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    1. Is Emacs or VIM worth learning in today's day and age?

      I'm a full stack webdev and gotten through almost everything in life without using these legendary editors. For Linux work, I mostly use the nano CLI editor which does the job fine and while on...

      I'm a full stack webdev and gotten through almost everything in life without using these legendary editors. For Linux work, I mostly use the nano CLI editor which does the job fine and while on desktop, there are superior ones like gedit and geany. On Windows, my preferred code editor is Notepad++ though I've experienced Eclipse, Visual Studio and Android Studio in various situations. Guess there isn't any substitute to AS when it comes to Android APK development?

      But these two legendary editors (Emacs/VIM) come highly recommended and a programmer is considered incomplete in the long beard circles until they learn one of them, isn't it? But I want to understand what can I hope to gain by learning them in terms of utility or usefulness? Can I somehow bring efficiency to my workflow by reducing my development time or adding a feature?

      30 votes
    2. Thoughts on the current state of discoverability and search

      I guess I'll post another thoughtful analysis rant on tech trends. It has been mentioned here in a few threads already but I simply wanted to try to start a focused discussion. Personally I first...

      I guess I'll post another thoughtful analysis rant on tech trends. It has been mentioned here in a few threads already but I simply wanted to try to start a focused discussion.

      Personally I first noticed significant degradation of search functionality around 2018 or so, while specifically Google was mentioned at least as far back as 2016. But it is not simply Google or even just general search engines. Any random site specific search functionality or discoverability algorithms on various sites share these trends too.

      It really seems that the focus is simply on delivering as many results as possible with actual quality or even relevance being somewhere on the tail end of priorities. It is not even just lack of(useful, consistent) search operators, lack of transparency, lack of structured search possibilities, lack of sorting options, lack of granularity - it is the simple disregard for the basic intent of the query with some implementations sometimes being actually more accurate with fewer keywords with no option to modify this behavior.

      It is especially damaging for(at least my) ability to research a topic. A decade and half ago I could go in with a topic I had no idea about and emerge two hours later with a very basic but likely mostly accurate and slightly in-depth overview by refining my searches. Now I'm lucky to get one single thoughtful blog post or discussion among dozens or tutorials, 10-bests and ads with the query being almost completely disregarded and keywords being straight up ignored to deliver this deluge of both low quality and mostly completely irrelevant results.

      Are there any projects, search engines or anything other that aim to deliver actually useful, steerable, user directed results?

      34 votes
    3. Time blocking, do you do it?

      Hey everyone! Do you have any experience with time blocking? Do you use any apps to help or do you do it all manually in your calendar? I recently watched a video I found on Tildes by Answer in...

      Hey everyone!

      Do you have any experience with time blocking? Do you use any apps to help or do you do it all manually in your calendar? I recently watched a video I found on Tildes by Answer in Progress (https://youtu.be/vYaNiC4kchg?si=zh02N4bStqAhBBAe) about attention span. I have heard a lot about time blocking in the past, but always thought I never really needed it.

      However, recently I've been starting to realize maybe I'm not doing well mentally..days can slip by on YouTube, or a video game, and the things I wanted to get done get pushed back to the next day..and the next day, and so on..or things I was passionate about, things I want to succeed in that I am good at..just sort of slip away, and I stop doing them and lose my drive. So maybe I need to block time to get it done... I'm not sure. So I guess I can try Meditation and time blocking..

      Anyway, anyone have some suggestions if they do this? Have you found that it helped?

      15 votes
    4. 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?

      5 votes
    5. Recipes for chicken thighs

      I am looking for ideas or recipes to make with chicken thighs. I bought some for a barbecue chicken recipe that I really liked, but no one else in my family enjoyed. It seemed to be the different...

      I am looking for ideas or recipes to make with chicken thighs. I bought some for a barbecue chicken recipe that I really liked, but no one else in my family enjoyed. It seemed to be the different texture of the dark meat. Now I have several pounds in the freezer I eventually need to use for something.

      I have been looking online, and most chicken thigh recipes are some variation of cooked chicken thighs whole, baked or fried, with some kind of sauce on them.

      I am wondering if anyone has recipes that use them in a way that the texture of the meat is less obvious or maybe ways of preparing them that would make them less chewy. I love the richness of them, and they are cheap, so I hope I can find ways to keep making them.

      18 votes
    6. Is Nebula worth it?

      Is anyone here using https://nebula.tv? Multiple creators I watch are on there, and I'm considering getting a subscription, but I'm just not sure if it's really worth it. Most channels on there...

      Is anyone here using https://nebula.tv? Multiple creators I watch are on there, and I'm considering getting a subscription, but I'm just not sure if it's really worth it. Most channels on there don't seem to upload any exclusive content, so I'll basically just get the same videos but for $5/month instead of for free. I've also heard that the app and UX isn't that great.

      People who use the service, what makes it worth it for you? Is it just a way to support the creators more?

      61 votes
    7. How do you organize your Linux packages?

