Lexinonymous's recent activity
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Comment on Advent of Compiler Optimisations, by Matt Godbolt in ~comp
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Comment on Battlefield 6 developer issues report on kernel-level anti-cheat, citing success in ~games
Lexinonymous (edited )Link ParentSeeing these conversations unfold again and again, I always wonder what it is specifically about kernel anti-cheat and secure boot anti-cheat that rankles people so much more than the myriad of...Seeing these conversations unfold again and again, I always wonder what it is specifically about kernel anti-cheat and secure boot anti-cheat that rankles people so much more than the myriad of other ways that players' privacy and security can be put at risk by the game itself.
The best explanation that I can come up with is that Secure Boot anti-cheat is the herald of making the PC platform a lot more locked down. Up until now, TPM and Secure Boot's advantages were probably seen as mostly theoretical, and something the vast majority of PC users didn't need.
Now, it seems like at least among PC gamers, Secure Boot has a "killer app" in terms of games where the bar to cheat is much much higher. But by the same token, if other applications decided to lock features and functionality behind attestation, the ask is a lot easier.
EDIT: People might point to the Steam's hardware ecosystem as a possible escape route, but I feel like it's a lot more likely that Secure Boot starts to be used in Valve's hardware ecosystem than Steam's market-share causing gaming companies to rethink their anti-cheat strategy. After all, Linux does support Secure Boot beyond the boot shim, it's just rare to see such a setup in the wild.
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Comment on Battlefield 6 developer issues report on kernel-level anti-cheat, citing success in ~games
Lexinonymous Link ParentI'm actually kind of confused, what do you mean by serverside anti-cheat? Are you talking about taking a dumb terminal don't-trust-the-client-with-anything model? That's actually what Quake's...I'm actually kind of confused, what do you mean by serverside anti-cheat?
Are you talking about taking a dumb terminal don't-trust-the-client-with-anything model? That's actually what Quake's original netcode was, and it was quickly abandoned as being completely unworkable in practice. Carmack then wrote QuakeWorld, which introduced the server authority with clientside prediction model that 99% of FPS games use today.
So...beyond server authority, what exactly are you expecting? Do you have any concrete examples of games that have a server-side anti-cheat you're thinking of? Do you have any particular examples of a particular game not doing something that you consider server-side anti-cheat?
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Comment on Rediscovering “Columbo” in 2020 in ~comics
Lexinonymous Link ParentThat fact also didn't occur to me until hearing it mentioned while watching Columbo: Intrigue Without Mystery. But upon reflection, I don't necessarily disagree with the idea that it's part of the...That fact also didn't occur to me until hearing it mentioned while watching Columbo: Intrigue Without Mystery.
But upon reflection, I don't necessarily disagree with the idea that it's part of the appeal. There is a certain catharsis in watching the kinds of people who seem like the kind who would normally escape justice...actually getting caught.
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Comment on Overwatch 2 now: how does it look to you? in ~games
Lexinonymous LinkOf my time playing multiplayer games, both older and modern, the only title I ever got angry at was Overwatch. In retrospect, the thing that actually bothered me about the game was that it was so...Of my time playing multiplayer games, both older and modern, the only title I ever got angry at was Overwatch.
In retrospect, the thing that actually bothered me about the game was that it was so team and teamfight-focused that I could never find the fun in losing - I would always be mad at my team for not coordinating or myself for falling short of my own expectations.
In a game like TF2 or Battlefield the teams were so large that it felt like winning vs losing never really mattered, as long as you had fun. Even in other smaller games that were team-oriented, like Dota 2 or Rainbow Six: Siege, I felt like the game had enough mechanical complexity to chew into that even in a loss I could come away felling good because I learned something or had my own little small victories.
So yeah, I stopped having fun with Overwatch long before the sequel came out. I played a bit of Overwatch 2 and it felt like pretty much the same game. I think the only thing that could bring me back would be if they added a 12v12 mode or some other silly mode that I could feel like I could play the game for fun with.
