Ephemere's recent activity
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Comment on An Internet for Kids: Instead of regulating the internet to protect young people, give them a youth-net of their own. in ~tech
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Comment on Massive ‘Avengers: Endgame’ footage leak hits Twitter, Reddit in ~movies
Ephemere Link Parent I completely understand that as a point of view, but I'm sort of the opposite. If I know how a movie goes, or ends, the pleasure is in seeing how it's different from I imagined, and in...I completely understand that as a point of view, but I'm sort of the opposite. If I know how a movie goes, or ends, the pleasure is in seeing how it's different from I imagined, and in anticipating whether something is leading up to what I know happens sooner or later.
3 votes -
Comment on Octopath Traveler will be released for PC on June 7, 2019 in ~games
Ephemere Link Parent I suppose it was a combination of the repetitiveness of the game, that I didn't feel super engaged in anyone's stories, and that I found the in-town sections to be far too long. Literally the...I suppose it was a combination of the repetitiveness of the game, that I didn't feel super engaged in anyone's stories, and that I found the in-town sections to be far too long. Literally the dialogue seemed like it could have been trimmed by maybe half it's words.
That said, I'm both glad that it exists and that I paid money to the people who created it. Maybe I'll like the next pretty, weird artistic experiment a bit better.
4 votes -
Comment on Octopath Traveler will be released for PC on June 7, 2019 in ~games
Ephemere Link Sounds nice. I'm honestly surprised it hasn't come out on mobile. While it was quite beautiful on the switch, I imagine the visuals could be somewhat compromised and remain quite striking, and the...Sounds nice. I'm honestly surprised it hasn't come out on mobile. While it was quite beautiful on the switch, I imagine the visuals could be somewhat compromised and remain quite striking, and the gameplay is certainly straightforward enough.
I'm afraid it lost me after a while, but I certainly did enjoy the time it had me.
3 votes -
Comment on Baked MacBook Air: A cautionary recipe in ~comp
Ephemere Link The writing style was pretty amusing, in that despite the title and the first paragraph lead I was expecting this to be your usual internet extreme measures success story. Consequently things...The writing style was pretty amusing, in that despite the title and the first paragraph lead I was expecting this to be your usual internet extreme measures success story. Consequently things going sound caught me rather by surprise.
1 vote -
Comment on Fire at the Notre-Dame cathedral in ~news
Ephemere Link I'll second, third, and twelfth the thought that this is absolutely tragic. Unfortunately reading between the lines of the NY Times article on the fire, it seems as though the cathedral was a...I'll second, third, and twelfth the thought that this is absolutely tragic. Unfortunately reading between the lines of the NY Times article on the fire, it seems as though the cathedral was a disaster waiting to happen, insofar as there was no scenario in which a fire could be successfully fought within it. I suppose the downside to disasters waiting to happen is that sooner or later they do.
I hope they rebuild it, just as fine and grandly as can be managed. It won't be 900 years old to start, but someday it will be.
4 votes -
Comment on Stop talking about testosterone – there’s no such thing as a ‘true sex’ in ~sports
Ephemere Link Parent Oh, interesting! I was, as I hope I conveyed, intrigued by the suggestion that weight was a handy metric by which we could group people of like raw ability.Oh, interesting! I was, as I hope I conveyed, intrigued by the suggestion that weight was a handy metric by which we could group people of like raw ability.
2 votes -
Comment on Stop talking about testosterone – there’s no such thing as a ‘true sex’ in ~sports
Ephemere Link Parent I was very interested in your comment, but I'm afraid it doesn't quite seem to be the case, at least, if wikipedia was to be believed. For a given common weight class (69kg), the men's record for...I was very interested in your comment, but I'm afraid it doesn't quite seem to be the case, at least, if wikipedia was to be believed. For a given common weight class (69kg), the men's record for the snatch was fully 43kg heavier than the women's. (Via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Olympic_records_in_weightlifting)
I otherwise don't have any good ideas about the issue at hand other than to agree that we should attempt to group people with similar raw ability, so practice, effort and skill win the day. Perhaps a better metric than weight could be established (blood testosterone? I have no idea.) but it's pretty clear that nature makes it exceptionally hard to form discrete categories.
5 votes -
Comment on Kyoto temple enlists android Buddhist deity to help people in ~humanities
Ephemere Link This is absolutely amazing. At first I interpreted the headline as meaning that they had picked a member of a given patheon as representing help for people using the android operating system,...This is absolutely amazing. At first I interpreted the headline as meaning that they had picked a member of a given patheon as representing help for people using the android operating system, which made sense. There is a catholic patron saint of computers, and if android / ios were to survive another few decades, I could see there being saints specifically for those operating systems.
But no, a literal, robot god, preaching. I'm kind of astounded.
I hope it helps those who come to hear it.
2 votes -
Comment on Why the Galaxy Fold Will Be a Huge Success Even at $2,000 -- "[...] Samsung has effectively turned into the new Apple. They are the innovators. They are ahead of the game." in ~tech
Ephemere Link I’m a little surprised at these comments, having an expandable phone certainly strongly appeals to me, primarily for reading books while on the go and depreciating the need for a tablet beside...I’m a little surprised at these comments, having an expandable phone certainly strongly appeals to me, primarily for reading books while on the go and depreciating the need for a tablet beside one’s phone.
I of course agree that $2000 is too rich for my blood, but I’m very much looking forward to the next one or two generations at which point it will be hopefully in my budget.
I imagine this will also appeal to people for whom their phone is their primary computing device, of whom I know quite a few. It makes the device more useful while preserving portability.
14 votes -
Comment on Memes Are Our Generation's Protest Art in ~misc
Ephemere Link God, I hope not. I imagine I'm romanticizing the memorable protest art of the past. Doubtless it was almost all terrible, and we only remember the few, excellent pieces. But... still.God, I hope not.
