ButteredToast's recent activity
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Comment on California Governor Gavin Newsom praises Charlie Kirk’s outreach to young men, suggests Democrats do more of their own in ~society
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Comment on Samsung confirms its $1,800+ fridges will start showing you ads in ~tech
ButteredToast Link ParentI bought a new fridge almost 4 years ago and there were plenty of options without screens, including mine which is a higher end model. Have things really changed that much in such a short period...I bought a new fridge almost 4 years ago and there were plenty of options without screens, including mine which is a higher end model. Have things really changed that much in such a short period of time?
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Comment on California Governor Gavin Newsom praises Charlie Kirk’s outreach to young men, suggests Democrats do more of their own in ~society
ButteredToast (edited )Link ParentI think the crux of this matter is the choice isn’t happening consciously. People in general are susceptible to frog-boiling, and rudderless young guys with no life experience in particular are...I think the crux of this matter is the choice isn’t happening consciously. People in general are susceptible to frog-boiling, and rudderless young guys with no life experience in particular are vulnerable. They get hooked by the outward sugar-coated “wellbeing” messaging and gradually get pulled along until one day they’re supporting some very nasty things.
Note that I am not condoning of such behavior or saying it’s justified or excused in any way, but in theory I can see how guys end up in that situation.
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Comment on iOS 26 is here in ~tech
ButteredToast (edited )Link ParentIt’s a microcosm of the larger state of the industry, in my opinion. Through the tech boom of the 2010s, much of the old guard of research-based, technically-minded UI designers retired right as...It’s a microcosm of the larger state of the industry, in my opinion.
Through the tech boom of the 2010s, much of the old guard of research-based, technically-minded UI designers retired right as designers from other design disciplines and fresh grads flooded startups. The field became dominated by designs that were more geared for popping off on social media and chasing trends than being usable.
Apple is no exception. The iOS 7 “flatpocalypse” redesign was similarly disastrous and took many releases to incrementally be brought back to a usable state. Looking at screenshots of that version now is shocking and makes one wonder how they could’ve released something so obviously and seriously flawed. Jony Ive was at the helm at that point, and while he’s a very capable industrial designer with numerous great hardware designs under his belt, he wasn’t a UI designer and it showed. Liquid Glass feels like that all over again.
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Comment on Looking for a better tomato in ~hobbies
ButteredToast Link ParentVery interesting. My father has raised tomatoes for the better part of of his life but I’m not sure he was ever made aware of the leaf trick! I wonder how common that nugget of knowledge is.Very interesting. My father has raised tomatoes for the better part of of his life but I’m not sure he was ever made aware of the leaf trick! I wonder how common that nugget of knowledge is.
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Comment on It’s the little things that make me not fully jump to linux in ~comp
ButteredToast Link ParentThat’s true, but I think it’s more pronounced for Linux since devs aren’t incentivized to cover anything but their own use cases, hardware, etc which isn’t usually the case for commercial software...That’s true, but I think it’s more pronounced for Linux since devs aren’t incentivized to cover anything but their own use cases, hardware, etc which isn’t usually the case for commercial software and even some FOSS projects that are well funded (like Blender).
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Comment on It’s the little things that make me not fully jump to linux in ~comp
ButteredToast (edited )LinkI’ve kept around a Linux machine in some capacity or another for a long time now, and what I’ve found to hold true the entire time is that the less simple and common your setup is, the more likely...I’ve kept around a Linux machine in some capacity or another for a long time now, and what I’ve found to hold true the entire time is that the less simple and common your setup is, the more likely you are to run into trouble. Stray off the beaten path even a little and there’s a significant chance you’ll find yourself out in the weeds.
It’s perfectly logical, since the most common setups are going to be the ones daily driven by both devs and users, but is also frustrating because power users (who are primarily going to be the ones seriously considering switching to Linux) are disproportionately likely to have a setup that’s at least slightly unusual and probably has a number of quirks that’ve barely been tested and are unlikely to have the time or energy to do the testing and fixing themselves.
The only way I see to fix this is for an end-user oriented distro to 1) accrue significant funding from its userbase and 2) use funding to set up and maintain a very large rolling test matrix of consumer PC configurations and systematically hunt down and fix these bugs and papercuts. Not exactly trivial.
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Comment on Am I the only who finds raw photography souless? in ~arts
ButteredToast LinkI’m going to speak from the angle of what attracts me to particular styles of photography/editing, which may or may not be broadly applicable, but I suspect it is. The photos I like usually convey...I’m going to speak from the angle of what attracts me to particular styles of photography/editing, which may or may not be broadly applicable, but I suspect it is.
The photos I like usually convey a particular feeling or mood of one kind or another and in some sense make me as the viewer feel like I’m looking at one of my own memories or maybe had somebody else’s telepathically copied into my brain.
