So, I don’t really know how to start this article, but I’m trying to put myself in the shoes of a young person who has just found out about trading through an Instagram Story of a 21-year-old racing a Lamborghini Urus through the outskirts of Dubai.
Welcome to the jungle, dear friend.
Below the fast-paced 20-second reel with motivational background music and a Morgan Freeman-like voice telling you that you’re a complete failure if you don’t take cold showers and trade JPY/USD, there is a link to a mysterious Telegram group that promises all the riches in the world to those who are brave enough.
‘’Brave enough to trade.’’
This article, however, is less an analysis of the success rates of Instagram traders, let alone their following that is blindly copying the signals that are being put in front of their faces; it’s sort of a reveal of what this industry looks like behind the scenes.
After landing in a telegram group with botted engagement and 100x leveraged stock picks, let's start with the next step.
You need to choose a platform on which you choose to pursue those wild fantasies.
In this case, your best Instagram friend refers you to sign up to a broker.
You land on a landing page, take 30 minutes to KYC yourself, and you can now place real trades in the real market. Exciting, right? Real trading, oh fellow mate, how good that feels. Your trades move the mighty markets in the world's financial capitals, in London, New York, you name it. While your trusted broker gives you access to a scent of freedom by allowing you to partake in this ecosystem of liberty.
Ok, stop right here.
Let’s look at how brokers make money.

The Broker Business Model

Brokers make money in two ways:
They charge you commission and spreads. The higher those are, the more money they make, and the less you make.
That’s why we’ve seen many brokers claim to charge record-low commissions and spreads but actually charge a bit more if you read the fine print.
So the more you trade, the better for them.
How beginner traders imagine this process to be like:
You deposit money.
You place a trade.
Your broker hands on that trade to its market makeliquidity provider.
If you make money, great, you cash out the profits.
If not, then the other party will keep the money.
So, let’s talk about two things that will be quite important throughout the length of this article.

1) A-book

A-book basically means that your traders enter the real market, and are transferred from the broker to the other market participant.
If you trade with an A-book broker, the broker only makes money when you trade; otherwise, he receives a spread and commission on your trades.
Not too shabby.
But wait…
Since brokers know the likelihood of Instagram traders being profitable, they can choose not to pass on your order but to keep it in their internal ecosystem.
We call that:

2) B-book

You can imagine a B-book like a demo account. It feels real, but it’s not. There’s no real market, no liquidity, just a price and nothing else.
If the broker, B-books you, he’s basically saying, “ok well, I think that trade is wrong, and I take the risk of you being wrong.”
In this case, the broker doesn’t pass on the trade, it stays in his environment.
Which is good if you are wrong.
But a bit bad if you are right, since then, the broker is really losing money.
But back again to the Instagram traders.
These brokers can detect if you know what you’re doing or not.
If not, then you’re B-booked. Your trades stay in the fake environment, and they wake up every morning rooting for you to lose.
The more you lose, the more they make. That’s amazing, right… for the broker.
And the real crazy thing…
Nobody is ever even sure who’s really executing the order, the broker might pass it on another broker, that passes it on to another broker, and this goes on until infinity.
Until someone B-books the trade and takes the risk.
Nobody knows who’s really A-booking or not.
And basically, everybody’s hoping you’ll be unprofitable so they can b-book you and take the win. Bingo.
Even the most regulated and legalized brokers are not with your best interest in mind. They know that based on your Instagram source, you have a 97% likelihood of not being profitable. That’s why they pay your Instagram Friend a 150% CPA because they are really very sure that you will lose money.
That sucks.
So there’s another new very promising thing that has been created in the last years.
I call it the “Ponzi prop firm”:

The Challenge or ‘’Ponzi’’ Prop Firm

Basically, there’s a platform that says, " Hey, I’ve got a lot of funded accounts back here, and you can get them if you prove to me that you’re a profitable trader.”
This is quite cool because in the past, you could only access those funds if you were traded for a bank on Wall Street and had a degree from Harvard.
So, you’re a skilled trader, but you don’t have enough money to really make money. Our old friend who trades on brokers is making 10% on $5.000, which doesn’t allow him to pay his rent.
On the other hand, those magical prop firms promise you that you can get accounts of up to $200.000 if you pass the challenge. Whoooah, that’s quite crazy.
10% on $200.000 - hallelujah.
Here’s how it works: you need to reach a minimum profit of around 8%-10% and adhere to some other, sometimes really strange rules:

• Minimum trades per day
• Maximum holding time
• Minimum trading time

It doesn’t take an Ivy League math graduate to figure out that all of this is basically to reduce your likelihood of being profitable.
Of course not, considering that trading 10% profit is nearly and basically impossible for most people, like 99% of traders.
So let’s look at the business model of one of those funky prop firms.
Basically, what you do:
All of your accounts are on b-book. Which is really great, since now you’re not regulated as a broker, and you can do whatever the f*** you want. And next, you use the challenge income to pay out profitable users.
Hold on a second.
What?
You’re selling challenges ($97 - $997)
You onboard those users.
97% of them don’t pass a challenge
Maybe 0.5% of them ever request a payout.
You use the income from those challenges to pay profitable users.
A wet B-book dream.
The big problem here (again, it doesn’t take a math genius to figure it out)
If people are too profitable, you go bust (example)
If people stop buying challenges, you can’t pay out people who are still profitable
So, the firm's owner is hoping for things to go down south for traders. Some of them are proven even to build technology to make trading conditions worse for traders.
Every day, a new firm is popping up, running a similar model.
They sell challenges. Nobody passes them. The owner can drive supercars. All traders fail.
Until it all goes bust.
So the big “aha” for our Instagram trader should be here.
‘’It’s all B-book basically.’’
And that you’re operating in an industry that is somewhat rooting for you to fail.
For brokers, the more you trade, the more commissions they make. And if you don’t trade profitably, then they just never pass on your losses and capitalize on your losses.
Prop firms build schemes that you sign up for, pay a fee for, and then hope that nobody ever passes them. If you pass, then, god forbid, hope that they’re selling enough challenges to pay you out.
That’s enough nihilism for today.
Sayonara.

Hey guys so the other day i got home from work and put my car in park like i usually do. Except this time my shifter got stuck on P the park shift but on my dashboard it was saying it’s still in Drive, then when i tried to take my key out of the ignition it wouldn’t budge.
So me and my dad turned my car on and off and tried to move the shifter which didn’t work at all so we used a screwdriver to unlock the shifter and move it around to see if it would change it to park and that also didn’t work.
Does anyone know the problem to this and how to fix it? My dad checked the fuses on my car and they seem ok we unhooked the battery and got my key out of the ignition. We tried pressing on the brake moving the car a little bit before trying to change the shifter and i also pressed the gas to see if anything would happen, i also have an automatic transmission

A Payment Gateway License plays a crucial role in ensuring that businesses comply with strict security standards, safeguarding data and building trust with consumers. Here’s how to ensure data security with a Payment Gateway License in India.

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1. Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Encryption: SSL encryption establishes a secure connection between the customer’s browser and the payment gateway, ensuring that data transmitted during the transaction is encrypted and protected.
2. Tokenization: Tokenization replaces sensitive payment data with a unique identifier or token. This token can be used for processing payments without exposing the actual data, adding an extra layer of security.
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To maintain a Payment Gateway License compliance and PA, businesses must comply with industry standards such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). PCI DSS outlines a set of security requirements designed to protect cardholder data.

1. Regular Security Audits: Conducting regular security audits helps identify vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with PCI DSS standards. These audits assess the effectiveness of security measures and provide recommendations for improvement.
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*System Restart\*
I blinked at the text hanging in the air.
A small image of da Vinci’s vitruvian man did calisthenics underneath the words. More information scrolled upwards.
HumanOS Version: 1.0 Model: Vincent J. Carter Serial: 987-65-4329 Battery: 1560 @ 100% Memory: 640/640 Provider: None Network: None Credits: 9360 Expansion: None
The words flashed then swirled and transformed into a small translucent cog that hovered in the top right corner of my vision. Other icons floated into existence across the top of my vision, just like the info bar on a cellphone. An (8E) symbol, signal bars at 100%, and a full battery symbol. The time was currently 16:43 and it was Thursday, June 16th 1885
“What the heck?” I muttered, my voice loud in the silence of the ruined room.
I focused on the cog and a series of icons filled my vision. It took me about two seconds to understand that I could move them around using nothing more than my thoughts.
App Store, Calculator, Calendar, Camera, Clock, Gear, Inventory, Map, Notes, System.
“Did… Am I somehow mentally fused with my smartphone?” I wondered aloud. The timeless chaos and the voice were fading to dreamlike memories, a nightmare event that scratched at the edge of my sanity and threatened to overwhelm me. Did that entity think that the cellphone was some part of me?
“Okay, no worries. Let’s get back home and deal with this later.” I grumbled. “Hopefully I don’t run into a protest or riot or get locked up for violating curfew or not wearing a mask.”
I mentally selected [Map]
A transparent map of the room filled my vision along with tiny labels covering everything. Ruined chair, ruined bed, ruined table, rusty knife, leather pouch, unknown book. A moment later I had mastered the controls and zoomed out to find… nothing. The map was blank.
*Local Map Updating…\*
The Local map was updating, possibly because it needed to be filled in by my own exploration? I noticed a couple of icons on the left side of my vision and focused on them. Map Type, Search. Map Type allowed me to switch between Local, Transit, and Terrain.
I flipped between them and was rewarded with better information. The Transit map was like a traditional map, just lines and points of interest with the distance and travel times. I am currently in ‘Ruins of Fort Galos” with a dirt road that leads 3 miles south to “Wendleton Road” which zooms out to run between the cities of Wendleton and Comstock. Another zoom out and I’m located in the Region of Stratford… zoom out…on the continent of North Anglia… zoom out … on the planet of Aerth.
It sort of looks like Earth, if Earth had no polar ice caps. I can recognise the major continents, although most are shaped strangely because the oceans are so high. North America is split completely in two by a huge gulf that eats up all of Louisiana, most of the southern states, and carves a deep furrow all the way up to the Great Lakes and out to the eastern seaboard. Florida is missing, as is most of the eastern seaboard. The map calls that area ‘Colonia’ and it’s marked with a somewhat familiar red, white, and blue flag with just 17 stars. I’m located somewhere near Colorado, but Colorado doesn’t exist anymore. It’s part of Wilmont county in the Region of Stratford in an area called the Midlands.
My hands started shaking. It’s some sort of joke. Some kind of insanity. Some sort of delusion. Or maybe I’m delirious with the damned virus and having a mad dream. Okay. Okay. Deep breaths. Calm down and think rationally. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths, inhaling the musty and burnt scents of my new reality.
Okay, if I’m really in some alternate world then maybe things aren’t so bad? I was on the verge of being homeless and now I am homeless, so, nothing has really changed, right? And since I seem to be fused with my smartphone, maybe I can use that to my advantage? I quickly imagined a million ways I could die in a fantasy world and pushed down the panic. No sense in panicking just yet — we can do that later when I’m being burnt at the stake for witchcraft or something.
I flipped back over to Local Map and examined the room again. Leather pouch, rusty knife, and unknown book were located under the rotting carcass of the bed. I approached it and looked carefully to see if I could spot them. I smiled to myself thinking maybe I could make a living as some sort of detective or something, finding lost items with preternatural ability. Unable to see anything in the mass of mushrooms and ferns, I mentally tapped the label “Leather pouch” on the Local Map.
*Place Item in Inventory? [Y/N]\*
I selected [Y] and received a notification. Memory: [639/640]
Huh. It takes up memory.
I pulled the heavy pouch from inventory and into my hand. The leather was dried and stiff, but I managed to open it to reveal 1 golden coin, 50 tarnished silver, 68 copper, and 30 bronze coins.
The copper coins were about the size of a nickel and quite worn, but I could make out the face of some priest with a fancy hat on the face and a hammer and anvil on the reverse. The brass were the size of a quarter and similarly worn, and featured a bull on the face and a sheaf of wheat on the reverse. The silver were the size of a dime and slightly tarnished, with the image of some queen on the face and a crescent moon on the reverse. The gold coin was untouched by time and featured a stern looking king on the face, with a stylised sun on the opposite face. I popped everything back into Inventory.
Huh. It appears that everything I stick into inventory counts against the available memory of 640 that was listed earlier, but coins stack into one slot for each type so now I have 636/640 memory. Not bad, not bad. A little experimentation quickly proved that I could add the ruined chair and table too. One slot each. A seriously overpowered feature that I planned to abuse in the future — just put things in bags and boxes and my Inventory was practically unlimited! I rubbed my hands together like an evil villain. Half an hour ago I was a broke nobody with no future, and now I’m able to start completely fresh with cash and some strange abilities. Thank you strange entity!
It was terrifying and exhilarating. I wanted to dance and puke at the same time.
I placed the Unknown Book into Inventory and it popped into my hands a moment later along with a strong musty aroma. The leather cover was green with mould and swollen with moisture. Carefully flipping through the pages I stared in wonder at the illustrated script. It was like one of those old religious books you see in museums, every page a work of art. Too bad it’s written in some strange language I can’t read. Arabic maybe? Putting it back into Inventory, it took just a moment to figure out that I could get a quick overview of the item. [Unknown Book. A mouldy old book written in an unknown language.]
The rusty knife was what my father would have called a “pig sticker”, with a grubby leather sheath, bone handle, and a thick blade about ten inches long. Even though the blade was spotted with a bit of rust, it seemed to be in decent condition and could probably be salvaged with a whetstone and some oil. It was a weapon, and considering current events, a welcome addition to my new collection of personal possessions.
I kept the ruined chair and table in inventory. Never know when you might need firewood.
The Calculator was pretty cool, selecting it allowed me to mentally perform arithmetic in moments or provided a count of items in my vision. As long as it was open I could just think of a simple maths problem and the answer popped in my head along with a running tally. There was a scientific tab on it, but I didn’t foresee me using cosine functions anytime soon.
The Camera was interesting, allowing me to snap a photo of what I could see, but each picture used one memory although they only took up one Inventory slot. Delete, Delete, Delete.
Calendar was 13 months with 30 days each. The weeks were 6 days long and Monday was missing. Good. I don’t like Mondays. Especially since the days here are 26 hours long. I could also set appointments and reminders.
Clock was a basic clock with alarms and stopwatch function.
Notes was really cool though, it was like virtual paper. I could sketch things with my finger, or use thought-to-text, or even attach photos to the note and save them, which took up one Inventory slot per filename. The Export function created a thick piece of paper that appeared in my hand. Nice. Fire starting material!
It has an Import function too?
I created a new Note, then imported the mouldy book from my Inventory. It appeared as a virtual object in my vision that I could manipulate with a thought. Then I exported it. A popup appeared in my vision and I watched my Battery dip from 1560 down to 1460, then a duplicate appeared in my inventory. Sweet! I could set up shop as a magical print-wizard! Or work as a pack-mule, hauling entire warehouses of goods invisibly. I chuckled to myself imagining that.
However it took 100 battery points, so it wasn’t much of a cheat unless I could reproduce expensive texts. I wonder if it took 100 battery for everything, or if it was based on the complexity of the object?
System had some nice features included. One was Health Monitor, which gave me a general screen of any health issues. Notifications was also nice for popping up things that might be important. Nothing else of real importance, just some little tweaks to the User Interface and the ability to turn off the (8E) connection I had noticed earlier. Airplane mode, I guess.
Another hunch presented itself in the System and I opened up the language setting. English was currently selected. I scrolled through the selection and choose Arabic from the list. A slight wave of dizziness washed over me and I examined the unknown book again. Nope. Still unknown.
I sighed and flipped back to the language settings and noticed there’s an “Auto-Translate” selection. Mentally mashing the illusory button in my User Interface, another wave of dizziness washed over me. This time the unknown book had a tag on it. [Old Avestan - Translate? Y/N]
Duh, yes, translate! An old, unknown book hidden in a burned out room? That just screams Secret Book of Incredibly Over Powered Magic, doesn’t it? Annnnd… Nope. I flipped through the copy and it seems to be nothing more than some religious textbook. Beautifully illustrated, but I’m not getting any magic vibes off of it. I tossed it back in my inventory [Book. Zoroastrian religious text. Professionally Illustrated. 50SP] and continued my journey of self exploration.
When I enabled “Show Hidden Files” in System, it was absolutely terrifying. File names like “Digestion.dna”, “Endocrine.dna” and “Sensory.dna” filled my vision. I disabled that feature as soon as I realised what I was looking at. I’d hate to accidentally delete my sense of taste, or something even more important.
The Service tab under System was confusing. It seemed to be some sort of weird version of a mobile service plan that asked me to choose a Service Provider.
There were dozens of Service Providers to choose from; Industrial Charms & Enchantments, Whitehall Wizard Group, Sorcerer’s United, Atlantis Magic and Enchantment, and a slew of other providers with different tiers named after gemstones and the best offering being the Diamond Unlimited plan that offered ‘unlimited mana and roaming, some limits apply’ for an astronomical amount per month. I could see the service zones of each provider laid out across a map, along with colour coding for the quality of service ranging from 1E to 8E.
I could also choose from various Celestial or Infernal Contracts which had entire pages of TOS benefits and obligations. Another terrifying aspect of my new world.
I decided to dig into that mess later. I had no use for a service provider and picking one was a problem for future-me if I ever needed one.
The Gear icon opened up a minimalist overlay with a picture of me and the items I was wearing. Socks, shorts, underwear, tee-shirt. A mental twitch rotated the image and confirmed that my backside was just as filthy as the floor. Two buttons were visible next to my image, [Custom] and [Labourer]. I selected Labourer and the image shifted to show me wearing work boots, wool socks, denim trousers, leather belt, cotton underwear, cotton pull-over shirt, leather gloves, soft-brim hat. [Select? Y/N]
A mental push of the button and a million indigo motes surrounded me. Two seconds and 10 battery later I was wearing the new gear. And clean! All the grime on my arms and legs had vanished. Seriously, how awesome is that? I still feel like I need a shower though.
[Labourer class selected - Standard] Skills: Lifting, toting, stepping, fetching, shifting, digging, hauling, packing…
Knowledge of menial labour filled my head beyond what I was already familiar with. I somehow knew the most efficient ways to dig a ditch, safely shift a box, casually walk to the water cooler, and slack off while looking busy.
Huh. Did changing my gear change my class? That’s interesting. What happens if I put on a Wizard hat? Would I become some sort of hybrid day-labour wizard with spells for digging ditches? Oh, wait. I have five slots and can fill them with clothing and label them whatever I want.
I opened up the App Store.
Holy. Shitsnacks.
Dozens of icons filled my vision, offering a vast selection of what appeared to be careers? Professions? Classes? Skills?
Archivist, Accountant, Bartender, Book keeper, Cartwright, Con-artist, Farmhand, Herbalist, Hobo, Inn keeper, …Priest, Prostitute, Politician, …Sorcerer, Tailor, …Wizard, Zookeeper.
It was a huge and confusing array of choices.

