glorying the Chinese police force (and here’s a video of the same force welding doors to lock in COVID-stricken residents).

Nonetheless, here’s my first advice: please do not beat yourself up for supporting YiZhan!

Gg and Dd are people who live within the system, inside the Great Firewall. They understand the world the way their government has taught them to—not only in school, but also in the news and media. Like most youths in every country, they’re patriotic—and to expect them to be otherwise, especially because of information they don’t have, is both unrealistic and unfair. Even if they do know about certain things impermissible within the Firewall, in China (as in many Communists countries), openly expressing / performing one’s proper political leanings (ie. loyalty towards CCP) is among the most important pre-requisites for any job. This has been especially true for c-ent in recent years .

They, like most of their countrymen, are doing what they have to do.

In this case, it comes to us, our decisions on how to interact with their works. How should we deal with them, their propaganda elements?

The answer, of course, varies from person to person. Personally, I’ve chosen the approaches of “immunisation” and “restriction”. By “immunisation”, I mean learning about as much historical and sociopolitical facts from non-CCP sponsored sources; this is understandably difficult for someone who doesn’t already have some familiarity with the culture and politics of the region, and/or cannot read the language.

Restriction means limiting my consumption of media produced by China. I avoid shows (dramas, documentaries, variety etc) featuring topics that are likely to contain heavy propaganda, such as the military, the police, Hong Kong/Macao/Taiwan, and of course, anything pertaining to the CCP, from its rise to its governance of the country.

In general, I’m wary of all information presented about the post-monarchy years (post 1911), even though CCP wouldn’t begin its reign until after WWII (1949). Why so early? 1) Because CCP was formed in 1921 and so its glorification requires a change of narrative since then; 2) because the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang, KMT), which governed China between 1912 and 1949 (the so-called Republican Era 民國), would end up exiling to and setting up a new government in Taiwan.

How much propaganda should one expect in shows depicting the country post-1911? The current TV and webdrama directives (previously discussed in this post) offer some hints. Here are my translations of the relevant items:

D7) Dramas about the Republican era: Glorification of the Republican Era, the Beiyang Government, and Warlord Era requires strict control.

D10) Crime drama: crime drama is the focus of content auditing. The Ministry of Public Security (Pie note: in charge of law enforcement, ie, police) will be involved in the audit. The process of crime solving cannot be exposed; criminal psychology and motivations can however be depicted in detail. Undercover police cannot use drugs or kill, or damage the image of the police force. Criminals must be punished by law.

D12) Dramas featuring realistic topics: realistic topics must adhere to the correct world view, philosophy of life and moral values. They cannot place too strong an emphasis on social conflicts, must showcase the beautiful lives of the commoners. Regular folks should display larger-than-life sentiments and aspirations; they can pursue wealth, but must use proper means to do so; they cannot damage the public image of specific employment types, groups and social organisations. Do not preach negative or decadent world view, philosophy of life and moral values. Do not exaggerate, amplify social issues; do not over showcase, display the darker sides of society; do not preach affluence, avoid things that have no basis in real life.

D16) Dramas featuring the Revolution (Pie note: CCP’s coming to power): 2019 is the publicity period of the 70th Anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. Although the “Three Importances” (important revolution, important people, important events) are still encouraged, the National Radio and Television Administration requires all departments, at all levels, to strengthen the control of content and the overall management of the industry, and focus on the auditing of content pertaining to the Sino-Japanese war and espionage dramas.

These directives (as those translated in the other post) are as vague as they are restrictive, and to err on the side of caution, production companies tend to “overachieve” to avoid going against headwinds at the censorship board. This means their products have a tendency to malign the Republican Era (D7). It means they will likely twist history in trying to depict the CCP as faultless heroes (D16). It means they'll probably present a utopian-like society and call it reality-based (D12), a society in which the good guys share the same values as the CCP and always win (D10).

