• Activity
  • Votes
  • Comments
  • New
  • All activity
  • Showing only topics with the tag "ask". Back to normal view
    1. Tokyo Game Show 2024

      Gonna try and get a handle on everything shown off at TGS this year. It will probably be less structured compared to the Sony State of Play thread I posted, as language barriers, time zones, and...

      Gonna try and get a handle on everything shown off at TGS this year. It will probably be less structured compared to the Sony State of Play thread I posted, as language barriers, time zones, and finding official trailer sources I gonna be a lot more time consuming than just going to the Playstation youtube channel.

      DAY 1


      Gamirror Games Now TGS 2024 Speical

      XBOX Broadcast
      METAL GEAR SOLID Δ: SNAKE EATER - Official Trailer #2
      Overwatch 2 x My Hero Academia | Collaboration Trailer
      Age of Mythology: Retold - Immortal Pillars Teaser
      Indiana Jones and the Great Circle - Trailer | TGS 2024
      TANUKI: Pon's Summer Announcement Trailer
      Threads of Time - First Look Game Announcement
      We Love Katamari REROLL+ Royal Reverie - Xbox Game Pass Trailer
      Fragpunk - Trailer | TGS 2024
      Metaphor: ReFantazio | Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2024 Broadcast Trailer
      A Deep Dive into the Magical World of Atelier Yumia
      ASURAJANG Xbox Announcement Trailer
      BLEACH Rebirth of Souls – Announcement Trailer
      SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada – Release Date Trailer
      All You Need is Help Launch Trailer
      Slitterhead: Learn More from Gaming Legend Keiichiro Toyama
      Starbites - Xbox & Windows Announcement Trailer
      DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake: TGS Demo Playthrough
      Trials of Mana | Xbox Announce
      Legend of Mana | Xbox Announce
      Final Fantasy I-VI Pixel Remaster | TGS Xbox Announcement

      SNK Special Program
      FATAL FURY: CotW × STREET FIGHTER|Teaser Trailer

      Koei Tecmo Broadcast
      “DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS” TGS Official Program

      Level 5
      HOLY HORROR MANSION – Teaser Trailer Saw some discourse online about this game using AI art
      INAZUMA ELEVEN RE – Teaser Trailer
      INAZUMA ELEVEN: Victory Road – PV7
      DECAPOLICE - Theme Song Trailer
      Professor Layton and the New World of Steam – Trailer
      FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time - 2nd Trailer
      MEGATON MUSASHI W: WIRED – New Content Announcement Trailer

      Capcom
      A Beginner's Guide to Monster Hunter Wilds
      Monster Hunter Wilds: 4th Trailer | Release Date Reveal (Extended Kut)

      Day 2


      Most of these devs don't seem to have anything up on YouTube (or in some cases don't have an easily identifiable channel). So It's mostly just the live stream broadcast here.

      Aniplex
      The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- SPECIAL PROGRAM

      Sega
      SEGA/ATLUS Special Program in TGS2024

      Square Enix
      "EIKO KANO'S CRITIKANO HIT" TGS2024 SP

      Infold Games
      Infinity Nikki Special Program at TGS 2024

      Dungeon Stalkers TGS2024 Special Program

      16 votes
    2. A dealership damaged my car. Any advice?

      There's a lot of information I could share about this. But I do want to remain semi-private, so I'll try to stick to the highlights and answer questions as needed. Instead of stating hard numbers,...

      There's a lot of information I could share about this. But I do want to remain semi-private, so I'll try to stick to the highlights and answer questions as needed. Instead of stating hard numbers, I'll compare against the value of my car according to Kelly Blue Book.

      I'm reaching out here because I'm not a "car person" and I haven't gone through anything like this before. I figured if there's any other angles or strategies I'm missing then you all will probably fill in my blind spots. I want this to be over ASAP, but I also don't want to pay for the damage they've caused since it's thousands of dollars.

      What happened:

      • In May my car started having acceleration issues. I brought it in for repair at a dealership I've gone to for 2 years who has an in-house service department. The dealership's name includes the name of my car's manufacturer, so they're a specialized licensed dealer.
      • At first they thought my catalytic converter was the issue, so they ran a bunch of tests. After extensive troubleshooting, they ended up taking it off and confirmed there was no damage or clogs. I received written updates, so this is well-documented.
      • There is a known defect with engines in cars like mine. Therefore they put in a request for a free engine replacement, which was approved. They also reexamined my car after the approval was granted and recommended replacing another part at the same time. I approved and paid for that myself.
      • When they gave me back my car, it was making a lot of weird sounds. I commented on it during pickup, and they told me not to drive too fast. Turns out it wasn't able to go on the highway at all and the check engine light quickly came on. I notified them and they asked me to return it. I put 100 miles on it during that period. For reference, driving on a highway has never been an issue for me.
      • Upon examination, they informed me my catalytic converter was fully clogged and that it needed to be replaced. The sent me a quote for half the value of my car, a major expense.
      • At first they tried arguing that it passed their test drive. But after I pointed out that I only drove 100 miles, they said it must have been clogged the whole time and they missed it repeatedly. They also said the new engine could in theory cause the issue, but stopped short of recommending it be replaced yet again. They also told me I could take my car somewhere else to get the repair done for cheaper. I have this conversation recorded.
      • So I haven't had a working car for 100+ days now. It's still at the dealership and they've been trying to pressure me into taking it away, even though it's not save to drive and driving it could cause more damage.
      • I've asked for a loaner vehicle repeatedly, and I'm always told none are available and that I'm on the wait list.

      Here's what I've done so far.

