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    1. Should I be using a passkey?

      I saw all the hype about Google's new passkey rollout on Hacker News and Ars Technica in the past month, and have even read an article stating that, paraphrased, "I should start using passkeys...

      I saw all the hype about Google's new passkey rollout on Hacker News and Ars Technica in the past month, and have even read an article stating that, paraphrased, "I should start using passkeys immediately, even if the tech is not all the way there yet."

      Some questions:

      • Are you using passkeys currently? Which provider?
      • Is there a fear of vendor lock-in (looking at you, Apple) or ditching the product in the future (looking at you, Google)?
      • Any other concerns I should be aware of, e.g. what happens if my phone gets run over by a bulldozer?
      25 votes
    2. Midweek Movie Free Talk

      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...

      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.

      11 votes
    3. 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!

      17 votes
    4. What is your favorite old news article?

      Did you know that there were news since before Tildes was created? What is something you read from way back then that you're still fond of? I know there are a lot of people here on the older side...

      Did you know that there were news since before Tildes was created? What is something you read from way back then that you're still fond of? I know there are a lot of people here on the older side so maybe this could be a chance to show us youngsters what life was like "back in the days".

      12 votes
    5. Visual novel readers, what kinds of choices do you want to make in your games?

      Do you prefer kinetic VNs (where there are no choices, just story), choices that slightly alter the dialogue but don't impact the story much, or choices that result in new scenes/routes/endings?...

      Do you prefer kinetic VNs (where there are no choices, just story), choices that slightly alter the dialogue but don't impact the story much, or choices that result in new scenes/routes/endings?

      Personally, I'm a fan of having choices in the game and having them impact the narrative -- either by unlocking a new route, a special scene with a character, or getting an alternative ending. Stein's;Gate was a lot of fun for me.

      I do enjoy a good kinetic novel when I just want to listen to music and read, though. Queen Beast is a great recent example -- go check it out!

      14 votes
    6. What brought you here?

      Hey guys I'm a new account here just wondering what brought everybody here. I'm sure this has been asked to death but I'm quite curious. I'm originally a redditor, as I think all of us are, and I...

      Hey guys I'm a new account here just wondering what brought everybody here. I'm sure this has been asked to death but I'm quite curious.

      I'm originally a redditor, as I think all of us are, and I came here hoping to escape the growing toxicity of reddit and also to help developers a new community. I also personally believe reddit is making anti consumer choices as of recent and want to move to a nonprofit site such as this one.

      50 votes
    7. Best products to bring back to Europe from the US

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

      13 votes
    9. Does anyone else read webcomics?

      I was wondering if anyone else around here consistently reads any of the many webcomics out there. I really love reading XKCD, CommitStrip, Questionable Content, Alice Grove, and Mare Internum. If...

      I was wondering if anyone else around here consistently reads any of the many webcomics out there. I really love reading XKCD, CommitStrip, Questionable Content, Alice Grove, and Mare Internum.

      If you'd like to have a discussion about art styles, writing, the communities around the comics, how in the world Randall Munroe manages to continually come up with ideas for comics that make XKCD even more relevant for everything, or whatever else you might want to talk about, I'd love to talk with you about it.

      20 votes
    10. Midweek Movie Free Talk

      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...

      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.

      19 votes
    11. True Crime junkies: What have you been watching?

      I’m a true crime fiend, but without cable or Netflix it’s hard to discover new lurid murders and cult exposés to relax with. So I’m asking y’all: what’s been on your watchlist in the true crime...

      I’m a true crime fiend, but without cable or Netflix it’s hard to discover new lurid murders and cult exposés to relax with.

      So I’m asking y’all: what’s been on your watchlist in the true crime doc department?

      To kick it off, I’ll start: I just binged 5 hours of “The Curious Case Of Natalia Grace “

      Not since Making a Murderer or The Bad Vegan have I immediately binged an entire True Crime series.

      So, quick synopsis for those unaware: ** “ Investigation Discovery's "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace" is a six-episode docuseries that explores the case of Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian orphan who was adopted by Michael and Kristine Barnett in 2010.2 Initially thought to be a 6-year-old orphan with a rare bone growth disorder, Natalia was actually a fully grown adult.…or was she?”**

      This one’s a total trainwreck in the best possible way: twists, turns, creeps and weirdos and some odd people just trying to do right…surreal but highly recommended.

      So Tildes: where is my next fix? I want to to hear any other True Crime junkies chime in with their recent picks!

      3 votes
    12. Wildflower plantings

      I've recently been trying to get an area of my yard to grow with perennial wild flowers. For 2 years straight, I plant seeds and nothing comes up. I'm starting to think that the seeds the store...

