From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

Delete your photos.

I CBA to post a link, just use your favourite search engine.

You couldn't make this stuff up.

Of course, it's still ok to build a huge datacentre at Didcot, cos AI is
the answer to everything.

*Sigh* we're doomed aren't we?
--
/Simon
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

On 12/08/2025 21:09, Simon Wilson wrote:

Delete your photos.

I CBA to post a link, just use your favourite search engine.

You couldn't make this stuff up.

Of course, it's still ok to build a huge datacentre at Didcot, cos AI is
the answer to everything.

*Sigh* we're doomed aren't we?

Aye :-)
--
Geoff
NTV 650
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

Simon Wilson wrote:

Delete your photos.

I CBA to post a link, just use your favourite search engine.

You couldn't make this stuff up.

Of course, it's still ok to build a huge datacentre at Didcot, cos AI
is the answer to everything.

Sigh we're doomed aren't we?

At first I thought well, it's not actually going to use any water, just
take it out of the river, warm it up a bit and then put it back. A
quick dive into the Net and I discover that is not so.
However, will it use any more water than the power station that
preceded it?
What would be better of course is extract the heat from the data
centre, store it and then use it to heat homes in the winter.
--
Geoff
NTV 650
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

On 12/08/2025 20:09, Simon Wilson wrote:

Delete your photos.

And old emails, apparently

I CBA to post a link, just use your favourite search engine.

It was in the I today as well.

You couldn't make this stuff up.

Surely the action of deleting causes more power to be used, and heat generated?
As the old items will probably be on an SSD somewhere these days, unless
they drop to spinning rust by tier?
Anyway, if it is not being accessed, is it using anything other than
standard power/cooling. When accessed it will need more power, more heat generated.
Etc etc.

Of course, it's still ok to build a huge datacentre at Didcot, cos AI is
the answer to everything.

Yeah, and now FF are adding AI to chew your battery

*Sigh* we're doomed aren't we?

We aren't already?


--
Bruce Porter
"The internet is a huge and diverse community but mainly friendly" http://ytc1.blogspot.co.uk/
There *is* an alternative! http://www.openoffice.org/
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

On 13/08/2025 11:41, GeoffC wrote:

Simon Wilson wrote:

Delete your photos.

I CBA to post a link, just use your favourite search engine.

You couldn't make this stuff up.

Of course, it's still ok to build a huge datacentre at Didcot, cos AI
is the answer to everything.

Sigh we're doomed aren't we?

At first I thought well, it's not actually going to use any water, just
take it out of the river, warm it up a bit and then put it back.

Yeah, I was quickly put right on that quite recently. Evaporative
cooling seems to be common.

What would be better of course is extract the heat from the data
centre, store it and then use it to heat homes in the winter.

Possibly, but depends on the temperature. Actually, I'm sure that they
do this somewhere, so it must be viable.
--

CHUMP #1 (CHarge Up Muppet)

Pip
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

On 13/08/2025 12:13, YTC#1 wrote:

On 12/08/2025 20:09, Simon Wilson wrote:

Delete your photos.

And old emails, apparently

I CBA to post a link, just use your favourite search engine.

It was in the I today as well.

You couldn't make this stuff up.

Surely the action of deleting causes more power to be used, and heat generated?
As the old items will probably be on an SSD somewhere these days, unless they drop to spinning rust by tier?
Anyway, if it is not being accessed, is it using anything other than standard power/cooling. When accessed it will need more power, more heat generated.

Yes, but presumably they don't power down the storage medium even if
much of the data is idle, and you don't know what mix of data from
different users is on a particular drive. I suppose they could move data around so that older or statistically less commonly accessed data gets
shunted to low-power storage, or something. I was going to add "or
compressed" but I guess there's only so much lossless compression you
can apply to photos or video.

We do store huge amounts of data, probably way too much. I have discs of
raw files (which are, OK, compressed a bit) of blurry planets and things.

Of course, it's still ok to build a huge datacentre at Didcot, cos AI
is the answer to everything.

