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    1. 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?

      6 votes
    2. What do you gift a couch host?

      In a few days, I’ll be crashing on my friend’s couch for a week. If it matters, I can only buy from retail stores within Hong Kong and hand carry on the subway. Every time I see them, they’re too...

      In a few days, I’ll be crashing on my friend’s couch for a week.

      If it matters, I can only buy from retail stores within Hong Kong and hand carry on the subway. Every time I see them, they’re too quick on the bill, so taking them to eat is out of the question.

      Obvious choices are alcohol or fruit basket. I’m terrible at picking gifts for people, as I’m always worried they’ll be as picky as I am on my purchases.

      What are your go-tos for gifts in this situation?

      11 votes
    3. 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?

      5 votes
    4. Tell me about your smartphone!

      Currently I have the Moto G5 Plus that I purchased a little over two years ago for $200. For the most part, it has been a good phone as the gestures to turn the flash light on, turn the camera on,...

      Currently I have the Moto G5 Plus that I purchased a little over two years ago for $200. For the most part, it has been a good phone as the gestures to turn the flash light on, turn the camera on, and use the finger print sensor as a swipeable button, has had me pretty satisfied. This was a lower middle range phone when I purchased it so it has lately started chugging even doing basic tasks like internet browsing. Couple that with the battery dying pretty quickly, and battery saver making the phone even slower, and now I am in the market to buy a new phone. Right now I am looking at the OnePlus 7t but the price looks pretty hefty to me at $599. I could make payments but in general I don't like going into debt for small purchases. I'm curious if anyone went from low-tier phone to mid-tier or higher and if you felt the purchase was worth it?

      Some other general questions:

      • What is your phone?
      • Did you finance it?
      • Are you looking to upgrade?
      • What features are the most important to you?
      29 votes
    5. Buying a car

      I've found myself in the market for a vehicle, and am looking for opinions. What I currently drive is very old, and I'm unlikely to get any meaningful trade-in value for it. Normally I would...

      I've found myself in the market for a vehicle, and am looking for opinions. What I currently drive is very old, and I'm unlikely to get any meaningful trade-in value for it. Normally I would simply look to repair what I consider to be a transportation appliance, but due to its age as well as the number and type of issues I've decided it's best to get rid of it. I've been interested in (and have been offered great deals on) the 2019 Nissan Rogue and 2019 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. I drove options from Honda and Hyundai and was not thrilled. I'm uncomfortable with the fact that there is a network connection to the machine that controls my brakes, acceleration, steering, and safety system in each of these vehicles. Does anyone have any general advice, opinions, or other options I should consider?

      17 votes
    6. What's a question you're hesitant or afraid to ask?

      It can be for any reason: Perhaps the question leads toward some uncomfortable self-reflection (e.g. "Am I annoying?") Perhaps the question might make you appear foolish or uneducated to some...

      It can be for any reason:

      • Perhaps the question leads toward some uncomfortable self-reflection (e.g. "Am I annoying?")
      • Perhaps the question might make you appear foolish or uneducated to some (e.g. "What is an IRA and why might I need one?")
      • Perhaps the question might be seen as offensive or in bad taste (I don't think we need an example here)
      • Perhaps the question itself is just outright uncomfortable due to its subject matter (e.g. "What is it like to get a colonoscopy?")
      • Perhaps there's another reason I haven't covered here

      Whatever the reason, this thread is your chance to ask any questions you want to, regardless of how you'll be viewed. It's also a chance to have those questions answered, should anyone be willing to do so.

      With this in mind, there are some pretty important ground rules:

      As a question asker, do EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER to frame your question favorably and show sincerity. Walking in with a one sentence bombshell question that's guaranteed to stoke fires is likely to get you tagged for malice. Better to explain your thinking and why you have that question in the first place so that people can know you're coming from a genuine place. The more effort you put into your post, the more people are likely to respond with effort in kind.

      As a question answerer, do EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER to apply the principle of charity. The whole point of this thread is to draw out uncomfortable questions, so do your best to answer them a way that acknowledges that discomfort rather than heightening it. Also remember that even if the person asking the question isn't doing so in the best way, there are probably people in the audience with the same or similar questions. Write your responses with them in mind too.