      • I have a support case with the manufacturer's national customer support system. I don't have my case managers direct line, but I call the regular line every day asking for updates. I also ask for it to be escalated and expedited. Sometimes the person tries to go above and beyond to give me the latest updates, but ultimately I don't think this is helping much. A request for a "good will" repair has been submitted and is awaiting review. Both my case manager and the dealership have told me it can take months to be reviewed. The person reviewing it is a regional manager. I've asked for their contact information but so far they've refused to disclose that.
      • I've spoken to a lawyer briefly. They seemed to think it wouldn't be worth hiring them for this. They advised filing a claim against the dealership's insurer. As a backup, file a claim with my insurer and have them go after the dealership's insurer to cover the cost. I'm nervous about going this route because if they're not able to recoup then that claim would stay on my record which does have financial implications.
      • I've asked the dealership directly for their insurance to file a claim. They refused to give it to me, saying only they file claims against their insurance. I don't know how else to try extracting this information. Cold calling as a prospective customer? Is it hanging on one of their walls maybe?
      • I've spoken with the dealership's manager who oversees used cars. They made me an insultingly low offer yesterday, about 10% of its value. For reference, my car is less than 10 years old. Part of the reason it's so low is because they're budgeting in the repair. The manager doesn't seem to care that they damaged my car. But it does seem like they want the car off the lot, so maybe if I hold the line on this front the offer will increase. Unless they tow it, which I do slightly fear.
      • I made some phone calls to governmental entities in my state. I've narrowed in on one entity that I'm told should have records of the dealership's insurance and also allow me to file a complaint. I got a voicemail today, but fingers crossed I can connect with them tomorrow.
      • I sent an email to an executive last week. If I don't hear back I plan on doing this weekly with different executives. I'll add the names of each executive I've contacted to the bottom so the person has that additional context.
      • I've reached out a local TV station who investigates things in the community. If I don't hear back I plan on contacting another one next week. I live in big city so I'm not confident this avenue will be fruitful.
      • I've looked briefly into small claims court, but even a positive outcome requires me to collect. So that doesn't seem particularly helpful.
      • I've looked briefly into leaving a BBB review, but I'm not sure that will accomplish much.
      30 votes
    3. [SOLVED] Need help troubleshooting computer

      Solution It was probably my motherboard. I got a new CPU and motherboard and it worked. I also upgraded from DDR3 to DDR4 ram in the upgrade process Background So my computer is not posting, and I...

      Solution

      It was probably my motherboard. I got a new CPU and motherboard and it worked. I also upgraded from DDR3 to DDR4 ram in the upgrade process

      Background

      So my computer is not posting, and I am unsure the cause. I am not getting an error code, so that complicates things. I do not know if this motherboard will provide post codes, it does not have a seven segment display for providing post codes.

      How it started

      It just randomly stopped displaying any pictures, unsure if it happened while in use or when the computer was asleep. I was doing stuff at my desk and had music playing on my computer. The music ended and I did not put on more music and the monitors went to sleep. Later when I went to use my computer It did not appear to wake up, I tried fully shutting down and turning on my computer, and that is when this problem occurred.

      Symptoms:

      • When I power on, computer appears to start normally, with all fans spinning so power delivery appears to be working. Even GPU fans are spinning.
      • Holding down the power button turns the computer off as normal.
      • Nothing is displayed on the screen, my monitors do not even detect an input.
      • USB devices do not appear to be powering on.
      • Every minute or two, the GPU fans ramp up briefly, and then ramp down. It may be all fans are ramping up, kind of hard to tell exactly which fans are ramping up.
      • With the AMD GPU, the LEDs for power turn on. However, I vaguely recall the GPU itself having some RGB when the system was running that was not on. How my computer was setup I did not see inside my case that often, so the RGB on the GPU is a vague memory from a few years ago and I would not put much weight in there being some RGB.

      Hardware:

      • MOBO: Gigabyte 9900FXA-UD3
      • CPU: AMD FX-8350
      • GPU: ASUS Radeon HD7870 or EVGA GTX 970
      • PSU: Cooler Master Elite V2 550W

      Troubleshooting Attempted:

      I initially assumed it was GPU related as the computer appears to turn on normally, but then nothing is displayed. So another user shipped me his old GPU (the GTX 970), and I swapped it out with my old one, and the problem persists.

      I tried swapping out the RAM

      I tried a brand new PSU and that also did not solve the issue

      Leading hypothesis

      Since I have changed everything out except CPU and MOBO, I am thinking it is probably my MOBO. I am currently researching my options for replacing my MOBO, or a friend offered me his CPU and RAM from his old rig with a broken MOBO that may be a better option than replacing mine.

      22 votes
    4. Midweek Movie Free Talk

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      Have you watched any movies recently you want to discuss? Any films you want to recommend or are hyped about? Feel free to discuss anything here.

      Please just try to provide fair warning of spoilers if you can.

      8 votes
    5. What did you do this week (and weekend)?

      As part of a weekly series, these topics are a place for users to casually discuss the things they did — or didn't do — during their week. Did you accomplish any goals? Suffer a failure? Do...

      As part of a weekly series, these topics are a place for users to casually discuss the things they did — or didn't do — during their week. Did you accomplish any goals? Suffer a failure? Do nothing at all? Tell us about it!

      3 votes
    6. Looking for interesting or unconventional wedding ring jewelers/designers

      I'm in the market for wedding bands. Rather than settling for a traditional plain gold wedding band, I want to explore the more artistic options. Jewelry has rarely ever worked for me, either I...

      I'm in the market for wedding bands. Rather than settling for a traditional plain gold wedding band, I want to explore the more artistic options. Jewelry has rarely ever worked for me, either I take it off and forget about it or lose it, hopefully something ultra unique will help make it an exception. Ideally something under 1000 Euro/USD. Of course I'm shopping around my city and neighboring ones as well, since you never know where you'll find a hidden gem.

      Ideally I would find an artisanal jeweler in Europe. But as an example of what inspired me is this Patrick Adair: https://patrickadairdesigns.com/ I first found about him when I saw videos of how he made rings from superconductor coils/cables. He uses a very wide range of materials and I find almost all of his work aesthetically pleasing, even if I wouldn't wear most of them.

