jdw

As I've mentioned under other articles in the past, my experience with ChatGPT4o isn't that great.  I want like to use it to check multiple online sources quickly, in the hope it can Google faster than I can on my own.  And it is fast.  But the problem is, it lies a lot.  So I always ask it for sources.  Then it gives me stupid links that when clicked on, open nothing.  So I have to then as it for plain text URLs.  It complies, but none of them ever work.  EVER!  They lead to the expected domain, but they always result a 404 file not found.  ALWAYS!  I then complain to ChatGPT saying it needs to read the articles it links for me to ensure the article truly exists and exists at the plain text URL it will give to me.  It apologizes and seemingly complies, but it continues to give me more bogus URLs.  I have repeated that cycle multiple times in a row, until my free sessions with GPT4o expires.  It never learns from its mistakes.  It never gets it right.  I've been using it for months, and it hasn't improved at all in that regard.  So I mostly find it useless.  And this experience remains valid even if some GPT lover comes along a raves about how well it summarizes text.  Fine and well, but it still lies and gives bogus URLs to its source info.  

This is why I won't shed many tears when and if OpenAI finally goes under.  There was so much promise with their creation.  But they've not done anything I can see to show it's worthy of sticking around when the funds run dry.  Let a better company come along and do an actual good job on AI for once.  Whether that can be Apple or not is yet to be seen.  Apple did come out with Apple Maps despite the global love for Google Maps, so you never know.  They may release their own ChatGPT style AI chatbot one day, with true intelligence that doesn't lie and gives working URLs.

mattinoz said:

Total votes 152,319,830
population  346,388,480 people 

So more than half didn’t vote for anyone.
they each got more than a 1/5 but less than a 1/4.

Sure a 1/3 are generally underage or otherwise in capable.
still at 80mill non voters are still the next biggest group after the young. 

I think it's best to flesh out the numbers a bit more when engaging in these numerical discussions..

As of January 1, 2025, the population of the United States was 341,145,670, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. So it's clear the number depends on your source.  But both your number and mine aren't too terrible different.

Total number of votes cast as of today seems to be 155,211,283 as per this source. But counting is still ongoing.

Voting Age population has been estimated by one source to be 78%, which is roughly: 266,092,623 people.
So based on that number, if accurate, the turnout rate for the Nov. '24 election would be 58.3%.

Other estimates of the number of 18 and older people in the US peg it at 260,046,087 people.

winstoner71 said:

They should change United States to “The Stolen Lands of the Natives”. For accuracy. 

As you know, it's not about "accuracy."  It's about whoever is in power at the point in time when the name changes.

eriamjh said:

I'm old.  I don't like it when the names of things change for no real reason.   

I'll be 54 next month. But I don't feel that old just yet.  I'm still at the stage where we expect changes to occur in our lifetime.  And sometimes those name/word changes are oddball changes that pertain to political correctness.  Funny, but even when I was back in college, and good friend of mine gifted me this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Politically-Correct-Bedtime-Stories-Garner/dp/1561003913

Far too many people seek to "better society" by altering words and names.  But the funny part is, you tend to side with the name changes when the person or people enacting the changes by and large fit your political ideology.

Xed said:

I, for one, acknowledge that I use salty language on this forum and will try to keep it to curtail it going forward.

I've sometimes taken issue with your writing, but it's never resorted to name-calling. Nor am I offended by your "salty language." Diversity of thought and words make the world go 'round. People today are overly sensitive. But let's face it. The more interesting forum discussions are the saltier ones. The forum experience is also a big part of why people get there news here versus MacRumors or countless other Apple related news sites. Salt has many good uses.  Don't lose your saltiness.

Wesley Hilliard said:

...we're going to attempt to set some kind of limit on political speech here. 

AI has already added the Dislike button, an action which I personally think will only exacerbate negativity.  But of course, deleting posts is one way to achieve the aforementioned "limit."

SuntanIronMan said:

(Edit: That was sarcasm in case there was any confusion.)

Here's a prime example, Wesley.  That "Edit" indicates to me some are fearful about misinterpretation so we now need to tack disclaimers onto our posts to make sure they won't face the chopping block.

Alex1N said:

I think that we need a ‘laugh’ button instead of the new ‘dislike’ button. I’m serious.