Yes, my “restriction” means I skipped Hero in Harm’s Way. It means I’ve never listened to Gg’s version of 我和我的祖國 despite my absolute adoration of his voice. It means I just missed Dd’s performance in the law enforcement celebration event. It means I don’t plan on watching Being A Hero and Ace Troops.

So here’s where I’ve drawn the line, Anon, but it doesn’t mean that’s what anyone should do. Only you alone can decide where your own comfort zone is. I write these metas in the hopes that it can offer a … gateway for those who’d like to understand, with a more telescopic lens, Gg and Dd’s country—a country that holds a particularly strong hold over its citizens’ fate including, yes, their romantic fate. It’s not my wish to impose my opinions on anyone.

If I have other hopes… It’s this. Please, as long as it’s safe for you to talk, do not self-censor—especially about facts, especially on sites like Tumblr or Twitter that have long been banned by the Chinese government. I don’t mean one should go about and confront those who insist on a different version of reality. To undo opinions rooted in years of education, IMO, the process has to be voluntary, and the information is already at the fingertips of those who’re surfing these sites and wish to learn more. More importantly, open discussions of these topics may be risky for those who still have close ties to China, and keeping them safe should always be the top priority.

What I mean is simply this ~ please do not feel obliged to agree with every perspective presented in YiZhan’s work just because you support the leads. Please do not feel you must remain silent about the CCP—its good, bad and ugly—just because your favourite stars happen to come from the country it’s ruling. And please remember: “Chinese”, as a term, has always included people who live outside CCP’s control, many of whom still fully embrace the culture, traditions and values of Historical China, a 5000-years long string of dynasties with shifting borders, ethnic makeup and customs. The Untamed is a mainland Chinese production, yes, but its genre, its manner of presenting certain traditions, wouldn’t have been developed, or flourished, without the diaspora. The CCP has only been the ruling party of one country, the People’s Republic of China, for 71 years, and as a party with foreign (soviet) roots and a record of destroying the pillar of the country’s tradition, Confucianism, it doesn’t own a monopolistic say on how every Chinese should think and act—no matter how much it insists it does—or how everyone should think and speak about China and its people.

It isn’t qualified.

#Anonymous #pie metas #pie answers #BJYX #yizhan

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rachelbethhines · 4 years ago

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Tangled Salt Marathon - The King and Queen of Hearts

The existence of this episode just baffles me, as it undermines so much of what season three was trying to accomplish.

Summary: Rapunzel continues to try and restore the memories of her parents, King Frederic and Queen Arianna, and hopes to use the journal of Herz Der Sonne to remind them, but they do not understand the significance. Arianna still lusts for adventure, while Frederic cannot get over his obsession of egg collecting. Rapunzel recruits her friends to try and set up the perfect date for them and while they cannot find anything in common personality wise, they share a mutual love for Rapunzel. However, King Trevor arrives with the intent to woo Arianna using an ocean crystal he found.

So What Exactly Is the History Here?

We have no context for this sudden love triangle. All we know is that Trevor hates Frederic because he’s still in love with Arianna who wound up marrying him instead.

But like, I don't know why Arianna married Frederic. I don’t know why Trevor is still hung up on her years later. Did she actually choose Frederic or was it an arranged marriage cause that’s what royalty did back then? Was she having an affair with Trevor this whole time but couldn’t/wouldn’t leave because of duty? Was she and Trevor pining star crossed lovers, or is Trevor just an incel?

I know what the story wants me to assume; that Arianna deeply loves Frederic and that Trevor is just a jackass loser; but the series has done such a poor job of making Frederic likable and giving him and Arianna any sort of chemistry that I’m inclined to side with Trevor.

For all we know, he may be trying to rescue Arianna from both her memory loss and her abusive relationship while at it. Especially now that she’s no longer needed as a ruler and has no reason to stay in Corona.

Why Not Just Use the Potion from Rapunzel: Day One?

While any Varian cameo is appreciated, it doesn’t add thing to the story. In fact it only raises more questions. We already had a cure for the memory loss, why aren’t we using it?

