ChingShih's recent activity
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Comment on I've added ~society for topics related to politics, law, policies, and similar societal-level subjects in ~tildes.official
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Comment on Reddit moderators will now have to submit a request to switch their subreddit from public to private in ~tech
ChingShih Link ParentI don't know enough about your use-case to make a recommendation beyond what you're already doing, but do you use /r/popular and do you region-restrict it as a means of filtering? How does that...I don't know enough about your use-case to make a recommendation beyond what you're already doing, but do you use /r/popular and do you region-restrict it as a means of filtering? How does that browsing experience compare, quality-wise, with your version of a filtered /r/all?
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Comment on Reddit moderators will now have to submit a request to switch their subreddit from public to private in ~tech
ChingShih Link ParentThe crypto thing was floated a long time ago as a semi-viable concept for adding real value to a Reddit Gold-like product. Aside from the concerns of making "likes" transactional, I think...The crypto thing was floated a long time ago as a semi-viable concept for adding real value to a Reddit Gold-like product. Aside from the concerns of making "likes" transactional, I think whichever lawyers Spez tasked with figuring out the viability of the scheme came back with "we'd need to talk with financial attorneys because this is new territory." Then they talked with attorneys familiar with financial regulations and got laughed at. And letting mods get a share of revenue of a Reddit Gold-like product was not much different than making them members of a not-for-profit or shareholders.
On the topic of shareholders, I was very much not pleased with Reddit becoming a publicly traded company. It could've stayed private and become profitable (but that wouldn't have materially impacted Spez's wealth, or provided any money to the early investors who'd been involved for 10 years and had nothing to show for it - Snoop Dogg and Peter Thiel, in the one time those two people should be in the same sentence). But I do think it was an intentional kindness that Reddit provided a direct offering to select users, and basically anyone who was a veteran moderator, allowing them to buy shares at the pro-rated IPO price. While it was of course advantageous to Reddit to get capital directly from the people who had already invested time (and what is time, if not money), they didn't have to do it and the IPO became over-subscribed anyway, suggesting that demand for the stock outweighed the supply. It may have come from a completely different place and for completely different reasons, but I did think about the Reddit crypto idea when the IPO and direct share program was announced.
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Comment on Reddit moderators will now have to submit a request to switch their subreddit from public to private in ~tech
ChingShih Link ParentI believe so, yes. You can read their full announcement here (Old Reddit link if you prefer) and they have a TLDR bullet-list. I'm not sure about the invite requests on Shreddit, but I think there...I believe so, yes. You can read their full announcement here (Old Reddit link if you prefer) and they have a TLDR bullet-list. I'm not sure about the invite requests on Shreddit, but I think there have been some reported issues about that recently, so I would keep an eye out for similar complaints and/or solutions in the near future.
My understanding is that this "Community Types" feature is to prevent larger, active communities from flipping back and forth between settings, but if you start a certain way, that's the way you should stay (and for once the admins have thought through this enough to foresee that this should not impact very new or very small communities).
While people are using this as an opportunity to express that it's a measure to control a subreddit's ability to "close" as a form of protest, subreddits already haven't been allowed to close for extended periods of time since the big blackout over third-party apps. And yes, mod teams were forcibly removed by Reddit admins at that time. So this is just codifying that measure. But I do appreciate that the veteran mods are speaking up about the historical relevance of this since a lot of the newer mods are too quick to drink the koolaid.
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Comment on You're running for office on a somewhat petty, yet univerally-understood single issue. What is it? in ~talk
ChingShih Link ParentThat's a great point. I never thought about it, but I probably stopped watching TV shows live around the time they started doing <commercials> <last episode recap> <commercials> <episode starts>....That's a great point. I never thought about it, but I probably stopped watching TV shows live around the time they started doing <commercials> <last episode recap> <commercials> <episode starts>. That was just inhumane. But then, I've never had much opportunity to watch a TV show regularly in my adult life. Still, you make a great point!