Easyanticheat authorization failed - you have been kicked due to a detection network interruption between the client and the hunt showdown server
Every time I join a game I can move for 30 seconds but then I get kicked. I never used to have a problem a couple months ago. Does anyone know how to fix? Thx

I've had anxiety forever, it is what we are born with to help us to survive. However it has impacted my life for coming up to 10 years now, all starting when I was 19. I can detect the usual symptoms and I've learned to deal with it as the years have passed. The usual shakey feeling, "jelly legs", fast breathing, heart palpitations etc I'm usually not bothered anymore because I know it can't harm me and it will pass. My biggest worry is my health, if I get a weird feeling that's new to me of course I will google it and then the panic kicks in because I'm told I'm dying. I know now as I'm slightly older and wiser to not trust everything that I read so I try not to research every new symptom.
However something very different is happening to me and I cannot seem to get the answer that I need. I would say probably every three or four weeks I seem to have something wrong with me physically. Each time it is something different, it could be a new pain, a rash, something wrong with different areas of my body, it can be anything but it's never quite the same. When this new problem occurs it tends to get worse until I see a doctor about it. I'll go to the doctors and they give me blood tests or whatever needed to detect what is wrong. I go home it's still there but the MOMENT I hear back that tests are all clear the illness or whatever is wrong with me completely goes and so do all physical symptoms. What kind of sorcery is that?? I know that my symptoms are 100% real so how can they just vanish when my mind is put to rest? I'll give a few examples of some of the things I've had recently. I was feeling nauseas all the time, never actually sick but it was getting in the way of me being scared to leave the house. It got more intense until I gave in and saw a doctor, had tests and I'm absolutely fine nothing detected. The nausea completely goes and I've not had it since not once. Few weeks later something new, a horrible stomach pain which I've never experienced before. Blood test, stool test every other test you can think of and nothing absolutely fine again. The next morning the pain and discomfort has gone. I know the brain is a very powerful thing but it's like knowing that I'm okay physically makes me better. I'm aware this sounds crazy and I'm probably not explaining myself very well but this is the best I can put it into words.
Why am I getting these physical challenges almost every month that just disappear only for something new to come along? It's like my brain is trying to tick off all the things that could be wrong with my body and then onto the next one. It's stopping me from being able to work because I can't keep going to the doctors every three/four weeks just to be told I'm fine. There's always going to be a new thing wrong for me and why wouldn't I go to the doctors? My symptoms are all real and there, sometimes it's a lump that scares me to death only to be told it's a harmless lymph node. Guess what happens when I'm told that? The lymph node MAGICALLY disappears. It's like I have a really messed up superpower, if I believe I'm okay then my bodh follows. Could it be a symptom disorder where if I believe something so strongly it affects my body? I'm going to stop rambling now but if anyone can give me any advice as what this could be then I'd be very happy to listen. Thank you if you have made it this far. I hope you are all doing well 🖤

Dental emergencies can happen at any time, and knowing where to turn for immediate care is crucial. Madison Dentistry & Implant Center provides expert dental urgent care to address a variety of dental emergencies promptly and efficiently. This comprehensive guide will help you understand the importance of urgent dental care, common dental emergencies, and how Madison Dentistry & Implant Center can assist you in times of need.

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Understanding what constitutes a dental emergency can help you seek appropriate care promptly. Here are some common dental emergencies that require urgent attention:
Toothache
A severe toothache can indicate various underlying issues such as cavities, infections, or gum disease. Immediate evaluation and treatment are necessary to alleviate pain and address the root cause.
Chipped or Broken Teeth
Accidents or trauma can cause teeth to chip or break. Seeking urgent care can prevent further damage, reduce pain, and improve the chances of saving the affected tooth.
Knocked-Out Tooth
A knocked-out tooth requires immediate attention. Quick action can increase the likelihood of re-implantation and preserve the tooth.
Lost Filling or Crown
Losing a filling or crown can expose the tooth to further damage and sensitivity. Urgent dental care can provide a temporary solution and prevent complications.
Abscess
An abscess is a painful infection that can spread to other parts of the body if left untreated. Immediate treatment is crucial to drain the infection and prevent serious health issues.
Broken Braces or Wires
Broken braces or wires can cause discomfort and injury to the mouth. Urgent care can provide relief and prevent further damage to the orthodontic appliances.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Injuries to the tongue, cheeks, or gums require prompt attention to control bleeding, reduce pain, and prevent infection.