For this to work, a certain coherence, clarity, and intentional composition that makes the hardware the photo was shot with kind of melt away is required. This doesn’t necessitate perfection — things like a little bit of noise can in fact enhance the sensation in some circumstances — but other kinds of obvious tells can pull me out of it. This type of shooting and editing is kind of like “natural” makeup in that it goes unnoticed when executed well, even if it’s actually quite heavy.
I could see how this might make for an overly normalized or produced impression for some.
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Comment on ‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’ huge with $70M opening: a record for anime and Crunchyroll; sixth best for September, Sony’s biggest YTD in ~movies
ButteredToast Link ParentSpy x Family and Frieren are kind of boundary-walkers in my opinion, in that they incorporate some shounen elements that improve their mass appeal. Frieren in particular has slick animated fights...Spy x Family and Frieren are kind of boundary-walkers in my opinion, in that they incorporate some shounen elements that improve their mass appeal. Frieren in particular has slick animated fights and its last major arc was basically a shounen tournament arc.
Apothecary Diaries I will concede is not at all shounen though and is extremely well-made.
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Comment on ‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’ huge with $70M opening: a record for anime and Crunchyroll; sixth best for September, Sony’s biggest YTD in ~movies
ButteredToast LinkOn one hand, it’s nice to see an animated movie doing so well. I haven’t yet watched it, but from the clips I've seen it’s clear that ufotable is taking advantage of the franchise’s popularity...On one hand, it’s nice to see an animated movie doing so well. I haven’t yet watched it, but from the clips I've seen it’s clear that ufotable is taking advantage of the franchise’s popularity (and the cash that comes with it) to push what’s possible for animated visuals to new heights.
On the other, I share some of the concern I’ve seen floating around within the fan community that successes like this will further incline the entire industry towards bombastic, flashy shounen action. I enjoy those types of productions but animation is a wonderfully versatile medium and it would be a shame if other genres of shows and movies stopped getting made. It doesn’t bode well for genres like seinen and shoujo which were already not getting made as often or produced only on comparatively thin budgets.
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Comment on My guess and opinion on the common blockers to Linux adoption in ~tech
ButteredToast Link ParentI don’t really think any of those list items are necessary. Windows and macOS aren’t really all that restricted, and what few protections exist can be turned off entirely so you can blow your...I don’t really think any of those list items are necessary. Windows and macOS aren’t really all that restricted, and what few protections exist can be turned off entirely so you can blow your install up just as badly as one might with a typical Linux distro.
The difference is that with both it’s rare that users are required to reach for advanced functionality. It exists but uncle Jim checking his email doesn’t have a clue it’s there because he never needs it.
The Linux world would rather Jim learn how to administer his Linux box than just be able to use it without that knowledge. While I admire the spirit (probably falls under “hacker spirit”) and agree that would be a good thing, it’s not particularly realistic, because all Jim wants is to be able to check his email. Having to figure out why the last kernel update ate his wifi drivers (or even what a kernel is in the first place) and fix them is an unwelcome distraction.
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Comment on iPhone 17, 17 Pro and Air announced in ~tech
ButteredToast Link ParentThey’re now working on a Linux version too. They’re limited to platforms where WebKit support is good, which for now is macOS, iOS, and Linux. WebKit on Android used to be good but has become...They’re now working on a Linux version too. They’re limited to platforms where WebKit support is good, which for now is macOS, iOS, and Linux. WebKit on Android used to be good but has become derelict after Google shifted the primary web framework in Android to Blink, and support on Windows hasn’t been great ever since Apple gave up on Safari for Windows.
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Comment on Musings on "Developer Mode" in ~comp
ButteredToast Link ParentReally, I think it comes down to reducing the number of things that could accidentally be triggered and confuse users. For example, “Inspect Element” in the context menu could easily be misclicked...Really, I think it comes down to reducing the number of things that could accidentally be triggered and confuse users.
For example, “Inspect Element” in the context menu could easily be misclicked and the inspector pane suddenly popping up and eating half the browser window could be quite the alarming experience — a lot of peoples’ thought in the situation is going to be, “oh no, did I break it?!” as panic sets in and they scramble to try to figure out how to make it go away.
I suspect that these features are put under the umbrella of “developer mode” simply because that’s the group who will by far be getting the most use out of these tools. I guess they could call it “Advanced mode” or something but that feels weirdly vague.
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Comment on iPhone 17, 17 Pro and Air announced in ~tech
ButteredToast Link ParentWill answer what I can: Google Maps runs fine on iOS (and even gets features before the Android version does sometimes), but I use Apple Maps because it works fine in major urban areas and I...Will answer what I can:
- Google Maps runs fine on iOS (and even gets features before the Android version does sometimes), but I use Apple Maps because it works fine in major urban areas and I prefer it
- Maps and Wallet/Apple Pay have worked fine for me with public transit. All iPhones support the payment standard used with Japanese public transit whereas only Japanese Android devices do that, which is neat.
- No opinions here, only used CarPlay personally but they seem basically equivalent to each other. Based on friends’ anecdotes it seems like AA might be more picky about USB cables?
