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Stubsack: weekly thread for sneers not worth an entire post, week ending Sunday 04 August 2024 (awful.systems)
submitted 3 months ago by dgerard@awful.systems to c/techtakes@awful.systems
163 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Need to let loose a primal scream without collecting footnotes first? Have a sneer percolating in your system but not enough time/energy to make a whole post about it? Go forth and be mid: Welcome to the Stubsack, your first port of call for learning fresh Awful you’ll near-instantly regret.

Any awful.systems sub may be subsneered in this subthread, techtakes or no.

If your sneer seems higher quality than you thought, feel free to cut’n’paste it into its own post — there’s no quota for posting and the bar really isn’t that high.

The post Xitter web has spawned soo many “esoteric” right wing freaks, but there’s no appropriate sneer-space for them. I’m talking redscare-ish, reality challenged “culture critics” who write about everything but understand nothing. I’m talking about reply-guys who make the same 6 tweets about the same 3 subjects. They’re inescapable at this point, yet I don’t see them mocked (as much as they should be)

Like, there was one dude a while back who insisted that women couldn’t be surgeons because they didn’t believe in the moon or in stars? I think each and every one of these guys is uniquely fucked up and if I can’t escape them, I would love to sneer at them.

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[-] sailor_sega_saturn@awful.systems 18 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Dear ~~~Sneerclub~~ TechTakes, will you be my 'Friend'? :)

AI ‘Friend’ Company Spent $1.8 Million and Most of Its Funds on Domain Name (404 media, archive)

AI Companion Device Releases Diss Track Against ‘Friend’ (404 media, archive, diss track on twitter)

[-] self@awful.systems 14 points 3 months ago

“It's real! Premium domains are expensive, but it's worth it,” Schiffman told me in an email after I reached out to ask if it was true.

[…]

"People just don’t get consumer, I view this as saving money. Much less money needs to be spent on marketing, it’s a one time thing," Schiffmann said.

there’s an entire type of startup guy embodied by Schiffmann, and I can’t be the only one who’s met this type more than once

The company advertises the device as “always listening” when connected to bluetooth. “When connected via bluetooth, your friend is always listening and forming their own internal thoughts. We have given your friend free will for when they decide to reach out to you.”

presented without comment

[-] V0ldek@awful.systems 10 points 3 months ago

We have given your friend free will

Wow that was easier than expected, we can't get philosophers to agree what that would even mean but it's done folks

[-] sailor_sega_saturn@awful.systems 9 points 3 months ago

Enough money to blow it all on a domain name. Not enough money to port their chatbot-app from iPhone to Android, or pay someone to resolve customer issues. (twitter.com, xcancel.com)

[-] self@awful.systems 6 points 3 months ago

people just don’t get consumer, I said, as the unfulfilled refund requests continued to rack up

[-] ShakingMyHead@awful.systems 5 points 3 months ago

Also doxxing them when giving their refund.

[-] sailor_sega_saturn@awful.systems 10 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Forget the diss track person, I've tracked down the true origin of Friend:

[-] BlueMonday1984@awful.systems 8 points 3 months ago

I like how the advertisement's URL opens with a fucking O_Q like even its unsettled by this shit

[-] sc_griffith@awful.systems 8 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

the ad alone should be a thread it's the most insane thing I've seen in years

the yt comments are brutal btw definitely check them out

[-] Architeuthis@awful.systems 7 points 3 months ago

The yt comments are indeed delightful

Was the pitch what if A24 made commercials?

MidsommAir

[-] fasterandworse@awful.systems 7 points 3 months ago

It’s like how can we make a depressing tamagotchi?

[-] mii@awful.systems 7 points 3 months ago

Here’s Friend’s advertisement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_Q1hoEhfk4 . The music choice and general vibe is… unsettling.

This hast the same vibe as a trailer for shows like Black Mirror. I actually feel sad for the people they're targeting with this, holy shit.

[-] carlitoscohones@awful.systems 6 points 3 months ago

unsettling.

Indeed.

this post was submitted on 29 Jul 2024
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