There seems to be have been a huge rise in (presumably AI) FB posts with obviously wrong images, or cosy tales about how wonderfully ethically
some celeb behaved towards starving orphans, or descriptions of a flight engineer's control panel that's attached to a photo of a pilot's console
off a different aircraft. I guess it's to harvest likes or outraged
comments or followers, but where's the money? I don't recall seeing many
ads, and I don't use ad-blockers.

Actually, has marketing somehow passed the Marketing Criticality Point
and is now an end in itself, spawning yet more marketing?

Yeah, and now FF are adding AI to chew your battery

FireFox?
--

CHUMP #1 (CHarge Up Muppet)

Pip
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

On 13/08/2025 18:35, PipL wrote:

On 13/08/2025 12:13, YTC#1 wrote:

On 12/08/2025 20:09, Simon Wilson wrote:

Delete your photos.

And old emails, apparently

I CBA to post a link, just use your favourite search engine.

It was in the I today as well.

You couldn't make this stuff up.

Surely the action of deleting causes more power to be used, and heat
generated?
As the old items will probably be on an SSD somewhere these days,
unless they drop to spinning rust by tier?
Anyway, if it is not being accessed, is it using anything other than
standard power/cooling. When accessed it will need more power, more
heat generated.

Yes, but presumably they don't power down the storage medium even if
much of the data is idle, and you don't know what mix of data from
different users is on a particular drive. I suppose they could move data around so that older or statistically less commonly accessed data gets

I'd say that happnens, the longer it lies dormant,the more likely it
will drop down tiers.

I'm sure someone will be along to correct me.

shunted to low-power storage, or something. I was going to add "or compressed" but I guess there's only so much lossless compression you
can apply to photos or video.

I'd say compression is default on all modern storage appliances now,
even I apply it to my home server. (with ZFS)

We do store huge amounts of data, probably way too much. I have discs of

True, I have oodles of docs going back to last century. Pictures are ony
since I got a digital camera (2005)

raw files (which are, OK, compressed a bit) of blurry planets and things.

Of course, it's still ok to build a huge datacentre at Didcot, cos AI
is the answer to everything.

There seems to be have been a huge rise in (presumably AI) FB posts with obviously wrong images, or cosy tales about how wonderfully ethically
some celeb behaved towards starving orphans, or descriptions of a flight engineer's control panel that's attached to a photo of a pilot's console
off a different aircraft. I guess it's to harvest likes or outraged
comments or followers, but where's the money? I don't recall seeing many ads, and I don't use ad-blockers.

I don't use FB much, and when I do I have FB Purity chugging along. So I
see very little and just what I am targeting. (Blood bikes, a few mates
and the odd business the still think it is a good way to advertise)

Actually, has marketing somehow passed the Marketing Criticality Point
and is now an end in itself, spawning yet more marketing?

Yeah, and now FF are adding AI to chew your battery

FireFox?

Yep.
https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/13/firefox_ai_scoffing_power/



--
Bruce Porter
"The internet is a huge and diverse community but mainly friendly" http://ytc1.blogspot.co.uk/
There *is* an alternative! http://www.openoffice.org/
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

On 13/08/2025 19:18, PipL wrote:

On 13/08/2025 11:41, GeoffC wrote:

Simon Wilson wrote:

Delete your photos.

I CBA to post a link, just use your favourite search engine.

You couldn't make this stuff up.

Of course, it's still ok to build a huge datacentre at Didcot, cos AI
is the answer to everything.

Sigh we're doomed aren't we?

At first I thought well, it's not actually going to use any water, just
take it out of the river, warm it up a bit and then put it back.

Yeah, I was quickly put right on that quite recently. Evaporative
cooling seems to be common.

What would be better of course is extract the heat from the data
centre, store it and then use it to heat homes in the winter.

Possibly, but depends on the temperature. Actually, I'm sure that they
do this somewhere, so it must be viable.

We have hot water piped to the house at about 60degC. It's waste heat from a
power station supplemented with gas and I think some more sources.
Lower temperatures are more effici|2nt apparently . 550 000 house in NL have
it.
TIL it all started in good ol' US of A.

