caliper's recent activity

  1. Comment on Privacy woes and autonomy, where do I go now? in ~tech

    caliper
    Link Parent
    Awesome, that's really nice to read!

    I contribute to EFF and write my representatives (as well as FCC commentary) regularly about data privacy.

    Awesome, that's really nice to read!

    2 votes

  2. Comment on Privacy woes and autonomy, where do I go now? in ~tech

    caliper
    Link Parent
    This is EXACTLY how I feel, thank you for putting it into the right words. That's what I'm suffering from. It's everywhere. Not just online. It's also stores tracking customers using Bluetooth. My...

    This is EXACTLY how I feel, thank you for putting it into the right words.

    ... now I can't unsee it.

    That's what I'm suffering from. It's everywhere. Not just online. It's also stores tracking customers using Bluetooth. My car desperately trying to get online to share data. The furnace only wanting to work when it's connected to a remote server, which "conveniently" will inform companies in my area when it's time for a service. It's everywhere.

    It's that all this data collection and privacy invasion is a waste.
    ...
    Not inventing new things, or making old things better.....just trying to figure out better ways to manipulate people.

    This is really it. This is what ultimately bugs me most. I always try to make things better for people, help them out, improve things. But as you describe, the data collection is exactly the opposite of that.

    5 votes

  3. Comment on Privacy woes and autonomy, where do I go now? in ~tech

    caliper
    Link Parent
    Thanks, and I think it's a fair recommendation. Not caring or worrying about it is working just fine for most people. I may need to work on that. What I may not have been clear about in my post is...

    Thanks, and I think it's a fair recommendation. Not caring or worrying about it is working just fine for most people. I may need to work on that.

    What I may not have been clear about in my post is what really bothers me most. I'm not too worried about my personal privacy, what bothers me is being milked for data. In my opinion, none of this data harvesting should exist. If there was any good being done with it, it wouldn't bug me this much. But the only thing that seems to matter, is collecting as much data points as possible to then sell that to ad companies. It is ruining software, hardware and the internet as a whole. All the resources spent on this, it's such a huge waste. In my perfect world, companies wouldn't data mine their customers and then sell that data to 3rd parties.

    2 votes

  4. Comment on Thoughts on the current state of discoverability and search in ~tech

    caliper
    Link
    At work (software dev), I've been test driving a LLM solution. Although it's terrible at times, it is currently often much better that what search engines are returning. It makes me sad, because...

    At work (software dev), I've been test driving a LLM solution. Although it's terrible at times, it is currently often much better that what search engines are returning. It makes me sad, because search engines were great before and arguably returned better results than the LLM is doing now.

    2 votes

  5. Privacy woes and autonomy, where do I go now?

    ~tech Ask (advice)
    I'm very sorry, but this is going to be rant. One that may seem to come up almost daily, but I still feel the need to vent. Every day I feel like I'm jumping through hoops to keep a little bit of...

    I'm very sorry, but this is going to be rant. One that may seem to come up almost daily, but I still feel the need to vent.

    Every day I feel like I'm jumping through hoops to keep a little bit of privacy and autonomy, without ever winning. DuckDuckGo is my search engine, use a paid mail provider, I try to stay away from anything Google and Meta, use only Signal, ad blocking everywhere, hosting most services locally, etc. It seems, however, to make no difference in the long run. The user-profile-building just seems to enter the home faster than I can mitigate it. Kids install some new app or new hardware ends up listening in, privacy infringement is there.

    The reason I'm starting this post now is because I switched ISP and TV provider recently, but it has been on my mind for a long time. Finding one that isn't owned by one of huge 3 parent companies, is almost impossible here. After a year of deciding, I finally figured it was time to throw in the towel and just pick the least bad option. Yesterday was the day of switching and it has been such a frustrating process.

    The provided router doesn't allow me to turn off its WLAN. I live in a city, so the airwaves are already crowded enough as it is. No need to keep that antenna on, but screw me, that's not possible. Opened up the device to just remove the card, but everything is soldered on the board and disconnecting the antennas didn't do shit.
    It's possible to buy a modem/router myself, but it'll need to follow their requirements and will set me back $200. It would be okay if the rest of the service was great, but here comes the TV part!