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Comment on I'm looking for a spicy wasabi snack that will kick my ass and make me regret eating it in ~food
ChingShih LinkThere's a wasabi sauce by Kikkoman that I think you'll be interested in. I've been finding it for around $3 a bottle (it's not big) and put it on everything. Vegetables, rice, meats, and of course...There's a wasabi sauce by Kikkoman that I think you'll be interested in. I've been finding it for around $3 a bottle (it's not big) and put it on everything. Vegetables, rice, meats, and of course as a condiment for hot dogs and burgers. Plus it comes in a squeeze bottle so I guess you can take it with you.
It's a bit sweet at first and then has that wasabi kick. The more wasabi, the more your sinuses will feel it. It's thicker than a cocktail sauce, perfect for use as a condiment, but works for dipping. I'm not sure what kinds of snacks it might be good on, as I'm not a culinary person, but you can have a lot of fun with it.
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Comment on You're running for office on a somewhat petty, yet univerally-understood single issue. What is it? in ~talk
ChingShih LinkMy humble platform: TV/streaming advertisements can't add more than 25% to the length of the programming or, in the case of sports, anticipated time spent on field. Basketball games are around 60...My humble platform:
TV/streaming advertisements can't add more than 25% to the length of the programming or, in the case of sports, anticipated time spent on field. Basketball games are around 60 minutes in length again, with ads. American Football isn't 3+ hours long anymore. And imagine how physically fit all the players would have to be to play more consecutives minutes on the field! They'd look like rugby players! Baseball games are, well, still baseball games.
And for TV shows, a 60-minute time block still has at least 48 minutes of content in it (which is still too little, imo, it used to be more). 30-minute time blocks have 24 minutes of content.
I don't know how hockey is doing with regards to advertisements. Football (soccer), rugby (all forms), and most motorsports do pretty good about not inserting too many ads.
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Comment on International Talk Like A Pirate Day 2024 in ~talk
ChingShih Link ParentT'ough it may be poor form to be speakin' t' m'self, I f'rgot t' mention me fav-o-rite song of t' indecent sort. Ye be warned. Good Ship Venus An' for the sorts that prefer lively ent'rtainment: a...T'ough it may be poor form to be speakin' t' m'self, I f'rgot t' mention me fav-o-rite song of t' indecent sort. Ye be warned. Good Ship Venus
An' for the sorts that prefer lively ent'rtainment: a merry rendition of t' same song at a Ren Faire.
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Comment on International Talk Like A Pirate Day 2024 in ~talk
ChingShih LinkAvast! Me fav-o-rite day o' t' year! Were only it to be that ev'ry day be as good a-one as this! Well, t'is one and t' day in which t' arr-AskYeHistorian types do be mentionin' me by name....Avast! Me fav-o-rite day o' t' year! Were only it to be that ev'ry day be as good a-one as this! Well, t'is one and t' day in which t' arr-AskYeHistorian types do be mentionin' me by name.
'course, all t'is vernacular be t' me an 'istorical anachronism of sorts, bein' as m'namesake was Yue Chinese an' bein' wedded to a man as unlikely to speak like t' West Country as I am to breathe like a fish.
Drink up, me hearties, yo ho!
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Comment on EV discussion thread in ~transport
ChingShih Link ParentYes and we're entering into a weird internecine period where battery technology in 2026 is promised to get substantially better. The Tesla-Panasonic 4680 battery tech partnership has started...Yes and we're entering into a weird internecine period where battery technology in 2026 is promised to get substantially better. The Tesla-Panasonic 4680 battery tech partnership has started ramping up production in a big way. But I don't know if that's impacting actual EV sales yet (though it should).
Similarly, it could be that consumers are holding back on buying a western-made vehicle because they're hoping that Vietnamese and Chinese cars will be a silver bullet solution. They won't be if tariffs remain the same or increase, but before anyone says that competition is good, we are still at that point where most EV manufacturers need to ramp up production scale to bring their costs down.
One of the reasons I bought an EV based on an ICE model is because there were shared components between the two (especially when it came to interiors, suspension and chassis bits and bolts, etc.). Also it's the third or fourth model year it was available as an EV. I hoped that would keep my cost of ownership reduced, but we'll see.