      20 votes
    7. Fitness Weekly Discussion

      What have you been doing lately for your own fitness? Try out any new programs or exercises? Have any questions for others about your training? Want to vent about poor behavior in the gym? Started...

      What have you been doing lately for your own fitness? Try out any new programs or exercises? Have any questions for others about your training? Want to vent about poor behavior in the gym? Started a new diet or have a new recipe you want to share? Anything else health and wellness related?

      3 votes
    8. Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix 2024 - Results

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      Thought that was a rather boring race. First half or so was just tire management. The added DRS zone didn't really spice anything up, as so many of the gaps were greater than 1 second. Even in the late race when the gaps tightened up, didn't seem like passing was possible. Perez couldn't get around Hulk. Leclerc couldn't get around Russell.

      On a more positive note, Colapinto continues to kill it. Albon had to retire due to a PU cooling issue, but even before that, Colapinto passed his teammate on a great move at the start. One that Albon was not particularly happy about! Unfortuantely, Perez just nudged Colapinto out of the points.

      McLaren continues to extend their recently-attained lead in the Constructor Championship. McLaren is ahead of Red Bull by 41 points. Though with 6 races left, that's not quite a guarantee just yet.

      Anyway, we begin the unofficial autumn break. 4 weeks until COTA. A whole month. Sigh. Since we're entering another break, I'll also post the current Constructor and Driver Championships standings below.

      Next race:

      United States Grand Prix
      Circuit of the Americas -- Austin, Texas
      Sunday, October 20

      Provisional Race Results -- SPOILER
      Pos No Driver Car Laps Time/retired Pts
      1 4 Lando Norris McLaren Mercedes 62 1:40:52.571 25
      2 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 62 +20.945s 18
      3 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren Mercedes 62 +41.823s 15
      4 63 George Russell Mercedes 62 +61.040s 12
      5 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 62 +62.430s 10
      6 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 62 +85.248s 8
      7 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 62 +96.039s 6
      8 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 61 +1 lap 4
      9 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas Ferrari 61 +1 lap 2
      10 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 61 +1 lap 1
      11 43 Franco Colapinto Williams Mercedes 61 +1 lap 0
      12 22 Yuki Tsunoda RB Honda RBPT 61 +1 lap 0
      13 31 Esteban Ocon Alpine Renault 61 +1 lap 0
      14 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 61 +1 lap 0
      15 24 Zhou Guanyu Kick Sauber Ferrari 61 +1 lap 0
      16 77 Valtteri Bottas Kick Sauber Ferrari 61 +1 lap 0
      17 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine Renault 61 +1 lap 0
      18 3 Daniel Ricciardo RB Honda RBPT 61 +1 lap 0
      19 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas Ferrari 57 DNF 0
      NC 23 Alexander Albon Williams Mercedes 15 DNF 0

      Fastest Lap: Daniel Ricciardo

      Source: F1.com

      Current World Constructor Championship Standings -- SPOILER
      Pos Team Pts
      1 McLaren Mercedes 516
      2 Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 475
      3 Ferrari 441
      4 Mercedes 329
      5 Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 86
      6 RB Honda RBPT 34
      7 Haas Ferrari 31
      8 Williams Mercedes 16
      9 Alpine Renault 13
      10 Kick Sauber Ferrari 0

      Source: F1.com

      Current World Driver Championship Standings -- SPOILER
      Pos Driver Nationality Car Pts
      1 Max Verstappen NED Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 331
      2 Lando Norris GBR McLaren Mercedes 279
      3 Charles Leclerc MON Ferrari 245
      4 Oscar Piastri AUS McLaren Mercedes 237
      5 Carlos Sainz ESP Ferrari 190
      6 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes 174
      7 George Russell GBR Mercedes 155
      8 Sergio Perez MEX Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 144
      9 Fernando Alonso ESP Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 62
      10 Nico Hulkenberg GER Haas Ferrari 24
      11 Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 24
      12 Yuki Tsunoda JPN RB Honda RBPT 22
      13 Alexander Albon THA Williams Mercedes 12
      14 Daniel Ricciardo AUS RB Honda RBPT 12
      15 Pierre Gasly FRA Alpine Renault 8
      16 Oliver Bearman GBR Haas Ferrari 7
      17 Kevin Magnussen DEN Haas Ferrari 6
      18 Esteban Ocon FRA Alpine Renault 5
      19 Franco Colapinto ARG Williams Mercedes 4
      20 Zhou Guanyu CHN Kick Sauber Ferrari 0
      21 Logan Sargeant USA Williams Mercedes 0
      22 Valtteri Bottas FIN Kick Sauber Ferrari 0

      Source: F1.com

      15 votes
    9. What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga)

      What have you been watching and reading this week? You don't need to give us a whole essay if you don't want to, but please write something! Feel free to talk about something you saw that was...

      What have you been watching and reading this week? You don't need to give us a whole essay if you don't want to, but please write something! Feel free to talk about something you saw that was cool, something that was bad, ask for recommendations, or anything else you can think of.

      If you want to, feel free to find the thing you're talking about and link to its pages on Anilist, MAL, or any other database you use!

      7 votes
    10. Are DAOs still a thing?

      Early last year, there were some rather heady predictions within my company about the potential/future of decentralized autonomous organizations. (That a DAO would be running a real company, that...

      Early last year, there were some rather heady predictions within my company about the potential/future of decentralized autonomous organizations. (That a DAO would be running a real company, that a DAO would play an important role in an election somewhere, etc.) They have not come true. From my perspective, the same generally seems to be the case for nearly all Web3 components.

      That led me to wonder, though - are DAOs still a thing? Is there quiet potential there and the hype machine has simply moved on to LLMs... or was hype all there ever was?

      Have any of you seen any actual uses of a DAO? I would love to hear about it if so.

      16 votes
    11. How do I sync my dotfiles between PC and laptop?

