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    1. How do you feel about your PTO?

      I was having a recent conversation with my friends about PTO and who thought they had too much or too little. The results were interesting, so I thought I'd ask Tildes. Are you happy with the...

      I was having a recent conversation with my friends about PTO and who thought they had too much or too little.
      The results were interesting, so I thought I'd ask Tildes.

      • Are you happy with the amount of PTO you get? Do you wish you had more or do you struggle to spend them?
      • US and European PTO is very different, how do you feel about the other side of the pond?
      • Do you like the format you get given PTO? Or is there a better way you'd prefer?

      Let me know!

      Edit: Thanks everyone for responding! So many interesting thoughts and different policies, it's really hard to reply to any specifically lol. I've read them all though!!

      46 votes
    2. Do topic logs get deleted after a period of time?

      I was going to post a question regarding the topic logs but looking through my old posts, I see that much less than I remember have any topic logs on them. I can't tell if I am imagining that alot...

      I was going to post a question regarding the topic logs but looking through my old posts, I see that much less than I remember have any topic logs on them.

      I can't tell if I am imagining that alot more of them used to have topic logs or Deimos coded it to be a temporary record of the changes that the mods here make?

      and if so, why temporary?

      8 votes
    3. How to search the world?

      The world outside my doorstep is unorganized chaos and I am blind to most of its existence. Say I'm looking for a job. And I know what job I want to do. I can search for it on a job listing site,...

      The world outside my doorstep is unorganized chaos and I am blind to most of its existence.

      Say I'm looking for a job. And I know what job I want to do. I can search for it on a job listing site, but there will still be many such jobs that won't be cataloged on the site and that I'll hence be missing. How can I find the rest? What are some alternative approaches?

      Also there are two ways you can end up with a job: either you find it (going on a job search), or it finds you (headhunters etc.). Obviously the latter possibility is much better as it's less tiring and it means you end up with an over-abundance of opportunities (if people message you every week). What are some rules of thumb for life to make it so that the opportunities come to you? (and not only for jobs)

      Often I don't even know what opportunities are on offer out in that misty unknown (and my ADHD brain finds it straining to research them (searching 1 job site feels almost futile because you don't know how many of the actual opportunities you aren't seeing)), so the strategy I resort to is imagining what I concievably expect to be out there and then trying to find it. This has several weaknesses: firstly I could be imagining something that doesn't actually exist and waste hours beating myself up because I can't find it. Or, almost even worse, my limited imagination might be limiting what sorts of opportunities I look for which means I miss out of the truly crazy things out there.

      Here's an example of an alternative approach that worked for me once:

      Last month I wanted to visit a university in another city for a few days to see if I liked it, and I needed a place to stay. I first tried the obvious approach of searching AirBnB for rents I could afford, but none came up. Hence I had to search through the unmapped. What ended up working was: I messaged the students union -> they added me to their whatsapp group -> sb from my country replied to my post on there adding me to a different WA group for students from my country -> sb in that WA group then DM'd saying I could crash on their couch.

      I would have never thought of trying an approach like this when I set out, and yet I must have done something right because it worked. What? The idea to message the students union and join whatsapp groups took quite a lot of straining the creative part of my brain, so I'm wondering whether the approach I took here can somehow be generalized so that I can use it in the future.

      TL;DR: Search engines don't map the world comprehensively. You might not even be searching for the right thing. What are some other good ways to search among the unstructured unknown that is out there?

      15 votes
    4. Is there a way to filter out all link posts?

      I’m new to Tildes and really hope to get into interesting conversations. I’m not really interested in looking at the content behind links and commenting on them though. Is there a way to...

      I’m new to Tildes and really hope to get into interesting conversations. I’m not really interested in looking at the content behind links and commenting on them though. Is there a way to completely filter them all out so that only text posts remain visible to me?

      15 votes
    5. Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news

      Tildes is a very serious site, where we discuss very serious matters like sourcehut, steam.spring sale and communications workers of america. Tags culled from the highest voted topics from the...

      Tildes is a very serious site, where we discuss very serious matters like sourcehut, steam.spring sale and communications workers of america. Tags culled from the highest voted topics from the last seven days, if anyone was keeping track.