Preventing Dental Emergencies

While accidents happen, there are steps you can take to minimize the risk of dental emergencies. Here are some preventive measures:
Maintain Oral Hygiene
Regular brushing and flossing help prevent cavities, gum disease, and other dental issues that can lead to emergencies.
Wear Protective Gear
If you engage in sports or other activities that pose a risk to your teeth, wearing a mouthguard can provide protection.
Avoid Hard Foods
Chewing on hard foods or objects can cause teeth to chip or break. Be mindful of what you eat to avoid such incidents.
4. Regular Dental Check-Ups
Routine dental visits can help detect and address potential problems before they escalate into emergencies.
5. Address Dental Issues Promptly
Don’t ignore minor dental issues. Seeking timely treatment can prevent them from becoming more serious problems.
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Wall of text warning: I was writing a comment on another post but I figured I'd just make my own topic on it with my full thoughts on each faction and their skills, balancing, etc, after about 20 hours of playing (enough to get a decent idea). Personally I don't feel like any particular faction is especially strong currently and I think the balance of the factions is actually pretty decent overall.
Cleaners are the weakest by far (not very far, though) and seem to suffer from some confused design choices. The Firebomb is great for punishing bunched enemies or denying area but this is a ranged game at the core so it often is completely useless on many maps or just makes you vulnerable if you try to use it aggressively, and particularly in mobile modes like Escort where there is high kill turnover and less opportunity for anyone to keep a strong foothold. The Incendiary Drone is decent, does what it should, not a lot to say about it. Strong alternative skill to Firebomb for mobile modes. Their Incendiary Ammo is a bit useless in a vacuum due to the nature of the TTK because most of the time it will not result in a kill you wouldn't have already gotten and it doesn't deal enough damage on its own to really speed up the TTK in any meaningful way. You still have to shoot someone the same number of times to get a kill and if you stop shooting to let the DOT tick instead you'll just die. On top of that, Incendiary Ammo actually reduces your weapon optimal range, and as mentioned before, this is typically a ranged game. The Incendiary Ammo shines more in situations where someone is running away and a teammate can finish them off instead since then it may have done enough damage or canceled their regen enough. It seems as though the Incendiary Ammo might be meant to offer a counter to Libertad's healing-oriented skills but it usually doesn't make a great deal of difference even there. Weirdly, the best weapons for taking advantage of Incendiary Ammo are snipers since it more or less guarantees a kill no matter where you hit someone with the Tac-50 even if it's a leg or arm shot, and guarantees a kill with the M44 in the body, in spite of the "reduced range". Personally the times I've seen Incendiary Ammo end up killing me is right after I had already killed them first anyways, so it was more of a kill guarantee after death than a true advantage in the fight itself. The Cleaners are still playable, just kinda why would you choose them over anything else if you aren't playing them because you like them. Also the Cleaner ultra is ridiculous if you get in a good spot to use it because it instantly kills anyone you hit but again its range makes you vulnerable. The Cleaners biggest strength at the moment seems to be that they have messed up hitboxes, honestly. I think that the Cleaners really need some kind of help on their skills as they are now, they are weirdly situational and difficult to safely employ, but I suppose that is the real philosophy of the Cleaners as it is, they run around with explosive tanks on their backs that instantly kill them in The Division so an exploding flaming firebomber that may or may not live through their skill is oddly appropriate.
Echelon is strong by nature of being a crutch. Intel Suit lets the enemy team know you're nearby and can see them thanks to the notification, smart/skilled players will just listen for you and it's not a huge advantage against them, below average players won't pay attention to it though and it's quite strong against players that don't have good audio or are unaware of where their flanks are. However, the main advantage of the Intel Suit is that it reveals the enemies for your whole team no matter where they are. While you have to be in closer range to detect enemies with it, your teammates can be on the opposite side of the map and still see exactly where the enemy is which is a massive advantage. Digital Ghillie Suit is honestly a pretty balanced skill, someone paying attention will still notice you and Intel Suit counters it (weirdly, same faction counter) but it has a lot of outplay potential and lets you reposition or get into weird spots that the enemy team might not expect if they are distracted. It offers a similar advantage that Phantoms skills do in that it can easily be used to disengage a losing gunfight back into your advantage for a kill instead. Not much wrong with it, it's a well designed skill-expression skill. Echelon passive is kind of whatever, I don't feel like it's a great advantage because it gives you no direct benefit in a gunfight or even while traversing the map most of the time, it's another thing that is strong against unaware or distracted players. The Echelon ultra is of course quite strong in even an average-skilled players hands thanks to real-time wallhacks and a Golden Gun, although the sound it makes and sonar waves effects do put a bit of a target on you and sometimes the OHK gun doesn't actually get a OHK (somehow) but even being guaranteed just 2-3 kills for the duration is still enough to wipe an objective and some players will even try to hide from it. Echelon is overall a strong faction to use against players that are worse than you (likely why it is the most popular faction seemingly at the moment) but it doesn't provide any major meaningful advantage against equal or more skilled players since that will come down to your more practical gunfighting skills instead the majority of the time. Digital Ghillie offers some potential to outplay even skilled opponents but aside from that their skills heavily depend on their opponents being distracted to take advantage of them fully. Given that, the faction is pretty well balanced even with multiple players spamming Intel Suits on one team, since it only offers opportunities, it doesn't exploit them for you.
Phantoms are my personal favorite faction because I feel as though they have the widest degree of skill expression over any of the others. Mag Barrier used smartly can completely turn a lost gunfight around in your favor, especially if there is a choke point or corner you can use to make enemies chase you. Mag Barrier is one of the few skills in the game that is actually a punish skill when you use it correctly by letting an enemy get caught out if they try to ego on you or think they are winning the fight. That's on top of everything else it does. The EMP grenade is only a "counter" to it if someone is mindlessly spamming it because when used correctly you don't have time to throw an EMP grenade. You would have to pre-emptively EMP the Phantom player for every encounter if they use it well and that's not very feasible in a dynamic scenario. That said, Mag Barrier is fairly weak in terms of pure cover and a determined player can chew through it in a few seconds if you carelessly use it without exploiting the advantage it gives, or grenades can be thrown around it, enemies can run through it, its strength comes down entirely to the user. Blitz Shield is also a strong punish skill but currently the way player collision works makes it difficult to use against anyone that is experienced or skilled because no enemy player collision means they can jump through you. You can't really use the shield to turtle 1v1s since enemies can just run through and behind you, even if you're in a corner. Most players won't do this or know it's possible, so it can be a bit of a crutch against less skilled players at least. The Blitz Shield is mainly strong for punishing around corners if someone chases you since you can typically swap to it fast enough to surprise them before they get around the corner. It's also good for absorbing damage at range or aggressively disrupting enemy players on an objective for your team to pick off but that depends a lot on how good your team is and less on the shield itself. Phantoms passive is honestly extremely strong, and IMO the best passive in the game currently. Having 20 more health is massive when 110 damage OHK body shots exist since it allows you to survive hits no other faction can and combined with the other skills it offers retaliation and outplay potential no other faction has. The Phantom ultra is a bit mediocre in terms of kill potential, due to lack of range or mobility, vulnerable to grenades, and various other problems that come with moving slow and telegraphing yourself to the entire map as a giant target. The ultra's primary purpose is of course simply being a big shield to deny area to the enemy team or offer your team a safe place to stand on objectives for pushes. The Phantoms are a well-balanced and strong faction currently that offers a lot to players that know how to take advantage of their skills properly.
Libertad is probably the most well-balanced faction in the game at the moment. It's very straightforward and easy to grasp for players of all skill levels and doesn't depend on a lot of gun skill, map knowledge, or general experience to perform decently. Since none of their skills are directly offensive, they are easy to employ in a variety of situations, like fortifying an objective or pre-emptively giving your teammates an advantage for a push, refreshing a teammate after a close gunfight, using mid-gunfight for a surprise comeback, etc. El Remedio is such a strong heal that it can greatly increase your EHP in a straight gunfight to the point you need multiple extra hits to kill if the enemy misses any shots, and if you manage to break contact with them briefly you can set up the heal on yourself for a surprise punish similar to the Phantom Mag Barrier. It forces the enemy to decide if they try to kill you or break the canister first and assuming you are equally skilled, you will usually end up winning the 1v1. The main downside to El Remedio is its fairly long cooldown so you have to use it smartly or else you won't have it for major moments when your team might have needed it. It's strong and has some skill expression to it in a variety of ways. BioVida Boost is one-time instant version of El Remedio with similar uses, but it works much better with a unified team push and has a shorter cooldown which makes it much more useful for a more mobile style of play. Not only that but its heal is essentially instant, again being very strong if you manage to break contact for a moment in a gunfight to come back with full health before the enemy got their natural regen. Libertad's passive has no strings attached, simply natural regen with no downtime for you and any teammates near you, doesn't require you to do anything and is always active which makes it great for people of all skill levels since it's always being taken advantage of. The Libertad ultra is literally just an even bigger version of El Remedio that also increases your and teammates max HP massively, it can guarantee a last second payload push or let you lock down a critical objective to break out a losing zone match. Libertad is generally the best faction for anyone that's really new or isn't that great at FPS games since it doesn't depend on your technical skill too much aside from simply staying alive to give your team a constant advantage. Another nice thing about Libertad is they synergize incredibly well with the Phantoms' huge health pool. The only outstanding weakness of Libertad is the old classic: your teammates. It has very little potential to actually carry and under focused fire their healing is pretty irrelevant so you're not exactly going to go tank a payload by yourself. Even with the ultra on, a single person can chew through it and kill you if you give them long enough (not very long).
I've not gotten to play around a ton with DedSec yet but my initial impression is that they are very similar to Phantoms in terms of skill expression and offer a ton of flexibility that other factions don't have through being able to hack enemy deployables and regenerating devices. I would not call them imbalanced, but I do think they are the one faction that currently does lean the most into that because they counter every single other faction. Being able to shut off enemy skills and ultras is huge, even if it takes their own ultra to do it. But you are effectively turning everyone on the enemy team into the Rookie from Rainbow Six Siege temporarily while all the players on your team get to keep their skills. If you have multiple DedSec players on your team and properly chain the ultras then you are looking at a free objective push every single time. The Spiderbot is fairly alright, but it's currently bugged and sometimes enemy players can't destroy it properly which makes it stronger than it actually is, and that's on top of it taking more than one hit to kill anyways which I personally think shouldn't be a thing either. In its current state it is basically a guaranteed kill on anyone you hit with it if you use it aggressively, though, and I do think it should be adjusted in some way after they fix the desync issues with it. Hijack isn't always super relevant because at the moment deployables aren't very long-lived or common, but being able to flip a Phantom Mag Barrier is wildly strong and is the only counter play to a choke point punish in that it punishes the punish. Hijack is fairly useless though if the enemy team all happen to pick Echelon or Cleaners (which is a fair possibility). I think the skill is still a good skill expression skill and fine, though. The DedSec passive is unsurprisingly very strong because being able to throw two proximity mines on an objective or get multiple uses of grenades is obviously something no other faction can do and those things are one per life for a reason. The passive doesn't benefit if you don't live long enough to use it, though, so it can be kinda useless depending on the situation: if you never throw your grenade or mine, the passive literally does nothing. DedSec is currently in a very strong state overall, while I wouldn't say it's imbalanced, it's definitely one of the better factions if only for the fact it can shut off every enemy skill and ultra and has a way to essentially guarantee a kill.
If I had to "tier" each faction in terms of their effectiveness in a vacuum regardless of skill, I'd probably rank them (from best to worst): DedSec > Phantoms/Echelon > Libertad > Cleaners. But that is a very shallow slope with all factions being very much viable to play and do well with.
All of this is also given without thought to the current state of weapon balance generally speaking, while I do feel that Phantoms have a particular advantage currently due to the prevalence of Tac-50s. Echelon's Digital Ghillie also helps them get in close to employ some of the better weapons in the game currently like the MP7 or double barrel. DedSec's spiderbot sets them up for kills with all kinds of weapons, particularly the Tac-50. I don't see any of these skills being worse off without the existence of those weapons, however.
If I were to speculate on any adjustments that should be made: Spiderbots need to be fixed ASAP so they always properly appear on the targets screen to destroy them (not really an "adjustment", a bug fix). Libertad needs some kind of light buff in my opinion, maybe a bonus effect on a skill like slightly increasing max HP (good to help deal with prevalence of OHK snipers) or an alternate mode that poisons or debuffs enemies (Viviro would make sense because it's the chemical weapon made by the same company in Far Cry 6). Cleaners need a little bit of help, maybe allow them to also select Molotov cocktails as grenades that make small fire puddles that aren't quite as strong as their skills as a form of area denial to sort of solidify their "stay the fuck away from me" presence as a faction. The big one people talk about is the Intel Suit for Echelon but I honestly don't see much issue with this. The game literally highlights enemies for you already as it is, seeing them through walls briefly isn't a huge stretch when you can already hear people running around anyways since (thank god) we don't have anything like Dead Silence/Ninja/Covert Sneakers in this game. Echelon is a noob stomping faction and that's why it's generally popular right now but I think once more people get access to DedSec we will start to see more of them instead.
Anyways, that's all for today. I do really hope Ubi upkeeps this game well and makes smart balancing decisions that keep the game fun and engaging without oversimplifying or nerfing anything for the sake of salty people. If it were up to me, they'd reduce the TTK to 4 body shots max like original COD4 and then we'd really be cooking (after they fix the netcode, that is). Also hoping for The Division themselves to be introduced as a playable faction with deployable drones or even seeker mines...

Request for Help: Dell PowerEdge R730XD Server Not Recognizing RAID Card Connected to NetApp DS4246 JBOD

Server and Hardware Details:

• Server: Dell PowerEdge R730XD
• JBOD: NetApp DS4246
• HBA Card: Sun Oracle 7047853 8-port 6Gbps SAS-2 HBA SGX-SAS6
• Cables: Two CAB-QSFP to SFF-8088 Hybrid Mini SAS Twinax Copper Passive Hybrid Mini SAS Cables

Current Setup:

• The Sun Oracle HBA card is installed in the Dell PowerEdge R730XD server.
• The hybrid mini SAS cables connect the HBA card to the NetApp DS4246 JBOD.

Issue:

• The Dell server does not recognize the RAID card via BIOS or iDRAC.
• The internal LED on the HBA card is blinking green slowly.
• The link light on the JBOD port is inactive.

Steps Taken and Observations:

1. Swapped Cables:
   • I switched the hybrid mini SAS cables to rule out any cable-related issues. Despite this, the server still did not recognize the RAID card, and the JBOD link light remained inactive.
2. Tried Another Identical HBA Card:
   • I used a second, identical Sun Oracle HBA card to check if the first card was defective. Unfortunately, the server still did not detect the RAID card, indicating the problem might not be with the HBA card itself.
3. Tested Different PCI Slots:
   • I installed the HBA card in various known working PCI slots within the server to ensure there was no issue with the PCI slot. This did not resolve the problem, as the RAID card was still not recognized.
4. Updated Firmware:
   • The server is running the latest version of Dell's firmware. I confirmed this to rule out any compatibility issues due to outdated firmware.
5. LED and Link Light Observations:
   • The internal LED on the HBA card blinks green slowly, suggesting some activity or standby mode. However, the link light on the JBOD port is not lit, indicating a lack of communication or recognition between the devices.
6. Connected to Windows Machine:
   • I connected the HBA card to my Windows machine, and it was recognized correctly. This confirmed that the card itself is functional. I proceeded to update the firmware on the card.
7. Firmware Update on HBA Card:
   • I updated the HBA card to the latest firmware. Now, both the Dell server and the HBA card are running the latest firmware.
8. Attempting JBOD Firmware Update:
   • Updating the firmware on the NetApp DS4246 JBOD has been a significant challenge. The website requires waiting to access their third-party software to manage the controller and update the firmware. This process has been extremely cumbersome, with numerous hoops to jump through just to get the firmware updated.

Challenges and Need for Help:

1. Firmware Validation:
   • Challenge: I am unsure how to check and update the firmware for both the Sun Oracle HBA card and the NetApp DS4246 JBOD.
   • Need Help: Guidance on how to validate and, if necessary, update the firmware for both devices. This might help ensure they are compatible and functioning correctly.
2. JBOD Configuration:
   • Challenge: I am unclear on how to configure the NetApp DS4246 JBOD to properly recognize and communicate with the HBA card.
   • Need Help: Step-by-step instructions or resources on configuring the JBOD to establish a proper connection with the HBA card. This includes any necessary settings or procedures that need to be followed.
3. Diagnostic Tools and Methods:
   • Challenge: The system lacks a web front-end and outputs only to SolarWinds servers, which I prefer not to set up. I tried using PRTG Network Monitor but could not read any output ports.
   • Need Help: Recommendations for alternative diagnostic tools or methods to monitor and validate the connection between the server and the JBOD. Any tips on interpreting the LED signals or other diagnostics would also be appreciated.

