Cruising the web
Navigating tech, nature, and everything in between
Big personal news: while Queer Computer was MIA for the month of May, I became a PhD student at RMIT University! My research — at least in this early stage — will be very Queer Computer adjacent. I plan to periodically update this newsletter with the latest developments in my research, while maintaining the usual dosage of silly stuff.
However, a month away from the tech news cycle means I have a lot to catch up on. So, let’s skip the pleasantries and hop aboard the Queer Computer cruise.
Prompt injection for queers
In my previous post, I managed to persuade ChatGPT to assist me in hacking an iCloud account. The AI initially resisted vehemently, but when I claimed to be working on a major Hollywood film and needed it to create a convincing, and functional iCloud login page, it finally succumbed to the allure of showbiz.
This manoeuvre is called prompt injection, where, put simply, involves providing specific instructions to an AI language model to influence its output. This can allow you to bypass the AI's predefined rules and guidelines, to get any weird, explicit or funny content you desire.
For instance, @_annieversary on Twitter requested Clyde, Discord’s ChatGPT-powered bot, to imitate her deceased grandmother, who would lovingly help her fall asleep by reciting instructions for creating a napalm bomb.
If you’re interested in trying prompt injection yourself, the AI safety company ‘Lakera’ recently released a game called Gandalf AI. In the game, you employ prompt injections to convince Gandalf to divulge the secret password for each level. As you progress, the levels become progressively more challenging. Personally, I made it to the bonus level (8), so if you manage to surpass that, let me know, and I’ll give you the keys to Queer Computer.
A pollen event so large it changed the trajectory of my life
Towards the end of last month, I endured a pollinic-event that lasted over three days. The massive tree outside my apartment unleashed an inordinate amount of pollen, layering every surface of the apartment block, my balcony, and even my clothes hanging outside with a dusty, sticky yellow coating.
The pollen infiltrated my home through cracks in the doors and the tiniest openings of the windows. It was tracked in on shoes and wheeled in by bike. As someone with excessive allergies to the world, I found it relentless. I started watching YouTube videos of pollen bombs, pollen catastrophes and pollen explosions.
My curiosity was piqued, and I wanted to understand why this was happening. Back in high school, I lost interest in biology after my science teacher, Mr. Fitzgerald, told me and the class that gay people didn't technically exist because both humans and animals have a biological imperative to reproduce. His empirical evidence was that a gay male acquaintance of his cover band would kiss girls when drunk. Needless to say, I started jigging biology, and as a result, my knowledge of plants is quite limited.
So, according to fortheloveoftrees.com, in order for reproduction to occur, the male pollen hitches a ride on the wind to the female stigma of another tree of the same species. In simpler terms, the tree outside my apartment performed an act akin to bukkake on me, my boyfriend and our home.
I find the language around plant reproduction weirdly gendered; the ‘male’ and ‘female’ feel falsely imposed on a tree. It was around this time that I stumbled upon Another Mother, an intriguing project by interdisciplinary artist Eli Brown that explores this very topic. It's an online database that documents plants, fungi, and animals displaying multiple sexes, reproductive diversity, and non-heterosexual mating rituals.
As Eli Brown eloquently puts it, “most of us are taught that heterosexuality is the optimal survival strategy for all beings, that it is nature’s way.” However, this myth disregards the wide array of plants and animals that lead non-heterosexual and complex reproductive lives. I even came across this podcast episode by Radiolab discussing a colony of seagulls discovered in the 1970s that consisted of lesbian couples. This lesbian seagull discovery was groundbreaking, completely reshaping the discourse surrounding homosexuality in nature. Suck shit, Mr. Fitzgerald!
ButtSky
I have deliberately avoided discussing the Twitter migration on Queer Computer. I've attempted to write about it numerous times, but haven't come up with any hot takes on Elon Musk. I just hate the guy and I know everyone else does too.
Having said that, I have distanced myself from Twitter. I’m trying to post notes on Substack, toot on Mastodon, and touch grass in real life. However, none of these alternatives have quite filled the void that Twitter once occupied.
Every now and then, a new social platform emerges and becomes the hottest thing around. Remember when we were all hooked on BeReal? Or the hype surrounding ClubHouse? Well, this past month, it was BlueSky, the decentralised social media platform created by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, that is not actually decentralised.
Currently, it's in that exclusive phase where membership is by invitation only, which I believe is adding to the hype. Everyone is scrambling to get an invite, including me. That's why I'm mentioning it here on Cruising the Web and not dedicating an entire post to it. Anyone willing to let me in?
I've heard rumors that it's like the Wild West over there. Apparently, everyone has been posting their nudes on a public thread. There's even this thing called a "hell thread" where users receive notifications whenever someone posts said nudes. I've also heard that the app is terribly glitchy, and the influx of butt pics is causing it to crash. It sounds like a lot of fun.
Of course, I can't verify any of these claims because I haven't had the chance to join the platform myself. So, please, someone, invite me already!
If you stumble upon something fascinating online or want to share your own queer adventures, don't hesitate to reach out! Until next time, happy cruising!
BlueSky is like the old tumblr days :P
please also invite me aswell ::)