The Communication Cube

[λ the β-Redex Reducer]

Politicians pushed it for self-gain. It makes no sense but cookies became politicised and the scare-mongered (m)asses voted for it.

Now with GDPR every startup needs a compliance officer. ++bar_to_entry;

Remember the cookie controversy of the dot-com era? People were horrified that websites used up their precious hard disks. Of course we don't remember the past and have the same stupid discussions repeatedly.

I have little confidence in humanity at large effectively steering computers. But that's another story.

Sometimes I speculate that it may be just to make us get used to a lack of privacy. By constantly reminding us that we are being spied on (sort of, not all cookies are used for that, but I guess this is why people fear them) and making us consent to that, getting spied on becomes normal and comfortable to us. But maybe they did do it just to appease people who either rarily use the internet, did not realise what this would entail, or are really masochistic.

GDPR is also stupid. If the government cares so much about privacy, then why release apps that are only available on Android and iOS devices? If they cared so much about privacy then they would try to promote privacy promoting systems such as GNU. But instead they support two of the very few biggest privacy violators on Earth.

 

[JDTAY]

Oh man, had four cups of caffeinated now, I think. I also had my Klonopin and Azelastine over an hour ago, and am still standing. Hurray for caffeinated.

The only problem now is, around 11 PM or so, I'm gonna want to sleep, and it won't happen. The caffeine does feel good though. It reminds me of something Drew Carey said about beer once: "Wow, each sip is like a tiny hug!"

 

[Null]

I'm gonna want to sleep, and it won't happen.

Also, in other images.

 

[Djoga'Ro]

I would prefer if they got rid of all the annoying pop-up laws. Pop-ups are universally hated and almost no one cares about cookies (and those who do care can block it using technological means, which is the only reliable way anyway), yet they still made a law that in practice comes down to almost every site having to present us with annoying pop-ups about cookies. I wonder: Is that law made to annoy or condition us or is it made by a bunch of bureaucrats who are so divorced from practical reality that their ivory tower touches the firmament? I am not even joking about this one. I seriously do not know what the point of that law is.

I just wish, they were not allowed to write "We respect your privacy", when there are thirdgparty cookies, instead they should be obliged to write "We disrespect your privacy" or "Your privacy means nothing to us, but there is this law".
And by law in regards of (those kind of) cookies there should be no "legitimate interest"

 

[ElPoco]

Most consent popups actually aren't legal according to GDPR but until some company gets fined for this we'll probably keep having them.

But it turns out that they're not that useless: many users took the pain of choosing to deactivate all optional cookies. So many that a few websites now have a popup asking you to pay for access if you refuse optional cookies. Which is, again, completely at odds with GDPR.

So the problem with the consent popups is not with the law but with the companies and their rotten business model.

 

[netcat]

It's the InterNET. It traps you. What's the big deal.

 

[Phlyra]

Most consent popups actually aren't legal according to GDPR but until some company gets fined for this we'll probably keep having them.

But it turns out that they're not that useless: many users took the pain of choosing to deactivate all optional cookies. So many that a few websites now have a popup asking you to pay for access if you refuse optional cookies. Which is, again, completely at odds with GDPR.

So the problem with the consent popups is not with the law but with the companies and their rotten business model.

Some of the pop up options are so ambiguously phrased that you might think that you’re opting-out when it’s possible you could actually be saying “I reject any cookie rejection”...

 

[JDTAY]

Hey, actual good stuff just happened to me. My therapist bought me lunch at a Mexican restaurant in honor of my upcoming birthday. He got to charge Medicaid for the time though, so I guess there is no such thing as a free lunch.

 

[λ the β-Redex Reducer]

so I guess there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Actuallly there is because food does grow on trees.

 

[Phlyra]

Couple of Open Source-related pieces of news:

Meet the Open-Source Software Powering NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter - NASA

Created at NASA’s JPL, the open-source flight software called F Prime isn’t just powering humanity’s first interplanetary helicopter; it’s also powering

mars.nasa.gov

Mixed Reality Lynx R-1 Gets Huge Price Drop, Launching September Kickstarter - GMW3

The headset could offer a viable alternative to others on the market.

www.vrfocus.com

 

[JDTAY]

You know, I was sure Fred would be in right after Elsa to kick our asses, but things have been pretty quiet in the Atlantic.

Yeah, this post is me trying to jinx it.

 

[Null]

Yeah, this post is me trying to jinx it.

 

[Null]

Same song in different styles for two hours.


And yes I did watch all of it.

 

[levi]

Same song in different styles for two hours.


And yes I did watch all of it.

False advertising; this is Sparks:

 

[Null]

False advertising;

 

[Null]

Casio fx-9750GII Webserver

 

[Phlyra]

Open source XiangShan RISC-V processor could eventually challenge ARM Cotex-A76 - Liliputing

Open source XiangShan RISC-V processor could eventually challenge ARM Cotex-A76

liliputing.com

 

[levi]

Meh, I'll wait to take an interest when they finally manufacture something competitive. Saying that they're not there yet but are planning to achieve those benchmarks is too much pie in the sky for me.

 

[Null]

is too much pie in the sky for me.

You can never have too much Pie In The Sky.

 

[Phlyra]

What's the Biggest Software Package by Lines of Code? - Interesting Engineering

An enormous amount of code goes into the tools that run human civilization.

interestingengineering.com