Even if we write it off as Rapunzel no longer having that particular Saporian spellbook on hand, she still has a whole dungeon full of actual Saporians who know magic that she could gain information from! There’s also Xavier, who already knows everything under the sun about Saporian/Coronian history and magic and owns spellbooks galore. You’re telling me he just has mood potions lying around but can’t brew up a cure for memory loss?

Then there’s also the fact that the amnesia spell doesn’t work on Rapunzel’s parents the same as it did on Rapunzel and we’re never given a reason why. Like just some basic consistence is all I ask show.

I also can’t figure out what Varian is even trying to do here. Where’s is the science to this? What does strawberry goop and lighting have to do with memory? It’s just a cheap reference to Frankenstein and nothing more.

We’re Already Pass Seven Months Since Rapunzel’s Return.

Ok, I have gotten into frequent debates with people about the timeline of season three. Many a story board artist and writer on the show have came forward and stated that season three was only one year. But the very existence of this episode disproves them!

If you remember season one, Hearts Day took place after the Goodwill Festival, but before Queen for a Day. Even when putting episodes back into their intended production order that still remains true.

Hearts Day has to be at least seven months past Rapunzel’s birthday, if not eight months, because the Goodwill Festival is six months past and her parent’s anniversary (QfaD) is nine months past.

Now Rapunzel’s Return has to be Rapunzel’s 20th birthday because season two was a full year, and even if you say it’s not, then that still doesn’t explain Once a Handmaiden (the Goodwill Festival) coming after this episode.

And no you can’t move the episodes around, Once a Handmaiden has be the second to last episode of the series and Under Raps always comes after Rapunzel’s Enemy in any order you watch the series in.

No matter how you slice it, we’re missing a birthday episode for Rapunzel and season three has to be more than a year; a year and a half at the very least, if not two full years.

Look I’m not trying to be disrespectful of the talented artists who worked on this show, but their word isn’t law. The very fact that they’ve had to tell us the timeline after the series was over with indicates bad writing, and the very fact that the show itself contradicts them indicates either a lack of communication behind the scenes or a lack of editorial oversight. Either option is just poor management.

We Have Yet Another Failed Narrative Promise!

Are we seeing a pattern yet?

This is the third time in a row where the episode flat out states that Rapunzel needs to learn something and then, just, never has her learn it; four if you count her non-apology to Varian. Instead the show rewards her for her bad behavior by just giving her want she wants on a sliver platter for no adequate reason.

In fact, one could argue that this episode is the worst offender in the show because divorce is a real thing real kids have to go through. Children that will undoubtedly watch the series.

How upsetting would it be to such a child to watch Rapunzel force her parents back together with zero consequences and realize that they can’t do that in real life? It can potentially feed into misplaced delusions or make them even more bitter, either way it’s unhealthy and super irresponsible to tackle such subject matter in this way. Even Sesame Street handled the topic of divorce better than this supposedly ‘mature’ show.

It’s a Castle! Why Can’t Frederic Get His Own Room?

Frederic is the king. He still technically owns everything even if he’s not the one still in charge. He could have his pick of any room so why is he forcing himself on Eugene? Hell he doesn’t even have to stay in the castle. As pointed out during The Return of the King review, there’s other accommodations within the kingdom that’s suited for royalty. Why not head up to that mountain retreat?

This is a Really Bad Message

I understand that this is meant to be a joke, because of how ridiculously over the top it is, but because the series gives Rapunzel what she wants in the end without ever having her acknowledge how she is wrong here, it winds up validating her toxic world view anyways.

Divorce is not inherently a bad thing. We should be working towards both normalizing it and promoting healthy coping mechanisms for those that go through it, adult and child alike. What Rapunzel is doing here is just repeating puritanical fearmongering. And while I can understand why she might behave in this way, I don't understand why the show refuses to call her out on it. Or any of the other million bad behaviors she displays repeatedly through out the show... like the example below for instance...

Why Am I Suppose to Like Rapunzel Again?

