Banazir's recent activity

  1. Comment on What do folks carry in their hiking/backpacking/camping first aid kits these days? in ~hobbies

    Banazir
    Link Parent
    My friend and I were going to backpack at a small state park a couple hours away, and the day before our trip we found out the whole place was closed for a managed deer hunt! Hopefully most parks...

    My friend and I were going to backpack at a small state park a couple hours away, and the day before our trip we found out the whole place was closed for a managed deer hunt! Hopefully most parks would do the same to avoid tragedy, but they're so underfunded now that I don't know if they can anymore.

    2 votes
  2. Comment on Tildes Survey #5: Pineapple on pizza? in ~talk

    Banazir
    Link
    My "yes" needs context. Most pizza places I've tried do pineapple on pizza poorly - they just slap it on and throw the whole thing in the oven. The pineapple stays wet and doesn't heat evenly,...

    My "yes" needs context. Most pizza places I've tried do pineapple on pizza poorly - they just slap it on and throw the whole thing in the oven. The pineapple stays wet and doesn't heat evenly, leading to cool pockets where everything else is deliciously warm.

    I've had a few good ones where the pineapple is grilled/seared beforehand. The sugars caramelize and the surface juices dry off while the inside stays moist. The entire fruit gets a better depth of flavor and the surprise cold pockets are eliminated, leading to a much better taste and feel. I genuinely believe that most pineapple pizza haters should try this at some point - it won't change every mind, but it will change some (like me!).

    13 votes
  3. Comment on Tildes Survey #4: What languages can you speak? (Results) in ~talk

    Banazir
    Link Parent
    I find it interesting that one person said they weren't fluent in anything. Is there a way to check that it wasn't just a blank entry entirely?

    I find it interesting that one person said they weren't fluent in anything. Is there a way to check that it wasn't just a blank entry entirely?

    3 votes
  4. Comment on Public backlash after Utah county approves 62 sq miles of development sites for data center in ~tech

    Banazir
    Link Parent
    Assuming it's roughly square, the worst distance would be about 11.2 miles away (corner to corner). However, it could be a long rectangle half a mile wide and 124 miles long, or a quarter mile...

    Assuming it's roughly square, the worst distance would be about 11.2 miles away (corner to corner). However, it could be a long rectangle half a mile wide and 124 miles long, or a quarter mile wide, or...

    4 votes
  5. Comment on Smartphone recommendations? in ~tech

    Banazir
    Link Parent
    I'll also pitch in for Motorola. My last phone was a 2021 Moto G Stylus, and I just switched to a 2026 Moto G (there was an issue with carrier lock when switching carriers). I was happy with my...

    I'll also pitch in for Motorola. My last phone was a 2021 Moto G Stylus, and I just switched to a 2026 Moto G (there was an issue with carrier lock when switching carriers). I was happy with my old phone and I'm very happy with my current one. My only real complaints are with the screen size (no real good Android options below 6") and lack of case options, and the latter will probably get better with time. I have an SD card, headphone jack, and a pretty good camera that also comes with a dedicated macro lens. The back is a kind of leathery material, so it's a bit soft and grippy without feeling plush. My old phone didn't have NFC, the new one does but I got by without for so long that I forgot what I can even use it for. Since I got an unlocked phone, there's no carrier apps on it, and the Motorola apps just stay out of the way. Unless something drastic changes in the next 5 years (what I expect the life of this phone to be) I'll probably stick with Motorola going forward.

    2 votes
  6. Comment on “Rediscovering” the operating system (AKA: the desktop is the killer app) in ~tech

    Banazir
    Link Parent
    The point I got is that how we think about computers and how we use them has changed. These days the paradigm is more about accessing files and data through dedicated applications - open Word,...

    The point I got is that how we think about computers and how we use them has changed. These days the paradigm is more about accessing files and data through dedicated applications - open Word, then open your document from there; open Excel, then open your spreadsheet from there; open Obsidian, then open your notes from there. You are thinking of the computer in terms of the applications it runs, not the capabilities of the OS itself. It's even more stark when you bring online applications that automatically upload/sync for you and you never have to think of the actual files.

    This is contrasted with using the built-in file browser and other core features to access files and manage them. As someone else said, it's a rediscovery of the file system and heirarchy. It's using file folders and the desktop to emulate how you would work with physical files, the analogy that those were originally designed around.