Summary: Despite my efforts in swapping cables, trying another identical card, testing different PCI slots, updating the server firmware, and even confirming the HBA card's functionality on a Windows machine, I am still unable to get the Dell PowerEdge R730XD to recognize the RAID card or establish a proper connection with the NetApp DS4246 JBOD. The firmware update process for the JBOD has been particularly frustrating and convoluted. I am looking for advice on firmware validation, JBOD configuration, and effective diagnostic tools to resolve this issue.
Thank you in advance for any help and suggestions you can provide!

Request for Help: Dell PowerEdge R730XD Server Not Recognizing RAID Card Connected to NetApp DS4246 JBOD

Server and Hardware Details:

• Server: Dell PowerEdge R730XD
• JBOD: NetApp DS4246
• HBA Card: Sun Oracle 7047853 8-port 6Gbps SAS-2 HBA SGX-SAS6
• Cables: Two CAB-QSFP to SFF-8088 Hybrid Mini SAS Twinax Copper Passive Hybrid Mini SAS Cables

Current Setup:

• The Sun Oracle HBA card is installed in the Dell PowerEdge R730XD server.
• The hybrid mini SAS cables connect the HBA card to the NetApp DS4246 JBOD.

Issue:

• The Dell server does not recognize the RAID card via BIOS or iDRAC.
• The internal LED on the HBA card is blinking green slowly.
• The link light on the JBOD port is inactive.

Steps Taken and Observations:

1. Swapped Cables:
   • I switched the hybrid mini SAS cables to rule out any cable-related issues. Despite this, the server still did not recognize the RAID card, and the JBOD link light remained inactive.
2. Tried Another Identical HBA Card:
   • I used a second, identical Sun Oracle HBA card to check if the first card was defective. Unfortunately, the server still did not detect the RAID card, indicating the problem might not be with the HBA card itself.
3. Tested Different PCI Slots:
   • I installed the HBA card in various known working PCI slots within the server to ensure there was no issue with the PCI slot. This did not resolve the problem, as the RAID card was still not recognized.
4. Updated Firmware:
   • The server is running the latest version of Dell's firmware. I confirmed this to rule out any compatibility issues due to outdated firmware.
5. LED and Link Light Observations:
   • The internal LED on the HBA card blinks green slowly, suggesting some activity or standby mode. However, the link light on the JBOD port is not lit, indicating a lack of communication or recognition between the devices.
6. Connected to Windows Machine:
   • I connected the HBA card to my Windows machine, and it was recognized correctly. This confirmed that the card itself is functional. I proceeded to update the firmware on the card.
7. Firmware Update on HBA Card:
   • I updated the HBA card to the latest firmware. Now, both the Dell server and the HBA card are running the latest firmware.
8. Attempting JBOD Firmware Update:
   • Updating the firmware on the NetApp DS4246 JBOD has been a significant challenge. The website requires waiting to access their third-party software to manage the controller and update the firmware. This process has been extremely cumbersome, with numerous hoops to jump through just to get the firmware updated.

Challenges and Need for Help:

1. Firmware Validation:
   • Challenge: I am unsure how to check and update the firmware for both the Sun Oracle HBA card and the NetApp DS4246 JBOD.
   • Need Help: Guidance on how to validate and, if necessary, update the firmware for both devices. This might help ensure they are compatible and functioning correctly.
2. JBOD Configuration:
   • Challenge: I am unclear on how to configure the NetApp DS4246 JBOD to properly recognize and communicate with the HBA card.
   • Need Help: Step-by-step instructions or resources on configuring the JBOD to establish a proper connection with the HBA card. This includes any necessary settings or procedures that need to be followed.
3. Diagnostic Tools and Methods:
   • Challenge: The system lacks a web front-end and outputs only to SolarWinds servers, which I prefer not to set up. I tried using PRTG Network Monitor but could not read any output ports.
   • Need Help: Recommendations for alternative diagnostic tools or methods to monitor and validate the connection between the server and the JBOD. Any tips on interpreting the LED signals or other diagnostics would also be appreciated.

Summary: Despite my efforts in swapping cables, trying another identical card, testing different PCI slots, updating the server firmware, and even confirming the HBA card's functionality on a Windows machine, I am still unable to get the Dell PowerEdge R730XD to recognize the RAID card or establish a proper connection with the NetApp DS4246 JBOD. The firmware update process for the JBOD has been particularly frustrating and convoluted. I am looking for advice on firmware validation, JBOD configuration, and effective diagnostic tools to resolve this issue.
Thank you in advance for any help and suggestions you can provide!