      I've been struggling with this for a long time. I want to keep my workflow consistent independent of my "workstation", and have identical dotfiles (like .bashrc, .vimrc etc.) on different devices....

      I've been struggling with this for a long time. I want to keep my workflow consistent independent of my "workstation", and have identical dotfiles (like .bashrc, .vimrc etc.) on different devices.

      So... How you personally deal with this issue, and what should I do?

      Thanks!

      12 votes
    12. Moments of Pride

      I thought this might be a nice thread for folks to share some happy LGBTQ things, more personal things than news but if it impacts you personally, go for it. I was just sitting on the porch...

      I thought this might be a nice thread for folks to share some happy LGBTQ things, more personal things than news but if it impacts you personally, go for it. I was just sitting on the porch wearing my Totally Gay shirt thinking we needed a happy thread.

      Share moments of Pride, queer joy, winning against those who would discriminate, whatever strikes you.

      24 votes
    13. Parent on deathbed? Go or not?

      My only living parent has between one and five days left to live. The parent is unable to speak now and has had dementia for the last 5 years and will not recognize who I am if I go visit now in...

      My only living parent has between one and five days left to live. The parent is unable to speak now and has had dementia for the last 5 years and will not recognize who I am if I go visit now in these final hours.

      They live a few thousand miles away from me; it would be expensive to go and money is painfully tight right now with my partner unexpectedly unemployed and struggling to get a job comparable to the job just lost.

      I’m somewhat estranged from this parent. The short version is this parent is a narcissist and really didn’t show up when I was growing up, or at any point in my adult life, or really at any point when it mattered. Despite this person being a really crappy parent, they exerted a massive gravitational pull in my life through many decades—basically, this parent loomed very large for far too long given the extreme narcissism, albeit much less so in the last decade or two. (Dementia and my coming to terms with it all and caring less and time and my having my own kids and my starting my own family all being some sort of salve.)

      I have one very close friend who is telling me that it is critical to go before this parent dies because being present while they are still living will give me a kind of closure and unexpected resolutions that I cannot even anticipate now. This friend is quite adamant that going is critical for personal growth.

      A different close friend says that going while the person is still alive is a complete waste and that I should go for the funeral instead where I can see other relatives and connect with my sibling and other relatives and deepen those relationships which (the friend says) will be a momentous transition point for us all, creating a better sense of family than any of us could have ever had while this person was alive. This friend insists that the healing and closure is identical pre-death and post-death, but that the extra emotional burden of seeing someone dying will derail me and never be able to be “unseen.” This person thinks spending money on two trips is foolish, so the one trip to go on is for the memorial. FWIW, My sibling is only going for the memorial.

      Even if money were no object, I’m not sure I could emotionally handle going twice. I suppose I can, but that’s very time intensive and I have young kids myself who need me and for whom it would be a strain if I were gone for too long. I’ve already said it, but I have to say it again: money is really tight Going twice feels possible, but extremely difficult

      I guess what I’m really trying to understand, if my feelings for this parent are presently ambivalence that grew over a decade or two from what was formerly extreme anger and hurt, is there something meaningful about going while the parent is still alive? Is there something important that happens before the person dies that is in someway healing or transformative or valuable? Is it more important to instead go when my sibling is going? Should I max the credit card and go twice? Should I risk infuriating and deeply damaging my relationships with my extended family and not go at all to save money? (This last option seems wrong, but it is a possibility, so I feel like it at least deserves considering.)

      Friends of Tildes, what did you gain or lose from seeing a relative in hospice? What thoughts and wisdom do you have to share around moments like these?

      Thank you in advance for sharing your stories. I’m sure your collective wisdom will help me make a better choice.

      28 votes
    14. TV Tuesdays Free Talk

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      Have you watched any TV shows recently you want to discuss? Any shows you want to recommend or are hyped about? Feel free to discuss anything here.

      Please just try to provide fair warning of spoilers if you can.

      8 votes
    15. What have you been listening to this week?

      What have you been listening to this week? You don't need to do a 6000 word review if you don't want to, but please write something! If you've just picked up some music, please update on that as...

      What have you been listening to this week? You don't need to do a 6000 word review if you don't want to, but please write something! If you've just picked up some music, please update on that as well, we'd love to see your hauls :)

      Feel free to give recs or discuss anything about each others' listening habits.

      You can make a chart if you use last.fm:

      http://www.tapmusic.net/lastfm/

      Remember that linking directly to your image will update with your future listening, make sure to reupload to somewhere like imgur if you'd like it to remain what you have at the time of posting.

      9 votes
    16. Tildes Video Thread

      Find yourself watching tons of great videos on [insert chosen video sharing platform], but also find yourself reluctant to flood the Tildes front page with them? Then this thread is for you. It...

      Find yourself watching tons of great videos on [insert chosen video sharing platform], but also find yourself reluctant to flood the Tildes front page with them? Then this thread is for you.

      It could be one quirky video that you feel deserves some eyeballs on it, or perhaps you've got a curated list of videos that you'd love to talk us through...

      Share some of the best video content you've watched this past week/fortnight with us!

      9 votes
    17. What modern alternatives for webrings are there?

      After the debacle with Reddit, Twitter, et al some of my friends an I decided to stop posting to corporate walled gardens and instead focus on sharing and co-creating. I remember reading about...

      After the debacle with Reddit, Twitter, et al some of my friends an I decided to stop posting to corporate walled gardens and instead focus on sharing and co-creating.

      I remember reading about modern alternatives for WebRings two years ago, but can't for the life of me find them or remember what they were called! Tiny web? TinyRing? SmallWeb? Does this ring a bell for some of you?

      Alternatively, I'd appreciate if you could share ideas and approaches to alternative/indy syndication or agreggation.

      Thanks !

      EDIT: ding ding ding https://indieweb.org/Micro.blog

      25 votes
    18. Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news

      Tildes is a very serious site, where we discuss very serious matters like usps, obituaries and pagers. Tags culled from the highest voted topics from the last seven days, if anyone was nosey. But...