    People have joked about emacs being the real general-purpose OS (or now, the browser being the OS). It feels like OP has decided to try letting their OS be their Operating System.

    2 votes
  7. Comment on Mythos finds a curl vulnerability in ~comp

    Banazir
    Link Parent
    Code goes through review before it's accepted into a project. This goes for anything as soon as more than one dev is involved. "Seemingly innocent code" is still checked and caught. Yes, there are...

    Code goes through review before it's accepted into a project. This goes for anything as soon as more than one dev is involved. "Seemingly innocent code" is still checked and caught. Yes, there are a few cases where it has slipped through - but that's a few cases among millions of commits and pull requests.

    Open-source means you can access a copy of the source code. It does not mean anybody can freely modify what is distributed.

    3 votes
  8. Comment on How long would a society comprised of video game protagonists survive? in ~games

    Banazir
    Link Parent
    I'd love to see the comparison. This could be genuinely interesting, so long as you post your original thoughts from before any LLM response might subconsciously influence them. The human element...

    I like to compare their output to my own thoughts

    I'd love to see the comparison. This could be genuinely interesting, so long as you post your original thoughts from before any LLM response might subconsciously influence them. The human element contrasted with the machine could have some interesting contrasts.

    I didn't have a great mental concept of the idea

    Post your questions! Post your "what if"s and "does this count?" ideas! Not having a great mental idea can mean pushing people to refine their concepts further and discussing more when something is unclear. If you're confused, maybe others are too, and you can help!

    6 votes
  9. Comment on How long would a society comprised of video game protagonists survive? in ~games

    Banazir
    Link Parent
    I think we have to separate named/designed characters that have their own backstories from player-designed characters. For example, Master Chief, Link, and Ezio Auditore all have their own stories...

    A lot of protagonists are either bland self inserts that don't really have a bunch of agency

    I think we have to separate named/designed characters that have their own backstories from player-designed characters. For example, Master Chief, Link, and Ezio Auditore all have their own stories and lore behind them, which shape their personalities and canon decisions. I could see them each having their own courses of action, each of which is likely to benefit the world overall, and they're unlikely to just cause havoc for the lulz. There are some outliers where you don't create your character but there's still no real character backstory, usually older or more indie games (think Sonic or Megaman, for example), but generally they still have a fairly positive personality in the flashes we get of them.

    On the other hand, Stardew Valley, Monster Hunter, and Skyrim all let you create your own character, but part of that is lack of... well, character. Those are the self-insert characters who often get away with dumb hijinks because there's nothing stopping the player other than free will. Unfortunately, I think this category also includes characters that are more likely to keep the world working based on role and capability - there's a lot of farming sim games out there.

    I think that if we just include the first category, the resulting society will be just and moral for the most part. Unfortunately, it will also only last a week before critical supplies run out - after that, it's anybody's game.

    4 votes
  10. Comment on How long would a society comprised of video game protagonists survive? in ~games

    Banazir
    Link Parent
    You like to plug thought experiments into LLMs? The whole point is to think about them, why offload that? This is an incredibly low-stakes creativity exercise, I'd rather see actual responses, no...

    You like to plug thought experiments into LLMs? The whole point is to think about them, why offload that? This is an incredibly low-stakes creativity exercise, I'd rather see actual responses, no matter how dumb they may appear at first, than an LLM's output.

    10 votes
  11. Comment on What's your dream job? in ~life

    Banazir
    Link Parent
    That's fair, farriers are the one blacksmith type that can still make a living more easily these days. Sounds like you have a bit more real-world experience with smiths than most, I think most...

    That's fair, farriers are the one blacksmith type that can still make a living more easily these days. Sounds like you have a bit more real-world experience with smiths than most, I think most people mainly view smithing through movies and games now.

    Bullet casting is a whole separate thing. Lead melts easily enough that almost any fire can do it, just don't breathe the fumes!

    1 vote
  12. Comment on What's your dream job? in ~life

    Banazir
    Link Parent
    It's mostly small trinkets and household items like wall hooks, as well as tools so I can make other future projects. I made a pair of leaf-shaped pins for Elijah Wood and Sean Astin when they...

    It's mostly small trinkets and household items like wall hooks, as well as tools so I can make other future projects. I made a pair of leaf-shaped pins for Elijah Wood and Sean Astin when they came to the local Comicon, and my first commission was a custom decorative piece for a friend.