- The stock Music app supports local music fine. As far as I know you’ll still need the Apple Music for Windows app or iTunes for that, though. There are third party music players that you should be able to copy music to through their icon when plugging your phone on but I haven’t tried any of them.
- Safari does support extensions on both macOS and iOS, including adblockers. Blockers aren’t quite as capable as uBlock Origin and are similar to uBlock Lite in functionality, but they still work fine enough for me. I use Wipr. There’s also analogues of popular extensions like Stylus (user style css). This is actually a bit better than the situation with Chrome for Android, which has zero extension support.
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Comment on Musings on "Developer Mode" in ~comp
ButteredToast Link ParentThat latter paragraph is decent advice for devs. Some manufacturer Android skins kill background activities pretty aggressively (enough to make iOS background app management look lax in...That latter paragraph is decent advice for devs. Some manufacturer Android skins kill background activities pretty aggressively (enough to make iOS background app management look lax in comparison) and can be a common source of weird bugs if the device(s) you primarily test against aren’t using one of said skins.
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Comment on My guess and opinion on the common blockers to Linux adoption in ~tech
ButteredToast Link ParentTo my eye, Hyprland feels like the modern day counterpart of Quartz Extreme (OS X) and Compiz (Linux), trailed a few years by Aero (Windows), all of which featured GPU-accelerated eye candy. I’d...To my eye, Hyprland feels like the modern day counterpart of Quartz Extreme (OS X) and Compiz (Linux), trailed a few years by Aero (Windows), all of which featured GPU-accelerated eye candy. I’d consider it part of the growing pushback against the past decade+ of sterile, flat, lifeless UI design.
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Comment on My guess and opinion on the common blockers to Linux adoption in ~tech
ButteredToast (edited )Link ParentI’m no expert but I believe reticence to learn text-based interfaces (that aren’t just plain human speech) boils down to uncertainty. If one considers the various ways that electronics can be...I’m no expert but I believe reticence to learn text-based interfaces (that aren’t just plain human speech) boils down to uncertainty.
If one considers the various ways that electronics can be operated, estimated difficulty tracks roughly with the number of functions that don’t have 1:1 mappings to input. Think of the difference between a cassette walkman and a VHS recorder; the former’s buttons all do just one thing, where with the latter you start to run into things like modifiers where multiple functions can combine to produce different behavior. The potential for unexpected behavior, naturally, was higher. Accordingly, almost nobody in the mid-90s would have issues operating a walkman whereas VCR programming was comparatively intimidating and a sizable chunk of people were avoidant of anything but the most basic functionality (also 1:1 mapped) of those devices.
Command lines sit on the extreme end of this uncertainty spectrum. Without prior knowledge or reading of documentation, there’s no way to know what they’re capable of or might do with any given set of inputs. There’s no immediately obvious logic, no cues, nothing. Just a blinking cursor with the ability to act upon the user’s will. That’s scary.
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Comment on My guess and opinion on the common blockers to Linux adoption in ~tech
ButteredToast Link ParentPerception vs. reality. And it’s more than just training. Even the most abstract GUIs are somewhat relatable to prior experience in the physical world, and so they’re easier for people to...Perception vs. reality.
And it’s more than just training. Even the most abstract GUIs are somewhat relatable to prior experience in the physical world, and so they’re easier for people to conceptualize. Command lines have no analogue and may as well be code-speaking genies stuck in typewriters.
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Comment on My guess and opinion on the common blockers to Linux adoption in ~tech
ButteredToast Link ParentAs someone technical, I tend to prefer installing via the command line, but I’m familiar with it and know that it’s not going to blow anything up if I make a typo. Meanwhile for most people,...As someone technical, I tend to prefer installing via the command line, but I’m familiar with it and know that it’s not going to blow anything up if I make a typo.
Meanwhile for most people, telling them to open their terminal is about like telling them to open the hood of their car. It’s unfamiliar and intimidating and the risk of catastrophe is overestimated greatly.
Downloading and double clicking installers is a bit tedious maybe, but it’s entirely familiar and users are reasonably confident that they’re not going to unintentionally explode something while doing it.
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Comment on My guess and opinion on the common blockers to Linux adoption in ~tech
ButteredToast (edited )Link ParentI’m not sure how comparable the two are. Very few typical users have any reason to do registry edits and just use Windows as it is, while under Linux terminal use is required in some cases to just...I’m not sure how comparable the two are. Very few typical users have any reason to do registry edits and just use Windows as it is, while under Linux terminal use is required in some cases to just make the machine perform as expected. The last time I saw registry edits being recommended to non-technical users was back in the XP era and under a handful of circumstances with 7.
I have to imagine that in cities and larger urban complexes, a big factor in the (lack of) community is how often people move around, whether that be just to try to keep rent in check or in pursuit of greener pastures. It can feel somewhat pointless to get too involved with neighbors and community when you're only going to be around for a relatively short period of time before moving on, and neighbors are accordingly less likely to try to engage with you for the same reason.