      As readers, do EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER to both vote on comments you feel are good contributions as well as flag any comments you feel are malicious or in bad faith.

      I think we've got a lot of great people on the site, and I know there are probably a ton of uncomfortable questions lurking out there. I think this is a good chance for us to get some of them out into the open so that they can be addressed in thoughtful and illuminating ways.

      28 votes
    7. 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.

      9 votes
    8. What are you doing this week?

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their week. If you have any plans, goals, accomplishments, or even failures, whether they be personal or work...

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their week.

      If you have any plans, goals, accomplishments, or even failures, whether they be personal or work related, I'd love to hear about them. This is a place for casual discussion about your week, past, present, and future.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      So, what (or how) are you doing this week?

      14 votes
    9. Latin Music lovers

      Are there tildies that like latin music? I'm just getting back into it after a long excursion into electronic genres. Do you know and want to share with us some favourite tracks? Some of my...

      Are there tildies that like latin music? I'm just getting back into it after a long excursion into electronic genres.

      Do you know and want to share with us some favourite tracks?

      Some of my favourite stuff, from wildly different genres:

      Devine - La Chica Colombiana
      Calypso Rose - Calypso Blues
      Chica Libre - sonido amazonico
      Pericos - Los Pericos
      Tigrillios - Cameleon
      Dinastya Angelito Y Su Sabor Costeño - Con La Botella En La Cabeza
      Mister Cobra - Baila

      I'm looking especially for traditional styles and good cumbia

      6 votes
    10. Who's making good films?

      I'm interested to find out who you think is making good films? I'm also interested in what your favourite film from them is, and why you like it. Feel free to interpret it how you like -- I'm...

      I'm interested to find out who you think is making good films? I'm also interested in what your favourite film from them is, and why you like it.

      Feel free to interpret it how you like -- I'm interested in distribution as well as production companies, as well as producers, directors, writers, and actors.

      20 votes
    11. 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?

      11 votes
    12. What have you been listening to this week?

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

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

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

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

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

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

      9 votes
    13. 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.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      13 votes
    14. Is "The Morning Show" bad?

      Apple has spent a lot of money on The Morning Show for its new tv service. It has a bunch of actors that I love. In particular I'm excited to see Anniston, Duplas, Carell, and Crudup in this....

      Apple has spent a lot of money on The Morning Show for its new tv service. It has a bunch of actors that I love. In particular I'm excited to see Anniston, Duplas, Carell, and Crudup in this.

      Metacritic gives it only 60. https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-morning-show Sometimes a single terrible review can drag that number down, but that doesn't appear to be the case here. There are a few bad reviews, and lots of mixed reviews.

      I don't know much about critique or how reviewing works, so I'm curious: is The Morning Show bad, or are critics terrible at reviewing, or is something else going on?

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

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

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

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

      5 votes
    17. What are you doing this weekend?

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their weekend. If you have any plans, things you want to get done, things you have done, things you haven't...

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their weekend.

      If you have any plans, things you want to get done, things you have done, things you haven't done, or even if you just want to talk about how you're doing this weekend, this is a place for casual discussion about those things.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      So, what (or how) are you doing this weekend?

      13 votes
    18. 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
    19. What are some interesting websites (tech related or not) that I can add to my endless rotation of Reddit, Tildes and Hacker News?

      My online habits are too limited by these three websites. What other aggregators, blogs or websites you suggest for me to open my horizons? Some of my interests: Long-form film criticism (not...

      My online habits are too limited by these three websites. What other aggregators, blogs or websites you suggest for me to open my horizons?

      Some of my interests:

      • Long-form film criticism (not movie news)
      • History of American cinema
      • Urban exploration (sewers, abandoned places, spooky stories)
      • Python
      • Learning techniques
      • Transportation (subways and trains, mostly)
      • True crime
      • Science fiction literature (both new and old)
      • Stand up comedy
      • War history

      I'm particularly uninterested by American or World News.