It’s like the writers don’t understand that a joke can damage a character, especially if it’s overplayed. Super sweet upbeat Rapunzel snapping because she finally met someone who was annoying or a situation she couldn’t just solve with a positive attitude was funny maybe like the first time; but we’re three seasons in and this is supposedly her closest loved ones.

Look at them! They’re fucking terrified of her! All they did was point out that she maybe should do her job and deal with real problems instead of poking her nose into her parents business where it doesn’t belong! And this brat is now the ruler of the whole kingdom!? No one can legally stand up to her.

Like where’s the Eugene that stood up to her in Under Raps for trying this same bullshit? Why hasn’t she learned her lesson? She also pulled this same bullying tactic on young Lance and teen Eugene two episodes. Cass left her ass, supposedly, because of her bossy thoughtless ways. And this is also the same woman who abused a child back in season one and still has never acknowledged it.

Yes characters should be flawed, but they should also face real consequences for their actions, and if they’re a protagonist they need to learn and grow past their flaws.

I actively started to dislike Rapunzel after this scene. I already felt something was off way back in the season three opener, but this is the point where I stopped and went “What the fuck?” She used to be my second favorite character behind Varian. I didn’t go into this wanting to hate her, even after this episode I still held out hope that they were trying to purposefully lead up to some sort of falling out with everyone and with Rapunzel having to own up to her bullshit in order to win. You know like a classic third act “the hero is now alone due to their past mistakes” type story. But Nope!

There’s no pay off for any of this. Rapunzel is just mean for the sake of being mean in season three, and no one is aloud to call her out on it. She’s now the same type person as Frederic, a tyrant. That’s not a good development!

She’s Literally Bullying Her Own Parents Now, and I’m Suppose to Find that Funny?

Yes, Frederic is her abuser, and yes some people might find this scene cathartic if they hate him. But this isn’t actually calling out his past abuse. It’s just Rapunzel treating a now powerless old man with that same abuse and denying him bodily autonomy. An old man who has both less political rights and less power within the relationship than her; since due to his memory loss he is now dependent upon her.

In the real world it’s the equivalent of picking on an Alzheimer's patient who is in your care. I don’t give a shit how much of dick they were before the illness set in, you don’t fucking do that!

Why Should I Want Arianna and Frederic To Be a Couple?

The show has done nothing to sell this relationship. In fact one could argue that the show is trying to purposefully sabotage it.

Before the memory loss Frederic was proven to be abusive, to the point where even his own wife was afraid of him and wouldn’t stand up to him. Meanwhile Arianna was shown to be a shell of her former self who’d all but given up upon the things she actually enjoyed in life. And now that they both have had a second chance they have even less motive to stay together.

Look at Arianna up there? She’s clearly not enjoying her time with him. While he doesn’t want to engage in anything that she likes. I mean a couple doesn’t have to share their interests in everything, but there still has to be some sort of connection and the series just does not give us that connection.

There’s no reason why they should stay together. They no longer have any commitment or duty to fulfill as rulers and their daughter is fully grown. Contrary to what Rapunzel says, the kingdom isn’t going to fall apart if they separate. It actually would probably better for everyone, including Rapunzel, if they got divorced. At least then she’d have to grow up somewhat and stop being a controlling asshat.

Why is Attila Here?

I thought Attila got a job running his own bakery and that it was Lance who became the new cook at the Snuggly Duckling? Even if you argued that Attila was just doing Rapunzel a solid that still wouldn’t explain who is running the place when Lance isn’t there.

If you’re going to set up developments like that then you need to either stick with them or give an on screen reason for why these previous developments are no longer relevant. Flat out ignoring them like this is just lazy.

Lance’s New Outfit is the Best Thing About the Episode, and It’s Also a Complete Waste.

Lance deserved a new outfit because the team was too lazy to give him one for season two, even during the island arc. This however is a waste because it doesn’t add anything to the narrative. People were paid to make this thing for it to only show up for a few seconds of screen time.

This Whole Exchange Is Gross.

