Lauren Weinstein

https://mastodon.laurenweinstein.org/@lauren

< Tech Systems & Policy Analysis: Internet, Privacy, plus his other sundry topics >
Los Angeles - lauren.vortex.com

Lauren's Blog: https://lauren.vortex.com

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Last Notes

2024-09-11 13:56:35

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Yeah, humidity like that sucks.

2024-09-08 14:35:29

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I frequently call back to uber-classic films like "Lawrence of Arabia" (arguably, best film of all time, fantastic optical and audio quality), and quality TV production from the 70s or so (e.g., from Universal). Take a series like early "Columbo". No need for cuts every quarter second. Dialogue clear as crystal because underscoring is used very sparingly and rarely under dialogue at all. And so on.

2024-09-07 19:54:34

Apparently this horrible L.A. area heat wave is supposed to finally have a rather abrupt end by Tuesday. Unfortunately, there may be little left but molten slag by that time. Stay tuned.

2024-08-28 15:37:34

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As you may have noticed, there is no PAUSE button on the seats in theaters.

2024-08-28 15:36:21

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Name the LLM, please.

2024-08-18 13:35:22

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If they could figure out how to do it, maybe.

2024-08-18 13:34:53

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They usually run the theatrical versions irrespective of stuff like that.

2024-08-18 13:32:43

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Yep.

2024-08-18 13:27:54

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I've been saying the Apple privacy stance is really a self-serving profit center for ages. Too many Apple fanboys haven't figured it out yet.
I know the internals of Google vastly better than Apple, since I have worked inside Google and know/knew many great people there. I emphasize "knew" because the flow of Googlers I know who left the company is increasing rapidly, as the best people see the writing on the walls or have just gotten fed up with Sundar's vision.
My real Google hero is Matt Cutts. He's a great guy and it was always fun to have an opportunity to sit and chat with him. He got out of Google years ago. I haven't talked to him lately but I can imagine what he'd think of today's Google.

2024-08-18 02:51:12

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The point is that (for example), it will happily provide Mel Brooks' date of birth. But not Harris. It is very specifically redlining.

2024-08-18 02:47:39

The Founding Fathers of the United States (at a time when women of course could not even vote) assumed that presidents would be gentlemen. They did not anticipate Trump.

2024-08-18 02:11:50

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Not so much knowingly. But there are common situations where it can get used accidentally (either real data, or ghost data).

2024-08-18 01:55:41

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The carrier data statistics are what matter of course. They tend to be REALLY good about collecting it, even if sometimes a bit delayed. If iOS is showing a much larger value than the carrier stats, this suggests "ghost" usage that didn't involve the carrier at all, assuming no massive failure of the carrier's data accounting systems.

2024-08-18 01:33:46

Trump held a rally in Pennsylvania today. He addressed the attendees as "North Carolina". They appeared justifiably confused. Almost as much as he obviously was.

2024-08-18 00:59:06

The 1983 film "Trading Places" has surfaced on #YouTube Movies & TV. Oddly though, it is labeled as "TV Version". This is extremely unusual for feature films that cycle into that YT channel.

2024-08-18 00:33:37

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Uh, it won't even answer fact questions about these persons. Like WHEN THEY WERE BORN. So it's not a matter of QA, it's TOTAL block lists on those names. Disgraceful.

2024-08-18 00:25:51

I find it impossible to view #Google's refusal to permit their Gemini AI to even provide simple biographical information about persons such as Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, or even Donald Trump, to be nothing short of abject cowardice. Disgraceful.

2024-08-16 23:42:59

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The vibe I get from Googlers still there these days is "Just a job. Just a paycheck." And hoping not to get laid off at an inopportune time. The joy is gone.

2024-08-16 23:39:59

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If you really want to expand this out ... there are of course a variety of endeavors along the continuum. Sports (and I'll admit, I have never had any particular interest in sports) is an obvious one, with the Olympics being a focal point in this regard. In some countries, a single test in school will determine the rest of your life to a significant extent. Young musicians practice their art and craft endlessly though few will ever be able to make a profession at it.
This is not to say that these endeavors aren't valuable in their own rights, but my point is that putting your whole life in one basket is problematic to my way of thinking at least.

2024-08-16 23:35:58

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Yes. And there's a simpler term that applies: "C-suite panic."

2024-08-16 23:33:00

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Oh definitely.

2024-08-16 23:29:55

Apparently JD Vance is now less popular than Sarah Palin was. That's quite an achievement. Or in Limbo-speak: How low ... can he go?

2024-08-16 23:22:11

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The context of the thread is the Olympics. Please stay in context. Thank you.