      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!

      10 votes
    6. 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!

      6 votes
    7. Looking for mobile puzzle-ish games with a heavy emphasis on stats

      I really love being able to see all sorts of stats -- number of games played, wins/losses, leaderboard rankings, even obscure stats. I also love word, card, and puzzle games. Games like solitaire,...

      I really love being able to see all sorts of stats -- number of games played, wins/losses, leaderboard rankings, even obscure stats.

      I also love word, card, and puzzle games. Games like solitaire, for example, would be PERFECT candidates to lean heavily into the stats, but I just haven't been able to find a good one yet.

      What are your favorite games in these categories? Bonus points if they have an emphasis on keeping records and stats.

      28 votes
    8. Good hobby lamp?

      I want a very bright light to put on the floor next to my current large jigsaw puzzle that I can easily change the angle of so that I get good illumination but not glare where I'm working. I've...

      I want a very bright light to put on the floor next to my current large jigsaw puzzle that I can easily change the angle of so that I get good illumination but not glare where I'm working. I've recently been using flashlights for this, but I want a lamp that plugs into an outlet so I don't keep draining batteries and also because it's kind of annoying to hold a flashlight the whole time.

      I'm thinking some kind of hobby lamp is what I want, but I'm working on the floor not on a table. It should be not super heavy because I'll probably sometimes have to pick it up and carry it to the other side of the puzzle.

      I think anything bright enough to give me sufficient light while puzzling would be too bright to wall-mount because I might look up into it accidentally so I definitely want an angled lamp.

      idk what other information might be useful here, but I don't need or want a magnifying glass, just a bright light.

      thanks!!

      17 votes
    9. 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.

      3 votes
    10. Tips on attending a metal fest in Europe

      It's always been a dream of mine to attend one of those big metal fests - simply don't have those in my country. I'll be traveling to Europe for the first time, and I really want to catch one...

      It's always been a dream of mine to attend one of those big metal fests - simply don't have those in my country. I'll be traveling to Europe for the first time, and I really want to catch one while I'm there.

      I'll be there from 13 July - 29 July this year, particularly on the west side of Europe. Planning to go the UK, Switzerland, Germany and maybe more. I found this fest that seems to fit my criteria, Baden in Blut.

      I just wonder how comfortable I'll be, as someone who only speaks English and is going solo. Should I be worried about anything? Any advice? Thanks!

      18 votes
    11. How can I prevent my work computers turning my home into an oven?

      [Edit] Details on the plan as it stands are here, potentially using one of these heat pumps. Looking for advice before the weather starts to warm up! I'm running multiple GPUs for dev work in my...

      [Edit] Details on the plan as it stands are here, potentially using one of these heat pumps.


      Looking for advice before the weather starts to warm up! I'm running multiple GPUs for dev work in my small home office, and it's pretty much equivalent to having a fan heater running all day. Right now that's actually a bonus, but it really won't be in a couple of months.

      The big heat generating components are all water cooled - partly just to fit them in a sensible amount of space, and partly because I figured I'd end up with exactly this problem and being able to physically pipe the heat elsewhere (ideally outside) would probably be necessary. The bit I'm trying to figure out now is how to actually make that happen...

      Ideas so far:

      • Stick an air duct on the back of the radiator and hang the duct out of the window: straightforward but messy, may be counterproductive depending how hot it is outside and how well I can rig up some kind of baffle between the open window and the duct.

      • Put the whole radiator outside and drill a couple of small holes in the wall for the pipes: this was my first thought, but PC radiators and fans definitely aren't rated for outdoor use, and I'm not sure where to start looking for something that would be designed for that while still being suitable to hook up to the computer waterblocks. I'm also concerned about condensation on the electronics if the coolant gets below indoor ambient temperature overnight.

      • Set up some kind of actual exterior radiator (or heat pump?) outside, and use a heat exchanger between that and the PC cooling loop: seems more like the "proper" way to be doing this, but it's well outside my area of expertise and feels like there would be a lot of potentially expensive stumbling blocks. Also still has the condensation problem, I think.