      I've recently been trying to get an area of my yard to grow with perennial wild flowers. For 2 years straight, I plant seeds and nothing comes up. I'm starting to think that the seeds the store sells are just a scam. Even when I tried to germinate them in potting soil, nothing grew. Anyone here have any sort of advice?

      21 votes
    13. Is the egg market collapsing?

      I just saw eggs at $3.06 for a 36 pack at my local Walmart. Not too long ago a 12 pack was pushing close to $7.00 in my area. What’s up with that? Is the greedy egg price gouging catching up with...

      I just saw eggs at $3.06 for a 36 pack at my local Walmart. Not too long ago a 12 pack was pushing close to $7.00 in my area.

      What’s up with that? Is the greedy egg price gouging catching up with the farms or something?

      Wasn’t sure where to put this one.

      21 votes
    14. 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?

      13 votes
    15. Treasure hunting

      Anyone metal detect or coin roll hunt? Or magnet fish? I do both, ive coin roll hunted for a year, and I just started metal detecting a month ago I'm in canada, which has pros and cons for metal...

      Anyone metal detect or coin roll hunt? Or magnet fish?

      I do both, ive coin roll hunted for a year, and I just started metal detecting a month ago

      I'm in canada, which has pros and cons for metal detecting, a con would be all our modern coins are made of plated steel, so they both sound bad when you swing over them, and the rot beyond use in not that long time

      A pro though is we have 1 and 2 dollar coins, in the states you might go a year before swinging over a Sacajawea dollar, but in canada you might find multiple loonies on the first time out

      In a bit over a month, of metal detecting I found 2 sterling rings, a silver dime(it was a fresh drop not ancient) and a sterling earring, the earring was gold plated, I was hoping I found gold till I saw the 925 and makers mark, looked on the makers website and it was all gold plated sterling

      Coin roll hunting I recently hit the jackpot of the year most definitly, four whole rolls of silver dimes, thats $380 and only cost me $20 to aquire

      14 votes
    16. How do you decide if a piece of music is good?

      There're maybe 2 aspects to the question: what makes you prefer a certain genre over another? and within that genre, what criteria makes you think one piece performs better than another? I get...

      There're maybe 2 aspects to the question: what makes you prefer a certain genre over another? and within that genre, what criteria makes you think one piece performs better than another?

      I get that this is a very subjective and probably subconscious thing. Just curious to see how everyone would describe their own tastes.

      For me I'm not much of a music person, most music I found were just soundtracks from films or videogames. So I guess the music is good if the film/game is good. Listening is a way to put me back into the moods of the scenes it came from.

      Edit: I also listen to meme songs a lot so I guess I like them for just being funny, which is not a very musically relevant criteria I suppose

      17 votes
    17. I want to learn programming

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

      These are some of my requisites:

      • FOSS
      • markdown or org markup
      • I don't wanna pay for anything, ever
      • plug and play
      • text-based
      • easy export and backup
      • keyboard-centric or keyboard-friendly
      • can be used offline
      • local database can be synced using Dropbox
      • Emacs-like and/or Vim-like keybindings
      8 votes
    19. What's your p(doom)?

      Now that ChatGPT's been around for long enough to become a quotidian fixture, I think most of us have realized that we're closer than expected to generalized artificial intelligence (or at least a...

      Now that ChatGPT's been around for long enough to become a quotidian fixture, I think most of us have realized that we're closer than expected to generalized artificial intelligence (or at least a reasonable facsimile of it), even when comparing to just a couple years ago.

      OG AI doomers like Eliezer Yudkowsky seem a little less nutty nowadays. Even for those of us who still doubt the inevitably of the AI apocalypse, the idea has at least become conceivable.

      In fact, the concept of an AI apocalypse has become mainstream enough to gain a cute moniker: p(doom), i.e. the (prior) probability that AI will inflict an existential crisis on humanity.

      So for funsies, I ask my dear tilderinos: what is your p(doom)? How do you define an "existential crisis" (e.g., 90%+ population lost)? Why did you chose your prior? How would you change public policy to address your p(doom)?

      14 votes
    20. Who here is a homeowner?

      After my lease is up in my current apartment, I am hoping to purchase a home somewhere in the US and am just now in the beginning stages. I'm not too far into my search but am generally looking...

