Apple will say that consumers benefit from their exclusive control over the iPhone ecosystem. I imagine that Google will say that consumers benefit from tying their ad business to search by providing consumers with more relevant ads. The problem is that in capitalism consumer benefit is not the ends, wealth generation is the ends. As a general principal, though not applied enough, the ends do not justify the means, particularly if in the United States the means result in harm to consumers.
Markets and Ecosystems
Two days after the spring equinox, mother nature does have a sense of humor. Just got back from a short walk and I think there is about four inches on the ground.
I agree with everything that Om Malik wrote in this post about how AI IS Changing Writing, in particular the following:
My approach to AI has been to embrace and extend my capabilities. I use quite a few tools with AI inside. Many of them have boosted my productivity. I am on the lookout for more to add to my arsenal, so I can become more effective when it comes to my creative output. I don’t need it to write for me. I need AI to make sure I don’t make spelling mistakes, point out some overused phrases, repetitive usage of phrases, and what my editors used to call “Om” things.
I don’t understand why an individual will want AI to write for them because I own (and want to own) my words because they reflect me. My writing is never about producing content and I don’t make a dime from any of my web sites. I may be biased, but I think what makes it blogging is whether or not one is making money.
I agree with everything that Om Malik wrote in this post about how AI IS Changing Writing, in particular the following
The upcoming U.S. Presidential election is unique in my life time in that it is an election between two incumbent Presidents. Consequently, we don’t really need to focus on character issues because there is a record of what each candidate did in office. For example, Biden ought to focus on what Trump did and did not do about COVID-19 as his actions are on record as are the consequences, millions of people died while Trump was in office, unnecessarily. I also wish Biden, or pundits, would at least emphasize that there is a difference between feeling better and actually being better. Were you really better off when Trump was in office than you are now, or did you just feel better (were more entertained) while Trump was in office? Finally, yes, inflation is an issue right now, and if we accept that government spending is the primary cause, let’s note that it was Trump who signed and provided most of the COVID stimulus checks. Most economic circumstances are reactions to the past.
I might be out of touch, but the idea of one being able to buy a Macbook at Walmart seems odd. It feels like a cheapening of the brand. I get the ability to buy Apple “consumer” goods that include iPhone and iPad but I would not think of going to Walmart to buy a Mac.
To Be Disturbed By Ideas Is O.K.
From “The Problem with Defining Antisemitism” by the New Yorker
Stern tells this story in “The Conflict Over the Conflict,” a work that is unlikely to please partisans. The book makes the case for bridging differences and recognizing nuance. It also describes Israeli-Palestinian history as an “ideal subject” to teach at universities, precisely because it is so divisive. At the West End Temple, Stern reiterated this belief. “On college campuses, students have an absolute right to expect they’re not going to be harassed, they’re not going to be bullied,” he said. “But to be disturbed by ideas is O.K.: we want students to be disturbed by ideas and to figure out how to think about them.”
I have to remind myself that the high 30/low 40 degree temperatures that we are currently experiencing is closer to normal than the 70 degrees we had last week. The over night lows are cold enough to cause a light dusting of snow. Unfortunately the daffys that have been appearing are not taking the temperatures well.
Watching me like a hawk on St. Patrick’s day.
Site Changes
I don’t think the blogroll on the right side of Scripting News is visually appealing. To my eyes the page is now cluttered and that affects readability, and for me the reason to go to a blog is to read what the author has written and published. I like that both of my blogs just display my writing with no other distractions. If memory serves me right, blogrolls came before RSS, and for me RSS feed readers replaced the need for blogrolls. If you want to see what blogs I am reading or advocating look at the content of my RSS subscriptions.
I know that one can have a physical book printed from a journal in DayOne. What I would like is to be able to import all of the titled posts I’ve written here, which I call essays, into DayOne so that I could have a book produced from them. I would love suggestions about how to make that happen because it seems that I should be able to import the RSS feed of my essays into DayOne.
Daffys are about to make their appearance. Spring is springing.
Everything old is new again, even on the Internet. Blogrolls are making a come back. One can think of them like the news feeds/timelines one sees on social networks, but in this case just web site or person’s name. Not sure I want to host such a think on my own blog, and I think my RSS feeds page provides the same function in a more useful manner.
Today I am starting my next virtual walk of the Camino de Santiago. I think I should be able to complete the 577 miles later this year.
It took 582 days for me to walk the equivalent of the 2024 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Goal achieved!
I’ve written down some of my thoughts about the pending iPad announcements. I am curious about what Apple will announcement but not anticipating being a buyer.
I will make the case that March is one of the better, if not the best, months of the year. March 1 begins meteorological spring, temperatures get warmer and flowers begin to bloom. March includes 312 (Chicago), 313 (Detroit), 314 (Pi) days, and St. Patrick’s day. Spring training of professional baseball starts, and college hockey and basketball have their conference and national tournaments. The NHL and NBA seasons are approaching the end of their seasons during which teams are competing for playoff positions.
I am down to the last five miles of my virtual walk on the Appalachian Trail that I started on July 24, 2022. I should complete the walk some time tomorrow!