      I currently am not listening to podcasts because my headphones break every week and I don’t have enough money to buy headphones that will last more than that.

      40 votes
    20. Do you think a recession is likely within the next 15 years? If so, what/who will cause it and why?

      I am not even remotely knowledgeable about economics and stocks so if any logic in this is flawed, please tell me why. If it happens (which seems likely but not a given) I think the most likely...

      I am not even remotely knowledgeable about economics and stocks so if any logic in this is flawed, please tell me why.

      If it happens (which seems likely but not a given) I think the most likely offenders would probably be companies like Uber and WeWork because they kept going with their current practices (mainly unsustainable and sometimes still unprofitable) to the point where venture capitalists decide it's too risky an investment to make and the stocks eventually crash in these companies and the whole market soon follows.

      20 votes
    21. Which games have great communities, and what do you like about them?

      As an outsider some gaming communities can appear incredibly toxic. I'm sure some of that is a deserved reputation, but I'm also aware that maybe there's a bit of generalisation going on, and that...

      As an outsider some gaming communities can appear incredibly toxic. I'm sure some of that is a deserved reputation, but I'm also aware that maybe there's a bit of generalisation going on, and that some communities are lovely but unrecognised.

      So I thought I'd ask Tildes: which gaming communities do you like? And why?

      (As always, feel free to interpret this question how you like. And, again, I suck at tagging so I'm grateful for any tagging edits. I do read those to try to learn.)

      13 votes
    22. I'm seeking recommendations for PC games

      Hello everyone, As I've previously mentionned in a previous comment, I'm getting back into PC gaming after 3 years with a simple laptop. I would be grateful if you could share some...

      Hello everyone,

      As I've previously mentionned in a previous comment, I'm getting back into PC gaming after 3 years with a simple laptop. I would be grateful if you could share some recommendations! Here are a few details that I think can help you:

      • Looking back, the genres I like the most are
        • City-building games (Cities Skylines, SimCity 4, ...Rimworld?)
        • Tactical shooters (Arma 3, Insurgency)
        • First-person role-playing shooters (STALKER, Fallout 4)
        • Atmospheric indie titles (INSIDE, Kentucky Route Zero, Night in the Woods, Oxenfree, What Remains of Edith Finch)
      • I don't tend to like competitive multiplayer games, I get easily frustrated about my lack of skill.
      • I'm mainly aiming to catch up with what I could have missed these last couple of years. But if you think there's an ""older"" title I'd like, tell me anyway.
      • I've already got my eyes on Control, Cyberpunk 2077, Outer Wilds and The Outer Worlds

      Phew! I hope I haven't reduced the list of candidates too much

      11 votes
    23. What are you doing this weekend?

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their weekend. If you have any plans, things you want to get done, things you have done, things you haven't...

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their weekend.

      If you have any plans, things you want to get done, things you have done, things you haven't done, or even if you just want to talk about how you're doing this weekend, this is a place for casual discussion about those things.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      So, what (or how) are you doing this weekend?

      11 votes
    24. What are you doing this week?

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their week. If you have any plans, goals, accomplishments, or even failures, whether they be personal or work...

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their week.

      If you have any plans, goals, accomplishments, or even failures, whether they be personal or work related, I'd love to hear about them. This is a place for casual discussion about your week, past, present, and future.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      So, what (or how) are you doing this week?

      8 votes
    25. 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.

      9 votes
    26. I want to learn programming. What language should i pick to write cli apps for linux?

      I'm interested in C or Go, but i'm open to ideas. I have plenty of sh scripts i created to integrate my tools and system, so i have some experience and i don't want a scripting language like...

      I'm interested in C or Go, but i'm open to ideas.

      I have plenty of sh scripts i created to integrate my tools and system, so i have some experience and i don't want a scripting language like python.

      My first plan is to learn the basics of the language and rewrite some of those scripts.

      I think my first pick will be a script that uses ffmpeg to convert my flac files to mp3 or opus. I use sndconv -opus/-mp3 and it checks if there are flac files in the folder (i only have full albums), converts and puts in a folder named "$artist - $album".

      My long term goal is to make a cli/tui music player like cmus.