      Hello everyone. I am planning to get back into Linux development after working with Mac only for almost a decade. On Mac, one of the most important lessons that I learned was to always use...

      Hello everyone.

      I am planning to get back into Linux development after working with Mac only for almost a decade. On Mac, one of the most important lessons that I learned was to always use Homebrew. Using various package managers (e.g. Homebrew, NPM, Yarn, Pip, etc.) creates situations in which you don't know how to uninstall or upgrade certain pieces of software. Also, it's hard to generate a complete overview.

      How do you Linux folks handle this?

      Bonus question: How do you manage your dotfiles securely? I use Bitwarden, and it's a bit clunky.

      If that helps, I want to try Mint and always use Oh My ZSH!.

      6 votes
    8. Open-source self-hosted Google photos alternative

      Hello, every now and then I find myself looking for open-source "self-hosted" (VPS accepted) Google photos alternatives. I have searched every now and then but I have never found something I felt...

      Hello, every now and then I find myself looking for open-source "self-hosted" (VPS accepted) Google photos alternatives.

      I have searched every now and then but I have never found something I felt that suits my needs.

      I don't mind setting it up myself with command lines and stuff from an empty VPS as long as the monthly fees are pushed to a minimum.

      I do have a certain set of constraints and I was wondering what would be the best app to do it. Any app that I end up trying fail one of these somehow. Or it is an app that I couldn't test adequately on my 2GB RAM VPS. Should I be upgrading first and then testing them?

      Here are my constraints:

      I would like to be able to share photos privately to friends and family. Like maybe a secret link to share photos or albums with friends.

      I would like to be able to view photos on mobile, using Internet. I don't mind opening a mobile web app but I would like to be able to show it.

      I would like to have some privacy-respecting face recognition. This also opens up the question of what RAM of VPS I should be using.

      I would like to leave the file and folder structure untouched. I have already somehow arranged the files into albums by using folders so bonus points if the app figures that out. However, I would bite the bullet if there is a good solution that asks to "copy" the files into a new folder thereby doubling the storage needed. But I hope to avoid it.

      Any help towards the right direction would be appreciated!

      16 votes
    9. Honest Question: Why did PHP remove dynamic properties in 8.x?

      I understand PHP has had many criticisms in the past but I'm not sure the existence of dynamic properties of instantiated objects was ever one of them. In fact, dynamic properties are pretty much...

      I understand PHP has had many criticisms in the past but I'm not sure the existence of dynamic properties of instantiated objects was ever one of them. In fact, dynamic properties are pretty much the hallmark of most interpreted or dynamic programming languages. Python allows it all the time and so do many others like Ruby, Perl, etc.

      I don't know what PHP developers achieved by removing dynamic properties feature from the language but one thing that resulted out of this is that many applications based on widely used veteran PHP frameworks (such as CodeIgniter and CakePHP) came to a halt all of a sudden due to an error like this after upgrading to PHP 8:

      A PHP Error was encountered
      Severity: 8192
      Message: Creation of dynamic property CI_URI::$config is deprecated
      Filename: core/URI.php
      Line Number: 102
      Backtrace:
      File: C:\xampp\htdocs\inv_perpus\index.php Line: 288 Function: require_once
      

      The influence of Corporate IT in various open source foundations is pretty well known and also well known is the extent to which corporate greed goes to achieve its interests and objectives across the world. The only way to assuage this uncomfortable thought (at least in this particular case) is to ask if there was any technical merit at all in removing dynamic properties feature from a dynamic programming language?

      I for one couldn't find any such merit here.

      12 votes
    10. Experimental real property tax basis-set rate based on usable area per person

      Random thought. What if we taxed property based on the area per person of the property, as opposed to sale value? Edit and quick intro to those who mostly rent: most real property in the US,...

      Random thought. What if we taxed property based on the area per person of the property, as opposed to sale value?

      Edit and quick intro to those who mostly rent: most real property in the US, especially residential property, is taxed yearly based on some variation of something called "fair market value," usually assessed by a local tax assessor's office

      I'm proposing that a property would be taxed for every square meter of space per person in the designated property unit. It can't be totally simplified, but should be fairly straightforward. There could also be progressive brackets. It might not make make sense to apply it strictly per person, but rather for a typical use. That is, we would assume "single family residential" properties to house 3.4 (totally made up number) people per house and property.

      The goal of this is to find a fair, market-driven incentive to build density into urban cores.

      A similar approach could be applied to commercial space (but probably not industrial).

      It could be coupled with a sales tax (currently missing in most real property tax regimes, at least in the US) to capture runaway property valuations in certain jurisdictions.

      Alternatively, we could drop the property value based tax rate (but not eliminate it), and then add a per person-area surcharge.

      It's not meant to increase revenue, although it could certainly be used that way. It could also be use to decrease revenue, and maybe that would be a good way to sell it. But at the end of the day, developers and residents would both have an incentive to pursue as dense development as possible, even if there is not a density driving pressure of desirablity, which only exists in a few really cool urban cores.

