What is IBM's product again these days?

Because IBM, as well as most large corporations, are paying millions for empty office space. They either own these building, and can't sell them, or their contracts are long-term, and they can't get out of them. Of course, they'll still be paying the same rent/mortgage, but it's easier to justify to shareholders when the office is in use.

It's 'holo' in the same sense a VR controller has 'VR' in it's name -- It allows interaction with holo-like devices such as 360 screens or a VR headset.

If your art is viewable by the public in any way, you have no standing here. I feel the same with the authors complaining about LLM using their writings to train as well. If your work is in a public library, then you have no standing because anyone can use it to learn, even remotely these days. If you don't want anyone or anything to use your work to learn, then keep it behind a paywall or completely out of public view.

You can't pirate games that require constant online connection and phone home for verification. This is Big Gaming's wet dream.

I do stop and talk to family members or friends if I run across them, but only briefly, and I don't go out of my way to get to them. If they're more than a few yards away or so, not coming towards me or me them, I'll just wave if we happen to notice each other. I also wouldn't consider myself cranky. I smile and nod to others when our eyes meet, but I'm not one of those that just rush through the store, ignoring everything but my own needs. Perhaps you call that socializing, but to me socializing is standing/sitting and talking for an extended time, not just a casual, brief howdy do.

I'm sorry, but you are just plain wrong, shopping isn't a social experience. I'm not averse to the society of others, nor am I hostile or harmful to organized society or deviate from the social norm. Again, shopping is not a social experience, unless perhaps in the golden days of malls, where people went specifically to shop and socialize. No one goes to a department store, grocery store, or super store to socialize.

No, a store, be it grocery, department, or specialty, is not a place for socializing. I go there for one purpose, and I want to get it done with as quickly as possible and get on with my day. If you wish to socialize at the store, so be it, but don't call me anti-social for not wishing to do so. I say hello, and have a nice day to those I meet, but socialize in appropriate places, where it does not interfere with others trying to do their job, or get on with their day.

No. I don't go to the store to be social, I go to purchase things I need and/or want. I really don't care to chit-chat with some random person standing in line with me about something I'm most likely not interested in, or the person who's dragging my items across a scanner who gets this confused distant, sometimes terrified, stare if the proper frequency beep isn't emitted.

Why? I can consume all the content I want that's freely available on the internet and take that knowledge and apply it to my profession, so why can a LLM not do the same? If they want to get technical, start obtaining library cards from various libraries, and use those to check out the publications for learning. Now, if these LLMs are somehow "reading" information that's behind a paywall, then, yes, they should be paying for that. Otherwise, STFU and allow your "IP" to help better the future.

Do you go into a B&M store looking for something to buy, with no idea what you want, or do you go in looking for something(s) specific you already know you need/want that you already know about from some other source than just looking around on the shelves? Hell, do you "browse" Amazon.com looking for something to buy?

If your answer to either of those questions is 'YES', then you fail at 'consumerism', and are one of the sheeple who are consumers rather than customers.

Don't blame poor tools for your incompetence.

I have never in my life used Steams abysmal store interface to find a game to play, that's what friends and the internet are for. If I run across a game I think I may find interesting, then, and only then, I search for it by name on Steam and take into account the user reviews there before making a purchase. I do look at what's on the main store page while on the website, but to try to utilize Steams search function, I'd probably end up gouging my eyes out and throwing my computer out the window.

No, it's not quite clear what you're saying. Are you saying that younger employees are being paid less than an older employee hired at the same time, or younger employees are being paid less than an older employee that has been working there longer? If the ladder, then there is nothing wrong with that, but the former is definitely not right. The fact that they've been through four years of collage and a year of OJT has little to do with it, they are starting at an entry level position, and shouldn't expect to be paid as much as someone who's been working in that position for several years, even if they are doing the same work.

This usually goes for minimum wage jobs as well. You get hired at minimum wage, and periodically get a few cents an hour raise. It's a way to reward employees who stick around and do a good job.

So you're saying you don't believe employees should get periodic raises based on performance and/or seniority? Or do you think that raises should be across the board, disregarding the employee's status or performance? Do you think an employee who started just the day before should get a 10% raise just because one person has been working there for 5 years is getting it, or even be at the same pay level on the first day as the employee who's about to retire after 40 years at the company? Entry level jobs are entry level for a reason, and seniority matters.

Not for me, they won't. Shortly after filing my claim, I dumped Verizon and went with T-Mobile at half the cost, with unlimited data and better coverage.