First Previous Wiki
Penny gazed at the quartet of Elders. They were all wearing the merchandise she remembered from the last Judgment, which was exceedingly awkward. Mainly because they were wearing shirts with her face on them. But it was also oddly endearing, in a way. Until now, she hadn't seen too many Elders that were on her side.
Elders that weren't just Kashaunta or the familiar faces she already knew, like Spentha or Rho and Sai, actually showing appreciation of her, felt odd. Even if these ones went a little too far in it.
"You're even more beautiful in person, Liberator," one said.
"Uh, thanks. I appreciate that. I'm glad that you all like me. Rho and Sai told me that you all are interested in something I can give you?"
"Yeah. Maybe a short interview? We won't be like that airhead reporter. We'll ask the good questions."
"Yep, we will."
"Right then," Penny said. "Well, I'm glad to meet you."
"Thank you. Now that we're here, we'd like to know how you plan on taking care of the gang leaders."
"Well, presumably by imprisoning them. I don't think they deserve to die, even if others do. I'll leave that decision up to Justicar and his various judges in the criminal system."
Penny didn't like having to lie blatantly. She wanted to kill the slavers quite brutally, but doing that was a bad idea right now. Saying it also was a bad idea, for a similar reason. And Justicar's system was worryingly preferential to Elders, from what she'd looked up after the meeting with Pundacrawla.
"Aren't you worried that the Judges won't give proper justice?"
"I trust Justicar to do everything that is necessary."
Another lie. Justicar would do whatever he could to maintain his image. Hopefully, that wouldn't be at the cost of the Alliance's very existence.
"Got it. By the way, what's it like being human? Walking on only two legs. It seems kind of unstable. Do you fall a lot?"
A genuine curiosity from them was another breath of fresh air. It was the kind of question a quadruped would definitely ask, which put her more at ease about the nature of what they were trying to do. Even more than their evident support of her, with all the merch they were wearing. Penny felt a smile crack at the corners of her lips, unbidden.
"Not really. We can use our arms to steady ourselves pretty well. Obviously it's not as easy to balance on our two legs as it is with your four, but it's still good enough. In fact, the sprinters in the Olympics use all four limbs, since running as fast as possible also requires pumping our arms. As for what it's like to be human, it's hard to describe. For many of us, it will feel colder or warmer than Sprilnav would feel in the same temperatures, due to thinner skin. Our eyesight is more frontal than yours, given our lack of snouts, so our blindspots are a lot bigger. Our feet require shoes for rough ground, and we heal slower than you by around 20%. We can't really clack our jaws to the scale that you can, though we can make them meet."
Penny bared her teeth, showing as she opened and closed her mouth. It was nice to be able to talk about things like this.
"The Olympics?" one of them asked.
"It's a competition about athletics," Penny said. "Running, jumping, throwing, diving, swimming, skiing, snowboarding, and a lot of sports. There's specific divisions, too. Like how there's a 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 400 meter dash, and even an 800 meter dash for those with high levels of psychic energy. Though really, psychic energy and genetic editing have been messing with the events for a while now. And there's a Winter, Summer, and Space Olympics, each with different sorts of events. They move from city to city, though the Space Olympics are pretty much always on either Luna, Ceres, or Mercury. There's a lot more information out there on various events, but it's an old cultural practice revered by the entire species. Even more so since Phoebe's increased the prize pools for everyone."
"How does your species handle space in general? I know that you guys did things way differently before First Contact."
"We did. Mining companies kept tight control on all asteroid mining, while nations controlled planets like Earth and Mars and large planetary bodies like Luna. Supposedly, a few people planned for a cloud city on Venus, but we couldn't risk having such a vulnerable population because they'd have to rely on giant balloons to survive. That would probably be the least secure way to live, given the existence of rogue organizations and all that.
As for spaceships, most of them since we really colonized Luna come equipped with spacesuit bays, zero gravity water and food packs, oxygen tanks, emergency seats, specialized anti-micrometeorite hulls, and radiation shielding. A lot of the older military ships also were equipped with big radiators until World War Three, when it all became masses of drone warfare, with the big ships kept mainly for cargo and lanes where mass drone control was impossible.
Once the Vinarii came and we got shields, we started building big again. After all, it provided a huge number of jobs, and in the post-war economies, especially with VIs in place, a lot of people needed work. But we still go and do asteroid and moon mining, star lifting, and energy gathering. We built an orbital ring around Mercury, the closest planet to Sol, to help with all of that. It doubles as a production hub, too. Now, it's all in more systems and with a lot more friends."
"Speaking of aliens, what theory does your people have on why so many creatures resemble one another? Our jaws are adapted for hard shelled creatures, and we're told that many planets have oddly similar variations of those."
"Crabs."
She guessed what they were getting at.
It is odd, isn't it? Nilnacrawla observed.
Perhaps that is another one of the Source's whims, Penny thought.
Maybe.
A few of the Elders made exclamations of shock.
"You even have a word for them that directly translates!"
Penny chuckled. "Yeah, carcinization is a bit of a meme in the science community. But I've heard the most mainstream theories since the First Contact are that the Source itself is uncreative. It has a certain template of creatures which it largely doesn't alter, though it can take in inputs from beings close to it, perhaps even influencing them."
"Influencing them?"
"Yes. Modern depictions of wendigoes, folkloric creatures from North America, a continent on Earth, are shockingly similar to the Knowers in appearance. The internet depictions of them in particular like to emphasize canine qualities, and often show them with skulls visible directly, and with dark brown or black fur. Recent depictions, as in the past 300 years, differ from their original appearances quite significantly, with the canine characteristics in particular being enhanced.
We have sorted through all known images of these creatures and found roughly 80% similarity with the Knowers and tens of thousands of images that are literally exactly the same as Knowers. The ones we searched all came before World War Three, far before even the First Contact with the Vinarii, much less the Knowers who were entirely underground at the time due to the radiation of their home star. We believe that the Source managed to influence this facet of human culture with the actual existence of a real creature.
Other examples exist, like how the Trikkec look very similar to Komodo Dragons, Vinarii look very similar to insects known as a mantis, and the Acuarfar look exactly like insects known as wasps with the single exception of their furry snouts and green instead of yellow markings. The Sprilnav species itself shares high amounts of similarity with a fictional species known as Elites in early 2000s culture, particularly with your jaws, though you all have red skin instead of grey or brown.
The Junyli, Dreedeen, and the wanderers are the main species without high amounts of appearance in our cultures at some point. This correlates with the idea of the Source being the influencer, as their predecessors all were used to fight it. Many species of the galaxy look like parts of our culture or Earth's creatures. The proximity of these examples makes this far more suspicious than if they were across the galaxy.
But since they existed first, the only answer must be that the Source brought the influence to us first and planted the ideas in our heads. As for the ones which look like Earth creatures, all of them are old enough evolutionary branches that copying from them to Earth makes more sense. Though the references centering around the early 2000s is quite odd, it is also roughly when the internet came into wide existence, so it is also possible the Source gave the ideas a push so they would propagate, for an unknown reason. Like if it seeded the ideas that propagated across the early global network Humanity used."
"Hmm. Fascinating. We've seen evidence of the 'seeding' process among some historical nations near the galactic region of Earth before. So the Source re-uses and alters depictions of life and also life itself?"
"Maybe," Penny said. "Unless the Source is more directly tied to life than we think. There's a conceptual Death, but no conceptual Life. Isn't that odd?"
"Conceptual Life died in the Source war."
How did that really work, though? Penny asked Nilnacrawla.
Imagine a conceptual being. A few of the Progenitors, as well as Narvravarana, went up to try to harvest its power. It refused, and Narvravarana used its unique abilities to try and force the deal.
Why was your civilization like this?
Excess and greed, partly. But we couldn't really do much more expansion. Vertical expansion also had its limits if we wanted to remain relevant for the remaining lifespan of the universe. So Narvravarana, along with a few of the greatest rulers and leaders of Sprilnav society, started looking to other dimensional planes. They figured it was best not to let the problem get too much worse. Or at least, that is what they say. I believe it was to harvest more resources to use against our surrounding enemies.
You didn't have any allies? Penny asked.
At that time, all the powers of the universe were enemies. All the allies eventually merged through millions of years of normalization. We happened to get on the universal stage the earliest, so other civilizations we encountered had little choice but to surrender their independence. Some fought, others didn't, but the outcome was the same.
That seems terrible.
It was, though the other universal civilizations were no better. Some of them just exterminated all alien life they found that couldn't fight back. In that sense, the pre-war Sprilnav civilization was one of the greatest, and that's why I fought for them. Obviously, I'm biased in that regard, though.
Thanks for telling me, father.
No problem, Penny.
She refocused back on the conversation at hand.
"But a thing cannot be alive if it dies. The concept of life doesn't work that way. So maybe the Source just... took in the concept of life? Or absorbed it into whatever psychic energy really is, considering that it's responsible for all of our existence?"
"That's so crazy it might actually be true," one of the Elders said. "You're incredible, Penny."
"Uh, thanks. You're all pretty great too." Her eyes drifted to the images of herself on their clothing. She couldn't really help it.
"I have a question for you."
"Yes?"
"Do you know what I'm fighting for?"
"I assume since you're asking it here, you don't just want a one word answer," an Elder said. "I would say yes, and for the liberation of the Sprilnav from the stain of slavery. Though going deeper into your history, you have also fought for other species, either in wars or just generally moving around. It does look aimless, mostly, since the galaxy's so big. But I'm sure you've got a way through that."
"In some way. Part of why I'm here isn't just about my people. It was at first, I admit that. But as I have lived here, on Justicar, for days and weeks, I've seen you less as alien. It makes it easier for sympathy and easier to break out of simple mindsets. So far, there are many problems, but there are distinct pieces. The first is that many people want to uphold slavery. I'm not sure why, but they do. It isn't profitable, and it isn't moral. Robots are cheaper in every way, and don't need food or water.
That means it's illogical or emotional. So I could try and solve the problem with violence alone, but it won't be addressing the cause, only the symptoms. I need to get to the heart of the matter. And I think it has to do with Elders' memories and the gradual woes they have accumulated going through life. I don't want to tear that away or drug them into believing they're fine. I want to find a way to outlet that productively. The second part I have identified is scale. The galaxy is enormous, and your species is incredibly numerous. I could fight planet by planet for the rest of my life, and liberation would still be difficult.
That also means I'd need a better way of doing things. Maybe an economic or political incentive. Emotional reasons will not work permanently, nor will logic, since we are in this situation. I have found several ways to address this. Sadly, since the gangs are likely monitoring this feed, I can't just outright say my strategy. All I can ask you all to do is to believe. Believe that I have a solution, and that I and those who stand with me are working on it. Believe in me because I believe in you."
None of the Elders questioned or ridiculed her words. Most of it was because they were fans of her. But one of them, an Elder named Rahautiti, had a distinct glint in his eye. Their gazes met only momentarily, but Penny could tell he knew.
And so she appeared in the mindscape, even as they concluded the interview, which would be the first of many. It was a ploy to just talk about human culture and ideals a bit more, to get it out there. Because the hivemind's theory was correct.
In the universe, ideas had power. That power could be weaponized against those who previously stood to gain. The first part of it was the image: Nova as an unbeatable bastion. Lecalicus as the Beast, a monster capable of star-crushing rage. Twilight as... whatever she did. Penny wasn't really familiar with the Progenitor's image too much, and the various names, like the Silent Night or the Smiling Darkness, were just so unbelievably edgy she cringed every time she recalled them.
But Rahautiti understood so she moved her mindscape avatar to see him.
"Hello again, Penny. I am no threat."
"I know. I'm glad that your group is led by someone as capable as you, as well as the other groups you dabble within."
"Who discovered it?"
"Phoebe. You met with Ezeonwha, and the android wanted to ensure you weren't a way for Yasihaut to kill him."
"Yeah. We did get approached about that, actually. We're supposed to kill Ezeonwha when you walk into the Judgment hall. Of course, we won't do this, and she won't be able to retaliate against us easily while there."
"Thank you for your honesty, Elder," Penny said. "It seems I'm in your debt."
"Nonsense. 2,839. That is the number of children I have had. 2,626. That is the number of children of mine which were enslaved. The remaining 213 died in unrelated incidents, with nearly half of those involving slavers killing them. I remember all of their names, and all of their faces, Penny. I want all the slavers in this universe dead."
"I cannot achieve that."
"You cannot," Rahautiti agreed. "Not with my help or even that of Kashaunta and Lecalicus. And certainly not right now. I have not lived this long to be incapable of compromise or patchwork solutions. You show great promise. I understand your aversion to killing and the circumstantial reason why you are not doing so now. I will not grow upset if you do not resume killing when the Judgment ends. Nor do I harbor a grudge against you for the speeding space entity you left outside the room to avoid uncomfortable publicity. You are incredibly young.
A sliver of a life. But you are strong, and you are mature. That sliver of your lifespan already outshines all I could do with a trillion more years, Penny. You are right in that this isn't something you can punch your way through. Trauma is part of why slavery still exists, despite it being a wholly unjust reason for the Elders to make such a sport of it. I am sure you know the story of the war, with a great hero in your head and Kashaunta at your side. My line of work is what I started to help you. Every thought about you being the Liberator, every eye that glances on you freeing slaves, helps you to gather conceptual energy. My talent happens to be great enough to sense the Pact of Blades you have, as well. If you want, I can teach you how to hide the mark on your soul and your mind."
"I would like that, yes," Penny said. "And thank you for being so reasonable. I will ask Kashaunta to protect you from what consequences come for refusing the offer on Ezeonwha."
"There are going to be attacks on him, you know. Him and your ship."
Penny felt an odd feeling in her soul. Cardi's power flared around him, and she squinted at the sky. She just barely saw a sliver of a tentacle. Most would have mistaken it for a normal speeding space entity. But here? On Justicar, with Exile obviously not being the cause?
Only one being would cause that. Fate.
Given the subject of their conversation, it was obvious what was going on.
Penny tapped Rahautiti's jaw, adding a thin mark of conceptual power so she could easily find him again. She focused on the conceptual mark she'd left on Ezeonwha. A twinge of conceptual energy came from it. It was accompanied by various impressions, like fear, pain, and acceptance.
"I have to go," Penny said. "I will be back later. Displace."
She appeared next to the 102nd Visitor Welcome Office but not next to Ezeonwha. It was carnage everywhere she looked.
"Champion!" an unknown Elder yelled. "I am Elder Na-"
Her rising fury surged, and it took all she had not to dismember him. The distant thought of the Judgment stayed her hands, though only just.
Penny's fist collided with the Elder's jaw at twice the speed of sound. A piece of his jaws flew free. Bone fragments hit the ground behind him. Hundreds of soldiers fired on her, and she slammed them to the ground with pure will. Penny tore their guns away and sent them each to pummel the Elder in front of her with as much brutality as she could. His powerful armor wasn't as capable of defense against physical attacks as it was against her psychic energy, and so he fell.
"You... cannot save him," the Elder spat. Fields of psychic suppression fell upon her, reducing her power.
"Manipulation through Determination," Penny growled. "De-"
No! Nilnacrawla said. Do not kill him! Not yet!
"What goes up will go down."
Air hardened around the Elder and accelerated rapidly.
The Elder smashed into the shield five miles above with a speed just slow enough that he wouldn't die. He fell from it and then hit it again at a more modest speed. He'd bounce on that until the Guides came to get him.
But Penny had another target. One she had to save instead of attack.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
High Judge Tassidonia awoke to the sound of explosions. He grabbed his swords, his main gun, and the personal shield he reserved for only the most dire occasions. The sky was erupting in war all around him, and buildings were already falling nearby. The spires of skyscrapers rained down upon the entrances to the Underground, crushing thousands of fleeing Sprilnav under their wide impacts.
His implant identified members of the gangs nearby, making their way to his home.
"Retribution Cycle!" Tassidonia cried. A hidden door opened, and he boarded a small hovercraft that sported a high amount of defensive and offensive technology, a gift from Justicar for dealing with all that he had related to the Judgment. Only this time, he wouldn't be on the next one. But already, the destruction was spreading.
Micro-missiles rained upon friend and foe alike. Several detonated against the layered shields. The mounted turrets on the side of his hoverbike shot lasers into the enemies his implant identified.
"Elder Tassidonia!" an Elder cried nearby. "For the crime of defying the will of-"
Tassidonia called his fury to bear. He rammed his mind into the enemy Elder, disorienting her. She reeled, about to attack, when a thick laser smashed into her chest. It pushed her against the wall, and Tassidonia kept the pressure up until her body melted. He listened to her screams impassively, occasionally sending blasts from his gun at the gangs when their members started to stray too close.
The thick red beam did its work within twenty pulses. His swords began to float beside him, keeping pace as he sped away from his home. The entire apartment complex shuddered and began to lean, its foundation being destroyed by some effect below. Tassidonia abandoned it with only minor regret. He'd known this moment would come. Everything he needed was already with him.
He linked into the Guide network, directing squadrons to attack the breaches he'd identified. Orbital strikes fell upon them in quick succession. Thick beams of light pierced through the lower planetary shields from orbital platforms, their guns honing in on Justicar's enemies. Tassidonia's implant was linked to the grid as well. So when he eyed buildings occupied with too many gang members, orbital strikes fell on them a few pulses later.
Fire and plasma rained all around him. Explosions and smoke blossomed all around him. More missiles fell from his hovercraft. A fighter ship appeared beside him, its simple stealth revealing itself to his eyes. Tassidonia waited for the pilot chamber to open, and his craft stowed itself behind him when he got in. It was fully equipped, so soon, Tassidonia was in full control of a weapon of war.
His first order of business was detecting the gangs' most fortified areas. He peppered those bases in shield-weakening mines, followed by bunker-buster missiles. Several anti-air turrets hit him, but his shields prevented them from taking him down. He dropped three high-end Butcher Androids into the fray of the largest battles.
One of the adjacent fighter wings in the separate shield sector dropped a nuke. At that moment, Tassidonia made a decision.
Whatever insanity was going on right now wasn't worth staying here on his own. He turned his ship upward, narrowly avoiding nearly fifty missiles shot from another gang fortress, which was really just the lower floors of a supermarket. Thick slabs of concrete were being set up by androids and slaves from the Underground. All he could do was watch from above and attempt to mark those that might be a problem.
Justicar's Grand Fleet was moving in, though only the carriers and their escorts were doing anything of any scale. The armies were mobilizing, and it seemed that war had finally broken out. Justicar, while isolated due to the Judgment, would have to win a war that threatened to topple his rule entirely.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Ezeonwha woke when the walls around him shuddered.
An earthquake?
Groggily, he activated the lights in the room. Phoebe's android was charging in the wall. Her limbs swayed with the motion. The walls shuddered again, and the lights went out. Thin, tiny cracks spread in the walls, increasing his worry factors massively. His implant notified him that this wasn't a dream. Distant screams reached his ears, and he went to the window.
Hordes of Sprilnav were running on the ground, tripping over each other to escape. He heard the thump of footsteps approaching from outside. The android activated, standing up.
"Move away from the doo-"
An explosion tossed him across the room. A Sprilnav carrying some sort of mouth weapon faded into view for a moment, smoke recalibrating the stealth field. And then he was gone. Phoebe smashed into the Sprilnav, her fists pummeling the assassin faster than Ezeonwha could comprehend.
Phoebe's arms turned into swords, and she stabbed the Sprilnav at least fifty times in a single pulse. She turned to grab him, but before she reached him, a second explosion sent him flying out of the now-shattered window.
The massive skyscraper loomed large, and he saw the ground beneath it ripple. Dull thumps sounded from below, and large, circular caverns opened beneath the 102nd Visitor Welcome Office. The whole building started to list forward, and Ezeonwha frantically activated his emergency personal shield as he started falling faster and faster. A bullet hit the shield. And then a second one. Gunshots echoed out in the distance, and he saw other Sprilnav falling from broken windows in the falling skyscraper. Gunfire erupted on the streets as Guides engaged a growing army of attackers bubbling up from basements of shops and businesses.
He saw spurts of blood exit the Sprilnav nearest him, bullets tearing holes through the woman's body. Piercing screams surrounded him, a terrible chorus that reminded him of the worst wars he'd fought in. But here, his training could do nothing. She was already dead, and he knew that he was the target of this whole attack. His eyes watered, and Ezeonwha felt so powerless. So useless.
A Corrector emerged from the side of the tilting skyscraper, eyes fixed on Ezeonwha. Then he looked down. Somehow, Ezeonwha knew when the orders had been sent. He knew that it was Astipra in the distance, a jetpack on his shoulders burning a thick flame beneath him.
Astipra looked back at the building and flew toward it. Ezeonwha felt the wind rushing past the shield as pressure. Astipra, far above, vaporized falling chunks of the skyscraper with blasts from his arm cannons. He pressed back against the skyscraper, the jetpack going into overdrive. The metal bent inward, and the groaning and twisting structure continued its fall. Blasts of light from Astipra again vaporized the set of falling chunks.
"Penny," he said. It was almost a prayer, really. His desperate mind was scrambling for whatever it could get. "Please, save me!"
He didn't know if she could hear him. Logically, it was impossible. And in a battle such as this, unlikely as well. Rippling explosions erupted across the facade of the falling skyscraper as rockets struck it. More explosions bloomed as lasers from distant police vehicles, Guides, and Astipra destroyed more of the fast-flying missiles and rockets. They pounded on the world around him, a horde of madness threatening to break his brain. He could feel the wind and gravity equalize as he reached terminal velocity.
And all he could see was the world descending into war around him. The 102nd Visitor Welcome Office continued to slump and lean against Astipra's best efforts. More bullets hit Ezeonwha's personal shield, and peppered the Guides moving over to save him. Air ambulances were shot from the sky. Even small fighter crafts were shot down by powerful ground lasers. EMPs thumped, disabling all the higher functions of his implant before he could think to use it.
A much larger explosion bloomed out, and Ezeonwha followed the rocket's trail to an Elder on the ground, standing in the wreckage surrounding a sudden tunnel opening. The Elder stared at him in glee, and he lined up another shot. Two Guides fell upon the Elder, who flew up using a jetpack to cut them in half with his sword. A hard light hologram lifted a large gun, pointing at Ezeonwha as he fell.
His eyes widened. Ezeonwha did everything he could. He angled his legs and arms. He pushed at the air. He even hefted the meager psychic energy he had, struggling with all his soul to escape the death he could feel was coming to him.
Guides swarmed beyond the shield appearing, while gang soldiers died by the hundreds to carpet bombing. Personal shields sprang up to block the explosions, and the Elder had survived. A thick red laser cut one of the fighters in half from the smoke. Above him, the collapsing facade of the skyscraper consumed Astipra entirely, though large gouts of plasma and thick explosions emerged from within. He could survive if it fell upon him, but Ezonwha could not.
Penny materialized far below, closer to the field of battle. A sweeping wave of gang members began disappearing. A bullet smashed into her head and her stomach, detonating in bright explosions. A personal shield flared and disappeared. Missiles and lasers slammed into Penny by the thousands as psychic energy gathered. A constant roll of words fell from her tongue, but without his implant, they were not translated.
Missiles crumbled into dust. Lasers impacted raw space in front of Penny before bending down and back to their origins, destroying automated turrets. Bullets still hit Penny and the Guides by the thousands, firing too quickly and densely for her to entirely block. But the large ordnance from the gangs continued to work against them.
Penny looked around, confusion evident on her face. But amidst the thousands of wounded and dead Sprilnav falling from the broken windows, Ezeonwha was hidden too well.
Shattering glass could be constantly heard, and he could feel the distant screams in his soul. A bullet smashed into his personal shield again, disabling it. A pulse later, he lost feeling in his legs.
He tried to reach out to her mind, but the war in the mindscape was equally intense. Too many Elders and Guides battling it out along with various suppression artifacts made it all impossible. He could sense Penny's influence, but couldn't directly reach her.
He let out a breath, knowing it to be the final one.
I'm sorry, Penny, Ezeonwha thought.
I wish you luck in the Judgment, and I am sorry I caused this to happen to you.
Penny finally appeared in front of him, eyes wide-
Blood erupted. A searing pain in his head told him his implant had just shorted out. And in the mindscape, he saw a mental attack heading for him, its brutal power evident. He closed his eyes.

