Elon Musk Buys Twitter

[AntiFascistVoter]

Some day I hope there's a thread about the rise of techno-feudalism.
How much of it was dependent writers like Swisher, Isaacson, Michael Lewis. They postured as serious intellectuals but acted as court stenographers to elites.
They painted silicon valley shitlords as heroic, fully formed by childhood experiences. When the monster we see today was just as shaped by 30 years bluffing & winning at the Silicon Valley casino.
JD Vance is their spirit anaimal. Rising from Thiel courtier to VC failboy, to senator, to VP candidate.

Plus generations of fanbois that were primed by: popular mechanics and tom clancy novels. Jack Ryan was their Mary Sue, until they wish upon a monkey paw to make him into a real littlte boy.

Atleast Walter Isaacson is <finally> getting dragged about about his interactions with Musk.




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"Alexa, what is the Venn overlap between Ben Shapiro fans and cybertruck buyers?"

When you buy manly construction supplies with your plastic baggy weirdo truck.

A play in 2 parts.





Could also be that Issaquah and east king county are filled with the worst drivers and aserine tech bros. "But I used the Pro parking".

[PhaelixWW]

Could also be that Issaquah and east king county are filled with the worst drivers and aserine tech bros. "But I used the Pro parking".

I saw my first Cybertruck driving the streets of Seattle two weeks ago.

I was surprised: they're even uglier in person.

[Odinfrost]

Isn't the point of a Truck that you can put things in an open boot, so that if they move around, they fall *into* the truck instead of out of it?
Or, at least make increase the odds of it falling deeper into the boot than out.

What exactly, about the cybertruck, is actually a truck?!

[Poopymonster]

Isn't the point of a Truck that you can put things in an open boot, so that if they move around, they fall *into* the truck instead of out of it?
Or, at least make increase the odds of it falling deeper into the boot than out.

What exactly, about the cybertruck, is actually a truck?!

*cough*
IT HAVE TRUCK IN NAME.

That about covers it. Yup.

[AntiFascistVoter]

Isn't the point of a Truck that you can put things in an open boot, so that if they move around, they fall *into* the truck instead of out of it?
Or, at least make increase the odds of it falling deeper into the boot than out.

What exactly, about the cybertruck, is actually a truck?!

Naw, the point of modern trucks is to make thin-wristed boys, into manly WAR RIG praetors of the FURY ROAD big box parking lot.
*plus a lux interior with sound system to blast Joe Rogan's latest elk dick eating contest.


It's way easier to move 4x8 sheets of plywood on my impreza.

[Edge-]

It's way easier to move 4x8 sheets of plywood on my impreza.

Ok good, some actual data/visuals to support my anecdotal theory that trucks have functionally reversed the priority from "being a truck that can haul stuff" to "being a minivan for guys but also with less space than a minivan. At least for some models.

I don't remember if Ford has brought the Ranger back into production, but that's the much more practical truck if you need a truck to do actual truck things.

Anyways, those pictures of the dude with the deck boards who doesn't know how to secure his load is fun. But all the pictures of Cybertruck owners "using their truck" are fun because genuinely not a single of of them appears to have ever owned a truck and few, I think, have even been inside one.

It's emblematic of Elon's broader efforts and political leanings. When can we recall his political hot-takes?

Concerning.

[Flarelaine]

I don't remember if Ford has brought the Ranger back into production, but that's the much more practical truck if you need a truck to do actual truck things.

This is the current-generation Ranger.



You were saying?

[Edge-]

This is the current-generation Ranger.



You were saying?

Thanks, I fucking hate it.

[Karreck]

Ok good, some actual data/visuals to support my anecdotal theory that trucks have functionally reversed the priority from "being a truck that can haul stuff" to "being a minivan for guys but also with less space than a minivan. At least for some models.

Big Trucks will now be referred to as Bro Mini-Vans in my house.

[Poopymonster]

Big Trucks will now be refereed to as Bro Mini-Vans from now on in my house.

Homie-vans.

I still refer to them as bimbo-boxes from Snow Crash.

[Orange Joe]

Homie-vans.

I still refer to them as bimbo-boxes from Snow Crash.

Transvans or bi-gender trucks?

[Edge-]

The social platform X has updated its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Grok after five secretaries of state warned earlier this month that it was spreading false information about the election.

When people use election-related terms in their inquiries to Grok, it will now direct them to Vote.gov, a nonpartisan government website, according to a press release from Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon.

Simon — alongside Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt and Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs — touted the changes Monday.

“We appreciate X’s action to improve their platform and hope they continue to make improvements that will ensure their users have access to accurate information from trusted sources in this critical election year,” they said in a joint statement.

“Elections are a team effort, and we need and welcome any partners who are committed to ensuring free, fair, secure, and accurate elections,” they added.

The five secretaries of state sent a letter to X owner Elon Musk in early August after Grok provided incorrect information about the ballot deadlines in their states.

Following President Biden’s decision to step aside and endorse Vice President Harris in late July, the AI chatbot suggested the ballot deadlines had already passed in Alabama, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington.

However, the secretaries noted the ballots were not closed, and upcoming deadlines would still allow for changes to candidates.

“While Grok is only available to X Premium and Premium+ subscribers and includes a disclaimer asking users to verify information, the false information about ballot deadlines has been captured and shared repeatedly in multiple posts – reaching millions of people,” the secretaries wrote.

Grok continued to repeat this incorrect information about the ballot deadlines from the day Biden dropped out of the race, July 21, through July 31, according to the letter.