      • Just crank up the air conditioning: I'm not actually sure if the unit I've got has enough capacity, and it definitely seems wasteful to heat up the air and then use more energy cooling it again rather than dumping the heat directly outside, but maybe I'm wrong there!

      I'm in a kind of awkward middle ground: I'm running enough hardware that this is getting to be an issue beyond what you'd get with normal end user setups, and I'm willing to put some money into fixing it (it's affecting my job and my home, after all!), but I'm self employed and nowhere close to the industrial or datacenter scale that tends to come up when searching for solutions.

      Has anyone dealt with this themselves, or come across small office/homelab scale solutions that might work?

      20 votes
    12. Request: etiquette instructions for neurodiverse teens

      Looking for books that target (1) teen person and (2) parents which go over with a fine tooth comb how to navigate basic social skills. I'm looking for something with as explicit instructions as...

      Looking for books that target (1) teen person and (2) parents which go over with a fine tooth comb how to navigate basic social skills.

      I'm looking for something with as explicit instructions as possible, such as "when someone gives you something, catch their attention, make eye contact, and speak in a loud enough voice to say thank you".

      I need something with troubleshooting involved such as, what if they're not looking at me, what if the environment is loud, what if I have my mouth full, what if I've already said it and they didn't hear. I need the instructions to cover things like "what if I'm supposed to follow two conflicting rules".

      Basically explaining human customs and manners to bodiless angels who do not learn from observation and whose minds are pure intellect wholly sufficient unto itself, and who need to expend energy and effort to interact with mortals on our plane and operate on our dimensions.

      Basics like, how to pass through a doorway when someone is holding the door for you, how to move out of the way when someone is coming towards you on a narrow sidewalk, how to pull over a shopping cart so it doesn't block other shoppers, don't throw/toss things at people when they ask for you to pass an object. These statements have been repeatedly shared with them any number of times to no avail: they're not looking at the world in the same way at all. They're not situationally aware, they're not interested in the world.

      I grew up in a world that just screams at people until they behave out of fear and forced compliance. I'm trying to find a different way. Thank you kindly for any recommendations or suggestions.

      25 votes
    13. If you could go into hibernation and wake up in the future, would you?

      Premise: Pretend that human hibernation/cryostasis is a real technology that's both mature and affordable. You can choose to go into hibernation and wake up at some point in the future to resume...

      Premise: Pretend that human hibernation/cryostasis is a real technology that's both mature and affordable. You can choose to go into hibernation and wake up at some point in the future to resume your life. It's a safe and reliable process.

      You choose when to enter hibernation (could be now, could be 50 years from now or more), and you set your exit either for a certain date or on some condition(s) that you dictate in advance.

      You can expect that you'll be taken care of during that time and your rules for being awakened will be followed.


      What I'm interested in hearing about:

      1. Would you choose to do it? Why or why not?

      If you would decide to do it, some follow-ups:

      1. How would you decide when to enter hibernation? Would you base it on your age? On specific events in the world?
      2. How would you decide when to exit? Would you base it on time, or on certain conditions? Why?
      3. What preparations would you take? How would you help your family and friends understand this decision?
      4. What would you hope to see or experience once you awaken?
      5. How would you plan on adapting to a world that might be completely different from ours on many different fronts (e.g. technology, language, culture, identity, etc.)?

      Even though the situation is hypothetical, I want you to base your answers on your actual experiences and life. So, the question is about whether you, as you are living right now, would choose hibernation (either now or in the future).

      34 votes
    14. An appeal to the community for non-algorithmic recommendations

      TLDR/BLUF: Kindly share your niche, off-the-beaten-path, quality blogs/articles/informational resources, books, quotes, etc. in any niche you are fanatical about. Okay, here goes… Hello...

      TLDR/BLUF: Kindly share your niche, off-the-beaten-path, quality blogs/articles/informational resources, books, quotes, etc. in any niche you are fanatical about.

      Okay, here goes…
      Hello Tildonians, Tildites, etc.