    The device they use for TV is apparently Android TV. I assumed it would be IPTV with this subscription, but Android TV isn't that. Booting the device makes it immediately clear they are here to harvest data. It makes me so unhappy that a service I'm paying for, is also making money on the side by collecting data. To get a quick idea of what's being done, I routed the box through wireshark to sniff DNS traffic. It's riddled with domains used for data collection and ads. That combined with the features this box wants me to agree to (location, using the mic, access local network, sign into PlayStore, make a profile including real life information) does not make me trust this device. So I've decided to not play and will be sending it back.

    People around me are pretty conscious about what they do online, but compared to them I'm highly paranoid. Wherever I look, there are privacy issues. It seems impossible to escape from. How are other people dealing with this?

    14 votes

  6. Comment on Three Cheers for Tildes: App updates and feedback (May 2024) — Version 1.0 is out for iOS! in ~tildes

    caliper
    Link
    Really impressed with the constant updates! Congratulations on this milestone. I’m looking forward to the official AppStore release.

    Really impressed with the constant updates! Congratulations on this milestone. I’m looking forward to the official AppStore release.

    6 votes

  7. Comment on Whistleblower who accused Boeing supplier of ignoring defects dies in ~transport

    caliper
    Link Parent
    You may want to update your comment because you took the wrong age from the article.

    The Seattle Times, which first reported his death, said Dean was 45 years old

    You may want to update your comment because you took the wrong age from the article.

    3 votes

  8. Comment on Setting up a pen-turning workshop for my son — need advice! in ~hobbies

    caliper
    Link Parent
    Sounds like you’re already on top of it! Taking some shop classes together is a great idea.

    Sounds like you’re already on top of it! Taking some shop classes together is a great idea.

    1 vote

  9. Comment on F1 drivers surprised by China track that’s been ‘repainted, not resurfaced’ in ~sports.motorsports

    caliper
    Link Parent
    That’s not what I’m getting from this article. It’s not a resurface, which is bad on its own, but what’s more: This is all amateur hour and you’d expect better from a F1 track.

    That’s not what I’m getting from this article. It’s not a resurface, which is bad on its own, but what’s more:

    I think it looks a bit inconsistent. That inconsistency is what I worry about the most—the inconsistency from entry to mid-corner to exit in each corner. If it's variable, that's going to be pretty tricky.

    This is all amateur hour and you’d expect better from a F1 track.

    5 votes

  10. Comment on Setting up a pen-turning workshop for my son — need advice! in ~hobbies

    caliper
    Link
    At some point in time a attended a 4 year fine woodworking/furniture making college. When I decided to switch careers, I had spent about 10 years in shops. I have never made any pens, but I can...
    • Exemplary

    At some point in time a attended a 4 year fine woodworking/furniture making college. When I decided to switch careers, I had spent about 10 years in shops. I have never made any pens, but I can see that being a lot of fun to do! I'm unfortunately at a place where I can't watch any videos, so I may make some wrong assumptions about the process or your knowledge, I'm sorry if I do.

    I always love hearing about kids wanting to make things. I was always intrigued by tools and crafts but we didn't have much to work with at home, so it's really nice to hear a parent trying to make that happen for their kid. I'm going to touch a subject that has always been very important in my career: safety. Please don't feel discouraged if it comes across as a grumpy old man being grumpy, I just want to make sure you're not underestimating the safety aspect.

    Power tools are no joke, even ones you may think are harmless. I've seen quite a few accidents, mostly with routers and table saws, but also with lathes. There are a lot of wrong ways to use lathes, table saws and even drill presses. In the best scenario you'll crap your pants and walk away unharmed, in less fortunate scenarios you'll lose a finger or an eye. See safety as a skill that's worth developing, just like learning to use tools. I've got all these checklists in my head I run through before turning on any machine. Memorizing those and adhering to them kept me safe and in one piece. There were some near misses, and each reminded me to never be too comfortable using power tools. Being cautious and thinking twice is way better than messing up once.