      8 votes
    11. Any Kult players?

      I have never played a tabletop RPG before, but was absolutely fascinated with this Kult playthrough that the YouTube algorithm decided to show me for some reason. I watched the whole thing! The...

      I have never played a tabletop RPG before, but was absolutely fascinated with this Kult playthrough that the YouTube algorithm decided to show me for some reason. I watched the whole thing! The "gnostic" backdrop the lore has is spellbinding.

      It's hard to gauge its popularity just from YouTube videos, but I'm curious to know if anyone on Tildes has played it, and if so, what your experiences have been. And do you know of any TTRPGs that are similar? Vampire the Masquerade, maybe? My friend group isn't into this sort of thing at all, but maybe I can persuade them...

      (In case you manage to miss the copious warnings at the start of that video, Kult's themes are quite graphic. Fair warning!)

      6 votes
    12. What are some global projects I can contribute to from my home?

      I'll try to keep it short. I'm not satisfied with the way I'm trying to contribute to the betterment of humanity and the planet. I want to contribute to my local community, but because of...

      I'll try to keep it short. I'm not satisfied with the way I'm trying to contribute to the betterment of humanity and the planet. I want to contribute to my local community, but because of political and health reasons, I can't do that.

      My relevant strong points are that I can analyze, synthesize, and write well (have been praised for them in professional academic settings). But the suggestions don't have to be about this.

      I've been writing things here and there for years, but I feel like they lack direction. It's just one person putting it out there with very limited reach. I feel like being part of a bigger project could help me effect change better. At the very least, it could help me feel like I'm doing something more tangible.

      22 votes
    13. 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
    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.

      4 votes
    15. What is a value or belief you have that is extremely outside the norm?

      There are a lot of unorthodox or minor values and beliefs in societies. For example, in Western countries, veganism is relatively rare. But still, it's not unheard of and it's gaining traction. In...

      There are a lot of unorthodox or minor values and beliefs in societies. For example, in Western countries, veganism is relatively rare. But still, it's not unheard of and it's gaining traction. In the same way, radically egalitarian values are in no way popular, but they are definitely heard of. Think of ideologies that based themselves on them, like anarchism or utopian socialism.

      We all have values and beliefs we hold dear, but even the ones that are very unorthodox most often fall into a tradition in some sort of philosophy, and have some significant following and historical grounding.

      Obviously, no matter how unorthodox a belief is, there's going to be some historical grounding and tradition. But think of the beliefs and values you have, and consider whether you have any that is found in even less than 1% of the population. Do you have such values or beliefs, and why?

      ...

      In my case, it's the fact that I despise nature. By nature, I don't mean being exposed to beautiful parts of it in a safe environment. I mean the hunger, the thirst, the violence, the diseases, the cold, the hot, and similar hardships. I mean nature in its glorious violence and random acts of suffering. I cherish life, and I do my best to contribute to its conservation, and that's why I despise the violence inherent in nature. Metaphorically speaking, Mother Nature is the most abusive parent in history. As an extension of this, in the grand scheme of things, I see the violence of nature as a much bigger problem than violence of humankind.

      41 votes
    16. For proponents of "vote for the lesser of two evils", what is your endgame?

      If I understand folks with that PoV correctly: if you are a democrat or typically vote democrat, you generally think that republicans are a danger to democracy, bad for the lives of minorities,...

      If I understand folks with that PoV correctly:

      if you are a democrat or typically vote democrat, you generally think that republicans are a danger to democracy, bad for the lives of minorities, and the disadvantaged/LGBT+, etc.
      If you are a republican or typically vote republican, you generally think that democrats are a danger to democracy, divide the country with identity politics, etc.
      (obviously I am making sweeping generalizations of both camps off the top of my head but hopefully the point comes across)

      But, I don't get what your endgame is. Like, you make it seem like if the other party wins, the country is screwed. but you can't possibly think that the country will forever vote for your party for President, right? So you think America is destined to go downhill depending on how many years the opposing party is in power?

      America flips between red and blue. So the other party is bound to win at least once a decade imo. and yet I hear how democracy is more at stake now than it's ever been if "the other party wins". So I don't get the long-term viability of "lesser of 2 evils" approach.

      Since I doubt America will become less angry and divisive anytime soon thanks to yallls 24 hour news networks and the social media companies that make more money the more Americans are mad at each other.

      Then again, I am by no means an expert so where am I wrong or have I misunderstood something?

      13 votes
    17. Two pizzas for me - What is this article trying to say?

      I just read this DailyWTF article and as a non-American, I'm quite intrigued. Is this some sort of dark humor, parody or do things really work like this in United States, especially in startup...

      I just read this DailyWTF article and as a non-American, I'm quite intrigued. Is this some sort of dark humor, parody or do things really work like this in United States, especially in startup companies?

