LumaBop's recent activity
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Comment on Dual national Londoner stranded in Spain by new border rule in ~travel
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Comment on Dual national Londoner stranded in Spain by new border rule in ~travel
LumaBop Link ParentAlmost certainly because she declared it. Theoretically this shouldn’t happen as airlines should be checking ETAs before allowing passengers to board, but clearly enforcement varies. If the woman...Why would the airline know that she’s a British citizen?
Almost certainly because she declared it.
One of my friends flew to the UK and literally got to just before customs before realizing they didn’t have an ETA
Theoretically this shouldn’t happen as airlines should be checking ETAs before allowing passengers to board, but clearly enforcement varies.
If the woman in the article didn’t declare her British citizenship to her airline, in theory it should have checked that she had an ETA, and in theory she should not be able to obtain an ETA, but in my reply to @Greg I speculate that she might have been able to obtain an ETA depending on details of her situation which we don’t know.
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Comment on Dual national Londoner stranded in Spain by new border rule in ~travel
LumaBop Link ParentThat’s fair! My approach has always been to pass through the border of either of my home countries using the local passport. So when travelling between the two I would carry both. Sounds like...That’s fair! My approach has always been to pass through the border of either of my home countries using the local passport. So when travelling between the two I would carry both. Sounds like maybe the US doesn’t like that for some reason?
It seems that the way this ought to be have been communicated is really when people are booking their flights. Since airlines ask for your nationalities, the UK government should have required them to display a notice to all people registering as dual nationals about the changes.
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Comment on Dual national Londoner stranded in Spain by new border rule in ~travel
LumaBop (edited )Link ParentAFAIK, assuming she can indeed board the flight, this approach would work perfectly fine - indeed I understand that it is explicit border control policy to permit entry in this case. The issue is...It’d perhaps be a better idea for her to board the plane on her Spanish documents and then explain the situation at the UK border
AFAIK, assuming she can indeed board the flight, this approach would work perfectly fine - indeed I understand that it is explicit border control policy to permit entry in this case.
The issue is more likely that she will be denied boarding. The airline will ask for your travel documents, and if you’re travelling on a Spanish passport they will check if you have an ETA. The ETA is obtained from the UK Home Office. I don’t know the exact process, but I assume it involves them asking for your nationality. So your options would be:
a) declare British citizenship, in which case you will automatically be prevented from applying for an ETA.
b) don’t declare your British citizenship. One would guess that the Home Office might be able to automatically detect if this is wrong, but it would depend on what they know about you. Since the woman in the article doesn’t have a passport or (from the sounds of it) any formal proof of citizenship, it may well be that be that the Home Office would not notice a problem and allow her to obtain an ETA.(Of course if you can sneakily obtain an ETA by not declaring British citizenship, who knows if you will later face problems where the HO thinks you have overstayed, and you struggle to prove your right to remain in the UK). [Edit: see bottom]
We don’t know whether she tried to obtain an ETA or not, or whether or not she declared British citizenship to the airline or Home Office. If you tell the HO that you are British, but you/they can’t verify it, I think it’s only natural that you would not be granted entry.
So, I think as far as what @stu2b50 suggested, I fully agree that if HO can automatically verify your British citizenship you should just be allowed entry. As I say above, I suspect the problems come when what you declare doesn’t match up with what can be automatically verified.
Edit: I found this Home Office document which states at the bottom of section 4:
The intention of the ETA scheme is not to penalise people who unwittingly travel without
the correct permission, or with a permission to which they are not legally entitled. It is
about securing the UK border. In terms of specific ‘penalties’ for British dual nationals, I am
sure you are aware that s.24A (1) of the Immigration Act 1971 disapplies the offence of
obtaining an ETA by deception to British nationals.This seems to state that if you are able to obtain an ETA by lying to HO about your British citizenship, you cannot face any legal consequences.
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Comment on Dual national Londoner stranded in Spain by new border rule in ~travel
LumaBop Link ParentI’m sorry that’s your experience. I think it’s very true that the UK still has a lot to learn from European countries, and I’m glad to see developments towards mending our relationship across the...I’m sorry that’s your experience. I think it’s very true that the UK still has a lot to learn from European countries, and I’m glad to see developments towards mending our relationship across the channel. I hope to see free movement restored one day.