2024-08-15 20:19:26

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You'd have to ask him. Good luck.

2024-08-15 20:14:50

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"The ends justify the means" is one of the most dangerous maxims of all time, triggering enormous suffering over the centuries.

2024-08-15 20:13:35

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It has been used, for example, to try justify damaging medical experiments on unknowing victims, in the name of "progress". The Nazis used this reasoning too for their medical atrocities.

2024-08-15 20:09:42

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That kind of reasoning has been used by big firms and governments to trample the lives of ordinary people for generations. It is ethically corrupt and is not an excuse for evil actions.

2024-08-15 19:36:08

Eric Schmidt has attempted to recant the most controversial statements in the interview video that Stanford is now suppressing. But he said what he said. Among the more controversial statements (not exactly his words, but a summary):
He opined that #Google had fallen behind in AI and had to rush to catch up because the firm cared too much about its employees' work/life balance, rather than just working them as hard as possible and going for the AI jugular early on.
He discussed how AI firms can just grab whatever content they want and then use lawyers after the fact to try clean up the mess.
As I said earlier, he made quite a few very insightful comments, but the awful ones are indeed pretty awful.

2024-08-15 19:27:15

Stanford keeps pulling down embarrassing Eric Schmidt video, new copies keep popping up on YouTube.
I can see why Eric wanted it deep-sixed. He says a lot of insightful things, and a number of quite horrid things.

2024-08-15 19:20:31

Peter Marshall, longtime host of TV game show series "The Hollywood Squares", dies at 98. Peace.

2024-08-15 17:31:33

Hidden-camera video shows Project 2025 co-author discussing his secret work preparing for a second Trump term and Trump's support
Also calls for U.S. to be officially a "Christian Nation" with
mass deportations. -L
https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/15/politics/russ-vought-project-2025-trump-secret-recording-invs/index.html
https://mastodon.laurenweinstein.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/967/226/550/341/984/original/9c8b40fe522e7b30.png

2024-08-14 17:34:17

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99.99% of people have ZERO interest in third party OS stuff. It's not even on the map.

2024-08-11 23:43:29

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I should add that true BAUDOT is five bits, but I've seen variations with what amounts to a parity bit, sort of.

2024-08-11 23:39:22

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This is the same reason that RUBOUT/DEL in ASCII is all bits set -- so you wipe out all the bits.

2024-08-11 23:38:45

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Probably BAUDOT.

2024-08-11 23:11:17

All you really need to know about today's GOP is that they consider feeding children to be "Hell on Earth" socialism. But yeah, the more you know about them, the more you understand their fervent embrace of Hell.

2024-07-27 18:33:47

Trump: "I want to be a dictator on Day One."
Trump (last night): "Vote for me in this election, and you'll never have to vote again."
We should appreciate such plain talk.

2024-07-10 16:22:45

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Are you suggesting that Clooney is wrong?

2024-07-04 16:12:25

Thinking about discussing why #Mastodon is a toy and will always be nothing but a toy the way its being handled, on my national network radio segment. No reason to keep telling people they should check out Mastodon when the people in charge apparently don't understand security to a professional level.

2024-07-03 15:33:43

Time to re-poll this question. Will Biden be the Democratic nominee for president?

2024-07-02 15:39:35

Back in the 1960's Disney had a number of shows on their TV "World of Color"/"World of Disney" series devoted to "Man Into Space" discussions, regarding the current state of affairs and forward looking. These were generally quite excellent and very much worth watching (Disney has them on their service).
Some of these were hosted by Wernher von Braun himself, who proved an effective host (it's easy to see how he could be convincing to government official to get appropriations).
What's interesting watching them -- and this would have been even more the case back when they originally aired -- is how carefully the shows, when discussing von Braun's background, tip toe around the fact that his work on the V1 and V2 were responsible for vast numbers of deaths in England and elsewhere. While it has been argued that he only joined the Nazi party defensively to protect himself, it is also clear that he wanted to continue working on rockets at all costs.
And, yes, I've already quoted the Tom Lehrer lyrics today, so no need for them here.

2024-07-02 14:59:09

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99.9% of people even a year later didn't remember it.

2024-06-23 15:38:28

My favorite thought experiment about consciousness is the old neuron replacement game. One by one, you replace neurons in the brain with exact artificial duplicates that behave and interact with other neurons (or replaced neurons) in EXACTLY the same manner as the originals. Bit by bit more and more of the brain is replaced, until it is entirely made up of replaced artificial neurons. To the outer world, the brain behaves exactly as it did before. But what of the consciousness? If there ever was a consciousness. Is the original introspective entity gone? Were they a physical manifestation in the first place, a set of processes running on the hardware of the neurons? Both? Neither?
Observant readers will note that this is pretty much the same question as comes up with teleportation, when you create an exact copy of the original and then destroy the original.
Say goodnight, Spock.