      It seems to be a fictional tale of an IT Developer and her project manager who doesn't seem concerned at all about getting things done while the CEO is a "face time" dude who is more interested in presentation and polish than actual client servicing. And to top it, the programmer who actually codes is not only never seen in the office (non-existent?) but is actually "multiple people" at least on paper.

      How is this firm even on board or generating revenue, I just fail to understand!

      8 votes
    18. Please recommend me an anime to watch?

      so I like animes like vinland saga , beserk , kingdom , MHA , FAB , Black clover . Please don't recommend exremely lengthy animes.. thats the only thing stopping me from watch one piece XD. i also...

      so I like animes like vinland saga , beserk , kingdom , MHA , FAB , Black clover . Please don't recommend exremely lengthy animes.. thats the only thing stopping me from watch one piece XD.

      i also like feel good animes like ghibli movies , or slice of life animes but rn would like to watch something which has a lot of story and depth to it and also comedy .

      19 votes
    19. 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.

      8 votes
    20. What was it like choosing your own name?

      For anyone here who has chosen your own name, what was that process like? What factors did you consider? Did you go based on meaning, aesthetics, vibes? Something else entirely? A mix of all of...

      For anyone here who has chosen your own name, what was that process like?

      What factors did you consider? Did you go based on meaning, aesthetics, vibes? Something else entirely? A mix of all of the above?

      Was it an easy decision? A difficult one? How long did it take you to decide? I’d love to hear your story.

      I’m not mulling over the decision myself or anything — I’m just curious about the process and would love to know more.

      43 votes
    21. Recommendations for leakproof, TSA-approved (100ml / 3.4oz) toiletry bottles

      currently sitting in an airport lounge waiting for a flight. while rummaging in my carry-on to grab a charging cable, I discovered that one of the little plastic bottles I have for travel...

      currently sitting in an airport lounge waiting for a flight. while rummaging in my carry-on to grab a charging cable, I discovered that one of the little plastic bottles I have for travel toiletries broke open and leaked body wash all over. didn't do any permanent damage to any electronics or anything, luckily. but this is very annoying and I'm going to replace all of these bottles so this doesn't happen again.

      the current ones I have are just generic little plastic bottles I bought from Bez-Mart. suppose I wanted to splurge on a fancy version of them - is there a "buy it for life" sort of equivalent?

      metal might not be an option because it might look weird on security scanners, but something like the polycarbonate plastics they use to make Nalgene bottles, maybe? having them be squeezable would be nice but isn't a strict requirement.

      for people unfamiliar with the incredibly stupid US TSA rules about this, anything "liquid" (including toothpaste etc) needs to be in a container no larger than 100ml / 3.4 fl oz, and then all of those bottles need to fit into a quart (about 1 liter) sized clear plastic bag. so not just any containers will do, they'll need to be small enough to be "TSA approved".

      5 votes
    22. Is PyGame still alive?

      So it was a long time ago in the good old Python 2.x days (circa 2010 probably) that I had learned PyGame with some tutorials at my former work place. But nowadays since I mostly freelance with...

      So it was a long time ago in the good old Python 2.x days (circa 2010 probably) that I had learned PyGame with some tutorials at my former work place. But nowadays since I mostly freelance with business apps, I never felt the need for it.

      But since such a game development project is on the horizon after all these years, I was wondering if PyGame can still be up for the task with Python 3.x? Or is there a better Python library available these days?

      I don't need any advanced gaming features of modern day VFX or anything, all I need is some basic Mario/Luigi style graphics, that's all!

      9 votes
    23. How did people correct for inaccurate time pieces in the past?

      I bought a Timex Expedition North Titanium Automatic a few months ago and have been enjoying it, but it gains about 10s a day that I have to correct. Nowadays we have incredibly accurate and...

      I bought a Timex Expedition North Titanium Automatic a few months ago and have been enjoying it, but it gains about 10s a day that I have to correct. Nowadays we have incredibly accurate and precise clocks that can tell us exactly what time it is, but all mechanical clocks and watches have some amount of inaccuracy.

      How did people account for inaccurate clocks in the past? Even if time didn't need to be standardized outside of a community until the railroads and a central clock in town could act as a reference for the entire community, wouldn't the central community clock drift? Eventually the central clock could say it was midnight at sunset. While people can tell that is incorrect, how could they say to what extent it was incorrect?

      8 votes
    24. Opinions or experiences on Corsair build kits

      I am looking to replace my PC that I mostly use for gaming for close to 10 years. While I used to work in data centers, I've never been into building custom PC, particular the planning and...

      I am looking to replace my PC that I mostly use for gaming for close to 10 years. While I used to work in data centers, I've never been into building custom PC, particular the planning and research portion on what parts to get.

      I am currently eyeing the Corsair build kit, and wonder if anyone has any experience to share.

      Thanks in advance.

      6 votes
    25. E-bikes: Seeking advice on a commuter bike that meets disability needs

      I've done considerable e-bike research, and I'm still struggling with unanswered questions... I'm looking for a mid-range e-bike mainly for commuting, approximately 3 miles/5 km each way. Part of...