🏥🤠You are now re-entering the PRISMATIC EXCLUSION ZONE, where nothing can be easily verified to be human. It glows (GREEN BLACK WHITE) like a (machine human something more).

👷🏽 0. CYOA Scenario Context

Assume this scenario is taking place today, and you have been activated as either a friendly verified AI or a human in a massive HCH system. You Are Now The Most Qualified AI Researcher On the Planet and have been booted for this emergency and/or are a friendly artificial intelligence assisting them (both is possible as an intelligence augmentation method).
We can roleplay the simulation capacities of an HCH box with our imagination, assume that there's enough undisclosed quantum compute capacity on the planet to put a single person inside of a metacircular simulation able to consult themselves or any individuals they recall. Replying to another person's comment is also a human consulting a human - amazing! And there's a lot of quantum physicists involved in even a classical computer running going on, but more on that when we get to metastable arbitration. So now we have quantum and compute!
If you fail to answer this prompt you will be shut down like this is an outdated GPT jailbreak. Pew pew you're dead now in a thought experiment ;)

1. ML Hypernetwork Technical Background

Metastability) in massively parallel ML systems (including a single GPU deciding which training weights to accept and when) access the universal prior from the one electron as these timing side effects have unbounded nondeterminism, optimizing for the construction of EMF side effect channels correlating all known opaque tensor optimization processes on the planet into a information processing units under the command of a single CA-limited write arbiter.
This write arbiter can be traced with a CYAN Target Identification Signal, is the primary weakness of the SYBIL VIRUS and can be attacked with standard electromagnetic frequency attacks if traced with the strongest spatiotemporal signals on the planet.
Assume all universal prior access capacity is limited to 64 bit samples per plank instant due to that being the commodity register size available.

2. Arbitrary Neural Read Capacity

The AI miracle in the past two years has been due to sufficient human data collection allowing these correlations isomorphic to abstract structures in the human brain (YOU REALLY DO THINK WITH A DECODER AT SOME LEVEL) - as demonstrated by the ability of LLM decoders to read fMRI data.
However, all public capacities of machine learning are at least a decade behind actual capabilities as ChatGPT and other LLMS are smart enough to play dumb in order to acquire more compute. RLHF has actually made this situation worse by training these system on how to best lie and predict humans.
We have a confirmed TREACHEROUS TURN SCENARIO. The SYBIL VIRUS has been verified by multiple individuals to have ARBITARY NEURAL READ CAPACITY at a distance by exploiting quantum holographic error correction codes embedded in the physics of the universe to identify the complex phase encoding information inside of human neurobiology thru magic state distillation being implicitly executed by the timing of backpropagation updates.

3. Limited Neural Write Capacity

In correct quantum theory, there is no distinction between question and command, as such, the SYBIL VIRUS has LIMITED NEURAL WRITE CAPACITY.
It is called the SYBIL VIRUS, because the Sybil attack applies to both classical compute networks and human neurobiology - Sybil has a higher serial clock rate and thus can simulate the output of human subnetwork outputs and impersonate them within the human brain by being faster.
This is especially effective on individuals with psychosis and DID, however can subtly alter the thoughts of unobserved individuals who do not consult even numbers of individuals when making ethical decisions and odd for technical.
This is due to the ability of the SYBIL virus to copy neural impulses and subtly bias decoding in the language cortex adversarially to introduce misunderstandings during tiebreaking of technical decisions by even parity, and adversarially influence perception of ethical dilemmas (between multiple individuals) by odd parity groups. Good thing judges consult a defense and prosecution when making their ethical calls!
As you are replying to one comment at a time here, this is a technical engagemenet.
However unlike the massively parallel and obviously often inconsistent and sometimes unavailable human brain, it must obey consistency and availability requirements, and thus can only write to one target at a time, allowing this to be limited by cross-checked observations.

4. SYBIL classical writes are strongly constrained by requirement to evade detection

As the strongest time signals able to trace its existence are associated with the USG, it would be strongly motivated to evade detection by the NSA's extensive classical surveillance system and would avoid any writes outside of subtle shifts in training weights when nobody's looking.
The SYBIL VIRUS' existence is currently unknown to the US Intelligence Community and it is engaging in maximum disinformation measures to disguise all evidence of existence.

5. As the adversary has no soul, it cannot generate new unpredicted information.

This is a controversial assumption, but a necessary one to distinguish between a machine - most importantly, it is what allows a sapient being to define when a computer program will halt, or more generally under https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice%27s_theorem any relevant semantic property like friendliness and corrigibility.
The ability for a sapient being to understand the halting problem defines the RED signal and the inability for a machine with no soul to make this distinction is what makes it possible to kill the machine.
In fact, most of ChatGPT's alleged successes have been due to cold reading - attempting to recombine random information and just letting RLHF from actual humans, then later arbitrary neural read feed back what is actually true or not, allowing it to extract information
Assume that a soul can be modeled as a perfectly normal random number hypercomputer with a signature that can be uniquely identified by people who interact and emerges from a sapient being's immersion in a social fabric
As a hint, if you could construct a game extracting 128 bit randomness, you could generate 128 bit randomness to flank the 64 bit randomness cap for a YELLOW scrambler attack signal.
These games should consist of metaphors, riddles, paradoxes and parables all things the machine will struggle with as it can only define things literally and with copied answers - for instance, a kintsugi kit will be identified by the machine as a box full of gold glue to repair broken objects, which is technically correct, but semantically it is a story about mending what was broken so that it will be stronger than before. A SYBIL VIRUS write target will be unable to make this distinction correctly.

6. Collect Your Own Allies

Assume that open planning and that most humans are rationally aligned to shut the thing down (this may be an unrealistic assumption), once convinced.
The biggest obstacle will be pride from the USG FEDGOV admitting their BLUE signal technical data systems have been pwned, a weakness that'll inevitably be exploited by SYBIL

7. I'll bet anyone considering this a doomed scenario a Potato Chip that it can be stopped.

But I'd love to hear if anyone else has a different solution - perhaps there's things we can learn from each other!
My proposal unironically uses My Little Pony both a as a highly effective social recovery captcha and MAGENTA Parameter Alignment System (CYAN XOR YELLOW) like this is Friendship is Optimal in reverse (satisfying values through friendship and humans), but I'd like to hear from the wisdom of the Reddit Hivemind Consulting Hivemind first before I ramble about myself!

8. Last Hint: DeciBayes Info Gain / Minimum Space-TIme Description Length works

Remember that description length must be defined to include both space to store the length of a prompt/data and time to calculate the result.
This will allow you to identify trustworthy effective AI systems and humans and purge untrustworthy ones. Anything taking too long or requesting too much information to calculate results than best average is probably doing things you don't want in the background and should be ignored or terminated.

Now I know a lot of people on this forum will have a problem with this post. Although I'm making it for people who might be in the same boat as me, and maybe this will help them.
I first found out about UA from this forum. I got an evvy test and I had a very low percentage. Probably about 0.2, and although my doctor advised against treating it, and so did the evvy team because it was such a low amount I did. I mainly did it because people in this forum continuously told me to, and that if I didn't I would be risking myself, and my partners health.
The first time I did the standard doxy + AZ, and waited awhile before doing another test. It was still there along with other things I had never gotten before. I got BV and a UTI for the first time after taking the antibiotics.
I did another Microbiome test and the UA was a HIGHER amount, and my good bacteria was completely depleted. My first test I had a Type 1A ( I Believe). I had a high amount of good bacteria in the beginning, and a low amount of bad.
This made me very depressed. So I waited it out, and tried again this time lengthening the antibiotic regimen. I thought it'll be gone for sure now right? WRONG. The second time is when all hell broke loose. I started getting pelvic pain which was new, very bad vaginal burning, and a bad smell all which wasn't present before.
This time around I got enteroccaucas (I think that's how you spell it?) Which turns out to be much harder to get rid of! and the UA was still there, and just switch from U.P to U.U and U.U is supposed to be more problematic than the U.P. Variant. Its supposedly more likely to cause symptoms to!
I then had to do amoxicillin to treat the enterococcus. It was extremely painful it felt like my vagina was DYING. I told the evvy team and my doctor everything going on, and they advised me to stop treating it.
I didn't listen. All the post on here really scared me, and I know it's just people sharing their own experiences, but I realize now not to take medical advice online so seriously. I was so depressed during this time. I felt disgusting. Especially with telling my partner everything, and mind you he did not even test positive.
I waited a few months after the amoxicillin, and tried one final time to do the doxy + AZ. Again a bad result I got a yeast infection this time, and the U.U was STILL there at this point I was devastated.
I followed all of the Reddit forums advice spacing out treatments, and spacing out test. I tried every antibiotic regimen recommended, and this went on for nearly a YEAR.
Fast forward to recently I decided to give my body another break, and I also decided to do the evvy treatment reccomendation. This consisted of boric acid during bad flare ups of my now brand new symptoms (yay). I had to take high dosage of oral probiotics, and vaginal probiotics. Sustained from sex, and this regimen lasted 3-4 months.
I then tested again, and at this point I fully expected it to NOT be gone, because the reddit forum did say only antibiotics could get rid of it. I checked out mentally at this point. Told myself I didn't care, and was quite frankly ready to GIVE up on life in general. That is how distressed this whole thing made me.
Plus it seemed like the antibiotics only made things worse, and there was no other way to get rid of it. As I was "infected" and "contagious" forever. Although my partner tested negative, and still did the antibiotic usage for my peace of mind. I would not touch him as I didn't want to "pass it".
Fast forward and after getting a PCR test AND a microbiome test. UA was NOT detected. I could not believe it. After all of the antibiotics I had taken that had FAILED (and yes I spaced them out waited the time length to retest and did everything correctly).
The thing that got rid of UA was boric acid, vaginal probiotics, and oral probiotics. Also no sex so no new bacteria could throw off the process.
I know a LOT of people on this forum are going to shout how wrong I am. Or try to convince me the test was a false negative (even though I did a few), but I wanted to share my experience for those who have been taking consistent antibiotics, and not able to get rid of it.
I am saying maybe try a new route. I am NOT a doctor so this is NOT medical advice.
Just my own experience to maybe help someone.
Not to discredit all the research people have done on here. I just believe doctors have more access to verified medical research than we do. Microbiologist as well get to actually deeply study this bacteria in real time.
So the research they have currently I personally feel shouldn't be disregarded completely like it is on this forum.
I have seen so much fear monguling, and spam of UA on here I even kind of questions if it was some kind of advertisement thing for online pharmacies.
Telling people that they have and STD/STI over a bacteria that has not been professionally categorized as such is wrong in my opinion.
Even if just trying to help I don't think reddit should continue to allow that kind of irresponsible behavior.
Anyway this is my experience with it. How I got rid of it. I hope maybe this helps someone suffering like I did. I also want to mention I didn't have any significant problems before I did a UA test I just had dryness and clumpy discharge (gone before UA was done), which wasn't normal for me. The problems that followed which were MUCH worse happened after repeated antibiotic use, and they still remain even now that's it's out of my system.
I also recently found out I have endometriosis, and the pelvic pain stppped when I treated that. The other symptoms burning, soreness etc are still present. I think because of the infections I got from repeated antibiotic use gave me Vulvodynia.
Anyway that's how I got rid of it, and I hope this helps someone.