2024-06-21 16:08:30

BREAKING: Supreme Court rules 8-1 that domestic abusers can't own guns, only Thomas dissents.

2024-06-20 16:14:40

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I intentionally permit indexing.

2024-06-20 16:04:51

For what it's worth, I'm seeing a lot of #Mastodon postings including my own coming up in #Google Search results. And presumably being sucked into their AI vacuum chamber as well.

2024-06-17 17:16:24

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You're conflating IP source addresses, for which there is no infrastructure currently for the government to obtain that data en masse, much less tie them to government IDs, with specific proposals and laws to require every user of social media and then other sites to tie their identities for all activities on the Net to their government IDs, as is required in China. It is a mass surveillance program.
Given that I've been working on the Internet continuously since its early ancestor ARPANET days at UCLA ARPANET site #1 where the Internet began, I am pretty well versed on this tech, thank you.

2024-06-17 17:07:52

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Execs are in panic. This won't end well.

2024-06-17 16:58:31

So now the surgeon general wants warnings on social media like on cigarette packs. Nothing better to do with your time, huh?

2024-06-17 16:57:50

Apparently #Google has now managed to break a useful feature for #YouTube on TVs. A recent update implemented a rather crude "screensaver" feature that cuts in if you pause a YT video for more than a few minutes. It's quite useless. Amusingly, it moves the screensaver image around a bit presumably to avoid burn-in, but leaves the bright white YouTube logo in a fixed position. Oh well.
More to the point, once the screensaver starts, you lose voice control of the video. That is, normally you can say "Pause YouTube" to any nearby device (e.g., Google Mini) to pause the video, and then "Resume YouTube" to start it up again. But once the screensaver starts, you can no longer resume by voice, you just get "Nothing is playing". Nor is there any way I can find to disable this lame new screensaver feature.
Thanks a bunch Google. Jeez. Google, on a quest to break everything that used to work.

2024-06-17 16:26:17

It's worth pointing out that the new #YouTube experiment to allow "notes" to be placed on videos by other users (apparently not controllable by the video creators, unlike traditional comments that can be deleted or disabled), is reminiscent of one of the darkest periods of Google/YouTube, when there was a forced integration of YouTube comments and Google Plus social media posts.
This was an absolute train wreck, and I fought against it internally at Google since I was working inside #Google during part of that time. It quickly became apparently that it was a magnet for abuse, and while the integration was eventually rescinded the damage had already been done.
Google must be a serious sadomasochist to go anywhere near this path again.

2024-06-17 15:22:26

[Totally nuts] #YouTube experimenting with letting users scribble notes on others' videos
Oh yeah, this won't be abused. Sure. Totally nuts, #Google.
You don't need a super brain AI to figure out how this one will go south.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/17/youtube-is-experimenting-with-notes-a-crowdsourced-feature-that-lets-users-add-context-to-videos/
https://mastodon.laurenweinstein.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/632/641/462/390/382/original/fc9d81d394b4f516.png

2024-06-15 02:06:23

I haven't really paid serious attention to "Doctor Who" since the Tom Baker days (the only real Doctor Who, and whose companion Leela is namesake of my Leela!), but I do keep an eye on television and streaming ratings numbers, and man it looks like Doctor Who's numbers have really gone downhill. I haven't watched the show in at least five years or more, but this seems to be a pretty dramatic fall.

2024-06-14 16:28:33

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The fundamental question is pretty simple. Let's say someone asks a generative AI system a question, it provides an inaccurate answer, and then someone is harmed or killed as a result of that answer. Who is responsible for that answer (which is original content created by that system) and the damage it caused? "Nobody" is not acceptable.

2024-06-14 16:15:15

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Excel is, for all practical purposes, a calculator. Users can see all input data and how that data was used to formulate results. This is not the case for generative AI. The full scope of sources used, how those sources were used, and virtually all other aspects of the system are a black box to users. The AI firms want to create new content and then disclaim responsibility for it. Unacceptable.

2024-06-14 16:10:50

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False comparison. Not even close.

2024-06-14 14:17:17

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There is no way to judge the veracity of a generative AI result a priori. Even if you know the sources of the data, you cannot know how those sources were integrated into an answer or how they may have been contaminated by other factors.

2024-06-14 14:02:18

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Generative AI "search results" can never be trusted, by definition.

