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    1. Is there an app for this? Help me fix my terrible security.

      I thought I've been looking for a good password manager, but I'm not sure that's what I really need. Here's my use case: I currently have a Google Sheet in my Google Drive that contains all my...

      I thought I've been looking for a good password manager, but I'm not sure that's what I really need.

      Here's my use case:

      • I currently have a Google Sheet in my Google Drive that contains all my ID/passwords for everything
      • In addition I have personal info in there like SSNs and Credit Cards #s
      • I want to be able to have instant access to all of the info from my ancient iPhone and my laptop

      Things I've tried:

      • I messed around with Last Pass a bit and found it couldn't actually fill in the passwords in the apps I was using so I'd have to manually type them, which is a deal breaker for me.
      • I've been using FireFox's LockBox and it's a bit better on that front but doesn't actually remember what the password goes to the app so I have to look it up each time, but it does populate them in the appropriate fields.
      • Password-protecting a Google Sheet is apparently impossible but was a solution I was after for some time (Excel and Libre can do this..so +1 for software)

      Other info:

      • I am currently using an iPhone 5 but I plan to "upgrade" to a Samsung Galaxy S7 sometime in the near future. Perhaps that's why the functionality of these password managers seem so inconvenient for me? Would they work better on a modern phone?

      What I'm after is perhaps two solutions:

      • A password manager that crosses the bridge from desktop FireFox to the apps on my phone, and fills in the password for me automatically. That would allow me to feel like I could move to more random passwords for things.

      • Some encrypted, password-protected site/app that could store plain text notes for sensitive things like SSNs and Credit Card #s that would stay in sync between a laptop and a smartphone.

      Go ahead and mock me for my terrible security and ancient phone. I deserve it! But when you're done, I'd appreciate some guidance.

      EDIT: Sounds like first priority should be to update my phone. Then there appear to be plenty of options to try. Thanks everyone so much!

      18 votes
    2. Programming Challenge: Dice Roller

      Its been a while since we did one of these, which is a shame. Create a program that takes is an input of the type: "d6 + 3" or "2d20 - 5", and return a valid roll. The result should display both...

      Its been a while since we did one of these, which is a shame.

      Create a program that takes is an input of the type: "d6 + 3" or "2d20 - 5", and return a valid roll.
      The result should display both the actual rolls as well as the final result. The program should accept any valid roll of the type 'xdx'
      Bonuses:

      • Multiplication "d6 * 3"
      • Division "d12 / 6"
      • Polish notation "4d6 * (5d4 - 3)"

      As a side note, it would be really cool if weekly programming challenges became a thing

      33 votes
    3. A building block for the trust system

      This is something I've been thinking about for a while. One of the future mechanics for tildes is the trust system (see https://docs.tildes.net/mechanics-future). People talk about building it but...

      This is something I've been thinking about for a while.

      One of the future mechanics for tildes is the trust system (see https://docs.tildes.net/mechanics-future). People talk about building it but I think we already have a small part of it in place.

      Invites are a form of trust.

      By allowing inviting the community is trusting you with the ability to add new members. That ability can be taken away or could even result in the banhammer if you persistantly invite assholes. I know that made me cautious with who I've invited to join.

      With there being a clear trail of who invited who, bad actors will have to work harder to get a foothold here. I also think that spammers are deterred with having to get an invite for every new account they make.

      A simple analogy is that you're having a party and a friend asks if they can bring a friend of theirs you don't know. Your friend says they're cool and you trust your friend due to past experiences with them so along they come. Now if this person ends up kicking your cat, pissing in the fridge, and then trying to burn your house down then the trust you had in your friend is going to diminish. Next time they want to bring a guest the answer is hell no!

      We can use the invite system as an initial way to build trust.

      10 votes
    4. 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.

      16 votes
    5. HBO Chernobyl miniseries discussion

      Thought a thread for this miniseries would be good, as I've only seen discussion of the trailer up here. As of today (16th May) there are two episodes out, and a companion podcast for each (though...

      Thought a thread for this miniseries would be good, as I've only seen discussion of the trailer up here. As of today (16th May) there are two episodes out, and a companion podcast for each (though I've not listened to these yet)
      I just watched both back to back, and I'm blown away. This is some very well made television, and somehow manages to be simultaneously nightmarish, and fully gripping. That this is based on real events is all the more amazing to me, and after watching the revelation about the exploding water tanks in the second episode I'm astonished that the world is as unscathed by this disaster as it is.

      24 votes
    6. alyaza is unbanned

      A couple of days ago, I loudly banned alyaza. After investigating it more, I no longer believe that DearDeer was their alt account, so everything I accused them of doing in that post was not true,...

      A couple of days ago, I loudly banned alyaza. After investigating it more, I no longer believe that DearDeer was their alt account, so everything I accused them of doing in that post was not true, and they've been unbanned.

      There are a lot of justifications and excuses I could give for why I got it wrong, but in the end it doesn't really matter. I made a somewhat-rushed decision, but I was confident about it at the time. Yesterday I spent more time looking into it, including following the invite chain and managing to get in contact with the person that sent the invite that DearDeer used to register. Between talking with that person (who was remarkably helpful) and some other info, I found more evidence that DearDeer wasn't alyaza than I had used to originally decide that it was, and realized that I was wrong.

      This is a good example of why I don't like publicizing bans. Without me making that post about it, I'm sure this still would have been noticed by some people, but it could have been a relatively quiet temporary ban that lasted for about a day while it got sorted out. Instead, it ends up as a multi-day unnecessary spectacle. I'm not bothered by the effect on me because of that—I screwed up and deserve the embarrassment and criticism that comes from it, and I fully accept that. But it was unfair and cruel to alyaza to be falsely accused of things publicly, and that can't be reversed.

      Decisions like this (and moderation in general) are often judgment calls that have to be made quickly and with incomplete information. Sometimes, like in this case, you make the wrong call, and more time, information, or an appeal leads you to reverse it. There can be value in having that happen in public, but there can also be harm, and I think this case absolutely leaned more towards the harmful end.

      Anyway, I'll leave the comments open this time so that you can berate me appropriately. Please avoid commenting on alyaza personally though—I've already done enough damage and we don't need to continue that.

      90 votes
    7. What do you think of when you think of fluorescent blue?

      What a beautiful night the stars are out like tiny pinprick holes in the sky illuminating our soft gray subtle shadows as we chat about life and random fluff and the moon shines through your dress...

      What a beautiful night
      the stars are out
      like tiny pinprick holes in the sky
      illuminating our soft gray subtle shadows
      as we chat about life and random fluff
      and the moon shines through your dress
          making it
                  transparent

      Back to my car
      a night full of passion.
      Come the morning: I stop and reflect.
      What could my life have been?
      If I had missed all this,
                  this artifice and sin?
      For you are only silicone,
      your dress a splotchy sheet
      The stars are a cheap plastic disco ball
      I bought it from goodwill for 97¢.
      My car's no more than a fluorescent-stained couch.

      Alas, alas for me
      I must do better—yes, I will!
      (I steel my resolve)
      (I know what I must do)
      (my heart, it pains me so!
      For you have been so good to me, and thus I will repay you?)

       

       

       

       

       

      I did it, threw you in the trash;
      I'll hire a human whore tomorrow

      8 votes