The secretaries noted that ChatGPT has been programmed to direct people to CanIVote.org when asked about U.S. elections and urged X to do the same.

“In the U.S., all elections are run by local officials, who are supported and overseen by a state agency,” they said in Monday’s statement. “Election rules and procedures can vary widely from state to state, and voters should seek out information from their local election officials about who can vote, when they can vote, and how they can vote in their area.”

“Websites like Vote.gov and CanIVote.org are also trustworthy resources that can connect voters with their local election officials,” they added.

https://thehill.com/policy/technolog...date-election/

I really enjoy how every AI people use has the disclaimer*

*May completely lie and make shit up, do not trust this AI or anything it outputs, verify it for yourself before trusting it.

What's the fuckin point of the AI, again? Just for CharacterAI stuff and whatnot?

Anyways, how unsurprising that Twitter's AI is still shit, lol.

[Rasulis]

Some day I hope there's a thread about the rise of techno-feudalism.
How much of it was dependent writers like Swisher, Isaacson, Michael Lewis. They postured as serious intellectuals but acted as court stenographers to elites.
They painted silicon valley shitlords as heroic, fully formed by childhood experiences. When the monster we see today was just as shaped by 30 years bluffing & winning at the Silicon Valley casino.
JD Vance is their spirit anaimal. Rising from Thiel courtier to VC failboy, to senator, to VP candidate.

Plus generations of fanbois that were primed by: popular mechanics and tom clancy novels. Jack Ryan was their Mary Sue, until they wish upon a monkey paw to make him into a real littlte boy.

Atleast Walter Isaacson is <finally> getting dragged about about his interactions with Musk.




- - - Updated - - -

"Alexa, what is the Venn overlap between Ben Shapiro fans and cybertruck buyers?"

When you buy manly construction supplies with your plastic baggy weirdo truck.

A play in 2 parts.





Could also be that Issaquah and east king county are filled with the worst drivers and aserine tech bros. "But I used the Pro parking".

I should take a picture of my Toyota truck bed. There are 14 tie-down hooks. Six at the bottom of the bed. Eight along the top edges. The ones along the top edges are slideable. The guy obviously never heard of ratchet tie-down strap. I always carry several 8,000-lbs straps in my truck.

[Gorsameth]

I believe the boring answer of pickups turning into suvs has to do with fuel efficiency or emission standards being increased over the years for 'normal' cars but not pickups so manufacturers started selling pickups as regular cars to get around regulations.

[Paranoid Android]

Ahh, on my phone I can't mess with image(s) right now. But trucks like the Japanese use have the the same capacity and close to bed size for cargo as large Mmmerican trucks.

Relevant since we could just have small, fuel efficient trucks with smaller engines to do 90% of the lifting especially in cities. So funny enough the bullshit Trump lies about that EV's are more wear and tear on roads, when small trucks would do this and against this is also vs BIG, gasoline trucks.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

Naw, the point of modern trucks is to make thin-wristed boys, into manly WAR RIG praetors of the FURY ROAD big box parking lot.
*plus a lux interior with sound system to blast Joe Rogan's latest elk dick eating contest.


It's way easier to move 4x8 sheets of plywood on my impreza.

To be fair, you can still get the longer truck boxes... it's just that a lot of these chodes aren't.

[Jessicka]

Ok good, some actual data/visuals to support my anecdotal theory that trucks have functionally reversed the priority from "being a truck that can haul stuff" to "being a minivan for guys but also with less space than a minivan. At least for some models.

I don't remember if Ford has brought the Ranger back into production, but that's the much more practical truck if you need a truck to do actual truck things.

Anyways, those pictures of the dude with the deck boards who doesn't know how to secure his load is fun. But all the pictures of Cybertruck owners "using their truck" are fun because genuinely not a single of of them appears to have ever owned a truck and few, I think, have even been inside one.

It's emblematic of Elon's broader efforts and political leanings. When can we recall his political hot-takes?

Concerning.

Not just shorter beds, being higher up because of the big manly tires makes them way less practical for actually loading anything into or out of them.

- - - Updated - - -

Ahh, on my phone I can't mess with image(s) right now. But trucks like the Japanese use have the the same capacity and close to bed size for cargo as large Mmmerican trucks.

Relevant since we could just have small, fuel efficient trucks with smaller engines to do 90% of the lifting especially in cities. So funny enough the bullshit Trump lies about that EV's are more wear and tear on roads, when small trucks would do this and against this is also vs BIG, gasoline trucks.

Ah yes, the classic Isuzu isekai wagon. They’re super popular with actual companies that do business in cities here, either with flatbeds or boxes. Nobody running a multi vehicle business uses massive US style pickups, they’re usually private owners or owner operated small businesses on their first “work vehicle” until they realise how shit they are get a Ford Transit like everyone else.

[Belize]

To be fair, you can still get the longer truck boxes... it's just that a lot of these chodes aren't.

[IMG]https://cardealerstg.blob.core.windows.net/nelsonford/vehicles/988619/pictures/93d564af-f0c8-44da-8e07-8543ddee240c-gallery.jpg[G]

It's crazy truck manufacturers saw the Canyonero as something to aspire to emulate

[Flarelaine]

It's crazy truck manufacturers saw the Canyonero as something to aspire to emulate

If people want shit, capitalists are happy to oblige.

[Endus]

If people want shit, capitalists are happy to oblige.

I feel this unfairly misrepresents how deeply and thoroughly marketing affects consumer demand.