Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

nytimes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 145 posts

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#81

Post by mountaineer22 »

wozniacki wrote: post #74
ben_jones wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've watched the first episode and had some existential questions pop up while on a walk today. Isn't that end-all rating system, like you mention, the final form of many companies like Facebook or Instagram? When the value generated on the platform grows beyond its platform to other important parts of society. I think this is only just starting to happen, like Air BnB's usage of Facebook profiles as host validation,…

Some of the aspects portrayed in the episode "Nosedive" seem pretty far-fetched and probably are just that, at least for the duration. But other aspects tangential to the rating system portrayed in the episode are already very much of interest to technology companies as potential future undertakings, with far-reaching consequences. Whether such undertakings have actually been green-lighted as live projects with lots…

Yes, Friendster was actually quite "forward-thinking", and I would argue, if had they not liquidated their IP to Facebook, and had been able to hang in there, their IP could probably crush any modern social media concern in operation today (i.e. made a killing in license fees).

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#82

Post by rorykoehler »

qq66 wrote: post #69
rorykoehler wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have zero faith in rating systems. Absolutely useless 98% of the time. The only time they work is if there are thousands upon thousands of negative reviews with hardly any positives.

I have not had a single bad experience with buying from eBay sellers with >99.8% feedback, but multiple bad experiences buying unusual items from <99% sellers that I couldn't find with better sellers. It's worked well for me.

Generally on ebay I assume you are buying a mass produced product. If you receive it in time and it's not broken then you're happy? How about more subjective things like Yelp reviews?

Edit: I don't buy on ebay however rating brigading has made reviews/ratings on amazon practically useless for products I've never used before.

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#83

Post by rorykoehler »

qq66 wrote: post #69
rorykoehler wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have zero faith in rating systems. Absolutely useless 98% of the time. The only time they work is if there are thousands upon thousands of negative reviews with hardly any positives.

I have not had a single bad experience with buying from eBay sellers with >99.8% feedback, but multiple bad experiences buying unusual items from <99% sellers that I couldn't find with better sellers. It's worked well for me.

Generally on ebay I assume you are buying a mass produced product. If you receive it in time and it's not broken then you're happy? How about more subjective things like Yelp reviews?

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#84

Post by midhir »

CPAhem wrote: post #75
m_mueller wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's scary how relevant some of Black Mirror's themes actually are. This one in particular is so close, I wonder whether the show's creators used it as a template. Edit: Apparently not, as this information is only publicly available since this September. Zeitgeist at work?

Charlie Brooker, the author of Black Mirror has had quite a few prescient moments: A previous series had the UK Prime Minister having sex with a pig, a year later it turned out that David Cameron had done something obscene to a pig as part of a college initiation ceremony. Brooker claimed he was spooked by this coincidence.

And, wonderfully, hashtags from Black Mirror actually started to trend on Twitter as the news broke.

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#85

Post by Paul_S »

madaxe_again wrote: post #66
m_mueller wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's scary how relevant some of Black Mirror's themes actually are. This one in particular is so close, I wonder whether the show's creators used it as a template. Edit: Apparently not, as this information is only publicly available since this September. Zeitgeist at work?

I've known about sesame since last year at least - it's getting more attention now but it was definitely public knowledge when this series would have been at the writing stage. It's an idea from sci-fi - I can't remember who wrote what, but there was a society where citizens got more or fewer votes depending on their behaviour (edit: Alastair Reynolds? Banks? Feels like it was one of them.), and knew each other's sco…

Funny coincidence, I'm reading The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds right now (literally). It has exactly what you say. People whose votes are vindicated get their votes weighted accordingly. They end up lobbied to but can't outright still their votes or their weights would go down.

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#86

Post by Natanael_L »

nhaehnle wrote: post #77
rbanffy wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Money is absolutely useless by itself. It's our collective agreement that it has value that gives it value.

That's not quite true. Money has value because a lot of the demand for it is enforced by law (taxes and repayment of debts). Those act as a real anchor for its value beyond collective agreement.

... Because it is on average more convenient to follow the law than break it.

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#87

Post by zouhair »

saurik wrote: post #17

For people who like Black Mirror, I highly recommend the YouTube Red series from College Humor, Bad Internet. In the exact same genre, the episodes have nothing to do with each other, so I'll link to my favorite episode, "Amazon Foresight": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQwK3jaQGKY

Jesus, so now we have to torrent youtube also?

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#88

Post by stinos »

rorykoehler wrote: post #63
ben_jones wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've watched the first episode and had some existential questions pop up while on a walk today. Isn't that end-all rating system, like you mention, the final form of many companies like Facebook or Instagram? When the value generated on the platform grows beyond its platform to other important parts of society. I think this is only just starting to happen, like Air BnB's usage of Facebook profiles as host validation,…

I have zero faith in rating systems. Absolutely useless 98% of the time. The only time they work is if there are thousands upon thousands of negative reviews with hardly any positives.

Like here, on comments on HN?

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#89

Post by tdkl »

Mao_Zedang wrote: post #21
lozf wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I was really sad at how short season 3 was Huh? It's already 6 episodes, compared to the first two seasons that were just 3 episodes each, not including the one-off "White Christmas" special. The runtime of the season 3 episodes are longer too.

Short compared to other shows, not short compared to its previous format designed for time slot tv.

It's not supposed to be long and continuous like the majority of forgettable shows, who just prolong seasons to milk money.

That's why UK shows are way superior - if the plan and story is to make 4 seasons, then it's over, even if viewers are begging for more.

Re: ‘Black Mirror’ Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine

#90

Post by zouhair »

Mao_Zedang wrote: post #21
lozf wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I was really sad at how short season 3 was Huh? It's already 6 episodes, compared to the first two seasons that were just 3 episodes each, not including the one-off "White Christmas" special. The runtime of the season 3 episodes are longer too.

Short compared to other shows, not short compared to its previous format designed for time slot tv.

6 episodes is a normal length for a TV season in the UK.
Post reply on HN