Grendel's recent activity
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Comment on I'm struggling with a potential ethical violation at work; feedback needed in ~talk
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Comment on What is your philosophy on photography? in ~arts
Grendel Link ParentI almost forgot, what medium format camera do you use?I almost forgot, what medium format camera do you use?
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Comment on What is your philosophy on photography? in ~arts
Grendel Link ParentThat sounds awesome! It's amazing what you will find in second hand shops. So I kind of started that way. My first time with a camera was a disposable one during vacation. After that I had a...That sounds awesome! It's amazing what you will find in second hand shops.
So I kind of started that way. My first time with a camera was a disposable one during vacation. After that I had a crappy digital from about 10-13, but it was about 3 megapixels and was mostly just playing around.
In high school I wanted to get seriously into it with a good camera. There was no way I or my family could afford a DSLR, but my grandfather passed down a Minolta SLR from the 70's. This was after the digital explosion but before the hip film revolution, so most film was cheap and on clearance.
It's what what taught me to go beyond point and shoot. It didn't have an auto mode, so while the learning curve was steep it paid off for sure. I couldn't just take 600 pictures and hope a few were good. Of course I used digital when shooting professionally, but my heart never left film.
All of this accelerated after I built a dark room. The joy of manually printing your negatives on photo paper is indescribable. Seeing the image magically appear on the paper never gets old. 😊
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Comment on What is your philosophy on photography? in ~arts
Grendel Link ParentIt's great to see a fellow analog photographer here 😊 What formats do you shoot? Do you darkroom print? I'm just getting into 4x5 and I've only got about a years worth of experience in the darkroom.It's great to see a fellow analog photographer here 😊
What formats do you shoot? Do you darkroom print? I'm just getting into 4x5 and I've only got about a years worth of experience in the darkroom.
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Comment on I'm struggling with a potential ethical violation at work; feedback needed in ~talk
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Comment on I'm struggling with a potential ethical violation at work; feedback needed in ~talk
Grendel Link ParentI have a rule to never donate to any PAC. I don't like the lobbying system in general, as it just makes corruption so much easier. I can see that this PAC has donated to a wide range of both...I have a rule to never donate to any PAC. I don't like the lobbying system in general, as it just makes corruption so much easier. I can see that this PAC has donated to a wide range of both republican and democratic congress people.
What's funny is that my company and the members are almost 100% super conservative, and if they knew that the PAC gave 10k to Pelosi they would lose their minds.
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Comment on I'm struggling with a potential ethical violation at work; feedback needed in ~talk
Grendel Link ParentThe company has a salary info about every position within the company and is available to everyone. I could probably try to do some cross-referencing and see if any trends appear.The company has a salary info about every position within the company and is available to everyone. I could probably try to do some cross-referencing and see if any trends appear.
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Comment on I'm struggling with a potential ethical violation at work; feedback needed in ~talk
Grendel Link ParentThanks! I don't see anything regarding letting employees know that the info is public, but it's great to know the info on who can and can't donate. I think at this point a lawyer is over the top,...Thanks! I don't see anything regarding letting employees know that the info is public, but it's great to know the info on who can and can't donate. I think at this point a lawyer is over the top, but I'll be paying attention next year to see if they repeat the same misinformation while knowing the truth. If so, that would be worse and would especially merit some kind of action.
Right now it's just a mistake they didn't bother to correct, which is wrong, but also understandable to most people.
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Comment on What is your philosophy on photography? in ~arts
Grendel (edited )Link@cfabbro thanks for the ping! I've shot professionally in the past but now I'm strictly shooting for enjoyment. I used to shoot for fun and didn't really care about the results, but since I built...@cfabbro thanks for the ping!
I've shot professionally in the past but now I'm strictly shooting for enjoyment. I used to shoot for fun and didn't really care about the results, but since I built my darkroom (I shoot analog exclusively now) it's gone from a casual hobby to an intense passion. I still have fun with it for sure, but I now see it as a craft to be mastered and I've started investing a lot of time and energy into doing my best to master it (no one ever really get's there).
I started a book recently about a method called the Zone System. It's pretty specific to film, but the first few chapters did cover philosophy. These are a few things that I took away from it.