      UPDATE: i'm having plenty of success with Go right now. I just wrote a basic version of my music conversion script. It's just converting a music i pass as argument to mp3, but i'll keep working on it and adding functionality just to dip my toes in Go. It seems like a good language and i'm having fun!

      Thanks for all the answers!

      18 votes
    27. Please criticize my idea for CHORES - a short-term TODO app for ADHD people (and myself in particular)

      Introduction I'm a beginner in programming, but a veteran in film and literature. I know that ideas come easy. Any normal person can come up with a good idea in a matter of minutes. The main...

      Introduction

      I'm a beginner in programming, but a veteran in film and literature. I know that ideas come easy. Any normal person can come up with a good idea in a matter of minutes. The main problem is doing it.

      Besides, I couldn't care less if someone does that before me. I'd probably benefit from their program, and even offer to collaborate. I have a bunch of other ideas in the oven anyway.

      And I'm humble enough to know that such a niche project would never attract the interest of a mega-corporation anyway.

      2. What is CHORES?

      CHORES is a short-term task manager. It's meant to organize nothing more than a few hours or less of your tasks. Month, weak or even your entire day are entirely out of its scope.

      3. Who is CHORES for?

      First and foremost, this app is for my use. But I'm certain there are other people with conditions similar to mine, especially ones with ADHD. I'm also autistic with a compulsive personality, and won't stop until I tinker with every aspect of an object. Not surprisingly, I'm a Linux, i3wm, Emacs and Neovim user. And they're excruciatingly customized.

      What I need is not a full-featured a TODO app like Remember The Milk, Todoist or Org Mode. They're too distracting, I end up just playing with the tools. I need something that allows me to track very short term chores. Thinks like brushing my teeth, taking a shower, eating, walking my dog, washing the dishes and making my bed.

      That's what I intend to do.

      4. What is ADHD

      From the United States National Institute of Mental Health:

      Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disorder marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.

      4.1 Warning

      Please refrain from suggesting that the ones who use such tools just need to make an effort instead. That's a cliche most people with ADHD and other mental health issues probably heard many times, and by saying that you may cause distress. If you need more information, please refer to the link posted above.

      5. Why another "TODO" app?

      People with severe ADHD like myself frequently forget what they're doing, and what they should do in the very short term. I'm talking 2, 3 or 5 tasks from now. To give you an idea of how bad it is, right now I have an Emacs Org Mode file with the following tasks:

      * Now
      ** TODO Take Ritalin
      ** TODO Start chronometer on Ritalin
        - Tells me when the effect wears off
      ** TODO Take a shower
      ** TODO Take the laptop to the living room
      ** TODO Wash the dishes
      ** TODO Study Python
      ** TODO Post on Tildes
      

      But Emacs and Org Mode do a lot more than that, and this can be very distracting (right now I'm writing this post because creating another file from my now.org file was way too easy, for example).

      Considering that I am the main target audience of this program, any space for tinkering is a dangerous avenue for procrastination.

      6. Who is CHORES for

      The primary target of this project are people with:

      1. ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
      2. similar conditions or personality traits

      In sum: if you have extreme difficulty focusing, remembering and fulfilling your tasks in the very short term, you may find this program useful.

      7. Who is CHORES not for

      The majority of people can concentrate and perform their short-term tasks with a reasonable degree of efficiency. If that is your case, you have little to gain by using CHORES.

      8. Features

      CHORES is a short-term task manager. It's meant to organize nothing more than a few hours: not your month, weak or even your day.

      1. CLI Linux app (Mac, Windows, GUI, and mobile could happen in the future)
      2. Hard limit of ten tasks (with the option to reduce)
      3. Only the very essential configurations available
      • tinkering is a huge time drain for ADHD people
      • because of that, the defaults will have to be extremely sensible.
      1. Started Stopped status clearly marked by character or highlighting

      8.1 What you would be able to do with CHORES:

      1. Add up to ten tasks
      2. Reorder/Start/Stop/Done these tasks
      3. Undo only one operation
      4. See only the last ten completed tasks

      9. Answer to Possible Questions

      9.1 Why Not Keep Using Org Mode? Or maybe Taskwarrior?

      Org Mode and Emacs are wonderful tools, but they're also a perfect playground for procrastinators. It simply does too much. Emacs is like a box of legos, and that's the last thing an ADHD person needs when it comes to tracking short-term tasks.

