Happy_Shredder's recent activity

  3. Comment on Half-Life: Alyx in ~games

    Happy_Shredder
    Link
    Looks cool. I'm disappointed it's VR; I'm yet to try any VR tech that doesn't look like shit.

    Looks cool. I'm disappointed it's VR; I'm yet to try any VR tech that doesn't look like shit.

    1 vote

  4. Comment on Would you pay for social media platforms and search engines if it meant they would not have any advertising or data collection? in ~talk

    Happy_Shredder
    Link Parent
    Maybe. I'd like to argue that any site which demands constant personal posts with positive feedback from users will have the same problems.

    Maybe. I'd like to argue that any site which demands constant personal posts with positive feedback from users will have the same problems.

  5. Comment on Would you pay for social media platforms and search engines if it meant they would not have any advertising or data collection? in ~talk

    Happy_Shredder
    Link Parent
    Sure. I draw a line based on the following principle: in social media the focus is on the interactions between users; in fora or link aggregators the focus is on content. Of course the line can be...

    Sure. I draw a line based on the following principle: in social media the focus is on the interactions between users; in fora or link aggregators the focus is on content. Of course the line can be a bit blurred, but I'd like to argue it's still useful, and my above complaints really only concern FB and similar.

    3 votes

  6. Comment on Would you pay for social media platforms and search engines if it meant they would not have any advertising or data collection? in ~talk

    Happy_Shredder
    Link
    No. Social media isn't problematic just became of privacy/ads etc, it's problematic because it's unhealthy. I don't need the pressure to present the best story of myself, to constantly compare my...

    No. Social media isn't problematic just became of privacy/ads etc, it's problematic because it's unhealthy. I don't need the pressure to present the best story of myself, to constantly compare my life to other people. I don't need constant Skinner box reinforcement.

    I much prefer fora like here, or IM.

    Search engines... Maybe. Paying could provide a perverse incentive.

    27 votes

  8. Comment on This Video Is Sponsored By ███ VPN in ~tech

    Happy_Shredder
    Link
    Yeah the privacy aspect is pretty huge. My government tracks every website I visit, how long I visit, and how often (plus similarly for calls and texts) [1]. Law enforcement has warrantless access...

    Yeah the privacy aspect is pretty huge. My government tracks every website I visit, how long I visit, and how often (plus similarly for calls and texts) [1]. Law enforcement has warrantless access to this data. It's not clear who else has access to this data.

    I don't see much choice outside of tor or vpn+dnscrypt [2].

    [1] Technically, telecom record this metadata for several years and must make it easily accessible.
    [2] Yes, these push surveillance into unknown third parties. But in either case the data can be untied from my real identity because they are international, associated with a large volume of users, and vpn can be bought with bitcoin.

    4 votes

  9. Comment on 'The perfect combination of art and science': mourning the end of paper maps in ~design

    Happy_Shredder
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Parks Victoria, for example, still produce paper/printable maps of state forests. These naturally include tracks and campgrounds, points of interest, and so on. Here, as in Appalachia, it's very...

    Parks Victoria, for example, still produce paper/printable maps of state forests. These naturally include tracks and campgrounds, points of interest, and so on. Here, as in Appalachia, it's very easy to go beyond cooee of help [1].

    Many of these details are also reproduced on OpenStreetMaps.

    That said, Geoscience Aus maps are really valuable; the topography is signigficant,and they cover truly remote areas. So it's certainly sad to see these maps disappear.

    [1] It's only been in the past year or so that I've been able to get phone signal the whole train trip to my parents, who aren't remote by any measure.

    3 votes

  12. Comment on Should I Get Into Gentoo? (x-post from /r/Gentoo) in ~comp

    Happy_Shredder
    Link Parent
    You can make *too as minimal as you'd like. The big difference is ego and epro, which managing overall system configuration. It's a little hard to explain what makes them better; essentially they...

    You can make *too as minimal as you'd like.

    The big difference is ego and epro, which managing overall system configuration. It's a little hard to explain what makes them better; essentially they replace some cumbersome configuration files and scripts used in Gentoo.