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Comment on EV discussion thread in ~transport
ChingShih Link ParentThe European car reviewers on YouTube have done a lot of videos on Chinese-built EVs, including BYD vehicles and the Volvo EX30. But there are only a couple of videos by people who have lived with...The European car reviewers on YouTube have done a lot of videos on Chinese-built EVs, including BYD vehicles and the Volvo EX30. But there are only a couple of videos by people who have lived with the car and driven it regularly for weeks or months (1 year ownership update | 15,000km | BYD Seal 10,000km Owner Review). Incidentally, the first video mentions BYD's reverse noise changing to a new one. My Volvo uses the first one as well and I wonder if BYD got into trouble with Geely (Volvo's parent) for having shared sounds).
Here are a couple more videos that are not super in-depth, but bring up different things worth knowing (We Drove Our BYD For 20,000 Km | BYD Dolphin. Do we still love it after three months?).
It might be worth watching those and if you're really interested in buying a BYD in the future then looking into some forums talking about build quality, realistic range, phone app experience, maintenance, and general ownership experiences.
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Comment on EV discussion thread in ~transport
ChingShih Link ParentLike with buying cars for any vehicle, it comes down to a variety of personal factors. People who aren't sure what's best usually stick with whatever the brand and model of tires are that come...Like with buying cars for any vehicle, it comes down to a variety of personal factors. People who aren't sure what's best usually stick with whatever the brand and model of tires are that come from the factory, but you don't have to. TireRack makes it easy to comparison shop, but there's also a lot of data to work through in figuring out what's right for your vehicle.
I did a quick search of an approximate Bolt EV with the results here. You might adjust them to your model year and locale.
Pirellis are real popular these days, and I have them from the factory on my EV, but they're not an option for the Bolt from what I see. I generally lean towards recommending Michelins in that case. Continentals are good and more affordable. But every tire model is different so do some deep research.
Do:
- Get the exact tire size and specifications off the tires you have (R17 215/50 for instance). Also find the load/speed rating (TireRack breaks down this info, the letter = top speed). Compare it to results/options you're provided with at a tire center/local mechanic so they're not selling you a lower-tier tire at the same price as something better.
- Consider tire options with an "Eco Focus" or whatever low-rolling resistance options they call it. These are meant for fuel efficiency and I think they work, but maybe check and see if that's true. They may or may not wear faster than other tires, so check the wear rating and testimonials.
- Get the tires that are right for your climate and weather conditions (like get a more aggressive tire if you get a lot of rain and/or snow).
Decide:
- If brand matters to you. That narrows down selection quickly.
- If road noise is going to sway your opinion. Higher tread-wear ratings (the UTQG number and rating) might mean more noise is transferred through the tires to your vehicle.
Don't:
- Worry about tire warranties unless you're going to deep-dive into the fine print. Many manufacturers aren't warrantying against the sorts of tire damage that you wish they did (nails, potholes). So if you're buying from a good brand, it should be a good tire from the factory.
- (Definitely don't) buy the cheapest set of tires because it's cheap. Tires are the one and only part of your car making contact with the road.
- Also definitely don't buy a tire set where all 4 aren't in stock. TireRack makes it pretty clear, but there's a lot of info to sift through.
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Comment on EV discussion thread in ~transport
ChingShih Link ParentThe plunge in resale values is happening to most EVs, it seems. I can only speculate, but I think it's a combination of major things happening at once. Like with home sales having an inverse...The plunge in resale values is happening to most EVs, it seems. I can only speculate, but I think it's a combination of major things happening at once.
Like with home sales having an inverse correlation to higher mortgage rates (even though that's not true everywhere in all regions all the time), there might be a disconnect between consumers willing to buy a new car and those willing to pay new-car-insurance-prices. It seems like the increase in insurance costs are hitting people hard in general, whether they buy a new car or not.
Manufacturers don't have the parts availability that they should for the number of cars that they are selling/intending to sell. That might be hurting sales as consumers wise up to the risks of owning vehicles with low-ish production runs (so far). This week there was this article about an Equinox EV owner who is 8 weeks into their wait for what should be a simple bumper and headlamp(s) replacement. And that's at a major dealer in a major metropolitan area.
Insurance companies are also writing off cars because they would take too long to replace or the parts aren't available -- and not just on stuff like a Fisker Ocean, but more mainstream vehicles. Less mainstream but more recognizable, there have been articles about Tesla Cybertruck owners having their vehicles written off over relatively minor damages in dollar value. Some insurance companies are also allegedly dropping insurance for the Cybertruck completely. (There's an owners forum as well as a subreddit called /r/CyberStuck, for the curious as well as for enjoyers of schadenfreude.)