Oh let me count the ways in which this is so, so stupid.

Neither Rapunzel nor Frederic has ever proven themselves “thoughtful and responsible.” In fact both of them being irresponsible is intentionally a plot point in the main story arc.

How would either Frederic or Arianna know any of this? Not only have they lost their memories, but they didn’t raise Rapunzel themselves and those traits aren’t inherited; they are taught.

Gushing over your grown daughter isn’t a point of connection!

Why would anyone be compelled to kiss a practical stranger, that they previously didn’t even like, just because they both admire some woman they also barely know and happen to be related to? What is the thought process behind this? “Oh we made that? Then lets make another one!” What the fuck show? I’m ace and even I know that’s not a normal thing to get titillated over.

The Series Turns Frederic Into a Literal Baby In a Last Ditch Effort to Make Him Likable

The whole point behind the amnesia plot was to absolve Frederic of his past wrong doings. You can’t call out an old man with Alzheimer's for being a dictator, I suppose. (not like that’s ever stopped me from criticizing Ronald Reagan, tho) But from there the series then takes it one step further and actually infantilizes both Frederic and Arianna, because Chris assumes that if he makes Fredric as pathetic as possible the audience won't hate him any more. Well guess what, it didn’t work. Frederic isn’t suddenly a poor woobie just because he’s useless now. That’s not how that works.

Rapunzel Literally Physically Assaults a Person, Kidnaps Them, Threatens Them With Even More Bodily Harm, and Causes an International Incident; All Because They Asked Her Mom Out On a Date!

You can’t hear it in the screen shots, but there’s very clearly a clanging sound to indicate that Rapunzel just wacked Trevor upside the head and knocked him out.

Let me repeat, a Disney protagonist just committed armed assault against a guy, simply because she doesn’t respect her own mother.

What the Fuck!!!???

Arianna is fully grown woman. She is perfectly capable of making her own choices and she agreed of her own volition to go out with him. In fact she’s the one who asked Trevor if she could come along on his sea voyage. It’s not Rapunzel’s place to interfere with that.

Secondly, Rapunzel shouldn’t get a free pass to attack people just because she’s doesn’t like them. And she most assuredly shouldn’t get to write off her cruelty as justice because she's royalty! What the hell? You just turned one of your official princesses into a literal tyrant for the sake of a joke, Disney!

Where the fuck was the oversight on this show!?

And to top it all off, Trevor is a ruler of a competing kingdom. This could easily have been deemed an act of war. Thankfully for everyone involved Trevor has far more sense and compassion than Rapunzel and doesn’t push the matter.

Yes that’s right! The intentionally annoying prat and comedic antagonist is a more upstanding person than the main heroine! Let that sink in!

Wait, If Laws Don’t Apply Out In the Ocean, Then Why Did Eugene and Max Have Jurisdiction to Arrest Lady Caine in Peril on the High Seas?

Max shoved this same rule book into Eugene’s face when Eugene rightfully questioned if it was his job to arrest the mutineers. This book said that it was not only his job, but that he was also legally required to stop any and all ‘wrongdoing’ no matter where he was at nor whether he was on duty or not. While also failing to specify what ‘wrongdoing’ entailed.

Now that’s very problematic and ridiculous for a whole host of reasons that I’ve already covered back in my review of Peril on the High Seas, but this scene now adds a whole new layer of stupidity to the mix.

If zero laws apply out in open waters than yes, Eugene and Max were acting out of their jurisdiction. Not only that, but the pervious dumb rule regarding their duties is also now null and void. So, Justice For Lady Caine!

Oh, but were not done yet, cause it gets dumber.

If laws, including marriage don't apply, then getting married while out at sea also would not apply. Thereby rendering Trevor’s plan useless, unless they got married back in Equis. Which if they did that, it would bypass the entire pointless rule book completely because Equis is not subject to Corona’s laws anyways.

