DrStone's recent activity

  1. Comment on What's a game that you feel like you missed out on? in ~games

    DrStone
    Link Parent
    There was an adapter to play gameboy games on the tv - some even with enhancements - if you had a SNES! Super Game Boy.

    There was an adapter to play gameboy games on the tv - some even with enhancements - if you had a SNES!

    Super Game Boy.

  2. Comment on We can’t stop checking our phones while watching TV or movies – and it’s affecting the quality of shows in ~tv

    DrStone
    Link Parent
    The worst part is the frequent “Wait, what just happened?”, “Who’s that?”, and other questions with very clear answers if they just paid attention that disrupt your focus and immersion.

    The worst part is the frequent “Wait, what just happened?”, “Who’s that?”, and other questions with very clear answers if they just paid attention that disrupt your focus and immersion.

    5 votes

  3. Comment on We can’t stop checking our phones while watching TV or movies – and it’s affecting the quality of shows in ~tv

    DrStone
    Link Parent
    It feels like two challenges rolled into one. #1 and #2 are “on-topic”; focus on the media itself, don’t overstimulate, and give yourself time to wind down instead of immediately more stimulation....

    It feels like two challenges rolled into one.

    #1 and #2 are “on-topic”; focus on the media itself, don’t overstimulate, and give yourself time to wind down instead of immediately more stimulation.

    #3-5 seem more targeted at reflecting on the experience and forming your own opinions. I’ve lost track of the number of times someone really enjoyed a thing we watched, soon went online and saw people tearing it apart - every nit big and small - and came away disliking it. I guess there’a a tie in to the first half of the challenge in terms of breaking the continued stimulation without pause.

    8 votes

  4. Comment on We can’t stop checking our phones while watching TV or movies – and it’s affecting the quality of shows in ~tv

    DrStone
    Link

    Ironically, as our ability to focus on a show declines, streaming services like Netflix seem to respond by making content that requires less attention.

    This involves familiar tropes and broad storytelling that feel primed for surface engagement rather than meaningful impact.

    Such moves are intentional, suggested American cultural critic Will Talvin in an essay on how Netflix ruined movies.

    More “pseudo movies” were being made for viewers to run in the background while doing other tasks, “designed to be played but not watched”, Talvin wrote in n+1 magazine in December 2024.

    “Several screenwriters who’ve worked for the streamer told me a common note from company executives is ‘have this character announce what they’re doing so that viewers who have this programme on in the background can follow along.’”

    30 votes

  6. Comment on Donald Trump White House directs US National Institutes of Health to study ‘regret’ after transgender people transition in ~society

    DrStone
    Link Parent
    The trump order is stupid and unnecessary. That said, I don’t know if we can equate and compare “dissatisfaction” with “regret”. I can, and have, been dissatisfied with the outcome of some choice...

    The trump order is stupid and unnecessary.

    That said, I don’t know if we can equate and compare “dissatisfaction” with “regret”. I can, and have, been dissatisfied with the outcome of some choice without regretting them. Maybe it’s the best of all bad options, maybe it’s better but not up to expectations, etc.

    4 votes

  7. Comment on Texas officials report that an unvaccinated child has died of measles in ~health

  8. Comment on People named "Null" are being punished by computers in the weirdest ways in ~comp

    DrStone
    Link Parent
    How does that work with non-text columns? What’s your default “I don’t actually know this” value for bool? Int? Timestamp?

    How does that work with non-text columns? What’s your default “I don’t actually know this” value for bool? Int? Timestamp?

    2 votes

  9. Comment on People named "Null" are being punished by computers in the weirdest ways in ~comp

    DrStone
    Link Parent
    Eh. Anything can be undefined in JS, plus undefined vs null (and inconsistent use up to the developer). TypeScript with well defined types helps put guardrails on JS, and optional chaining makes...

    Eh. Anything can be undefined in JS, plus undefined vs null (and inconsistent use up to the developer). TypeScript with well defined types helps put guardrails on JS, and optional chaining makes working with them easier, but I still prefer a language with an explicit Option[Foo] and handlers in the core.

    (I write a lot of JS/TS and Scala)

    4 votes

  10. Comment on People named "Null" are being punished by computers in the weirdest ways in ~comp

    DrStone
    Link Parent
    More likely it is null - as in nothing - in their system, and only when it needs to be displayed it’s converted to the string “NULL”.

    More likely it is null - as in nothing - in their system, and only when it needs to be displayed it’s converted to the string “NULL”.