      Tildes is a very serious site, where we discuss very serious matters like usps, obituaries and pagers. Tags culled from the highest voted topics from the last seven days, if anyone was nosey.

      But one of my favourite tags happens to be offbeat! Taking its original inspiration from Sir Nils Olav III, this thread is looking for any far-fetched offbeat stories lurking in the newspapers. It may not deserve its own post, but it deserves a wider audience!

      16 votes
    19. Should I be friends with this person?

      I've been friends with someone for 18 months that seems to be taking the friendship in an inappropriate direction. Well, it started inappropriate as well. At my last job we all sat in cubicles....

      I've been friends with someone for 18 months that seems to be taking the friendship in an inappropriate direction. Well, it started inappropriate as well.

      At my last job we all sat in cubicles. One day, having just led my ornithologist brother on a small bird tour of the area, I described the trip to a co-worker. Someone I'd never noticed before popped up from behind a cube wall and started asking questions. She introduced herself and for the next few days continued to strike up conversations with me.

      After a certain amount of this I wondered if this was a romantic interest from her. I was already counting the days until I would quit the job so saw little reason not to ask her out for a drink. When I proposed the idea she gave me a devious smile and we quietly headed out. Afterwards, in the settling of the tab, I Venmo'd her for a beer and noticed her Venmo account had a different last name than she has at work and asked about that. She's Chinese and I wasn't sure if sometimes Chinese people might have an anglicized last name in addition to their first name. "Oh, sometimes I use one, sometimes the other" was all I got. Nothing physical occurred or was initiated.

      A week later after texting and going to a company workout class together she tells me that she is married. I'm absolutely shocked and feel like I've been used as part of someone's adulterous fantasy. The style of our conversations seemed identical to the getting-to-know-you type of stuff you cover on first dates. But I wasn't sure. Maybe I misread the situation. I tell her I'm not comfortable with the situation and we stop talking for a week. But I'd already joined the group workout class on her recommendation and would see her there anyway. I decided that I didn't really know what her intentions were and would give her the benefit of the doubt. She seemed to be interested in us having a friendship.

      But I really wanted to know... what did happen? One of my favorite podcasts is Heavyweight. In it, Jonathan Goldstein plays the role of a social detective. People come to him with relationship issues from their past and he, without the restraint most people feel, badgers people for answers with his journalistic skills. I suspect I am mildly autistic, so for me many mundane social interactions carry mystery. To have Goldstein take relatable life experiences and crack them open for all to see is powerful. It's like we can finally get some goddamn answers to people's closest kept secrets.

      So as time went on I got integrated into her group of friends, met her husband, her dog. Her husband seems like a great guy. But my friend would give indications of unhappiness in her marriage, often in groups when he was not around, occasionally over text message to me. I never engaged.

      She had some hard-to-get permits for a backpacking trip. It would be a trip of four. Her husband was not interested so she invited three friends including myself. I went on the trip, made a new friend who just moved to my city, and had a great time. Immediately afterwards we started planning a new trip.

      At some point my female friend did initiate a conversation on what she was thinking when we went out for a drink and what happened during the days after before she told me she was married. It boiled down to her wanting my friendship but not wanting to change my behavior. In my interpretation she wanted the attention of being dated. I honestly wasn't sure how much I believed this explanation - and even on its face it didn't sound super great.

      So we just got back from another backpacking trip - myself, my female friend, and a male friend of hers who is married. During the trip I ended up discussing my sexuality with the two of them. I consider myself to be on the spectrum of asexuality. I described, as best I could, what makes me attracted to people (an emotional connection, their personality and intelligence, etc.) and the short list of people I had found myself strongly attracted to. I didn't list my female friend - I had lost most of my interest with that initial feeling of being used a year and a half ago. And a couple weeks isn't quite enough time for me to really get things revved up. Visibly I could see she was very confused but I didn't acknowledge her reaction. "Wasn't there one more ... the married one?" I dodged the question.

      On the drive back her male friend brought up the topic of my sexuality again. I answered his questions. My female friend seemed to again want to know if I was attracted to her. "Do you ever find your friends attractive?" "Are you attracted to older women?" (she's older than me)

      On my side of things, this friendship has been predicated on the idea that as long as I didn't engage with anything I consider to be unethical there couldn't be any harm done. But now I'm not so sure. And what's worse - I'm finding myself attracted to her again because of her interest.

      I've been thinking about having a conversation about how she's making me uncomfortable. I think it's past the point where there's any chance nothing's going on. I really do not get the impression she's trying to leave her husband. I just feel played with.

      Edit: Okay, the friend in question is away for a few weeks but I'll have a conversation with them when they get back to figure this out.

      30 votes
    20. Why don't governments invest in their own dating apps? Would you use one?

      I've thought about this off and on for like a year. It, as far as I know, seems well documented that populations are struggling with dating and marriages, especially in the younger generations. A...

      I've thought about this off and on for like a year.

      It, as far as I know, seems well documented that populations are struggling with dating and marriages, especially in the younger generations. A lot of people attribute it to things like finances, working hours, cost of living, etc, but also the abysmal online dating circus. People don't seem to go out with the intention of meeting people as much, and so most turn to apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge. But with these apps basically monopolized by the Match group, and none of the parent companies have an actual incentive to get people off the app, it seems like a ripe opportunity for governments everywhere to try and fill in the gap.

      As they don't have the investor profit motive, but they do have a very strong motive for people to get together, have relationships, marriages, eventually babies. And this is just a baseless claim on my part, but I imagine it could be stimulating to local economies as more people go on dates. I know at least my ass doesn't go anywhere really when I'm single.

      29 votes
    21. Which debut albums from the 2020s do you recommend?

      We’re almost halfway through the 2020s (hard to believe it, I know!). I’m interested in knowing which music newcomers we should be tuning into, instead of listening to all the same old stuff we...

