Fiachra's recent activity
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Comment on Ask Tildes: Job security - does it exist, how to deal with lack of, how to process being fired / unemployment in ~life
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Comment on Donald Trump won’t rule out deploying US troops to support rebuilding Gaza, sees ‘long-term’ US ownership in ~society
Fiachra I can imagine him believing he was conquering a foreign country by making Puerto Rico a state.I can imagine him believing he was conquering a foreign country by making Puerto Rico a state.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
Fiachra I've been interested in learning basic strategy for Blackjack, and found that all the existing apps for it seem to be essentially just flashcard apps. None that I found seem to actually implement...I've been interested in learning basic strategy for Blackjack, and found that all the existing apps for it seem to be essentially just flashcard apps. None that I found seem to actually implement games of blackjack and just tell you when you pick a non-optimal move. So I whipped up a little in-browser javascript game with my own stylised card designs. Puts a big annoying red X on screen if you go against strategy to make sure I remember every wrong move I make. Even has (in progress) settings to toggle doubling after splits and if the dealer hits on a soft 17, things that actually effect the basic strategy table in a few situations. I'm not likely to start actually gambling so I'm happy to report it's a fun little thing to pick up and put down.
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Comment on Man convicted for drunk-driving a drone in what is thought to be the first case of its kind in Sweden in ~transport
Fiachra The article doesn't say if the drone was large enough to be dangerous to bystanders, which I expected to be the deciding factor for me, but does mention that it was flown in a no-fly zone. I think...The article doesn't say if the drone was large enough to be dangerous to bystanders, which I expected to be the deciding factor for me, but does mention that it was flown in a no-fly zone. I think that's plenty of reason to fine this guy: not only were you violating a no-fly zone, but you can't even claim you were doing so in a cautious enough manner to neutralise whatever risk motivated the zone in the first place.
As to the amount, I don't think it's equivalent in danger to driving drunk but the difficulty of enforcing laws on drones make it inevitable that they make an example of someone when they do catch them out. They're not like cars or motorbikes that can be easily spotted leaving the scene, so deterrent is more important.
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Comment on Should leftists in the US be armed? in ~society
Fiachra Okay, I'm not American and don't have any real understanding of US gun culture. But. All I'm saying is, I'm told that the Black Panthers open-carrying is what motivated a lot of gun control laws...Okay, I'm not American and don't have any real understanding of US gun culture. But. All I'm saying is, I'm told that the Black Panthers open-carrying is what motivated a lot of gun control laws back then. So if you want gun control, and mass shootings clearly aren't motivating any change, maybe tankies with guns is worth a try...
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Comment on What are some accidental life hacks you've stumbled into? in ~talk
Fiachra I avoid having millions of tabs open on my phone browser by using incognito mode every time I have to google something. That 'close incognito tabs' reminder button that pops up keeps my browser...I avoid having millions of tabs open on my phone browser by using incognito mode every time I have to google something. That 'close incognito tabs' reminder button that pops up keeps my browser situation spick and span.
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Comment on Used iPhones that have TikTok app installed sell for $14k on eBay in ~tech
Fiachra Yeah I was going to say... if I get an apk and a few used smartphones could I earn a few bob from this?Yeah I was going to say... if I get an apk and a few used smartphones could I earn a few bob from this?
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Comment on Honey did nothing wrong in ~tech
Fiachra You're gonna have to look at similar case law to understand what legal principles apply and what constitutes an unlawful practice in this context. It might well challenge some of the assumptions...You're gonna have to look at similar case law to understand what legal principles apply and what constitutes an unlawful practice in this context. It might well challenge some of the assumptions you've made here.
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Comment on How nine popular YouTubers helped US President Donald Trump win a second term in ~society
Fiachra The lesson I'm taking from this is we need to be more aggressive. If there was any meaningful opposition to their bullshit, everyone in the world would be laughing at the clowns that whine "free...The lesson I'm taking from this is we need to be more aggressive. If there was any meaningful opposition to their bullshit, everyone in the world would be laughing at the clowns that whine "free speech" at criticism while openly calling for suppression of dissent as a "mind virus". We should be advertising that. But nobody wants to play offense.
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Comment on How nine popular YouTubers helped US President Donald Trump win a second term in ~society
Fiachra This isn't wrong but it's frustrating to hear when conservatives the world over are declaring their aim to "eradicate the woke mind virus" and insisting being gay or trans is a social contagion....This isn't wrong but it's frustrating to hear when conservatives the world over are declaring their aim to "eradicate the woke mind virus" and insisting being gay or trans is a social contagion. Or all the fantasies about mass arrest of ""Communists"" or conspiracy theories about whatever political party they don't like being child traffickers.
What is that if not insulting to everyone they disagree with, to the point of pathologising it? Yet nobody is tutting about the Right's attitude problem.
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Comment on TikTok makes app unavailable for US users ahead of ban in ~tech
Fiachra They've correctly surmised that nobody actually wants to be blamed for taking tiktok down, and drawing as much attention as possible puts pressure on legislators to undo it somehow. When (not if)...They've correctly surmised that nobody actually wants to be blamed for taking tiktok down, and drawing as much attention as possible puts pressure on legislators to undo it somehow. When (not if) it works, they will have successfully navigated the situation without being taken down or made to divest.