      Taskwarrior suffers from the same issue.

      9.2 Why Not todo.txt and similar apps?

      This may seem crazy, but for a severe ADHD person, even todo.txt gives way too many options and features. It is, after, an actual TODO app. I can add 1000 tasks todo.txt. It has an extensive wiki, projects, tags, context tags, special value tags. You might just say: just don't use these options. But that

      9.3 Why not use the extremely minimalist t task manager, by Steve Losh?

      I like t very much, and, depending on its license, I'll probably use at least some of its code. But t lacks some features CHORES requires, such as:

      1. Limit task amount
      2. Add tasks to the bottom (t last tasks randomly, or at least something that seem random to me)
      3. Reorder tasks
      4. Undo
      5. Easily view completed tasks
      6. Add Start/Stop status to a task

      9.4 Why not pen and paper?

      This is a very personal anwer, but here we go:

      1. I will lose the paper every 30 minutes
      2. I will lose the pen every 30 minutes
      3. I will forget to look at the paper, it will probably end up crumpled in my pock
      4. Many of my tasks, such as programming and studying, already happen in the computer anyway
      5. One of my medications interferes with my motor skills and my handwriting is hard to understand - even for me
      6. I like computers. The fact that I like computers makes more likely for me to actually look at the tasks.
      7. In the future, I can add alerts. Can't do that with paper
      11 votes
    28. 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
    29. 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.

      12 votes
    30. LGBTQ individuals, how's life?

      I'm curious how many of us there are on here. This was asked awhile ago but I'm curious how things might have changed since then. Some ideas for discussion: When did you realize you weren't...

      I'm curious how many of us there are on here. This was asked awhile ago but I'm curious how things might have changed since then. Some ideas for discussion:

      • When did you realize you weren't cis/straight/etc?
      • Are you out or still in the closet?
      • How's the social situation where you live? (Are you accepted?)
      • In a relationship? If so, how did you meet?
      • Anything on your mind? (Doesn't have to be related to your identity/orientation.)
      28 votes
    31. What are you reading these days?

      What are you reading currently? Fiction or non-fiction or poetry, any genre, any language! Tell us what you're reading, and talk about it a bit. Previous topics Previous topics are listed in the wiki.

      26 votes
    32. 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.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      12 votes
    33. What are you reading these days?

      What are you reading currently? Fiction or non-fiction or poetry, any genre, any language! Tell us what you're reading, and talk about it a bit. Previous topics Previous topics are listed in the wiki.

      12 votes
    34. Can anyone help me with home security systems?

      I could use some clarity, as I feel like most of what I'm reading regarding home security is either FUD or marketing. I don't trust most of the comments I read online, as almost everything about...

      I could use some clarity, as I feel like most of what I'm reading regarding home security is either FUD or marketing. I don't trust most of the comments I read online, as almost everything about this seems predicated on creating fear in me so that I'll pay up.

      Simplisafe and Frontpoint are supposedly easy (and Simplisafe is quite cheap), but reviews online are mixed, and many people seem to think a self-installed wireless system is garbage no matter who it's from or who's doing the monitoring. Is this true, or is this just stratrgic doubt trying to drive me to a different or more expensive solution? I don't know!

      Also, ADT sent me an ad that was a straight up lie. The person on the phone had to guess at how they might be able to stack discounts to even get close to the price I was looking at on their flyer, and the best she could offer was ~50% higher than what was shown, with their higher tiers costing well over double the price in the ad. I politely terminated the call.

      My home security needs are simple. All I need is basic protection, and, honestly, I'm less concerned about a break-in than I am a fire. That's what I'd want to make sure I have solid monitoring for. My stuff can be replaced, but my home itself and my dog cannot.

      Can anyone help me cut through all of the crap out there and just give me accurate information? What's my best bet?

      13 votes