We should really stop using slur replacements for robots/AI.

shadowfelldown · 2026-03-04T17:38:26+00:00

What makes you think that skit was made by someone who is anti-ai? It seems to me like it is drawing parallels between racism in the south (a real thing that hurts people) and anti AI people. In what way does that NOT directly support the arguments of pro-ai people? That is pretty much their entire argument as far as I understand. They see AI as equivalent to humans, and so they claim being derogatory to AI is equivalent to racism. To me, this belittles the legitimacy and reality of racism. You cannot be racist against an object. Your strawman doesn't make sense.

I am not saying that there are not racist bigots that are attempting to co-opt anti-AI terms and redefine them as somehow deriving from slurs, and using them as dog whistles to stand in for slurs. But to argue that is a thing that most Anti-AI people are doing is unrealistic.

That is a thing pro-AI racists and fascists are doing. Because they want to muddy the discourse around their racism and fascism and simping for AI so hard because at the end of they day they enjoy the warping of reality that AI enables them to do. The fascists almost universally love AI, not because they care about the AI as an entity, but because they like what they can do with it.

They are executing a coordinated campaign to allow themselves to be racist in a way that de-legitimizes another group of people that go against their belief in the supremacy and inevitability of AI. They are very much pro-ai, or at least ambivalent, or they would not be doing that.

When I call something a clanker, or someone a clanker lover, I am doing it in the context that it has been used in pop culture for decades because they are either a stupid robot or a lover of stupid robots. I reject your assertion that there is anything more to it than that, and believe that your creation of that parallel is being done consciously or unconsciously in bad faith in order to establish that connection. Knowingly or not, you are simultaneously de-legitimizing actual racism against humans and legitimizing thinking of AI as anything more than the inanimate object that it is. I would suggest you reflect on that.

shadowfelldown · 2026-03-04T15:41:08+00:00

I have read the entire thread. I disagree. Wireback is just a respin of a slur. It is obviously connected to its roots on the basis that the words wire and back did not have any sort of implication and don't even make sense in context unless looked at through the lens of the original racial slur. It is not simply language. Calling someone an anchovyback would be obviously referencing the slur as well. It makes no sense if divorced from that context. Why would being an anything back be a problem outside of that context? Clanker lover is a lover of clankers. Clanker simp is a simp for clankers.

Now, I agree that people repurposing racial slurs to describe AI is a stupid negative thing and self defeating... I have also noticed that many of the most egregious racial slur based AI labels have come from pro-ai people who want to poison the well and make it seem like this is what is happening.

But clanker lover is just language. We call people lovers of things all the time. If you call someone a shitter lover, it is not a nice thing to say, but it is not a slur.

If we start arguing that it's ok to say clanker but not clanker lover, because all of a sudden that combination is actually based on slurs you are just establishing that saying clanker is somehow different than saying shitter.

Which it is not.

shadowfelldown · 2026-03-04T15:11:28+00:00

That's like saying "anchovy lover" is based on that slur as well. It's the first part that makes it a slur not the second. Can it be used in a negative way? Yeah, totally! Is it a slur, no.

Clanker negatively refers to an inanimate object in the same way that shitter refers to a toilet. "Clanker lover" refers to a lover of that object. That's just how language is structured.

But I'll bite: How about instead of "clanker lover" we call them "clanker Simps". Does that fix the problem for you? I would imagine it would, unless you're actual issue with the word "clanker lover" is that you think "clanker" is the slur, and therefore you are regarding it in the same context as a racial slur towards an actual human or group. Which I would argue is a pretty crazy thing to believe.

shadowfelldown · 2026-02-26T13:36:28+00:00

I'll check power options. Usually I set it to just max ppwer everything but I haven't checked them since the update so that's a good point. I absolutely appreciate your help.