There’s not even any ‘inter-kingdom’ laws that they would be subject too because Equis isn’t a part of the seven kingdoms. Any treaty they did previously have with Corona would be something else entirely, and Trevor would be within his rights to end such an agreement.

Also Trevor is a king. He can do whatever the fuck he wants. Same goes for Arianna.

Ummm, No You Don’t Rapunzel

Trevor can’t marry Arianna without her agreement to it. It’s already been established that she’s physically capable of taking care of herself and she’s also mature enough to make her own decisions. If she did wind up marrying him it’d be because it’s her fucking choice to and Rapunzel has zero right to interfere with that.

There’s no one to rescue here. Rapunzel has no reason to go chasing after her mom. All this is doing is denying a grown woman agency over her own life. Why should I or anyone, root for Rapunzel here?

You Do Know That Arianna Has More Than Just Two Choices Here, Don't Ya Show?

Arianna doesn’t have to be in any relationship. That’s also an option. While I personally like Trevor, this shouldn’t be a choice between him or Frederic. The show should be asking what Arianna, as a character, would want for her life, instead of just shoehorning her into just being a wife for someone else.

I still don’t know what Arianna really wants in life, but I do know that being a domestic housewife and a queen does not suit her. She doesn’t actually like being tied down with commitments and responsibilities. She’s repeatedly indicated over and over again that she feels uncomfortable in her role.

But the show reduces her into trophy to win and turns her into a damsel in distress multiple times. Then it further neuters her so that she complacently walks back into that life over and over again for no logical reason. She’s treated not as a person but as a prop.

Really, Arianna? Are You Really Sure About That?

These aren’t Arianna’s words. They’re Chris’s.

Arianna has shown zero interest in Frederic up to this point. The closest they got was during that creepy boat scene where they just jumped to almost kissing for no real reason. While before now Arianna was making actual goo-goo eyes at Trevor earlier, before Raps stepped in and broke them up.

They actually do have things in common and had a genuine point of connection. They even almost kissed themselves until Raps started being a dick. No forced and icky conversations about their grown children needed here folks!

While I still firmly believe Arianna should just be single, the show does far more to convince me that she and Trevor should be together more so than her and Frederic. Everything about this scene on the boat feels forced and hollow because it doesn’t ring true to what was previously established.

This just isn’t good writing. It’s the animation equivalent of a six year old smashing their Barbie dolls faces together and shouting “now kiss!”, all because a middle aged man couldn’t get over they fact people didn’t like his self insert.

No, wait, I apologize. That’s being mean to six year olds. They usually have more interesting plots and established characterization than this.

Hey, Remember When the Series Villainized an Orphan For Stealing This Stupid Book?

Yeah, stealing the book was treason and the mains ruined a child’s life over it, but apparently it just doesn’t matter any more cause no one seems to give a shit about Trevor taking it. Like, yes, as the king of another kingdom, Trevor isn’t beholden to Frederic’s bullshit, but you would think that the characters would treat this as a bigger deal than what they do, given how they responded previously to it being taken.

Unless Rapunzel was just talking out of her ass back during The Alchemist Returns. That’s also quite possible.

This Literally Has Nothing To Do With You Rapunzel

Just because Rapunzel herself is a woman, doesn’t mean that stealing the agency of another female character isn’t misogynist. Especially when their both written by primarily men.

Every guy who was involved with the writing of the episode, should be fucking ashamed of themselves!!!

So What Exactly Has Trevor Done Wrong Up To This Point?

Yes, the story board artists and voice actors do a lot of heavy lifting here to try and make Trevor seem like a creep. Arianna’s body language and tone of voice when dealing with him here will be very familiar to a lot of women, I’m sure. I know what it’s like to have a stalker and not know how to turn them down because you’ve been trained all your life to ‘be polite and nice” to people, and I’m not unique in that regard.

But here’s the thing, it’s not set up properly. There’s nothing backing this sudden shift in the characters’ dynamic. Up till now Trevor has been a perfect gentlemen. Sure he was over the top as always, and you could call it an act when regarding his politeness to Frederic, but he seemed to genuinely respect and admire Arianna and clearly desires genuine affection in return from her. Why would he suddenly stop behaving in a way that worked for him and start talking over her instead?

