Lexinonymous's recent activity
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Comment on What’s a point that you think many people missed? in ~talk
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Comment on How do you report an entire topic? in ~tildes
Lexinonymous Link ParentThat's precisely what I mean by discretion. It's up to the moderator(s) as to what kind of community they want to build, and it's up to the users as to if they're cool with the community's...That's precisely what I mean by discretion. It's up to the moderator(s) as to what kind of community they want to build, and it's up to the users as to if they're cool with the community's moderation or not.
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Comment on How do you report an entire topic? in ~tildes
Lexinonymous (edited )Link ParentAnd? I don't quite understand. Tildes is pretty expressly not styled in the fashion of a public square, but as a closed-knit invite-only community. Communities have moderators, and moderators have...And?
I don't quite understand. Tildes is pretty expressly not styled in the fashion of a public square, but as a closed-knit invite-only community. Communities have moderators, and moderators have discretion which can be used to "censor" a conversation.
And to be clear, I've been on the receiving end of this sort of thing. Not here, but I have been asked in other spaces by their moderators to drop a subject. I either agree to do so, or I simply decide that the social space isn't for me and leave. There's no real dilemma about it.
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Comment on How do you report an entire topic? in ~tildes
Lexinonymous Link ParentAnd what exactly is wrong with a moderator stepping in and shutting down a conversation?That's the definition of shutting down a conversation.
And what exactly is wrong with a moderator stepping in and shutting down a conversation?
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Comment on How do you report an entire topic? in ~tildes
Lexinonymous Link ParentI remember back in the day, on older web forums, that it was in fact incredibly common for a topic to get locked when the discussion had gotten too heated or started from a position of bad faith....I remember back in the day, on older web forums, that it was in fact incredibly common for a topic to get locked when the discussion had gotten too heated or started from a position of bad faith.
Having witnessed the past decade and a half of "social media" taking away mind-share from traditional moderated communities, frankly, I think the old ways were better. And this site at least has the appearance of fostering a community in the style of the older web forums, as opposed to taking all comers and making moderation gamified or a free-for-all.
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Comment on Street Fighter II - It sounds dumb but they really fixed a typo with a human leg in ~comp
Lexinonymous LinkThis is one of the funnier hacks I've heard of - all to fix a typo on the title screen of an arcade game at the last minute.This is one of the funnier hacks I've heard of - all to fix a typo on the title screen of an arcade game at the last minute.
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Street Fighter II - It sounds dumb but they really fixed a typo with a human leg
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Comment on Did anyone play Phantasy Star Online? in ~games
Lexinonymous LinkOh this game had a vibe to it that I find speaks to me in a way that's hard to describe. I first played the Xbox version when it was live, then I log into Blue Burst on every so often and bathe in...Oh this game had a vibe to it that I find speaks to me in a way that's hard to describe. I first played the Xbox version when it was live, then I log into Blue Burst on every so often and bathe in some nostalgia.
And for what it's worth, PSO is still alive and has an incredible number of people still playing it on private servers. It's not uncommon to see north of 200 active players.
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Comment on Steam Winter Sale 2025: Hidden gems in ~games
Lexinonymous Link ParentHow does this compare to Lumines arise?How does this compare to Lumines arise?
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Comment on Statement from Mozilla's new CEO in ~tech
Lexinonymous Link ParentI've been a satisfied Zen user for many months now. I say go for it.I've been a satisfied Zen user for many months now. I say go for it.
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Comment on I don't care much for symbolism in ~creative
Lexinonymous LinkI can see where you're coming from. However, I disagree with you in the specifics, as well as the characterization itself. I would consider myself as someone who looks for symbolism and deeper...I can see where you're coming from. However, I disagree with you in the specifics, as well as the characterization itself.
I would consider myself as someone who looks for symbolism and deeper meaning in the media I consume. However, I don't really approach this sort of task in the way you describe. Instead of trying to pick media apart as I experience it, I try to approach it on its own terms and enjoy the ride as far as it goes - which seems very much in line with how you prefer to experience media.
The symbolism and deeper meanings come after the fact and come naturally, when I think back to some of the things I experienced. But even then, I don't approach it like a scientist, looking for some deeper objective truth backed up with facts and logic. My interpretations are personal, and I also don't presume to think that they are the interpretations intended by the author, or equally valid for anybody else who experiences it.
This process doesn't happen with all media, but I would say that my favorite stories are those that I keep revisiting over time, spurred by these contemplations.
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Comment on Doomworld has released the 2025 Cacowards in ~games
Lexinonymous LinkEvery year since the 10 year anniversary of Doom, Doomworld has released a set of awards for the best and most interesting Doom mods released that year. Right on schedule, the 2025 Cacowards have...Every year since the 10 year anniversary of Doom, Doomworld has released a set of awards for the best and most interesting Doom mods released that year. Right on schedule, the 2025 Cacowards have just been released a few days ago.
Doom has one of the most vibrant modding communities out there, and it's genuinely inspiring to see how many amazing releases there are, 32 years after the game's release.
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Doomworld has released the 2025 Cacowards
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Comment on Advent of Compiler Optimisations, by Matt Godbolt in ~comp
Lexinonymous LinkThere 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...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.
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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.
Spec Ops: The Line
Spec Ops: The Line wasn't specifically condemning you, the player, for being complicit in virtual war crimes that you had no choice except to participate in, or else quit the game. The game was condemning the actions of Walker. The 4th wall breaks were no more aimed at you personally than the scarecrow toxin in Batman: Arkham Asylum was.
But the game might nevertheless make you feel uncomfortable, because the moral lapses that Walker participates in might be relatable in some small way. Not to the level of war crimes, but from the making of self-serving decisions with noble justifications that just make everything worse.
Real life is not an action movie, and you are not the hero at the center of a story. That's the lesson of Spec Ops: The Line.