DtheS's recent activity
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Comment on Vivaldi 2.2: Focus on details in ~tech
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Comment on Vivaldi 2.2: Focus on details in ~tech
DtheS Link ParentIn other words, it's about the same level of spying that you get out of Google Chrome, (or Firefox if you use their sync services)... Feel free to use "proprietary" software as you see fit. Just...About Sync service
This service aims to provide users with the ability to synchronize the information recorded in their Vivaldi web browser (such as bookmarks, settings, passwords and browsing history) with a web browser they are using on a different computer. This is done for users voluntarily choosing to enable the feature.
The data is encrypted, sent to Vivaldi servers located in Iceland by the user’s Vivaldi browser in the form of individually encrypted entries for each separate data item. Similarly, the user’s Vivaldi browser can request to retrieve the data from the server and decrypt it using the user’s key. Vivaldi servers also send a notification to any logged in Vivaldi Browser over an encrypted connection.
In other words, it's about the same level of spying that you get out of Google Chrome, (or Firefox if you use their sync services)... Feel free to use "proprietary" software as you see fit. Just understand that they can collect information in regards to how you use the browser. It's a matter of trust in respect to their ability to abuse power.
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Comment on Trump claims without evidence that 3,000 people did not die in Puerto Rico hurricanes, blames Democrats for inflating toll in ~enviro
DtheS Link ParentI do hope that you are being facetious. I really hope that (credible) journalism doesn't deteriorate into pithy name calling and pegoratives.I do hope that you are being facetious. I really hope that (credible) journalism doesn't deteriorate into pithy name calling and pegoratives.
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Obama Tops Public’s List of Best President in Their Lifetime, Followed by Clinton, Reagan
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Comment on "The book was better than the movie." How important is the medium used in the storytelling? in ~talk
DtheS Link ParentThere is a strong difference between harlequin romance novels and the entire genre of romance. I think I can tenably attack the poorly written dreck that comes out of the dollar bin at the grocery...Out of curiosity, have you tried actually reading romance? The attitude you displayed toward your aunt's preferred genre in your memory suggests that you haven't.
There is a strong difference between harlequin romance novels and the entire genre of romance. I think I can tenably attack the poorly written dreck that comes out of the dollar bin at the grocery store.
And yes, I have read Jane Austen's, Pride and Prejudice! (Once in high school and once again years later.) I also read Emma, but didn't find it quite as enjoyable. But I digress, there is nothing wrong with well written romance novels. I'm not calling for the outright rejection of romance. (Which really wasn't the intended point of this post to begin with, anyway.)
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"The book was better than the movie." How important is the medium used in the storytelling?
A number of years ago at a family reunion, I remember a rather raucous aunt of mine who sat at the table gloating that she reads “so many books.” After she thoroughly disparaged society for its...
A number of years ago at a family reunion, I remember a rather raucous aunt of mine who sat at the table gloating that she reads “so many books.” After she thoroughly disparaged society for its preference of films, television, and video games, etc., it was revealed that the entire corpus of what she reads is harlequin romance novels.
Being the shy and tepid fellow that I was, I didn’t call her out on her somewhat vapid achievement. But, the thought that crossed my mind was, “Two hours spent watching ‘A Clockwork Orange’ or ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ would be a much more rewarding and mentally invigorating experience than spending six hours filling my head with the risqué adventures of Fabio.”
To which, this (kind of) opens up a question about the worth of the medium that we use for storytelling. Is there intrinsic value in written stories versus audio/visual ones? Often enough, a film will be adapted from a book. The sentiment that frequently seems to follow is, “the book is better than the movie.” Is this because we value books as a format more? Is it the greater degree of detail? Perhaps our “mind’s eye” creates a more appealing interpretation than a film director ever could? Or maybe it just makes us feel good to say that we like to read.
I’m just using the books and movies dynamic as an example. The truth is that we can have this debate about all forms of artistic medium, whether it is live theater, television series, poems, music, radio plays; the list goes on. Marshall McLuhan famously coined the phrase, “The medium is the message.” How true is this, and how does it affect how we value each different kind of medium? What are your thoughts?
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Comment on Tipping in the 21st century? Arguments for. Arguments against. in ~talk
DtheS Link ParentVery true. In North America, I would assume there would be some stigma in advertising "Don't tip our servers! We pay them enough!" (Which, funny enough, in Japan and some European countries, they...Very true. In North America, I would assume there would be some stigma in advertising "Don't tip our servers! We pay them enough!" (Which, funny enough, in Japan and some European countries, they actually do advertise this!) Regardless, the point I am trying to make is, it is difficult to demonstrate to consumers that while they pay more on the menu, they will make up the difference in a lack of leaving a tip.