I am serious too about the matter when I say that adding a Dislike button will definitely lead to negativity and retribution among forum members.  I've already spotted a number of posts getting a large number of Dislikes, typically from people who take the opposite political ideology of the post they Dislike!  So rather than engage in thoughtful debate, people smash the Dislike button instead, and nobody can find out who smashed the Dislike button.  It's hit & run!

auxio said:

jdw said:

Sorry, but all the defenses of Apple on this are total poppycock.  I'm a huge defender of Apple, and have been since 1984.  People who go around doing nothing but trashing Apple are trash themselves.  But let's face it, folks, RAM is one area Apple has ALWAYS failed the consumer on.  Apple Silicon and RAM efficiency talk is garbage.  What matters is PRACTICAL USABILITY.  Does somebody online talking about efficiency magically make 8GB good enough for YOU?  No.  No, it does not.

...hey, stick with the "magical" thinking because you can't comprehend the actual engineering details.

The big problem is that every application you use is web, web, web these days. ...it leads to all the bloat and overhead which requires more memory and CPU power.

I guarantee that if you can stick to native applications outside of a web browser, you'll find you'll rarely (if ever) hit the limits of the average computer...

You, sir, are the very type of person my previous post addresses.  You (1) trashed me by saying I cannot comprehend engineering details, (2) you somewhat admit the problem is not me but rather software requiring something beyond my control which is amusing because you just trashed me, and (3) you then give me a totally worthless guarantee.

Folks, as I said in my previous post, people like "auxio" are spewing poppycock.  My understanding of engineering details or lack thereof does NOT magically make my daughter stop calling me for support of her 8GB RAM M1 MBP because "magically' after reading the magical post by auxio, she now has a usable machine.  No, it's not a matter of "she's holding it wrong!"  It's only after talking to me and hearing my advice about running only a single app at a time, like we did in 1984, does she have a usable machine.  And no, she's not running Chome or "web, web, web" either.  She DOES indeed "hit the limits of the average BASELINE RAM computer from Apple because that RAM is only 8GB."  ENGINEERING DETAILS matter nothing.  What matters is PRACTICAL USABILITY FOR THE USER!  If you are satisfied with 8GB of RAM, great for YOU!  But your great experience doesn't magically translate into a great experience for others.  And to suggest we "hold it like you're holding it" (a throwback to the iPhone 4 days), is ridiculous.

We should all be able to buy the baseline RAM and STORAGE and get practical usability out of the machine for at least a year without running up against out of memory errors, serious slowdowns or the inability to run apps.  And to say the consumer is the one in the wrong because they didn't pay extra (above their budget) for overpriced extra RAM and overpriced extra STORAGE is, as I said in my earlier post, nothing more than a Cupertino-worshipper talking, not your friend.

A Cupertino-worshipper is a largely mindless person who loves Apple and who preaches whatever Cupertino preaches at any given time.  To the worshipper, it's Gospel.  So if Apple is preaching butterfly keyboards, a Cupertino-worshipper defends that choice and bashes anyone who doesn't love butterfly key switches, playing down all problems associated with the tech.  When Apple removed the SD card slot, those same worshippers ran in droves to this very forum to defended that stupid choice.  Then when Apple changed out the keyboard and restored the slot, those worshippers fell silent on those issues, but they now have come roaring back defending 8GB of baseline RAM.  

Cupertino-worshippers are crazy, and sadly, they are perpetually founding in forums like this one.  So just be on your guard when you come across them.  They are in greater numbers than you think.   And even though they are "crazy ones," they do not change the world, as the Apple slogan goes.  If anything, they fight against change, and that's the very problem that keeps 8GB as the baseline RAM in current Macs, even now in 2024.

Marvin said:

Keeping support for it on computers is what keeps manufacturers making the products with USB-A. 

You and I and everybody else in this thread are mainly talking about Apple here, not the PC world.  And even when we talk about PCs, we're talking to eachother — Apple users.  Since the world is dominated by Windoze (proper spelling) PCs, what goes on in that dark and silly world impacts us in the Mac world.  For that reason (and despite the silly remarks of Chasm), USB-A really is here to stay, whether we like it or not.  And even though you did say "All computer manufacturers should start dropping USB-A," what we say in this forum doesn't dictate what the Pee See (correct spelling) world will do, nor will a decision by Apple to drop all USB-A ports on the Mac Mini dictate what the Windoze PC world will do.  And so, if only Apple is dropping USB-A, and if we still are blasted with USB-A devices for years to come, the need for a USB-A port to avoid another STUPID DONGLE is key.

