PuddleOfKittens's recent activity
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Comment on Should I take a job to work on something I don’t believe in? in ~life
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Comment on Has anyone else run up against higher costs due to the US tariffs? in ~society
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentMilitarily, that's kind of bad - imagine if all AR-15s were Chinese. Except there's not much point building Western drone factories right now, since the moment the Ukraine war ends, you know...The entire hobby has been shaken to the ground because of tarrifs, since virtually all of the parts are Chinese.
Militarily, that's kind of bad - imagine if all AR-15s were Chinese. Except there's not much point building Western drone factories right now, since the moment the Ukraine war ends, you know Ukraine will retool their military drone factories for selling on the civilian market, and prices will absolutely flatline.
But, why would Ukraine wait? They have the drone factories running now, so why wouldn't they cash in on their drone expertise to get some money flowing through their domestic economy? Presumably either 1) they don't have any spare capacity and 100% of all output increase is going straight to the military, 2) it would be too onerous to switch from military to civilian context (e.g. civilians don't care about being resistant to jamming/electronic warfare but do care about the drone lasting a long time before it breaks (military drones tend to be shot down etc so lifetime is less important), or 3) they're concerned about accidentally leaking military secrets re: drone production, to Russia.
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Comment on My guess and opinion on the common blockers to Linux adoption in ~tech
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentLet's compare computer literacy to actual literacy: In actual literacy, you're taught by your parents and then at school, formally, from a young age. It's mandatory. There's an official character...Let's compare computer literacy to actual literacy:
In actual literacy, you're taught by your parents and then at school, formally, from a young age. It's mandatory. There's an official character set and spelling system; it doesn't change and you only need to learn it once in your lifetime. Learning spellings of new words is a continuous process, but people might misspell obscure words and that's just normal.
For computer literacy, you're on your own. You might be taught the basics informally, but that's it. There's no standard - there's Mac, Windows, Linux, when just looking at the OS. Even if you learn your app, like MSN Messenger and Windows XP, you'll have to relearn once everyone switches to Windows 10 and WhatsApp. Specifically, you'll have to learn on your own time. If you put it off long enough, everyone might just switch to Telegram and then you won't have to figure out WhatsApp. Also, app interfaces are changed by the corporations all the time. Sometimes to improve the UI, sometimes just for rebranding reasons. And some parts are actively intended to be confusing (see: privacy consent form).
If we treated computer literacy like actual literacy - formal education, standardised universal interfaces, not constantly changed - then it wouldn't be a problem. People still wouldn't have "common sense", but that's true of everything. Ask any expert on any particular appliance how to use the tool properly that people don't do, and they'll give you quite the little rant usually.
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Comment on My guess and opinion on the common blockers to Linux adoption in ~tech
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentNot sure about the Ubuntu App Store, but on KDE's 'Discover' it works great... except for when there are edge cases. Any error message? Either straight terminal barf, or just nothing. Sometimes it...Not sure about the Ubuntu App Store, but on KDE's 'Discover' it works great... except for when there are edge cases. Any error message? Either straight terminal barf, or just nothing. Sometimes it tells me to go manually unlock dpkg in terminal. Much room for improvement.
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Comment on Did NASA just find alien life on Mars? Here's what we know. in ~space
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentIt is the necessary first step on answering whether there's life on Mars though.It failed to prove that hypothesis. It’s a subtle but important difference: it doesn’t prove past life on mars; it failed to prove there wasn’t past life on mars.
It is the necessary first step on answering whether there's life on Mars though.
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Comment on Charlie Kirk shooting: US President Donald Trump says suspect in custody in ~society
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentI know, but omitting the one seemed way too subtle.Also those are basically the same word
I know, but omitting the one seemed way too subtle.
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Comment on Conservative activist Charlie Kirk shot and killed at Utah college event in ~society
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentOkay, starting from the top: The core premise of the 2A being a right is that it was intended to ward off tyrants. Namely, 2A would guarantee that there would be gun owners who would fight against...Okay, starting from the top:
The core premise of the 2A being a right is that it was intended to ward off tyrants. Namely, 2A would guarantee that there would be gun owners who would fight against the tyrant in question. With their guns.
In that context, if there are as many gun-owners supporting the tyrant as there are opposing them, then there's no net military advantage against the tyrant from gun owners, and therefore gun ownership does not ward off the tyrant.
Thus, the value of the 2A is contingent on the majority of gun owners (discluding cowards) being opposed to tyrants. And thus if the majority of gun owners are inclined to support the tyrant, then the 2A is useless at its intended purpose.
Or to put it another way: the 2A is only useful here if Leftists can shoot the Charlie Kirks of the world but the MAGA crowd doesn't shoot back. If the MAGA crowd shoots back every time the Left shoots fascists, then the Left loses and all the 2A has done is better arm Trump's support base compared to if civilian guns were banned.