    5 votes

  11. Comment on Are modern iPhones unusable without a case? in ~comp

    DrStone
    Link
    I’ve been using an iPhone caseless for a long time. Only dropped twice - once while discovering I had a hole in my pocket, and once when my running pouch failed. I typically use phones like I use...

    I’ve been using an iPhone caseless for a long time. Only dropped twice - once while discovering I had a hole in my pocket, and once when my running pouch failed. I typically use phones like I use cars, take good care of em but run them until they’re near death, so while I have only a few minor scratches, resale value is not a concern to me.

    Anyway, for holding, I like the pinky rest hold. No need for friction or gripping around the phone, so fingertips and palms aren’t needed close to the screen. It also lets me hit almost the entire screen top to bottom with my thumb.

    3 votes

  12. Comment on Looking for a new mouse (maybe) in ~tech

    DrStone
    Link Parent
    I have the 2S currently and while, yes, it has forward/back side buttons, I personally find them difficult to individually hit accurately when gaming. They’re two long thin triangles stacked;...

    I have the 2S currently and while, yes, it has forward/back side buttons, I personally find them difficult to individually hit accurately when gaming. They’re two long thin triangles stacked; think a rectangle divided diagonally. It’s annoying enough that I’ve considered upgrading to the 3S, which looks like a much better layout.

  13. Comment on Cozy video games can be an antidote to stress and anxiety in ~games

    DrStone
    Link Parent
    Seconding A Short Hike. Cute visual style, humorous writing, interesting exploration, fun low-stakes challenges and puzzles.

    Seconding A Short Hike. Cute visual style, humorous writing, interesting exploration, fun low-stakes challenges and puzzles.

    6 votes

  14. Comment on Live updates of day one executive orders / actions taken by US President Donald Trump in ~society

    DrStone
    Link Parent
    Non-resident US citizen, not non-citizen. There’s already so many rules and regulations and checks and reporting involved with financial and related accounts of US citizens living abroad. It’s...

    Non-resident US citizen, not non-citizen. There’s already so many rules and regulations and checks and reporting involved with financial and related accounts of US citizens living abroad. It’s difficult to get even basic things set up or done in that situation.

    15 votes

  15. Comment on Move over toasters: Doom is now playable inside a PDF in ~games

    DrStone
    Link Parent
    Recruiters / headhunters / staffing agencies want your resume in Word because they want to be able to easily edit it themselves, for better or for worse. Some people refuse to send a Word doc for...

    Recruiters / headhunters / staffing agencies want your resume in Word because they want to be able to easily edit it themselves, for better or for worse. Some people refuse to send a Word doc for exactly the same reason - they don’t want unapproved edits.

    6 votes

  16. Comment on Revisions of ‘hateful conduct’: what users can now say on Meta platforms in ~tech

    DrStone
    Link Parent
    Yeah, I’ve had a few friend clones attempt to con me. The difference is that the fakes aren’t technically my friend yet, making it pretty obvious they’re fake. If someone I’m already official...

    Yeah, I’ve had a few friend clones attempt to con me. The difference is that the fakes aren’t technically my friend yet, making it pretty obvious they’re fake. If someone I’m already official friends with got hacked or sold then reached out while continuing to played the role, I’d be much less likely to suspect anything is amiss and maybe get scammed.

    2 votes

  17. Comment on Revisions of ‘hateful conduct’: what users can now say on Meta platforms in ~tech

    DrStone
    Link Parent
    This isn’t really revenge against Meta as much as it is putting all of your friends and family at risk of being scammed by someone pretending to be you.

    This isn’t really revenge against Meta as much as it is putting all of your friends and family at risk of being scammed by someone pretending to be you.

    24 votes

  18. Comment on Tuberculosis rates plunge when families living in poverty get a monthly cash payout in ~health

    DrStone
    Link Parent
    This seems like the biggest contributor: Convincing people to proactively take care of their health, vaccinations, and education.

    This seems like the biggest contributor:

    But they must meet certain requirements: sending their kids to school and regular check-ups for pregnant women and kids, including prenatal visits and childhood vaccinations.

    Convincing people to proactively take care of their health, vaccinations, and education.

    12 votes

  19. Comment on You make friends *HERE*?! in ~tildes

    DrStone
    Link Parent
    There was (is?) an unofficial Tildes discord. It, unsurprisingly, turned into a clique that amplified dissatisfaction and drama which would spill back over to the Tildes site.

    There was (is?) an unofficial Tildes discord. It, unsurprisingly, turned into a clique that amplified dissatisfaction and drama which would spill back over to the Tildes site.

    6 votes