Eric_the_Cerise's recent activity
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Comment on Substack turns on its ‘Nazis Welcome!’ sign in ~tech
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Comment on Substack turns on its ‘Nazis Welcome!’ sign in ~tech
Eric_the_Cerise I can't speak to the other sites, but I was among the people that abandoned Reddit 6 or 8 outrages ago, and joined (among other places) Voat. When it was brand new, it was nice. It was created and...I can't speak to the other sites, but I was among the people that abandoned Reddit 6 or 8 outrages ago, and joined (among other places) Voat. When it was brand new, it was nice. It was created and run--apparently, at least--by a reasonable, idealistic person who simply believed in unfettered freedom of speech.
And, yeah, exactly this happened to it. Nazis, trolls, right-wing conspiracy nuts crept in, everyone else left.
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Comment on I want to learn Android (with Kotlin) ... should I focus on Jetpack or the old XML style? in ~comp
Eric_the_Cerise I was hoping you'd weigh in. Just 'cuz it's simpler, and Old-School (like me), I'm going to focus on XML this next time around (I tried Jetpack the first time — it looks promising, but complicated...I was hoping you'd weigh in.
Just 'cuz it's simpler, and Old-School (like me), I'm going to focus on XML this next time around (I tried Jetpack the first time — it looks promising, but complicated and too many confusing guides/answers online, at least for me).
Also, to start, I'm doing a fairly small, cheesy, mostly-text-adventure video game that does not require a lot of advanced UI. If/When I succeed in deploying that to F-Droid, then I'll dive into something more serious, w/Jetpack.
But anticipate some questions from me in the coming month or two...
Thanks
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Comment on I want to learn Android (with Kotlin) ... should I focus on Jetpack or the old XML style? in ~comp
Eric_the_Cerise Huge resource hog from my limited experience. I set up my dev environment in a dedicated Ubuntu VM, and required 16G of RAM and 2 (4?) cores to even begin to get responsive build/run times ... not...Huge resource hog from my limited experience.
I set up my dev environment in a dedicated Ubuntu VM, and required 16G of RAM and 2 (4?) cores to even begin to get responsive build/run times ... not sure, but I think Jetpack contributed to the logjam.
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I want to learn Android (with Kotlin) ... should I focus on Jetpack or the old XML style?
I am an experienced programmer (mostly M$ stack -- C#, etc). I started learning mobile Android development a few months ago, learning both Kotlin and the larger Android development environment at...
I am an experienced programmer (mostly M$ stack -- C#, etc).
I started learning mobile Android development a few months ago, learning both Kotlin and the larger Android development environment at the same time. I got bogged down in tutorials and guides, because half of them teach Jetpack Compose methodology and half teach XML layout ... and, often enough, don't bother to mention which method they're using.
Which should I learn first? I am initially interested in learning Android dev for my own hobby/fun/side projects, but I would--ultimately--like to be able to put "Android developer" on my resume.
Jetpack definitely looks better, more modern, more OO, and I expect it will eventually become the new standard ... but that could still be many years down the road. Also, while it might be "better"--especially for larger projects--it also smells more complicated.
So, ultimately, I guess I should learn both if I actually intend to become an Android dev ... but I should definitely get comfortable with one, first ... so, which one?
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Comment on If buying isn't owning, piracy isn't stealing in ~tech
Eric_the_Cerise Personally, I think you could have stopped right there. These days, that is the entirety of my pro-piracy argument. I have long since given up trying to figure out who's at fault, how it could be...the IP system is absurdly broken in a myriad of ways, and everyone knows it
Personally, I think you could have stopped right there. These days, that is the entirety of my pro-piracy argument.
I have long since given up trying to figure out who's at fault, how it could be fixed, what people/corps/govts should do about it ... because at the end of the day, no one is going to take my advice, even if I do figure out a good solution.
So, I just pirate stuff, and hope that someday, the system will get fixed. When the opportunity arises to contribute directly to an artistic creator, I usually do. But beyond that, I just quit worrying about it.
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Comment on If buying isn't owning, piracy isn't stealing in ~tech
Eric_the_Cerise 15-20 years ago, I refused to buy cell phones that A) did not have a user-accessible/replaceable battery in them, or that B) had a camera. The industry will force it's preferences down your throat.15-20 years ago, I refused to buy cell phones that A) did not have a user-accessible/replaceable battery in them, or that B) had a camera.
The industry will force it's preferences down your throat.