      I have created this post in the hopes that, like me, a lot of you are tired of being thrashed about intellectually by the whims of an engagement-driven, algorithm-based feed. One that, may I add, is actively being wielded to dumb us down into herds of cattle so we may be more susceptible to influence (this is real, by the way)

      I would like to propose a shared exchange of information that each of us has found that we feel is incredibly valuable (and perhaps a small explanation behind why we find it valuable). This may not be helpful to anyone else here (unless they are eager to share some new resource they have found, or they operate like I do and live in a constant state of near-fervent hunger for information), but I'd like to at least make an attempt.

      So what am I looking for here?


      Blogs

      The Niche-r the content, the better. Do I really need to know about the eating habits of past queens? no, but I am an information-glutton and I will have my fill by life's-end.

      Non-Prioritized content. Not everyone has a want or need to engage SEO keywords, or get their website put on google. I know that I don't. I want an unobstructed peak behind the curtain into someone mastering their craft, or annotating their life's experiences; without the metaphorical clanging of pots, "here I am here I am!" that comes with someone living for the clicks.

      Kindly, No Self-Promotion. I am sure that your blog is good, just as I'm sure my own blog is good. /fib (after the comma). I just get enough of an indivual's own self in the comments here. I don't want it. I treasure your thoughts as they exist here, in this space.

      (I have no qualms with Web 2.0 designs or content/navigation, as long as it doesn't fry my optical nerves upon loading)

      Books

      I want the most intimate of book recommendations. I want the books you are scared of recommending to your friends because if they insult them or don't like them, you will be personally upset.

      Additionally, I want the crème de la crème of books for each genre, and even some staples. (Genre is loose, category would be better, but you get it. If you want to share exclusively Russian Classic authors like Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Pushkin, and Chekov, please be my guest.)

      -Don't give me a recommendation you heard from a friend who heard about a book from Booktok, especially if you haven't read it. I have a lifetime of problematic relationship and age-gap books that will not leave my gray matter no matter how much Steinbeck or Wegner I try to push it out with. I also don't want a book that someone pulls up a "Top 100 books to read" list just to find, and pick arbitrarily.

      Articles/Quotes/Shower Thoughts/Etc.

      I want something that has been personally digested by the recommender for some time. Like, don't give me an apocryphal Ghandi quote and some ChatGPT thoughts on it. Maybe you watched Pirates of the Caribbean with your Dad or your first girlfriend, and some quote stuck woth you and crystallized that moment forever, maybe you watched a lot of westerns recently and the bad guy said something that still relates to modern conversation. I want the good-good.

      As always: delete if not allowed, move me wherever, lots of love, etc.

      (I'll comment my own examples as well so I can be critiqued as well)

      66 votes
    15. 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?

      13 votes
    16. 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
    17. Help me find the perfect sandals?

      I live in the desert, and many months out of the year, it's way too hot to be wearing covered shoes. The problem is, though, when it comes to sandals, my feet sweat A LOT and start sliding around,...

      I live in the desert, and many months out of the year, it's way too hot to be wearing covered shoes. The problem is, though, when it comes to sandals, my feet sweat A LOT and start sliding around, and they become impossible to walk in comfortably. I need a sandal that is super durable, comfortable, will strap to my feet, and look decent enough to be casual or semi formal, and lastly, they will not have their wearability affected by my sweaty sweaty feet. Anyone got some good suggestions?

      18 votes
    18. What mattress would you recommend?

      Desperately need a new mattress and there are just so many options, and so many unspoken sponsored recommendations everywhere (reddit, especially). Anyone purchased one recently (last five years...

      Desperately need a new mattress and there are just so many options, and so many unspoken sponsored recommendations everywhere (reddit, especially).

      Anyone purchased one recently (last five years or so)? The last thread we had on this was two years ago, and there were very few actual recommendations in there.

      26 votes
    19. Why is it so hard engage people about indirect effects?

      Why is it so hard get most people to care or even get them to engage in actual discussion about indirect effects of their actions? I'm mainly going to be talking in the context of tech and privacy...

      Why is it so hard get most people to care or even get them to engage in actual discussion about indirect effects of their actions?

      I'm mainly going to be talking in the context of tech and privacy since that is my main sphere of concern but it applies to a lot more things.