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Comment on Synology caves, walks back some drive restrictions on upcoming NAS models in ~tech
Lexinonymous Link ParentI was also considering a Synology NAS. Their decision-making resulted in me getting a USB DAS instead.I was also considering a Synology NAS. Their decision-making resulted in me getting a USB DAS instead.
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Comment on As Bari Weiss arrives at CBS News, staffers hold their breath for what comes next in ~tv
Lexinonymous Link ParentI'd put it in an even simpler way. "Both sides suck" is true, but if someone is using that as an excuse instead of an indictment, then they don't actually think both sides suck.I'd put it in an even simpler way. "Both sides suck" is true, but if someone is using that as an excuse instead of an indictment, then they don't actually think both sides suck.
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Comment on NFS at 40 – Remembering the Sun Microsystems Network File System in ~comp
Lexinonymous LinkHow does modern NFS compare to modern Samba these days? It's been ages since I've had to tinker with either, but back when I was messing around with them, it seemed like Samba had "won" both due...How does modern NFS compare to modern Samba these days?
It's been ages since I've had to tinker with either, but back when I was messing around with them, it seemed like Samba had "won" both due to the network effects (heh) of Windows clients, plus at least a vibes-based perception based on personal experience that Samba was more reliable and less likely to get wedged or leave files in an indeterminate state.
These days, I try to avoid both due to a gut feeling that trying to model filesystem semantics over a network is inherently problematic and not something that most applications expect. But not having to have touched these technologies in about a half-decade means that my gut feeling might be out of date.
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Comment on Bluesky melts down over Jesse Singal in ~tech
Lexinonymous Link ParentBlueSky reminds me of Obama-era Twitter. I didn't much care for Obama-era Twitter, despite being orders of magnitude better than the current Musk-era Twitter.BlueSky reminds me of Obama-era Twitter. I didn't much care for Obama-era Twitter, despite being orders of magnitude better than the current Musk-era Twitter.
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Comment on Bluesky melts down over Jesse Singal in ~tech
Lexinonymous Link ParentOne of the things I appreciate most about Mastodon is its culture of tagging and content warnings.One of the things I appreciate most about Mastodon is its culture of tagging and content warnings.
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Comment on Elon Musk plans to take on Wikipedia with 'Grokipedia' in ~tech
Lexinonymous Link ParentThe problem is that when you create parallel products, being "Foo but conservative" isn't a selling point by itself except to preach to the choir. The only way to kill Wikipedia is to subvert it...The problem is that when you create parallel products, being "Foo but conservative" isn't a selling point by itself except to preach to the choir.
The only way to kill Wikipedia is to subvert it directly, then coast on the branding. Elon should know this, having done this exact strategy with Twitter.
The fact that he's doing this instead tells me he's out of ideas and is trying to grab headlines by shouting "AI" at the top of his lungs.
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Comment on What are some of your personal misheard lyrics? in ~music
Lexinonymous LinkNo misheard lyrics jump out to me. I know it's happened to me before, but I can't recall anything specific. However, there's a related affliction that I suffer from severely. Whenever a song comes...No misheard lyrics jump out to me. I know it's happened to me before, but I can't recall anything specific.
However, there's a related affliction that I suffer from severely. Whenever a song comes on that was ever parodied by Weird Al or featured in Neil Cicierega's Mouth series, I hear the Weird Al/Mouth versions of them in the back of my mind.
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Comment on EA is reportedly about to be sold in a record-setting $50 billion buyout to an investor group that includes private equity and Saudi Arabia in ~games
Lexinonymous Link ParentI've always had issues with this line of argumentation. You can say that you don't want to participate in a boycott without trying to tear down the people who do by trying to point out some sort...I think this anger would be valid if it weren't for the double standards everybody had been displaying.
I've always had issues with this line of argumentation. You can say that you don't want to participate in a boycott without trying to tear down the people who do by trying to point out some sort of hypocrisy.
"There is no ethical consumption under capitalism" isn't meant to be a cop-out.