It's not about taking a photo, it's about creating a picture
Photographs aren't a perfect representation of reality
We tend to think that photos are a direct representation of reality, that it's a perfect record of what was. This isn't the case. I'm not referring to crazy manipulation via photoshop, I mean simply taking a picture in and of itself is different from reality. Cameras do not perfectly mimic what the human eye sees. Sometimes the goal (such as during an investigation) is to get as close to reality as we can. When shooting for art though it's important to get away from that mentality. That doesn't mean you have to make crazy edits (though that's totally acceptable), just an awareness that this is closer to an artist making a painting than we might think.
Pre-visualization
Because I used to go for reality, I really only thought about using camera settings that would achieve that. This book talked about pre-visualization. How do YOU want the photo to look? Maybe the reality is a happy theme, but our photo doesn't have to replicate that. Maybe I want something sad and evocative, and regardless of the "obvious" or "real" theme, I can choose to try and create that. The best way to practice this is by pre-visualizing the photo. I'd encourage you to turn your camera completely off, and when you see something you'd like to photograph pre-visualize the photo before looking through the lens. This is especially important when using a camera that shows a live feed on a screen of what the image will look like. Don't look at that, look at the scene. Think about what different exposure settings would look like. What parts should look dark and what should look bright? Think about the framing and composition. How do you want the photo to flow? Where do you want the viewer's focus to fall? Think about the depth of field. Close your eyes and actually try to see the picture you want in your head. Then turn on the camera and take the picture. Ignore what the camera shows you on the screen after taking the picture. A photo isn't done until it's edited in its final form. This applies to film as well. Once you have gone home and edited the photo, see if it matches what you visualized.
Does it give the vibe you were going for? Is the lighting the way you wanted it? Does the composition flow the way you intended it to? The more you practice this, the better you will get at taking the photo that you really want to take.
Less is more
I used to try and get the most pictures for my money when I switched to film. Slowly I moved away from the "shoot first ask questions later" mentality. I got to the point where I could go on a photo walk for hours and not finish a roll of 24 pictures. Then I moved to medium format film and struggled to finish a roll of 12 pictures. At this point, I shoot in large format, and I average one picture for every hour I'm out shooting (sometimes less). I'm not saying you should go to this extreme, but there is value in a little self-discipline. It ties into pre-visualization. If I'm only taking a few shots, I want to really think about them a lot. It's also less overwhelming to sort through after the shoot. I've read photographers that talk about taking 500+ pictures in a couple of hours' time, then they never edit them (or really look at them) after because it's an overwhelming amount of pictures to sort through. Also, the pictures matter a lot more to me when I'm only taking a few. They are more important and I feel much more invested and connected to them.
Sorry for going on for so long. I hope this helps out, but it's also important to develop a philosophy that works for you. Take little bits from different places and build your own purpose for looking through the lens :)
Resources
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- I picked this up from a yard sale. It's all good stuff, But Chapter 9 is especially helpful. I think it was used for a photography 101 college course. It is an excellent book. I've been shooting 10+ years and I still go back to it every so often. You're never too experienced to review fundamentals.
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- Unless you are shooting a large format film, only selected parts of the first chapter will be helpful. Ignore the technicals in this chapter and read over the philosophical aspects that it goes over. Doesn't take too long to read and is totally worth it, especially since it gives some awesome examples of how different the same photo can look when shot differently
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Reddit Community: Photo Critique
- This is a very kind and open community to get feedback on your photos. It's well moderated and the feedback has always been constructive in my experience. You may even see my username from time to time ;)
If you ever have any questions about photography or would like some feedback, feel free to DM me any time. If you ever try film, definitely reach out as this is an area I can be especially helpful in. Good luck on your journey, and make sure to enjoy the ride :)
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Comment on I'm struggling with a potential ethical violation at work; feedback needed in ~talk
Grendel Link ParentIt's funny you mention that. The donation data goes back 10 years, and promotions are always announced on the company newsletter/intranet site. I guess I could do some digging and see if any...It's funny you mention that. The donation data goes back 10 years, and promotions are always announced on the company newsletter/intranet site.
I guess I could do some digging and see if any trends appear.
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Comment on I'm struggling with a potential ethical violation at work; feedback needed in ~talk
Grendel Link ParentI've definitely considered that, and that's why I asked others how much they'd be willing to risk on this. I'm willing to stand up for what's right and risk repercussions for it, but it does need...I've definitely considered that, and that's why I asked others how much they'd be willing to risk on this. I'm willing to stand up for what's right and risk repercussions for it, but it does need to be something that's actually "worth it" so to speak.
