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    1. Visual novels and adventure games with choices that matter?

      So I've been wanting to host some gameplay sessions on Discord for a while now, and I figured the best option would be visual novels or adventure games and similar types of games that are more...

      So I've been wanting to host some gameplay sessions on Discord for a while now, and I figured the best option would be visual novels or adventure games and similar types of games that are more story-driven. You don't have to worry about the video lagging as much, and you can pretty easily pause playing to talk to people without worrying about getting distracted.

      What I particularly want are games that have choices that matter so people can give input. Someone once mentioned playing "Your Turn To Die" with friends where they could vote on the choices, and it's been stuck in my head ever since. If you haven't played that game, there are multiple points where you have to choose between two characters dying, which definitely shapes later chapters. Obviously I know what goes on in that game though, and I'd prefer to be just as blind as everyone else.

      So please give me suggestions! Funny games, mystery games, horror games, psychological thrillers, I'm open to anything! (Except most dating sims. Those can be long and tedious if they don't have some twist to them.)

      Minor edit: It doesn't have to be just visual novels or adventure games. I'm open to basically any game that doesn't depend on real-time reaction speeds (e.g. most platformers), so that we don't have to worry about getting killed while talking, or the video lagging and/or quality dropping for some people. (That's the main reason I've eliminated movies as an option, video lag and connection quality issues can really hamper the experience.)

      37 votes
    2. Can you recommend me visual novels with no choices?

      A bit inspired by the similarly worded but opposite question someone asked earlier. Any visual novel recommendations that are focused on just reading without having to worry about making choices?...

      A bit inspired by the similarly worded but opposite question someone asked earlier. Any visual novel recommendations that are focused on just reading without having to worry about making choices? Some examples of what I have already read, I'm looking for more like this: Planetarian and Harmonia.

      9 votes
    3. AlbumLove recommendations thread: June 2023

      Choose one album that you love that you think deserves more love Tell us what it is, and why. Previous posts in series Additional Details What is this? It's a new post series I'm trying out! Each...

      Choose one album
      that you love
      that you think deserves more love

      Tell us what it is, and why.


      Previous posts in series


      Additional Details

      What is this?

      It's a new post series I'm trying out! Each month people can use the AlbumLove thread to post an album they love and explore those posted by others.

      I'm planning to put up a new AlbumLove thread on the first of each month for a few months to see how these go as a trial run. If people like it we can keep it going — if they don’t it’ll fizzle out and I’ll stop.

      Why AlbumLove?

      In this day and age, algorithmic recommendations for music are easy to come by, and it's trivial to seek out new music that interests you by searching online. AlbumLove offers an opportunity to sift through music loved by others, including those who might have divergent tastes from you. Think of this as an opportunity to listen outside of your comfort zone, with music that you know someone else adores, from a small pool of thoughtful hand-selected options.

      What do I post?

      Any album that you love and that you feel deserves more appreciation. There are no restrictions on genre, year, or anything else, and nothing is “too popular” or “too niche”. If you think it needs more love — for whatever reason — then it’s welcome in AlbumLove.

      Name the artist and the album, and then, most importantly, share what you love about the album. It could be the music itself, but it could also be your associations with it -- maybe the album reminds you of someone you love, or you saw the band live and got a new appreciation for the studio songs.

      Also, commenting on others' recommendations is encouraged! If you love something that someone else shared, let them know!

      Do I have to listen to what everyone else posts?

      Nope. You don't have to listen to anything if you don't want to. This is about creating a menu of options that people can explore as they wish.

      Can I post more than one album in a month?

      Nope. Limit one! This helps us be more selective about what we choose, as well as preventing the threads from getting flooded with too many contributions to keep track of.

      Why albums and not songs/artists?

      I like albums. :)

      Seriously though, I feel like it's a very different thing to like an album as a whole versus a few songs or just an artist's general vibe. I like the idea of quantizing music for appreciation in the same way we might do with books or movies.

      What about EPs?

      Fair game!

      27 votes
    4. Any 2022/3 horror/thriller movies that anyone would recommend?

      Hey everyone! I love a good horror/thriller type movie and tend to binge on them every few months. I am however behind on releases over the last year or so :< I'd love to get some recommendations...

      Hey everyone!

      I love a good horror/thriller type movie and tend to binge on them every few months. I am however behind on releases over the last year or so :<

      I'd love to get some recommendations from the wider community to add to my list of must sees!

      Thank you in advance!!

      31 votes
    5. What is the simplest possible marinade recipe?

      I'm looking for the simplest possible marinade recipe. Something with very few ingredients that will work on any cut of meat. My plan is to use that as a base and learn to modify it based on the...

      I'm looking for the simplest possible marinade recipe. Something with very few ingredients that will work on any cut of meat.

      My plan is to use that as a base and learn to modify it based on the meat, dish, and flavor profile I'm going for.

      15 votes
    6. Looking for high-adrenaline suggestions

      I’d really appreciate suggestions for any action-packed anime series you might be able to share. I “play” Zwift indoors for exercise when I don’t have time to ride my bicycle outside. While Zwift...

      I’d really appreciate suggestions for any action-packed anime series you might be able to share.

      I “play” Zwift indoors for exercise when I don’t have time to ride my bicycle outside. While Zwift is a huge improvement over nothing, I still find myself watching the clock more than the screen. To help keep my mind busy and pass the time, I’ve been watching anime while riding indoors for the last several years. The more intense the anime, the better!

      I think the early Attack on Titan seasons are the most emblematic of what I’m looking for, though I’ve been enraptured by other less likely shows, such as Psycho-Pass and Dr. Stone.

      Chainsaw Man, Blue Lock, Shield Hero, Sword Art Online, Parasyte , the first season of Vinland Saga, Shokugeki, and many others have helped me get through countless hours of riding in the past, and I could really use a few new series going forward.

      Thanks in advance!

      Edit: cleaned up some phrasing

      Edit 2: It's really hard to come up with an exhaustive list, but as folks jog my memory (or when my own addled brain decides to be useful) I'll add other series I've seen so far as well.