My only other comment is that I strongly suspect the digital certificate is priced that way to encourage you to get a British passport. It’s obviously the preferred document, and to be fair they are relatively cheap (I recently had to renew my foreign passport at a cost of almost three times the price of a British passport).
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Comment on Dual national Londoner stranded in Spain by new border rule in ~travel
LumaBop Link ParentMy understanding of the situation is that, in practice, if she arrived at the British border, she would be allowed through (although there might be some faff since she doesn’t have the right...My understanding of the situation is that, in practice, if she arrived at the British border, she would be allowed through (although there might be some faff since she doesn’t have the right documents).
The bigger issue is that no airline or other transport provider (ferry, Eurostar etc.) will allow her to board without the right documents.
I found this parliamentary briefing on the matter to be clarifying, particularly the section What will happen if someone arrives without the appropriate documents:
The Home Office has told groups representing British dual nationals that “the intention of the ETA scheme is not to penalise people who unwittingly travel without the correct permission, or with a permission to which they are not legally entitled”.
The government says UK Border Force staff will take “a compassionate and pragmatic approach to travellers who experience genuine difficulty while this process settles”. Mike Tapp, Minister for Migration and Citizenship, has given assurances that enforcement of the ETA requirement will not result in dual citizens who arrive with incorrect documentation being detained or families being separated at the border. -
Comment on Dual national Londoner stranded in Spain by new border rule in ~travel
LumaBop Link ParentI assume such systems exist, and I would speculate that they would rely on connecting to a valid document proving British citizenship. So perhaps we could say that, so long as you have a British...I assume such systems exist, and I would speculate that they would rely on connecting to a valid document proving British citizenship. So perhaps we could say that, so long as you have a British passport (or certificate proving right to abode), the UK government could connect your foreign passport to that document so when you pass through the border with your foreign passport, they can easily look it up and check that you have the right to enter as a British citizen.
I had a look, and this is in fact how the digital certificate of right to abode works - great! I guess with the British passport, they could do this, but equally why not just carry the passport with you (since you would need to own the passport in any case, else they could not connect it in the system).
Maybe there are some reasons why linking a passport is less trivial than a digital certificate? I tend to think, surely, if it were practical to do so, it would have been done. But that might be naive.
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Comment on Dual national Londoner stranded in Spain by new border rule in ~travel
LumaBop Link ParentIt could be pragmatic to effectively overlook their British citizenship and allow them to travel as if they were a tourist. One barrier is that the UK government is legally obligated to allow...It could be pragmatic to effectively overlook their British citizenship and allow them to travel as if they were a tourist. One barrier is that the UK government is legally obligated to allow citizens to pass through the border, so you can’t require a British citizen to obtain an ETA. If the rules were that you could either enter on British passport or on a foreign passport but with an ETA, it could quite likely be subject to a legal challenge. However, simply requiring that proof of British citizenship is provided is entirely legal.
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Comment on Dual national Londoner stranded in Spain by new border rule in ~travel
LumaBop LinkThere have been a few of these stories floating around since the new policy came into force in February. While the people involved are clearly stuck in a tricky situation, I find it hard to give...There have been a few of these stories floating around since the new policy came into force in February. While the people involved are clearly stuck in a tricky situation, I find it hard to give them much sympathy as the changes have been widely publicised over the last couple of years, and particularly in the couple of months prior to them coming into force in February. Indeed, the more time passes the less sympathy I feel for those involved!
To be very clear, prior to 25/02/2026, it was permitted for British dual nationals to travel in and out of the UK on their foreign passport, with no proof of their UK citizenship status. Basically you could just show up at the border and be waved through. This policy doesn’t work very well with the modern border, which as far as possible operates automatically and digitally, which is a great thing! E-gates, e-visas, pre-travel authorisations and the like make travel much easier and more convenient - ideal because we want to encourage people to travel to the UK - without compromising border security. In fact it’s better for security because we can check if you have the right to enter the UK before you get on a flight/train/ferry to the country.
