Kind_of_Ben's recent activity
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Comment on Tildes Demographics Survey, year… uh, it’s 2024? in ~tildes
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Comment on I think I have a broken AT&T route? in ~tech
Kind_of_Ben Link ParentVery cool! I know most of those. I love the quotes with the MOTD. We have networks named for authors - our home WiFi is SANDERSON and the little private access point we used to take when traveling...Very cool! I know most of those. I love the quotes with the MOTD. We have networks named for authors - our home WiFi is SANDERSON and the little private access point we used to take when traveling was ROTHFUSS.
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Comment on Brazilian judge orders Adele song be pulled globally over plagiarism claim in ~music
Kind_of_Ben Link ParentI always think of Adam's work when things like this come up. Such good stuff.I always think of Adam's work when things like this come up. Such good stuff.
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Comment on I think I have a broken AT&T route? in ~tech
Kind_of_Ben Link ParentTotally off-topic and not helpful, but Vergil is an ODST reference, right?NO PARKING AT ANY TIME
-VergilTotally off-topic and not helpful, but Vergil is an ODST reference, right?
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Comment on Brazilian judge orders Adele song be pulled globally over plagiarism claim in ~music
Kind_of_Ben (edited )LinkAfter one listen of each song, I hear similar chord progressions and melodies with similar contours, possibly emphasizing the same scale degrees (I'd have to do more analysis to be sure). IMO......After one listen of each song, I hear similar chord progressions and melodies with similar contours, possibly emphasizing the same scale degrees (I'd have to do more analysis to be sure). IMO... meh? The chord progression is not unique - they never are - and there's only so many ways of constructing a melody over a specific progression such that it lays in a way that feels good to the ear of the popular listener. Off the top of my head, the incredibly-well-known jazz standard "Autumn Leaves" has a similar progression and melody that emphasises a very similar set of descending scale degrees (albeit with a very different contour).
I think I'd be surprised if the composer of "Million Years" had never heard "Mulheres" even once, they're similar enough that I can imagine the Brazilian tune was an inspiration (maybe only on a subconscious level). But I think it being outright plagiarism is unlikely.
Edit: Yeah it's totally the A section of Autumn Leaves, even in the Turkish song @lou posted. Chord progression and emphasized scale degrees in the melody.
Edit 2: Okay so Tidal says the composers of "Million Years" are Adele and Greg Kurstin. It has a bio for Kurstin which says after high school he "continue[d] his piano studies at the New School ... immersing himself in the jazz scene ... while also exploring hip-hop and Brazilian music ...". I would put money on Kurstin having personally played Autumn Leaves at one point or another, and it sounds possible that he would have been familiar with "Mulheres" too. So could they have copied the song? Sure. Are there loads of other places Kurstin likely came into contact with similar musical ideas and practices? Absolutely.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Kind_of_Ben Link ParentI posted about it last week when it came out! It's not quite "holy shit" for me but it is very good. It's neat how many different elements it manages to pull together into a package that just works.I posted about it last week when it came out! It's not quite "holy shit" for me but it is very good. It's neat how many different elements it manages to pull together into a package that just works.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Kind_of_Ben Link ParentThanks for this review, I've had my eye on it but been hesitant due to the negative coverage. Will be trying it on sale eventually!Thanks for this review, I've had my eye on it but been hesitant due to the negative coverage. Will be trying it on sale eventually!
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Comment on Tildes Demographics Survey, year… uh, it’s 2024? in ~tildes
Kind_of_Ben LinkThanks for doing this! I love these sorts of things. Excited to see the results.Thanks for doing this! I love these sorts of things. Excited to see the results.
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Comment on Anyone interested in trying out Kagi? in ~tech
Kind_of_Ben Link ParentSame - if it doesn't require a card, I'm interested!Same - if it doesn't require a card, I'm interested!
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Kind_of_Ben Link ParentYes! I explore everything when I play games and this is tickling my brain in just the right way.Yes! I explore everything when I play games and this is tickling my brain in just the right way.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Kind_of_Ben LinkIndiana Jones and the Great Circle came out last night! I'm only about two hours in so I don't have much to say yet, but I am definitely enjoying it. Troy Baker is putting in an excellent Harrison...Indiana Jones and the Great Circle came out last night! I'm only about two hours in so I don't have much to say yet, but I am definitely enjoying it. Troy Baker is putting in an excellent Harrison Ford impression (not perfect but it feels like Indy). The game as a whole feels like a cross between Tomb Raider, those old Nancy Drew games from HER Interactive, and maybe some Splinter Cell. Now that I write it, that sounds like an odd mix, but trust me, it works. Also the game looks incredible and runs at a rock-solid 60fps on the Series X.
Closing note: the game makes a 10/10 fascist-punching simulator. Really hits the spot right now.
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Comment on What long book series is worth its page count? in ~books
Kind_of_Ben Link ParentCalling both Mistborn and Stormlight Archive "long" books feels like calling both Cleveland and NYC "big" settlements haha. It's technically true, but one is on a whole other level of size.Calling both Mistborn and Stormlight Archive "long" books feels like calling both Cleveland and NYC "big" settlements haha. It's technically true, but one is on a whole other level of size.
