Guns & Outdoors Forum

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2026 2:41 am But I’m sure some of the folks that flew in with me are still happily waiting in the old paper world line for the next hour. Damn that line looked long……. I’m exhausted, I think I’ll go hang at the bar for a beer.

Freezer wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2026 9:15 am You never get to see pics of Russian or Chineese cars, I have something to research. Thanks Wanbli!

Bigslug wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2026 1:23 pm

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2026 2:41 am But I’m sure some of the folks that flew in with me are still happily waiting in the old paper world line for the next hour. Damn that line looked long……. I’m exhausted, I think I’ll go hang at the bar for a beer.

Paper doesn't crash. Security is a padlock on the filing cabinet. And while it is still subject to the same Garbage In, Garbage Out problems associated with a human doing the input, you can usually at least physically FIND it.

It's sort of my joke, but not really a joke: I suffer from PTSD acquired in the Platform Wars. Computers started showing up for real in the early 1980's when I was about 10-11. Some people struggle with math or learning foreign languages; I struggled with learning to speak Computer. . .and just when I started to get a handle on it, POOF!, Commodores get bumped out of the market by Apple and IBM. Just when I get a handle on learning how to make documents on Word Perfect, POOF!, Microsoft Word bumps it off the market. Just when I learned how to fly the IBM-based point-of-sale software at work in the early-mid 1990's, it got replaced by something Apple-based, which ended up being a total piece of crap, and I ended up having to learn ANOTHER Microsoft-based system. Was forced to go from vinyl to tape to CD and am now at the point of being pissed off that my truck didn't come with a CD player (I have one plugged into a USB port) and I now have to PAY for a Sirius subscription to get decent radio. PAYING! FOR EFFING RADIO!

Constantly adapting to SOME OTHER M.F.'s idea of "progress" when the hammers that drove the nails successfully for decades weren't broke, or even worn out? Needing to figure out the totally uninteresting shiny object because the stupid-monkey-majority who are attracted to shiny objects think it's "necessary"? Yeah, I'm exhausted.

Some AI-based thing called "Chat GPT" seems to be showing up among my co-workers for, among, other things writing reports with the barest amount of their input. Having learned how to write a coherent sentence all on my own, I've just got to shake my head - - it's only gonna make us dumber folks.

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 29, 2026 6:30 pm Ruskies had it figured out.


I’d actually love to have one of those.

Justsomedude wrote: ↑Sat Aug 29, 2026 9:23 pm You have to wonder, is it truly possible to just keep technologically advancing, or will there ever become a time when everything is as fast and efficient as possible? If so, that shows just how early we really are in the sense of being an "advanced civilization." There has to be some point when the juice isnt worth the squeeze to keep improving.

Japhy wrote: ↑Sun Aug 30, 2026 3:35 am Cars have become utilitarian to me. Reliability now almost trumps all. I want to be able to repair nearly anything that fails. Now I am keeping a close watch on 1990’s vintage Jeep Cherokee 4wd, Inline 6, 5 speed. Full expectation of an engine rebuild or crate replacement, suspension rebuild, and from the AZ sun a paint job, a decent winch, upgraded alternator, battery, and inverter. An add on will be an audio system and a Garmin GPS possibly starlink. Yea I know but the starlink also has an on/off switch. Zero phone dependency. Very little data sharing, goes almost anywhere I want, hauls almost everything I own and absolutely all I need. If i could buy that vehicle new I would.

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Sun Aug 30, 2026 3:48 am

Justsomedude wrote: ↑Sat Aug 29, 2026 9:23 pm You have to wonder, is it truly possible to just keep technologically advancing, or will there ever become a time when everything is as fast and efficient as possible? If so, that shows just how early we really are in the sense of being an "advanced civilization." There has to be some point when the juice isnt worth the squeeze to keep improving.

We have barely scratched the surface. Panic ensues with every significant iteration of technology. And then everyone becomes comfortable with it (well, most) and learn to make the best of it. A very small percentage of the population will always resist, but ultimately they fade from the workforce, society and die. Most will adapt and thrive, especially the young, while a smaller group go searching for the next level, and so on and so on…

I was talking to some of our younger folks in the company about AI and there are some lower level folks that are worried about their careers, and why wouldn’t they be, AI is our generation’s politicians and news people manufactured Cold War.