      • Yowamushi Pedal
        • Because: of course
      • Lastman
        • A rare French anime, and I really enjoyed it
      • Fireforce
      • Neon Genesis Evangelion
      • One Punch Man
      • Kill La Kill
      • Gurren Lagann
      • Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
        • Watched a few episodes but struggled to get into it
      • Eighty-Six
      • My Hero Academia
      • Demon Slayer
        • Watched through the train movie and discontinued when they turned said movie into the next season
      • Mob Psycho 100
        • Watched a few episodes but struggled to get into it
      • Hunter X Hunter
      • Cowboy Bebop
      • RWBY
        • Struggling with the current season
      • Tokyo Ghoul
        • Struggling with season 3
      • Sabikoi Bisco
        • Made it to episode 10 and fell out of it, can't remember why
      • Ranking of Kings
        • Made it to episode 8 but never got into it
      • Welcome to Demon School Iruma-kun
        • Made it to episode 11 before dropping it
      • To Your Eternity
        • Made it a handful of episodes in but never got into it
      • Berserk
        • Watched the first season, need to get back to the second
      • Black Clover
        • Amusing enough, managed to watch 143 episodes lol
      • MEGALOBOX
      • FLCL
      • Naruto
      • That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
      • Tower of God
      • Aoashi
      • Black Summoner
      • DNA2
      • Death Parade
      • Erased
        • This one hit me in the feels
      • Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works
      • Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
      • The Greatest Demon Lord is reborn as a Typical Nobody
      • Gundam Build Divers
      • Kaiji
      • Noblesse
      • Over Drive
      • Overlord
      • The Promised Neverland
      • Puella Magi Madoka Magica
      • Shinobi no Ittoki
      • So I'm a Spider, So What?
      • The World's Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat
      • takt op.Destiny
      • RE:Zero
      9 votes
    7. What RSS feeds do you use for tech news?

      I recently decided to start using RSS to curate interesting news as I feel I am being overloaded with Clickbait from all directions when I am looking for the latest news or updates on Google. I'm...

      I recently decided to start using RSS to curate interesting news as I feel I am being overloaded with Clickbait from all directions when I am looking for the latest news or updates on Google. I'm looking for some good sources for Tech or Programming Articles or news that aren’t just clickbait and have good informative content.

      I currently have BBC News, Krebs On Security and Ars Technica, does anyone have any other website suggestions which are worth subscribing to?

      Ars Technica Information Technology - https://feeds.arstechnica.com/arstechnica/technology-lab
      Ars Technica - Gaming & Entertainment - https://feeds.arstechnica.com/arstechnica/gaming
      BBC Tech - http://feeds.bbci.co.uk/news/technology/rss.xml
      Krebs On Security - https://krebsonsecurity.com/feed/

      26 votes
    8. Work trip to Palo Alto, CA - Seeking recommendations

      In a few weeks, I'll be making a short trip (3 days) to Palo Alto, working in the Stanford Medical Center area. I'm hoping for some local or experienced insight into "don't miss" destinations for...

      In a few weeks, I'll be making a short trip (3 days) to Palo Alto, working in the Stanford Medical Center area.

      I'm hoping for some local or experienced insight into "don't miss" destinations for food, culture, history, and sight-seeing. It's likely I'll only have Sunday afternoon and weekday evenings free, so the personal tour may have to be more focused than local guides might otherwise suggest.

      My home area has great food, but I'm really starving for Eastern cuisines. I'm willing to go beyond what a corporate travel budget permits if there's truly extraordinary, "can't get anywhere else" dining available.

      Your insights are greatly appreciated!

      14 votes
    9. Any recommendations that are on audiobooks.com?

      I'm big on audiobooks and trying to move away from the Audible monopoly starting with the book "Chokepoint Capitalism" (which is about monopolies like that). Unfortunately, the smaller library is...

      I'm big on audiobooks and trying to move away from the Audible monopoly starting with the book "Chokepoint Capitalism" (which is about monopolies like that).

      Unfortunately, the smaller library is hampered even more by the dodgy search (I just finished two books in a trilogy, why are you showing me the spanish translations of the author's other books?) and I'm struggling to fill my wishlist which has never been a problem on Audible.

      So far I'm really liking Chokepoint Capitalism but looking for any suggestions once that's done. I've read a decent amount of mainstream fantasy (Stormlight archive, Wheel of Time, Robin Hobb, Tolkien), some popular scifi (Aasimov, w40k stuff, recently enjoyed "Armor" by Steakly), a lot of light nonfiction about finance, history and pop psychology ("The Big Short" or anything by Michael Lewis, "Debt: The first 5000 years", "Girt", "The man who mistook his wife for a hat") and have recently been on a big Ken Follett kick (historical fantasy?)

      Any good listens that I should give a go?

      PS. sorry for sounding like a shill post for audiobooks.com. I swear I'm not trying to drive clicks that's just the name of the company and recent Brandon Sanderson drama has made me aware of how much power Amazon has over the only way I consume literature nowadays

      13 votes
    10. Looking for sustainably designed anti-fast fashion brands

      Hey all! Most clothing and fashion brands that you can find in your local shops or online are fast-fashion: cheap to produce in mass quantities, using cheap materials and don’t last very long. For...

      Hey all! Most clothing and fashion brands that you can find in your local shops or online are fast-fashion: cheap to produce in mass quantities, using cheap materials and don’t last very long. For example, I currently buy my t-shirts from Banana Republic Factory for around $10-$15 and they last maybe 8-12 months before they shrink in the wash or discolor.

      I’m looking for some alternatives! I’m okay paying a little bit more for stuff that’s going to last a long time. Open to any suggestions for a more sustainable, long-lasting wardrobe!

      44 votes
    11. Found a hole-in-the-wall gem and wanted to share

      Was looking for the best club house sandwich in Vancouver, BC. Found “Green’s and Beans Deli” across from Royal Colombian Hospital in New West. Not only were their sandwiches priced as if it was...

      Was looking for the best club house sandwich in Vancouver, BC. Found “Green’s and Beans Deli” across from Royal Colombian Hospital in New West.

