Maybe aliens are here after all...?

[cyrano]

another zing.... I am questioning the characterization of the Wagner group advancing towards Moscow as a "stunt". Do you know what that word means?

I think so. And I think it is a stunt. It's not strategy, is it? Of course, you could say it's because of despair from Wagner's boss.

that is not a lot when popular networks get millions of prime time viewers

TV gets a lot of viewers. Once. Maybe twice. But once the item has passed, the number stays what it is.

On YT numbers go up constantly and the content is available for a very long time. A Fox news item got 7500 views in an hour. It might have millions in a week, a month, or even longer. And it might not, if nobody is interested.

Then there's the numbers to add up from other channels who repost Fox's news item. That's harder to enumerate, as there is no way to search for reposts, unless the reposter has something relevant you can guess in the title or description of their video. That's rare though.

I dislike AI suggestions. My streaming video source thinks I like ghost movies.

YT suggestions is not AI. It's just math. And that's what I'm trying to understand. It is a running target, though, as YT changes their algorithm often, without notifying the viewer.

Mind you, that Fox news item only gets views from people who subscribe to the channel and from people that get the item on their suggestions list. So YT has a lot of influence on what will be popular. Usually, it takes another channel to go viral. YT rides on dispute.

 

[JohnRoberts]

I have heard a wide range of suggestions about the Wagner Group drama in Ukraine, ranging from false flag, to failed revolution (no stunts). I do not trust early reports from Ukraine, or anything from Russia.

As a kid (1950s) I used to hear short wave radio broadcasts of propaganda from Radio Moscow, and Radio Havana, Cuba. It's a pretty old game.

JR

 

[AnalogPackrat]

If you want to be an objective observer, you need to see both sides. In the case of the US, it's rather simple, as there are only two sides.

The fact that you think there are only two perspectives in the US only shows your lack of understanding (and objectivity).

 

[AnalogPackrat]

According to Google translate that's an English word. In case you've missed it, I was referring to Wagner's mercenaries advancing towards Moscow.



There's a lot of vids that are TV shows or news from MSNBC, Fox and most of the US TV networks. And you'd be amazed how many people watch those. It's not uncommon to have ten thousand views in an hour. Most of these channels are official TV network channels, but their content also gets reposted with comments.

What's interesting to me, is how YT decides what to put on my suggestions page. Up till a few months ago, there was very little about US politics. Cooking, cars science and audio are my YT interests. Though there's little about real science and audio on YT.

You constantly post here on political threads. If you have an Android phone or have other Alphabet apps on your iPhone, then all of the Alphabet companies are using your data (spying on you at every opportunity). Their algorithms most definitely employ various mechanisms including "AI" and "machine learning" to target you with ads, content, etc.

 

[boji]

A few years ago, I began to suspect Alphabet was eavesdropping on cellphone conversations. Today, it feels rather obvious.
For example, I'll have a random conversation about hiking trails that works its way into a topic of say, bicycle cranks. Later in the day I'll get vid suggestions about mountain biking, ad's for bike parts, etc.

Am I alone here with these suspicions? Pareidolia? Apophenia? It's occurring too frequently to feel circumstantial.

 

[JohnRoberts]

Just because you are paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you....

JR

PS; Cookies may be old school these days but when I am angling for a good price while internet shopping, I make a point of logging cookie evidence of me shopping around with different vendors, then let it ferment for a couple days, just to make sure they get it.

 

[Recording Engineer]

A few years ago, I began to suspect Alphabet was eavesdropping on cellphone conversations. Today, it feels rather obvious.
For example, I'll have a random conversation about hiking trails that works its way into a topic of say, bicycle cranks. Later in the day I'll get vid suggestions about mountain biking, ad's for bike parts, etc.

Am I alone here with these suspicions? Pareidolia? Apophenia? It's occurring too frequently to feel circumstantial.

Somewhat often, I’ll say something out loud (usually to my wife) about needing/wanting to look into someplace (restaurant, other places of entertainment) and the very next FB sponsored ad I see on my phone (within the hour or possibly within 10-minutes) is that exact same place I said out loud. They’re not even trying to be sneaky about it and giving it a few days at least!

 

[ruffrecords]

This thought occurred to me. Some of us are panicking that before too long AI will have taken over the world. If that is a likely outpcome for a civilisation then the chances are it has happened to most if not all of the 'advanced' civilisations that are likely to visit out planet. Which means aliens are more likely to be machines than biological entities which means we better get our AI going quick so it can defeat the alien AI.

Cheers

Ian

 

[JohnRoberts]

Ironic perhaps that we are all complaining about being offered what we want? Or what the machines think we want.

JR

 

[AnalogPackrat]

Ironic perhaps that we are all complaining about being offered what we want? Or what the machines think we want.

JR

I don't mind recommendations for things like music or hobby videos. What I don't like is what is being excluded/hidden and the known attempts to form advanced personality analyses from meta-data, searches, location tracking, dwell time, outright spying, and pretty much everything else that can be collected. I disable and block as much as I can, but these companies have more resources than can be combated by the typical phone or computer user.