      I've done considerable e-bike research, and I'm still struggling with unanswered questions...

      I'm looking for a mid-range e-bike mainly for commuting, approximately 3 miles/5 km each way. Part of the route is on unpaved but graded park trails, otherwise paved (sometimes very bumpy) streets and sidewalks. I don't anticipate using the bike for heavy cargo, rough trails or long powered rides, but wouldn't mind working up to 30 mi/50 km trips with partial assists.

      The primary goal is a safe, stable ride that gets me to work reliably without leaving me too banged up.

      Requirements:

      1. Major assistance with steep hills. Though I've rebuilt decent endurance and muscle strength, I've got two artificial hips, and occasional inflammation in knees, ankles, and feet that makes powering up a long incline painful.

      2. Suspension fork and relatively upright riding position. Even with gel gloves, bumps and bangs through a rigid frame and forward leaning will wreck my wrists and hands quickly.

      3. Step-through frame. Thanks to hip replacements, my balance and range of motion aren't all they could be.

      4. Local service availability. Fortunately, I'm in a town with great (if expensive) bike shops.

      Nice to have:

      1. 60 lbs. or less. I don't expect to wrestle the bike up/down stairs or into vehicles frequently. It's more a question of being able to propel it under my own power most of the time and carry it on a standard car rack. I've looked at e-trikes for stability, but they're too heavy and cumbersome.

      2. Hydraulic disc brakes, belt drive and sealed motor hub (expensive but cleaner for commuting and lower maintenance), torque sensor.

      3. Integrated lights.

      4. Fenders, chain guard, rear rack, kickstand, phone holder included or available at reasonable cost.

      5. Visual appeal - colors, not too obvious battery, etc.

      Overnight recharge is fine, the battery doesn't have to be removable.

      Possibilities so far:

      Priority Current (via Costco). review,
      review
      Con:

      • Rigid frame
      • Complaints about required pedalling and power distribution on hills

      Pro:

      • Meets most of the requirements
      • Model has been out for a few years with an established track record
      • Well-reviewed

      RadPower Radster Road Regular review, review
      Pro:

      • Checks all requirements
      • Safety emphasis

      Con:

      • Heavy (78 lbs.)

      Electric Bike Company Model E or R
      review, review
      Pro:

      • Extensive customization available

      Con:

      • Cruiser style less likely to be comfortable for long rides
      • Model R is 78 lbs.

      Ride1Up 700 Series ST review, review
      Pro:

      • Inexpensive
      • Meets most requirements

      Con:

      • Assembly difficulties reported, no local dealer

      Aventon Level.2 Step-through review, review

      This is still early research... but more questions:

      • What am I failing to consider?
      • What's an appropriate price point to look at for my requirements (keeping in mind that I'd be paying as much as $150/mo. for transit when not using the bike)?
      • Anyone else in a similar spot?

      Edit - updates on continuing research, for those interested in comfort bikes... So many manufacturers! It might be time to turn the optimizer brain off. Quite a few of the online-only vendors are just mixing and matching Chinese parts. Reports of terrible customer support and quality/safety issues are common.

      New candidates:

      Cannondale Adventure Neo 2 EQ Speed

      Reviews of this specific newer Class 3 model are scarce, but other Neo models get mostly rave reviews from older riders with various disabilities. As much as I've loved Cannondale bikes, there are some reported quality and design issues in comments that give me pause. The only reason I'd consider an e-bike in this price range is if it's a durable, realistic car replacement capable of safe use in very bad conditions.
      Pro:

      • Most of the important wishlist items covered
      • Top quality powertrain and gearing parts
      • Torque assist - comments say it's smooth and you never miss a manual throttle
      • Versatile for city and road
      • Locally available

      Con:

      • High price even with quality factored in
      • Chain guard not included, and it should be at this price
      • Comments mention battery is difficult to remove

      Envo seems like a reliable Canadian brand that's doing interesting things. There are U.S. distributors. Dollar purchasing power makes this a potentially excellent value choice.
      Envo Lynx 20" Only one professional review, but customers seem happy. I wasn't considering folding bikes originally, but this seems well-made, has English-language support, and has decent specs for the price and flexibility.

      Envo ST 50 - few if any comments available, but the stepover D50 model gets rave reviews. Meets all requirements, with excellent range for longer trips.

      Mokwheel Asphalt ST review, review, review
      Pro:

      • Meets wishlist with moderately priced accessory package
      • Adjustable stem angle
      • Excellent price for features
      • Extra safety lights

      Con:

      • DTC-only (US-based)
      • Lower-quality and range of gearing

      Tenways AGO T review, review
      Pro:

      • Meets wishlist
      • Premium components
      • No-brainer torque control and CVT
      • Stylish

      Con:

      • May be underpowered for steep hills
      • Class 2 limited (may be hackable)
      • DTC, based outside US

      Zen Photon Pro review
      Pro:

      • Wishlist mostly covered
      • Premium components
      • Powerful hill-climbing capability
      • Long range

      Con:

      • Price is over upper limit of budget
      • Relatively new to market
      • Users complain about weight

      Ride1Up Prodigy V2 LS CVT review, review, review, review non-CVT. This might be the pick - meets requirements and then some, good value for quality, relatively future-ready, adaptable for the conditions I'm likely to encounter, and comfortable. It doesn't hurt that it's $300 off right now.