      Not only were their sandwiches priced as if it was still 20 years ago, but the owner new everyone’s preferences and their urgency to go back to work (“Sorry, let me take her order first - she’s only got 15 minutes.”). When it came time to pay (credit card tap), there was NOT TIP SCREEN. If you’re from the area you’ll know what I mean and probably fall out of your chair.

      Oh, and the sandwiches were obviously amazing. Highly recommend.

      Any places you recently found worth raving about?

      12 votes
    12. I need casual, easy going games to help me relax. So, Tildes, what you got?

      I like to play games. So I guess I'm a "gamer"? But: I'm not into arena shooters, MMORPMRPORG grinders, anything with endless cutscenes of exposition and absolutely nothing that needs a "pass" to...

      I like to play games. So I guess I'm a "gamer"? But: I'm not into arena shooters, MMORPMRPORG grinders, anything with endless cutscenes of exposition and absolutely nothing that needs a "pass" to play... so where's my games? I feel like there's nothing for casual-but-not-candy-crush-or-clash-of-clans players like me out there.

      I want something that takes me back to the days of Roller Coaster Tycoon, Sim City 2000 or more recently, Stardew that's not going to make my blood boil or nickel-and-dime me to progress. That doesn't mean it needs to be cute or easy, but more... meditative? Or goofy?

      Given the crowd here I figured you lot would probably have some good recommendations. So: fire away!

      79 votes
    13. Best products to bring back to Europe from the US

      I'm a US citizen living in Berlin, and I'm currently back in the US (Northeast Ohio specifically) for a family wedding. We've got a lot of extra room in our suitcases, so I want to bring stuff...

      I'm a US citizen living in Berlin, and I'm currently back in the US (Northeast Ohio specifically) for a family wedding. We've got a lot of extra room in our suitcases, so I want to bring stuff back that's hard(er) to get ahold of in Germany. I figured this is a good place to ask for any recommendations from others who live in Europe or have experience traveling!

      As an example, here are some of the common recs I've seen in threads on r/germany:

      • bulk OTC meds like aspirin and tylenol (not hard to find in Germany but cheaper in the US)
      • brown sugar
      • double-acting baking powder
      • Frank's red hot sauce (maybe other hot sauce as well, Germans are not a spicy people)
      • Ranch dressing (I've heard the powdered kind is better bc it's easier to pack?)
      • Adobo seasoning (probably other Latin American ingredients too but this one specifically is a must-buy even for my white ass)
      • specific brands of candies & junk food not available in Germany (though ime this category is the easiest to find at US-themed international stores, albeit at high prices)
      • Levi's jeans for some reason (I don't really get this one tbh but I always see Germans saying it in threads)

      I know for sure I'll get home and immediately regret not having purchased something. Anyone with experience traveling between these two continents, please let me know if you think of something missing from this list!

      16 votes
    14. Anyone here in or familiar with Denver and the surrounding area? Going on a trip and have zero idea what to do as a non-tourist...

      Ok, so the "Going on a trip and have zero idea what to do as a non-tourist..." isn't entirely true like it was in my post about NYC last year, but everyone was extremely helpful and threw out...

      Ok, so the "Going on a trip and have zero idea what to do as a non-tourist..." isn't entirely true like it was in my post about NYC last year, but everyone was extremely helpful and threw out suggestions I wouldn't have even thought about looking for. So here I am again to bug you wonderful people for Tildes Travel Guide 2: Electric Denver Boogaloo

      Same as before, staying for a week, I do have a rental car this time (trying to decide between the comfort of a Lexus or sportiness of an Alfa Romeo, damn car guy indecisiveness) so transport is less of an issue, anything that you'd suggest to see/do?

      13 votes
    15. I want to learn programming

      I currently don't know anything about programming so am considering picking this up on the side in case I loose my current job and need a backup plan. Anyone knows any good books or online courses...

      I currently don't know anything about programming so am considering picking this up on the side in case I loose my current job and need a backup plan. Anyone knows any good books or online courses or anything else for self-learning?

      My friends said programming is too broad a subject and what you need to learn depends heavily on what fields you want to go in, which I'm ashamed to admit also know nothing about. So I guess I need some career advice too if possible.

      22 votes
    16. Best knowledge database for an Emacs Org-Mode "expat"

      I'm running Windows 10 now, and I understand I can still use Emacs, but I'm seizing the opportunity to give it a shot to other tools. In part because I'm not sure how "native" my Emacs setup would...

      I'm running Windows 10 now, and I understand I can still use Emacs, but I'm seizing the opportunity to give it a shot to other tools. In part because I'm not sure how "native" my Emacs setup would feel on Windows, but also because I reached a point of "tinkering fatigue" and I want things that require less maintenance.

      I used Org Mode a lot and was thinking if there is something with a similar feel that is more plug-and-play. Programs like Notion, Obsidian, and Roam Research are like that, I think.

      These are some of my requisites:

      • FOSS
      • markdown or org markup
      • I don't wanna pay for anything, ever
      • plug and play
      • text-based
      • easy export and backup
      • keyboard-centric or keyboard-friendly
      • can be used offline
      • local database can be synced using Dropbox
      • Emacs-like and/or Vim-like keybindings
      8 votes
    17. Anyone here familiar with Scotland?

      I am in Scotland for a little vacation with a friend, and am looking for recs! We are mainly in Edinburgh, but have a car and are open to just about anything! I don't really mess with touristy...

      I am in Scotland for a little vacation with a friend, and am looking for recs! We are mainly in Edinburgh, but have a car and are open to just about anything! I don't really mess with touristy stuff, but am willing to try if you think its worthwhile! Also will be here for the rest of the week! We are planning on going to the gardens for sure, but other than that don't really have a whole lot planned. I would like to go to Galloway at night and see the milky way though. I love the scenery so I don't mind a short drive. Thanks :)

      16 votes
    18. Monitor recommendations?

      I'm in the market for an external monitor for my Macbook M1 and wanted some advice on what I should get. I pretty much only code, read pdfs and webpages, and watch videos (not movies really) on my...