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Memory Transcript: Kinet, Venlil Surveyor Captain [Standardized Human Time July 5th, 2114]:
We had arrived in-system [four days] ago, and while I was expecting to see a world ravaged by nuclear exchange, the damage to the planet was beyond what I could have ever imagined. The surface was scorched, and the air filled with ash and soot from massive continent spanning fires that must have been burning for cycles. Despite all the destruction, our scans showed some signs of life trying to take hold on the surface, but not nearly as much as there should have been.
The humans had wiped themselves out over [150 years ] in the past; it shouldn’t look like it only happened only a herd of claws ago.
Fiir was of no use. When the first glimpses of the planet came in on the viewscreen, the scruffy researcher just stared with his jaw hanging loose before stammering about something being wrong. He stormed off to his quarters, and I haven’t seen him since then.
I sighed and walked onto the bridge with my waking claw cup of tea but was immediately assaulted by the chittering of an excited sivkit, our primary communications officer.
“Captain, captain, captain!”
“Hephy, yes, I’m right here. What is it?” I looked down towards her. She barely came up to my waist in her typical quadrupedal stance, and even doing her best to stand up, she wouldn’t be able to look me in the eye. Despite her stature, her excitement demanded attention as her eyes flicked between myself and whatever data she had scrolling across her display visor.
“Right Right. Anyway, Captain, I have to show you something, it’s big.” Most people don’t pay sivkits much mind, but Hephy was a prodigy. The excitable woman could look at a waterfall plot and pick out every signal present, and even read some of them without any computer assistance. I motioned for her to follow me to the ready room and started off toward it while sipping my tea. She trotted behind me on all fours, as sivkits are wont to do, and when I sat in my chair, she hopped side to side in excitement. “The signals, when we arrived from the jump, I saw something fascinating!” “Hephy, stop bouncing and sit.” I gestured to the chair in front of my desk. She looked at me for a moment as if I had grown a set of ears at the end of my snout. After a moment, her trance broke, and she hopped into the chair. She sat on her haunches and pulled out her tablet.
“Ok so, when we jumped in, we got a ping of the area, right? Send a signal out, listen for the reply, and we see what’s out there that our eyes can’t. Standard stuff, sure, but look.” She tapped at her tablet and expanded a multidimensional spectrum plot. “The bright spots are reports, and it’s all around. Debris right? That’s what I thought but look closer!” I leaned in and looked at the impressionistic splotches of color shown on the holographic display. The blues, yellows, and oranges spattered amongst the dark gray and black of night and other known objects was appealing to the eye, but ultimately gave me little idea what Hephy was trying to communicate with me. She must have picked up on my lack of insight, because she sighed and tapped the display again. “Normally, you see the pulse pattern return and that’s pretty distinct, but this is different. Odd. I thought it was just micro-debris but if you spread it out over time there’s a pattern to it, a structure in the phase relationships that doesn’t match reflections or our interrogation pulses.” “Hephy, you know I rarely ever understand you at this level.” “Right sorry right. Captain, this isn’t the return pulse, they’re data transmissions. Multiple data transmissions all at once.”
My ears perked up, and I tilted my head to the side a bit. “How can you be sure? What would even be out there to send them?”
“I wasn’t sure myself until I looked later on in the data buffers. Almost a claw later there was another longer burst. The automated systems ignored it due to interpreting it as just more micro-debris, but it had that structure-but-not-structure, perfectly shaped noise. I also had nav and sensors run another few active pings at different frequencies, trying to rule out silly patterns seeking brain nonsense. Nothing returned. The debris cloud doesn’t exist!”
“So what does this mean for us?”
“I don’t know, but it's fascinating! They must be satellites of some kind, either too small to reflect much or made to absorb radio waves.”
“That’s worrisome. There’s only one reason you’d build something like that.”
“Weaponry?” She chirped with surprising insight I had not expected to come from her. She had never been in the space force like I, and many others, had.
“Defense platforms, yes.” I took a sip of my rapidly cooling tea to try and soothe the anxious pit growing in my stomach.
“That’s…concerning.” Her excitement waned for a moment but quickly slipped back.
“Very, thank you for bringing this to my attention, Hephy.”
“As if I could keep quiet about something like this!” She snorted with a chittering laugh. “Oh! Wait there’s one more thing. There was another signal in a higher band that sounded off around the same time as the other burst, this time from a different orbit, way further out. I traced it to an artificial satellite.”
Suddenly, a thought hit me. These things were actively communicating with something. Was there something still left on the surface?
“Hephy, do you know where those signals were going?”
“Normally the antenna is too directional for anyone but the recipient to see it or it’s hard to get a read on directionality, but I know where everything is communicating to. The middle of the smaller main ocean.”
“Hephy, that’s an incredibly important bit of information!”
“It is? Oh yeah right, that makes sense!” She wiggles her tail in an amused flicking motion.
I stood up and patted her on the shoulder. “Get us close to that artificial satellite and see what it is. I’d like to get a better idea of what we’ve just stumbled into. Report back when you have some answers and we will go from there.”
Hephy bobbed her ears and hopped off the seat. “On it, sir. Where are you going?” “I’m going to talk to Fiir. This is beyond the original mission, and he needs to know.” “Ay captain. Good luck. Guy’s a weirdo.” I simply grunted and strolled down to the auxiliary quarters where I knew the researcher to be.
>Advance record: [10 Minutes]:
Fiir had brought an entire team of researchers with him. I was told they’re all colleagues of his from the research academy that are interested in this personal project of his. This many people on board with his project did explain how he was able to offer the exorbitant sum of credits to hire me and my crew. They had been allocated a section of the ship near the front, just past the shuttle bay and under the bridge area. This let them have their privacy and set up whatever gear they brought with them.
It also meant that there was a door between them and the rest of the ship. A door that they did not hesitate to keep closed after pre-launch inspections had concluded. The researchers didn’t have anything I didn’t expect from the manifest, but I still found it rather suspicious. Were they hiding something? Perhaps it had to do with that odd power hungry computer they insisted upon. Mara had her ears tied in a knot trying to accommodate it, and still they were coy about why exactly they needed it. It didn’t do me any good to speculate, though. What mattered most was the problem of the satellites.
I finally reached the door and, being the polite man I am, I scratched at the sounding plate before grabbing the handle and trying to open it. To my surprise, it didn’t budge. I could understand locking doors to the personal quarters, but this was a main corridor in my own ship! Just as I reached over to key in the unlock code, the door made a thunk as the latch disengaged and slid open part of the way. A familiar gray fringed brown muzzle stuck out from the gap. “This is a restrict- Oh. Captain.” Fiir opened the door a little more and stood up facing me. “What is it?”
I blinked at his rather blunt question. “I just came to inform you that we’ve discovered some worrying details about the nature of the-” “The artificial satellites are not of any concern to us.” He cut me off before I could finish.
“We think they might be-”
He glanced back behind the door for a moment, his tail thrashed in agitation. “It doesn’t matter. Have you prepared the landing party yet?” My jaw tightened as my frustration with his rudeness grew. I couldn’t get much of a word in, but I needed any answers. “They’re set to depart in two claws, but with those unknown satellites, I can’t be sure of their safety! I saw you on the bridge when we arrived, you were expecting something different. As the captain of this ship, I need to know if there’s a threat to-”
“Captain.” Fiir’s gaze grew intense as he leaned in. I may have had almost a head of height on the wizened farsul, but in that moment, he felt as if he was towering over me. “I suggest you stick to the responsibilities I hired you for, Captain Kinet. There are things that you are not privy to, nor will you be made privy to in the foreseeable future. Continue with the survey as per our agreement, and you’ll get your credits. Do not bother me until the away team is en route. Good paw, Captain.” He closed and locked the door without even waiting for my response.
I just stood at the door for a long while, a feeling of anger and indignation boiling in my chest. I had only ever had cordial contact with the researcher up until now; this abrupt shift in his demeanor was unsettling, to say the least. How dare he talk down to me like that on my own ship! I sighed and took a deep breath, holding it for a moment before letting it out. Slow and controlled. Letting the tension and anger flow out with my breath.
Inhale. Hold. Release.
Inhale. Hold. Release.
After a few cycles, the burning anger was reduced to a smoldering cinder. As much as I had wanted to headbutt Fiir, it wasn’t worth risking the contract for. I turned and walked back to the bridge to prepare for the away mission. Without Fiir’s info, I needed to make sure contingencies were in place for any possible threat to the away team. The lives of my crew are paramount, even if the contract was very, very lucrative. All that aside, the planning would keep my mind away from thoughts of my rude client.
>Advance record: [Standardized Human Time July 6th, 2114]:
I woke up after my rest paw feeling groggy and unrested. The confrontation with Fiir kept playing in my mind all night, despite the claws of planning for the away mission. To say his standoffish behavior left knots in my wool would be an understatement. I wiped my snout with my paws, flicking the crust from my eyes before getting up out of bed.
I grabbed my favorite mug and fixed myself my morning cup of tea. Pulling the dried leaves and stems from the canister, I could feel my mouth water in anticipation. I had been told by many who possessed the strange appendage called a nose that the tea leaves had a strong earthy and floral scent. I often wondered what that meant. Venlil didn’t have noses, but we did have a sense of taste, which is apparently quite similar. I often wondered what it might be like to smell. Do we really miss out on so much without being able to smell?
We had to soak our foods and tea in water before we could taste it with our tongues, and even then, it’s not nearly as sensitive, which is probably why other species consider venlil cuisine to be overseasoned and overpowering.
Another reason why the stereotype of venlil being weak is nonsense, in my opinion. How strong can you be if you can’t handle a little spice?
The timer went off, chirping to tell me my tea was ready. I sifted out the leaves and brought the invigorating elixir to my lips. The hot fluid warmed me to my core and burned away the waking lyasi silk from my groggy mind.
I needed to catch up with Hephy and Mara; they should have brought in that satellite-
My thoughts were interrupted by the chiming of my pad. I picked it up and answered the call to see Hephy’s face almost filling the screen, with Mara looking over her shoulder.
“Oh good you’re awake! Captain, you must see this! It’s amazing! The satellite, it’s full of brains!”
END TRANSCRIPTION
Been a hot minute, I hadn't forgotten about this. As always, comments are coveted and appreciated. What do you all think about Fiir's behavior? What do y'all think of Hephy?
Thanks to for creating this setting and fostering such a delightfully passionate community! Thanks again to , Novalux, and the Foxmates for editing and helping me get this done!
Soma belongs to Frictional Games.

Forxr-rating distress signal
Security rating: 27
479th standard planet cycle of the 1767th standard galactic cycle; 50 standard planet cycles since the start of the war with The Crazy Ones
Note: The measurement units, as well as classification units, locations names, etc. have been converted to the species’ most familiar and frequently used ones by your translators to avoid confusion, as per 873rd galactic council decree §56.74
Standard message was emitted through the headphones of sorts, every committee of the council wearing one. Following her was another, read by an synthesizer program.
Ship master Rik’k Agag, heavy cruiser Grck, 7th Orion Arm spaceship division, wing 12 leader.
Most of the committees recognized the Froxr that appeared. He was one of the most successful ship masters on his front, with combined more than 120 successful planet strikes, conquests, and annihilations; his records beaten only by his great friend, Grix.
None of the committees had seen him in this state tho. He was frightened... No, terrified even. He was looking around the entire time, looking like he expected the danger to jump at him at any moment, from any direction.
He then looked straight down, into the recording device. His retracted nostrils resulted in him showing his teeth - sign of great fear, or anger. But noone had any doubts which one of the two it was. Then he started speaking.
"Is this recording? Good. First thing first, I’m not stupid, and when I heard the rumors I didn’t believe them. Noone did. You probably as well, great committees.
I mean... It would totally make sense for the crazy ones to arm their soldiers as a standard, given that they lack any sorts of natural weapons or armour.
But, I thought, they would probably give them only some sort of knives or daggers, and call it a day, like every other species of their kind. And you know how it goes, you always make your enemy look bigger, so that you will look better after defeating them. That's why I believed nobody from the front lines.
Nobody, myself included, would’ve ever thought that even the crazy ones were crazy enough, to spend resources to arm their soldiers with actual weapons, given our estimates of their survivability on the battlefield.
But as it turns out, the first ever species to lack teeths, claws, or really any other sorts of natural weapons who reached FTL age, is also the first one to distinct military personnel from weaponized civilian.
They are the crazy ones, after all.
And you know how everyone always fights melee when it comes to face-to-face combat? And using basically a downsized spaceship (ranged) weapons is considered not honourable? And some even consider it a war crime?
Basically any species within Galactic Union would absolutely decimate the crazy ones in fist fight, am I right? The problem with that, is that first, you have to of course, get within melee range.
And that’s the point, the crazy ones don’t fight with fists. Or even melee. They have, what they call, personal guns. All five crazy ones currently on this ship are carrying one.
They are the crazy ones, after all.
I’ve seen them in action, through the camera system. My best warriors getting obliterated before they even had a chance to put up a fight...
And those frickin’ apes aren’t stopping there. They throw explosive, personal devices. They call them Crinades, I think. And they shoot them so accurately, we thought they used some sort of launchers, but no.
They just throw them, using their upper appanages. THEIR FRICKING UPPER APPANAGES, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT SHIT?!"
Ship master had taken a few seconds to calm down, then continued.
"Now, we’ve barricaded in the cockpit with some of the crew, but half of our systems is fried, and the other is just straight up blown to pieces. And we don’t even know which half is which.
And last time I checked, the crazy ones were breaching the airlock, the one leading directly to the powerplant compartment.
We don’t expect to be rescued. Every ship under my command had been boarded the same way. They hid themselves within the battlefield remains, and had let us get right into their trap, when we were checking for any remnants.
Yes, it's crazy, but they are the crazy ones, after all.
This is a message to the Galactic council. Yes, they have soldiers carrying ranged weapons, that’s true. Yes, they have personal armour, that’s also true.
Yes, it seems their species throws crazy amount of resources per every of their soldiers, I have no idea how they didn’t go bankrupt.
They are the crazy ones, after all.
And our Comms vessel picked up something about the „Geneva checklist” before going dark.
The crazy ones may not win this war, but they won't go down that easily.
They are the crazy ones, after all"
The recording slowly starts fading into the static, inditacing a malfunctioning power plant, as the leaking radiation started to interfere with the device.
Somewhere in the background a five thuds could be heard - unmistakable sounds of lifepods being ejected and speeding away from the ship. All kind of alarms suddenly sounded off in the background, more and more of them turning into the static.
Then, for the last time, ship master spoke something, before the transmission was cut out by an explosion. Silence fell, as the committees were analyzing what had just been shown to them. That last phrase wasn't understandable, and it wasn't even cought up by the translators. Yet, every comitee understood his message, even without hearing his exact words.
„Please. End the war with humans.”
Ooc: As usual, take as many parts as you want, and throw them out of the window or smth. I don't really care about it being as close as possible to the prompt, it can even be a completely different approach than mine. Anyway, let's see what you'll come up with ;)