      18 votes
    26. 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!

      5 votes
    27. 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!

      7 votes
    28. Fitness recommendations to gradually increase mobility while recovering from chronic illness

      So I've had hypothyroidism since at least 2020, maybe longer. I've been gaining weight and losing both mobility and stamina since then. It got to the point where I couldn't put on my shoes without...

      So I've had hypothyroidism since at least 2020, maybe longer. I've been gaining weight and losing both mobility and stamina since then. It got to the point where I couldn't put on my shoes without an extra-long shoe iron and would get too winded to continue after depressingly short walks.

      I was diagnosed earlier this year and put on levothyroxine, and I already feel a lot better. Managing that medication is obviously something to work with my doctor on, but I haven't gotten much advice on how to address getting my body back to where it was prior to the illness really getting into gear. I wasn't crazy active back then either, but it's like night and day to compare me now to me in 2019.

      I attempted to start some low-level at-home strength training and to start taking more regular walks back before I was diagnosed, but I struggled with even extremely mild beginner-level stuff absolutely wiping me out and my endurance never increasing. Now that I'm being treated, I suspect I will be able to build up strength/stamina/etc. more easily, but emotionally I'm still pretty vulnerable to feeling like exercise is something insurmountably difficult, which obviously makes it hard to start a more regular routine.

      Losing weight is something I should do, but it's not my #1 priority here -- I mostly want to improve my mobility and stamina so that I can increase my activity level at all without feeling like shit. Most beginner-level exercise recommendations, be they strength or cardio, start at a level that is above what I can currently physically accomplish. So any recommendations for ways to get started more gradually so that I can make some amount of this exercise part of my routine would be really appreciated.

      13 votes
    29. Movie of the Week #29 - The Zone of Interest

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      We continue with Cannes films with The Zone of Interest which premiered at Cannes in 2023 where it won the Grand Prix award. It also won two Oscars for Best International Film and Best Sound.

      IMDb
      Letterboxd
      Wikipedia

      Besides any thoughts on this movie, do you think this adds anything new to the already long list of WW2/Holocaust movies?


      The rest of the schedule for May is:

      • 20th: Luxury Car
      • 27th: The Tree of Life
      4 votes
    30. 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
    31. What are three things you're feeling positively about today?

      I try to do this exercise with myself sometimes and then... forget. But thought it'd be a fun thread. (Also, obligatory reminder that Tildes is also public and all comments are available without...

      I try to do this exercise with myself sometimes and then... forget. But thought it'd be a fun thread.

      (Also, obligatory reminder that Tildes is also public and all comments are available without login, so keep things uh, vague enough.)

      25 votes
    32. 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
    33. Any recommendations on places to visit in Singapore? There for a week.

      I had initially planned a trip to Japan but had to change plans at the last minute. So here I am, not as well prepared as I usually am. Would love to hear what you guys love doing when in...

      I had initially planned a trip to Japan but had to change plans at the last minute.

      So here I am, not as well prepared as I usually am. Would love to hear what you guys love doing when in Singapore. I'm not someone who enjoys nightlife/clubbing. Good food and cocktail bars are more my speed. Already booked a nice looking place called Candlenut for a meal.

      Any sightseeing recommendations would be really helpful as well. Thanks guys.

      18 votes
    34. 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.

      14 votes
    35. Are most political talks performative?

      This is a thought I had, and I'm not saying it's necessarily true, or at least cynically true. But I think it brings to the fore an interesting point, and I want to emphasize how it feels like. I...

      This is a thought I had, and I'm not saying it's necessarily true, or at least cynically true. But I think it brings to the fore an interesting point, and I want to emphasize how it feels like.

      I feel like people are mostly interested in politics from a distant and uninvolved point of view. For example, in more progressive spaces, there's all this talk about fear of climate change, deteriorating international politics, rise of right wing authoritarianism, populism, nationalism, etc. However, I feel like people expect others to do something about it. There's this passivity and inaction, and no real effort to combat such changes. I feel like debates, talking, ruminating and such perform a theatrical function that makes you feel as if you've contributed to "doing good", but you actually don't do anything. This is what I mean by performative.

      This is not to say talking is unimportant. It's a major component of politics, and it's a core value and function of democratic and egalitarian approaches. However, it feels to me like doomscrolling and dreading or being angry about political things is seen as being politically conscious and active, while political consciousness can't exist without action.

      What are your thoughts about this? Have you had similar thoughts, or do you think differently? How do you emotionally handle this?

      24 votes
    36. I am worthless, I couldn't write a good article or draft to save my life

      The ideas just won't come to me, I don't know where they're hiding. They used to come a long time ago but I was busy in other things, I never felt like writing then. But today, I want to write,...

