[amphibian]

Functionally, Microsoft was doing evil stuff to try and garrote people and businesses into only using their operating systems and software and using very shitty tactics both on an individual level and on a markets/industry level.

That took form particularly visibly with crushing Netscape Navigator to try and make Internet Explorer the only way people got knobs - which was a very close thing to a pyrrhic victory bc Msoft was almost broken up into several companies over that.

It's kinda like a car company deciding that they wanted to change all gas pumps all across the world to only work with their cars. Nonsense, would require elimination of competition, and enable much screwing over of the average person.

Bill Gates was somewhat involved with all this, so he's both the person who donates a ton of money to anti malaria efforts and so on and the person who built that pile of money by coordinating with others at his company in attempts to screw everyone over.

This post has been edited by amphibian: 22 March 2023 - 04:25 PM

[Tiste Simeon]

amphibian, on 22 March 2023 - 04:25 PM, said:

Functionally, Microsoft was doing evil stuff to try and garrote people and businesses into only using their operating systems and software and using very shitty tactics both on an individual level and on a markets/industry level.

That took form particularly visibly with crushing Netscape Navigator to try and make Internet Explorer the only way people got knobs - which was a very close thing to a pyrrhic victory bc Msoft was almost broken up into several companies over that.

It's kinda like a car company deciding that they wanted to change all gas pumps all across the world to only work with their cars. Nonsense, would require elimination of competition, and enable much screwing over of the average person.

Bill Gates was somewhat involved with all this, so he's both the person who donates a ton of money to anti malaria efforts and so on and the person who built that pile of money by coordinating with others at his company in attempts to screw everyone over.

Thanks! Was unaware of this tbh, though I do subscribe to the "you can't actually become a billionaire without screwing over a bunch of folk" thought, I do give some props to Gates for at least trying to do some good with his money.

[Cause]

Abyss, on 22 March 2023 - 04:22 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 22 March 2023 - 03:43 PM, said:

amphibian, on 22 March 2023 - 01:10 PM, said:

Hold on, Tiste. The Google "Don't be evil" was a joke slogan that took off because it was directly referring to Microsoft being evil as hell in the 90s. Everyone in tech knew exactly what Google was referring to when they started saying that.

Google turning into a bunch of not quite as evil people was likely predictable, yet there was a chance for a bit of being better.

I knew I could rely on this place hah. I was quite open with admitting I knew nothing about it so thanks for pointing me a way out of my ignorance what exactly did they do in the 90s or is that answered by Worry's video?

There was that whole thing where MS Word would randomly replace text in innocuous word documents with characters that if subject to certain font changes would summon a fifth iteration eye/brain/testicular parasite swarm that would linger for as long as six minutes. It caused the 1988 tv writers strike as well as that thing in Guatemala with the penguins.

Which laundry file book was this again?

[Abyss]

Cause, on 22 March 2023 - 04:44 PM, said:

Abyss, on 22 March 2023 - 04:22 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 22 March 2023 - 03:43 PM, said:

amphibian, on 22 March 2023 - 01:10 PM, said:

Hold on, Tiste. The Google "Don't be evil" was a joke slogan that took off because it was directly referring to Microsoft being evil as hell in the 90s. Everyone in tech knew exactly what Google was referring to when they started saying that.

Google turning into a bunch of not quite as evil people was likely predictable, yet there was a chance for a bit of being better.

I knew I could rely on this place hah. I was quite open with admitting I knew nothing about it so thanks for pointing me a way out of my ignorance what exactly did they do in the 90s or is that answered by Worry's video?

There was that whole thing where MS Word would randomly replace text in innocuous word documents with characters that if subject to certain font changes would summon a fifth iteration eye/brain/testicular parasite swarm that would linger for as long as six minutes. It caused the 1988 tv writers strike as well as that thing in Guatemala with the penguins.

Which laundry file book was this again?

27

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Quote

Google's AI Explains Google's Monopolistic Practices in Great Detail

[...] asked if it would side with the Justice Department or Google in the lawsuit against Google for monopolizing digital advertising technologies, it said: "I would side with the Justice Department in this case."

[...] "Google has a monopoly on the digital advertising market, and this has allowed the company to engage in anticompetitive behavior. Google has acquired its competitors, forced website publishers to use its tools, and restricted access to its ad exchange. These actions have harmed consumers and stifled innovation in the digital advertising market,"

[...] "The Justice Department's lawsuit against Google is an important step in protection competition and ensuring that consumers have access to a fair and open market. I hope the court will find in favor of the Justice Department and order Google to take steps to break up its monopoly."

[...] "Based on the information I have found, it seems that the Justice Department has a strong case against Google. Google has been accused of using its dominant position in the digital advertising market to stifle competition and harm consumers. If these allegations are true, then Google should be held accountable for its actions."