By the way, I just bought the single best 1TB Thumbdrive SSD today on Amazon only 1 hour ago, and guess what?  The connector only comes in USB-A.  Check it out too, because it beats any other thumb drive out there.  Pretty incredible.  And yeah, I'll need to use a STUPID DONGLE with it on my 16" M1 Max MBP, although my 2015 5K iMac at the office can accept USB-A without dongles.  I may buy a Mac Mini in the near future, so all this talk has meaning for me.  I would buy an M4 Mini with or without a USB-A port, but I would be FAR HAPPIER with it.  And honestly, it doesn't matter to me of the rest of you feel differently.  I buy things for my own satisfaction, not any of yours.

And there you have it.

I hate lawsuits.  Period.  And not just against Apple.  Americans are sue-happy nuts.

It's usually the blood sucking lawyers who get people to ponder these brilliant ideas.  After all, their main job is to use the law to line their pockets. That's a big part of my strong stance against lawsuits in general.

However, this particular lawsuit is worse because it potentially harms us all.  I was against the CSAM spyware from the get-go because it cannot be made fail-safe.  Some people would be wrongfully charged with crimes they didn't commit, yes, even with those promised "human reviews."  This is a big reason why many were against it, not just me.

So basically, someone who was abused is abused yet again, albeit in a different way, by lawyers, who get them involved in these crazy lawsuits which have the potential to later harm a larger percentage of the population, if indeed Apple loses and is strong-armed to implement CSAM spyware.

Leave it to Americans to ALWAYS cast blame when something very bad happens to you.  We need to eliminate the criminals without potentially making innocent people into criminals.  Stop the endless suing!

AppleInsider said:

Apple will never sell a cheap upgrade to anything...

I think we all know that; and while it's worth repeating to emphasize "Apple quality," I have little doubt that most of us would be more than happy with REASONABLE prices for upgrades.  In other words, a happy medium between the status quo of "extortionate" and "cheap."  And I say this as a AAPL shareholder of 26 years who desperately wants Apple to keep on winning.  You can still win and put numerous dents in the universe without "extortionate" upgrade pricing.

Here is the original lawsuit story from June 2024:
https://www.reuters.com/technology/apple-accused-lawsuit-underpaying-female-workers-california-2024-06-13/

I believe AppleZulu and Mikethemartian have been mislead based on their remarks that Apple is still establishing pay based on disclosure of salary histories, and I say that based on 9-to-5 Mac's article, paragraphs 4 & 5, which state:

Up until the summer of 2017, Apple asked candidates the salary they were paid in their current role, and based its offer on some improvement on this number. The problem with this is that if a female employee was underpaid in her previous role, then Apple would be perpetuating the differential in her new salary.

Apple recognized this problem, and ceased asking the question. Recruiters instead asked about candidate’s salary expectations, and based their offer on this. However, the Californian lawsuit alleges that this too perpetuates salary differentials, because studies show that candidates tend to base this number on some increase from their current salary.

So based on that article, after 2017, Apple is no longer asking about past pay from other employers.  But one big issue in this June 2024 lawsuit actually seems to center on the words I put in bold above — salary expectations.  And yet, most companies in the US, as far as I know, negotiate salaries and ask prospective employees to cite their desired salary range.

In other words, a big part of this class action lawsuit seems to focus the fact that women are asking for lower starting salaries than men are asking for.  

If you ask for a lower number and are hired, and then somebody else (regardless of being male/female) asks for a higher number and too is hired, then you will have a disparity.  Nobody seems interested in calling out the disparity between two men who ask for different salaries, but when women are involved, then the lawyers come knocking.  But the question asked by employers would not seem to be inherently sexist or discriminatory, but instead just a question.  So if the end result of that rather innocent question results in a disparity, should the entire system be changed?  That seems to be the issue here more than anything else, although the lawsuit puts women at the forefront.

Not being a woman, I look at this from a man's point of view.  Do I want to be asked about my salary expectations?  Well, I guess I wouldn't because sometimes you just don't know what a realistic number is.  Ask for a sky high salary, and that could be viewed negatively, making another candidate asking for a lower number more attractive.  My daughter is going through this now as she approaches university graduation this April.

So we must answer this question:  If the lawsuit ultimately stops employers asking prospective hires about their salary expectations, will it end up lowering salaries across the board?  Would it really result in good for all employees if they aren’t asked about salary expectations?