      We’re almost halfway through the 2020s (hard to believe it, I know!).

      I’m interested in knowing which music newcomers we should be tuning into, instead of listening to all the same old stuff we always do from the last decade.

      So, what have been your favorite debut albums of the 2020s so far? What makes them great?

      38 votes
    22. What programming/technical projects have you been working on?

      This is a recurring post to discuss programming or other technical projects that we've been working on. Tell us about one of your recent projects, either at work or personal projects. What's...

      This is a recurring post to discuss programming or other technical projects that we've been working on. Tell us about one of your recent projects, either at work or personal projects. What's interesting about it? Are you having trouble with anything?

      7 votes
    23. Share your personal dotfile treats and Unix tool recommendations

      I am currently preparing for a new job and cleaning up my dotfile repository. During the process, I had the idea that it would be nice to create a list of amazing tools, aliases, functions, and...

      I am currently preparing for a new job and cleaning up my dotfile repository. During the process, I had the idea that it would be nice to create a list of amazing tools, aliases, functions, and recommendations together.

      I will start.

      First, here is a list of nice tools to apt-get install or brew install that I can wholeheartedly recommend:

      • nvim is just an amazing text editor.
      • fzf is a very good fuzzy finder util. For example, you can quickly find files with it.
      • eza is a good ls replacement (and the successor of exa).
      • bat is a great replacement for cat with nice integrations and many options.
      • stow is great for managing your dotfiles. Thanks to @TangibleLight for telling me about it some while ago. I really love it.
      • tmux is a terminal multiplexer, i.e. you can have many sessions in one single terminal window. It's easy to use and super helpful. (When on a mac, I prefer iTerm tabs, though.)
      • nvm is practically a must if you are working with Node.
      • glow is an excellent markdown reader.
      • tldr is a nice man replacement. (You must run tldr -u after installing it to update available texts.)
      • z, an amazing tool for switching directories quickly.

      Also, I can recommend Oh My ZSH! which I have been using for years.

      Here is a small list of aliases I enjoy (I have 100+ aliases and I tried to pick some others may enjoy as well):

      # Serve current dir
      alias serve="npx serve ."
      
      # What's my IP?
      alias ip="curl --silent --compressed --max-time 5 --url 'https://ipinfo.io/ip' && echo ''"
      
      # This should be the default
      alias mkdir="mkdir -p"
      
      # Nice git helpers
      alias amend="git add . && git commit --amend --no-edit"
      alias nuke="git clean -df && git reset --hard"
      
      # Make which more powerful
      which='(alias; declare -f) | /usr/bin/which --tty-only --read-alias --read-functions --show-tilde --show-dot'
      
      # This saves so many keystrokes, honestly
      alias -- +x="chmod +x"
      
      # Turns your path into a nice list and prints it
      alias path='echo -e ${PATH//:/\\n}'
      
      # Map over arguments and run a command
      # Usage: map <command>
      # Example: ls | map cat
      alias map="xargs -n1"
      

      And, finally, here are some fun functions:

      # Get cheat sheets for almost anything!
      # https://github.com/chubin/cheat.sh
      cheat() {
          WITH_PLUS=$(echo $@ | sed 's/ /+/g')
          CAT_TOOL=$(command -v batcat || command -v bat || command -v cat)
          curl "cheat.sh/$WITH_PLUS" | $CAT_TOOL
      }
      
      # Send everything to /dev/null
      nullify() {
        "$@" >/dev/null 2>&1
      }
      
      # Create a new dir and enter it
      mk() {
        mkdir -p "$@" && cd "$_"
      }
      
      # Create a data URL from a file
      # Source: https://github.com/mathiasbynens/dotfiles/blob/master/.functions
      data-url() {
      	local mimeType=$(file -b --mime-type "$1");
      	if [[ $mimeType == text/* ]]; then
      		mimeType="${mimeType};charset=utf-8";
      	fi
      	echo "data:${mimeType};base64,$(openssl base64 -in "$1" | tr -d '\n')";
      }
      
      74 votes
    24. IPTV and 'Firestick' hacking

      As per the title, is anyone into hacking about with Firestick devices and getting some world free IPTV? Essentially it's just Kodi with plugins and Add-ons, and they're generally just python...

      As per the title, is anyone into hacking about with Firestick devices and getting some world free IPTV?

      Essentially it's just Kodi with plugins and Add-ons, and they're generally just python scripts anyway.

      I've just fallen down this rabbit hole after a friend said he'd gotten a Firestick off a bloke down the pub for £75 for the year. He said its Sky Glass and loads of box sets and what not.

      A quick inspection and it's not Sky Glass, it's a custom skin for an IPTV player. The box sets are a mix of Real Debrid links and what looks to be the Eupherium plug in which uses torrents. Straight away I threw a VPN on his stick with the killswitch enabled.

      Anyway, I decided to see what I could with basics on my own Firestick for free. I used Kodi, Eupherium, The Crew's Daddy Live, The Loop, and a sports plug in. I managed to set up Electronic Program Guide (EPG) for most of it. I used Surfshark from the get go as this is all dodgy, but it's purely for experimental purposes.

      It's great doing this for free but there are some downsides:

      Channels are hit and miss whether they are even near HD quality. Streams are often low fps and you need to rely on interpolation on the TV to smooth the stream out.

      Kodi often crashes during use or startup requiring a cache clearance.

      Steams change often. They can be great one day, the next that IPTV is dead and you need to pick another which may or may not work.

      I realise there is a whole underground network for private streams and people are making serious bank selling these for PPV access alone.

      What are people's thoughts on all of this? I work in the TV industry and it's bad for businesses, but at the same time, there are far too many fat cats around making this industry drown.

      14 votes
    25. EV discussion thread

      Just though it might be nice to have a space for general EV discussion here on Tildes. The only other space I know of to talk on the subject is r/electricvehicles, which has gotten big enough to...