Google's AI Explains Google's Monopolistic Practices in Great Detail

#SkynetToTheRescue

It has been messing with my groove a little that neither I nor any of the actively or passively managed AI or automation ETFs picked Microsoft as a major player, much less a big winner. They were lagging behind, seemingly doing very little research (as opposed to Google, which has made major advances---the development of transformers for example, which it published about openly and which are essential to ChatGPT (unfortunately future research is likely to remain proprietary...)), but they've leapfrogged ahead a bit (for now) by partnering with OpenAI. OTOH my generic technology ETFs have a lot of Microsoft. Also, neither I nor any my actively managed AI / automation ETFs picked C3.ai as a big winner (again, so far), and I suspect a substantial part of its success comes simply from having secured 'AI' as its stock ticker....

Also, this:

Quote

'economist who correctly predicted the Great Financial Crisis says the world's central banks have chosen 'class war over financial stability'

[...] "[C]ivil servants that head up central banks seem willing to sacrifice private banks and global financial stability in their rush to raise rates, crush demand, discipline workers and shrink the nation's income," [...]

"In other words, their effective preference is for class war over financial stability."

An economist who correctly predicted the Great Financial Crisis says the world's central banks have chosen 'class war over financial stability'

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 22 March 2023 - 07:00 PM

[Mezla PigDog]

Tiste Simeon, on 22 March 2023 - 04:41 PM, said:

amphibian, on 22 March 2023 - 04:25 PM, said:

Functionally, Microsoft was doing evil stuff to try and garrote people and businesses into only using their operating systems and software and using very shitty tactics both on an individual level and on a markets/industry level.

That took form particularly visibly with crushing Netscape Navigator to try and make Internet Explorer the only way people got knobs - which was a very close thing to a pyrrhic victory bc Msoft was almost broken up into several companies over that.

It's kinda like a car company deciding that they wanted to change all gas pumps all across the world to only work with their cars. Nonsense, would require elimination of competition, and enable much screwing over of the average person.

Bill Gates was somewhat involved with all this, so he's both the person who donates a ton of money to anti malaria efforts and so on and the person who built that pile of money by coordinating with others at his company in attempts to screw everyone over.

Thanks! Was unaware of this tbh, though I do subscribe to the "you can't actually become a billionaire without screwing over a bunch of folk" thought, I do give some props to Gates for at least trying to do some good with his money.

I have a bit of exposure to the reality of what The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are doing with HIV in Africa. I'm reasonably certain that it's better they are doing it than if them and their money didn't exist. But that volume of money brings problems - who gets it, who doesn't, wider implications of the agenda they set. There are winners and losers and it's not always fair. But on balance it is fair to say the more people getting tested and treatment, the better.

Isn't there a guy who is a billionaire and lives in a one bed apartment and carries his stuff around in a plastic bag? Google says he is called Chuck Feeney. Gave away his entire fortune.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Mezla PigDog, on 22 March 2023 - 10:26 PM, said:

I have a bit of exposure to the reality of what The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are doing with HIV in Africa. I'm reasonably certain that it's better they are doing it than if them and their money didn't exist. But that volume of money brings problems - who gets it, who doesn't, wider implications of the agenda they set. There are winners and losers and it's not always fair. But on balance it is fair to say the more people getting tested and treatment, the better.

The malaria nets it funds have had some substantial negative unintended consequences:

Quote

BANGWEULU WETLANDS, Zambia — Out here on the endless swamps, a harsh truth has been passed down from generation to generation: There is no fear but the fear of hunger.

[...] Mr. Ndefi and countless others are not using their mosquito nets as global health experts have intended.

Nobody in his hut, including his seven children, sleeps under a net at night. Instead, Mr. Ndefi has taken his family's supply of anti-malaria nets and sewn them together into a gigantic sieve that he uses to drag the bottom of the swamp ponds, sweeping up all sorts of life [...]

Across Africa, from the mud flats of Nigeria to the coral reefs off Mozambique, mosquito-net fishing is [article is from 2015 ...] an unintended consequence of one of the biggest and most celebrated public health campaigns in recent years.

The nets have helped save millions of lives, but scientists worry about the collateral damage: Africa's fish.

Part of the concern is the scale. Mosquito nets are now a billion-dollar industry, with hundreds of millions of insecticide-treated nets passed out in recent years, and many more on their way.

They arrive by the truckload in poor, waterside communities[...]

"The nets go straight out of the bag into the sea," [...] "That's why the incidence for malaria here is so high. The people don't use the mosquito nets for mosquitoes. They use them to fish."

[...] One of the most common insecticides used by the mosquito net industry is permethrin [... which] is "highly toxic" to fish.

[...] in poor areas where little goes to waste, mosquito nets become many other things: soccer balls and chicken coops, bridal veils and funeral shrouds.

