Latest Activity > middleearth
Sites
All the latest Neocities site news!
Neocities allows anyone to create a free web site to express themselves. Want to create your own awesome site? Join us!
Here's another little epilogue to the AI problem. Robin Hobb (AKA Meghan Lindholm) has discovered that she and other authors' work have been used by Meta in a data set to train AI without their consent. Here's a couple of links to the Author's Guild about the issue... https://authorsguild.org/news/meta-libgen-ai-training-book-heist-what-authors-need-to-know/
1 like
Everyone thinks that AI is going to destroy the world in the same manner that you see in Terminator, I, Robot or Humans, but in actuality it's going to be through spreading mis-information through over consumption of power/water contributing to climate change, AI generated content, copyright infringement, bogus crafting patterns that don't work and fake art.
In other news, Harper-Colins is once again having a 50% off sale, so I managed to snag four Raymond E. Feist books, and a Meghan Lindholm...
Stuff like this really pisses me off, and it's an insult to my grandmother's generation... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clynxz2ypv8o
I was hoping to have an afternoon on LOTRO, but it looks like it's their maintenance day. Always seems to happen...
One thing that cracks me up is when you're cleaning, reorganizing, packing up to move home/unpacking after you've moved home, you always find a random object that you didn't know how you came to possess it, what is actually is or what it's used for, all you know is that you have no use for it or that it's trash...
bright-eyes
1 year ago
Random metal objects that seem to come from something mechanical/DIY seem to be the most common, plastic second.
I thought that you might be interested in doing a piece about this on the blog portion of the Reading Project. I've noticed over the past year or so that there are a lot of low quality e-books showing up on Amazon in particular - you can usually tell them because the author doesn't have a fantastic fiction page about them and their books, and they usually have
1 like
bright-eyes
1 year ago
a series of books which have a lot of books in them in an inconceivably short period of time. https://www.404media.co/ai-generated-slop-is-already-in-your-public-library-3/
1 like
readingproject
1 year ago
I've been noticing ads pop up on my feed promoting 'AI' programs that will get your novel written in the afternoon so you can have it published and selling by dinner, sort-of-thing. I made comment about this sort of thing in the sidebar for a recent review on Richard Osman's We Solve Murders. It's a depressing situation
readingproject
1 year ago
I've just finished reading the article. It's really terrible. I hadn't thought about the issue librarians face, of trying to curate their collections and the problems of paying to use low-quality AI-produced material that is not clearly labelled as AI generated. I was speaking to several authors last year who were also depressed about how this is changing their industry
bright-eyes
1 year ago
It is. I first came across the problem with Kindle e-books because I looked up some that looked interesting and then when I opened the page, they were badly written. There are several apps that e-mail kindle book suggestions to you which you can download for free, or low cost and I suspect that most of those are AI generated, or at least poorly written and edited. I now only buy/download kindle books from authors I
1 like
bright-eyes
1 year ago
recognize. It is frustrating as a reader and it's probably equally as frustrating for authors, especially new ones because people will be reluctant to buy/read their work. In some ways, I wished I'd bought a different e-reader because I don't see the same problem associated with other e-readers, and kindle unlimited isn't that useful.
1 like
readingproject
1 year ago
I had an ereader many years ago but didn't enjoy the experience. Reading old fashioned books mitigates this problem to a large degree. But I can see scenarios, long-term, where even that could be affected.
There's a nazi bloke on dreamwidth moaning about people with disabilities and chronic illnesses like it's some kind of spiritual and moral failing. Should I tell the guy that it could happen to anyone, including him? My partner was diagnosed with a heart condition last year, his son in law almost died from a brain hemorrhage in the summer and has only now gone back to work (I hope he stays ok), countless people -
1 like
bright-eyes
1 year ago
we've known have become ill and died with cancer, one friend witnessed a bloke getting shot in the head while he was at work and getting severe ptsd from it, folks in the military can at any time, get permanently injured during their day's work, a person can get injured while crossing the road, a baby can be born with genetic condition...
1 like
We have a normal winter, relatively speaking, compared to what we've had for yonks... OK, it could be because we are further north than we have lived before, but still... So we have a normal winter, and the BBC posts this rubbish... What do you want? We have a normal winter and you try to say that it is abnormal, but ignore years of warm winters because it's more -
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn938ze4yyeo
bright-eyes
1 year ago
There you have it, folks. A normal winter is more abnormal than an abnormal one...
