Dennis Hackethal’s Blog
My blog about philosophy, coding, and anything else that interests me.
Tweets
An archive of my tweets and retweets through . They may be formatted slightly differently than on Twitter. API access has since gotten prohibitively expensive – I don't know whether or when I'll be able to update this archive.
But in case I will, you can subscribe via RSS – without a Twitter account. Rationale
RT @dvassallo:
Small bets:
Work with high intensity for short bursts, but not too often.
Work on things that are very likely to pay o…
Brunnenstraße Ecke Veteranenstraße?
@BTC_SNEK
1.: Yes
2.: Yes, that trial-and-error algorithm is evolution (across dogs, not inside one dog)
RT @PR0GRAMMERHUM0R:
The next level of if even reddit.com/r/programmerhu… pic.twitter.com/4c0ICVzZok
That looks like a UUID, which may not be a good choice since UUIDs can be guessed: versprite.com/blog/universal…
If he were asked what the letter I in LGBTQI+ stands for, could he say off the top of his head? twitter.com/POTUS/status/1…
It should say “puppy’s movement-imitation algorithms are too indiscriminate”. twitter.com/buitengebieden…
When you said it can be possible to coerce through omission, I'm trying to indentify when this is the case.
I gave examples. Or are you trying to find a more general, abstract rule?
RT @MrColionNoir:
Top 5 Reasons You "NEED" An AR-15
Anytime you have a conversation about guns in this country, this question will inevita…
RT @AlexEpstein:
“By the year 2000, if present trends continue, we will be using up crude oil at such a rate…that there won’t be any more c…
RT @LinuxHandbook:
What kind of Linux distribution is this? 🤭🤭 pic.twitter.com/8q87gQSdiM
Looking at the original tweet, are you sure Christine wants to protect children from drugs or protect society from drug-using children?
It's the same question one should ask of policies, credit to @ChipkinLogan. Phrased more generally, how much coercion/violence is one willing to employ against peaceful people? Hopefully none.
Kids are going to find out about drugs eventually. The question then is, if your kid wants to try them, peaceably, how much coercion are you as a parent willing to employ to thwart their efforts?
Why you think irrationality is important for AGI?
Because AGIs are minds and minds are capable of being irrational. That means, in turn, if you build something that's incapable of being irrational, it can't possibly be an AGI.
Just add randomness or leave the agent below the bar of 100 % rationality?
I'm not sure there's such a thing as 100% rationality.
To be sure I understand, does the table suggest that even among those who agree coercion is good/necessary/whatever there’s disagreement regarding for what coercion is good/necessary/whatever?
Most adults will find all things listed in the article reprehensible when done to another adult, but they will find several of them acceptable or maybe even necessary when done to children.
This article seems to address adults: laurarichards.co.uk/what-are-the-s…
Read it from a child's point of view and you realize how routinely parents coercively control their children. Eg "dinner on the table at a certain time, dress a certain way, hair a certain way [...]."
For your specific example, I think it depends: is your child asking to be introduced to something and you refuse?
To the latter point, if you are with a father and his child, and the father tells you that he likes hitting his child, and then, to the child's horror, you don't say anything, thereby sanctioning the evil and violence, that's coercive.
My first impression is that there can be such a thing as 'coercion by omission' (eg lying by withholding information, in certain contexts, or when silence implies the sanctioning of evil (see Ayn Rand)).
RT @TheTonus:
"We're super oppressed!" Starter Pack pic.twitter.com/Um8YaVUHrX
@IuseLinuxbtw42 @jewelkeith_jk
Came here to say this. There are at least four lines that need to use window.crypto, starting here:
Specifically, something like
let array = new Uint32Array(1);
let randomNumber = window.crypto.getRandomValues(array)[0];
should do the trick.
An example of how the precautionary principle and collectivist thinking cause coercion: twitter.com/christineyanli…
Did you notice how Marty always had the same facial expression at the end of any conversation
just finished ozark. meh
the show is always just barely good enough to keep watching. lots of implausible events and plot devices
the pilot is the best episode
I do think irrationality is emergent, but it seems to me most people want to write a program from which it cannot emerge. So they actively want to avoid it, which means they do have to take it into account (be it emergent or not).