Meant to Keep Malaria Out, Mosquito Nets Are Used to Haul Fish In

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 22 March 2023 - 11:00 PM

[Nicodimas]

RiP mondo posters.. funko bought them and scrapped them a year later

[Cause]

Good problem to have but man it’s cussing me a lot of stress:

Two job offers.

1) 25 days leave , likely relaxed work, lord of travel (this can be good or bad)

2) 15 days leave, likely more stress, 20% more pay

The money difference isn’t small. However Ten extra days Pto a year isn’t nothing.

[Slow Ben]

Wow. Tough call.

Will you be able to enjoy that extra money?

[Tsundoku]

Cause, on 25 March 2023 - 10:15 PM, said:

Good problem to have but man it’s cussing me a lot of stress:

Two job offers.

1) 25 days leave , likely relaxed work, lord of travel (this can be good or bad)

2) 15 days leave, likely more stress, 20% more pay

The money difference isn’t small. However Ten extra days Pto a year isn’t nothing.

I'd like to choose door #1 Monty.

Seriously, take the extra leave, unless you are in dire financial straits.
You can always get a better paying job, but the higher stress job could damage you for ages. OTOH, it also depends how close either hews to your projected career track.

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: 26 March 2023 - 07:27 AM

[Imperial Historian]

25 days leave in a US company to me is a sign that they will be a better company to work for.

I never follow the money in terms of job offers, unless you see a position as a stepping stone to something you want to do in the future or desperately need the money, always choose the better work life balance and better company culture.

[Tiste Simeon]

Cause, on 25 March 2023 - 10:15 PM, said:

Good problem to have but man it’s cussing me a lot of stress:

Two job offers.

1) 25 days leave , likely relaxed work, lord of travel (this can be good or bad)

2) 15 days leave, likely more stress, 20% more pay

The money difference isn’t small. However Ten extra days Pto a year isn’t nothing.

Definitely job 1. Good working atmosphere and leave is so essential!

[Maark Abbott]

Cause, on 25 March 2023 - 10:15 PM, said:

Good problem to have but man it's cussing me a lot of stress:

Two job offers.

1) 25 days leave , likely relaxed work, lord of travel (this can be good or bad)

2) 15 days leave, likely more stress, 20% more pay

The money difference isn't small. However Ten extra days Pto a year isn't nothing.

1) is the path I'd suggest, unless taking it over 2) leaves you struggling. If 1) leaves you enough to be comfortable and do stuff it's a much better choice because you can always get more money, but recovering from stress and having less time to do so in gets very damaging.

[Cause]

Job one is at least as much as I can as making before, it’s not bad pay and it actually more pay upfront and less reliant on commision. Job 2 just pays that much better.

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Job 1, unless the pay isn't viable for you. If it is, you can enjoy the extra leave and less stress.

[Gothos]

Cause, on 25 March 2023 - 10:15 PM, said:

Good problem to have but man it’s cussing me a lot of stress:

Two job offers.

1) 25 days leave , likely relaxed work, lord of travel (this can be good or bad)

2) 15 days leave, likely more stress, 20% more pay

The money difference isn’t small. However Ten extra days Pto a year isn’t nothing.

First question here: can you still take unpaid leave without additional problems/trouble? If so, the 10 days difference is about... 6%? of yearly days worked... So on paper, taking the 10 additional days unpaid leave is worth it with 20% additional pay.
Second question: how much of an increase in disposable income does the 20% increase in pay signify? In hypotheticals, if job 1 pays $5k, and job 2 pays $6k, and your rent+groceries are around $4.5k monthly, job 2 gets you a disposable income increase of +200%, which is nothing to sneeze at.
Third question: is the cited 20% more pay reliable in regards to what you said about upfront payment vs commission? If not, it's not worth the additional stress regardless if job 1 pay level is high enough for comfortable living, so option 1 seems to be the better choice in most circumstances.

[Cause]

I’m leaning to job 1

Job one has higher base pay but they both have a commision component. Job two just has a much greater commision payout potential.

So the thing with Job two I have no idea if I could take unpaid leave I guess it’s always possible but with job two time off could be time making sales and hence not making plan and therefore not making money. Job 1 won’t be like that.

I already live below my means and saved quite a bit last year. So all of the twenty percent would be extra disposable income from job two. Disposable income would increase 60%. Put that way it seems a lot

[Maark Abbott]

Old car has gone of for scrapping. We should get about £400 for her which covers half of the deposit for the new motor and a couple months of finance if need be, but it still sucks to see your baby on backertwagon.

Cause - the contingent question is would the 60% increase in disposable income be worth the potential stress of the job and the marked decrease in leave? I would imagine it won't be but that's just my personal view on things. YMMV.

[Tsundoku]

Does job #2 involve levelling up to a new tax bracket?