      I'm in the market for an external monitor for my Macbook M1 and wanted some advice on what I should get. I pretty much only code, read pdfs and webpages, and watch videos (not movies really) on my laptop, so these would be the use cases. I'm trying not to break the bank here so I was looking at some budget options. The Macbook has USB-C so I would be looking for a monitor with that, but my main question is regarding resolution. Do I really need a 4K monitor for my use cases? I'd be interested in hearing people's experiences with 4K versus without — I've never had one but I'm wondering if now is the time to splurge and get it? Will the difference be very noticeable if I'm primarily looking at text?

      My first place option right now is this one from Asus, so I'm curious if the brand is reliable as well. I don't think I've ever had an Asus product. If I were to splurge and get a 4K monitor I would probably get this Dell, but at $400 its a bit more than I was hoping to spend. But I also don't want to get a monitor that I immediately want to upgrade. Curious what other people's thoughts and experiences have been.

      EDIT: See my comment for some updates. I've backed away from the 1080p options!

      10 votes
    19. AlbumLove recommendations thread: May 2023

      Meta note: this series has been restarted by request. Choose one album that you love that you think deserves more love Tell us what it is, and why. Previous posts in series Additional Details What...

      Meta note: this series has been restarted by request.

      Choose one album
      that you love
      that you think deserves more love

      Tell us what it is, and why.


      Previous posts in series


      Additional Details

      What is this?

      It's a new post series I'm trying out! Each month people can use the AlbumLove thread to post an album they love and explore those posted by others.

      I'm planning to put up a new AlbumLove thread on the first of each month for a few months to see how these go as a trial run. If people like it we can keep it going — if they don’t it’ll fizzle out and I’ll stop.

      Why AlbumLove?

      In this day and age, algorithmic recommendations for music are easy to come by, and it's trivial to seek out new music that interests you by searching online. AlbumLove offers an opportunity to sift through music loved by others, including those who might have divergent tastes from you. Think of this as an opportunity to listen outside of your comfort zone, with music that you know someone else adores, from a small pool of thoughtful hand-selected options.

      What do I post?

      Any album that you love and that you feel deserves more appreciation. There are no restrictions on genre, year, or anything else, and nothing is “too popular” or “too niche”. If you think it needs more love — for whatever reason — then it’s welcome in AlbumLove.

      Name the artist and the album, and then, most importantly, share what you love about the album. It could be the music itself, but it could also be your associations with it -- maybe the album reminds you of someone you love, or you saw the band live and got a new appreciation for the studio songs.

      Also, commenting on others' recommendations is encouraged! If you love something that someone else shared, let them know!

      Do I have to listen to what everyone else posts?

      Nope. You don't have to listen to anything if you don't want to. This is about creating a menu of options that people can explore as they wish.

      Can I post more than one album in a month?

      Nope. Limit one! This helps us be more selective about what we choose, as well as preventing the threads from getting flooded with too many contributions to keep track of.

      Why albums and not songs/artists?

      I like albums. :)

      Seriously though, I feel like it's a very different thing to like an album as a whole versus a few songs or just an artist's general vibe. I like the idea of quantizing music for appreciation in the same way we might do with books or movies.

      What about EPs?

      Fair game!

      6 votes
    20. Communities or hubs for people doing/making things and tackling problems

      So I browse Tildes, Hacker News, and Reddit, but I'm wondering if there are online communities or hubs out there where entrepreneurial folks discuss actionable business problems and projects,...

      So I browse Tildes, Hacker News, and Reddit, but I'm wondering if there are online communities or hubs out there where entrepreneurial folks discuss actionable business problems and projects, instead of news or memes.

      I notice that people will spend endless time online discussing the minutiae of their personal lives, celebrity lives, politics, and son, which are fine. But I want to read about how people are working out the kinks of drone delivery, improving access to and availability of mental healthcare, making municipal permitting more streamlined, and other processes.

      9 votes
    21. AlbumLove recommendations thread: July 2022

      Choose one album that you love that you think deserves more love Tell us what it is, and why. Previous posts in series Additional Details What is this? It's a new post series I'm trying out! Each...

      Choose one album
      that you love
      that you think deserves more love

      Tell us what it is, and why.


      Previous posts in series


      Additional Details

      What is this?

      It's a new post series I'm trying out! Each month people can use the AlbumLove thread to post an album they love and explore those posted by others.

      I'm planning to put up a new AlbumLove thread on the first of each month for a few months to see how these go as a trial run. If people like it we can keep it going — if they don’t it’ll fizzle out and I’ll stop.

      Why AlbumLove?

      In this day and age, algorithmic recommendations for music are easy to come by, and it's trivial to seek out new music that interests you by searching online. AlbumLove offers an opportunity to sift through music loved by others, including those who might have divergent tastes from you. Think of this as an opportunity to listen outside of your comfort zone, with music that you know someone else adores, from a small pool of thoughtful hand-selected options.

      What do I post?

      Any album that you love and that you feel deserves more appreciation. There are no restrictions on genre, year, or anything else, and nothing is “too popular” or “too niche”. If you think it needs more love — for whatever reason — then it’s welcome in AlbumLove.

      Name the artist and the album, and then, most importantly, share what you love about the album. It could be the music itself, but it could also be your associations with it -- maybe the album reminds you of someone you love, or you saw the band live and got a new appreciation for the studio songs.

      Also, commenting on others' recommendations is encouraged! If you love something that someone else shared, let them know!

      Do I have to listen to what everyone else posts?

      Nope. You don't have to listen to anything if you don't want to. This is about creating a menu of options that people can explore as they wish.

      Can I post more than one album in a month?

      Nope. Limit one! This helps us be more selective about what we choose, as well as preventing the threads from getting flooded with too many contributions to keep track of.

      Why albums and not songs/artists?

      I like albums. :)

      Seriously though, I feel like it's a very different thing to like an album as a whole versus a few songs or just an artist's general vibe. I like the idea of quantizing music for appreciation in the same way we might do with books or movies.

      What about EPs?

      Fair game!

      6 votes
    22. Who are your favourite content creators, and what do they do?

      So I've been watching a lot of Youtubers the past year or so, and I'm about to run out of content! So I'm curious what you all are enjoying? I'll start of course - some channels I really like:...

