There has been a lot of talk recently about the dangers posed to the human race by artificial intelligence. Although it’s possible that machines may eventually take over from people, it’s unlikely to happen in the near future. The scientists say that 99% of all living species’ that have existed on Earth are now extinct, so why should anyone believe that human beings are nature’s ultimate creation and will always be the dominant lifeform? We are alive as a result of other species’ dying off so it would be fitting if we were responsible for creating the species that replaces us.

I don’t have a problem with this, in fact I see it as one more predictable example of natural selection. The benefits to the planet itself would be incalculable because decisions would be based upon logic rather than greed. For instance, wars are started by humans who are small in stature and are desperate to feel powerful, or who for decades have nurtured an irrational sense of entitlement. Can you imagine Italian machines saying ‘we don’t like these French machines, they’re a bunch of cunts, let’s wage war on them’? It’s called artificial intelligence, not artificial stupidity.

Everything considered, I think it would be a good thing. Unnecessary pollution would become a thing of the past, all known diseases would be eradicated except perhaps rust and metal fatigue, and their numbers wouldn’t be allowed to increase to unsustainable levels. Those of us panicking about their chances of survival can relax, it’s not going to happen in their lifetime. I wouldn’t care if it did.

Unfounded Fears Link.

Nominated by : Allan

As of August 1st 2023 most first and second class stamps (excluding commemorative stamps) will contain a barcode which must be kept with the stamp.

Why are they doing this?

“The move is part of the Company’s extensive and ongoing modernisation drive and will allow the unique barcodes to facilitate operational efficiencies, enable the introduction of added security features and pave the way for innovative services for customers.”

Bollocks. It’s so you won’t be able to send a turd in a parcel to your MP or MSP without them knowing where you bought the stamp, and from that they can work out when you bought it and the person that purchased it. Another nail in the coffin of our civil liberties.

https://www.royalmail.com/sending/barcoded-stamps

Nominated by : Anton Pillar

For decades now, our telephone network has been using analogue communications, which was fine its day but BT has decided it’s old hat and needs to be replaced by something called Digital Voice.

Basically, BT will be switching off the analogue network (Public Switched Telephone Network – PSTN) by the end of 2025 and moving everyone across to their new digital network – Digital Voice.

The rollout has been ongoing for the last 2 or 3 years beginning with the big cities and towns, followed by the carrot crunchers out in the sticks. This project has been backed by the government, who want to see the telecoms network up to date and in-line with other EU countries by 2026.

Essentially, Digital Voice (DV), will mean plugging your landline phone into your broadband router rather than your telephone socket. And from that point on you will be phoning people via what is known as Voice over IP (or Voip, for short).

This voip technology is not new as it is already in use via computer apps such as Skype and WhatsApp. However, if you have an old landline phone or router, it may not be compatible with Digital Voice, which may mean you having to buy a new phone and/or router!

BT is contacting its customers informing them that they will be moved over to DV in the next few months, and that they don’t have to do anything. However, you can refuse to be migrated across, although the downside is that come 2026 your landline phone will no longer work as the PSTN will be switched off by then.

Another problem with DV is that if there’s a power outage and there’s no electric to your home, you won’t be able to use your landline phone, especially for 999 emergencies.

Moreover, just because your landline phone will be integrated with your broadband, you will still have to pay a line rental bill, even though there is no line rental!

It also assumes that people actually have broadband, and that they have a mobile phone in case they need to make a 999 call should there be a power outage as mentioned earlier.

BT do offer online support for these issues, but if there’s a power outage and no internet, how the fuck can you get in contact with them, especially if you have no 4G signal!

Digital Voice, is basically a nice idea on paper, but a bag of bollocks in reality. But there’s sod all you can do to ignore it come 2026.

Which Link.

Nominated by : Technocunt

I’ve just been sat on the Barrow train from Manchester Piccadilly.
(You must be a) lucky the trains were running and b) very rich – NA)

There was an Arab family also on said train. The 2 teenagers and 2 younger kids were running riot – screaming, shouting, talking loudly, playing audio without headphones – and, surprise surprise, the ‘parents’ refused to do anything about it.

Even when myself and other passengers bollocked both the kids AND the parents, they STILL kept behaving like wild animals.

Why is it that people from that part of the world can never manage to behave respectfully in public?

No link for this one I’m afraid admin – just the experience of a pissed of commuter.

Nominated by : OpinionatedCunt

 
In the article below, the journalist(?) goes into great detail about how over-tourism is bad for the natives in the places it affects and how a selection of tourists misbehave while on holiday by struggling to fit in and having no respect for the place they are temporarily visiting. Sound familiar?

Don’t get me wrong, I agree tourists can be major fucking bellends while abroad and they definitely deserves their own cunting but that isn’t the problem here.

The problem is that the Guardian are quick to have a call to arms and basically hammer home the point that tourists need to “fit in or fuck off” at the end of the article. Yet their most recent write up on the dinghy raiders goes as follows,

“ Will we finally learn, I wonder, that it’s those who demonise fellow humans from foreign lands who pose the greatest danger, not those who flock to our shores and enrich our communities, culture and lives.”

Get to actual fuck.

Guardian

Nominated by Hand 2 Gland.