 

[user 37518]

A few years ago, I began to suspect Alphabet was eavesdropping on cellphone conversations. Today, it feels rather obvious.
For example, I'll have a random conversation about hiking trails that works its way into a topic of say, bicycle cranks. Later in the day I'll get vid suggestions about mountain biking, ad's for bike parts, etc.

Am I alone here with these suspicions? Pareidolia? Apophenia? It's occurring too frequently to feel circumstantial.

What about that real state agent that you add to your phone contacts and you exchange a couple of WhatsApp messages, just to appear as a "recommended friend" on Facebook? I definitely do not buy the whole "Your conversation is encrypted, not even WhatsApp has knowledge of your conversation"

 

[AnalogPackrat]

What about that real state agent that you add to your phone contacts and you exchange a couple of WhatsApp messages, just to appear as a "recommended friend" on Facebook? I definitely do not buy the whole "Your conversation is encrypted, not even WhatsApp has knowledge of your conversation"

Phone contact database sniffed by many apps. I try to disable permissions whenever possible and use FB via web browser (duckduckgo). It still happens.

 

[cyrano]

At least someone found an application for AI: keeping telemarketeers busy:

https://www.theregister.com/2023/07/03/jolly_roger_telephone_company/
Sounds very useful.

 

[JohnRoberts]

At least someone found an application for AI: keeping telemarketeers busy:

https://www.theregister.com/2023/07/03/jolly_roger_telephone_company/
Sounds very useful.

yup. I mentioned that last weekend... The real attack on Democracy.

JR

 

[cyrano]

Thanks, John. Couldn't find that and my memory couldn't even tell if it was on this site I encountered it.

 

[JohnRoberts]

I would hope that AI might find some applications in education to provide 1 on 1 assistance for students that need it.

JR

 

[user 37518]

I would hope that AI might find some applications in education to provide 1 on 1 assistance for students that need it.

JR

I know some companies that no longer have support staff for their clients, it is all a WhatsApp-based basic bot, if your answer is not in the menu of things the bot suggests, you are out of luck. I am pretty sure that we will be seeing very soon a chat-based AI in which they don't even tell the client they are chatting with an AI, you might think you are talking to John from Hickory, MS, when you are just chatting to ChatGPT or similar.

 

[JohnRoberts]

I know some companies that no longer have support staff for their clients, it is all a WhatsApp-based basic bot, if your answer is not in the menu of things the bot suggests, you are out of luck. I am pretty sure that we will be seeing very soon a chat-based AI in which they don't even tell the client they are chatting with an AI, you might think you are talking to John from Hickory, MS, when you are just chatting to ChatGPT or similar.

In my judgement talking to human customer service may be over rated. If their primary advice is to unplug your modem and plug it back in.

A well designed chat service bot could relay far more actually useful information.

===

The mayor of Miami (running for president) has set up a chat bot you can ask questions about his campaign... I don't know whether this will help or hurt him. He is pretty forward leaning embracing new technology, but already flubbed the answer when he was asked by a reporter about the Uyghurs. The chat bot probably knows who the Uyghurs are.

JR

PS: FWIW music stores used to call Peavey sales just to hear the sales girls sweet southern accents.

 

[user 37518]

PS: FWIW music stores used to call Peavey sales just to hear the sales girls sweet southern accents.

I don't blame them, I would do the same thing.

 

[JohnRoberts]

I don't blame them, I would do the same thing.

Some guitar makers would hire models to work in their trade show booth.

Peavey just brought the actual sales girls.

JR

 

[user 37518]

Some guitar makers would hire models to work in their trade show booth.

Peavey just brought the actual sales girls.

JR

They were that good looking, huh?

 

[JohnRoberts]

They were that good looking, huh?

above average, and southern girls learn how to Gild the Lilly from an early age.

[edit- not always the sharpest sticks in the bunch... I recall one year when the summer NAMM shows were still in Chicago. I was flying up to Chicago in the company King Air (nice plane for short trips) with a bunch of sales girls. Since June can be quite warm in MS, I was the only person on the plane wearing a jacket (I've been to the windy city before). Of course after we landed the girls were all freezing so I ended up lending my jacket to the coldest one. /edit]

JR

 

[user 37518]

Of course after we landed the girls were all freezing so I ended up lending my jacket to the coldest one. /edit]

JR

 

[AnalogPackrat]

I'm not going to ask how he determined which was the coldest

 

[JohnRoberts]

I'm not going to ask how he determined which was the coldest

If I was that clever I would have carried a spare/second jacket....

I don't even remember which sales girl I lent my jacket to but she was definitely not dressed for Chicago in June.

It's generally a bad idea to fish in the company secretarial pool (especially the salesgirls). I was just trying to be a gentlemen and ended up jacketless. It wasn't that bad, we were able to fly into a small airport that was pretty close to the McCormick hotel near the convention center. it was a tiny airport but the King Air could get in and out of short strips.

JR