So, as of 25/02/2026, there is a very simple requirement: if you are a British national travelling to the UK, you must carry proof of British citizenship (in the form of a British passport or certificate). There is no valid way for you to enter the country if you don’t have such a document in your possession - how could there be? You can’t be admitted via the foreign visitor entry system, because you aren’t relying on any sort of travel visa for your entry; you are entering as a British citizen, so it only makes sense that you would need proof that you are, in fact, a British citizen.
I’ll add, as relevant context, that I’m a British dual national living in the UK, I was aware of the changed well in advance of the changes, but I didn’t have to change how I travel because I already always passed through the British border using my British passport. I guess it just always seemed like the most sensible thing to do?
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
LumaBop Link ParentDefinitely playing some of those once I’m done with Seaglass, especially Unbound seems to be raved about by everyone in the ROM hacking community.Definitely playing some of those once I’m done with Seaglass, especially Unbound seems to be raved about by everyone in the ROM hacking community.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
LumaBop Link ParentYeah the Analogue Pocket looks super cool, but if I was going to spend that amount on a retro pocket-console I think I would favour a screen-modded GBA. The tech in the AP is dope, though.Yeah the Analogue Pocket looks super cool, but if I was going to spend that amount on a retro pocket-console I think I would favour a screen-modded GBA. The tech in the AP is dope, though.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
LumaBop LinkI recently bought a Miyoo Mini Plus, with the main goal being to emulate GBA games on the go. It’s been working great, and I’ve replaced a lot of doom scrolling on my phone with picking up this...I recently bought a Miyoo Mini Plus, with the main goal being to emulate GBA games on the go. It’s been working great, and I’ve replaced a lot of doom scrolling on my phone with picking up this guy instead and playing some Pokemon or other games.
In particular I’ve been playing Pokemon Emerald Seaglass, a ROM hack for Emerald which visually overhauls the game - it looks great! - and adds various QoL improvements, notably a party-wide EXP share available early and running shoes available immediately with an auto-run toggle. I haven’t really played much Pokemon since Gen 6, so it’s been very fun to re-discover the joy of catching Pokemon and collecting gym badges. The fighting gym was a bit rough however given that my two strongest Pokemon when I arrived were Marshtomp and Marill, who both got one-shot by the gym leader’s Heracross. Fair to say I had to do a bit of grinding to get some ‘mons with more favourable types up to a suitable power level.
I’m also playing Goodboy Galaxy, an indie metroidvania released for GBA and Steam in 2024. This game is really cool because it has a lot of modern design sensibilities, as a modern indie game, but runs on a GBA (or GBA emulator in my case). It looks fantastic for a GBA game, the platforming is satisfying, and has a bunch of cute characters! It seems that the main gimmick of the game is exploring the same area multiple times but with different abilities enabled (due to environmental obstacles which disable either your gun, shield, or jetpack). I guess this effectively triples the map size of the game - since the same area visited with different abilities must be explored differently - which seems like a very smart way to expand the game, given that the constraints on overall maps size are probably quite limited due to the GBA.
I’ve also been spending a bit of time with Apotris, which is a very polished Tetris clone. It’s available on many platforms, not just the GBA, but it seems to be a great way to play the classic brick-packing puzzle. As far as I know it supports a bunch of more advanced customisation features, which is probably important for the Tetris experts, but from my perspective it’s just a version of Tetris that feels great to play.
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Comment on Is higher education still valuable? in ~life
LumaBop LinkMost of what I would say to the more general points about value of education have already been discussed, so I will focus in particularly on the question of whether a masters degree in statistics...Most of what I would say to the more general points about value of education have already been discussed, so I will focus in particularly on the question of whether a masters degree in statistics has value in light of advancements in AI.
What we are seeing with AI is that it is very easy for many people to produce work that would previously only be possible for individuals who are skilled or experts in that kind of work to produce. However, the quality of output of these LLMs varies, and only someone who actually understands the domain can evaluate whether the work is good or not. In practice this means that LLMs are used much more effectively in the hands of experts.
In the field of statistics in particular, I think there is a lot of rote work that, it’s true, LLMs will now automate, so seemingly there is less to be done with the skills you might acquire. However, I think that the real value for you is not those things that can be replaced by LLMs, but the nuanced, qualitative aspects. What data should we be looking at? What trends should we be analysing? What biases may there be? I would not trust AI to make good decisions on these except in particularly simple cases.