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Comment on US officials urge Americans to use encrypted apps amid unprecedented cyberattack in ~tech
Kind_of_Ben Link ParentWhoops. Apologies, I totally missed it. :/Whoops. Apologies, I totally missed it. :/
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Comment on US officials urge Americans to use encrypted apps amid unprecedented cyberattack in ~tech
Kind_of_Ben (edited )Link ParentIt was never true? "Saying you don't care about privacy because you have nothing to hide is like saying you don't care about freedom of speech because you have nothing to say." Edit: missed the /s :(What ever happened to if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear?
It was never true? "Saying you don't care about privacy because you have nothing to hide is like saying you don't care about freedom of speech because you have nothing to say."
Edit: missed the /s :(
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Comment on Touch typing learning software in ~tech
Kind_of_Ben (edited )Link ParentSeconding typing.com. I've taught both 7th graders and 3rd graders typing classes in a US public school and this is what I used. It's pre-planned gamified curriculum with a good logical...- Exemplary
Seconding typing.com. I've taught both 7th graders and 3rd graders typing classes in a US public school and this is what I used. It's pre-planned gamified curriculum with a good logical progression from home row to the rest of the keys etc. Very easy to have them open the site and just work for a while. It also has a set of highly customizable games they can use to practice what they learned in the lessons, including a zombie defense game, a space shmup, a couple carnival games, and more. There are tests too, either timed or a certain amount of words. They can choose to do exercises that target their "problem keys" if need be. I liked that these tests and a lot of the lessons had the kids typing informational text, things you might learn in other classrooms like social studies or ELA, rather than just gibberish (though it does start with gibberish until they learn enough keys to write full words).
Additionally, there's a bunch of stats panels you can access as a teacher so you can track your kid's activity and see their progress. It requires a separate account that's registered as a teacher and the kid has to join a class you create. Some stats are visible from the student side too though.
Definitely use adblock. Not the most intrusive ads I've ever seen but more than enough to distract a kid (and ads are a plague anyway, but I digress lol). Though if you feel there's enough value in the platform and the premium features sound good, you can pay to remove the ads. I wish I could tell you what the premium features were but my school didn't have a subscription so I don't remember.
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Comment on Bungie uncovers an issue in their distribution of random weapon perks in Destiny 2, detailed and interesting write up of the fix in ~games
Kind_of_Ben LinkThanks for this, Estee! I've played a ton of Destiny over the years but I've been on a hiatus since I finished up with Final Shape and was only distantly aware of this. I love the...Thanks for this, Estee! I've played a ton of Destiny over the years but I've been on a hiatus since I finished up with Final Shape and was only distantly aware of this. I love the behind-the-curtain blog posts from Bungie, it's so nice to hear from devs instead of stuff that's just thinly veiled (or not veiled at all) marketing. I've shared this with my data science group!
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Comment on Played Taboo with my friends in ~games
Kind_of_Ben LinkCodenames is similar! You have 25 cards with random words on them faceup on the table, and the goal is to get your partner to guess which ones are your team's words without making them guess the...Codenames is similar! You have 25 cards with random words on them faceup on the table, and the goal is to get your partner to guess which ones are your team's words without making them guess the other team's words, irrelevant words, or the insta-lose word. You give them one-word clues to direct them toward the correct words, and obviously you're not allowed to just say the word you're thinking of. The trick is coming up with clues that refer to multiple cards - they can guess as many times per turn as you tell them. You want to try to give the most versatile clues possible because you need your team to get all your words before the other team.
So for example, I might see that I need my partner to guess the following words:
- Paris
- Mule
- Canary
- Washington
- Vodka
Possible good clues might be "animal, 2" (meaning your partner gets two guesses to find two words associated with "animal"), "city, 2", "drink, 2", etc. If you and your partner are really on the same wavelength you might get risky and say something like "Moscow, 4" (referring to "mule", "vodka", "Paris", and "Washington"), but generally the more out there your clues are, the more you risk your partner guessing a wrong word. There could be other capital cities in the list of words, there could be other things that relate to Moscow, or maybe they just don't think to interpret the same clue in two different ways to get both "Moscow mule" and "capital cities".
It's really fun, me and three friends who live nowhere near each other play it online regularly. We hop in Discord and go to horsepaste.com (no idea why it's called that haha). You can play for free with no account. Just a light little app that runs in the browser. There's originally a physical version you can purchase as well for playing in-person.
If you want to try it and need another person, I'd be happy to play with you! Regardless, enjoy.
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Comment on Where does your username come from? (Following up on last year's thread) in ~tildes
Kind_of_Ben Link ParentI go "six-teen twelve"...I go "six-teen twelve"...
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Comment on Where does your username come from? (Following up on last year's thread) in ~tildes
Kind_of_Ben Link ParentThis is so awesome. Thank you!This is so awesome. Thank you!
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Comment on Where does your username come from? (Following up on last year's thread) in ~tildes
Kind_of_Ben Link ParentWolf is definitely still here, I just saw them earlier. I think it was the "how will I know when to leave the US?" thread?Wolf is definitely still here, I just saw them earlier. I think it was the "how will I know when to leave the US?" thread?
I'm very rusty, but my master's in data science included dataviz with Python, R, and Tableau. If you don't get any takers, I can take a crack at it!