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Comment on TikTok makes app unavailable for US users ahead of ban in ~tech
Fiachra It's like holding a vote to specifically send Jeffrey Dahmer to prison without making the things he did illegal.- Exemplary
It's like holding a vote to specifically send Jeffrey Dahmer to prison without making the things he did illegal.
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Comment on ADHDers, how do you speed-up, bypass, or otherwise eliminate the "ramp-up" period required for big tasks? in ~health.mental
Fiachra If I can't be sure I'll have the time to finish something, I do my best to "lock in progress". That means leaving it in a state where I can resume later without redoing any work. Obviously the...If I can't be sure I'll have the time to finish something, I do my best to "lock in progress". That means leaving it in a state where I can resume later without redoing any work. Obviously the "ramping up" and reminding myself what to do etc. is part of the work, so I also do my best to leave the task in a way that it's extremely visible and obvious what needs to be done next, sometimes including a literal note to myself or a partially completed to-do list.
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Comment on Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news in ~news
Fiachra A guy in Paris named Thiberville leaves his fortune to Thiberville under the care of it's mayor, Guy Paris. I've got the headline: Thiberville, Paris Guy, bequeathes fortune to Thiberville, Guy ParisA guy in Paris named Thiberville leaves his fortune to Thiberville under the care of it's mayor, Guy Paris. I've got the headline:
Thiberville, Paris Guy, bequeathes fortune to Thiberville, Guy Paris
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Comment on It's time to abandon the cargo cult metaphor in ~science
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Comment on Your favorite game OSTs in ~games
Fiachra My head goes to games I've played recently, so Casette Beasts and Ultrakill. Both are full of bangers.My head goes to games I've played recently, so Casette Beasts and Ultrakill. Both are full of bangers.
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Comment on Honey did nothing wrong in ~tech
Fiachra I think you're getting lost in the weeds here. If instead of hijackng referral links without the user's knowledge, it did some other form of harm without their knowledge, for example, posting...If what Honey does inside of a user's browser is exclusively between the user and Honey
I think you're getting lost in the weeds here. If instead of hijackng referral links without the user's knowledge, it did some other form of harm without their knowledge, for example, posting defamatory opinions about you, @PendingKetchup, on social media. All 17 million browsers with the Honey extension posting leading questions about @PendingKetchup. Would you be able to sue Honey for defamation for deliberately orchestrating a mass campaign to smear you, or would that be "exclusively between the user and Honey" and therefore all harm caused to you would be lawful? Would your suing them be "dangerous" to users' freedom to post their opinions?
Why wouldn't all the harm caused to them be lawful?
Because it's harm and it's not allowed by law. Why would that be different if you use a network of browsers to do it? By your logic, it would be perfectly legal to create botnets of infected PCs participating in DDOS attacks. After all, each individual machine in the botnet is just loading a web page repeatedly, which a user can choose to do if they like.
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Comment on Honey did nothing wrong in ~tech
Fiachra Honey's scam is getting a disproportionate amount of attention because they had the poor judgement to screw over a large number of big YouTubers, and I can see why that annoys some people, but...Honey's scam is getting a disproportionate amount of attention because they had the poor judgement to screw over a large number of big YouTubers, and I can see why that annoys some people, but it's important not to overcorrect to the point that you're endorsing brazenly unethical business practices by a huge corporation like PayPal.
I think the motivated nature of your reasoning shows in your conclusion:
If we admit some right to control the user's browser's behavior on the part of affiliate marketers
This is not a sensible conclusion. The case is alleging that the browser extension is doing unlawful harm. Suing the creators is not "controlling the user's browser" any more than shutting down a botnet would be. The user's ability to redirect links if they choose is unaffected.
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Comment on Is it just me or has advertising lost the plot entirely? in ~life
Fiachra David Graeber's book Bullshit Jobs defines five key types of useless job. You're describing the second type: "Goons, who act to harm or deceive others on behalf of their employer, or to prevent...David Graeber's book Bullshit Jobs defines five key types of useless job. You're describing the second type: "Goons, who act to harm or deceive others on behalf of their employer, or to prevent other goons from doing so,"
They do things for which there is no public demand, but they go out in the world to create it by manipulation, coercion etc. (marketing, sales and so on) or the demand is created by the fear of them working for someone else (eg: corporate lawyer: if my competitor has one, I better have one just in case).
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Comment on While a potential US acquisition of Greenland looks unlikely there are compelling reasons why this would be of benefit to the West's security in ~society
Fiachra Controlling mainland China would be a much larger strategic advantage for the US, why don't they try asking nicely?Controlling mainland China would be a much larger strategic advantage for the US, why don't they try asking nicely?
My sister works in law here in Ireland, and has said that it's very hard to make US-based business leaders she deals with understand that "oh we'll just cut that division and everyone in it" is not a viable plan because you wind up paying a lot of severance if you're allowed do it at all.
What gets me is that even within American culture where it's normalised it's seen as shockingly demeaning. Just another place where the pressure is building I suppose.