    There's a few other things here and there e.g. Binary kernels, better grub configuration, git by default for updating repos (rather than rsync).

    technically epro is part of ego; see wiki

    1 vote

  13. Comment on Please recommend me a Linux distribution that is super-stable and never make me install again, but at the same time allows me to have some newer packages with ease (xpost /r/FindMeADistro) in ~comp

    Happy_Shredder
    Link Parent
    Yep, it's still alive! There was even a big update a couple of weeks ago.

    Yep, it's still alive! There was even a big update a couple of weeks ago.

  14. Comment on Should I Get Into Gentoo? (x-post from /r/Gentoo) in ~comp

    Happy_Shredder
    Link
    Actually, I just posted a comment about this yesterday, but yes, go for it. I would actually recommend Funtoo over Gentoo. Also, it's worth setting up binary packages from the go, to save time if...

    Actually, I just posted a comment about this yesterday, but yes, go for it. I would actually recommend Funtoo over Gentoo. Also, it's worth setting up binary packages from the go, to save time if you need to reinstall.

    I think it's really easy to setup. I've never had an install fail; I've only ever broken things down the road by doing something silly.

    Performance gain may be measurable but is insignificant. The advantage is in customisability. Do give yourself time to compile everything. Your first stop for help should be man pages or official Wikis, both of which are excellent.

    Oh, and have fun!

    1 vote

  15. Comment on Please recommend me a Linux distribution that is super-stable and never make me install again, but at the same time allows me to have some newer packages with ease (xpost /r/FindMeADistro) in ~comp

    Happy_Shredder
    Link
    I run Funtoo. I think it's great. There are a few tweaks on top of Gentoo that make maintenance a little easier. It's kinda somewhere between versioned and rolling: there are big updates...

    I run Funtoo. I think it's great. There are a few tweaks on top of Gentoo that make maintenance a little easier. It's kinda somewhere between versioned and rolling: there are big updates occasionally, but updating libraries and packages is looser. I maintain my own overlay (think apt repo) for packages a bit too outdated in the main repo.

    It is a bit of work to maintain, but it grants extraordinary customizability, and a systemd free distro (this is important to me). Maintenance is mostly time rather than difficulty; the system tools (e.g. Init, ebuild) are generally excellent, as is the documentation. It's a real hackers distro.

    2 votes

  16. Comment on Google Claims ‘Quantum Supremacy,’ Marking a Major Milestone in Computing in ~comp

    Happy_Shredder
    Link Parent
    Sure that's fair. I agree that this paper looks convincing and is significant; I look forward to seeing more realistic protocols (e.g. for a spin chain or something) thrown at this chip. I just...

    Sure that's fair. I agree that this paper looks convincing and is significant; I look forward to seeing more realistic protocols (e.g. for a spin chain or something) thrown at this chip. I just think that it's important to point out that 53 qubits isn't a lot and smashing crypto is still distant.

    4 votes

  17. Comment on Google Claims ‘Quantum Supremacy,’ Marking a Major Milestone in Computing in ~comp

    Happy_Shredder
    (edited )
    Link
    Paper here (pdf & technical warning). And you can read about the protocol here (pdf & technical warning). Big claim. Not sure I believe it, but at first glance seems plausible. Edit: actually just...

    Paper here (pdf & technical warning). And you can read about the protocol here (pdf & technical warning).

    Big claim. Not sure I believe it, but at first glance seems plausible.

    Edit: actually just as a brief note, this is a bit artificial. No-one's breaking your SSH keys anytime soon.

    12 votes

  18. Comment on What's Your Cloud/Syncing Setup for Files, Pics, Mail, Bookmarks, etc? in ~tech

    Happy_Shredder
    Link
    I have a server under my desk running (among other things) Nextcloud which all my devices sync to. Disks are encrypted and extra sensitive stuff is gpg encrypted. I use the bookmarks plugin (plus...

    I have a server under my desk running (among other things) Nextcloud which all my devices sync to. Disks are encrypted and extra sensitive stuff is gpg encrypted. I use the bookmarks plugin (plus rss and a few others); it also syncs contacts, calendar and photos on my phone. I'm very happy with it. Minimal sysadmin effort is required to keep everything running.

    I also do manual offline backups using backintime. Nextcloud is not a backup; it is synchronisation.