      Just though it might be nice to have a space for general EV discussion here on Tildes. The only other space I know of to talk on the subject is r/electricvehicles, which has gotten big enough to get polarized and echo-chambery… prepare to get bombarded if you say anything positive about EV models from Japanese manufacturers or suggest that a used Chevy Bolt isn’t a great fit for everybody, for example.

      Anyway, what is everybody driving and how do you like it? Has it given you any trouble? Any upcoming models you’re excited about or interested in? If you don’t drive one now, is there a model you’re eying?

      Right now I’m driving a 2023 Nissan Ariya Platinum+, which I chose because it’s what I could get a reasonable lease deal on without too much trouble. It’s been great for the most part but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t total overkill for my needs… something more like a modernized electric Golf would better fit me, but those don’t exist in the US, so here I am.

      The upcoming model I’m most interested in is by far the Rivian R3. It’s sized about the same as a Golf, the retro styling is cool, and its got several high-utility features that make it almost seem like a reincarnation of the Toyota Matrix (fold flat seats including front passenger, back hatch window that can open to accommodate long objects, etc) without the Matrix’s weaknesses. The Pacific Northwest inspired interior of the higher end R3X model looks gorgeous too and is a welcome departure from the sterile grayscale interiors that EVs have become known for.

      38 votes
    26. Fitness Weekly Discussion

      What have you been doing lately for your own fitness? Try out any new programs or exercises? Have any questions for others about your training? Want to vent about poor behavior in the gym? Started...

      What have you been doing lately for your own fitness? Try out any new programs or exercises? Have any questions for others about your training? Want to vent about poor behavior in the gym? Started a new diet or have a new recipe you want to share? Anything else health and wellness related?

      3 votes
    27. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      16 votes
    28. Midweek Movie Free Talk

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      Have you watched any movies recently you want to discuss? Any films you want to recommend or are hyped about? Feel free to discuss anything here.

      Please just try to provide fair warning of spoilers if you can.

      6 votes
    29. Fitness Weekly Discussion

      What have you been doing lately for your own fitness? Try out any new programs or exercises? Have any questions for others about your training? Want to vent about poor behavior in the gym? Started...

      What have you been doing lately for your own fitness? Try out any new programs or exercises? Have any questions for others about your training? Want to vent about poor behavior in the gym? Started a new diet or have a new recipe you want to share? Anything else health and wellness related?

      11 votes
    30. Tildes should recognize the Gaza Genocide, and moderate accordingly

      This has been on my mind for a while, and I've voiced a similar concern 1.5 months ago in the recurring topic, but it went unnoticed. Israel has been and still is actively committing genocide...

      This has been on my mind for a while, and I've voiced a similar concern 1.5 months ago in the recurring topic, but it went unnoticed.

      Israel has been and still is actively committing genocide against people of Gaza. You can read a summary of the reasons it's being called a genocide in the Wikipedia entry (and its sources) . Wikipedia itself has recognized it as genocide, naming the entry Gaza Genocide, and it's a major feat considering the contentious nature of the topic and the heavy regulation and debates in Wikipedia culture. Even a UN human rights experts said in March that there are reasonable grounds to think a genocide is being committed, and UN is dominated by US influence, and is much slower to act and react, especially when western or US interests are concerned (which applies in this case, because Israel is an ally).

      Israel's online propaganda machine has been hard at work about this issue, in order to control the narrative (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Israel also now ranks among the world’s leading jailers of journalists., another evidence of their commitment to suppress dissenting voices and control the narrative around this issue. It's also worth noting that western coverage of Israel's acts has been said to be legitimising Israel's behavior.

      I think most things in the world are some shades of gray, and it's very understandable for people to have ambivalent attitudes about it, but I do not think this is one of those cases, for the following reasons.

      • There is an active, ongoing genocide.
      • The genocider nation-state has been spreading its propaganda to control the international narrative, especially in US (because US is its biggest ally and funder). It's doing this because it knows support from US and its allies is crucial to keep the genocide going. This involves manufacturing consent in the citizens of these nations.
      • Tildes is heavily populated with citizens of US and other western nations.
      • Not actively opposing this propaganda means one is helping -albeit indirectly but still significantly- the genocider nation.

      I should clarify that, as of this moment, I'm not blaming the moderators, and I'm not saying they are doing this consciously and with full consideration. Instead, I'm trying to illustrate what is going on in the wider context, and what the actions in this mini-environment mean in the wider context. Simply put, genocidal propaganda is not an issue where you can follow the middle-ground, especially when you have power over a community.

      For these reasons, I propose two changes in terms of moderation.

      1. Both from now on and retroactively, change the names of the "Israel-Hamas war megathreads" to "Gaza Genocide megathreads".
      2. Create and, both from now on and retroactively, use the tag "Gaza Genocide" when tagging.

      The first point is self-explanatory. As for the second point, there comes up only 4 topics when I search for "Gaza Genocide" in the site, even though there have been numerous discussions about it. None of them have the mentioned tag, but they have the Gaza and Genocide tags separately. Furthermore, one of the topics is mine, and I had put the tag Gaza Genocide but it was later removed by moderation, and replaced with other tags mentioning this topic. Again, not throwing personal shade to anyone, but I think this is not a good way to go about this topic. A special tag would give it more visibility, which the victims of the genocide need.

      These are my suggestions. If anyone can think of anything else, they are welcome to share as well.

      64 votes
    31. What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga)

      What have you been watching and reading this week? You don't need to give us a whole essay if you don't want to, but please write something! Feel free to talk about something you saw that was...

      What have you been watching and reading this week? You don't need to give us a whole essay if you don't want to, but please write something! Feel free to talk about something you saw that was cool, something that was bad, ask for recommendations, or anything else you can think of.

      If you want to, feel free to find the thing you're talking about and link to its pages on Anilist, MAL, or any other database you use!