    This doesn't mean my kids can't come into the shop (I still have a small woodworking shop at home), but I'm always there to supervise. A lot of kids 12-18 will gladly tell you they know exactly what they are doing, I know because I was just like that. The truth is they overestimate their own abilities and underestimate the complexity of the thing they are attempting to do. That's part of growing up. That does mean somebody needs to be there to look over their shoulder to step in when it's needed.

    Some tools are off limits. The table saw, for instance, is very much off limits. There are just way to many things to think about while setting up and while cutting, that I don't feel comfortable leaving that up to my kids just yet.

    Another thing is clothing. I have strict rules for my own clothing (no hoodies with pull cords for instance) and the same I'm trying to teach my kids. Getting pulled into a machine by your hair or clothing is a very bad time.

    There's a lot more, but I think this rambling already gives you the idea I'm trying to get across. I hope he's going to enjoy it! If you feel like sharing pictures later on, I'm always interested in seeing project progress.

    3 votes

  11. Comment on Question for those in colder climates: Pellet HVAC/boilers? in ~life.home_improvement

    caliper
    Link
    Couple of disclaimers before I get started: I've only owned this setup for 2 years I do not live here year round This is in Europe Two years ago I became the proud owner of a "serious" pellet...

    Couple of disclaimers before I get started:

    1. I've only owned this setup for 2 years
    2. I do not live here year round
    3. This is in Europe

    Two years ago I became the proud owner of a "serious" pellet setup, at least it is for me. It's a Viessmann Vitoligno 300P furnace that was installed in 2009. It's already a big machine, but next to it is a big warm water tank that can combine multiple heat sources (for instance solar and pellet) to heat the central heating water. This already takes up most of the mudroom space. Behind the mudroom is a separate small addition for a 5m3 hopper. The hopper is connected to the furnace pellet storage through a vacuum system. Central heating water is pumped through the system with a "smart" setup that decides when water needs to go into the tank, or when it needs to circulate. There's some black magic involved, I'm sure.

    I hope this already sets the tone: this is your average over engineered German setup with a lot of moving parts. It took me a full summer to get the system cleaned and working properly again. The previous owner clearly had no idea what they were doing: the fan was blocked, the automated cleaning was seized, the ash tray was missing important gaskets, the tank was shut off for some reason, etc. It really was a fun tinkering project. Now, the system runs faultless and I'm very pleased with it.

    We filled the hopper last summer for the first time. From what we've heard from neighbors, pellet prices have gone through the roof in the last couple of years. I'm not sure that's different from all other sources; gas, oil, wood, all have increased dramatically. The setup here is very convenient: a truck rolls up to the house and blows a couple of cubic meters of pellets into the storage in less than 30 minutes. If we would need to haul that stuff in ourselves, I would probably be a lot less happy with this system.

    To sum things up:

    • having a hopper is extremely convenient
    • when maintained properly, this system runs itself
    • lots of moving parts that can make life miserable if you're not a DIY person
    • I love how slowly we burn through the stuff, it's so much more efficient than the fireplace
    2 votes

  12. Comment on For those involved / interested in Web3, what do you make of the near and long term future for it? in ~tech

    caliper
    Link Parent
    Great in-depth reply! I’m curious, and I hope you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing now? It sounds like you’re not in that space anymore.

    Great in-depth reply! I’m curious, and I hope you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing now? It sounds like you’re not in that space anymore.

    5 votes

  13. Comment on Folding bike recommendations in ~transport

    caliper
    Link Parent
    People are very active on the site and I’ve only dealt with trustworthy people, so don’t worry too much about meeting up with people. The French do tend to ask at the higher end, so don’t feel bad...

    People are very active on the site and I’ve only dealt with trustworthy people, so don’t worry too much about meeting up with people. The French do tend to ask at the higher end, so don’t feel bad haggling. Hope you can find a bike you like!

  14. Comment on Folding bike recommendations in ~transport

    caliper
    Link
    Have you considered a second hand one? https://www.leboncoin.fr is France’s Craigslist and it’s pretty amazing. I’ve bought a bunch of stuff in the past and it’s always fun to meet some local...

    Have you considered a second hand one? https://www.leboncoin.fr is France’s Craigslist and it’s pretty amazing. I’ve bought a bunch of stuff in the past and it’s always fun to meet some local folks that way!