Time marches on... But what I think is worrying in conjunction with all of this, is the rise of the far-right all over the world, not just in the US (for obvious reasons), but also elsewhere. I've been following the Bulletin for a number of years now (heck, it always surprises me that the seconds countdown was only announced a couple of years back - it seems longer to me!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqifSCvzaFI
1 like
bright-eyes
1 year ago
Moving it on one second only seems a little bit optimistic - I would have moved it on further. I wonder if Starmer and the rest of the politicians will grow up and start making sensible moves to make things better? Probably not, because we wouldn't be in this mess if they had.
If tech companies can rip off creators with AI, then fan ficers, fan artists, musicians, etc, should be able to make money of work that isn't their own too. (I don't believe that, but changes in law to allow tech companies to use AI to generate money like this is a farce.) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8xqv9g8442o
2 likes
Is Channel 5 feeling alright? An actual, traditional, sci-fi space show? I didn't know that those were made now adays...
Storm Eowyn is wrecking havoc with our internet connection and has blown down a panel of the rickety fence... Just about what I would expect from a storm named after the slayer of the Witch-King.
Popular Tags
art music videogames programming anime games food personal writing cats blog movies books gaming fashion photography comics design animation horror game drawing coding arte manga portfolio furry reading ocs poetry cute technology musica kpop history education animals film fun programacion roblox literature sports philosophy html nature science programing tech videogame travel politics minecraft web gamedev love retro school life videojuegos youtube cartoons computers 2000s pokemon blogging diary video illustration fantasy pink dogs random idk comic gardening internet videos memes oc linux ai cooking y2k queer test kawaii nostalgia webcomic tv arg fandom aesthetic journal worldbuilding emo crafts business news cars fanfiction media vocaloid learning films health silly stuff space math fiction website cutecore 90s stories culture etc arts scifi cat painting football journaling graphics baking css punk homestuck goth marketing crochet software 3d lgbt cinema commissions sanrio program sport archive psychology pixelart artist digitalart dance diy me shows series comida dnd makeup characters trans funny religion metal graphicdesign lgbtq creativity lifestyle editing cool indie aboutme fanart entertainment clothes rpg streaming friends sonic code development scene javascript story plants webcomics roleplay guitar comedy languages rock everything weird electronics zines sewing webcore ttrpg study community aesthetics reviews gay engineering hacking cyberpunk beauty webdesign educacion fnaf basketball it originalcharacters computer soccer informatica vintage social weirdcore spirituality oldweb photos vtuber discord deltarune pets blogs project architecture storytelling vaporwave shop flowers clothing information movie thoughts coffee biology language hobbies undertale shopping about japan nintendo mlp testing cosplay magic lore book creative fitness digital html5 ttrpgs radio money crypto fandoms nothing experimental chat blinkies physics alternative websites info astronomy site singing cybersecurity tecnologia juegos birds japanese bugs wip furries witchcraft research anything autism occult band other finance crafting theatre tvshows personalwebsite sleep sleeping profile projects moda television resume futbol gamedevelopment dolls lain events work vr all knitting system interests genshin photo vampires yaoi apps linguistics fish gatos transgender dreams splatoon ghchs webdevelopment astrology meme python romance free rap wiki puzzle collecting poems toys fanfic developer carrd aliens mentalhealth frutigeraero windows app animations dancing pixels drawings coquette visualnovels cartoon animes stamps family bio gothic english fortnite tarot robots dog marvel touhou deportes intro a skateboarding pizza essays medicine gym osc hiking humor modding gamedesign interactive online links security teaching journalism characterdesign adventure gyaru dragons mathematics chess mystery data fnf roleplaying no puzzles hobby gallery creepypasta zine rp popculture fansite lol objectshows birthday yuri jfashion zonelets resources musicals pixel mythology vkei gifs ocean twitch dreamcore myself home meow traveling blender law jogos breakcore piano audio novels introduction tf2 peliculas ffxiv libros hiphop recipes scenecore noise amor pjsk death dark bfdi stars graphic privacy style progamming danganronpa podcast rpgs studying indiegames plushies communism swag shrine paranormal twine ecommerce robotics hellokitty socialmedia production none activism android car pictures wrestling spanish foods omori awesome christianity running pinterest bunnies utau jewelry craft lesbian cine educational things boardgames