District heating - Wikipedia https://share.google/HsX1kgSFvkD61CG9J
--
Geoff
NTV 650
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

On 13/08/2025 19:35, PipL wrote:

There seems to be have been a huge rise in (presumably AI) FB posts with >obviously wrong images, or cosy tales about how wonderfully ethically
some celeb behaved towards starving orphans, or descriptions of a flight >engineer's control panel that's attached to a photo of a pilot's console
off a different aircraft. I guess it's to harvest likes or outraged
comments or followers, but where's the money? I don't recall seeing many >ads, and I don't use ad-blockers.

Rage bait. FB rewards "engagement" apparently. At least that is what the AI
summary told me.

Actually, has marketing somehow passed the Marketing Criticality Point
and is now an end in itself, spawning yet more marketing?

Hopefully we can all sit back and watch as it moves in ever decreasing
circles and eventually disappears up its own arsehole.
--
Geoff
NTV 650
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

On 13/08/2025 21:47, geoffC wrote:

On 13/08/2025 19:35, PipL wrote:

There seems to be have been a huge rise in (presumably AI) FB posts
with obviously wrong images, or cosy tales about how wonderfully
ethically some celeb behaved towards starving orphans, or descriptions
of a flight engineer's control panel that's attached to a photo of a
pilot's console off a different aircraft. I guess it's to harvest
likes or outraged comments or followers, but where's the money? I
don't recall seeing many ads, and I don't use ad-blockers.

Rage bait. FB rewards "engagement" apparently. At least that is what the AI summary told me.

I suspected it was something like that - always some glaring inaccuracy.

Actually, has marketing somehow passed the Marketing Criticality Point
and is now an end in itself, spawning yet more marketing?

Hopefully we can all sit back and watch as it moves in ever decreasing circles and eventually disappears up its own arsehole.

Indeed. To be fair, it funds a widely used social media platform, but
I'm beginning to wonder at what cost?
--

CHUMP #1 (CHarge Up Muppet)

Pip
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

On 13/08/2025 21:47, geoffC wrote:

On 13/08/2025 19:35, PipL wrote:

There seems to be have been a huge rise in (presumably AI) FB posts
with obviously wrong images, or cosy tales about how wonderfully
ethically some celeb behaved towards starving orphans, or descriptions
of a flight engineer's control panel that's attached to a photo of a
pilot's console off a different aircraft. I guess it's to harvest
likes or outraged comments or followers, but where's the money? I
don't recall seeing many ads, and I don't use ad-blockers.

Rage bait. FB rewards "engagement" apparently. At least that is what the AI summary told me.

Actually, has marketing somehow passed the Marketing Criticality Point
and is now an end in itself, spawning yet more marketing?

Hopefully we can all sit back and watch as it moves in ever decreasing circles and eventually disappears up its own arsehole.

All those in favour say 'Aye'!
(Not 'Ai' obviously - that would be silly)

Chris
--
The Deuchars BBB#40 COFF#14
Yamaha XV750SE & Suzuki GS550T
https://www.Deuchars.org.uk
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

On 14/08/2025 11:16, chrisnd @ukrm wrote:

On 13/08/2025 21:47, geoffC wrote:

On 13/08/2025 19:35, PipL wrote:

Actually, has marketing somehow passed the Marketing Criticality
Point and is now an end in itself, spawning yet more marketing?

Hopefully we can all sit back and watch as it moves in ever decreasing
circles and eventually disappears up its own arsehole.

All those in favour say 'Aye'!
(Not 'Ai' obviously - that would be silly)

While I am entirely in favour of all marketing disappearing [1], in the interim, AI is messing things up for some people. At an open mic night
last night I was chatting to a fellow performer who is an actor on
adverts as a secondary job. He said it had gone from getting auditions
on a pretty much daily basis to a couple a month.