      I am not dismissing the effects of systemic incentives but there are trivial actions that anyone could do to lessen the likely negative effects that almost no one does.

      The current climate makes it incredibly hard to actually eliminate personal impact but it still easy to minimize it with negligible impact on one's own life. Like in sw development the first 90% take 90% of the time and the other ten procent take the other half of the time.

      Getting a minimal computer literacy of being able to navigate an unfamiliar GUI, explore and understand the settings and be able, read the messahes they are getting on the screen and willing to search their problems would make anyone much more resistant to any number of dark patterns, yet there is a tendency to defend tech illiteracy.

      Personally I don't really do that much and I make compromises easily but sadly I get the impression that I am still in the small minority.

      34 votes
    20. [SOLVED] Bug: Text labels disappear in settings menu

      I'm touching up a game with a dev who is getting their code ready for a FOSS build of their game. One of the more persistent bugs is something weird in the settings menu, where an option is...

      I'm touching up a game with a dev who is getting their code ready for a FOSS build of their game. One of the more persistent bugs is something weird in the settings menu, where an option is focused and checked off, the text label disappears. Color override doesn't seem to affect the behavior, but if I go into the game editor and uncheck Clip Content and Follow Focus, the behavior flips and now it's focused and UNchecked text labels that disappear. I'm putting feelers out for advice on the usual haunts, and I thought I would ask here too.

      Godot version is 3.6, the only modification is that it uses Godotsteam.

      5 votes
    21. Theory crafting: XR glasses + Windows VM via Android

      Title kinda gives the gist of it all. I have been wondering about a way to have a "full" desktop with just XR glasses, a phone, bluetooth keyboard, and an internet connection. Not sure if this is...

      Title kinda gives the gist of it all.

      I have been wondering about a way to have a "full" desktop with just XR glasses, a phone, bluetooth keyboard, and an internet connection.

      Not sure if this is easily doable, or if Windows VMs would be so expensive to make it pointless. Maybe something like WINE or w/e the not 20 year outdated current thing is to run Windows software.

      The main use would be to run 1-2 browsers and trading software.

      Just curious if this is a foolish idea or not.

      5 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?

      14 votes
    23. How hard would it be to learn to code a Discord bot?

      I've got a notion to put some of my extra energy into learning to code. I'm familiar with EXTREME basics - I did some coding in BASIC and Python when I was younger ("Hello world" type stuff, and...

      I've got a notion to put some of my extra energy into learning to code. I'm familiar with EXTREME basics - I did some coding in BASIC and Python when I was younger ("Hello world" type stuff, and some futzing around with my Ti calculators programming capabilities) and while I had a pretty good knack for it I never developed it further.

      I'd like to use this as a chance to create something useful for me - a discord bot for my server. We have a handful of bots doing a few odds and ends, and I'd like to try and work something out to consolidate things. That's getting a bit ahead of myself though - initial scope would be simple: have the bot do a simple task like counting +rep points, or something silly like telling a joke.

      I don't really have any idea of where to start - what resources I need, what language to use, or really anything about how this all works. Any assistance at all would be welcome!


      To be clear - I want to learn to code, and specifically I want to learn in a way where it is immediately applicable and useful in a context I care about.

      20 votes
    24. 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.

      6 votes
    25. Anyone interested in trying out Kagi? (trial giveaway: round #2)

      We recently did a Kagi trial giveaway, and I have since received another email from Kagi with 3 additional trial codes. I'm assuming other Kagi subscribers also received the same thing (I got my...

      We recently did a Kagi trial giveaway, and I have since received another email from Kagi with 3 additional trial codes. I'm assuming other Kagi subscribers also received the same thing (I got my email on February 25 with the subject line "A treat from us"), so I figure we're due for another giveaway topic.

      As before, if you would like an invite, please request it in a comment.

      If you have invites to give, please PM them to requesters, then reply to their comment so that other givers will know they've been sent one and don't double up.

      50 votes
    26. Mountain biking advice

      Hey all, I'm an avid skier and enjoy outdoor sports for fitness more than working out in a gym or running. I'm considering getting into mountain/trail biking this year, but have some questions, so...