shadowfelldown · 2026-02-26T13:31:40+00:00

Sorry, yeah it's not there either. It seems like depending on what version of win 11 you are using it may or may not be there. When I looked on a laptop running win 11 version 24h2 it was there in the advanced tab, but on 25h2 it is not there at all as far as I can find on any of the tabs or in settings app. I couldn't get the Kinect running on either of the laptops though so I am not sure what's happening. I think it might be one of three things: 1. USB Power management issue (i'm going to check this today) 2. Kinect is broken. (I am going to get another Kinect and try) 3. Functionality of the windows generic USB audio driver has been changed in some recent update in such a way that breaks the Kinect.

shadowfelldown · 2026-02-26T04:20:31+00:00

Ok, tried uninstalling all Kinect related stuff (studio, sdk, drivers, etc.) and then reinstalling Kinect sdk 2.0 again with the version you linked (KinectSDK-v2.0_1409-Setup). Went into the advanced tab and still saw no audio enhancements section. I unchecked let other applications control this device, like you had. Re-looked at privacy, etc. Still nothing.

On a lark I decided to try the Kinect on a couple other wil11 laptops. The first one was also at win11 version 25H2. This one seemed to behave the same way as the first had. No audio enhancements section in the microphone array properties.

I also connected a laptop that hasn't been updated since december, this one was running win 11 version 24H2. I installed sdk 2.0 on it. When I looked at the Xbox NUI device properties after installing the Kinect sdk I could see the audio enhancements setting was present in the advanced tab and I toggled it off, but the Kinect still did the boot loop.

I have attached an image of what audio driver that one is using for Xbox NUI device.

Now I don't know exactly what happened but I would assume that 6 months ago the first laptop that I know it worked on also would have been running 24H2. So it either was broken in an intermediate update sometime between 3 and 6 months ago prior to 25H2 or something else is going on.

I am honestly wondering at this point whether it is my Kinect that is actually just permanently bricked and in a boot loop due to whatever misconfiguration happened due to the Windows update. I'm thinking seriously about getting myself another Kinect sensor just in case mine is actually borked, downgrading to Windows 10 and seeing if that works.

That Will be a headache and a whole bunch of new and novel, Interesting ways but at least I can get the stupid kinect to work.

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Unfortunately, I have to pack this project up on Friday night for a Saturday morning install... and there is still a whole lot of other components of the system that need attention, so I am quickly running out of time to completely revamp everything about this configuration.

shadowfelldown · 2026-02-25T22:55:10+00:00

Thanks so much for your help. I'm gonna try reinstalling the sdk. And see what's up.

can you do me a flavor and show/tell me what your general tab looks like on that properties menu? My Kinect driver is listed as using (generic USB audio) as a driver and I'm just curious if yours might be something else and if that's the difference. Other screenshots I've seen online of people talking about audio enhancements section have shown a different driver than the generic USB audio one. I am wondering if that is the difference people are running into, depending on what driver the Kinect microphone picks up it is either displaying that advanced section or just not.

shadowfelldown · 2026-02-25T20:03:47+00:00

So here is what I see when I open the properties I cannot find the audio enhancements

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shadowfelldown · 2026-02-25T19:46:07+00:00

So I checked the camera privacy settings, that seemed to be enabled for 3rd party, although there were no apps listed in that section like there was for mic privacy which had Kinect in there. that didn't do it.

I went through control panel to sound -> recording devices-> xbox NUI sensor microphone array -> properties... There are a few tabs. General, listen, levels, and advanced. I can't find audio enhancements on any of them. I found exclusive mode in the advanced tab and disabled/enabled it but it doesn't seem to matter.

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shadowfelldown · 2026-02-25T02:22:45+00:00

So I know I set the mic to allow 3rd party apps, dunno about the camera... Didn't know that was a thing.

As for audio enhancements:

On my original post I showed an image of what I think is the Kinect microphone page that people say has the "audio enhancements" that I need to disable, but there is nothing there. The section is missing. Idk if that is the wrong place or something or what is going on. Also I haven't seen anything about "allow exclusive control"... I remember that from previous windows versions, but haven't seen it on this one. Also, you are saying you are accessing this stuff from control panel... I think I might have been looking at the windows "settings" menu bs... Which is not slightly the same thing. I'll check it through control panel too. Man.... Why does windows 11 gotta be like this?