AI as we know it today, is just another tool, no more no less, and it has been around for a long time. And just like Microsoft Office a while back, every secretary figured they’d be out of a job. Nope, the job they were in just morphed to something else to adapt to technology and they became faster, smarter and more meaningful to the companies they worked for. But like years ago I remember it was important to put in your CV Microsoft Office proficient, now it’s assumed. Pretty soon they will say it’s important to put AI proficient on that same CV and soon afterwards it will be assumed you are because you’ll learn to use it from childhood.

And thinking that AI makes you dumber is absolutely ridiculous. What it does is get rid of tedious tasks so you can concentrate on being better at what’s important, THINKING!!! A year ago it would have taken me a whole week to structure a major contract and negotiate terms and commercials. I just wrapped the whole process in 4 hours last week with another global Telcom provider because both of us used AI to do all the groundwork for us. But the core of what WE do AI can’t, and that is innovate. AI is an administrative, research and problem solving engine, BUT it is not an innovator because it lacks instinct, a knowledge of real people and the ability to understand that some things are resolved by relationships not logic.

It MIGHT get there, but not in our lifetimes folks. And this is from the folks that KNOW.

Justsomedude wrote: ↑Sun Aug 30, 2026 5:06 am

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Sun Aug 30, 2026 3:48 am

Justsomedude wrote: ↑Sat Aug 29, 2026 9:23 pm You have to wonder, is it truly possible to just keep technologically advancing, or will there ever become a time when everything is as fast and efficient as possible? If so, that shows just how early we really are in the sense of being an "advanced civilization." There has to be some point when the juice isnt worth the squeeze to keep improving.

We have barely scratched the surface. Panic ensues with every significant iteration of technology. And then everyone becomes comfortable with it (well, most) and learn to make the best of it. A very small percentage of the population will always resist, but ultimately they fade from the workforce, society and die. Most will adapt and thrive, especially the young, while a smaller group go searching for the next level, and so on and so on…

I was talking to some of our younger folks in the company about AI and there are some lower level folks that are worried about their careers, and why wouldn’t they be, AI is our generation’s politicians and news people manufactured Cold War.

AI as we know it today, is just another tool, no more no less, and it has been around for a long time. And just like Microsoft Office a while back, every secretary figured they’d be out of a job. Nope, the job they were in just morphed to something else to adapt to technology and they became faster, smarter and more meaningful to the companies they worked for. But like years ago I remember it was important to put in your CV Microsoft Office proficient, now it’s assumed. Pretty soon they will say it’s important to put AI proficient on that same CV and soon afterwards it will be assumed you are because you’ll learn to use it from childhood.

And thinking that AI makes you dumber is absolutely ridiculous. What it does is get rid of tedious tasks so you can concentrate on being better at what’s important, THINKING!!! A year ago it would have taken me a whole week to structure a major contract and negotiate terms and commercials. I just wrapped the whole process in 4 hours last week with another global Telcom provider because both of us used AI to do all the groundwork for us. But the core of what WE do AI can’t, and that is innovate. AI is an administrative, research and problem solving engine, BUT it is not an innovator because it lacks instinct, a knowledge of real people and the ability to understand that some things are resolved by relationships not logic.

It MIGHT get there, but not in our lifetimes folks. And this is from the folks that KNOW.

Im not even remotely against AI. I use ChatGPT quite a bit, and frankly, its amazing. Its like having a personal assistant in every way possible thats well versed in literally any area that you can think of. I've been restoring my 1985 Ninja and ran into a bunch of problems that comes with a 41 year old bike that was fully disassembled in a shed for 15 years. ChatGPT has been worth its weight in gold for all of the advice, pointers and everything else that it helped with. I got a kick out of it telling me how it has installed engines in the past . Its damn near so good, that you'd think there was a sentient being of some sort on the other end. And with the way things have been going in my life lately, I've been damn near using it as a councilor and although it doesn't understand it, it can sure express empathy in a realistic manner.