2024-06-14 13:50:14

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Uninterested. Like choosing between garbage cans for a snack.

2024-06-14 00:38:46

I don't have numbers, but my sense is that #Google AI Overviews are being ramped up again, and are showing up on lots more searches. Their quality still ranges from awful to, at best, mediocre. I find that I'm automatically skipping over them, because I simply can't trust any individual AI Overview answer to be accurate, especially on important matters.
In fact, this is my suggestion. Pretend they're not there. Skip over them and scroll down to the blue links as if the AI Overview answers didn't exist.
The new marching orders for deploying AI Overviews at Google appear to be "take risks and if users are given misinformation, oh well, them's the breaks. They'll get over it!"
The bottom line is that until such a time as Google is willing to take public responsibility for the veracity of their AI Overview answers, those answers should be considered untrustworthy as a whole.
Unfortunately, it's that simple.

2024-06-11 15:56:03

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So what? If he's reelected, he can do it and nobody can stop him. If he's not reelected, he can do it on the way out. You think charges of "nepotism" are going to bother him with all the horrible stuff the fascist GOP constantly claims he's done?

2024-06-11 15:42:24

It's worth noting that while Biden (unwisely, in my opinion) said he would not pardon Hunter, he did not as far as I know say anything about not commuting an unreasonable sentence. Just a thought.

2024-06-10 18:22:43

Apple keeps touting its supposed privacy advancements, while they keep bending over to please the Communist Chinese government.

2024-05-26 17:44:23

Absent a significant change in either #Google leadership or the attitudes of their current leadership, Google is probably already on the path of a longish decline. Various U.S., EU, and likely other antitrust actions will contribute to this path, but the main driving force is utterly unforced errors by Google leadership.
All this won't happen overnight, but the pattern is much the same as with various other large tech firms that lost focus on their users'/customers' actual needs and desires, rather than what management wants to try manipulate users into accepting.

2024-05-26 15:19:37

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Yeah. I almost said in that post "But how many in their audience remember who Mr. T is?"

2024-05-26 15:13:21

Skechers is running a massive campaign (hell, I even saw Mr. T in one) seeming to imply that slip-on shoes are an incredibly new 21st century invention. Thing is, they've been around pretty much forever -- my entire life anyway.

2024-05-24 16:42:56

Generative AI may be creating more work than it saves
https://www.zdnet.com/article/generative-ai-may-be-creating-more-work-than-it-saves/#ftag=RSSbaffb68
https://mastodon.laurenweinstein.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/497/063/644/748/525/original/3ea27a3330b3fb16.png

2024-05-22 18:36:46

Lawmakers say Section 230 repeal will protect children--opponents predict chaos
"Chaos" is putting it lightly. Disastrous is more like it. -L
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/05/lawmakers-say-section-230-repeal-will-protect-children-opponents-predict-chaos/
https://mastodon.laurenweinstein.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/486/186/416/328/173/original/c00003c9e689efaa.png

2024-05-21 23:31:17

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I think in this case they realize there really isn't anywhere practical to go with it. Spending political capital on this one is just flushing it down the john.

2024-05-16 19:52:17

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Mark, you know that SCALE MATTERS. Onebox and Knowledge Panels were just a pimple on Godzilla's toe compared to what the full Godzilla of Google AI is doing now to websites. Your excuses aren't going to work with me. Don't even try.

2024-05-16 19:41:52

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I'll add that at a MINIMUM there should be a way for logged in users to select on a sticky basis whether or not they want the AI crap at all.

2024-05-16 19:41:00

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No, it's not a good thing. Because most people never touch the top bar and this is just an insincere gesture that Google knows only a tiny fraction of people will notice or even fewer will use. You know how many people have been amazed when I tell them you can filter results by date? They had no idea! Meanwhile, Google will continue sucking data out of those websites as those site views fall to zero, and when those sites vanish Google won't care since they've already got their data!