filmmaking student electronic songs lolita volleyball deporte vent girls anarchism god travelling unblocked geography designing dev scratch grunge misc outdoors feminism maths 3dmodeling store webdev blue mario sharks brasil old realestate clowns bitcoin 80s bl computing environment collage dinosaurs transformers jpop doom vtubers pc college tools images help stickers starwars acting jazz novel flash fotografia creepy construction services alt jesus tumblr bts chemistry cafe trains event java yoga computerscience theater tea baseball args programar epic plurality translation mcr cyber collection warriorcats lego escuela vlog pastel multimedia programmer retrogaming whatever manhwa videoediting persona southpark pop horses supernatural historia cozy yes therian f1 weed trading tcc programas gamer tiktok skating whimsy videography monsters podcasts js tabletop weather medical techno draw literatura truecrime forum miku dc hardware people insects dj drama bsd otherkin girly shoes economics skincare cricket kandi socialism green angels homepage estudiante lgbtqia restaurant ecology search sound opensource maps salud enstars swimming learn freedom hi filmes surrealism modeling kirby nerd ropa ideas tattoos animales trinkets digitalmarketing turismo vhs cleaning kidcore animanga world curso text artwork kdrama bible petz edm analysis service healthcare cultura tourism author halloween conspiracy chatting closedspecies sociology 3dprinting hockey fishing shitposting depression videogaming academia racing hardcore furniture brazil egl homework women cv bands did sketching sculpture livros drugs tennis surreal friendship thrifting programa wedding knowledge frogs colors scary rats artes eating library blockchain hair chill general plural visualnovel networking mobile analog creation purple writting aviation sciencefiction ambient alterhuman programacao academic genshinimpact christian sites soft university gacha practice tutorials graffiti anarchy cryptocurrency mangas server truth informacion foss quotes society mods wellness ux glitch estudio rpgmaker retrogames water species cryptids webseries batman anthropology company ghosts medieval garden programs cycling writer nails bot sustainability erotica onepiece forsaken rants magazine harrypotter review schoolproject talking otaku tattoo jjba 3dart miriadax esoteric conlang theology ceramics yapping neocities archives live kids class guns css3 character superheroes instagram google startrek building illustrations noticias theory bikes unblockedgames crocheting church performance analoghorror os disney camping notes animal twitter vampire crime future play liminal revival cs cards shrines blood chaos decor handmade shitpost meditation concerts house industrial french lostmedia advertising selfship rhythmgames kdramas spiderman articles creating idols evangelion content training musicproduction dating shoegaze apple originalcharacter scrapbooking synthesizers viajes seals terror vida youtuber folklore visualkei ultrakill frontend crk voiceacting disability sims interactivefiction party vlogs new prompts communication sanat mylittlepony jobs animalcrossing embroidery desing doodles vinyl satire calculator designer entretenimiento zelda poesia quiz exercise spooky paganism joke repair magick silliness animating neopets datascience marxism vrchat finalfantasy tareas sweets facts creatures shifting programmation tecnology something islam rambling vtubing halflife tarea commission rainbow musics ia developing adhd geek creativewriting black cult hack daily cheese vegan spiritual overwatch download kink military scp anthro jokes yumeship miscellaneous beach webring ranfren mtg hetalia underground photoshop happy zombies fanfics hotel bass conlangs mha songwriting programm more ar shoujo studies desarrollo club oldinternet arcane private dandysworld tic vibes self todo trabajo glitter christmas motorcycles jeux gender randomstuff 1 productivity agriculture pet tamagotchi secret doctorwho yugioh php tips ui mushrooms musician beginner projectsekai mecha gossip drinks archival edits videgames generator tokusatsu hosting stem map collections ciencia dungeonsanddragons oldroblox cities blackmetal rave tokipona words stupid
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/authors-guild-author-letters-to-ai-companies?source=direct_link&fbclid=IwY2xjawJQswBleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHZjfvr4Rcv1PM5lJzlBuxWyETzRhMZ6ZOOVylGc2Z7nSg3SgT3xRCbGbjw_aem_Oq2_P3YA-rmzjKpn5pCvBA
I did a search on this site to see which authors are in the Lib Gen database, and works from everyone I looked up came up in it, from authors like Tolkien to modern day writers like Marie Brennan.
It's pretty disgusting. You've obviously been following this. You suggested I do a blog post last month about it. I think I'll wait to the beginning of next month when the post will be active for longer. Think I will also include something in my next newsletter. If you want to write anything for either of those I'd be happy to include it in either of those. Thanks