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Comment on Oracle, Silver Lake consortium to control 80% stake in TikTok in US in ~finance
Lexinonymous Link ParentI already contribute to open source, and I do it with both eyes open. I wish more people would understand what they're giving away when they do, and think very carefully about what they're giving...I already contribute to open source, and I do it with both eyes open.
I wish more people would understand what they're giving away when they do, and think very carefully about what they're giving away before starting a greenfield project with a permissive license.
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Comment on Oracle, Silver Lake consortium to control 80% stake in TikTok in US in ~finance
Lexinonymous (edited )Link ParentWhat I'm trying to say is that "Open Source" as a movement is rotten, because it sets projects up to either be vehicles of exploitation or be exploited themselves. Sometimes one or the other,...What I'm trying to say is that "Open Source" as a movement is rotten, because it sets projects up to either be vehicles of exploitation or be exploited themselves. Sometimes one or the other, sometimes both at different times, sometimes never due to circumstance, but the seeds of possibility are always there.
What I'm not trying to say is that all open source projects are inherently and naturally exploitative. If that's the impression I gave than I'm sorry for not being more clear.
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Comment on Oracle, Silver Lake consortium to control 80% stake in TikTok in US in ~finance
Lexinonymous Link ParentYou can just use the wayback machine to dig up one of the older versions of the OSI website that goes into detail about the history and origins of Open Source This is how Open Source is sold to...You can just use the wayback machine to dig up one of the older versions of the OSI website that goes into detail about the history and origins of Open Source
This is how Open Source is sold to the business world. Pragmatic and business friendly approach to development, without the moralizing.
Check out who the biggest sponsors of the OSI are. Near the top of the list is Automattic. Next up, Google, Microsoft and Red Hat. That list at one point contained AWS and Meta. Seems to me like they're getting their money's worth.
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Comment on Oracle, Silver Lake consortium to control 80% stake in TikTok in US in ~finance
Lexinonymous Link ParentMullenweg also benefits from the WordPress community's open source code contributions. He is also a large enough player to steer the direction of the project wherever he pleases, regardless of the...Mullenweg also benefits from the WordPress community's open source code contributions. He is also a large enough player to steer the direction of the project wherever he pleases, regardless of the desires of the community. This fact was keenly demonstrated with his bull-in-china-shop approach to his users while navigating the WPEngine drama.
This isn't an accident, these are the rotten grounds on which the Open Source movement was founded. An open, pragmatic, and business-friendly alternative to Free Software, without such an emphasis on pesky moralizing and user control.
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Comment on Chris Houlihan is real in ~games
Lexinonymous Link ParentUnreal that this turned out to be true. For the curious, here is more information about why the room exists.Unreal that this turned out to be true.
For the curious, here is more information about why the room exists.
Chris Houlihan's Room is a failsafe in the game - it is only accessed when the game cannot load the room associated with a hole Link is falling into because of corrupt location data.
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In the Game Boy Advance port of this game, the corrupt location data bug was patched, and the room can only be accessed through glitching or using cheating devices. -
Comment on Throwback Thursday: Let's talk old flash and memes! in ~talk
Lexinonymous Link ParentDon't forget about Irrational Exuberance - otherwise known as the Yatta song meme.Don't forget about Irrational Exuberance - otherwise known as the Yatta song meme.
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Comment on Three years in the wild: how a fugitive father has hidden his children for so long in ~life.men
Lexinonymous Link ParentOh thank goodness.All three children are unharmed, Rogers said.
Oh thank goodness.
There is an old blog post that really opened my eyes to this subject. Trying to dig the exact post up proved troublesome, but it blew my mind that a division by a constant could be turned into a wrapping multiplication by constant.
It really put to rest my idea that assembly was necessarily faster than compiled languages. Sure, it can be...if you know better than the compiler in some specific case. But over the course of an entire program, it seems like a poor bet to think one could outdo the accumulated knowledge of deacdes of compiler-writer optimizations.