I've learned that doing things because of principle rather than impact (e.g. spending an hour fighting a $5 dollar charge you didn't make) can often be driven by pride
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Comment on I'm struggling with a potential ethical violation at work; feedback needed in ~talk
Grendel Link ParentDo you think it's significant enough for any news outlet to actually be interested in it? There's nothing that's actually illegal about it, more that they made a mistake they didn't bother to...Do you think it's significant enough for any news outlet to actually be interested in it? There's nothing that's actually illegal about it, more that they made a mistake they didn't bother to correct. Sadly, since I'm the one who brought it to management I'd be a pretty big target if the news was contacted. Even if someone else in my division does it after the correction is sent out I'll likely be the first person looked at :(
I certainly don't want to lose my job over it, since it's not causing physical/financial harm to anyone, and doesn't affect anyone outside of the company.
I am especially interested in what will be communicated during next year's campaign, as that would be much more intentional.
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I'm struggling with a potential ethical violation at work; feedback needed
I have a work-related ethics question, and I thought the fine people here on tildes were perfect to give feedback. I'll try to be brief but still give all of the information. Background I work for...
I have a work-related ethics question, and I thought the fine people here on tildes were perfect to give feedback. I'll try to be brief but still give all of the information.
Background
I work for an energy utility. This company isn't a charity, but it is a non-profit. We are owned by the people who buy power from us (called "members"). We don't profit off of the electricity we sell to our members, but we do generate extra electricity to sell to other utilities (mostly to for-profit ones). Any profit we make is either set aside for future use or is sent out to the members as a check. Yes, our members actually get a check each year. This cooperative was built to serve rural communities since at that point in history profit-driven companies weren't willing to spend the money to run electricity to these communities. We cover 90% (geographically) of our state, along with portions of a neighboring state. We generate using wind, hydro, solar, coal, and natural gas. I don't remember the exact numbers, but I believe roughly 30%-40% of our generation comes from renewables, and we now have a dedicated team researching nuclear power (SMNR) and energy storage (which would allow us to further shift to renewables).
Context
There is a PAC (an entity that throws money at politicians in exchange for votes) for rural electric cooperatives that we participate in. This PAC can only accept donations from our members or employees. While the stated purpose is to advocate for rural cooperatives in general, I personally think that largely translates into advocating for fossil fuels.
Every year there is a 10-day period in August where they start asking us employees to donate. Anyone can donate at any time, this is just the time that they emphasize it. Leadership has REPEATEDLY emphasized that there is no pressure and that our supervisors can't see who has and hasn't donated. I've been here nearly five years, and they've said this each time. I know that under the previous CEO (he left ~10 years ago) there was pressure to donate, and that's probably why they emphasize this now.
Issue
I've discovered however that the leadership CAN see information on who has donated and how much. PAC donations are public information, and the names and amounts can be easily seen online if you know where to look. I do believe that my division leader didn't know this, though I can't really know whether the other leadership did or didn't. There's no way to know if any supervisors have looked at this data or made decisions on it. After I brought it up to my division leader he thanked me and said he will send this new information out to our division.
However, communicating this to the rest of the company is beyond his control. He's alerted the people who can do this but what they do is up to them. While my division doesn't really care who donates, I get the impression that other divisions feel differently. IT has a profoundly different culture than the rest of the company. Senior leaders say there's no pressure, but that's not neciserily the case for supervisors and managers. It's been implied to me that the teams that work in power production, transmission planning, etc still have expectations about donations.
What to do?
So here's the core ethics question: Is it unethical for senior leadership to withhold this new information about the visibility of donations from the rest of the company? The assurance of anonymity was intended to reassure us that there would be no retaliation for those who don't donate and that there would be no favoritism for those who do.
Is this just a small thing that's not really important? If this is an issue, how significant is it? It's obviously not "dumping toxic waste in the river" bad, but it still feels like it must have some level (or potential level) of impact. If this is an issue, what actions would you personally take? How much would you be willing to risk taking action on this?
Thanks in advance, I just want to do the right thing.
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Comment on GitLab plans to delete dormant projects in free accounts in ~comp
Grendel Link ParentI was thinking it could raise issues on ALL of the dormant projects, not just ones that I own.I was thinking it could raise issues on ALL of the dormant projects, not just ones that I own.
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Comment on GitLab plans to delete dormant projects in free accounts in ~comp
Grendel LinkSounds like someone needs to write a bot that submits an issue on each of the dormant repos.Sounds like someone needs to write a bot that submits an issue on each of the dormant repos.