    I've made a few knives, mostly just to see how my skills are progressing, but even as I improve I don't think I'm going to focus on them. There's too many other fun projects out there, and I feel like people immediately think of knives and swords when they think about blacksmithing so it's fun to break that mold.

    1 vote
  13. Comment on What's your dream job? in ~life

    Banazir
    Link Parent
    It already has been! I have wanted to get into blacksmithing since I was 11 or 12, and almost 2 decades later I am living the dream! I only get about 4 hours of forge time a week, but it's enough...

    It already has been! I have wanted to get into blacksmithing since I was 11 or 12, and almost 2 decades later I am living the dream! I only get about 4 hours of forge time a week, but it's enough to nourish my soul and keep my spirits buoyed. My forge isn't traditional by any means, but it's functional and works for my current living situation, and that's all I need.

    1 vote
  14. Comment on What's your dream job? in ~life

    Banazir
    Link Parent
    I feel like this is the answer I resonate with the most. My chosen craft would be my forge instead, but the sentiment is the same. I just made my first commission piece, and pricing it out makes...

    I feel like this is the answer I resonate with the most. My chosen craft would be my forge instead, but the sentiment is the same. I just made my first commission piece, and pricing it out makes me more anxious than working with red-hot iron. I just want to make cool stuff for myself and my friends.

    4 votes
  15. Comment on What's your dream job? in ~life

    Banazir
    Link Parent
    Here's why the term "labor" is so loaded. If you ask two people what their dream job is, one might say "I want to work at an animal shelter", while the other says "I don't want to work. I want the...

    Here's why the term "labor" is so loaded. If you ask two people what their dream job is, one might say "I want to work at an animal shelter", while the other says "I don't want to work. I want the ability to do things I want with my free time, like help at an animal shelter". It's the exact same work, but the mindset changes based on how you view terms like "labor" and "job".

    In this case, I think it's because they want to write and draw with no expectation for "success". They can make a comic they are happy with, and even if nobody else even knows it exists they will still be fulfilled by the work they have done. Nobody else benefits consistently, it's for their own creative whims.

    14 votes
  16. Comment on Steam Controller 2 sold out in ~games

    Banazir
    Link
    My friends think they're doing drops/releases every 30 minutes. Bots are probably only watching for the initial release and will drop off after that, or at least we hope so.

    My friends think they're doing drops/releases every 30 minutes. Bots are probably only watching for the initial release and will drop off after that, or at least we hope so.

    8 votes
  17. Comment on Is British English actually better than American English? in ~humanities.languages

    Banazir
    Link Parent
    The mnemonic I learned is A for American or E for England. Some of my friends seem to think the different spellings refer to different ranges of shades, so there's that angle too.

    whether the American spelling is "gray" or "grey"

    The mnemonic I learned is A for American or E for England. Some of my friends seem to think the different spellings refer to different ranges of shades, so there's that angle too.

    10 votes
  18. Comment on Questions for ~books on self promotion in ~books

    Banazir
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    My wife has been slowly working on self-publishing for years, when she's finally ready to release I will absolutely spread word everywhere I can. Please share your wife's work!

    My wife has been slowly working on self-publishing for years, when she's finally ready to release I will absolutely spread word everywhere I can. Please share your wife's work!

    6 votes
  19. Comment on Reddit reports 69% jump in revenue, topping analyst estimates in ~tech

    Banazir
    Link Parent
    I've been pretty happy with the web experience so far, it kind of feels nice to just use my browser instead of a dedicated app. If that changes, then Three Cheers is the first one I'll try!

    I've been pretty happy with the web experience so far, it kind of feels nice to just use my browser instead of a dedicated app. If that changes, then Three Cheers is the first one I'll try!

  20. Comment on Reddit reports 69% jump in revenue, topping analyst estimates in ~tech

    Banazir
    Link Parent
    I used RIF (formerly Reddit Is Fun) and actually still have it installed on my phone. It's not even available in the app store anymore, but I guess an apk is stored somewhere because it's on my...

    I used RIF (formerly Reddit Is Fun) and actually still have it installed on my phone. It's not even available in the app store anymore, but I guess an apk is stored somewhere because it's on my new phone.

    4 votes