      So I've been watching a lot of Youtubers the past year or so, and I'm about to run out of content! So I'm curious what you all are enjoying? I'll start of course - some channels I really like:

      Contrapoints - rarely uploads nowadays but makes great videos about social issues, especially trans and queer issues as she is herself lesbian and transgender.

      Perun - weekly 1-hour videos consisting of analysis of military economics, primarily about the Ukraine conflict. He also branches out though, and has done great videos on China's military's modernisation, and the German military's procurement processes, to give some examples.

      World War Two - you may remember him from The Great War, this is Indy Neidell and co. who goes through the Second World War in chronological order. It is very in depth as they do it week by week, so this is the most thorough documentary on the war available.

      Skip Intro - analysis of TV shows, particularly his Copaganda series is very interesting, in which he goes on deep dives of different TV shows' portrayal of police and how, most of the time, this portrayal is very dishonest.

      Climate Town - very informative and funny content about the climate crisis. Lots of things impacting the climate that you wouldn't have ever thought of before.

      Jenny Nicholson - makes videos about her own interests, fandoms, nerd culture etc. Very funny but rarely uploads.

      Edit: Thanks everyone for the recommendations and discussion! Lots of stuff to sift through now, thank you!

      26 votes
    23. Best (ever) Western/non-anime animated series?

      Over the past 2 weeks I watched Arcane, mainly because a friend of mine insisted it was a masterpiece when it first came out and has been waiting to hear my opinion since. While I think it's very...

      Over the past 2 weeks I watched Arcane, mainly because a friend of mine insisted it was a masterpiece when it first came out and has been waiting to hear my opinion since. While I think it's very good from a technical standpoint, I found it very tropey and ultimately I was underwhelmed. Part of that was the expectation going in that it was supposedly perfection, but part of that was simply my own lack of investment throughout. I realized I wouldn't bother to watch season 2 whenever it's released, because I simply don't care enough about the story or characters to keep going.

      However, my friend thinks it's the best Western animated show since Batman: The Animated Series, and I've been trying to think if there's any other legit contenders. Any suggestions? My taste favors stuff like Robot Chicken and Archer, but I think comedies are kinda at a disadvantage in serious comparisons.

      19 votes
    24. Is there a digital compass app (Android) for walking around?

      I'm spending time at a new city and Google Maps is shit for walking. It's hard to say exactly what's wrong with it, everything feels wrong. Car centric logic just doesn't work for walking I guess...

      I'm spending time at a new city and Google Maps is shit for walking. It's hard to say exactly what's wrong with it, everything feels wrong. Car centric logic just doesn't work for walking I guess (yes I'm using the walking mode). It feels bad, unreliable, and I'm lost all the time. Yesterday I ended up 2 hours away from my destination and had to call an Uber (big humiliation!). Walking is my preferable way of urban exploration and I hate talking to strangers.

      What I want is a simple compass that tells me "go to that general direction and you'll get there". No map, no street names. Just an arrow and a linear distance (like, in a straight line). Like a videogame. Without foreknowledge, street names are just confusing and unnecessary. I can handle the route myself.

      Does such an app exists?

      4 votes
    25. Recommended services for custom prints?

      I recently asked about commissioning custom artwork, which is shaping up wonderfully. I now need to start looking at custom print services so that I can actually hang the artwork in my home. It...

      I recently asked about commissioning custom artwork, which is shaping up wonderfully.

      I now need to start looking at custom print services so that I can actually hang the artwork in my home. It will likely be a rather large piece (possibly 60"x40").

      Anyone have any experiences with different services and have recommendations or avoids?

      Also, anyone have any recommendations for what I actually get it printed on? I'm leaning towards canvas, but I'm open to suggestions. I'm wanting this to last a long time.

      I'm in the US, so the service would need to ship to there.

      4 votes
    26. What's a good and/or competitive video game that does not require quick aiming, a lot of actions per minute, or precise motor skills?

      Playing World of Warcraft Classic WOLTK, I realize that dungeon instances are the best part of the game for me. I love the holy trinity, and how everyone has a specific role to play and contribute...

      Playing World of Warcraft Classic WOLTK, I realize that dungeon instances are the best part of the game for me. I love the holy trinity, and how everyone has a specific role to play and contribute to the group. But the thing is, WoW is just not that hard. As a level 30 healer, I'm going through the motions and being complimented on my heals, but I could do it with very-low effort and only partially awake. And according to other players, that won't change until I get to raiding, and maybe not even then. PvP is a possibility, but I'd like to explore games that focus on the matches without all else that comes with an MMO.

      The problem is, when I think of the kind of equivalent outside the MMORPG sphere, MOBAs are what first come to mind. But LoL, Dota, etc, are not easy games for an older gentleman to pick up. I don't wanna play anything that relies on quick reflexes because I simply have none. And a game like Starcraft, on the competitive level, also relies on high APM as far as I know.

      So maybe this game doesn't exist, but I'd love to play something that allows me to be in a group with a defined role that requires some degree of coordination (and a social aspect) but is neither an FPS nor a stressful high-octane game for people in their 20s with a lot of brain energy to burn.

      10 votes
    27. Looking for non-actiony, non-competitive Android games with regular new content

      I've been enjoying Legends of Runeterra for the last couple of years. It's a collectible card game with really nice art and voice work. I'm not a very competitive person, but I put up with the...

      I've been enjoying Legends of Runeterra for the last couple of years. It's a collectible card game with really nice art and voice work. I'm not a very competitive person, but I put up with the deckbuilding and competitive bits because I enjoyed the gameplay.

      About a year ago Riot added a new PvE mode where instead of playing against humans, you play against increasingly difficult AI decks. Every few wins you get your choice of 3 random passive abilities, some of which can dramatically increase the power of your deck for the rest of the run--kind of a roguelike twist on the CCG formula. This has completely spoiled me--I enjoy it far more than LoR's base gameplay. Unfortunately, despite the popularity of the new mode, Riot made the inexplicable decision to give it only token support, focusing instead on PvP.