[1] The USA would notice huge differences. American football would have
to consist of more than ten minutes of activity per match, Indy car
races would have massively reduced safety car and full course yellow
periods, and commentators would have to find things to say which didn't mention sponsors' names.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

On Wed, 13 Aug 2025 18:35:32 +0100, PipL <pip@nowhere.nul> wrote:

I suppose they could move data around so that older or statistically
less commonly accessed data gets shunted to low-power storage, or
something.

This is reminiscence about times of yore:

On Sperry/Univac/Unisys equipment of the 1990s there were two tiers of
storage: disk and magnetic tape. The master file directory (MFD) had
time stamps for creation, update, and last access along with the time
of backup from disk to tape and the label of the backup reel.

This created the following amusing opportunity, which I'm surprised is
(so far as I know) not replicated on Linux systems.

When an application requested space to write to disk that wasn't
available, it was suspended. The MFD was then scanned to find the
oldest file(s) in terms of last access, the operator was instructed to
mount a blank tape, and old files were "rolled out" until sufficient
space had been freed to allow the suspended application to continue.

The amusing opportunity was that old files that already had a backup
didn't have to be "rolled out." Instead, they could just be marked
"offline" and no further action was necessary. Their space was
instantly freed.

If an application requested an "offline" file, it was suspended, the
operator was asked to fetch and mount the tape that contained the
backup, and the file was "rolled back" from offline storage before the application continued. Applications could (if they were smart) touch
the files they would need and get all the "roll backs" queued before
trying to read the first one.

Of course this could (and did) lead to considerable thrashing when
disk space was tight.

To get around this, we made sure that print files had a "$write" write password. At batch production cutoff in the middle of the night, we
did a backup of all new and updated files. Then we went through the
MFD and immediately marked "offline" all the files with "$write"
passwords to create a pool of (hopefully more or less contiguous) free
space on disk.

Those were the days!
--
Moreover I'm convinced that Reddit must be destroyed.

Worst Case

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

"Worst wrote:

On Wed, 13 Aug 2025 18:35:32 +0100, PipL <pip@nowhere.nul> wrote:

I suppose they could move data around so that older or statistically
less commonly accessed data gets shunted to low-power storage, or
something.

This is reminiscence about times of yore:

On Sperry/Univac/Unisys equipment of the 1990s there were two tiers of storage: disk and magnetic tape. The master file directory (MFD) had
time stamps for creation, update, and last access along with the time
of backup from disk to tape and the label of the backup reel.

[snip interesting details of (presumably) 1100 series mainframe world]

I was employed by Sperry Corporation from June 1980 until sometime
in 1991. The closest I got to one of our mainframes[1] was to sit
down at a UTS-40 terminal once in a while to do *something* in the
"MAPPER" system, about which I don't remember much.

However, as the UTS-40 had a Z80 processor and optional 8" floppy
disks, we could run the CP/M operating system on it and that's where
I was first exposed to the Wordstar text editor. I still have the
muscle memory of some of the common keystrokes. It was also the first
'real' computer that I learned assembly language programming on.

The primary computers I interacted with, prior to the introduction of
PCs (we initially had _a_ shared departmental "Sperry PC", which was
actually produced in Japan by Mitsubishi), were Teradyne integrated
circuit tester controllers which were pretty ancient, with an 18 bit
word length magnetic core memory, program listings were in octal.

Those were the days!

They were, indeed.

[1] I worked in the SCF (Semiconductor Control Facility) which had responsibility for all semiconductor-related procurement, vendor
liason, Quality Assurance, and Failure Analysis.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

On Fri, 15 Aug 2025 21:08:44 -0000 (UTC), Mark Olson <olsonm@tiny.invalid> wrote:

The closest I got to one of our mainframes[1] was to sit down at a
UTS-40 terminal once in a while to do *something* in the "MAPPER"
system, about which I don't remember much.

Ah, yes, MAPPER.... It was to be the answer to the application
programmer shortage by allowing accounting clerks (end users) to code
their own computer reports rCo thus bringing about an inevitable
accounting clerk shortage.
--
Moreover I'm convinced that Reddit must be destroyed.

Worst Case

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