IdiocyInAction's recent activity

  1. Comment on Looking for an RPG that plays like a D&D campaign in ~games

    IdiocyInAction
    Link
    DOS and DOS:2, the classics (Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, Planescape: Torment), PoE 1 & 2. Especially BG, as that was meant to be a PC DnD-like experience.

    DOS and DOS:2, the classics (Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, Planescape: Torment), PoE 1 & 2. Especially BG, as that was meant to be a PC DnD-like experience.

    4 votes

  2. Comment on Do you sometimes get upset about Reddit's petty downvoting? in ~talk

    IdiocyInAction
    Link
    Not really. But I'm really glad that this feature doesn't exist here. I personally think that downvotes don't scale well; they require people that are OK with reading different opinions and that...

    Not really. But I'm really glad that this feature doesn't exist here. I personally think that downvotes don't scale well; they require people that are OK with reading different opinions and that is quite rare and requires some degree of charity within the community; this doesn't happen when a website has 1000000+ users.

    1 vote

  3. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech

    IdiocyInAction
    Link
    I read somewhere that even before the advent of 3D printing, you could, with enough dedication, make a rather effective single-use firearm at home. So I never really saw the threat with 3D printers.

    I read somewhere that even before the advent of 3D printing, you could, with enough dedication, make a rather effective single-use firearm at home. So I never really saw the threat with 3D printers.

    4 votes

  4. Comment on Ethics questions arise as genetic testing of embryos increases in ~science

    IdiocyInAction
    Link Parent
    I know about Singer and he came to my mind too. Infanticide for genetic reasons is actually somewhat common in tribal and early-state societies (if you want to appreciate civilization a bit more,...

    I know about Singer and he came to my mind too. Infanticide for genetic reasons is actually somewhat common in tribal and early-state societies (if you want to appreciate civilization a bit more, read about all the cruel stuff non-state socities used to get up to/still get up to), though that is probably not a moral/utilitarian, but individual survival type of decision. I personally find it really hard to even think about deliberately killing any person for those reasons, a lot of bad history comes to my mind there, even though Singer has some very well thought-out positions.

    The thing about homosexuality is difficult. I would never select based on that, but should it be allowed at all? I don't think gayness is a defect; studies seem to suggest homosexuals live fullfilling, good lives in liberalized western countries.

    4 votes

  5. Comment on Ethics questions arise as genetic testing of embryos increases in ~science

    IdiocyInAction
    (edited )
    Link
    This is certainly a divisive topic; my opinion is that this is probably justified for congenital diseases though. Why? Because it ultimately reduces suffering, at a relatively little cost. I have...

    This is certainly a divisive topic; my opinion is that this is probably justified for congenital diseases though.

    Why? Because it ultimately reduces suffering, at a relatively little cost. I have seen firsthand someone with who died from a congenital rare neurodegenerative disease and it was a horrible experience, especially for the person who had the disease. Why is it unethical to not implant an egg? Hell, I will never have children due to my genetic history. Life is tough enough, even without a handicap.

    I don't quite know how I stand on stuff like choosing genders, or, hypothetically, stuff like sexual orientantion, if that was genetic, or even stuff like height or IQ-correlated genes. That is a far harder question to answer, because one could hypothetically arrive at a situation where one could buy a better genetic endowment for their kids, exacerbating the already huge chasm between the poor and rich.

    13 votes

  6. Comment on Besides some of the good things like game compatibility and enterprise, what are some things you like about Windows 10? in ~tech

    IdiocyInAction
    Link
    Aside from the telemetry, I think it is the best, most polished Windows. I still use Linux for development, but I have to concede that for a lot of stuff, namely gaming and UX, Windows is...

    Aside from the telemetry, I think it is the best, most polished Windows. I still use Linux for development, but I have to concede that for a lot of stuff, namely gaming and UX, Windows is superior. Still think that stuff like command line integration, package management and file-systems are better on Linux however.

  7. Comment on #showdev share your current project in ~comp

    IdiocyInAction
    Link
    I'm trying to write a web-based IRC client in Java to learn more about the language (like 60% of jobs in my area are Java or .Net) and low level networking with sockets. The IRC client protocol is...

