Punk, or why I don't stream anymore

#1

Post by surprisetalk » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 1:30 PM UTC

Punk, or why I don't stream anymore
geohot.github.io

Re: Punk, or why I don't stream anymore

#2

Post by v9v » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 2:00 PM UTC

Parts of this reminded me of the book "Sadly, Porn".

Re: Punk, or why I don't stream anymore

#3

Post by mmillin » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 2:02 PM UTC

Feels very related to the idea of refinement culture: https://lindynewsletter.beehiiv.com/p/refinement-culture

While the connectedness of our world allows for great ideas to be spread and shared, there’s a huge reduction in actual variety. I don’t know what the solution is.

Re: Punk, or why I don't stream anymore

#4

Post by delichon » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 2:03 PM UTC

> But the difference is that you didn’t do anything. And in so much as there is a you, it isn’t steering. Now I realize that the non steering you is everywhere.

  Jesse: I was thinking about that thing you said about the universe. Going where the universe takes you? Right on. It's a cool philosophy.
  Jane: I was being metaphorical, it's a terrible philosophy. I've gone where the universe takes me my whole life. It's better to make those decisions for yourself.
  El Camino, 2019

Re: Punk, or why I don't stream anymore

#5

Post by awakeasleep » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 2:04 PM UTC

overall, too much of this makes sense. The only part I have any objection to is the part about when you're using an AI to make something, you are not steering.

I think you only give up the steering on the how, but the "what" and the "why", which were always the more important parts, in my opinion, are still in your hands.

There has always been tension on that specific point, and it's what made being a programmer in a company you don't own so painful.

Re: Punk, or why I don't stream anymore

#6

Post by ozgrakkurt » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 2:06 PM UTC

I have similar feelings but also think this is mostly an effect of more people participating.

The people that create slop garbage profiles or cookie-cutter profiles didn't have very quirky profiles before. The probably didn't even participate before.

The quirky stuff is still there and maybe there is even more of it but it takes effort to find it instead of being able to go online and everything being novel.

Re: Punk, or why I don't stream anymore

#7

Post by delichon » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 2:09 PM UTC

mmillin wrote: post #3

Feels very related to the idea of refinement culture: https://lindynewsletter.beehiiv.com/p/refinement-culture While the connectedness of our world allows for great ideas to be spread and shared, there’s a huge reduction in actual variety. I don’t know what the solution is.

> I don’t know what the solution is.

Interstellar diaspora. Interplanetary diaspora isn't far enough apart.

Re: Punk, or why I don't stream anymore

#8

Post by gooddelta » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 2:10 PM UTC

This slop is exactly what ChatGPT spits out when it's leading you down the hole of AI psychosis.

Re: Punk, or why I don't stream anymore

#9

Post by phoghed » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 2:10 PM UTC

awakeasleep wrote: post #5

overall, too much of this makes sense. The only part I have any objection to is the part about when you're using an AI to make something, you are not steering. I think you only give up the steering on the how, but the "what" and the "why", which were always the more important parts, in my opinion, are still in your hands. There has always been tension on that specific point, and it's what made being a programmer in a…

Even the “how” you only give up as much as you are willing to.

Re: Punk, or why I don't stream anymore

#10

Post by thundergolfer » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 2:11 PM UTC

mmillin wrote: post #3

Feels very related to the idea of refinement culture: https://lindynewsletter.beehiiv.com/p/refinement-culture While the connectedness of our world allows for great ideas to be spread and shared, there’s a huge reduction in actual variety. I don’t know what the solution is.

Not really that related. Refinement culture is concerned with evolving aesthetics and marketing which is partly a response to globalization and the rising middle classes of asia, partly related to digitization, and partly just a normal evolution of style.

What George is talking about here is much more related to the ideas of Nick Land, technocapital, Marshall McLuhan, and man's relationship to industrialization.

> Isolation is basically impossible because the Internet follows you everywhere. And it’s perfectly uniform, there is no other Internet, just a place with five corporate towns and some Chinese ones that are really hard to visit if you don’t speak Chinese.

This is McLuhan's "global village".

> I don’t think I’m properly capturing the scope of the machine. First you build the fence to keep the animals out then you build the fence to keep the animals in. It’s a Fullmetal Alchemist homunculus maybe it has already eaten your soul.

This is Nick Land.