Also why wouldn’t Arianna just tell him no to begin with if that’s what she wants? She had no trouble speaking her mind before now. But that begs the question why she wouldn’t return his feelings as well, because as stated above, she clearly showed interest in him previously.

This is So Fucking Forced

Yeah, okay, you’re daughter has no reason to be here to begin with, disrespected your wishes, and attacked Trevor first. At this point I’d argue he has a right to retaliate. Especially since, if Rapunzel was allowed to board, you know she’d just attack him again, because she knows no other way to resolve conflicts other than to hit people very hard.

Arianna’s actions here only make sense if she’s kept in the dark about what an awful human being her daughter really is. That’s poor writing.

Also, having a woman just punch people while denying them actually agency and choice within the plot is not ‘girl power.’ It’s fucking misogyny!

How Does Doing the Bare Minimum, and Just Showing Basic Human Decency Count As ‘True Love’?

What was she suppose to do? Let him drown? I mean I wouldn’t, and I despise the man. Not to mention anyone else could have done the same thing. They’re all right there. If Lance had jumped to the rescue would Trevor have proclaim them lovers too?

Trevor Is Still the Better Man Here

Here he is rescuing Rapunzel even after she treated him like shit.

Best. King. Period.

This Still Doesn’t Redeem Frederic

So through out the episode Frederic has inexpiably shown an obsession for eggs. He now collects them even though this was never an established trait before now. But whatever. He’s just been through something traumatic and looking for something to ground himself. Far be it from me to make fun of someone else’s special interest. If you like to collet eggs than good for you. Go live your life to fullest.

That’s more respectful than how the show handles it, as everyone dismiss his interest and it’s treated like a joke through out the episode. Only to have said obsession save the day. But this isn’t here to teach the others about respecting other people’s hobbies, oh no, it’s here to try and give Frederic a big hero moment so you’ll cheer for him.

Except one nice thing does not erase his past actions! I don’t care what your hobby is, if you deliberately try to cause grievous harm to people you’re and asshole! And you will continue to be an asshole until you can admit what you’ve done wrong and try your best to make up for it.

I Hope You Made Back Up Copies of The Tunnel Maps

A bunch of people are more upset over this development than I am, because it is a historical artifact and preserving the past is important. But the only story function the book held was a map to the tunnels, and said tunnels were never utilized properly through out the entire show.

To this day people still don’t understand that they’re meant connect the island to Old Corona or that Herz Der Sonne is the one who built them into order to invade Saporia because the show is so bad at its world building. And come season three, they’re all but irrelevant anyways. Such a wasted concept.

Once Again the Whole ‘Memory Loss’ Subplot Is a Copout

Ok that’s not how the spell worked previously, but that’s not what I’m taking issue with here.

If the whole point behind the amnesia plot twist was to sweep Frederic’s awfulness under the rug, then I expect his past actions to be addressed once he’s regained his memories. They are not.

This episodes reverses the very thing that the season was trying to achieve and just hopes the audience is too stupid/attention deficient to notice. Well guess what, we noticed and we’re far smarter than you Chris.

Conclusion

I don’t understand the point of this episode. It shoots everything season three is trying to do in the foot. It screws up the timeline, makes Rapunzel even more of an irredeemable dickhead while preventing her from learning yet another needed lesson, undermines Arianna as a character once again, and it puts Frederic back in the crosshairs of the audience’s scrutiny.

Oh and look, it’s written by the same guy who wrote Rapunzel’s Return. Why am I not surprised.

Anyways another one down and only 15 more to go. You can support my continued marathon by dropping a tip in my ko-fi if you wish. I’m currently back to job hunting yet again and anything you can give is appreciated.

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#Rapunzel #rapunzel's tangled adventure #anti-tangled #anti-rapunzel #ferderic #arianna #tangled #tangled the series

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