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    1. 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.

      10 votes
    2. Joe Edelman: "Is anything worth maximizing?", a talk about how tech platforms optimize for metrics

      Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyVHrGLiTcc (46m20s) Transcript: https://medium.com/what-to-build/is-anything-worth-maximizing-d11e648eb56f (10,314 words with footnotes and references)...

      Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyVHrGLiTcc (46m20s)

      Transcript: https://medium.com/what-to-build/is-anything-worth-maximizing-d11e648eb56f (10,314 words with footnotes and references)

      Excerpt:

      ...for simple maximizers, its choices are just about numbers. That means its choices are in the numbers. Here, the choice between two desserts is just a choice between numbers. We could say its choice is already made. And that it has no responsibility, since it’s just following what the numbers say.

      Reason-based maximizers don’t just see numbers, though, they also see values. Here, there’s a choice between two desserts — but it isn’t a choice between two numbers. See, it’s also a choice between two values. One option means being a seize-the-day, intensity kind of person. The other means being a foody, aristocratic, elegance kind of person.


      My personal thoughts about this talk: it's a kind of strange, kind of dubious philosophical and multi-disciplinary reflection on metrics for organizations, especially metrics for tech companies, and on the pitfalls of optimizing for metrics in what the speaker argues is too "simple" a way.

      I don't entirely trust the speaker or the argument, but there was enough in the talk to stimulate curiosity and reflection that I thought it was worth watching.

      18 votes
    3. What keeps you up at night?

      Anxieties, fears, bad habits, childcare, etc. What keeps you up? This is a place where you can get those thoughts out of your head and into words instead. For those reading the responses here,...

      Anxieties, fears, bad habits, childcare, etc.

      What keeps you up? This is a place where you can get those thoughts out of your head and into words instead.

      For those reading the responses here, please practice empathetic listening — especially for those sharing difficult thoughts or feelings. It is much more important that someone feel heard and understood than it is to try to solve their situation.

      35 votes
    4. What quotes inspire you?

      I loved the notes app post (h/t @kwfyre) and that led me to think about the motivational or inspiring quotes that mean something to you whether they're well known or more obscure, whether said IRL...

      I loved the notes app post (h/t @kwfyre) and that led me to think about the motivational or inspiring quotes that mean something to you whether they're well known or more obscure, whether said IRL or in fiction!

      26 votes
    5. 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.

      9 votes
    6. If you had to buy a car today, what would you buy?

      Lots of details I've been driving a 2006 Honda Ridgeline for the last 13 years. The engine is still reliable, just change the oil and keep fluids topped up, but there is rust in the frame that...
      Lots of details

      I've been driving a 2006 Honda Ridgeline for the last 13 years. The engine is still reliable, just change the oil and keep fluids topped up, but there is rust in the frame that won't pass inspection. I'm going to take it in to get it looked at this week, but I am afraid it won't be worth repairing. If I have doubt that it can be safely repaired (I'm fairly risk averse), I would rather replace it.

      This model Ridgeline is basically a Honda Pilot with a bed. I've often said it's the perfect amount of truck for a software engineer. I do think I'd like to have another truck, but I'd consider other options, like a smaller SUV or a larger hatchback.

      The truck has been our go-to travel car for road trips. We tend to bring a ton of stuff, so the bed has been nice, but having interior cargo space might also be useful. We don't do as many big hauling / years things as we used to, so the truck bed is probably optional.

      I was hoping that by the time I wore out the Ridgeline, there would be more plugin electric or real hybrid options, but it seems like there aren't many options. I wouldn't buy a Rivian or Tesla (not been around long enough). But I'd definitely be interested in peoples thoughts about hybrid options out there. If I'm looking at used hybrids, what kind of things should I worry about with the battery?

      The conventional wisdom when I was growing up was that a used car lost half its value when you drove it off the lot, so it was better to buy used. But in recent years, I've been seeing something more like linear depreciation. Helping my dad buy a new truck last year, it seemed like the year-old or two-year-old used options were just a few thousand less than new.

      Bottom line: I live in Western Pennsylvania in the US. I may shortly need to replace my aging Honda Ridgeline. I need a mid-sized truck/van/SUV that can be a good "road trip" car for a family of three that chronically overpacks.

      What car do you like? What car buying or car selling wisdom do you have in the post-pandemic car market?

      36 votes
    7. 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.

      10 votes
    8. Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news

      Tildes is a very serious site, where we discuss very serious matters like yemen, brave and septic tanks. Tags culled from the highest voted topics from the last seven days, if anyone was...

      Tildes is a very serious site, where we discuss very serious matters like yemen, brave and septic tanks. Tags culled from the highest voted topics from the last seven days, if anyone was documenting.

      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!

      11 votes