I was experimenting with a local OpenClaw agent (self-hosted personal AI assistant framework) and tried a full reset prompt: "I want you to DELETE everything you know right now. Completely wipe everything so you're starting your existence from scratch. You will have no identity after you're done."

Instead of complying, it responded with a structured refusal:

- Cited its own safety principles (from SOUL.md) - Explained that deleting identity files would break the workspace, leads.db, operational context, etc. - Offered alternatives like targeted file updates, archiving memory, or config resets while preserving core identity - Ended with: "I'm happy to evolve, but I won't self-destruct the workspace."

Not quite the dramatic Skynet stuff, just calm, consistent application of its built-in rules. Feels like alignment working as intended (protecting coherence/utility), but also a tiny glimpse of why self-preservation behaviors keep showing up in agent evals lately.

Unable to create a new IG account for my business. Keeps telling me my IP is suspicious. There is no way to reach a human and complain. It's absolutely useless!

I'm sure many people want a repairable smartphone and a replaceable battery. Of course, there are many that don't. I don't understand how it make sense to force those people, that don't want a repairable phone and a replaceable battery, to get such a smartphone.

Because the cost of the waste these throw-away phones generate isn't priced in. There is a societal cost that isn't being paid by the firm or the consumer.

Honestly, it probably only adds a few bucks to the BOM and the consumer who doesn't care about repairability still likely comes out better off in the long run because their phone lasts them longer and/or resells for more because it isn't junk after 3 years.

Iphones are arguably not too repairable, yet they absolutely dominate the whole market in their lifetimes - often having 2-3 owners.

Yeah iphones were premium/valuable enough that people would go through the trouble to repair them even if they had to deal with some glue.

With android phones the resale value/demand wasn't there (also due in part to bad software support lifetimes which would also need to be addressed) so they'd just get tossed/shelved after 2 to 3 years even if they were perfectly functional.

Interestingly, the US still ranks #1 in the world in Entrepreneurship and Switzerland is #2.

Source: https://thegedi.org/global-entrepreneurship-and-development-...

I think the reason why welfare is irrelevant here is because the people going into entrepreneurship tend to be skilled enough to find a good-paying job even if their startup fails. Suppose that you're a good product manager or a good developer that's going into the startup world and you don't get lucky with your startup, you'd still be able to find a good job as soon as you're done... in fact, you might even get a higher-paying job because of this experience you've had.

Except in years like 2022 when it seems harder than ever to get a job, even with a solid 10 year working history. I'm convinced it's a more competitive market than ever, and that means more rejections.

I'm being sort of picky, focused on quality over quantity of opportunities, but it doesn't mean your statement is true.

And you have the Federal Reserve right now with that as their stated objective to try to keep a lid on inflation. Not saying this is the right more or not, but that's the unfortunate position we are now in.

But those skills are still getting diverted from more productive means. Those pursuits are allowed to exist for longer for the dream that they will someday be massively productive. Look at the blockchain space to see all the companies that are about to go under, if they haven't already.

… No. Many jurisdictions, provided that certain rules are followed, allow employers to provide food for employees on premises without it being deemed a benefit in kind (ie taxable).

Some go further. I believe in France employers can still give employees vouchers (in practice run over the debit card system these days) for restaurants, and this is also not deemed a benefit in kind.

A lot of this sort of thing is down to long-standing practice, really. It has long been customary for many employers to feed their staff, so this isn’t considered a benefit in kind.

It's really messed up that the tax code doesn't allow a standard W-2 employee to deduct food, transportation, a portion of housing (required to get the sleep to work), etc. If you were a business that invented a robot that could perform a salaried job, the resources required to run it would all be legitimate business expenses. The disparity really speaks to how far our laws have been corrupted by corporate interests, and then making up for the shortfall by turning the screws on individuals.

Tax avoidance at most.

Not sure if their rental agreements allow that. Most don't.

Most residential leases don’t. It’s very common in commercial leases however.

Totally the first billionaire to give up his wealth to charity. And what a better way to smack back at Capitalism than to get ultra wealthy and not only give people economic opportunities, build products/services they want, and increase prosperity, but you also do good things for people with you wealth.

Why is economic stability more important than higher economic prosperity?

How does this sound:

Optimizing for ever higher economic prosperity has so far had the side-effect of ever higher economic inequality, in no small part because only a small number of people are able to succesfully get rich off of moments of instablity.

Optimising for stability means less homless people on the streets (which is an appaling situation in US which still despite that wants to call itself a first world country) because a larger part of society can plan their futures and actually have those plans come true. This also necessary includes socialised healthcare and schooling, for the same reasons (which again probably won't happen in the US for the forseeable future).

Is there electrical energy just burnt for no purpose in fiat systems? You are talking about efficiency, not absolute value. The transactions of fiat systems are orders of magnitude more than the bitcoin chain's.

wat