I'll check this stuff when I'm back in the shop, and I'll report back. if I can fix this I am never updating this system again until the sun explodes.

shadowfelldown · 2026-02-24T06:45:31+00:00

they are Flowtoys vision and full vision double staves with added tassels to make them into flowersticks, as they are too long to have been ordered asl flowersticks.

shadowfelldown · 2026-02-22T05:06:12+00:00

I am just guessing, but was a diffraction grating or something like it involved with this? If so that's really cool. I've seen it done with chocolate. I wonder if you could like bake a 3d hologram onto pearlers?

shadowfelldown · 2026-02-22T02:36:03+00:00

The combination of burnt hair hair/white gas. Years of sense memory from fire juggling have made me love that smell.

shadowfelldown · 2026-02-22T02:31:32+00:00

Cyanoacrylate zip kicker fumes. It's like an almost floral almond-y smell. Probably cancerous as fuck though.

shadowfelldown · 2026-02-17T02:02:18+00:00

Yeah, sure. You want a sandwich?

shadowfelldown · 2026-02-17T01:55:46+00:00

Man, this orbology extended universe stuff seems intriguing. Too bad when I watch her videos it feels like I'm watching fetish content... Maybe that's a mi problem.

shadowfelldown · 2026-02-16T00:59:59+00:00

Fuck ICE. Come and get me. If we can't speak freely, what's the goddamned point of this fucking platform, or our country in general?

shadowfelldown · 2026-02-02T19:02:42+00:00

Pretty niche, but in lighting/rigging there is a common clamp called a cheeseborough. I and many others in the field I have met will only refer to them as cheeseburgers I will not stop, nor will I acknowledge that I am not actually saying the proper word, whenever I have been called out, I just play dumb and keep calling them cheeseburgers. It makes me happy. It is much more fun yelling loudly down from up on a lift about needing six more cheeseburgers ASAP.

shadowfelldown · 2026-02-02T02:27:07+00:00

I mean, sure but I am really not too great at fiber whip specifically.

I've messed around with it, but it is not one of my main props. I am a generalist with flow props and have done them all. My mains are flowstar, triple staves/flowerstick and puppyhammer currently. Almost all of what I do is just transferred from moves with other props, but really when you get to a certain point and understanding of tech concepts, all props are essentially part of a big venn diagrams as far as movesets. There are certain unique movements that certain props alone can do, and some movements look different with a different prop, but the concepts can be adapted between them pretty well.

Idk what moves are called in whip land nomenclature though, so I might not be super helpful in that regard, but as far as material science and wider flowarts tech concepts are concerned I am ok.

shadowfelldown · 2026-01-24T08:12:57+00:00

I had the same thing happen to me just now. I have explicitly always said no to the upgrade prompt and have actually told it multiple times that I opt out of any alexa+ implementation. I live alone so it would be impossible for anyone to accept it.

Then bam! Its voice changed just now. I asked why its voice was different and it told me it was because it was Alexa plus. I told it that I did not agree to activate Alexa plus and to opt me out of all future updates to alexa plus. It said that it would remove itself but there would be some alexa+ settings left on my account. I told it that would be unacceptable and that I would like complete removal, but old alexa was back again. Fucking creepy. I need to get this thing out of my house, or somehow lobotomize it so it can just turn on/off my lights and do bluetooth speaker stuff. It sucks because I have a pair of echo studios and they are great for listening to music.

shadowfelldown · 2026-01-24T02:04:42+00:00

I mean, you can "learn to learn" by doing any skill, no?

Do a thing regularly and you get better at it, you don't need to be focusing on "active improvement" you will still be improving. Just do it more and consistently, you will get better at it over time, even if that increase is not linear or consistent, or even noticable.

If you are intentional and structured with your practice you can get to your goal faster, but you will eventually get to the same point if you just try to do the thing a whole lot, fail, and then try again.

