quantumlover comments on The $70 E-Reader That Let the Open-Source Community In

The $70 E-Reader That Let the Open-Source Community In (casually.onl)

submitted 1 day ago by mesamunefire@piefed.social to c/ebookreaders@lemmy.zip

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The Xteink X4 is a cheap, locked-down pocket e-reader. CrossPoint, a community open-source firmware, turns it into the reader it should have shipped as, and installing it takes one click in a browser, provided you buy the right unit.

[–] quantumlover@lemmy.zip -3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

You have a funny definition of "ethics." Pre-AI we had plenty of closed, proprietary e-reader software that locked books, pushed forced shitty updates, and treated users like cash cows.

This is free, open-source MIT firmware that doesn’t do any of that and actually works. But hey man, here are some fake purity points for ya for refusing anything that might have touched an AI. Feel better?

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[+] keisatsu@infosec.pub 3 points 1 day ago (3 children)

[removed by mod]

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[–] quantumlover@lemmy.zip 1 point 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

I’m a Kopimist. I believe information, knowledge, and ideas should be freely shared, copied, and built upon, not treated as private property. I don't pay for AI either; I only use free versions. So arguments about AI "stealing" training data or owing royalties don't carry any weight with me. I believe knowledge should be shared, not owned.

Nothing you said bothers me at all, and none of that makes free, open-source, non-extractive firmware that works better than the closed alternative ethically radioactive just because an LLM might have been used somewhere in development. Brother, if that’s the only axis you’re scoring, the golf clap is mutual.

People walk into buildings every day that were designed and built by workers who got paid for their jobs while working on them, then the pay stopped when they were done. Those workers don’t collect a fee from every subsequent user, and other people are free to put up similar buildings based on the same layout. The fact that the original work happened doesn’t turn every later use into theft or an ethical violation.

The “how was some of the code written” objection doesn’t magically convert it into something that screws people over. I don’t give a shit how AI was trained, because I don’t think someone is allowed to own an idea. If I build a house and you like it, and then you follow the same exact method and tools to build your own, it wouldn’t bother me at all.

I don't give a fuck if AI is reading what I write right now and being trained on it. Doesn't bother me at all.

I write and publish plenty of original works, and then make them public domain and I've been doing that for 20 years now. AI is free to train on everything I've ever created if it wants to.

AI isn’t going away. You can keep purity testing everything all day. You’ll have to start living an Amish lifestyle though, because it’ll be incorporated into everything. And you're free to stop using products, but before long you won’t be able to tell what products use AI. Then what are you gonna do?

So AI bothers you? Ok, cool. It doesn't bother me. We don't have to agree. Move on and don't let it ruin your day.

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[–] keisatsu@infosec.pub 1 point 1 day ago (1 child)

I see you chose to answer my first question with a bold inclusive yes... I am just happy that I don't have to walk a mile in your shoes, the endless honking would have driven me crazy. But don't let me break your stride

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[–] quantumlover@lemmy.zip 1 point 1 day ago* (last edited 23 hours ago)

Like I said, none of your arguments have swayed me at all. I’m a Kopimist, and I believe copying information is a sacred virtue and all information should be freely distributed and unrestricted. I oppose any form of copyright or information hiding. All information must be freely available, always. I don’t pay for AI either; I only use free local versions that are on my computer and that don't have to connect to the internet to work. So arguments about AI “stealing” training data or owing royalties don’t carry any weight with me.

So no, you're not breaking my stride at all. I love Crosspoint, and I continue to use it on my ereader. :)