Honestly, I don't know.  I only know it would be a tad less stressful because you then wouldn’t need to scramble to figure out a number and hope it's a good one and one that gets you hired.

Wesley Hilliard said:

The like and dislike button are easy ways out, but they also foster a way for users to get the point across that the statement doesn’t align with the users in the forum. Sometimes the best way to get people to stop posting such things is to show them we as a community don’t want it.
Thank you for expressing concern. We’re trying to make this a fun place to chat and debate tech. If you encounter something you don’t like, feel free to say so.
Regardless, don’t be afraid to post here.

Thank you for saying that and explaining the matter in detail.  I appreciate it very much, Wesley.

But so far, after my not having said anything "salty" at all, I've already racked up 3 Dislikes vs. 2 Likes on my earlier post.  

I couldn't care less about the Hit-and-Run types who go around smashing Dislike with reckless abandon, but it seems rather clear that I will certainly be racking up the Dislikes over time by doing little more than engaging people in normal conversation.  This is another example of what I said in my previous post about human nature.  Human beings get a thrill from embracing the Negative.  

Compounding that core problem is the fact there are a lot of Americans in this forum and the USA is pretty much 50-50 divided on a lot of topics, not just politics.  I think that plays a role in convincing some to play the Negative Card and smash the Dislike button.  So far, I've avoided going that route, choosing only to click Like or Informative on the posts by my fellow forum members.  To me, smashing Dislike is akin to slapping somebody across the face, digitally.

Someone who types something that perfectly aligns with your beliefs will either garner no response or a Like (possibly an Informative), while someone who say the least little thing you don't like OR someone who has become (regardless of reason) a "target of hate" will be the recipient of the Dislike button. Saying that another way... If Person X has said a few things in the past Person A didn't like, Person X will likely remain The Bad Guy in the mind of Person A. And even when Person X types something that is really quite neutral and unbiased, bam! there goes the Dislike button again by Person A.  The existence of a Dislike button enables targeted retribution to flourish.

FaceBook uses a different approach that is rather interesting.  There is no Dislike button per se, but when you smash the Like, you get presented with a few Emoticons to choose from, one of which is the Angry Face (basically "Dislike").  However, the key differences between FaceBook and this forum with regard to Likes and Dislikes are these:

1. On FaceBook, your real name is used. In the AI forums, most people use fake names.  (For the records, JDW are my initials.)
2. On FaceBook, anyone can see the names of people who put a particular emoticon on a given post. In the AI forums, names people who click Dislike are hidden.

williamlondon said:

DAalseth said:

If you keep your eye on the profit, you're going to skimp on the product. But if you focus on making really great products, then the profits will follow.

Steve Jobs

I have increasingly been feeling that Apple under Tim Cook has forgotten this. 

WTF, man? You've now completely crossed over into troll territory. Need a reminder? How about this: https://forums.appleinsider.com/discussion/152839/rules-of-the-troll-wip/p1

It's terribly unfortunate to see how my fellow Mac lovers enjoy beating on one another on the most trivial of matters.  And then I scroll up and see that 3 people (so far) have taken an anonymous sledgehammer to poor DAalseth by hammering down on that horrid DISLIKE button.  The DISLIKE button, of course, being yet another way to "troll" your fellow man.  Absolutely terrible!

While I disagree PROFOUNDLY with ANYONE who seeks to tear down Tim Cook, including DAalseth in the above statement — Tim Cook being a man who has done an incredibly good job without the presence of Steve Jobs (and my AAPL shares prove that quite nicely) — I respect people who disagree with my sentiments.  As such, I feel strongly that THERE IS NO NEED WHATSOEVER to click that slap-someone-in-their-face "Dislike" button, especially in cases like this.  Even though I disagree with his feelings, I didn't click Dislike on his post.  And there is certainly no good reason to label people who disagree with you as being trolls.  

I clicked the link provided by williamlondon, which led me to the "Rules of the Troll [WIP]" page.  Wow.  Just wow.  All I see is a humongous list of statements which irk some Mac fans, which most likely inspire those same Mac fans to seek out retribution on others by labeling them "trolls."

Rodney King was right to call for people to "just get along."  And I call upon AppleInsider to start by removing the Dislike button.  And at the same time, I call upon my fellow Mac fans to have a little forgiveness and brotherly love toward others.  Anyone who has hate in their heart, feel free to click Dislike.