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Comment on Can a social media post change public opinion? Researchers weigh in. in ~tech
Eric_the_Cerise Spoiler: No, you can't change someone else's mind on social media, but you can (inadvertently?) harden your own position, make your own beliefs more extreme, in the process of trying. So, I...Spoiler: No, you can't change someone else's mind on social media, but you can (inadvertently?) harden your own position, make your own beliefs more extreme, in the process of trying.
So, I already have strong opinions about the "worse than useless" nature of social media, and this interview, of course, validates and reinforces my position on the matter. The irony is not lost on me.
Now, that said, there are some interesting details in here. For instance, the research is suggesting that it's not (or at least, not only) due to "evil FB rage-algorithms", but more inherently, just the nature of the beast, so to speak ... the way SM works is just contradictory to how our brains evolved.
Or at least, that's my takeaway.
Thoughts? Anyone care to try to change my mind?
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Can a social media post change public opinion? Researchers weigh in.
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Comment on 70% of US workers lie on resumes, new study shows in ~life
Eric_the_Cerise Just a quibble ... 70% of American workers lie on their resumes. Nowhere in the entire Forbes article do they bother to make that clarification. I had to go to the original source of the survey.Just a quibble ... 70% of American workers lie on their resumes.
Nowhere in the entire Forbes article do they bother to make that clarification. I had to go to the original source of the survey.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~life
Eric_the_Cerise Some (many? all?) Buddhist monasteries have some form of this ... help keep the place running and you can stay, subject to space. Some have waiting lists.Some (many? all?) Buddhist monasteries have some form of this ... help keep the place running and you can stay, subject to space. Some have waiting lists.
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Comment on The best robot vacuum for me is the one I hacked in ~tech
Eric_the_Cerise I will be trying this out in the near future. I have a 2-year-old Roborock S7 -- unfortunately, one of the trickier ones to hack, but I'm up for the challenge. The robot worked great for a year,...I will be trying this out in the near future. I have a 2-year-old Roborock S7 -- unfortunately, one of the trickier ones to hack, but I'm up for the challenge.
The robot worked great for a year, but then after we moved to a new flat, it simply never connected to the new network here, no matter how many times, how many tricks I tried. For the past year, it has continued to work great physically, but with extremely limited set-up/customization options, as the app is now useless.
I'm moving again in a few weeks, so it is entirely possible that the robot will start working again once I have Internet set up at the new place, but even so, I prefer the "not-phoning-home" option. It will be a month or so before I can dive into this project, but I will definitely try it, and if I remember, I will report back here on the outcome.
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Comment on Vote for "Movie of the Week" in November - Academy Award Winners in ~movies
Eric_the_Cerise I'm still a fan of this idea ... but weirdly--just at a first glance--not a single movie on the entire first page of that list of Oscar winners caught my interest. I'm sure once I dig into the...I'm still a fan of this idea ... but weirdly--just at a first glance--not a single movie on the entire first page of that list of Oscar winners caught my interest. I'm sure once I dig into the titles a bit, I'll find some interesting movies that I want to see and discuss, but at this moment ... nothing.
I'll be back.
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Comment on Any interest in a weekly movie discussion? in ~movies
Eric_the_Cerise I would participate in these threads ... depends somewhat (of course) on the movie each week, but generally, yeah. I would tentatively suggest twin weekly threads, one thread discussing the...I would participate in these threads ... depends somewhat (of course) on the movie each week, but generally, yeah.
I would tentatively suggest twin weekly threads, one thread discussing the current movie, the other thread voting on next week's movie, where anyone can nominate any movie they want to discuss, and everyone votes for the movie(s) they'd like to discuss.
Personally, however we choose, I would prefer some kind of bias towards less well-known films ... I don't (necessarily) mean bizarre French avant garde silent black-and-white arthouse things ... just please not the latest Marvel blockbuster every week.
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Comment on SpaceX to the US FAA: The industry needs you to move faster in ~space
Eric_the_Cerise Practically speaking, I think there's little evidence that actual ground-strike fatalities are going to be much of a problem. I have, however, been starting to see concerns about the unprecedented...Practically speaking, I think there's little evidence that actual ground-strike fatalities are going to be much of a problem.
I have, however, been starting to see concerns about the unprecedented amount of metals and other materials that will be getting vaporized in our upper atmosphere in the coming decades, with uncomfortably little idea of what kind of damage that might do to our climate, etc.
I'd be interested to see more info about whatever potential risks that might bring.