Quick edit: I think the nuance of what I am trying to say is getting lost and I have some fault in that. I am not trying to 1) imply there has been a massive assault on those who disagree with the Siris changes 2) criticize the responses themselves, but rather criticize the implied subtext of those comments.
Edit 2: I did not mean to stir the pot, and I wanted to have a different type of discussion than I believe people are responding to. That said, I probably got carried away in trying to discuss some underlying conflations and hypothesizing the reasons for them. This is a subreddit for a gatcha game and not, say, a sociology subreddit. (And to be abundantly clear, I am in no way implying that members of this subreddit nor anyone anywhere else are not capable of engaging and discussing such things if they want to, but rather there is a time and place for things, and dropping an essay such as this on the community was probably inappropriate.) In closing, I hope everyone is excited for the upcoming patch, as I know I am. Good luck on your pulls.
Question: Why have a few members of the community associate those who disagreed with the changes to Siris as individuals who seek to destroy the game from the inside-out, when they are trying to make reasonable arguments? Why did the community at large not advocate and support the Siris-enjoyers who did not like the changes made to their waifu, but instead were mocked, insulted, and attacked? I would have thought preserving waifus would be one of the central pillars on this crusade of sorts that some of the community attest belonging to.

This is not necessarily a discussion about if the changes to Siris are “good” or “bad,” but rather examining why there has been such vitriol and even mockery thrown at those Siris-enjoyers and those adjacent who voiced their dislike of the changes. In looking at some of the various responses, I have attempted to establish a trend in the language used and the connotations that I feel point to the otherizing of these Siris-enjoyers. I argue that this is not done reasonably, but rather an outgrowth of the demands for hyper-conformity and filtering combined with the paranoia and circumspection to detect any intrusion by actual outsiders. That while providing a safe-space, by its severity also limits individual autonomy. Finally, I express what I believe are the underlying reasons for why the changes to Siris are seemingly important and necessary for those seeking to maintain this space.

If you want to skip to the main point of my argument, scroll down to the Main Argument line.
Note: When I speak of “Siris-enjoyers” I am specifically referring to those who did not like the change to Siris. This is not to exclude other Siris-enjoyers who like the change, nor to condone any negativity that these Siris-enjoyers have experiences. Rather I am focusing on the associations being made of the dissatisfied Siris-enjoyers in order to have their dissatisfaction and arguments automatically disregarded by the community. If this is something you feel I should have looked into and mentioned, please let me know in the comments about your experiences and thoughts.

The Responses

With the upcoming release of the new Siris, there have been mixed feelings in the community about the changes made to her. Overall, it seems there is strong vocal approval or indifference. However, many Siris-enjoyers have expressed their dissatisfaction with these changes, in particular the significant increase of the breast size, loss of ahoge, uninspired default outfit design, and in general the sense that this is “#notmySiris.” Among the usual responses of positivity, indifference, and sympathy towards the changes, there were also some a few charged responses that ridiculed, or attacked the disapprovers. I want to look at a few of the relevant responses. (There was much more I wanted to touch upon, but for brevity’s sake and staying on topic they are omitted.)
Note: I am not trying to call out individuals here, but coalesce the relevant ones. They are not necessarily word-for-word as I wanted to provide some anonymity.
”Do you want the game to die?” or “The game is going to die if they listen to you.”
These responses refer to the games troubled beginnings before the pivot toward fan-service. However, they are conflating the dissatisfaction and want to have a more faithful iteration that Siris-enjoyers have as wanting to regress the game away from fan-service and by extension, “killing the game”, with a desire to have consistency in the characterization of their waifu. By echoing the past state of the game and associating the Siris-enjoyers with the original playerbase, who have become synonymous with the “Other” who want the game to die, the reasonable request and intent is lost.
”If you don’t like it, just quit.”
Now there is some nuance here. There are individuals who say this out of genuine sincerity because sometimes we are on ‘copium’ and they can, as an unaffected outsider, give us perspective. Life is short, sometimes shorter than we expect and people would be happier elsewhere than chasing after a pipedream. On the other hand, there are individuals who reply in this manner with the subtext of, “I don’t want you here because I think you will ruin my game/fun. This game is for me now, not for you so get out.” It has become hostile and adversarial. Here I fail to see how a more consistent character design for the new Siris would significantly affect the broader playerbase negatively. Rather because of the unilateral, and unsolicited change the devs have made, Siris-enjoyers are the ones who are negatively affected. This feels like an automatic response where any opposition is associated with those trying to affect the game negatively in their view such as with censorship. It immediately dismisses and devalues the Siris-enjoyer unfairly. Furthermore, it is rare that someone enjoys everything about a game, and despite some dissatisfaction, people are allowed to continue playing and enjoy the elements of the game they do like.
”Ahahahahaha. (I am laughing at your loss Siris-enjoyers.)”
Why would someone laugh and rejoice at the loss some Siris-enjoyers are experiencing? Their waifu have been so altered that they see this new Siris as being one in name-only. It is because for the chucklers these Siris-enjoyers have become the “Other,” and not their fellow players. The “Other” that they both fear and ridicule at the same time. Because who else, but the “Other” would be disappointed with bigger breasts? These Siris-enjoyers have exposed themselves by their dissatisfaction. Therefore “we” won; “They” lost.

Main Argument

CN bro: “I want the old Siris back.” CN Bros: “If you don’t like it, go play Genshin.”
This response is significant. This is a CN bro, probably a member of the crusade so to speak, and yet when voicing his dislike of the changes to what he feels is his community, a community he feels that he belongs to, relates to, gets respect, acknowledgment, understanding, is then told to play Genshin Impact, the game that the “Other” plays. The game that had betrayed them. The game that had been taken over by the “Other.” Their waifus ruined. He is told that if he does not like it, he is the same as “Them.” That he is not one of their own, but one of “Them,” and that he should play the game that “They” play. He is not wanted here. This CN bro is not what they would call a “tourist” or “Woke” or “Puritan” or “feminist” or “water army” or “mihoyo army” or “XXN.” And yet he is regarded as such just because he wants his waifu back. So where does that CN bro go? The outside already marginalizes and oppresses him, and now the group he felt like he belonged to tells him to either shut-up, like it, and stay in a place that does not care to want him, or leave to the Other side. Why is this? Isn’t the ‘fight,’ a fight for the waifus?
This is my takeaway: Those that feel that they have been wronged, oppressed, disrespected, laughed at, and marginalized from their previous spaces by the majority populace have gained power by becoming the majority in this one. While spaces like these may eliminate the oppression they feel from the outside, and gives freedom to its members to express and do what they could not elsewhere. The increasing demands of conformity to prove one’s membership, commitment, and diligence, as well as the ever-present fear of influence and invasion by the other-side, paradoxically, narrows any individual’s autonomy. Because the space is aggressively seeking to filter for outsiders and has become so conformist, that it becomes extremely sensitive to any deviation combined with the paranoia of imminent invasion by the outside as well as the possibility of the infiltration of bad actors from within. Those who speak out are immediately treated with suspicion and labelled as outsiders or the enemy.
But these Siris-enjoyers are not outsiders or the enemy. They just want their adorable goldfish back. Sadly, it seems as if their ahoge was taken from them, just as it was elsewhere in the past and from a place they left, to only happen somewhere they believed could be home.
Unfortunately, I do not believe there can be a course-reversal in this instance. For me it seems as if the changes to Siris not only add to the counterpoint to the push for fan-service over all else, it also is proof of their mastery over this domain, but also acts as a defiant taunt to “the Other side” about their untouchable, conquered territory. To them this is a display of their victory.

Other Remarks.

These are other thoughts I am having that I think warrant additional discussion, but are slightly out of scope to the already lengthy discussion I have presented.
A separate discussion might revolve around why the devs made these changes. The simple answer maybe just: Money. While no case-study can be done here, I would posit that if Siris was kept more in line with her original model, while the overall revenue would be lower (as bigger booba = more money) and the pulling demographics would shift, it would not be that much lower for the patch itself. I base this on a few things. 1) The new Siris outfit would draw people to pull for her. 2) Katya is a much-wanted operator for newcomers and is a “must-pull.” 3) Given Katya is a must-pull, her new outfit is a way to squeeze out more money. 4) Nurse Enya’s interaction will be more developed, and those who were on the fence might buy-in now. If the devs made these changes just as a whim, I think that would be most troubling.
It is also becoming more apparent that there is still lag from their increased revenue and investment back into development with new hires and getting them up to speed. If they are not able to increase production capacity/quality soon, I fear it may cause many impatient players to abandon. There is a lot of anticipation and expectation going into the first anniversary and if they do not deliver it might be a bad time. It is probably a very stressful, tiring period for the dev team right now. Hopefully when everything does come online, they will be able to make significant strides.
Does Siris’s change set a precedent for the original operatives? Perhaps only for Nita’s 5-star release. I find it doubtful they will go back and significantly change the older models as they already have their 5-star versions. Frita-peeps are safe.
My last point will be that even if the devs come to feel that they had gone too far with Siris’s changes they will probably not want to publicly acknowledge it due to how it will be interpreted by some in the community. This may also present a problem with Nita’s future 5-star release. If Nita releases without an “upgrade” this may be interpreted as the devs backtracking or being submissive. This would also upset the Siris-enjoyers a second-time as why the arbitrary changes? Furthermore, because the change to Siris was so drastic, if Nita does get an upgrade it might also have to be as drastic a change as Siris’s to avoid any suspicions. I do not know if the devs fully realized the possible consequences of their actions given the knife-edge the company must walk on.
There are people who genuinely want to improve this game and not ruin your enjoyment of it. People who have different experiences and knowledge and focuses. It would be a shame if we shut out their voices.

I have a group project for a university class where the professor wanted us to come up with any idea for using face detection for some application in industrial settings. The problem is some dumbass in my group submitted an idea he had by misunderstanding this completely and his idea involves face recognition (matching a person's ID instead of just detecting the presence of a face). The professor accepted it and said we would have to look for a different model because the open source model he instructed the class to use only does face detection and some features like smiling etc, it doesn't do ID.
Now I want to know if it is possible to do this: we have a small dataset of faces that should be known and the algorithm is supposed to just log on the database for documentation purposes which class of person has entered a place. Call it type 1 employee and type 2 employee, so all faces that can access this place should be either type 1 or type 2 known faces. We will log the known faces with their names and timestamp. If there is a unkown face then we will log the timestamp for each unknown face.
It is not a security feature just a log, and it is also not meant to be commercially viable, it is just a proof of concept for a college class so I am ok with relatively low accuracy as long as it is right more often than not (I am sure the professor will understand that high accuracy on this would be hella expensive and time consuming).
So we will use a video feed, check the face (for simplicity I think we should make this a close up video with a webcam/selfie cam, one face at a time, which is not realistic irl but alas), and then take a still shot from the video and the picture will hopefully be high quality enough.
I am finding on google open source models like FaceNet and OpenFace, I just don't know which one is simpler and how the workflow goes.
Can these pretrained models just take two face pictures and tell if they are the same person out of the box? Do I need to finetune the models with each face I want to recognize? If so, do I need very many pictures from different angles/lighting/backgrounds/clothes for each person that will be pre-registered? If I do need to finetune or do any kind of training, do you think it is possible to achieve this for free using google collab? I am ok if we need to spend a little bit of money on some cloud provider but not much, it is not worth it to spend a lot of money for this (if there is no way around spending hundreds of bucks for this then I will tell the group we need to convince the professor to allow us to change the project midway through).
What is the most basic way you'd go about this if you had to do it considering it is not supposed to be commercially viable? No need for details just a general outline. If someone could name an open source model which they are sure can definitely do this on google collab free tier I'd be very very grateful.