Banazir's recent activity
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Comment on “Rediscovering” the operating system (AKA: the desktop is the killer app) in ~tech
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Comment on Mythos finds a curl vulnerability in ~comp
Banazir Link ParentCode 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.
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Comment on How long would a society comprised of video game protagonists survive? in ~games
Banazir Link ParentI'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!
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Comment on How long would a society comprised of video game protagonists survive? in ~games
Banazir Link ParentI 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.
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Comment on How long would a society comprised of video game protagonists survive? in ~games
Banazir Link ParentYou 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.
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Comment on What's your dream job? in ~life
Banazir Link ParentThat'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!
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Comment on What's your dream job? in ~life
Banazir Link ParentIt'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.
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Comment on What's your dream job? in ~life
Banazir Link ParentIt 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.
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Comment on What's your dream job? in ~life
Banazir Link ParentI 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.
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Comment on What's your dream job? in ~life
Banazir Link ParentHere'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.
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Comment on Steam Controller 2 sold out in ~games
Banazir LinkMy 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.
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Comment on Is British English actually better than American English? in ~humanities.languages
Banazir Link ParentThe 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.
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Comment on Questions for ~books on self promotion in ~books
Banazir LinkMy 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!
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Comment on Reddit reports 69% jump in revenue, topping analyst estimates in ~tech
Banazir Link ParentI'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!
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Comment on Reddit reports 69% jump in revenue, topping analyst estimates in ~tech
Banazir Link ParentI 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.
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Comment on What is your favorite dinosaur? in ~talk
Banazir LinkThe one I loved as a kid was Compsognathus, and I haven't devoted enough time to thinking about dinosaurs (other than when I played Ark) to change that decision. Learning that they're a bit bigger...The one I loved as a kid was Compsognathus, and I haven't devoted enough time to thinking about dinosaurs (other than when I played Ark) to change that decision. Learning that they're a bit bigger than we expected, and that the chicken-sized one that we knew of is likely a juvenile, also doesn't change that decision.
Ark doesn't count because my opinions were formed based on manmade power scaling in a video game.
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Comment on I love bioparks in ~travel
Banazir Link ParentI only saw semi-wild areas with trails, but my visit was brief. Going by the founding statement when the land was donated to the city, I doubt there's anything very manicured at all.I only saw semi-wild areas with trails, but my visit was brief. Going by the founding statement when the land was donated to the city, I doubt there's anything very manicured at all.
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Comment on Apple set to become third-biggest laptop maker this year in ~tech
Banazir Link ParentThis is a big part of your experience: you have a professional/executive laptop that will generally cost the same as a Macbook with similar specs. Going by the replies here, you likely have...I've got an XPS I've used since 2021
This is a big part of your experience: you have a professional/executive laptop that will generally cost the same as a Macbook with similar specs. Going by the replies here, you likely have Windows Pro, which avoids a lot of the added bloat and is generally a better experience overall. Those two things combined give you a generally better experience, similar in quality to what people turn to Macs for.
A lot of the comparisons people make about macs - either gushing about a better experience or mocking them for the price - come from comparisons between average consumer-grade laptops and macbooks. Until the Neo was announced, every macbook was in the higher category that your XPS is in. Now there's a cheaper alternative that's still offering a better user experience than most consumer Windows laptops at the same price point.
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Comment on I love bioparks in ~travel
Banazir Link ParentPowell Gardens has also been mentioned here, I haven't visited but it's the only other garden in the area I've actually heard people talk about. There's several fantastic museums in the area,...Powell Gardens has also been mentioned here, I haven't visited but it's the only other garden in the area I've actually heard people talk about.
There's several fantastic museums in the area, including the Nelson-Adkins Museum of Art and the WWI Museum and Memorial. The WWI Museum is also near Crown Center, which is a shopping complex that includes an aquarium and the Hallmark visitors center.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Banazir LinkA dev I've been following since 2019 finally released his first proper game: Terrafactor. It's an automation/crafting game similar to Factorio, although it's in early access so some content is...A dev I've been following since 2019 finally released his first proper game: Terrafactor. It's an automation/crafting game similar to Factorio, although it's in early access so some content is still being worked out. The sorting methods are somewhat primitive and I haven't figured out better power generation yet, but the bones are good.
Almost every resource is self-regenerating (e.g. when you cut down a tree, a sapling automatically spawns in its place. You can dig up the sapling to move it or let it grow where the old tree was) so you're not limited on resources, but instead you're limited on space. You start out with a tiny area that you unlock by completing tasks to earn a specific in-game currency. After Era 1 (which took me about 2.5 hours to complete) the world expands and becomes more procedurally-generated. However, most of it is an airless wasteland with different resources available, so you can't use it for all the same purposes as the normal land around where you start. Getting advanced resources means excursions into the wilderness to set up harvesters or find resource nodes.
The big innovation of the game are the Tesseracts. They're portable pocket dimensions that you can set down and enter through any side. Most plants won't grow in them (maybe none will, I haven't found any that grow there), but you can put machinery in them and expand them infinitely as needed. Whole complex processes can be stuffed into a single cube with four sides for input and output. The best part? They're stackable, potentially infinitely. Put a Tesseract inside a Tesseract inside a Tesseract inside... You get the point. Unfortunately there's no way to clone existing Tesseracts, so you can't use them quite like programming functions, but I might try getting a bug in the dev's ear about that.
If you like Factorio, Minecraft FeedTheBeast, Satisfactory, or other similar games, I recommend you give it a try. I'm already succumbing to the temptation to re-factor again, amd I'm remembering why I set down Factorio early.
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.