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Tipping in the 21st century? Arguments for. Arguments against.
The custom of tipping your server dates back to the mid-1800's. 150 years later, it seems that tipping is less customary, and has become entrenched in the service industry. Some view tipping as a...
The custom of tipping your server dates back to the mid-1800's. 150 years later, it seems that tipping is less customary, and has become entrenched in the service industry.
Some view tipping as a positive. People may feel compelled to give their server 'something extra' for extraordinary service, and tipping gives them that option. They might also say that a tip provides extra motivation for the server to do a better job. From the perspective of the server, they may even feel enticed to pursue employment where tips are readily available as it could supplement their income.
Opposers of tipping often feel that employers should offer a 'living wage' to their servers instead of relying on their clientele to 'make up the difference.' Sociological critics have also noticed that physically attractive servers might get larger tips, regardless of the quality of service they provide, thus negating the "motivation" argument. Again, from the perspective of a server, they might also not wish to pursue a job that forces them to rely on tips as their income may fluctuate from month-to-month, making it difficult to budget accordingly.
These are just some of the most common arguments for and against tipping. I'm curious as to what you all think!
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Comment on Burger robot startup opens first restaurant in ~tech
DtheS LinkNeat. I have to wonder if the maintenance and cleaning of the machine outweighs the cost of just hiring cooks though.Neat. I have to wonder if the maintenance and cleaning of the machine outweighs the cost of just hiring cooks though.
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Comment on Does/Could Tildes make an effort to recruit minority voices? in ~tildes
DtheS Link ParentSince you are calling me out on this, I would say that the sentiment expressed by @tyil here: isn't particularly welcoming. It is true that it doesn't outright call for the admonishment of LGBT...This site is about discussion. And it's very new, so discussions about where to put threads is perfectly reasonable. @tyil's viewpoint is just as valid as your own, and your reaction to his criticism (as well as @DtheS's assertion that @tyil is somehow intolerant) was quite inappropriate.
Since you are calling me out on this, I would say that the sentiment expressed by @tyil here:
The lgbt community got their very own ~lgbt group, so I find it odd that they don't keep discussions explicitly related to their community (it clearly says "LGBT+ Discrimination in the title after all) in their own category.
isn't particularly welcoming. It is true that it doesn't outright call for the admonishment of LGBT people, but it certainly insinuates that talking about LGBT issues in ~talk should not be tolerated.
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Comment on Does/Could Tildes make an effort to recruit minority voices? in ~tildes
DtheS (edited )Link ParentYikes! That thread did not go well. Although, despite this, it does show part of the problem I am trying to allude to. Since ~lgbt exists, intolerant users can now point to that tilde and say,...Yikes! That thread did not go well. Although, despite this, it does show part of the problem I am trying to allude to. Since ~lgbt exists, intolerant users can now point to that tilde and say, "No, you belong over there, get out of our space." Which causes the 'ghetto-ization' of the website.
Granted, that doesn't mean we shouldn't have an lgbt tilde. In fact, if there is enough demand for it, it is essential that it does exist. I'm just saying that we shouldn't think of a tilde as a 'walled fortress,' there should be some overlap between communities and we should encourage that overlap to happen.
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Comment on Does/Could Tildes make an effort to recruit minority voices? in ~tildes
DtheS Link ParentOh, sorry, I misunderstood. Sure, why not. Granted, I still think you need to give them a reason to come to Tildes beyond, "it's new, help build the platform."I'm not necessarily advocating creating Tildes for minorities. Right now I'd even say there's not much point.
Oh, sorry, I misunderstood.
However, I learned about Tildes from a Reddit post. I'm sure most all of us did. Why not specifically target often-overlooked voices for inclusion?
Sure, why not. Granted, I still think you need to give them a reason to come to Tildes beyond, "it's new, help build the platform."
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Comment on Does/Could Tildes make an effort to recruit minority voices? in ~tildes
DtheS LinkThose suggestions for creating tildes for minority groups might bring in a greater number of minority voices to the website, but doesn't guarantee that those voices will become more prominent on...Those suggestions for creating tildes for minority groups might bring in a greater number of minority voices to the website, but doesn't guarantee that those voices will become more prominent on the website as a whole.
That is, you might very well just create a bunch of miniature echo-chambers, much like what has happened on Reddit. You end up with a 'ghettoized' website where each subgroup ends up being a 'safe-space' for its members. Once this occurs, groups can become intimidated by other groups and we end up with the tribalism that we were trying to avoid in the first place.