      8 votes
    32. Data security help - SOC2ish

      Hi Tilderinos, I head up a small startup and we're looking to get some support for our data security. Up until now we've worked with small mom and pops that didn't have any requirements, but a few...

      Hi Tilderinos,

      I head up a small startup and we're looking to get some support for our data security. Up until now we've worked with small mom and pops that didn't have any requirements, but a few of our new clients have full data security teams and our infrastructure and policies/protocols aren't up to snuff. We reached out to a few consulting firms and they quotes us between $80-100k to get things set up and run us through a full SOC2 review. As a small company we don't really have that type of budget, more like $40-50k. I stumbled upon Vanta and Drata as alternatives and had meetings with their sales folks last week. Both of their offerings from setting up our protocols to monitoring and getting us through a SOC2 were only $16k.

      Are platform based companies like Vanta or Drata enough to get us off the ground while we're still getting set up? Has anyone worked with them before and have any feelings one way or the other? Should we be signing on with a security consulting company - be it at a lower rate if we can negotiate it?
      This is all quite new to me and any insight folks here can provide would be incredible useful.

      12 votes
    33. How to handle a breakup?

      I'm at the end of a decade long relationship. I didn't want it end but that's how it goes sometimes. Any suggestions for how to handle it? Right now all I'm really feeling is shock but I'm sure...

      I'm at the end of a decade long relationship. I didn't want it end but that's how it goes sometimes. Any suggestions for how to handle it? Right now all I'm really feeling is shock but I'm sure that'll fade to sadness soon.

      28 votes
    34. Does anyone have experience with tools for locally archiving the web, like Archivebox for example?

      I found myself on the Archivebox website earlier today. After reading some of it, that's the kind of program I could use. The ephemerous nature of the web is bothersome, so much content is lost...

      I found myself on the Archivebox website earlier today. After reading some of it, that's the kind of program I could use. The ephemerous nature of the web is bothersome, so much content is lost for one reason or another. Archivebox seems to be one of the most popular tools, and it can automatically mirror my locally downloaded website to archive.org, which is great. It seems complex though, maybe more complex than I usually tolerate these days. Which is why I am asking if anyone has personal experience with Archivebox or other similar programs. Do you find them useful and reliable? Have you ever found in your local storage a webpage that you really liked, which was gone from the web? How's your setup?

      Thank ;)

      19 votes
    35. Looking for some good creative woodshedders

      I'm looking for some interesting artists/songwriters/writers/coders/inventors that try to make as many things in their discipline to "git gud". (for example:...

      I'm looking for some interesting artists/songwriters/writers/coders/inventors that try to make as many things in their discipline to "git gud". (for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cI71c2GTLPs) Videos are good, but articles and podcasts are good too!

      6 votes
    36. Eerie video essays

      Hello! I'm currently in the mood to listen to some spooky video essays in the background while I do other things, but I need some recommendations. The general vibe I'm going for would be something...

      Hello! I'm currently in the mood to listen to some spooky video essays in the background while I do other things, but I need some recommendations. The general vibe I'm going for would be something like blameitonjorge, where there's an eerie style of narration and maybe some mood music. The topic doesn't have to be lost media, it can be anything. I'm also familiar with Night Mind, Nexpo, Inside a Mind, and Wendigoon. Any good suggestions?

      20 votes
    37. Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2024 - Results

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      Oscar Piastri is a beast. But so is Leclerc. I really thought Leclerc was going to get the place back a couple times, but Piastri kept closing that door on him. Absolutely great race for the both of them.

      The crash between Perez and Sainz was unfortunate. Perez, especially, was driving a great race. He was ahead of Max! The whole time or pretty close to it, I think. P3/P4 for both would've been a great position for each. But DNFs for both instead.

      I don't think it was 100% either driver's fault, as it sounds like both were trying to get into Leclerc's slipstream and drifted into each other, but I would probably assign more to Perez, just because he could see from behind and could've moved over. But I think it's really just a racing incident. They were racing hard; shit happens.

      Great haul for Williams with 10pts! Even had Sainz and Checo not crashed out, they still would've scored points.

      Anyway, onward to another street circuit: Singapore!

      Next race:

      Singapore Grand Prix
      Marina Bay Street Circuit
      Sunday, September 22

      Provisional Race Results -- SPOILER
      Pos No Driver Car Laps Time/retired Pts
      1 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren Mercedes 51 1:32:58.007 25
      2 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 51 +10.910s 18
      3 63 George Russell Mercedes 51 +31.328s 15
      4 4 Lando Norris McLaren Mercedes 51 +36.143s 13
      5 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 51 +77.098s 10
      6 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 51 +85.468s 8
      7 23 Alexander Albon Williams Mercedes 51 +87.396s 6
      8 43 Franco Colapinto Williams Mercedes 51 +89.541s 4
      9 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 51 +92.401s 2
      10 50 Oliver Bearman Haas Ferrari 51 +93.127s 1
      11 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas Ferrari 51 +93.465s 0
      12 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine Renault 51 +117.189s 0
      13 3 Daniel Ricciardo RB Honda RBPT 51 +146.907s 0
      14 24 Zhou Guanyu Kick Sauber Ferrari 51 +148.841s 0
      15 31 Esteban Ocon Alpine Renault 50 +1 lap 0
      16 77 Valtteri Bottas Kick Sauber Ferrari 50 +1 lap 0
      17 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 49 DNF 0
      18 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 49 DNF 0
      19 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 45 DNF 0
      NC 22 Yuki Tsunoda RB Honda RBPT 14 DNF 0

      Fastest Lap: Lando Norris

      Source: F1.com

      OT/Related: IndyCar's last race of the season is today. Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at the Nashville Superspeedway. 3:00p EDT.

      17 votes
    38. TV Tuesdays Free Talk

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      Have you watched any TV shows recently you want to discuss? Any shows you want to recommend or are hyped about? Feel free to discuss anything here.

      Please just try to provide fair warning of spoilers if you can.

      10 votes