      I've mostly run out of content for the new game mode, and I'm wondering if another game has something that will scratch the same itch. I'm looking for PvE games with deep gameplay and good production values that aren't too fast-paced or actiony. Bonus points if the game gets new content occasionally. Extra bonus points if it has a good story. Any of y'all have a favorite?

      11 votes
    28. Visiting DC, any recommendations?

      I’m going to be in Washington, D.C. for the next week (give or take a day). I’ll be staying in Arlington, VA and plan on utilizing public transportation while I’m there. Any unconventional...

      I’m going to be in Washington, D.C. for the next week (give or take a day). I’ll be staying in Arlington, VA and plan on utilizing public transportation while I’m there.

      Any unconventional recommendations or things I should know?

      13 votes
    29. Where is a good place to get commissioned artwork?

      I have a gift idea for my husband that involves commissioning some specific custom artwork (Pokémon-themed, in case that matters!). I did some cursory searches and turned up results on Etsy and...

      I have a gift idea for my husband that involves commissioning some specific custom artwork (Pokémon-themed, in case that matters!). I did some cursory searches and turned up results on Etsy and Fiverr, but some of these look like they’re automated and are suspiciously inexpensive. Other offers on those sites look more promising, but I’m not even sure if Etsy/Fiverr are where I should even look in the first place.

      I’m happy to pay an artist for their work and want this to be something of quality. I’m also fine with waiting on it — some of the stuff I’ve found so far looks tailored for speed.

      What’s the best place I should look with quality artists who I can pay fairly for their work?

      7 votes
    30. ~s shorts recommendations

      So I'm on a movie kick after realising I haven't paid attention to movies for a number of years now. I may have seen less than 10 movies last year. One thing I miss from when I was growing up is...

      So I'm on a movie kick after realising I haven't paid attention to movies for a number of years now. I may have seen less than 10 movies last year.

      One thing I miss from when I was growing up is when a trip to the cinema always started with a short followed by the main film.

      So here's my pr(e/o)mise:

      Recommend me your favourite short movies (from any director / year / genre) and I will do my best to track down and watch it (by fair means or foul!)

      Also let me know the best way to follow up - add a comment in this thread, make a new post or just shut up (I won't be offended).

      I thought it might be interesting to compare notes and ideas.

      12 votes
    31. Request: Alternatives to the Raspberry Pi?

      I will shortly have need for a small, low power (power as in watts, not compute power) system for always-on Home Assistant use. However, Raspberry Pis are out of stock everywhere and while they...

      I will shortly have need for a small, low power (power as in watts, not compute power) system for always-on Home Assistant use. However, Raspberry Pis are out of stock everywhere and while they can be had for extortionate prices on various auction/marketplace sites, I'm not sure I want to spend a load of money on something which might not even be what it claims to be.

      Home Assistant suggest Odroid which I'd probably go for the C4 edition but it's relatively expensive (I need to add an MMC and a psu and various other things to the listed main board price)

      Any suggestions? The Asus Tinkerboard looks overkill and is very expensive. It needs to be capable of running a standard Linux distro, ideally Home Assistant's own OS. Low power consumption is a definite, 2-3W at idle is probably the maximum I'd be happy with. Wifi is a bonus although not required right now - but the ability to add it if needed is essential. Some amount of expansion capability would be good if I want to add hardware sensors or bluetooth or a Zigbee transceiver or whatever. It needs some reasonably amount of compute grunt I assume but I don't think HA is all that hungry for number crunching power. The machine will more than likely be headless at first but a little bit of GPU and graphical IO would be handy if I want to stick a display on it in the future, which I might want to.

      Any ideas? Oh, and also must be easily available in/to the UK.

      15 votes
    32. Any retro computer kits with 10 Mbit ethernet?

      I've always been enticed by 8 bit computer projects like this but I've never bought any because I can't think of anything I'd do with them given their self-contained nature. Even a really...

      I've always been enticed by 8 bit computer projects like this but I've never bought any because I can't think of anything I'd do with them given their self-contained nature. Even a really primitive ethernet controller would explode the project possibilities. Does anything like that exist?

      4 votes
    33. Synology NAS Recommendations & Questions

      Hey everyone! Sorry if this is a long post, but I've done my research and I would like to make a few questions. I've decided that I would like to buy a NAS mainly to storage all of my documents,...

      Hey everyone!

      Sorry if this is a long post, but I've done my research and I would like to make a few questions.

      I've decided that I would like to buy a NAS mainly to storage all of my documents, photos and videos, so that, I can access them from multiple devices and also use it to upload important documents to Backblaze B2. Then, I've actually discovered that I can install a few Docker containers and I could use it as a media server (Jellyfin) and serve the content to my Apple TV (neat!).

      I considered a QNAP (better hardware for the price) but everyone recommends Synology instead (because of the stronger security and better overall software), but to be honest, I'm not sure what should I get.

      My budget would be to buy a NAS (without counting the disks) below €1000. Ideally, €500-600 but I don't mind stretching to the €700 mark, if it is really worth it.

      Spoiler alert: I think, it should be the DS920+ (4-bay) or the DS1520+ (5-bay). I think a NAS above 4-bay is better for future-proofing.

      Looking here in Germany at price comparators, I could buy the DS920+ for €663 and the DS1520+ for €750. But these prices seem to be at an all-time high :(


      Questions & Assumptions:

      0. I'm not sure if the price difference of about €100 is worth the premium to get the 5-bay model. There are only two differences between these two models: The 5-bay has one extra slot, and it has 4x 1 Gbe LAN ports instead of 2x 1 Gbe. All the rest is the same. What is your opinion?

      1. I've read that if you run a few containers (~10) it consumes quite a bit of RAM (~3 Gb), so it should be ideal to have at least 8 Gb. This is the reason I've said that I think I can only choose the DS920+ or DS1520+. Looking at official Synology resellers, these models, seem to come already with 8 Gb, and they are within my budget. Is my research wrong?

      2. These two models, have an encryption engine. I think this is necessary to encrypt my files before sending them to Backblaze, or?

      3. A lot of people seem to say to simply pick Synology's hybrid RAID setup called SHR-1 or SHR-2. I would go the easy way here and pick one of those two. Would you think that is a bad idea, and it is better to pick a specific (standard) RAID? I've read about the long long long RAID rebuild that could happen in some situations, and picking the "right" RAID could decrease the rebuild in days (or weeks!!!!).