      The ideas just won't come to me, I don't know where they're hiding. They used to come a long time ago but I was busy in other things, I never felt like writing then.

      But today, I want to write, I'm desperate to create oodles of essays and articles about a topic, about anything which is useful. But the ideas have forsaken me as if I'm an alien or disgusting creature.

      And I ask you, what is the secret of creating these mind blowing works of writing? How do you convince the inner angels or spirits or whoever that is to let more inspiration flow through your way?

      The one thing I'm most afraid of in life is that it could end without me getting to write to my heart's content and desire. What do you suggest I do here?

      14 votes
    37. From Tildes to Reddit to Mastodon - the current state of "Text Rich" social networks on the Interwebs

      The nature of social networks is very dynamic in nature. About two decades ago, who would have thought that the leading "text rich" social network sites like Tildes, Mastodon, etc. would be so...

      The nature of social networks is very dynamic in nature. About two decades ago, who would have thought that the leading "text rich" social network sites like Tildes, Mastodon, etc. would be so popular today? Especially when Reddit had just taken some some baby steps and was mostly considered the hipster's town square sometime in late 2000s. What do you think will happen by the next decade?

      By "text rich" I mean networks where textual content is of the primary focus, other media formats like images and videos are usually secondary. Even with Reddit's flashy new interface and all, their main focus is still on text content which is good. I think one great thing about this kind of content is that it is refreshingly creative and original, and gives you an opportunity to have intellectually fulfilling discussions - which is quite rare on other kinds of networks.

      Summarily, below is a brief list of such networks which are doing a fabulous job in letting us exchange ideas and share useful information:

      Feel free to suggest more, we need more of them!

      47 votes
    38. Who do I contact to apply to "A Layperson's Introduction to" series in ~sci?

      Hello, I wrote an introductory post titled Introduction to the physical basis of global warming. I think it would be a good fit for A Layperson's Introduction to... series, but I don't see any...

      Hello, I wrote an introductory post titled Introduction to the physical basis of global warming. I think it would be a good fit for A Layperson's Introduction to... series, but I don't see any contact info on that page, and the person who started the series doesn't seem to have been active in the last 5 years.

      So, how do I apply? Also, I think it would be better if the page was updated with info on how to apply.

      11 votes
    39. I'm curious how people on here stay politically engaged and aware while maintaining mental health?

      the Israel-Palestine war has not been good to my mental health and the coverage and the treatment of the campus protests oddly is what did me in. Now one approach could be to just not watch the...

      the Israel-Palestine war has not been good to my mental health and the coverage and the treatment of the campus protests oddly is what did me in.

      Now one approach could be to just not watch the coverage but I have come around to the point of view that not watching meaning not knowing what's happening and you need to know what is happening if only for the hope to be more informed about the politics of the government you live in.

      So I guess I am trying to understand what is a responsible way to digest news about something that enrages you? Or is there no such thing? Cause I don't do social media (aside from occasional reddit and just the frontpage when I do that once in a while) and I refuse to watch any 24/7 news networks. I only do an hour of CBC and like 1-3 daily news podcasts which each do like 10-20 min daily updates.

      Cause the Israel-Palestine war doubled with the terrible way the campus protests are being treated has really shaken my faith and trust in institutions and I won't go into how cause I don't want to invite infighting on tildes and potential Islamophobia and antisemitism after what happened in that macklemore thread.

      27 votes
    40. Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news

      Tildes is a very serious site, where we discuss very serious matters like enshittification, jack dorsey and helldivers.2. 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 enshittification, jack dorsey and helldivers.2. Tags culled from the highest voted topics from the last seven days, if anyone was observant.

      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
    41. How do I fix my (stupid) use of excessive punctuation?

      In online forums I use far too many punctuation marks. I especially use dashes - to separate clauses that don't need a dash (and sometimes I'll add brackets like this because, well, I dunno). And...

      In online forums I use far too many punctuation marks. I especially use dashes - to separate clauses that don't need a dash (and sometimes I'll add brackets like this because, well, I dunno). And sometimes I'll start a sentence with "and" when it doesn't need to be there. My comma use is wild and uncontrolled, but I feel it's a bit more controlled than these other marks.

      Importantly: I do not care how other people use punctuation.

      But I would like to try to fix, or perhaps just improve, my punctuation use. Like the way I just start a new paragraph at random.

      I feel like my posts are the same as those flyers that use 7 different fonts, with bolds and underlines and italics (and combinations of them), and with some words in red and some in green and some in black and there's no rhyme or reason to it.

      I do like a casual tone but I feel that I go far too far in the informal direction. English is my first, and my only, language. (I love Europe, but I am a bad European. "Please look after our star" we said, and most of us said it in English because most of us who said it don't know other European languages)

      Do you have any advice? I'd be interested to hear about books, or videos, or courses, or podcasts, or anything at all that can help. I'd even pay for this. But not Eats Shoots and Leaves please

      29 votes
    42. Should moderation be more transparent?