The market might just be saturated at these prices, people made bad decisions about how much car they can afford, or people are getting edged out of longer-term ownership of their new cars because of rising insurance prices. My insurance has gone up around 8% this year and my insurance company recognizes me as a low-risk driver. I think it's entirely because of owning an EV.
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Comment on Study finds people are consistently and confidently wrong about those with opposing views in ~science
ChingShih Link ParentI agree. Some of those in-group dynamics work on inertia, though, be it cultural or social, and they help keep up the barriers that prevent discussion and open-mindedness that would promote...I agree. Some of those in-group dynamics work on inertia, though, be it cultural or social, and they help keep up the barriers that prevent discussion and open-mindedness that would promote diverse thinking. I am definitely not defending the individual's inability to change their thinking, but we need to also address the historical roadblocks and cultural momentum that's keeping these people on the divisive and defensive course that they're on.
I feel like in part because of the ease of communication and polarization these days that the politicization and really the weaponization of hate has also spread rapidly to adjacent topics, like what creesch was saying. At the same time, we're exporting much of this cultural polarization and preservation of momentum of some of these negative things and helping this divisiveness to nurture itself in other places where cultural isolation or xenophobia already has deep roots.
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Comment on Synthetic diamonds are now purer, more beautiful, and vastly cheaper than mined diamonds. Beating nature took decades of hard graft and millions of pounds of pressure. in ~science
ChingShih Link ParentIn the end, all that matters is that there's pressure from the top as well as from consumers at the bottom to change the status quo. Changing the status quo is a net good for so many reasons and...In the end, all that matters is that there's pressure from the top as well as from consumers at the bottom to change the status quo. Changing the status quo is a net good for so many reasons and in a superficial way, why shouldn't you be able to pay less for a superior quality (and ethically clean) product without social stigma? Lab-made diamonds should be available to those who want them and really the monopolies on diamond mining should've been undone long ago to prevent a lot of violence and human-trafficking, or for those who aren't into that then to allow for a competitive market to develop.
In the end, much like with plant-based protein options, we'll never really get to a point where there's total conversion from one thing to the other. But as people have options, they'll be able to make choices that change the market. That should encourage the real-diamonds folks as well as the meat-from-animals folks, because in the future there will be more for them and there will be less demand when these alternatives are normalized. More for them.
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Comment on Painting one turbine blade black has shown promise for preventing bird collisions in ~enviro
ChingShih LinkI'm real curious about how this works. For humans, black can stand out more than the night sky, which is why military aircraft sometimes use an off-black instead. But I wonder what birds see? And...many collisions happen at night, when a black blade may not stand out.
I'm real curious about how this works. For humans, black can stand out more than the night sky, which is why military aircraft sometimes use an off-black instead. But I wonder what birds see? And it's only 1/3 blades that aren't really even moving that fast.
I'm under the impression they can see some UV/IR that we can't, and something allows them to "see" electromagnetic waves as well. Would radiating heat (IR emissions) from the blade help deter birds? Also, I thought that birds must see at a higher "frame rate" than humans (a quick search says ~120-168, but is that true?), so hearing about the motion smear is interesting. I wonder how all that works together in their brains to compile an image.
Edit: this article actually answers my motion smear question. So I guess they aren't getting enough data to infer an implied motion and therefore speed over time.
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Comment on Shooter kills four and injures at least nine at a high school outside Atlanta in ~news
ChingShih LinkGeorgia has arrested the father of the shooter: Link to Georgia's Bureau of Investigation's press release if you want the raw info. In a CNN article it's alleged that the father bought the firearm...Georgia has arrested the father of the shooter:
He is charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, the Georgia bureau said.
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More than a year ago the alleged shooter was interviewed by Georgia police after they received tips about online posts threatening a school shooting. Police did not have enough probable cause to arrest him then, according to the Georgia bureau of investigation.
Link to Georgia's Bureau of Investigation's press release if you want the raw info.
In a CNN article it's alleged that the father bought the firearm as a gift for his son.