I think if anything it is more important now than ever for people to have a strong grasp of statistics, as people are frequently overwhelmed with data that is twisted to fit a particular narrative. Good statistics remain extremely important, from training ML models effectively (especially in safety-critical settings), to recommendation algorithms, to understanding national and international politics.
Which is all to say I wouldn’t encourage you to hastily abandon your academic and career plans just because of AI. I wouldn’t make any long term assumptions or plans based on the belief that AI will become hyper-competent and take all our jobs. However, it is reasonable to hedge your bets against that eventuality, if you so choose.
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Comment on Half way through the 2020's. What's your favorite games so far? in ~games
LumaBop LinkI just rolled credits on Hollow Knight, which has allowed me to start playing Silksong, and although I’m only about 10 hours in, this is almost certainly going to be a GOAT for me. HK was great,...I just rolled credits on Hollow Knight, which has allowed me to start playing Silksong, and although I’m only about 10 hours in, this is almost certainly going to be a GOAT for me. HK was great, and it’s a crime it took me so long to get around to playing it, and I like SS more in almost every aspect, especially the world feeling noticeably more alive, and the Wish system creating a feeling of closer connection with the NPCs of Pharloom. The movement in this game is also fantastic, which is always a big factor for me (as someone who mostly likes to play platformers).
I’ve also been playing Rematch, which has been scratching my competitive game itch, especially the hole left in my life since I got out of practice at Rocket League and struggled to get back into it. I really enjoy that Rematch is not too mechanically demanding (in contrast with RL), but still has a very high skill ceiling in terms of positioning, passing and decision making.
I should also mention Thank Goodness Your Here, which was the most amusing couple of hours I’ve spent with a game so far in this decade. I really love games that deliver a great experience in just a short period of time - it feels generous to not ask too much of the player, in terms of time investment, but to deliver a deeply entertaining and memorable experience nonetheless.
Finally I will also mention Mario Kart World, which I have not spent as much time playing as I would have liked, especially due to the unreasonable (in my opinion) effort it takes to avoid frequently playing the (very boring) “intermission” type tracks. However I have spent countless hours listening to the soundtrack, which is absolutely terrific.
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Comment on Meet Pebble Index 01 - External memory for your brain in ~tech
LumaBop LinkThese are copping a lot of flak for being non-rechargeable. I don’t agree that this makes them more disposable / e-waste than other products in the category (which is to say pretty much all modern...These are copping a lot of flak for being non-rechargeable. I don’t agree that this makes them more disposable / e-waste than other products in the category (which is to say pretty much all modern smart devices). Ultimately, many of our modern smart products have a finite lifetime, whether that is due to rechargeable batteries degrading, parts failing or software support being terminated. A non-rechargeable battery makes it very clear that the device will reach EOL within some set time period, and you could reasonably complain about the length of that period, but if people want to invoke sustainability concerns and decry the product as e-waste, you need to take other aspects into consideration. What is the cost impact of manufacturing them this way? How does it impact the materials, in particular rare earth metals? Can we recycle the product more easily? I am not supporting this practice in general, but at the size of this product, the trade offs might actually make sense.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
LumaBop LinkSince all the hype and positive reaction to Silksong, I decided to pick Hollow Knight back up. Not sure why I didn’t finish it when I was playing it originally, but turns out I was pretty close to...Since all the hype and positive reaction to Silksong, I decided to pick Hollow Knight back up. Not sure why I didn’t finish it when I was playing it originally, but turns out I was pretty close to the end of the game (at least the first ending). I’m not aiming to complete it, just to get the true ending, then I can justify playing Silksong!
Yeah, this game is so good. The visuals, soundtrack, and overall atmosphere are top notch, and the combat is terribly satisfying. My main issue with the game is I don’t quite like the feel of controlling the Knight - moving around and platforming in general feels fairly light and floaty, and I find it somewhat unsatisfying. As a platformer fan in general, I suspect this is somewhat of a general Metroidvania problem, in that the movement has to be reasonably optimised for combat, and this comes somewhat at the expense (in my opinion) of the feel outside of combat. But overall I am extremely enjoying my return to this game, and look forward to playing Silksong when I’m done.
