Macha's recent activity

  1. Comment on I think Tildes moderators and admins may need to make a decision regarding how to handle Harry Potter related posts in ~tildes

    Macha
    Link Parent
    How is the request different from the status quo if you think that people should keep discussing the author? The post is asking for a change, what other change could it be?

    How is the request different from the status quo if you think that people should keep discussing the author? The post is asking for a change, what other change could it be?

    4 votes

  2. Comment on I think Tildes moderators and admins may need to make a decision regarding how to handle Harry Potter related posts in ~tildes

    Macha
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Rowling is the primary executive producer and as far as I know has creative control. This both means that a legacy style countering of her message is incredibly unlikely, and also she probably...

    Perhaps the show could be used as a vehicle to increase visibility and acceptance for LGBT+ and other marginalised communities.

    Rowling is the primary executive producer and as far as I know has creative control. This both means that a legacy style countering of her message is incredibly unlikely, and also she probably gets a much bigger cut as it is adapting her novels directly and she’s a prominent member of the production, unlike legacy which merely licenses the franchise IP

    9 votes

  3. Comment on I think Tildes moderators and admins may need to make a decision regarding how to handle Harry Potter related posts in ~tildes

    Macha
    Link Parent
    The request is "Please don't discuss what a bigot JKR is (and how it relates to where she is directing her largest expenditure) when discussing the new adaptation, as that makes HP fans...

    What exclusion? What rule is there that you can't make your own topic to discuss Rowlings real world damage? Why is it that the same people who feel the need to bring it up on any topic with her aren't requesting a weekly topic then? Tildes is for discussion, but that's clearly not the goal if you're going to veer off topic every single time. Further its not as if posting it every single time changes literally anything. The odds anyone here isn't well aware of the issues with Rowling are slim, and bluntly, it would probably be better severed to HAVE a dedicated topic on the issue if you think there are.

    The request is "Please don't discuss what a bigot JKR is (and how it relates to where she is directing her largest expenditure) when discussing the new adaptation, as that makes HP fans uncomfortable". That is excluding a major aspect of the new productions. I didn't make the choice that JK Rowling was going to plow her fortune into "For Women Scotland" or set up the JK Rowling Women's Fund to take rights away from trans people (rather successfully, in the UK).

    And that using her funds in a big way and achieving success is what makes Rowling different and worse than e.g. James Woods. Woods has some shit views. His actions based on those views have mainly been tweeting about them. That makes separating the art from the artist much easier. This also applies to people tweeting their takes on Israel/Palestine conflict. People tweeting their views are whatever, seperate the art from the artist if you like. If they declared that revenue from their properties was going directly to fund settlers or Hamas on the other hand, that might be a little harder.

    I also think that what the original author and first executive producer says she is going to use her (presumably decently large) revenue share from the show is not off topic to announcements about the show.

    I find it sad for the people who I know who grew up with Harry Potter that they're literally told "you can never discuss something that made a huge impact on your life because your creator sucks".

    What's done is done. I too enjoyed the original books and movies as a kid growing up and it was a disappointment to see what Rowling became. I don't begrudge anyone for these properties having a place in their heart despite the author. But that doesn't mean you have to support the new adaptation (especially as it hopes to displace the movies they're apparently fond of).

    14 votes

  4. Comment on I think Tildes moderators and admins may need to make a decision regarding how to handle Harry Potter related posts in ~tildes

    Macha
    Link
    Is this a goal people want? Especially to the exclusion of discussing the real harm the author is doing and will continue to do with the financial support this new work will bring. To take it to...
    • Exemplary

    yall want to be a welcoming place for Potter fans to discuss that world

    Is this a goal people want? Especially to the exclusion of discussing the real harm the author is doing and will continue to do with the financial support this new work will bring.

    To take it to an extreme, do we want to be a "welcoming place for Nick Fuentes fans to discuss his works"? For a less extreme and somewhat more likely here example: If Neil Gaiman's work becomes the topic of a discussion, should people avoid discussing his actions?

    The person who has made Rowling a political figure (and by extension caused her works to receive political commentary) is Rowling herself.

    105 votes

  5. Comment on Hisense TVs show ads during normal operation in ~tech

    Macha
    Link Parent
    I have seen this claimed for years but never proven. It seems to be based on a Sony (iirc) patent for putting SIM cards in TVs that was never built, and one post on the Samsung forums several...

    I have seen this claimed for years but never proven. It seems to be based on a Sony (iirc) patent for putting SIM cards in TVs that was never built, and one post on the Samsung forums several years ago that given it has never been replicated, seems likely at this stage a house mate just connected the TV to the WiFi previously.