the messaging is agreeable (tho pro-lifers may have a point that the aborted baby didn't have a choice in being killed)
but i'm usually a bit suspicious of girls who try to look cute while holding political signs
you can see it when they want to pack the court instead of reducing the court's power over people
they like the power, they just want it used in their favor and against their opponents
i mean whatever non-popperian agi 'researchers' mean by it
often they mean 'not optimizing one's thinking every second'
sometimes they mean 'not correcting one's errors' or just 'lying on the couch all day'
RT @PR0GRAMMERHUM0R:
Centering on css solved reddit.com/r/programmerhu… pic.twitter.com/383OurBSIh
~every female pro choicer bemoans that power is being used against them
~no pro choicer bemoans power itself
I wonder if this is the conservative version of “you can’t be pro life AND pro death penalty”. When seemingly opposing views are held, that can be illuminating — consider that the holder has resolved the contradiction. twitter.com/galexybrane/st…
make moral arguments re this issue, not economic ones
imagine arguing against slavery for economic reasons twitter.com/LPNational/sta…
yep
the programmer wants guarantee of success/improvement
there's no such thing
the agi may find meaning on its own
usually ppl ask for some behavioral criterion to determine whether something is an agi
but yes theory comes first or else you can't build an agi anyway
When the law doesn’t work in their favor it’s ‘imbalanced’
RT @michaelmalice:
The degree to which Attorney Generals are freely admitting that they will not enforce abortion law speaks to the anarchi…
If AGI’s have a learning curve that’s even slightly similar, would we even recognize success?
I don’t understand the question.
He was hectically switching between tasks that all looked pointless.
They may have looked pointless to you while having great purpose for him.
Not to mention that building an AGI solely for one’s own purposes (because it’s “useful” or something) would be disgusting.
What kind of useful irrationality you had in mind?
That you’re looking for something useful in irrationality tells me you haven’t really considered my point.
AGIs must be capable of being utterly irrational, without any use to that irrationality (to themselves or others).
Depend on the particular definition of rationality in that context.
Doubtful because nobody wants to build an irrational program by whatever definition they may adopt.
One of the main reasons conventional (ie non-Popperian) approaches to AGI will fail is that nobody wants to write a program that's capable of being irrational.
But AGIs are capable of being irrational. Any serious contribution needs to account for that.
no twitter you don't need to show me a tweet from taylor swift even when it's about abortion
NPR space about the court’s decision
Of the three first questions, two were about gay and trans rights
I disagree with the court’s decision but at least now women know what it’s like to have one’s space invaded
twitter.com/i/spaces/1ZkJz…
Biden said he’s “stunned” about the court’s decision
Decades of being a politician and he still doesn’t understand the opponent’s side
He revealed how incompetent he is without realizing it
Now that Biden has instructed protesters to remain peaceful just as Trump did before Jan 6, is he going to get banned from Twitter just as Trump was?
If nature were your mother there wouldn't be any viruses to begin with.
RT @SJobs_Stories:
"We’re going to use the best pointing device in the world. We’re going to use a pointing device that we’re all born with…
RT @michaelmalice:
Not one person who claimed that striking down the airline mask mandate would lead to mass deaths has acknowledged they w…
RT @SJobs_Stories:
"And what happens if you think of a great idea six months from now? You can’t run around and add a button to these thing…
RT @PrisonPlanet:
Nothing says 'oppressed' and 'marginalized' like your flag lining half a mile of a major capital city street. https://t.c…
RT @mrjasonchoi:
I was today years old when I found out Cloudflare has a wall full of lava lamps they feed into a camera as a way to genera…
RT @DonaldJTrumpJr:
Nothing says really really ridiculously serious like photo-ops with Hollywood celebs. Did we guarantee a lot of these a…
(Potential) Errors in The Beginning of Infinity: blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/potentia…
RT @michaelmalice:
Shout out to all the people who decided to lose weight in order to get healthier
Hang in there, it's tough but worth it…
This account is a ridiculous propaganda account and should be marked as such. twitter.com/WhiteHouse/sta…
RT @ainyrockstar:
Freibad in Berlin. Wer als deutscher Mann oder Frau geht da noch freiwillig hin? Das ist die Verdrängung der Deutschen au…
@dankoman30 @BubblyAstronut @engineers_feed
yea, reading "[m]uscle weighs more than fat" i automatically complete that to 'the same volume of muscle...'
doesn't everyone??
That it is not possible or desirable to live without government.
(Though I disagree that about the "clearly" part.) twitter.com/engineers_feed…
@BTC_SNEK
Many people like some degree of violence. They like some authority. As long as it's used in their favor.
@BTC_SNEK
These are great questions. I believe the most important to be your first one:
The problem as I see it is how to get to a free society given that most are subservient to the State.