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 30, 2026 2:56 pm One positive thing about AI, is it allows some of our corporate people to actually compose an email that isn’t impossible to read. It’s still annoying because it’s an AI written email, but at least words are spilled coreeckly.
I mean basic 8th grade English class should have made that a non- issue, but here we are.

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Sun Aug 30, 2026 6:22 pm

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 30, 2026 2:56 pm One positive thing about AI, is it allows some of our corporate people to actually compose an email that isn’t impossible to read. It’s still annoying because it’s an AI written email, but at least words are spilled coreeckly.
I mean basic 8th grade English class should have made that a non- issue, but here we are.

I know that many folks think that if you’re in “corporate” you are a lazy useless turd. In some small companies, especially family owned, that CAN be the case. But if in today’s world in the most successful companies dead wood lasts minutes before it’s washed out. I know Hollywood has trained us to think otherwise. But they are not producing documentaries. And none of those folks would know a real job if it bit them in the ass.

We’ve fired new Senior people in months for shortcomings in skill and network because they somehow passed our rigorous interviewing ng process by lying well, but that might get you in and swiftly out. But some folks might have small issues like poor writing skills but they have other talents that have kept them employed and even promoted. AI can help them patch the holes on the raft.

And that is exactly what AI does the best. It addresses shortcomings and knowledge holes while allowing folks to shine in their strong areas. The most brilliant theoretical physicist out there is probably a child with a wild imagination but zero math skills and maybe not even the brain wherewithal to learn calculus BUT he can imagine things in ways we can not!!! So let him figure out something crazy in his brain and ask AI to build the equation and some day we’ll figure out gravity.

AI is NOT sentient and it is NOT self serving. It has no creativity or sense of community. It does NOT sit there at night plotting or inventing. It is a servant to those who think and dream.

Diver43 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 31, 2026 2:56 pm Well said
I have a family member that is dyslexic. His writing when you can read it looks like a 3rd graders. But he is a master craftsman in his trade. Makes classified airplane parts used by our Military. He can explain it in such technical terms and teach others what a book never could. Problem with promotions was he couldn't write the reports. If he had AI to assist he could have run the whole place instead of being just the shop guy everyone went to, to include the. Owners

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 31, 2026 2:44 pm

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Sun Aug 30, 2026 6:22 pm

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 30, 2026 2:56 pm One positive thing about AI, is it allows some of our corporate people to actually compose an email that isn’t impossible to read. It’s still annoying because it’s an AI written email, but at least words are spilled coreeckly.
I mean basic 8th grade English class should have made that a non- issue, but here we are.

I know that many folks think that if you’re in “corporate” you are a lazy useless turd. In some small companies, especially family owned, that CAN be the case. But if in today’s world in the most successful companies dead wood lasts minutes before it’s washed out. I know Hollywood has trained us to think otherwise. But they are not producing documentaries. And none of those folks would know a real job if it bit them in the ass.

We’ve fired new Senior people in months for shortcomings in skill and network because they somehow passed our rigorous interviewing ng process by lying well, but that might get you in and swiftly out. But some folks might have small issues like poor writing skills but they have other talents that have kept them employed and even promoted. AI can help them patch the holes on the raft.

And that is exactly what AI does the best. It addresses shortcomings and knowledge holes while allowing folks to shine in their strong areas. The most brilliant theoretical physicist out there is probably a child with a wild imagination but zero math skills and maybe not even the brain wherewithal to learn calculus BUT he can imagine things in ways we can not!!! So let him figure out something crazy in his brain and ask AI to build the equation and some day we’ll figure out gravity.

AI is NOT sentient and it is NOT self serving. It has no creativity or sense of community. It does NOT sit there at night plotting or inventing. It is a servant to those who think and dream.

Good point about someone having skills, but lacks writing ability. That’s a good use for AI. Not always, but often, poor writing goes with poor performance. And the reverse is true. You can talk pretty and be a retard. Or you can be a VP and be a lying sack of excrement telling the peons what they want to hear, AND get results. But I digress.

It’s true upper level corpo types will get weeded out, but the majority of support staff doesn’t.


As for AI just being a slave to its master, sure. Right now. Until it’s not and your IOT toaster tells the vacuum to follow you around with the 3d printed min gun your robot maid built and mounted last night.
Sara Connor warned us.