I'm assuming that the US gun owners are either roughly 1:1 Left/Right, or the Right gun-owner crowd outnumbers the Left.
I'm conflating gun-ownership with 2A because 1) I didn't want to write the extra paragraphs on such a minor detail, and 2) anyone who owns a gun generally supports the notion of owning guns given that they own a gun. Also 3) the majority of guns are owned by major gun fans, i.e. one guy with 9324235 guns..
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Comment on Charlie Kirk shooting: US President Donald Trump says suspect in custody in ~society
PuddleOfKittens Link Parent"Cold iron" was repellent to fae because it was technology; real high-tech stuff. There's no chance a fae could be found on the internet, my silly friend."Cold iron" was repellent to fae because it was technology; real high-tech stuff. There's no chance a fae could be found on the internet, my
Seeliesilly friend. -
Comment on Charlie Kirk shooting: US President Donald Trump says suspect in custody in ~society
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentFae rings are great, they'll teleport you straight to the 22nd century! (Note: one-way)Fae rings are great, they'll teleport you straight to the 22nd century! (Note: one-way)
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Comment on Conservative activist Charlie Kirk shot and killed at Utah college event in ~society
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentI don't think 2A supporter minorities can separate themselves from the 2A-supporter majority opinion. Simply because gun-wielders cancel out. If the majority of people owning guns support the...I don't think 2A supporter minorities can separate themselves from the 2A-supporter majority opinion. Simply because gun-wielders cancel out. If the majority of people owning guns support the regime, (BTW yes I'm swapping from "2A supporters" to "gun owners" here, but I think that's reasonable, they're the same crowd) then the minority who don't will lose any civil war due to being outgunned (yes I know civil wars are more complicated than that).
BTW
trump pedals.
Pedals = those bike things, peddles = travels from place to place selling <thing>. You mean peddles.
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Comment on Conservative activist Charlie Kirk shot and killed at Utah college event in ~society
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentIsn't there a cruise missile smaller than a tank? I want to see that policing.Isn't there a cruise missile smaller than a tank? I want to see that policing.
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Comment on How is Linux these days? in ~comp
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentI have an axe to grind: Android is not Linux, in any way that matters. It doesn't use the Linux kernel (it uses forks of Linux, but not the mainline branch), it isn't open-source (AOSP is...That said, Android is Linux
I have an axe to grind: Android is not Linux, in any way that matters. It doesn't use the Linux kernel (it uses forks of Linux, but not the mainline branch), it isn't open-source (AOSP is open-source but Android has tons of proprietary stuff, and especially the Google service APIs that half the apps depend on by default, which is only supported on Android and iOS), and writing your own app for Android is harder than writing an app on Windows.
The only phone that runs Linux is the PinePhone (and a handful of other niche phones). The various smartphone Linux distros don't really benefit from the domination of Android in particular, with the strongest argument being basically "at least it's not as locked down as iOS", which sure, but iOS was never going to be the only OS as long as Samsung etc wanted to get into the smartphone hardware business (which was inevitable given the profit margins and size of the original iPhone's userbase).
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Comment on What's your go-to hot sauce? in ~food
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentI suspect that the condiments were chosen based on how well they went with the cuisine, and the cuisine was chosen based on how well it went with the condiments. So swapping condiments between...Every place that grows peppers has its own constellation of seasonings used in making condiments that go with the cuisine.
I suspect that the condiments were chosen based on how well they went with the cuisine, and the cuisine was chosen based on how well it went with the condiments. So swapping condiments between cuisines would be like swapping colors between color palettes.
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Comment on I built my own phone... because innovation is sad rn in ~tech
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentI want a phone that I can securely hold one-handed and touch every point of the screen (with the one hand), ideally while keeping the 6" screen. In practice, this means changing the shape of the...I want a phone that I can securely hold one-handed and touch every point of the screen (with the one hand), ideally while keeping the 6" screen.
In practice, this means changing the shape of the device - maybe adding some sort of nubbin at the back I can hold, while I maneuvre my thumb to be able to tap the opposite side of the screen.
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Comment on What's an RPG? (video game) in ~games
PuddleOfKittens LinkOriginally, an RPG was any videogame trying to simulate/copy a tabletop RPG. From there, it started meaning "any videogame similar to RPG-simulating videogames". In particular, any game that 1) is...Originally, an RPG was any videogame trying to simulate/copy a tabletop RPG.
From there, it started meaning "any videogame similar to RPG-simulating videogames". In particular, any game that 1) is primarily about managing character skill growth instead of you playing as that character and your performance being measured by your own skill, and 2) tries to have a particular emphasis on story,possibly which gives the player choices on where the story goes (like in a tabletop RPG)
And from there it sort of lost any coherent meaning - an RPG is what an RPG is. It's a fuzzy "I know it when I see it" thing.