2024-05-16 19:29:07

Google's sorry excuse for a "Web filter" demonstrates how much they plan to stuff AI down our throats and arrogantly starve for views the very sites that their AI is getting its info from. DISGUSTING. I'm starting to feel about #Google Search the way I now feel about #Twitter. Gone into the dumpster.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/05/google-search-adds-web-filter-as-it-pivots-to-ai-focused-search-results/
https://mastodon.laurenweinstein.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/452/418/431/155/765/original/e4dc14d4c61cec22.png

2024-05-15 20:23:51

I'm being asked why I think #Google is pulling the standard "Undo" function out many Chrome text input right-click context menus, and replacing that menu selection (without any advance warning or explanation) with their AI-based "Help me write".
I don't know, but I can guess. I suspect it was something like this at a team meeting:
"Hey, word is that we really need to up the AI engagement metrics. What haven't we covered yet? [ laughter ]"
"Well, we could get rid of context menus Undo and replace it with an AI selection. Then when users right-click during text input, they'll get the "Help me write" prompt where they've pretty much always expected undo to be."
"I like that. It'll be right in their faces. Do you think there will be any blowback from people not finding Undo in those context menus anymore?"
"Naw, pretty much everyone knows the keyboard shortcut for undo is Control-Z. They can just use the shortcut. Only a fool wouldn't know that. And we don't care about fools!"
"Absolutely. OK, I'm in. Should there be any kind of warning or explanation for this?"
"No way -- let it be a surprise to the users! More impact!"
"Wow, I can feel those AI engagement metrics going up already!"
"Great work, team! All AI, all the time!"

2024-05-15 03:35:04

In a somehow fitting but still bizarre twist of fate, the exterior sequences of the notorious Nazi-oriented exploitation film "Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS" (1975) were filmed on the same POW camp set as the comedy Nazi-oriented TV series "Hogan's Heroes" in Culver City. While a comedy series about Nazis was controversial even then, it's clear that Mel Brook's original "The Producers" (1967) cleared a path for such endeavors.
The final sequence of Ilsa required the camp to burn to the ground. Since Heroes had ended production in 1971 and the set needed to be demolished anyway, it was set on fire to provide Ilsa with her dramatic exit.
Only here in L.A.

2024-05-14 18:07:24

***** A few words about Google's future *****
At Google I/O today, the firm is publicizing an array of new projects. Some of them seem flashy and relatively useless, others seem like they could be very worthwhile. How many of either category will still exist five years from now is of course a crucial question given Google's history.
But Google I/O is merely the gloss, in many respects what has become the so-called "lipstick on the pig". Because Google executives have permitted their race for the golden and in many respects false prize of "Artificial Intelligence" to cloud their vision, and to permit an increasing number of basic services that billions of Google users depend on every day to, in effect, rot away.
The collapse of Google Search, once a global technological wonder, has been profound. Often incorrect or even inane generative AI responses now often supersede links to the very sites from which Google is obtaining the raw material for their AI systems (usually without any form of compensation, while driving down user click-throughs).
A similar decline is obvious in various other core Google services.
Of enormous continuing concern to me is the very foundation of how virtually all Google users access most Google services -- Google accounts themselves. I continue to be flooded by persons who have problems with their Google accounts through no fault of their own, including lockouts and permanently lost crucial personal data, with Google's automated systems providing them with no resolutions, only horrific frustration. Google's frankly poorly conceived and rushed implementation of passkeys -- and the pushing of users to them who typically do not understand them and have more problems as a result -- is making matters even worse. What good are fancy new services when your Google account needed to use them may lock you out at any time with effectively no genuine ability to appeal?
Some groups of Google users -- such as seniors and other users with special needs who may not be technologically sophisticated -- are especially affected by these sorts of problems and suffer mightily as a result. I don't think Google actually "hates" these users -- I think Google simply does not want to make the minimal efforts required to help them, basically treating them with much the same disdain as you might flick a bug off your shirt.
There is so much that would be relatively simple for Google to do that would vastly improve the user experience for these users and others -- but Google seems to only care about the majority, and if you're in the minority, well, if you swing slowly in the wind locked out of your account, too bad for you. Google's got other fish to fry to keep the profit centers humming.
I could go on, but you get the gist. I don't hate Google. I still have enormous respect for the firm and especially for Googlers (Google employees) in general. But I am enormously
disappointed with the direction executives are now taking the firm, and this seems to be getting worse at an accelerating rate.
And that's very, very sad to see. -L

2024-05-13 19:12:40

BREAKING: It appears that AT&T's attempt to end landlines in California will be rejected!
The administrative law judge issued a scathing preliminary decision which is likely to be followed when the CPUC meets to vote in June. He ruled that the application should be dismissed with prejudice. More details as I understand them. A decision was previously expected in September, so this came down very fast.
Here is an article:
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/05/california-rebuffs-att-says-it-must-
keep-offering-landline-phone-service/
Here is the CPUC judge's decision PDF:
https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M531/K085/531085885.PDF
https://mastodon.laurenweinstein.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/435/366/792/732/853/original/816ad1a04a8b6b5b.jpg

2024-05-13 00:51:37

Sometimes it seems like not only #Google employees need a union, but Google USERS too.