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Comment on Denmark's controversial family policy sees many Danish parents fleeing to nearby countries, especially to the German border city of Flensburg in ~life
Grendel Link ParentI'm kind of speechless here. Both Denmark and the United State of Missouri have 5.9 million people. Your data said that in a 5 year span 58 kids were forcefully adopted. Missouri had 1,300 last...I'm kind of speechless here. Both Denmark and the United State of Missouri have 5.9 million people. Your data said that in a 5 year span 58 kids were forcefully adopted.
Missouri had 1,300 last year alone.
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Comment on Denmark's controversial family policy sees many Danish parents fleeing to nearby countries, especially to the German border city of Flensburg in ~life
Grendel Link ParentCan you give me some context on this? Are you from Denmark or familiar with their policy? I do agree that the video does not give enough information to really know what's going on. It doesn't...Can you give me some context on this? Are you from Denmark or familiar with their policy?
I do agree that the video does not give enough information to really know what's going on. It doesn't specify what these policies are, and it doesn't outline the process (other than mentioning appeals, which is usually a last-ditch effort). There were a lot of things implied without information to back it up. The policy of "better to remove early just to be safe" is definitely problematic, but we can't even be sure that's the actual rules.
I have questions. Do they only remove when the child is unsafe, or when they think they can find a "better" home? Do they give the parents resources before removing the child? After the child is removed, do they go straight to adoption or are the parents given a chance to rehabilitate? Do they give the parents a set of goals to achieve to get their kids back? And if so, how long do they have?
Here in the US anyways a child is only to be removed if they are in danger. Usually, that's physical danger, such as abuse or neglect. Technically a child can be removed for emotional abuse but that basically never happens since it's kind of impossible to prove. When the child is removed, they have to give the parents a set of goals to achieve and help them achieve them. The intention is always reunification first.
If after about a year things aren't looking any better for the parents then they can change the plan to Termination of Parental Rights (TPR), after which the child has the chance to be adopted. Usually, they grant extensions after the one-year mark instead.
Now does this actually happen this way? Depends on the county. The policies are set by the Federal and State governments, however, the cases are managed by each county and there is almost NO oversight whatsoever, so the same case can be handled completely differently between one county and another.
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Comment on Phineas and Ferb: Season 1 in ~tv
Grendel LinkI was in early high school when this show came out - definitely older than the intended audience, however, I absolutely loved it! I was all about discovery and experimentation when I was a kid. I...I was in early high school when this show came out - definitely older than the intended audience, however, I absolutely loved it! I was all about discovery and experimentation when I was a kid. I was always trying to build science projects with whatever make-shift salvaged components I could come up with, so the show really resonated with me.
Beyond that, the humor is top-notch! It's funny for adults but not in a way that's inappropriate for children. My own sons now watch it and I hope it inspires them to always try and create things beyond what anyone else says they are capable.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Grendel LinkI recently started playing D&D, and I very recently started DMing my own game. Saturday night was my fourth session, and both the players and I are having a blast! I was pretty nervous about DMing...I recently started playing D&D, and I very recently started DMing my own game. Saturday night was my fourth session, and both the players and I are having a blast!
I was pretty nervous about DMing at first since I barely have experience as a player as it is, but after jumping in I've realized it's a lot of fun. And when you have players that are more about the fun than being strict about every rule it gives a lot of flexibility for more mistakes.
At my last session, a player accidentally ended up in a battle against a MUCH stronger opponent (player is level two, NPC is CR4). I knew he was going to die, and the power disparity between them was too far for me to fudge the numbers. BUT, he managed to roll a 20 on perception check and see a way out.
What was so cool was that at the end of the session you could hear the relief from anxiety in the player's voice as he described how scared he was of dying. It's awesome to see people that are invested in their character and really care about keeping them alive :)
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Comment on The Clear-Site-Data HTTP header in ~comp
Grendel LinkIs this new? I haven't heard of this before, though I don't do much web dev anymore so I'm not really up to date these days. I would assume sites currently handle this via javascript but being...Is this new? I haven't heard of this before, though I don't do much web dev anymore so I'm not really up to date these days.
I would assume sites currently handle this via javascript but being able to just send a header like this would be nice.
Exactly. My real issue here is that they told us it's private and leadership can't see it, and after bringing it up it's not been communicated that what they told us is incorrect