I imagine I'm romanticizing the memorable protest art of the past. Doubtless it was almost all terrible, and we only remember the few, excellent pieces. But... still.
6 votes -
Comment on A sports hijab has France debating the Muslim veil, again in ~misc
Ephemere Link Parent I'm confused, isn't the french company choosing to produce the garment, because they see a market? So what force is there, then? I certainly view this issue from a position in a country where...I'm confused, isn't the french company choosing to produce the garment, because they see a market? So what force is there, then?
I certainly view this issue from a position in a country where Islam is very much a minority religion, which certainly colors my view of it. I'm sure if I lived somewhere in which the wearing of it were compulsory I would have a very different opinion.
1 vote -
Comment on Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un summit ends in disarray but there are lessons to be learnt, experts say in ~news
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Comment on A sports hijab has France debating the Muslim veil, again in ~misc
Ephemere Link Yeah, I'm of multiple minds of this. I feel like people shouldn't be forced to wear a particular garment, but they also shouldn't be prohibited from wearing it should they choose to. Clearly...Yeah, I'm of multiple minds of this. I feel like people shouldn't be forced to wear a particular garment, but they also shouldn't be prohibited from wearing it should they choose to.
“My choice as a woman and a citizen will be to no longer trust a brand that breaks with our values,” said Aurore Bergé, a spokeswoman for Republic on the Move, President Emmanuel Macron’s party. “Those who tolerate women in the public space only when they are hiding are not lovers of freedom.”
Clearly presumes that these women are being forced to wear such things.
I suppose on a deeper level, do we really choose the community mores we inherit?
7 votes -
Comment on YouTube bans comments on videos of children in ~tech
Ephemere Link Parent Yeah, that's my thought, I don't really see much upside to anonymous strangers commenting on a video of a child. Honestly, if there were no comments at all on youtube it would probably be a better...Yeah, that's my thought, I don't really see much upside to anonymous strangers commenting on a video of a child. Honestly, if there were no comments at all on youtube it would probably be a better service.
4 votes -
Comment on Android Is Helping Kill Passwords On Billions Of Devices in ~tech
Ephemere Link Parent How ancient is your iphone? If it can run ios 12 (which looks like an iphone 6 and later) it has integration with a number of password managers which work in a similar fashion.How ancient is your iphone? If it can run ios 12 (which looks like an iphone 6 and later) it has integration with a number of password managers which work in a similar fashion.
3 votes -
Comment on Trump says summit with Kim ended with no agreement over North Korea's demand to lift sanctions in ~news
Ephemere Link Parent Yeah, I'm super curious what Trump and his people thought would happen. One one hand, there is a domestic political advantage for him to be doing normal, Presidential-ish things, though you think...Yeah, I'm super curious what Trump and his people thought would happen. One one hand, there is a domestic political advantage for him to be doing normal, Presidential-ish things, though you think that could be better accomplished with a summit with May or Abe or someone at least vaguely friendly. If the plan was to give a demand and then walk out... why? It just makes them look weak. Was the plan perhaps to offer some major concession, which was axed after the meeting had already been finalized?
I guess we'll have to wait for the Woodward book in another few years.
4 votes -
Comment on THQ Nordic hosts an AMA on 8chan, releases apology two hours later in ~games
Ephemere Link A colleague linked this story to me via this alternate publication: https://www.gamerevolution.com/news/502429-thq-nordic-8chan-ama-google#1HP6pwskgsH3Ym9Y.99 (Please, don't read the comments....A colleague linked this story to me via this alternate publication: https://www.gamerevolution.com/news/502429-thq-nordic-8chan-ama-google#1HP6pwskgsH3Ym9Y.99 (Please, don't read the comments. They're nuts.)
But it did describe this gobsmacking exchange:
In one comment, a user posted an image of two female anime characters and a male figure cupping their breasts, alongside the message: “Where the big tiddie lolis at?”
The THQ Nordic account replied: “you got them already we’d say.”
Another user wrote: “Please don’t censor any games nor appeal to the SocJus crowd, you guys are doing fine as is,” to which the THQ account replied: “thanks! we’ll try to stay that way.”You'd think they could have figured out the kind of website they were on just from that.
7 votes -
Comment on Nubia Alpha Is Both a Smartwatch and a Smartphone with a Flexible Screen in ~tech
Ephemere Link It's an interesting idea, but I do somewhat fear that the compromises necessary to meet the form factor would make it much less useful as a smart phone than my iphone currently is. And I don't...It's an interesting idea, but I do somewhat fear that the compromises necessary to meet the form factor would make it much less useful as a smart phone than my iphone currently is. And I don't mean this specific instance, as a 192x960 seems somewhat crippling, but more in general.
That said, I suppose I'd be totally down for an object I could wear on my wrist, and say, unfold once or twice into a reasonable size. That would be pretty handy.
3 votes -
Comment on The electoral college doesn't need to be abolished. We just need to apportion it. Discuss! in ~talk
Ephemere Link Parent I'm sympathetic to the argument that we should be moderate in how we change things which have worked, more or less, for some time. That all said, what exactly is the point of the electoral college...I'm sympathetic to the argument that we should be moderate in how we change things which have worked, more or less, for some time.
That all said, what exactly is the point of the electoral college if it just roughly approximates the popular vote?
2 votes
I don't think I'd mind a youth-net as a device level flag. These days most children seem to have their own, personal devices, and while some services have special accounts for kids, it would be handy if the OS could restrict them to a set which are explicitly for children.
I know this is partially doable with the parental settings most of these devices usually have, but they're both a pain to configure and easily obsolesce.