A lot of critical technologies started as, "Huh, this is interesting, but I don't see how it's useful."

Provincial putz with a "ditto," here. I don't use it often enough to justify a deep dive for training, so while I can make things with it, it's a right pita. And every time I go back to it, I've forgotten how I did it previously. To me, it doesn't lend itself to easy comprehension. But I wish them the best of success.

I grew up like you - financially insecure, almost to the point of desperation - but I think your bigger problem is why tf do you care about those people judging you? I learned early that they ain't paying my bills, so I don't give a fk. Plus, nothing I do or say will stop them from judging, anyway, and usually without full information about whatever situation they think they know about, so why bother worrying about it? I'm financially better off, now, by far, and I'm sure some of those who saw me at my lowest are still judging me. Meh. I still can't do a thing about it, so whatever. If they ever grow a pair of balls and confront me directly, we'll have words. Until then, they can fk all the way off.

No, see, you're thinking about it wrong. The entire "failure" of the internet - which is, fundamentally, just a collection of wires and protocols, of course - is the users: they're largely gutter trash. So "the internet" doesn't need a reset button: the users do. That's why I welcome our benevolent agent of change, SkyNet. It's for our own good; things will be better after a few heads roll. May the odds be ever in your favor.

Does that make what he says automatically wrong?

I wonder if these rich sorts will use AI to figure out how to solve society's problems so that they - the rich sorts - don't have to use AI to figure out the best approach to defend themselves from angry, desperate hordes intent on righting the balance of wealth. Sort of a foresight - slash - "an ounce of prevention" thing.

Oh, sure, but how would that make money for Republican donors? Gotta keep your eye on priorities, here.

What do you call 20 million magas at the bottom of the ocean? Not enough.

For most of us, it already is pretty simple. I've done my own taxes for years, and the vast majority of the forms are simply not necessary. I use the 1040, a couple of schedules, form 1065 because of a business partnership, and it's still relatively simple. If I didn't have Schedule C, or 1065 income, it would be just W-2s, and call it a day, which is probably suitable for a large number of us. For many people, the 1040-EZ is available, and even simpler. The tax system can be complex, but it's probably an 80/20 thing; or even 90/10.

I see that about 90% of the people who shoplift do it because of desperation, rather than thrill. If people are shoplifting because they're desperate, I'm going to hold off on blaming them; and if you haven't been that desperate, maybe you should, too. Are we a "first world" society when so many people can't afford to simply live?

Found the maga cultist!

Some of us drive semi-professionally and need the ugly truth of the weather, if you will, without any sugarcoating. Where can we get the most accurate weather predictions as you describe? I have Wunderground, and Zoom Earth, which seem pretty good. Anything else?

My wife got a MacBook from work much like the one you described, and I thought, "Why freakin' bother?" But I used it for a bit, because why not, and it actually is more than competently capable. I was surprised at how well it worked on what I threw at it for what it had, in terms of "raw resources." Was the problem the actual hardware, or my biased expectations?

I'll bet a "campaign contribution" to Trump would mollify these agencies, and induce them to drop their warnings. And I get it: this is how it works, now. But it also means the agencies have zero effectiveness; they're useless until we get a better executive.

I'd be concerned about doing this for giggles: we don't know what they store, exactly, but I'm guessing everything. Do I want some conversation with Eliza coming back to bite me?