      Hey all, I'm an avid skier and enjoy outdoor sports for fitness more than working out in a gym or running.

      I'm considering getting into mountain/trail biking this year, but have some questions, so I'm hoping someone on Tildes has experience and can help me out.

      First question: How common are injuries when mountain biking? I don't intend to do anything highly technical, mostly looking to do more casual trail riding for fun and fitness. When looking around on the internet some websites (blogs, reddit, YT, etc) make it seem like a serious injury is unavoidable if you bike often enough, but others say injuries beyond cuts and scrapes are pretty rare. In my experience with skiing, as long as you ski within your limits you're pretty unlikely to get seriously hurt, is the same true for mtb?

      Second question: I'd like to be able to ride my bike on pavement as well, for rides with my family, exercise during work break, etc - is a "Trail" bike suitable for this?

      ex: Specialized Rockhopper https://www.specialized.com/us/en/rockhopper

      8 votes
    27. 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.

      7 votes
    28. Chromecast alternatives

      Gen 2 Chromecast devices all got struck by a certificate issue today, which is a firm reminder that they are another thing in my house that I don't actually control. They are also one of the very...

      Gen 2 Chromecast devices all got struck by a certificate issue today, which is a firm reminder that they are another thing in my house that I don't actually control. They are also one of the very few google things that I still use.

      I want to kill both of those points.

      Fire Sticks, Roku whatevers, Chromecast, they all have to phone home to some central server to authenticate and feed information. I don't want that. I have servers, I have raspberry pis, I have like 6 random old laptops that need a use.

      Is there any self hosted project that emulates the functionality of a Chromecast?

      25 votes
    29. What are your personal reading "rules?"

      Don't think of "rules" in the question as necessarily a hard-and-fast thing (though it certainly can be if you work that way!). It can be interpreted as "guidelines" or "parameters" or "workflow"...

      Don't think of "rules" in the question as necessarily a hard-and-fast thing (though it certainly can be if you work that way!). It can be interpreted as "guidelines" or "parameters" or "workflow" or whatnot.

      I'm interested in learning about what guides your reading habits and choices. Stuff like:

      • How do you choose what to read next?
      • Do you read one book at a time or jump between multiple titles?
      • How/why do you choose between physical/ebook/audiobook for a given title?
      • How do you decide to stop reading a book you don't like (if at all)?
      • Do you have a specific "spot" for reading?
      • Do you have any particular reading rituals?
      • When do you decide whether a book is worth a re-read?
      • Do you track/rate your books?
      • How much do you learn about a book before you read it?
      • How do you manage your "TBR" (to be read) list (if at all)?
      • etc.

      Don't think of this as a survey where you have to answer each question, but more that those questions are all trying to get at the idea that I want to hear about the decisions you make about reading itself. Anything and everything you feel is relevant is fair game!

      30 votes
    30. Have you ever witnessed the Butterfly Effect?

      It is easy to feel helpless at times. As if there is nothing you can do to impact the "greater good." Many of us currently feel rather helpless in relation to politics, but there are many other...

      It is easy to feel helpless at times. As if there is nothing you can do to impact the "greater good." Many of us currently feel rather helpless in relation to politics, but there are many other reasons for this as well.

      One argument I hold against this helplessness is the Butterfly Effect, which (in this context) proposes that even the smallest action can significantly alter the future.

      An example could be giving encouragement to someone about to give up on a task (even if you aren't aware of it), which keeps them on a trajectory they would have otherwise never continued.

      Have you been fortunate enough to identify when this has happened around you?

      Of course, there could be negative outcomes related to this too, but I hope we can identify some positive ones.

      (Meta note: I was debating if this should be under ~talk or ~life and went with ~life, but feel free to move it if you disagree.)

      32 votes
    31. Looking for an electronic components store

      I need a new place to buy electronic components and some mildly niche circuits/products that's not Amazon. I'm currently looking for an adjustable temp fan controller for an indoor green house....