@jchalupa_ @MatMcGann @bnielson01 @BTC_SNEK @DoqxaScott
blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/popper-s…
If you want to comment, do it on my blog, not here
Popper’s Criterion Is Insufficient: blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/popper-s…
Keine gute Idee: blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/death-se…
Die deutsche Politik stellt eine viel größere Gefahr für die deutsche Bevölkerung dar als Putin twitter.com/reitschuster/s…
“What is an adult scientist but a kid who’s never lost the curiosity.” twitter.com/Sam_kuyp/statu…
RT @antonydavies:
Price controls don't fight inflation. They transform inflation into shortages.
Government fucks up
Let’s blame it on capitalism twitter.com/deanjnorris/st…
RT @JackPosobiec:
BREAKING: Leaked internal Twitter chat shows employees discussing banning @libsoftiktok after 'we successfully deplatform…
RT @AlexEpstein:
"Arctic expert predicts final collapse of sea ice within four years" - @guardian, 2012
RT @johnrich:
If a bad guy breaches my home he's likely carrying a semi-auto pistol/rifle. I, as the father and protector of my family have…
@MagnetThatcher @jchalupa_ @aniketvartak @ToKTeacher @IamtheWay13 @DavidDeutschOxf
yes. Also, we can start with the most recent policies, they can’t have that many dependencies yet
Then work your way backwards
@jchalupa_ @aniketvartak @ToKTeacher @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
I may have linked to this before but it has some of my thoughts on the issue: blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/a-progra…
@jchalupa_ @aniketvartak @ToKTeacher @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
The issue of how to get from here to there is incredibly complex and not to be underestimated
Again, I don’t have all the answers
But I value freedom enough to know it’s worth a try
@jchalupa_ @aniketvartak @ToKTeacher @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
you need politicians that understand their role in reducing their own office
i don’t have all the answers; once you start with the implementation, unforeseen problems appear anyway. all i know is freedom is worth a try.
@jchalupa_ @aniketvartak @ToKTeacher @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
hard to predict without ending up prophesying
but yes interim solutions may well be hybrid ones shared by state and free market
state should sell off as much as it can as quickly as it can, but always in a reversible fashion
@aniketvartak @ToKTeacher @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
yes. phase out taxes. pass legislation that slowly reduces them, and the size of government, to zero, by replacing forced services with voluntary ones.
@ToKTeacher @DorfGinger @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
correction: people think that of most positions they hold, not all. sometimes people consider an idea refuted but they have to hold on to it until they find an adequate replacement. also ppl can lie to themselves about why they hold an idea; part of them knows it's false.
@ToKTeacher @DorfGinger @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
daniel criticized the claim that taxation is theft by saying it's like claiming "the position im persuaded of is correct". but fallibly that's what everyone always thinks of any position they hold anyway. even if they grant they might be wrong they tentatively believe to be right
@ToKTeacher @DorfGinger @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
i'm claiming, fallibly, that taxation is theft, just like one might with rape and violence
giving additional examples isn't circular
@DorfGinger @IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
one could make the same 'argument' about the negation: 'taxation is not theft'
saying it is is declaring dissatisfaction with having one's earnings taken away
very useful
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
sounds to me like you're ignoring my arguments to arrive at your conclusion again
'forcibly having sex with a woman causes her trauma, prevents her from being creative and productive, etc... all good points. no need for "rape"'
just call the thing 'rape' you coward
@ToKTeacher @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
we can speak the truth, accidentally, without ever knowing (i think we often do speak it)
lying is not only being intentionally dishonest
@DorfGinger @IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
‘Taxation is theft’ is a terrible argument because its functionally equivalent to ‘the position im persuaded of is correct’
no it isn't, at least no more than fallibly. do 'rape is violence'
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
to use a different, imo simpler example, if everyone's balance in their bank account doubled over night, ~nothing would change in terms of purchasing power
we're in agreement on that
yet we're not in agreement on the effect of taxes on purchasing power
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
the government does also spend money less effectively, no doubt
but you're not engaging with the arguments i've made. i've said more than that
@ToKTeacher @IamtheWay13 @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
nobody is speaking of utopia
i don't know what repeating boi 101s you know i know adds to the conversation
lying about political coercion prevents "striving imperfectly to meet partially understood ideals"
@IamtheWay13 @ToKTeacher @MagnetThatcher @DavidDeutschOxf
but would have been able to afford if the govt didn't force everyone to spend money in ways they wouldn't normally.
it leads to all kinds of distortions and fuckups