I wonder if it occurs to the Epic guy that there are many others that deal with him/Epic that also have to understand the idea that 'the little guy' must eat some shit because 'the big guy' is in a postion to set the terms

how many end-users and small businesses have been told to take it or leave it when pressing for a more symmetrical power balance with Epic? eg, Epic can release a sub-par, buggy game and still charge full AAA price... don't like it? want a refund? go pound sand; you're a small developer outfit doing a bit of contract work for Epic and unhappy with the lopsided contract terms? too bad, you can be easily replaced if you don't play along; no doubt Epic is just as guilty of squeezing the little guy whenever it can get away with it

the same advantages Apple/Valve enjoy is mirrored when Epic is in the driver's seat and can set the terms to give themselves the largest slice of the pie; what makes it even worse is that Epic -- unlike the true little guy -- *does* have the resources to compete with behemoths like Apple/Valve and is just unsuccessful at it

this guy's shit stinks just as bad and his whining about it is just hypocrisy; he's not that naive and plies his trade on the idea that something's value is whatever the market will pay; the 'unfair' gambit is weak but that's all he has

this has nothing to do with moral principles and everything to do with the strong can and will exploit the weak; this is how nature, business and the world works

the line between making a positive marketing spin and unethical/fraudulent representation will always be fuzzy, but the main point not to be obtuse about is that in one situation you can be ordered -- under harsh penalty of military law -- to do things against your will, such as 4 years of peeling potatoes or even being sent off to die somewhere for no explanation... you are expendable govt property; in your examples, being there is always voluntary and leaving is always an option if at any time you decide it's in your best interest to do so

so if the price for being deceived is higher, it would make sense, to me anyway, that the bar for being considered deceit should be lower

I've seen the ads in which they make the environment look very video-gamey with flying drones and lotsa screens with cool graphics everywhere... classic bait and switch as by far most recruits will be doing less fun and glamorous activities during their duty

don't get me wrong, I fully understand why they do this and it's for similar reasons the tobacco and vape industries do what they do: forthright honestly and candor would scare off the fodder required to keep these beasts fed

the only way this could ever work is with a monopoly, ie, if there were reasonable options, this would only serve to drive customers to those options

and should a viable competitor ever show up, watch YT start to play nice again

greedy bastards can't help but eviscerate their golden goose

here's the truth:

We're using AI to assess our employees and will use the results to downsize and reduce cost burdens; the people that mistakenly misread the future will not be affected nor be held accountable

No need to point out the ironic truth that AI was used to justify both the hiring and firing of these folks

Yours truthfully,
P.T. Cheatham
Director of Dirtbag Deceits

these people are no more qualified than you or I am to understand societal impacts of the technology, but both senators and these top-tech CEOs are extremely good at utilizing the efforts of others for their own gain and aggrandizement.... what do you think they will talk about in the secret meetings?

AI or anything like it has never happened before, so how does one become an expert on it? what secret access to knowledge do these self-important practictioners of deception have over anyone else?

seriously, why don't we also ask some NBA players or rock stars about what they think? they will have just as much insight on how things will play out as your average schmuck and won't be any less qualified than these machiavellian exemplars representing some of the worst aspects of humanity

there's more theater goning on here than Broadway could ever muster

"... laggy screens, bad battery life, inaccurate tracking, and watchfaces that can't even tell the correct time..."

these seem like stuff that would have been apparent in their internal QA/testing

which means they would have happily released the product unless faced with bad PR *beforehand*

what's wrong with these people? evenmole rats aren't that shortsighted

couldn't find any mention in the article.... what is your recourse if a summary mis-characterizes your content? if past history is any indication, you'll have to choose between head-butting a virtual brick wall or pounding sand

what if they label your cat video as hairy pussy stroking? kinda funny, sure, but might horrify grandma and you lose your audience

now imagine political and social content being 'summarized' by our AI overlords: more divisiveness -> more engagement -> more money to be made

propaganda 101: control definitions and labels and you have the power to control minds and thoughts

that's how it works, folks; try not to get played

Dear Golden Goose,

We would like to say we miss you and want you back. We are so sorry that we altered the deal and can't get another Golden Egg from you.

You are so special, to share your gift with the whole wide world -- and not just yacht and limousine dealerships -- is why we cut you open to find the source of your gifts.

We did not realize you could not handle it and are willing to continue as things were before. We promise to keep the cleavers out of sight and only use them when needed.

Please accept our flopsweat apology, yours truly,
- The Greedy Butcher

looking forward to my improved customer experience and enhanced safety features

how does this get pushed thru the committees? don't they have to make some sort of business rationalization, like making money?

how does Teams remain a steaming pile but a new default font gets the nod?

ok, so it is kinda ironic that they use anti-bird deterrents to build nests...

and maybe a bit cool that they also use tools...

with perhaps a touch of sentience suggested by their overall intelligent behavior...

but it's nothing to crow about

will they become defacto mobile homes for the homeless during inclement weather? maybe just a place in the a/c to shoot up in front of others who are just there for the ride

I sure won't take the bus or let my kids if I think there's an excess of risk; will drivers be empowered to keep an order to things?

and for those with a hair trigger to mischaracterize and attack, this has nothing to do with the plight of the those folks; but let's not pretend that some behaviors are ok in public... there's gotta be some enforceable rules

for the commenters saying it's already free where they're at, is this or anything else a problem with the free? I would certainly look to existing similar situations to get a fair assessment of what it all entails, the good and bad

paradoxically, we hairless monkeys tend to think that when it's 'free,' it becomes both an entitlement and value-less

tough really, since I do like the idea of free public transportation, but there's the reality that there will be a price of some sort, even if not in money

and it doesn't matter which party, such an obvious abuse of power to skirt the obvious spirit of both the bill and the power of the office he holds

I'm sure he and sycophant apologists will say how 'good' or 'clever' this is

like the phrase 'Help your uncle, Jack, off his horse' with comma-removal power... in the hands of the self-righteous this becomes a joke instead of a desire to help

now imagine what this guy -- and the other govs -- would do if unchecked

in all my years I've never heard of anybody saying anything like "I hate gas stations"

at worst, they bemoan the prices but that's a market thing, not a gas station thing; I find them quite convenient and it would suck if I had to find another way to fill my tank

stupid poll meant to make somebody, somewhere... some money; don't really know if the poll is stupid, or maybe the editorializing / spin, or maybe all of it

I can only hope I didn't help in that regard

how is it done elsewhere? do other countries get to use the spot to calibrate their own satellites? if not, they must have figured out another way, no?

is this really the only place/way to get that done? it might be a damn good spot and have many things going for it, but to portray it as "this place is the only place" seems a stretch

I'm not taking sides, but given the nature of federal-level politics, it probably has little to do with what we the plebs hear, and more to do with pandering, spin and backroom deals

and this gem: "As our nation becomes ever more impacted by an evolving and changing environment, it is critical to have reliable and accurate data and imagery of our planet."

wtf does that even mean? what a load of non-speak shite, served up in lieu of something meaningful

so there's my Monday spleen venting, now on to better things