      After my lease is up in my current apartment, I am hoping to purchase a home somewhere in the US and am just now in the beginning stages. I'm not too far into my search but am generally looking for 2-3 bedroom with 1.5 bath, a basement, and a decent backyard. My budget is <$250k and I am looking at east Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, and maybe Michigan. Fortunately, I work from home and am not terribly dependent on being near a job, but unfortunately it seems like all houses have exploded in price the past 3 years in pretty much every area. It is crazy to look at a house that sold in 2019 for $100k being listed now at the top of my budget at $250k! It kind of makes me want to put in an offer at 65% of the listing price for some of these egregious increases. Especially as the higher interest rates making the house way more expensive than what they originally purchased at when the rates were at all time lows. It seems like the market for a $150k starter home is non-existent for most parts of the country these days.

      • Anyways, I was curious who here is a homeowner?

      • What is your experience like going from renting to buying, or if you were a homeowner and went back to renting?

      • What are some things you wish that you had known to do prior and what advice would you give yourself back then?

      • How long did you search and how long are you planning to stay in your home?

      • What do you think of the current market dynamics? Is there any hope for prices to come back down to Earth?

      • Any other thoughts you want to share?

      24 votes
    21. Which web browser do you use?

      Most of the world seems to be settled around Chrome and Safari these days. I remember using Firefox a long time ago myself but then everyone started switching to Chrome and that also turned out to...

      Most of the world seems to be settled around Chrome and Safari these days. I remember using Firefox a long time ago myself but then everyone started switching to Chrome and that also turned out to be a natural path of least resistance for web developers like me who had to test web apps in local environment.

      This switch happened in circa 2015-16 if I recall correctly, many other browsers have evolved since then and people are looking at alternatives. The Android Kiwi browser, for example, is a great alternative for power users on mobile who need plugins but Chrome won't allow that. Other alternatives have evolved too like Brendan Eich's Brave browser which seems to be promising. Anyone here tried that yet?

      I have half a mind to go back to Firefox but I recently learned about how Mozilla Corp is also funded by Google and that turned me off. Wouldn't you rather want to deal with the Devil directly instead of the Devil's assistant or sidekick!

      And then there are also those who use Garibaldi, Midori, etc. but I can't go that purist way. I'm way too dependent on the digital way of life and sites like amazon and flipkart won't work in those browsers. What do you think should be the right path ahead from here?

      24 votes
    22. TV Tuesdays Free Talk

      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...

      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
    23. Anyone here familiar with Scotland?

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

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

      16 votes
    24. 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
    25. Tildes Video Thread

      So, quite a few people don't like/watch video content, and don't like seeing the homepage filled with videos. Let's try something new, see if it sticks. What are the best videos you have watched...

      So, quite a few people don't like/watch video content, and don't like seeing the homepage filled with videos. Let's try something new, see if it sticks.

      What are the best videos you have watched this past week/fortnight?

      7 votes
    26. 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
    27. Midweek Movie Free Talk

      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...

      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.

      3 votes
    28. 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
    29. TV Tuesdays Free Talk

      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...

      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
    30. Where do you see the future of IT going?

      So, what's the hottest new thing in IT today, what's that coolest new tech which might prove to be a goldmine some years down the line? The way PCs, websites, databases, programming languages,...

      So, what's the hottest new thing in IT today, what's that coolest new tech which might prove to be a goldmine some years down the line? The way PCs, websites, databases, programming languages, etc. used to be in the 90s or mobile computing used to be in 00s? Early 00s gave us many a goodies in terms of open source innovations, be it Web Technologies, Linux advancement and propagation through the masses or FOSS software like Wordpress and Drupal, or even the general attitude and awareness about FOSS. Bitcoin also deserves a notable mention here, whether you love it or hate it.

      But today, I think IT no longer has that spark it once had. People keep mulling around AI, ML and Data Science but these are still decades old concepts, and whatever number crunching or coding the engineers are doing somehow doesn't seem to reach the masses? People get so enthusiastic about ChatGPT, but at the end of the day it's just another software like a zillion others. I deem it at par with something like Wordpress, probably even lesser. I'm yet to see any major adoption or industry usage for it.

      Is it the case that IT has reached some kind of saturation point? Everything that could have been innovated, at least the low hanging fruits, has already been innovated? What do you think about this?

      13 votes
    31. 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?

      9 votes
    32. Monitor recommendations?

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

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

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

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

      10 votes
    33. 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.

      5 votes
    34. Thoughts on brinkmanship with the US national debt?

      Putting aside specific criticisms of the GOP as it exists today, what do you think of using the debt ceiling as a tool to reel in spending and put the US on a sustainable path with its national...

      Putting aside specific criticisms of the GOP as it exists today, what do you think of using the debt ceiling as a tool to reel in spending and put the US on a sustainable path with its national debt? People make it out to seem backwards and manipulative, but this whole situation seems like we're driving a hundred miles an hour toward a cliff and the person saying we should slam the breaks is getting flack because it'll damage the car.

      14 votes