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Comment on Volvo Cars has abandoned its plan to become a fully electric car manufacturer by 2030 due to weakening consumer demand for pure electric vehicles in ~transport
ChingShih LinkIt seems like there are headlines about this for every major manufacturer. While I'd guess a lot of this is to make investors feel better that companies aren't pivoting towards EV too quickly, the...It seems like there are headlines about this for every major manufacturer. While I'd guess a lot of this is to make investors feel better that companies aren't pivoting towards EV too quickly, the reality is that most of the recent complaints are about EV sales growth no longer accelerating or even having sales growth numbers go down. When demand starts coming down appreciably, quarter-over-quarter, that may be a sign of concern and that might be a point we're coming to, but the reality is that sales of new cars need to plateau at a healthy level and if there's QoQ sales growth it probably won't look like it did during the pandemic. We need to set our expectations appropriately.
Additionally, a number of major manufacturers have either canceled EV models due to safety (Chevy's Bolt and Volt) or substantially reduced sales expectations due to production issues (GMC's Hummer EV). So if cars aren't being produced, of course they're not being sold.
We're also entering what will probably be a lame-duck period of car sales. China has been using sodium-ion batteries in some of their cars for more than 10 years. "Next-gen" sodium-ion and other battery tech won't be making it into western vehicles for a while longer. While 2026 was the initial timeframe for some auto manufacturers, BMW might be pushing that date back to 2030. In the mean time it will be sixth-generation, round lithium-based cells providing the next incremental advancement in weight-savings/battery density. For consumers waiting for the perfect charging speeds and range, no matter how you cut it it's not the right time to buy an EV now. But as scroll_lock stated, it really is the right time for most people, pending the right infrastructure (which Volvo blames for slower demand).
Since the headline is about Volvo, I also want to post this link about Volvo's EX30 and how they're looking at reducing costs to keep it around $35-40K while still making it in the US or EU. Tariffs on the Chinese-made version were going to make it substantially less affordable. So hopefully Volvo/Geely are able to finally deliver on an affordable version of the compact SUV because it's a great vehicle (and has Car Play/Andoird Auto).
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Comment on If you could send someone to any historic moment, who and when? in ~talk
ChingShih LinkI think it'd be fun to send an ancient philosopher/mathematician/whatever to some sea-change moment. Like what would Aristotle think of the first drilled petroleum well in Azerbaijan? The Greeks...I think it'd be fun to send an ancient philosopher/mathematician/whatever to some sea-change moment. Like what would Aristotle think of the first drilled petroleum well in Azerbaijan? The Greeks were already using petroleum for Greek fire, but seeing it harnessed as an energy source would be mindblowing and get those creative parts of the brain working in overtime.
Or Archimedes at the first powering-on of a nuclear reactor (let's keep him away from the Manhattan project, thanks!).
Or someone from an ancient culture to the living room of an average American family on the day of the moon landing. Would be cool to be a fly on the wall and hear what they think about these kinds of things.
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Comment on If you could send someone to any historic moment, who and when? in ~talk
ChingShih Link ParentAlternatively, send Kaiser Wilhelm II back to Germany immediately after Ferdinand's assassination so that his military leaders and advisers couldn't do an end-run around him and force the country...Alternatively, send Kaiser Wilhelm II back to Germany immediately after Ferdinand's assassination so that his military leaders and advisers couldn't do an end-run around him and force the country in the direction of war. Thereby avoiding millions of Europeans from being conscripted into a broader war that saw aristocrats wanting the lower classes to live in squalid conditions on the frontline to harden them against the realities of war, or whatever their silly excuses were. It made an entire generation jaded and reversed a lot of pre-war progress towards efforts for a lasting peace in Europe and disarmament/reduction of arms that would contribute to war (ironically, the third Hague Convention was interrupted by the war). And also so that a certain art school student who had frequented Jewish-financed soup kitchens wouldn't become a runner during said war and later use his status as a veteran to unite a fractured Germany.
But that still misses the opportunities to undo the Great Game or the Scramble for Africa, both of which contributed to the perceived need to enrich states at any cost so as to arm themselves against other states also dramatically growing in wealth. Not to mention the horrific genocides and abuses visited on those cultures and countries by colonial ambitions.
Yet we could go back further...
Thanks for what you do! o7