I think the better method for recruitment and inclusion of minorities might be found in the administration and moderation of the website. We want minorities to feel welcomed to the main tildes, not just their own smaller tildes. To do this, it might mean that the bigger tildes need to host discussion days that are geared towards minorities. For instance, maybe ~talk would have a thread for discussing sexual rights on Tuesdays where LGBT members are encouraged to speak with everyone about how these issues affect them.
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Any way to save a post?
One of the features that I use on Reddit is the 'save' button. I like to be able to return to a post a day (or two) later and see where the discussion went after I first looked at the comments...
One of the features that I use on Reddit is the 'save' button. I like to be able to return to a post a day (or two) later and see where the discussion went after I first looked at the comments section. Is this functionality going to be implemented into Tildes as well?
Save button: https://i.imgur.com/eVBA839.png
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Comment on On making a fresh start in ~tildes
DtheS Link ParentIs there some reason we cannot simply address the point itself instead of the "group" it came from? Facts stand on their own merits, not the mouths that air them.Why would you use the talking points of a group you don’t agree with? Why not use the talking points of a group you do agree with?
Is there some reason we cannot simply address the point itself instead of the "group" it came from? Facts stand on their own merits, not the mouths that air them.
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Comment on What's your favorite documentary? in ~talk
DtheS LinkI'm not sure why, but 'When We Were Kings' (1996) really captures my attention whenever I watch it. There are better Muhammad Ali documentaries out there if you are looking for pure information,...I'm not sure why, but 'When We Were Kings' (1996) really captures my attention whenever I watch it. There are better Muhammad Ali documentaries out there if you are looking for pure information, but none seem as well edited and paced as this one.
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Comment on What do you guys think about Flixxo? in ~tech
DtheS LinkDoes Tildes have a policy on people posting blockchain ICO's yet? The tech tilde could get awfully 'spammy' if it isn't kept under control.Does Tildes have a policy on people posting blockchain ICO's yet? The tech tilde could get awfully 'spammy' if it isn't kept under control.
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Comment on Let's talk podcasts. What are some that you like and why? in ~talk
DtheS LinkDavid Axelrod gets some excellent guests on The Axe Files with David Axelrod. Mostly political figures, but sometimes he'll get famous directors, entertainers, journalists. It's usually a very...David Axelrod gets some excellent guests on The Axe Files with David Axelrod. Mostly political figures, but sometimes he'll get famous directors, entertainers, journalists. It's usually a very down-to-earth conversation; very personable.
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Comment on Daily Tildes discussion - our first ban in ~tildes.official
DtheS Link ParentHm, or perhaps certain tildes, like political ones, should require comments to be substantive. The /r/CanadaPolitics subreddit has this rule, and it works wonders in terms of keeping people "on...Hm, or perhaps certain tildes, like political ones, should require comments to be substantive. The /r/CanadaPolitics subreddit has this rule, and it works wonders in terms of keeping people "on track." Thoughtless rhetoric and inflammatory remarks are likely to be removed if the user cannot backup their claims.
For reference, see rule 3 here: https://www.reddit.com/r/CanadaPolitics/wiki/rules-thelongversion#wiki_3._keep_submissions_and_comments_substantive
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Comment on Trump Ignores Court Ruling That He Can't Block Twitter Critics: 'President Thinks He's Above The Law' in ~news
DtheS Link ParentI was thinking about this the other day. You know where I think it went wrong? The Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929. The reality is that the population cannot be truly represented anymore due...I was thinking about this the other day. You know where I think it went wrong? The Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929. The reality is that the population cannot be truly represented anymore due to the gross amount of constituents each congressman is responsible for. Granted, having thousands of members of congress would be unwieldy, but it would clean up so many issues. It would potentially clear up the disproportional effects of FPTP as each district would be much smaller. It would also give a chance for a multiparty system as some districts might be single-issue focused and more likely to vote in a single-issue party member. Likewise, it might help with gerrymandering problems, given that the smaller size of each district would be prohibitive in how unruly its borders could be. (Although, with enough effort, you could still gerrymander.)
Anyway, that's just my two cents.
Their documentation isn't exactly clear, but I think that paragraph should be read as two conceptual 'halves.'
Half 1:
That is, user ID's contain information about the device you signed in with. The purpose of this could be for a variety of reasons. It might be for analytics so they know which kind of devices are using their browser. It could also be a part of verifying that the user's account hasn't been 'hijacked'; verifying that this is the same device they used previously. Or, it could be a combination of reasons. Some users might find this invasive, to which, they should opt to use some other browser.
Half 2:
This half, I think is pretty straight forward. They might also use the IP address to verify the user ID as well... And, once again, if this seems invasive then Vivaldi is not for you!