    I'm trying to write a web-based IRC client in Java to learn more about the language (like 60% of jobs in my area are Java or .Net) and low level networking with sockets. The IRC client protocol is relatively simple and the hiccups I had I could resolve by just using Wireshark with an existing client. Still on the fence whether I should go with multithreading or non-blocking I/O (NIO).

  8. Comment on What are you working on this weekend? in ~comp

    IdiocyInAction
    Link Parent
    Maybe look at Spring too, in my area there are a metric shitton of Spring/ASP.Net jobs. I know, it's rather heavyweight and not that flashy and new, but for some reason quite in demand.

    Maybe look at Spring too, in my area there are a metric shitton of Spring/ASP.Net jobs. I know, it's rather heavyweight and not that flashy and new, but for some reason quite in demand.

    1 vote

  9. Comment on Will creativity become valued more highly than STEM skills in the near-term future? in ~talk

    IdiocyInAction
    Link Parent
    The problem with creative jobs is that they usually have a very skewed wage distribution. Just look at this article:...

    The problem with creative jobs is that they usually have a very skewed wage distribution. Just look at this article: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/apr/20/earnings-authors-below-minimum-wage

    The top 10% of professional authors, those who make £60,000 or more a year from their writing, earned 58% of all the money made by professional authors in 2013, and the top 5%, those making more than £100,000, earned 42.3% of that money. The top 1%, who make mean average earnings of more than £450,000, take 22.7% of all earnings, said the Authors’ Licensing & Collecting Society, which commissioned the UK-based survey.

    The picture for lower-earning writers was much bleaker. The bottom 50% of authors were those who earned less than £10,500 in 2013, and accounted for just 7% of the amount earned by all writers put together. And 17% of all writers did not earn anything at all during 2013, said the ALCS, adding that 98% of those authors had published a work every year from 2010 to 2013.

    So you're probably unintentionally exhibiting some survivorship bias.

    5 votes

  10. Comment on Will creativity become valued more highly than STEM skills in the near-term future? in ~talk

    IdiocyInAction
    Link
    Well, first of all, how do we know that 'creative' jobs are safe under that scenario? Let's say we have a really advanced AI that can replace most STEM jobs; could one not use that AI to figure...

    Well, first of all, how do we know that 'creative' jobs are safe under that scenario? Let's say we have a really advanced AI that can replace most STEM jobs; could one not use that AI to figure out exactly what kind of content the brain would like to see and then generate said content using an algorithm? I don't see how the hard problems in STEM would be harder than figuring out how to properly stimulate the human brain in such a scenario; in fact, with such AI at our disposal, art might become a STEM problem ;)

    Also, what exactly is creative in that scenario? The work of theoretical computer scientists, mathematicians, etc. is extremely creative in nature in my opinion.

    What I could foresee is a lot of programming being automated/further abstracted away. And yes, I do believe there is a bit of an oversupply of programmers at the moment and a lot of the work done is rather mechanical; but that does not indicate that the whole of STEM would be in danger.

    2 votes

  11. Comment on Gaming’s toxic men, explained - Experts tackle the phenomenon of angry men, trolls, racists and misogynists in the video game industry in ~games

    IdiocyInAction
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    As any CS:GO or Dota player will tell, toxic behaviour is a global phenomenom that is not restricted to white people at all. I also never got the impression that it was about entitlement; it was...

    As any CS:GO or Dota player will tell, toxic behaviour is a global phenomenom that is not restricted to white people at all.

    I also never got the impression that it was about entitlement; it was usually just the occasional shitty person that was blaming their teammates or people getting too angry about losing or teenagers with poor behaviour; poor impulse control, rather than entitlement. It also depends on the game; I found toxic behaviour to be far less of a problem in WoW than in Dota or CS:GO and also encountered fewer rascists/misogynists (mind you, I am a guy, so I can't really speak for how a woman would see this).

    I do agree that this is somewhat of a problem though; it's probably the primary reason I don't play competitive multiplayer games anymore.

    16 votes

  12. What are some of your favorite game mechanics?

    ~games Ask (survey)
    What mechanics are the most fun, innovative or immersive? I'll start with my list. Enemies reacting to your gameplay choices in MGS V I still think that game is a masterpiece when it comes to...