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Comment on Microsoft is adding AI facial recognition to OneDrive and users can only turn it off three times a year in ~tech
LumaBop Link ParentIf the only facial data that’s uploaded is encrypted, then it doesn’t really matter since it is theoretically garbage unless you have the encryption key. Which is only the user, not Apple, if you...If the only facial data that’s uploaded is encrypted, then it doesn’t really matter since it is theoretically garbage unless you have the encryption key. Which is only the user, not Apple, if you have advanced data protection on.
But I agree that I find saying “it’s not the X, it’s a mathematical description of the X” vaguely useless, technically speaking everything in your computer is mathematical descriptions, that’s all that we can do since everything is a number at the bottom. I was recently trying to understand the term biometric template which is basically the same thing again. Feels unnecessarily confusing.
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Comment on Is 67 just brain rot? in ~humanities.languages
LumaBop Link ParentThat’s fair, I think there are good aspects to it. Really what I was trying to say is that increased communication across cultural, political and geographical boundaries has many benefits, but...That’s fair, I think there are good aspects to it. Really what I was trying to say is that increased communication across cultural, political and geographical boundaries has many benefits, but it’s not good if it results in homogenisation.
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Comment on Is 67 just brain rot? in ~humanities.languages
LumaBop LinkI learned about this meme from The Guardian, which makes me feel really old. I guess it’s 4/5 years since I’ve actually known what’s going on in meme culture. I won’t comment on 6-7 itself because...I learned about this meme from The Guardian, which makes me feel really old. I guess it’s 4/5 years since I’ve actually known what’s going on in meme culture.
I won’t comment on 6-7 itself because it’s really hard to assess these things from the outside. @papasquat compared it to “E” which seems apt.
What is interesting to me is that 6-7 seems to be part of a wider trend of cultural homogenisation. Every English speaking country, even English speaking international schools around the world, seems to be witnessing this meme. If the internet and online culture really are resulting in a convergence of speech, thought and opinions across the world, this could be a problem. It seems like now more than ever what we need is a true diversity of thought in order to solve the difficult problems facing the world.
On the other hand, if such a homogenisation really is happening, it may be a good thing for increasing fellowship and solidarity across the world. Cosmopolitanism is a good thing.
Rant: when I was at school (not so long ago), we had our own homegrown jokes and memes, our own way of seeing and interacting with the world. It seems like different people and groups had their own slice of the world and culture that they came into contact with and took into their own lives. You can think of it like a Venn diagram.
I’m not suggesting that now kids all have the exact same experiences, but if the Venn diagrams are overlapping more (as some trends like 6-7 seem to suggest), then it’s a double edged sword. On the one hand they have more in common, and this is generally a good thing. But then there are more experiences being missed out on, or perhaps to put it another way, they may be missing experiences which would inform their own unique worldview. And that would be a pity - but I’m jumping to conclusions, since there is no serious evidence that that is the case. /rant
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Comment on Prince Andrew gives up UK royal titles including Duke of York after 'discussion with King' in ~news
LumaBop Link ParentYes, he is still a Prince. Technically he still owns his Dukedom as this would require either an act of parliament or a royal decree to revoke. He will also continue to live at his royal home (the...Yes, he is still a Prince. Technically he still owns his Dukedom as this would require either an act of parliament or a royal decree to revoke. He will also continue to live at his royal home (the Royal Lodge), but this is separate from the rest of the family.
So, this is very significant action. It pretty much amounts to being kicked out of the royal family. He wouldn’t even be able to attend the next coronation in person. Still, a lot of people will feel he deserved worse. It seems pretty unfair he gets to retain his luxurious royal home, in particular.
According to the Home Office:
I agree that from what I know they can’t ignore the fact that you are British if you tell them, but sounds like if you just pretend not to be British you can get away with it.
Regarding the story you mentioned: the original article, and the other stories I’ve seen, are all about people being denied boarding their flights/travel, not denied at the border. It seems that it is explicitly policy that in any weird edge case, as long as you actually are a British citizen, you will be allowed through the border (probably with delays as they figure it out), the big issue is currently people being prevented from boarding their flights because the airlines believe they are not entitled to travel (and have been asked by the UK government to check this).