      4. In case, I choose a NAS model with Nvme cache slots, most people say it is not worth it to use if you are not running Virtual Machines and the SSD’s "burn" really fast. I have no interest on VMs.

      5. Most people say to pick an Enterprise (Server) HDD instead of a NAS HDD mainly because price is similar in some cases and Enterprise has longer life and warranty. I should also pick a CMR HDD which is helium filled. 5400 rpm would be preferable to 7200 rpm because of the noise. Sadly, all Enterprise HDD's and most of NAS HDD's are 7200 rpm. Is the noise difference that big? The NAS will be in our living room.

      6. Is 8 TB still the best cost per Terabyte?

      7. I was extremely sad to hear that the Hitachi hard drive division was bought by WD. I've had lots of misfortune with WD drives (and let's not forget the debacle with the SMR and CMR drives) and I would prefer not to give money to them, but, nevertheless, I'm still tempted to buy the Ultrastar drives that belonged to Hitachi. Does anyone know if WD kept the components, manufacturing processes, staff, etc., that made these brilliant disks?

      8. Following the HDD topic, what is your experience with Seagate or Toshiba drives?

      9. These two NAS models have the same Intel Celeron CPU, which supports hardware transcoding. To be honest, I don't know in which cases would that happen. It seems if I use Infuse on the Apple TV it would never transcode (and instead direct play) because Infuse would do the transcoding in software. Should I take in account that hardware transcoding is a must-have or a nice-to-have?

      10. Would you recommend having a CCTV system connected to the NAS? Should I dedicate one entire HDD just for the NVR system? Would a standalone NVR device be better?

      11. My last question is: Should I just wait for the new model of the DS920+ or DS1520+? The 20 means it was launched in 2020 (in Summer specifically) and it seems Synology refreshes the model every two years., that means, a new model would be available in Summer this year. Most people say it is not worth the wait because Synology is very conservative in its model updates/refreshes. People are saying that a better CPU will be of course available (do I even need that for my use cases?) and probably upgrade the 1 Gbe LAN ports to 2.5 Gbe or 10 Gbe (10 Gbe I really doubt it). I've read that a 4K stream does not fill a 1 Gbe bandwidth, and you could theoretically have three 4K streams in a single 1 Gbe connection. If all else fails, I could just do a link aggregation of the two ports to be 2 Gbe, or?

      12. Anything I'm forgetting? Should I be careful with something in particular?


      I know I should buy a UPS too, but I think I'll create a separate post regarding this topic because I would also want a recommendation regarding a UPS for my other devices.

      I know that I could actually build my own NAS and use Unraid for the OS. Furthermore, I'm just at a time in my life with too much on my plate (baby and small child) and having something that just works is preferable. When they are older and more independent, I'll have more time to investigate this option :)

      Again, sorry for the long post. Thank you everyone!

      12 votes
    34. My company offers a stipend of $150/quarter to improve my home office

      It's six months and I haven't spent it yet. What do I need that I don't realize I need? I already have multiple monitors, keyboards, etc. Separate headphones (that I don't use because I don't need...

      It's six months and I haven't spent it yet.

      What do I need that I don't realize I need?

      I already have multiple monitors, keyboards, etc. Separate headphones (that I don't use because I don't need to shut the door often), microphone (doesn't make a difference), and other obvious tech toys. I bought a new UPS right before I started the job.

      It's a nice problem to have: "I don't need anything." But surely I should spend money on SOMEthing?

      12 votes
    35. To use Disqus or Giscus (Github Discussions) for comments is the conundrum

      I happen to host my blog https://prahladyeri.github.io/blog statically, built using Pelican and served on Github Pages. Plebs like us can't afford a backend server infrastructure, so we must rely...

      I happen to host my blog https://prahladyeri.github.io/blog statically, built using Pelican and served on Github Pages. Plebs like us can't afford a backend server infrastructure, so we must rely on external services like Disqus for comment hosting.

      So far, Disqus was the only fellow in town who allowed us to host comments on a free plan. Though there were some issues (bloat, adware, etc.), people seemed to be generally happy with it so far.

      But now, a new fellow named giscus commenting system has entered the town, it's basically powered by github. Since I already host my blog on github pages, this should be a natural choice for me, right? Many bloggers seem to be migrating to this new system and I might too soon. The downsides however are as follows:

      1. It won't allow me to export existing comments from the old disqus system. Understandable to an extent as those exact author usernames may not be on the Github platform?
      2. Disqus interface seems to have improved all of a sudden in last few days! There no longer seem to be any ad and even the comment interface seems to be less heavy or cluttered now. It might sound a bit conspiratorial in nature but could this be the result of rising competition in the form of Giscus!

      I'm a lazy status-quoist by nature and might well end up retaining disqus if they don't deviate too much from where they are now. But I'll keep an eye out on Giscus too and its progress. What do you guys suggest?

      5 votes
    36. What are some of the best blogs, journals, e-magazines, etc. about programming or software development in general?

      I'm a solo freelance programmer who codes on small to medium sized projects, and I realize that I can upskill myself a lot by keeping up with the industry trends, by listening to what the best in...

      I'm a solo freelance programmer who codes on small to medium sized projects, and I realize that I can upskill myself a lot by keeping up with the industry trends, by listening to what the best in this field have to say. The problem is that there is just so much information overload everywhere, just so many youtube videos and articles that it seems overwhelming to differentiate the wheat from the chaff!

      Since reading is my preferred medium of instruction, I want to know what are the blogs, journals, etc. on this topic with some street cred? And preferably individual experts and blogs, not companies. Company or corporate sites and blogs seem to be more hype than substance these days.

      Which ones do you refer for keeping up to date?

      8 votes
    37. Help me find vehicle customization video games

      Hi, lately I've been thinking a bunch about Phantom Crash, which I played on an XBox. It was a mecha battle arena game. It had two main modes (three if you count skipping through interminable...