      I need a new place to buy electronic components and some mildly niche circuits/products that's not Amazon. I'm currently looking for an adjustable temp fan controller for an indoor green house. It's sitting in front of a Window on a shelf covered in plastic. I want to add a 12v dc fan to the top to turn on when gets somewhere around 90 degrees farenheit.
      I used to use parts-express.com, but it looks like they mostly just do audio now. Does anyone have any good recommendations for purchasing things like this in the USA.

      15 votes
    32. Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix 2025 - Results

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      Welcome back to Formula 1! And what a start to the 2025 season with a wet track and even heavy rain in Melbourne!

      First things first: Poor rookies. Hadjar was into the barriers during the formation lap. Then Doohan was out after the restart. Or was that the actual start since Hadjar triggered an aborted start? Which not a rookie, that triggered Sainz into the barriers during the safety car. Lawson then had his chance to hit the barriers during Lap 47, with Bortoletto into the walls somewhere there abouts. Though for those last two, that was during the heavy rain. Alonso, the eternal rookie, rounded out the group of wallflowers.

      The only rookie to survive? Antonelli. And he ended P5! He would've ended P4, but he got a 5sec penalty for an unsafe release earlier. Regardless, impressive.

      EDIT: After a successful appeal, Antonelli's 5sec penalty is removed! He regains his on-track P4, with Albon back to P5. Results updated below.

      When the rain hit, it was pure chaos. All the tire strategies went out the window. Some went straight to inters, while some stayed on slicks. Max was P1. Then Hamilton was P1. But then they and everyone else went to inters. Norris ended up back in P1 and ended the race there.

      Lastly, Piastri's recovery drive was something to watch. Sometime around Lap 45, he ended up beached in the grass. But he was like "Hell no," and willed that car back onto track. He dropped from P2 down to the back of the field since it took him so long to get out. But he still ended up in the points at P9. Felt like he was driving on pure frustration and anger...and it worked!

      Onward to Shanghai next weekend!

      Next race:

      Chinese Grand Prix
      Shanghai International Circuit
      Sunday, March 23, 2025

      Grand Prix Results -- SPOILER
      Pos No Driver Car Laps Time/retired Pts
      1 4 Lando Norris McLaren Mercedes 57 1:42:06.304 25
      2 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 57 +0.895s 18
      3 63 George Russell Mercedes 57 +8.481s 15
      4 12 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 57 +10.135s 12
      5 23 Alexander Albon Williams Mercedes 57 +12.773s 10
      6 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 57 +17.413s 8
      7 27 Nico Hulkenberg Kick Sauber Ferrari 57 +18.423s 6
      8 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 57 +19.826s 4
      9 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren Mercedes 57 +20.448s 2
      10 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 57 +22.473s 1
      11 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine Renault 57 +26.502s 0
      12 22 Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls Honda RBPT 57 +29.884s 0
      13 31 Esteban Ocon Haas Ferrari 57 +33.161s 0
      14 87 Oliver Bearman Haas Ferrari 57 +40.351s 0
      NC 30 Liam Lawson Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 46 DNF 0
      NC 5 Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber Ferrari 45 DNF 0
      NC 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 32 DNF 0
      NC 55 Carlos Sainz Williams Mercedes 0 DNF 0
      NC 7 Jack Doohan Alpine Renault 0 DNF 0
      NC 6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls Honda RBPT 0 DNS 0

      Fastest Lap: Lando Norris...But no more fastest lap point!

      Source: F1.com

      15 votes
    33. 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.

      9 votes
    34. 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!

      9 votes
    35. What's a feeling you sometimes experience that you don't have a name for?

      Sometimes, after I get home from work, I have a surprisingly strong urge to not be wearing socks. Like, my feet themselves YEARN to be free of their cotton confines! I have no idea how or why this...

      Sometimes, after I get home from work, I have a surprisingly strong urge to not be wearing socks. Like, my feet themselves YEARN to be free of their cotton confines!

      I have no idea how or why this happens, only that it does sometimes. I also don't really have a name for it -- or even an easy way to put it into words. It feels similar to how restless leg syndrome manifests for me, only instead of the compulsion to move my feet, it's a compulsion to not be stuck in socks.

      What feelings do you have that aren't really nameable/describable? Do your best to put them into words in whatever way you can!

