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Varelion

334 karma · joined June 10, 2025

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Varelion··on The arguments against open source AI are bad
> Some people would say it is reaching some sort of singularity.

Those people never took Systems Thinking, or are failing to apply it to AI as a non-closed system.

Varelion··on Writing by hand is good for your brain
When learning new languages, frameworks, or systems, I've learned over the last ten years that I -- as ADHD riddled as I am -- retain and engage with information a lot more when I write by hand, even if I am not medicated.
Varelion··on Stop pretending billionaires built the future
If Billionaires steal from the present, which they do (see net wealth change over the past seven years as wealth transfer from the people), they also steal from the future. Not to mention the deluge of capital going into the pockets of politicians who are actively hostile to any aspect of intellectual pursuit short of "Can I inside trade your new company's stock?"
Varelion··on OpenAI and Anthropic unite against open-weight AI risks to their bottom line
Warned by YComb? I got something similar when discussing Flock.

Tech companies, in the end of the day, will stand together to suppress dissent under the guise of anything nearing plausible deniability.

Varelion··on Can a MUD evaluate LLMs? A $99 proof of concept
Jesus H. Christ, never thought about that.
Varelion··on Can a MUD evaluate LLMs? A $99 proof of concept
I specifically outlined non-MUD role playing environments because I know MUDs lost popularity long before Discord. I am outlining that any form of tech, besides Discord, is sidelines -- MUDs and a hopeful resurgence as well.
Varelion··on Can a MUD evaluate LLMs? A $99 proof of concept
I really, really hope you lot manage to!
Varelion··on Can a MUD evaluate LLMs? A $99 proof of concept
I honestly worry that the relevance of text-based systems is largely tied with literacy and how it interacts with the player's imagination -- something largely in decline, at least in the US.
Varelion··on Can a MUD evaluate LLMs? A $99 proof of concept
A little irrelevant, but I need to vent about something MUD adjacent.

I really wish MUDs were still a thing. The text-based roleplaying communities were largely swallowed by Discord, where as before they existed scattered over proboards, jcink, and a few others.

Discord, being the imperfect text platform, limits the text and leaves most interaction limited by awkward formatting. To boot, even when a better ecosystem is invented, players refuse to give it a shot even if directly invited, because they got comfortable with Discord's terribleness.

It's so frustrating, and I don't know how to voice it, or even what can be done.

Varelion··on Back to Kagi
I really wish I was in a position I could afford to subscribe to Kagi.
Varelion··on FreeInk: Open ecosystem for e-readers
Perfect -- this is exactly the kind of project I was hoping to see gain some traction as of late.
Varelion··on Judge approves $1.5B Anthropic settlement for pirated books used to train Claude
I sincerely don't understand what the point of these laws are, when the cost of flagrant violations is no more than a slap on the wrist -- these really meager sums that serve as nothing more than something to point at and say "Look, we did something!"

Cover-your-ass strategy, and nothing more. Who, besides the ones at fault, are ever happy with these mean-nothing fines?

The justice system really needs an overhaul with how it tackles "justice" between the wealthy, the connected, the corporations, and the rest. Though I am unsure what that would look like. Minimum net wealth per category of infraction across the board?

Edit: grammar

Varelion··on Yubikey 5.8: Verified Authorization for the New Era of Identity and AI
I believe in, and am a big proponent of physical 2FA being widely adopted -- though I own a half-dozen YubyKeys, I do wonder what their profit margins are. They feel a lot more expensive than they should be.
Varelion··on ICE to Pay Thomson Reuters $125M to Find Voter Fraud
I can't believe this is how the guise of democracy in this country dies.
Varelion··on ICE to Pay Thomson Reuters $125M to Find Voter Fraud
This process has been carried out, publicly, a few times. Every time the results not only fail to support the current regime's narrative, they actively goes against it. So, the question becomes: "Who is getting kickbacks for this 'deal'?"

More importantly, how in the hell it this under the purview of ICE? Agencies and units have strictly outlined mission statements they are not supposed to go outside of. What kind of secret police nonsense it this?

EDIT: Word choice & spelling

Varelion··on Jellyfin founder Andrew leaves team
This UI is YUMMYYY
Varelion··on China's open-weights AI strategy is winning
Will do, thank you!
Varelion··on China’s open-weights AI strategy is winning
I'm sorry, is there further reading material on this? I am pretty new to political/economic science.
Varelion··on China’s open-weights AI strategy is winning
I do not understand the logic going into these companies. Flagrantly violate all IP in Human history, essentially claiming domain over the heritage of Humanity... And... Try to privatize it? When the technology -- and data -- are both public domain to begin with?

It is ming-boggling stupidity. If there is talk of bailouts as the dust settles, there it would just be further evidence the system is ethically, financially, and intellectually bankrupt.

EDIT: Spelling mistakes

Varelion··on NYC Subway Signals: A Complete Guide
A very interesting thing to read on a long NYC metro ride.
Varelion··on Generative AI Is an Engineering Disaster
WOAH! Communism in my homefront? That's an NSPM-7 violation there, buddy.
Varelion··on Show HN: Goku – WASM (wllama)-powered LLM inference and model manager
The irony of it being an LLM project.
Varelion··on Former NOAA employees built Climate.us to preserve climate data and resources
YCombinator did invest in flock...
Varelion··on The infinite scroll may become endangered if controversial Calif. law passes
The source of the disease isn't moralistic grandstanding -- it's the lack of empathy and biblical greed behind the machine.
Varelion··on The infinite scroll may become endangered if controversial Calif. law passes
I'm well acquainted with "Everything Bad Is Good For You" -- this is not the same.
Varelion··on The infinite scroll may become endangered if controversial Calif. law passes
Thank God. We need more legislation against the cognitive poisoning of two generations.
Varelion··on Former NOAA employees built Climate.us to preserve climate data and resources
[flagged]
Varelion··on LAPD lets contract with surveillance giant Flock expire
Convenient amnesia. Your very first link disproves your comment. He had a license; he was legal to drive.

An already entirely irrelevant point to make in this thread. Much like your second point, given that https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-electio... as a talking point, it's, as more drivel pushed by the right to make it an issue, when it isn't https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/noncitizen-voting-is-e... for the purpose of voter suppression and she same control as Flock -- the same kind of control that you somehow seem to oppose in your final link. Cognitive dissonance.

Varelion··on LAPD lets contract with surveillance giant Flock expire
All of it Fox News drivel. Hence if was flagged.
Varelion··on LAPD lets contract with surveillance giant Flock expire
Easily disproved. So much inaccurate malarky on this thread. I would assume it's bots AstroTurfing, if American zeitgeist wasn't already so demonstrably poisoned.
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