      Before starting this topic, I thought I'd start a discussion that wasn't held before. @cfabbro and other commenters who have better memories than I pointed out that this isn't the case. They've...

      Before starting this topic, I thought I'd start a discussion that wasn't held before. @cfabbro and other commenters who have better memories than I pointed out that this isn't the case. They've also laid out it's been tried and was unsuccessful. I stand corrected.

      I do not want to contribute any noise to the website, so I'd appreciate it if @Deimos can lock or remove the topic all together, if he deems it appropriate. I'd also appreciate it if no further comments are made so as to not put any further burden on moderation. I apologize for wasting everyone's time.

      My original post

      Frankly, I'm not sure if I should even be writing this as it will likely end up consuming more of my time than I intend to spend on it, but as someone who's relatively a veteran member of this community1 which I'm happy to be a part of, I want to voice my only disappointment with it to see what the rest of the community think and try to explore if there might be better way to do things.

      Let me preface my post with some baseline opinions that I do hold.

      Tildes is a private platform, in that it's owned by a single person and managed by a few select moderators. These people have, I assume, shared opinions on how to run a community based on their priors. This is well within their right. This post is not about some misguided criticism of Tildes because it lacks free speech or whatever. It's a private community that we're a part of because we're allowed to be in it. It'd be disappointing, but people who have the power to do so can show me the door today and I'd not hold it against them.

      I have no doubt moderating the website as well as moderators have is a time consuming, thankless job and they do it not for any gain but to contribute back to the community they too are happy to be a part of. My post does not intend to criticize the moderators themselves.

      What prompted me to write this post was the apparent removal of Macklemore's Hind's Hall topic. It was a topic of personal interest and I had followed the discussion as well as I can without contributing to it myself, other than some voting and a couple of labeling that I thought was justified. I understand and somewhat agree that the last time I read the comments the conversation had veered off topic to the election and voter preferences2 but, despite the conversation getting circular, it seemed civil. It had valuable contributions from opposing views and I learned from it but now it's gone. Maybe something happened and people started to attack each other in the comments when I was asleep but as of late last night my time (I'm currently in a GMT+3 zone), that was objectively not the case.

      Regardless, this post is not about why that specific topic was removed3. It's just the most recent example of a trend, or rather the general pattern with which the moderation decide on how to handle topics that can sometimes be controversial. I'm not a native speaker and it can be hard for me to turn a phrase sometimes, so let me be clear: there are topics that should be removed without seeing first how the community will respond to it. For example, I personally don't take kindly the posts that seem to think someone's existence or dignity as a human being can be a matter of discussion. I think these topics should and rightly do so get nuked out of existence. But in the case of the most recent example, I don't think that was the case.

      What I'd suggest, or rather like to put forward is the idea of some kind of a moderation log that show the rest of the members of the community how and why a moderation decision was made. We already do have this system as "Topic log" in each thread, but its scope seems narrow. I, as someone who enjoyed following the aforementioned topic, would've liked to know why moderation decided to take the action that it did, instead of, say, a seemingly more agreeable action to lock the topic down to new comments. It would've helped preserve the discussion and frankly, be more respectable toward people who put their time into contributing to it as it had long, thoughtful posts in it.

      I guess that's the crux of the issue for me. The moderation is so opaque that I don't even know who the moderators are, even as a long time member of this community. They're not listed anywhere that I can find. I know that @cfabbro and @mycketforvirrad often add tags and @cfabbro has in their bio that they're a moderator, but I also seem to recall, maybe wrongly, that there's a hierarchy between the mods themselves with regards to what they can and cannot do. I do believe that who ever they are, they are acting in good faith but I also think there's a great information asymmetry between moderators and the rest of the members of the community. Deimos and the moderators shoulder the thankless burden of maintaining the health of the community, but I don't think it'd be far fetched to say that the rest of the members play a part, too. So why not give us the benefit of the doubt sometimes, trust us to have respectful disagreements without getting involved too much, but when you do, let us know why you did4?


      I'm sorry if this reads as disjointed mumbo jumbo. I'd appreciate it if my post is taken in good faith that it is written and if you want me to clarify something, you can ask me directly to do so. My intention with this thread was to start a conversation to see what the community's opinion on how the website is being moderated, so while I'll read every single comment, I will not be contributing to it further unless it's necessary.


      1: I had a different account from early 2019 that needed to be removed due to privacy reasons. Since name change was not possible, I created this new account with the advice and help of @Deimos.
      2: Though it could be argued that it was a relevant discussion, given the spirit of the video and the part where the artist reveal their own voting preference.
      3: I will refer to it to help me make my point but please do not assume I'm obsessed about that particular topic.
      4: I do realize this would inevitably increase the workload of moderators. My suggestion isn't that moderation should justify every action they take but there are some actions that are irreversible, which happen few and far in between, that I think should be justified. (Keep in mind what I mentioned in my preface.)

      20 votes