      "Feelings" can be anything -- physical or emotional.

      53 votes
    36. 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!

      10 votes
    37. How will the 2028 Olympics look given the current climate?

      The 2028 Summer Olympics are slated to be in LA. I'm curious if we will come full circle and this will be the second time in history we do not have the Olympics. That being said, the IOC has never...

      The 2028 Summer Olympics are slated to be in LA. I'm curious if we will come full circle and this will be the second time in history we do not have the Olympics.

      That being said, the IOC has never really been non-corrupt so I don't exactly expect change. We saw that there was very little disruption when the Olympics were held in Sochi, for example. I'm curious what others think.

      PS. Wasn't sure whether to post this in society or sports, please move if appropriate, and thank you to our kind facilitators.

      11 votes
    38. 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!

      6 votes
    39. Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news

      Tildes is a very serious site, where we discuss very serious matters like zooey zephyr, digital markets act and breakfast. Tags culled from the highest voted topics from the last seven days, if...

      Tildes is a very serious site, where we discuss very serious matters like zooey zephyr, digital markets act and breakfast. Tags culled from the highest voted topics from the last seven days, if anyone was astute.

      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!

      12 votes
    40. Poetry discussion: Everything by Srikanth Reddy

      Hi tildizens, the NYC subway often has posters with a poem and artwork on them which provide some relief from the ads that decorate the trains. On my commute today, I found this poem by Srikanth...

      Hi tildizens, the NYC subway often has posters with a poem and artwork on them which provide some relief from the ads that decorate the trains. On my commute today, I found this poem by Srikanth Reddy quite tantalizing.


      Everything

      by Srikanth Reddy

      She was watching the solar eclipse
      through a piece of broken bottle

      when he left home.
      He found a blue kite in the forest

      on the day she lay down
      with a sailor. When his name changed,

      she stitched a cloud to a quilt
      made of rags. They did not meet,

      so they never could be parted.
      So she finished her prayer,

      & he folded his map of the sea.


      Unfortunately, the single piece of related online discourse I can find is a two-line comment on a 2008 blog post of the poem. So tell me: do you like this poem? What do you make of it? Is it about a couple that splits up due to infidelity (as Google's gemini ai told me) or people that are connected despite having never met (as Mistral's le chat claims)? What of the kite? Why is it blue? Why might his name have changed? To me, it seems he must be a sailor (but different than the one she lays with?) and she relatively poor. We're reading a lament of a missed connection, perhaps.

      13 votes
    41. What do you like about your job?

      I'm currently in the process of job shopping and, while it feels like all my friends are happy to tell me why I shouldn't work where they do, I do enjoy hearing from people that are satisfied with...

      I'm currently in the process of job shopping and, while it feels like all my friends are happy to tell me why I shouldn't work where they do, I do enjoy hearing from people that are satisfied with their line of work.

      I personally like that my current work gives me free reign of the warehouse we operate in, if we met our metrics we could hold a game of poker in the back without too much fuss. What are some qualities in your work that make you a happier employee?

      30 votes
    42. Can I carry a Turquoise gemstone on my Air Canada flight? Any documents needed?

      I am an Indian by origin and currently a Canadian citizen. During my recent holiday visit to India, I purchased a Turquoise gemstone along with a certificate from a reputable seller. Now, as I...

      I am an Indian by origin and currently a Canadian citizen. During my recent holiday visit to India, I purchased a Turquoise gemstone along with a certificate from a reputable seller. Now, as I prepare to return to Canada (Surrey, British Columbia), I have a layover at London Heathrow Airport before my final destination with Air Canada.

      I would like to know if there are any specific regulations regarding carrying gemstones while traveling. Do I need to provide any supporting documents, such as an invoice, a bill, or an authenticity certificate from a particular lab, for immigration clearance? Also, since I have a layover in London, I am curious if there are any specific requirements or restrictions at Heathrow Airport regarding carrying gemstones.

      Has anyone had a similar experience? Any guidance on the required documents at both London Heathrow and Canada for a smooth immigration process would be greatly appreciated.

      Looking forward to helpful responses. Thank you!

      14 votes
    43. 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.

      3 votes