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Comment on Do you know any other good online communities? in ~tech
Eric_the_Cerise LessWrong has always been a puzzle for me ... I am fascinated by Yudkowsky, I largely share his views on the future of Tech and AI, and I am really interested in the things that LW espouses ......LessWrong has always been a puzzle for me ... I am fascinated by Yudkowsky, I largely share his views on the future of Tech and AI, and I am really interested in the things that LW espouses ... and yet, every time I start to dive into the site, I always feel like I'm slipping into some sort of Korean UFO Doomsday cult, and as a result, I rarely stay there long.
Just peeking around at it now, I notice that there was originally a co-creator with Eliezer, named Robin Hanson, who branched off to do his own cult-of-personality community blog/forum/thing called Overcoming Bias ... IDK yet, if he/it is any good, but I'm starting to check it out now, and it looks interesting ... perhaps you'd be interested as well?
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Comment on Germany’s terrible trains are no joke for a nation built on efficiency in ~transport
Eric_the_Cerise I moved to Germany a year ago, and this stereotype of German uber-efficiency still lived in some small part of my brain ... now, actually living here, the reality is jarringly bad. IDK how it is...I moved to Germany a year ago, and this stereotype of German uber-efficiency still lived in some small part of my brain ... now, actually living here, the reality is jarringly bad. IDK how it is possible for a person to keep a job, while relying on the public transport system here.
And side-note ... the German bus system is much more disjointed and regional, so I supposed it is not fair to categorically disparage it throughout the country ... but my experience in the Nordrhein-Westfalen area has been every bit as bad as the train service. It is absolutely routine for scheduled buses to just not show up, and not at all uncommon for 2 or even 3 buses in a row to not show up, at a scheduled stop.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~news
Eric_the_Cerise Final, official election results have now been posted, confirming that PiS (at 35.7%) plus the far-right Confederation party (at 7.2%) together, do not have enough to form a majority govt. At this...Final, official election results have now been posted, confirming that PiS (at 35.7%) plus the far-right Confederation party (at 7.2%) together, do not have enough to form a majority govt. At this time, every other party has sworn off working with PiS ... but of course, Kaczynski's PiS party still controls the Presidency and--effectively--the Supreme Court, so they will have up to 2 more months to figure out some way to stay in power. It ain't over til it's over.
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Comment on Leonard Leo: The man behind the Republican US Supreme Court majority in ~misc
Eric_the_Cerise I will be reading it, but for the Time-Challenged, it sounds like the first 4 sentences of his Wikipedia bio pretty much sums it all up.I will be reading it, but for the Time-Challenged, it sounds like the first 4 sentences of his Wikipedia bio pretty much sums it all up.
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Comment on Your next excuse is on platform five – German train travel has become an experience worthy of Kafka in ~transport
Eric_the_Cerise I have had trains cancelled en route, mid-trip ... actually on the train, en route to our destination, and the announcement comes on, everybody must get off at the next stop, the train is...I have had trains cancelled en route, mid-trip ... actually on the train, en route to our destination, and the announcement comes on, everybody must get off at the next stop, the train is cancelled.
But the deal-breaker for me was last month. I still don't actually know for sure what happened, but I boarded a train, my DBahn app and the platform sign both said that it was my train. The train itself had no identification on it, anywhere, at all.
Despite all evidence to the contrary, I somehow boarded an ICE train that was not going to my destination. The DeutschlandTicket does not include the ICE trains. After awhile, I realized I was on the wrong train ... and at that point, the conductor forced me--on pain of criminal prosecution--to buy a 30 Euro ticket for the privilege of riding on the wrong train.
As best I can tell, my train was cancelled at the last second, and a different train was rerouted to the same track/platform/time as my train, and probably they announced it (my German is still mediocre even when the speaker quality is good), but they didn't have enough time to change the display on the sign.
That is my guess, anyway -- because that ICE train dropped me off some 45 minutes away from my intended destination, and while catching yet another train back to my home, I observed them do exactly the same thing (except this time I was paying attention, and also, that train at least, had a label on it).
It's not that so many "remain" in this world. New ones are being created daily, probably by the thousands, thanks in part (quite literally) to decisions like this one by Substack.
40-50 years ago, there were many, many fewer Nazis (both in the open and in hiding -- I can't prove it, but I'll stand by that assertion), than there are today ... and that's because the vast majority of adults walking around had lived through Hitler and WWII. One way or another, people remembered it, personally.
Now, it's history. It's getting "fuzzy". People can find all kinds of fringe theories and evidence suggesting it was exaggerated, misrepresented, or flat-out made up. Even without the outrage-inducing algorithms of the FB-circle, people were going to forget what really happened, and start to believe what they want to believe, instead.