      Hi, lately I've been thinking a bunch about Phantom Crash, which I played on an XBox. It was a mecha battle arena game. It had two main modes (three if you count skipping through interminable conversations with NPCs). First, you'd take your mech into an arena and blow people up. Then you'd go to your garage, spending your winnings on upgrading your mech.

      The degree of customization you could achieve was striking. There were big options like wheels / legs / hover platform, and a variety of energy / mass / missile weapons. You could get different aim assist chips that had meaningfully different characteristics. You could tune almost any piece of equipment to be lighter or heavier, and a heavier gun really felt more powerful in the arena.

      TBH the actual combat was only alright, but we loved the game anyway.

      Are there any other games out there that have this kind of feedback loop? Playable today is best, but I'd also go down an internet archaeology hole.

      8 votes
    38. Is anyone here in or familiar with NYC? Going on a trip and have zero idea what to do as a non-tourist...

      I'm spending 5 days in NYC starting next week. While I've traveled plenty, it's almost always been alone, frequently short term (2-3 days including flights in and out), and work related so I had...

      I'm spending 5 days in NYC starting next week. While I've traveled plenty, it's almost always been alone, frequently short term (2-3 days including flights in and out), and work related so I had people to either ask for suggestions or just went out on my own. If the trip didn't fit into the above categories it was typically to somewhere I'm relatively familiar with or had a lot of lead time to prepare my trip.

      That is not the case right now. I've never had any interest in NYC so I don't have a list of places I'd like to experience in my head, I don't have a ton of time to research a plan and filter out all the "top 10 things to do in NYC" websites, I'll be with my wife so going off wandering on my own isn't an option, and this will be the first trip where I don't have a rental car to just go get lost in and see where my randomness takes me. I'm also not the tourist type so there's no interest in "the tree" or Times Square, etc.

      So I beseech you fellow Tilderinos, as someone that doesn't care about being a tourist, doesn't have a social media presence to feed I'm-here-and-you're-not selfies to, and needs actual destinations to go to due to a lack of independent mobility, what should someone with pretty much 72 hours of completely free time in NYC actually do?

      16 votes
    39. Choosing a good e-reader for studying

      I started studying again this semester, and have to read a lot of stuff because of it. As we get nearly all our Books as PDF and reading on my notebook or my phone gets tiering quite fast. So I'm...

      I started studying again this semester, and have to read a lot of stuff because of it.
      As we get nearly all our Books as PDF and reading on my notebook or my phone gets tiering quite fast. So I'm thinking about getting myself an e-reader to make things go easier.

      So i tried to find some ressources to learn about e-readers, but the internet (or search engines) these days seem to suck.
      So maybe my lovely tildes can help.

      must haves:
      can read PDF
      needs to make reading this "shitty" two colums pages my PDF have good and easy

      nice to haves:
      FOSS
      Backlight

      can somebody help me out? or do you know about a resource where I can learn about the pro and cons of the different e-readers, I'm starting with close to 0 knowlege as I never thoght I will need one, I generally prefere to read proper books.

      5 votes
    40. Can anyone recommend a specific type of statistics course?

      I would like to find a good Statistics course to do for myself, and also to recommend to others, down the road ... one that specifically focuses on risk, and the discrepancy between actual...

      I would like to find a good Statistics course to do for myself, and also to recommend to others, down the road ... one that specifically focuses on risk, and the discrepancy between actual statistical probability vs humans' intuitive sense of risk.

      I recall a quote, which The Interwebs informs me right now, came from Albert A. Bartlett ... "The Greatest Shortcoming of the Human Race Is Man’s Inability To Understand the Exponential Function".

      Alternately, Mark Twain popularized (but did not originate) the saying "There are lies, damned lies, and statistics".

      That's the kind of course I'm looking for, that focuses on questions like how much should we actually worry about supervolcanoes, asteroid strikes, Covid 2.0, WWIII, Trump getting re-elected, etc.

      There are two parts to this. One, people often (naturally, human nature, how our brains are wired to handle Risk) obsess about a short list of risks in life that are overblown, or appear to be more of a concern than they actually are.

      The other part is, some things have a very small risk of actually happening, but when considered in conjunction with the potential consequences (asteroid strikes, WWIII, global pandemic), are still worthy of aggressive efforts to prevent ... and people often focus on the first element (statistically unlikely) and dismiss or overlook the second piece (devastating consequences).

      Anyway, stuff like that ... ideally an actual, hands-on MOOC-type Statistics course, but even a good youtube video or blog article would suffice.

      As usual, thanks in advance.

      5 votes
    41. Looking for a very specific kind of submarine video game

      Maybe you guys can help me out since I found a lot of games that are kinda like this but not quite. It doesn't need to be a full-blown simulation, but it needs to be convincing. What I want is a...

      Maybe you guys can help me out since I found a lot of games that are kinda like this but not quite.

      It doesn't need to be a full-blown simulation, but it needs to be convincing.

      What I want is a game that puts me inside a submarine, looking at screens full of radar and sensor information, and letting me control the sub in a realistic manner, only with the information provided in the control room. It's okay if the game jumps to an external view just to show the ultimate consequence of conflict, but mostly, I should be in the sub looking at screens.

      Is there such a game?

      Ideally, I play on the Xbox. My laptop is a potato, so it's only good for very old or otherwise lightweight games (technically speaking, this could easily be a command line game... like naval htop). Other kinds of naval simulation are good for this thread.

      Thanks!

      7 votes
    42. Remote Access that's safe and not a scary nightmare

      My child (who does not live with me) has a PC. He's pretty good at sorting problems out for himself, but he sometimes needs extra help. We've tried doing this over phone and video calls, and it's...

      My child (who does not live with me) has a PC. He's pretty good at sorting problems out for himself, but he sometimes needs extra help. We've tried doing this over phone and video calls, and it's an unfun experience for both of us.

      Is there a remote access software that would fit our needs? I want to be able to connect to his computer over the Internet and have some level of control when he's logged into his account. I'd need to be able to open files, I wouldn't have to be able to save them. He's using Windows 11. I think he's using the home version. I'm using Windows 10 Pro. We both have reasonably good Internet speed.

      8 votes