    Otherwise, Decathlon is big in France and they have affordable bikes, also. They will not be Bromptons, but great for getting you from a to b.

    2 votes

  15. Comment on What did you do to "prepare" for your marriage? in ~life

    caliper
    Link Parent
    Even now, being together with my wife for over 20 years and married for almost 15, I find this list eye opening. I wish we had this explicit list instead of bumping into the topics over time....

    Even now, being together with my wife for over 20 years and married for almost 15, I find this list eye opening. I wish we had this explicit list instead of bumping into the topics over time. Luckily we are mostly on the same page, but I can definitely see how a relationship can break down over these things.

    What I find interesting is that these talks come up when people start talking about marriage. Around here, marriage isn’t as important and it’s pretty common not to marry. This list could come in useful for any long term relationship.

    5 votes

  16. Comment on Cow magnets in ~science

    caliper
    Link Parent
    I totally agree, but I don’t think treating the symptom of the problem is the right approach. Metal shouldn’t be entering the cow in the first place.

    I would think the unethical thing would be not finding a solution that makes life comfortable for the cow

    I totally agree, but I don’t think treating the symptom of the problem is the right approach. Metal shouldn’t be entering the cow in the first place.

    3 votes

  17. Comment on Cow magnets in ~science

    caliper
    Link Parent
    That’s some mental gymnastics. When hit by a car driving over a sidewalk, I’ve never heard anyone say they’re suffering from a “vehicle disease”. The car shouldn’t be on the sidewalk, just like...

    That’s some mental gymnastics. When hit by a car driving over a sidewalk, I’ve never heard anyone say they’re suffering from a “vehicle disease”. The car shouldn’t be on the sidewalk, just like metal object shouldn’t be in feed or on the pasture.

    5 votes

  18. Comment on Cow magnets in ~science

    caliper
    Link
    Naming it “Hardware Disease” makes me sick. Instead of resolving the actual problem - nails, wire and other metal objects ending up in cattle - we name it a “Hardware Disease” and start putting...

    Naming it “Hardware Disease” makes me sick. Instead of resolving the actual problem - nails, wire and other metal objects ending up in cattle - we name it a “Hardware Disease” and start putting magnets in cows. This is so backwards, how terrible. How can people work at companies like this, let alone come up with unethical solutions like this?

    8 votes

  19. Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp

    caliper
    Link
    I’ve been slowly working on setting up home assistant. We have a second home with a furnace from 2009 there that has a digital interface, but no internet capabilities. Luckily there have been many...

    I’ve been slowly working on setting up home assistant. We have a second home with a furnace from 2009 there that has a digital interface, but no internet capabilities. Luckily there have been many before me, so it’s a case of piecing together the parts I need and setting it up in a way I like.

    What’s fun about this project is that I’ve been slowly chugging along for months now. Usually my projects don’t last much longer than a weekend or two, in which I’m totally obsessed with it and try to spend every waking hour on it. And then I quickly lose interest.

    But this is fun for much longer and I’m not obsessing over it. So I’ll work on adding a VPN server for a couple of hours spread over some days, and just enjoy making slow progress. And it’s a great mix of low level software, hacking some hardware together and working on a nice UI when I feel like it. Even the setbacks are not getting to me; I’ve redone the interface with our furnace at home 3 times and don’t mind wasting time on it.

    The only thing I know is coming is keeping the thing running for years. With all the configuration it’s hard to keep everything neatly in a repo. I should be using Ansible or similar, but it feels like too big of a mountain to climb next to getting all the other stuff running.

    2 votes

  20. Comment on Interview with the creators of the AI generated short film 'Air Head' in ~tech

    caliper
    Link Parent
    It’s comforting to read your reply. Seeing so much attention AI is receiving in both the online world and my work life, makes it sometimes seem as if I’m just the grumpy old dev who’s jaded by...

    It’s comforting to read your reply. Seeing so much attention AI is receiving in both the online world and my work life, makes it sometimes seem as if I’m just the grumpy old dev who’s jaded by developments. I feel being cautious and not jumping on the bandwagon is perceived as negative, while all the go getters are viewed as curious people that like to improve things. It makes me think very negatively about myself, even though I have the company’s best interest at heart.

    3 votes