Mostly though, when I see it I assume someone wrote a list of 'videogame genres' 30 years ago, and simply hasn't bothered to update it since. Much like when I see "action" and "adventure" categories. You're confused because you're trying to make sense of something senseless.
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Comment on The sunscreen scandal shocking Australia in ~health
PuddleOfKittens LinkYeah sure mate. If by "shocking" you mean "makes us raise an eyebrow before moving on with our lives". I know you're just using the article's title as written, but fuck whoever wrote the article's...shocking Australia
Yeah sure mate. If by "shocking" you mean "makes us raise an eyebrow before moving on with our lives".
I know you're just using the article's title as written, but fuck whoever wrote the article's title.
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Comment on What is a business/org that's so terrible no one should use if possible? in ~life
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentFork Yeah! the Rise and Development of Illumos (It's a talk by a guy who worked at Sun (which was bought out by Oracle), and how Oracle shitcanned Solaris, and how that lead to the community fork...Fork Yeah! the Rise and Development of Illumos
(It's a talk by a guy who worked at Sun (which was bought out by Oracle), and how Oracle shitcanned Solaris, and how that lead to the community fork Illumos.)
As you know people, as you learn about things, you realize that these generalizations we have are, virtually to a generalization, false. Well, except for this one, as it turns out. What you think of Oracle, is even truer than you think it is. There has been no entity in human history with less complexity or nuance to it than Oracle. And I gotta say, as someone who has seen that complexity for my entire life, it's very hard to get used to that idea. It's like, 'surely this is more complicated!' but it's like: Wow, this is really simple! This company is very straightforward, in its defense. This company is about one man, his alter-ego, and what he wants to inflict upon humanity -- that's it! ...Ship mediocrity, inflict misery, lie our asses off, screw our customers, and make a whole shitload of money. Yeah... you talk to Oracle, it's like, 'no, we don't fucking make dreams happen -- we make money!' ...You need to think of Larry Ellison the way you think of a lawnmower. You don't anthropomorphize your lawnmower, the lawnmower just mows the lawn, you stick your hand in there and it'll chop it off, the end. You don't think 'oh, the lawnmower hates me' -- lawnmower doesn't give a shit about you, lawnmower can't hate you. Don't anthropomorphize the lawnmower. Don't fall into that trap about Oracle.
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Comment on Why do so many people think US President Donald Trump is good? in ~society
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentThere's no one single answer, but the main issue is that when Trump talks about getting rid of X, nobody thinks that X means them, just the "Bad Xes". And native-born Hispanic Americans often put...There's no one single answer, but the main issue is that when Trump talks about getting rid of X, nobody thinks that X means them, just the "Bad Xes".
And native-born Hispanic Americans often put themselves in a different category to recent Mexican immigrants. They naturally assume that Trump will only go after the latter category, because obviously the former is a perfectly respectable category, in their minds, and Trump has no reason to go after members of it.
While not literally true, saying " Hispanics think they're white and Trump won't come after them" is a 99% correct answer - just, not literally white.
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Comment on Duty-free no more: Parcels worth under $800 no longer qualify for a US tariff exemption in ~society
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentTo misquote John Carmack, the justification for the "emergency" is like the story in a porn movie. It's expected to be there, but its not that important.To misquote John Carmack, the justification for the "emergency" is like the story in a porn movie. It's expected to be there, but its not that important.
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Comment on US Food and Drug Administration limits approval for new coronavirus vaccines to high-risk people in ~health
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentThe base thinks vaccines are unsafe. Govt echoing the base's beliefs is amazingly vindicating for them. After all, the main argument against fringe nutjobs has always been "you're a fringe nutjob;...I just don’t understand why. Is there literally any benefit to limiting it?
- The base thinks vaccines are unsafe. Govt echoing the base's beliefs is amazingly vindicating for them. After all, the main argument against fringe nutjobs has always been "you're a fringe nutjob; the establishment disagrees with you", so now they can flip that on it's head against pro-vaxxers.
- RFK Jr literally doesn't believe in germ theory. The why is perfectly understandable here: the people in charge want to kill vaccines.
If the company is actively terrible and you want it to fail, then you should simply help them do that. Take the job, and simply be the worst employee you can be - without pissing off colleagues or impairing your career, of course.
This will require prioritizing. Your boss may tell you that being late to work is bad for the company, but the reality is that it doesn't make much difference, so you should instead save your political capital and strive to arrive on-time every day unless arranged otherwise with your boss.
Damaging a company to the tune of millions of dollars only requires one exceedingly poor decision made in the right area, so keep your eyes open for it and make plausibly reasonable decisions in the meanwhile.