Gidbinn's recent activity

  1. Comment on Programming Challenge: creative FizzBuzz in ~comp

    Gidbinn
    Link
    Fizzbuzz in css using 3 nth-child selectors and pseudo-elements: https://jsfiddle.net/wjbosrxv/

    Fizzbuzz in css using 3 nth-child selectors and pseudo-elements:
    https://jsfiddle.net/wjbosrxv/

    2 votes

  2. Comment on What have you been playing, and what do you think of it? in ~games

    Gidbinn
    Link
    I decided to play Anachronox, which is an offbeat RPG directed by Tom Hall (better known for Commander Keen). That game was way ahead of its time. It fits right in with modern weird RPGs like OFF,...

    I decided to play Anachronox, which is an offbeat RPG directed by Tom Hall (better known for Commander Keen).

    That game was way ahead of its time. It fits right in with modern weird RPGs like OFF, Space Funeral, Undertale etc. There's a 15-minute mandatory quest to find a dirty sock. One of the party members can immobilize enemies by launching into long, boring old man rants. In order to learn new abilities, you have to pay $50 to pray inside a hemetically-sealed cube ('remember: money is transient, your salvation is eternal!'). It's also got high-quality art direction and a surprisingly richly-drawn world. If it had come out a few years ago, people would have regarded it as 'janky, but good'.

    In many ways, it's a great counterpoint to Deus Ex - totally different in design, but alike in style and tone. I would recommend it.

    5 votes

  3. Comment on Dune (1984) review in ~movies

    Gidbinn
    Link
    I loved how David Lynch's Dune movie looked and sounded. The costumes, creatures, miniatures etc were all absolutely spot on. If you want to watch a really dumb sci-fi movie with a flying fat man...

    I loved how David Lynch's Dune movie looked and sounded. The costumes, creatures, miniatures etc were all absolutely spot on. If you want to watch a really dumb sci-fi movie with a flying fat man and magic words that kill people, this is your movie.

    The studio-mandated changes were obviously to try and turn Dune into a slightly more lighthearted and accessible sci-fi movie, as was the style at the time. I don't resent that. However, Dune is about two things: ecology and religion, and the ending managed to snub both of them at once. Not only do we no longer get the morally ambiguous morality and depiction of Paul and his religious war, but it fucking rains for no reason. Even asides from the fact that there's no reason to believe that's even possible, it totally destroys the potential for any sequels (not that there were ever going to be any, but you'd think the studio would want to leave the possibility open).

    I really do love the costumes, sets and creatures from this movie. There's a new Dune on the horizon, and I think Denis Villeneuve's trademark visual style could risk making the movie pretty boring. This, we end up with two Dune movies, one pretty and dumb, the other clever and boring. Pick your poison.

    1 vote

  4. Comment on Anyone else here into chiptunes? in ~music

    Gidbinn
    Link
    4mat is probably favourite. I think the genre as a whole can be kind of derivative, but 4mat never fails to make something weird and new and exciting. Make sure to check out Nadir, Decades and...

    4mat is probably favourite. I think the genre as a whole can be kind of derivative, but 4mat never fails to make something weird and new and exciting. Make sure to check out Nadir, Decades and Sans Titre in particular, although it's all good.

    1 vote

  5. Comment on Will automation affect society positively or negatively? in ~talk

    Gidbinn
    Link Parent
    The thing is, the pattern of automation you described has already happened (industrialisation, production lines etc). Each time it happened, we created more work ('busywork') and increased...

    The thing is, the pattern of automation you described has already happened (industrialisation, production lines etc). Each time it happened, we created more work ('busywork') and increased consumption. There was a time when 'futurologists' thought we'd all be working 3-day weeks or living lives of leisure, with robot slaves doing all the work. But every time we've had the opportunity to do so, we've reacted in a way that allows us to keep on working instead.

    The next wave of automation will create a similar problem. In the most boring possible world, we'd find some way to delay it. If we can't do that, we need a system that will allow obsolete people to keep living. Because what's the alternative? Where will the obsolete people go? Will they be left to starve? More importantly, would our reaction to this crises set a precedent for future automation crises?

    3 votes

  6. Comment on I just started watching The Expanse in ~tv

    Gidbinn
    Link
    I recommend The Expanse to pretty much everyone who likes good sci-fi, but the first 2-3 episodes are really awkward and not representative of the show's quality, in my opinion. I hope it gets...

    I recommend The Expanse to pretty much everyone who likes good sci-fi, but the first 2-3 episodes are really awkward and not representative of the show's quality, in my opinion.

    I hope it gets picked up again after season 4. I think it will struggle with the networks, because it's not the kind of show with immediate ratings success, it's a slow-burner with a very long tail.

    5 votes

  7. Comment on What's the best-written software (open-source or otherwise) you've used or otherwise interacted with? in ~comp

    Gidbinn
    Link Parent
    I'm not generally a big fan of OOP, but it makes a hell of a lot of sense for MD. Is LAMMPS nice to use or is it just nice to write modules for?

    I'm not generally a big fan of OOP, but it makes a hell of a lot of sense for MD. Is LAMMPS nice to use or is it just nice to write modules for?

    2 votes

  8. Comment on Microsoft has been talking to GitHub about possible acquisition in ~comp

    Gidbinn
    Link Parent
    BitBucket is also very nice. GitHub's main draw is the large userbase and social features, to be honest. The site functionality isn't lacking, but it's not nearly as cutting-edge as it once was.

    BitBucket is also very nice. GitHub's main draw is the large userbase and social features, to be honest. The site functionality isn't lacking, but it's not nearly as cutting-edge as it once was.

    5 votes

  9. Comment on What is Tildes' position on official company representatives? in ~tildes

    Gidbinn
    Link Parent
    I don't have any problem with self-promotion if it's something that the person has made and is giving away for free (e.g. hey folks I made this \art\music\software etc). However, most internet...

    I don't have any problem with self-promotion if it's something that the person has made and is giving away for free (e.g. hey folks I made this \art\music\software etc). However, most internet marketing companies view link aggregators as free marketing. They will try to game this site by any means necessary. I would rather not see any reps on here, official or otherwise. I certainly wouldn't want to see any company representatives moderating groups on here.

    4 votes

  10. Comment on Let's talk podcasts. What are some that you like and why? in ~talk

    Gidbinn
    Link
    I will give a shout out to The Guardian Long Read. Podcast versions of longform articles, mostly politics, science and culture. For the most part, they shy away from the kind of stuff that...

    I will give a shout out to The Guardian Long Read. Podcast versions of longform articles, mostly politics, science and culture. For the most part, they shy away from the kind of stuff that occupies the 24 hour news cycle, and instead focus on topics which are interesting and slightly more obscure. They are free and downloadable via RSS as long as you don't mind an irritating mattress advert at the start of each episode.