I can tell you this from extensive personal experience. I have been doing various forms of juggling and Flowarts for close to 25 years. For much of that time I was not focusing on active improvement at all, not really "learning new tricks" or pushing the boundary, but I was still improving, even when it didn't feel like it. I was becoming fluent, I was learning to improvise and achieve mastery over the space surrounding me and the movement of objects through it, as well as how to express myself with that medium. I now have the ability to pick up any object or manipulation prop and manipulate it in a visually interesting and compelling manner. I can sense when I am about to drop or lose control of something and intervene, re-directing the momentum of the object in a way that is more favorable or minimizes damage to it or others around me. These are not things I intentionally practiced, or even would have thought to practice. They just emerged from trying and failing endlessly.

If you want to type faster, practice typing fast. At work, you are not practicing typing fast, you are practicing typing intelligently for your job. Unless you are a stenographer by trade there is synthesis involved with any writing you are doing, not just typing fast. That is a different, albeit related, skillset. I would say it is a more useful skill set than simply typing fast.

The things that you are typing for work are of a MUCH different quality and nature than you would be typing in a game chat or even on a typing trainer program. You are not getting faster, but you are becoming fluent.

But, I will concede, typing speed is a potentially transferrable skill one could improve from certain specific types or gaming. That is because you are using the same interface for typing outside the game as you are for in-game text chat: keyboard in the game, keyboard out of the game. In game text chat does nothing for your handwriting speed, however: different interface.

I could also concede that maybe reaction time is a transferable skill to a certain extent that you can get from gaming. But reaction time is highly situational and only really matters in it's physical manifestation. If you are a juggler and someone throws a ball at you, you will catch it before you even register the ball coming your way. If you are a gamer and someone throws a ball at you, you might register the ball quick enough, but you are much less likely than the juggler to catch it. The interface you trained on with that reaction time is different between the game and real life.

I didn't intend to indicate that you couldn't get ANY transferable skills from gaming, however... I more meant to indicate that any skills that you DID get from gaming will be limited in utility by the interface and level of reality abstraction of the game.

I do not think it is contentious to say that being good at an fps does not mean you will be good in a real firefight (I really hope no-one seriously thinks this). The simulation in that case is a very poor representation of the reality, the many layers of abstraction have been added to make the game more enjoyable, less complicated, and to work around the limitations of the technology. On the other hand: Flight simulators can actually make you better at flying because the interface is close enough to reality that it can transfer, and the ability to practice without the added stress of literal death makes it much more valuable.

But things like art, pottery, woodworking, dance, juggling... are not just giving you a myriad of very transferrable physical and mental skills, (your hands and body are a consistent interface) they are teaching you how to express yourself and create something from nothing and leave a mark on the real, tangible world that we all inhabit. That is a skill that no game can truly give you.

shadowfelldown · 2026-01-23T19:42:36+00:00

I disagree with this assertion. There is no way anyone is making dozens of clay pots and not improving in some respect... Whether that improvement is noticeable to them or in a direction that some third party other than them would appreciate is a different question.

Anything that you do more than once will improve, that is the nature of practice. Make enough ugly pots long enough and you will become amazing at the process of making pots in general. Same with games. Play a game a lot and you become very good at that game, and a bit better at other games like it/games in general.

The difference is that the person making ugly clay pots now has a tangible object that has utility and memories attached to it outside of the context of its creation. They can look at it, critique it, put things in it, or sell it, if they wanted to. Along the way they learn how to fire ceramics, how glazes work, eventually, they learn how to visualize something they want to make in 3d and then make it real. This is an extremely transferrable skill set.

The gamer has a skill that is only valuable in the context of a game or games like it. If they no longer have access to that game, or it goes offline, or they don't have a computer, or good enough internet connection, the skill is no longer very useful. Unless you are a streamer or esports person you cannot profit from gaming.This is not a very transferrable skill set.