    What mechanics are the most fun, innovative or immersive?

    I'll start with my list.

    Enemies reacting to your gameplay choices in MGS V

    I still think that game is a masterpiece when it comes to stealth gameplay and generally reaxtive gameplay but I thought that the system of enemies adapting to your gameplay choices was particularly clever.

    The parkour system in Dying Light

    I don't think any other game has pulled this off that well. Combined with the stressful night sequences this made that game a sleeper hit for me.

    The lack of weapons in Subnautica

    This is what turned this into one of my favourites of this year. It really makes you feel vulnerable, especially in the beginning, making for some very atmospheric and creepy gameplay.

    16 votes

  13. Comment on Isaac Asimov: Becoming Educated in ~books

    IdiocyInAction
    Link Parent
    That rings true to me. It was authors like Asimov and Hofstadter that really cemented my passion for math and science, in particular GEB. Even though many critisize that book for being to...

    That rings true to me. It was authors like Asimov and Hofstadter that really cemented my passion for math and science, in particular GEB. Even though many critisize that book for being to informal, I think it's a masterpiece for getting people interested in math and CS.

    4 votes

  14. Comment on Can we have a conspirancy/paranormal/fringe discussion group? in ~tildes

    IdiocyInAction
    Link Parent
    Especially if you look at what those communities tend to devolve into. Conspiratorial thinking seemingly attracts rather unstable individuals.

    Especially if you look at what those communities tend to devolve into. Conspiratorial thinking seemingly attracts rather unstable individuals.

    10 votes

  15. Comment on Facebook's quarterly earnings show user growth hit record lows in Q2 in ~tech

    IdiocyInAction
    Link
    At some point they will hit a wall, just because they can't expand their market share anymore, because there aren't enough people and other countries won't allow FB (e.g. China). I think FB is...

    At some point they will hit a wall, just because they can't expand their market share anymore, because there aren't enough people and other countries won't allow FB (e.g. China). I think FB is fairly future-proof however, just due to the fact that they own instagram and several other companies.

    3 votes

  16. Comment on Original Apollo 11 Guidance Computer (AGC) source code for the command and lunar modules in ~comp

  17. Comment on What are your expectations and hopes for Tildes in the future? in ~tildes

    IdiocyInAction
    Link
    A site that allows for meaningful discussions, with good moderation and a good sense of community. I hope that personal attacks and generally shitty behaviour will be discouraged, while different...

    A site that allows for meaningful discussions, with good moderation and a good sense of community. I hope that personal attacks and generally shitty behaviour will be discouraged, while different opinions, if expressed thoughtfully, will be allowed.

    Hopefully no NSFW content (I don't dislike porn per se, but I don't think it would be beneficial to this site).

    In other words, I want a more serious version of Reddit; maybe a bit like HN, but not just for tech.

    5 votes

  18. Comment on World of Warcraft and all current expansions no longer need to be purchased (only pay for a subscription) in ~games

    IdiocyInAction
    Link Parent
    Well, the new God of War is genuinely a great game.

    Well, the new God of War is genuinely a great game.

    1 vote

  19. Comment on How do you guys feel about medical marijuana in the states being legalized? in ~talk

    IdiocyInAction
    Link
    I am generally pro-legalization, for a lot of drugs (I think Alcohol should be the standard), so I am happy for the people in the US. Don't think it's ever going to be legalized in my country though.

    I am generally pro-legalization, for a lot of drugs (I think Alcohol should be the standard), so I am happy for the people in the US. Don't think it's ever going to be legalized in my country though.

    5 votes

  20. Comment on Our phones and gadgets are now endangering the planet in ~tech

    IdiocyInAction
    Link Parent
    Yeah, Bitcoin really is kind of insane: https://digiconomist.net/bitcoin-energy-consumption

    Yeah, Bitcoin really is kind of insane: https://digiconomist.net/bitcoin-energy-consumption

    Bitcoin’s biggest problem is not even its massive energy consumption, but that the network is mostly fueled by coal-fired power plants in China. Coal-based electricity is available at very low rates in this country. Even with a conservative emission factor, this results in an extreme carbon footprint for each unique Bitcoin transaction.

    8 votes