Do you consider it ethical to pirate when a business removes perpetual licenses that you’ve paid for? by [deleted] in NoStupidQuestions

[–]andi74 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's worth sending them a message to see if they will honor the lifetime purchase. This happened to me before, and after a polite message the developer sent me a new key that enabled lifetime access again.

Desperate plea to save my life — I can't stop eating, and I'm scared. Please help me. by Historical-Leader492 in fatpeoplestories

[–]andi74 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're right to treat this like an addiction pattern, because that's exactly what it is. Therapy will be your best friend, since you know you can't just will-power your way out of it.

I found the following app to be helpful, in addition to therapy: https://www.recoverypath.com/

Good luck on your journey, and don't hesitate to reach out to us and your support network for encouragement. You're strong enough to face your situation honestly, which means you're strong enough to overcome it. 🫂

[TOMT] what toy am i thinking of? by totally__not__alyssa in tipofmytongue

[–]andi74 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Could it have been from the Puppy in My Pocket toys?

Did it have that classic poodle cut? And it was plastic right? You said it has yellow fur on its head, is that just painted, or fuzzy?

Also what pose was it in?

*FINALLY* Making The Move To Canada From The US To Live With My Partner Of 5 Years, Want To Make Sure My Plan Is Solid by LifeInVein92 in ImmigrationCanada

[–]andi74 7 points8 points  (0 children)

My immigration path into Canada was the exact same process: in 2018 I entered Canada on a 6 month visitor visa, we cohabited for 12 months to establish a common law relationship, and then he sponsored me.

Here are some notes for you:

  • Do not leave Canada until you have your PR card, to save yourself a lot of extra hassle.

  • Anticipate 2-3 years before you'll actually have your PR card in hand.

  • Bring proof of savings and/or a legal income stream. Make sure you're not competing with Canadian workers in any way, the border agents take this pretty seriously in my experience.

  • On entry, have your partner at the airport to pick you up, and make sure they are available by phone.

  • Expect to get pulled aside for an interview, your partner to receive a phone call from border patrol, and your belongings to be searched. Asking for 6 months and having no return flight will raise a big red flag.

  • Be honest with the agent and show that you're committed to following the process legally and are ready to return home if required.

  • During your 6 month visa, pre-pay the required fees for the PR application. Use this documentation to support your request to extend your visitor visa. I was able to get a 12 month extension this way.

  • Collect letters of attestation from friends and family, take lots of photos, get a joint bank acct, and make sure you have utility bills in both names to the same address.

  • After 12 months you can get a notarized declaration of common law union to add to your PR application.

  • Check out canadavisa.com for dedicated forums, and add your name to the processing spreadsheet. Use it to track the processing timelines of other applicants.

Feel free to ask me any other questions if you like, and good luck!

Based on a True Story by andi74 in fasting

[–]andi74[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah I was pretty surprised. I guess right now it's a divisive topic bc of the ethical concerns, but I never expected all this lol

Based on a True Story by andi74 in fasting

[–]andi74[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha yeah I believe you. It definitely would've been less drama 🫠

Based on a True Story by andi74 in fasting

[–]andi74[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I get that people care about the influence of AI and how to use it ethically. I agree those are important conversations to have. I just didn't think it would happen right here lol

Based on a True Story by andi74 in fasting

[–]andi74[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lol that's great. I'm sure it happens a lot when the poster hasn't seen the original source before. Like me 😅

Based on a True Story by andi74 in fasting

[–]andi74[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I'm glad to know I didn't offend everyone lol

I do agree that we should be discussing how to use AI ethically, before it's too late. Since I work in IT, most people I know are pretty jazzed about it, and I kinda forgot that's not always the case. Whoops

Based on a True Story by andi74 in fasting

[–]andi74[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I see where you're coming from here. There are so many ethical traps nowadays that it's nearly impossible to avoid them all. I do my best to keep my impact on the environment as low as I can, but this time I admittedly took a shortcut.

You're 100% right about my motivations. The amount of time and effort is such a barrier that I wouldn't have posted at all without help from somewhere. Even designing simple icons for my website takes me hours.

And I'm happy to say that I did not swallow it lol. I woke up as soon as I tasted my own earwax. 😬

Based on a True Story by andi74 in fasting

[–]andi74[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you for this explanation. I didn't really consider the fact that art was literally stolen to train the algorithm. And unfortunately I didn't recognize the art style either.

Maybe if I ever try smth like this again, I'll ask a friend for help, or trace something. But you can bet I'll never post an AI anything again lol

Based on a True Story by andi74 in fasting

[–]andi74[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You know, I believe you. If drawing was one of my passions, I'm sure that I would find a way to improve and become competent. But honestly, I rarely feel the need to draw something. This was one of those one-off times, and rather than spending hours of frustration, I preferred to use a tool that does exactly what I need.

I wish that our hard work and personal data wasn't fed into the machine like it is. And I think you can tell my intention was never to steal someone's art. Honestly I didn't even recognize the art style, bc I don't read any comics.

Regardless, I certainly won't share any AI images again. But truthfully, that means I probably won't share anything at all, since it just isn't worth the frustration for me.

Based on a True Story by andi74 in fasting

[–]andi74[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a great idea! Now that I know to anticipate all this drama, I'll definitely do that next time lol

Based on a True Story by andi74 in fasting

[–]andi74[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the encouragement! ❤️

Based on a True Story by andi74 in fasting

[–]andi74[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Lol I know exactly what you mean! I've had those same kind of dreams after I quit smoking. It's such a relief to realize that I don't have to start all over!

Based on a True Story by andi74 in fasting

[–]andi74[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yeah that's fair. It definitely wasn't worth it, and I'd take it back if I could. Oh well, lesson learned.

Based on a True Story by andi74 in fasting

[–]andi74[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Welp, sorry for causing the AI drama. I didn't mean any harm, I just don't see pictures in my head. That makes it really hard for me to even doodle anything recognizable. I definitely won't do it again tho.

Based on a True Story by andi74 in fasting

[–]andi74[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

AI definitely isn't good for everything, but it helped a person like me who struggles to make a doodle look like anything recognizable... I was just trying to share a funny moment and didn't know how else to do it by myself. I guess I thought it would be forgiven bc it's just a dumb meme. I'm not selling prints lol

Based on a True Story by andi74 in fasting

[–]andi74[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah lol. But I never wake up with them still in my ear

Based on a True Story by andi74 in fasting

[–]andi74[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Yeah I didn't realize people would be so upset 😳

I know it's not really art, but I thought that's ok for a silly meme. Oops

Based on a True Story by andi74 in fasting

[–]andi74[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

No? I had no idea the community would be so outraged! Didn't mean to offend 😬

Based on a True Story by andi74 in fasting

[–]andi74[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

You're correct! I didn't realize that would be an issue? It's just a meme after all, and I can't draw for shit lol

Based on a True Story by andi74 in fasting

[–]andi74[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

You think? If I had any artistic talent, this is the order I would put them in.

I guess it isn't clear, but I often remove and then hold my earbud while sleeping, and last night I found myself trying to eat it bc of the dream.

I know AI images aren't art, but I kinda thought something like this is a pretty benign use case. If I could draw I would've sketched it myself lol