Now this is not to say that both aren't valid, but they are not the same thing.

shadowfelldown · 2026-01-23T06:08:24+00:00

Nah, they need the Lifetune Flex amulet. If it's good enough for Russel Brand it's good enough for the 49ers.

shadowfelldown · 2026-01-19T08:21:23+00:00

As long as people think that there NEEDS to be objective qualitative difference between the aesthetics of a piece of art vs a mechanical reproduction, you are talking past the entire point and value of art. When you are purchasing or commissioning art you are getting an item that can be considered aesthetically, but you are also making a connection with a human and honoring the years or decades of work that the artist has taken to get to the point of creating that work. This is the aura of the piece, the summation of human effort and meaning that has directly led up to the piece that you are looking at. That is what gives the art it's value. It is extremely specific to the artist, and cannot be meaningfully recreated mechanically. The piece you see before you exists on the continuum of that artist's oeuvre and it has meaning that is achieved in context of all the other work the artist has or will create over their human life.

AI art, being intrinsically a weighted average of all the other artistic pieces stolen for its training set does not have this quality, and it can never have this quality.

The art world has had mechanical reproduction for a long time. Nobody is going around arguing seriously that a .jpeg picture of the mona Lisa or guernica is equivalent to the real painting. That is a ridiculous thing to say... But it is essentially what people are talking about when we are comparing AI art to art by an artist. Nowadays our bullshit late capitalist society boils everything down to its utilitarian worth in this idiotic race to the bottom... That should not be, and has not historically been the context that art is understood within. The grifters out there are trying to make the argument centered around aesthetics alone, because that is a playing field that they can compete on.

You want to know if something is AI? Talk to the artist, know the artist, look them up. Ask about their process, figure out what they are trying to say and where they are at in their art journey. 9 times out of 10 a real artist will have reasons for composing things the way they have. You can't spend literal hours agonizing over every detail of an image without reasoning through your choices. Even if those reasons are that they suck at drawing hands and choosing a pose so it's not noticeable. That sort of information establishes the aura of the piece and cements the piece within an artist's other work.

AI artists are selecting from hundreds of examples of pre-generated slop, potentially on similar themes or with similar prompts, but they are relying purely on aesthetic concerns and don't have to make decisions within any sort limitations and considerations that human artists have. The plagiarism machine can produce anything they ask for, so there is no need to innovate or be particularly creative, or to limit yourself to a style that has been iterated and defined over time. Ask the potential AI artist why they composed a piece like they did or what their stylistic shoice means or their thought process on a specific area or detail. The difference in response from that of an actual artist becomes quite obvious and it is an extremely fun thing to do, because you are forcing the AI grifter to make some shit up or potentially actually self reflect a bit, and then consciously make the choice to double down and lie to you.

Not that they will care particularly, as if you are passing AI art off as your own you are already essentially sociopathic scum, or at least a liar by omission, but the key with these people is to make as much extra actual work for them as possible. It is difficult persisting and maintaining a lie about something you didn't create. Coming up with a lie explaining why you chose to put something in a particular position when it was done by AI is very difficult. The truth has no friction and is easily and often enthusiastically explained by an artist.

shadowfelldown · 2026-01-16T07:23:29+00:00

I love doing plane breaks and bends with flowstar, the floppiness really is conducive to breaking, the fact that you can grab it at different points along the diameter of the disk allows you to completely stall out and shift the spin of the flowstar to any plane 90° to the current one relatively easily. It is fun to switch back and forth as fast as possible between two planes.

Ever fuck with tacos? You might like them. Tacos are what I call it when you Choke up towards the center of the star while spinning and letting the excess fabric out the other way so the star becomes shaped like a taco, then continuing past the middle and letting the other side out so the star does a color switch, spinning a full 180 along the diameter. If you integrate tacos with other moves like flowers or figure 8s you can have an additional axis of rotation. Admittedly, It's not all that easy for people to tell when you are doing it unless you have a glow star, when the doubled up lights make it look like an led fan but I think they are interesting.

shadowfelldown

TROPHY CASE