    16 votes

  6. Comment on What’s your preferred work monitor setup? in ~comp

    Macha
    (edited )
    Link
    3x27” 1 monitor contains slack or video calls 1 monitor contains my IDE Last monitor contains a terminal or browser depending on what project I’m working on In the office I only have two monitors...

    3x27”

    • 1 monitor contains slack or video calls
    • 1 monitor contains my IDE
    • Last monitor contains a terminal or browser depending on what project I’m working on

    In the office I only have two monitors at max so comms have to share with the ide monitor. Basically every app runs maximised - on my personal desktop I use tiling more but my employer provided work machine is a Mac and the features and shortcuts are too limited. Sometimes I only have one monitor or only the laptop display due to the hot desking setup. I find that such a impediment as to discourage working on the office

    3 votes

  7. Comment on UK Green Party wins Gorton and Denton by-election, pushing Labour into third place in ~society

    Macha
    Link Parent
    Judging by your username, I think we might be from the same country. I think between your party struggling to take off and the greens showing they can beat Labour in their home turf, it’s sort of...

    Judging by your username, I think we might be from the same country.

    I think between your party struggling to take off and the greens showing they can beat Labour in their home turf, it’s sort of good if the greens get a boost to being the obvious left wing choice given the FPTP system in the UK.

    5 votes

  8. Comment on UK Green Party wins Gorton and Denton by-election, pushing Labour into third place in ~society

    Macha
    Link
    The projections beforehand were pretty much 30/30/30 for Greens/Reform/Labour, but the actual results are Greens: 41 / Reform: 29 / Labour: 26 . A lot of Labour's campaigning was about vote...

    The projections beforehand were pretty much 30/30/30 for Greens/Reform/Labour, but the actual results are Greens: 41 / Reform: 29 / Labour: 26 . A lot of Labour's campaigning was about vote splitting on the Left letting Reform get by in what would traditionally be a very left wing seat. I think it's interesting just how much the Greens outperformed.

    It's also a little embarassing for Starmer personally as he blocked the current Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, running for fear it would put Burnham in a position to challenge Starmer. Likely Burnham would have been a much stronger candidate, both as he has a lot more name recognition and is generally seen as more left wing than the current labour leadership.

    It's causing some strife within Labour as Starmer released a statement basically insisting labour is being outflanked by left extremists and needs to push a message of left unity, while the left wing faction in the labour party have been using it to call on labour to be more left wing.

    It feels like the combination of the perception that Labour was shutting out their left wing candidate due to internal politics, while also having been more right wing in government meant they lost a bunch of left wing voters in this seat. In the last while they've been mostly focused on attracting right wing Reform voters (who already have plenty of right wing parties to choose from...) so some interesting implications for Labour's future strategy and future election results.

    15 votes

  10. Comment on California’s new bill requires Department of Justice-approved 3D printers that report on themselves in ~hobbies

    Macha
    Link Parent
    Maybe also jurisdiction dependent? Both major hardware stores here only sell electric models. There’s an online builder supplier that sells a PAT model with implies you might be able to get the...

    Maybe also jurisdiction dependent? Both major hardware stores here only sell electric models. There’s an online builder supplier that sells a PAT model with implies you might be able to get the powder somewhere, but notably they don’t sell any themselves. Seems you might have to go through the same channels as for getting it for guns here.

    1 vote

  11. Comment on Discord: Getting global age assurance right: what we got wrong and what's changing in ~tech

    Macha
    Link Parent
    Well I think the pause is because the losses were more than they expected. Maybe with a little embarassment at Persona being breached. That said, they're probably hoping by waiting they can...

    I cancelled that, of course. clearly whatever data they get from this supersedes the losses from all the subscriptions being dropped.

    Well I think the pause is because the losses were more than they expected. Maybe with a little embarassment at Persona being breached.

    That said, they're probably hoping by waiting they can eventually have their cake and eat it too.

    2 votes

  12. Comment on California’s new bill requires Department of Justice-approved 3D printers that report on themselves in ~hobbies

    Macha
    Link Parent
    Countries which don't have the rest of the gun supply chain legal would make it more difficult surely. I imagine it's a lot harder to 3d print gunpowder or bullets than a single use gun barrel.

    Countries which don't have the rest of the gun supply chain legal would make it more difficult surely. I imagine it's a lot harder to 3d print gunpowder or bullets than a single use gun barrel.

    3 votes

  13. Comment on Discord: Getting global age assurance right: what we got wrong and what's changing in ~tech

    Macha
    Link Parent
    In the end it boils down to “we’re waiting until we can try convince you to be less mad”. The same concerns still exist, and if their plan in the second half of the same year is to just try the...

    In the end it boils down to “we’re waiting until we can try convince you to be less mad”. The same concerns still exist, and if their plan in the second half of the same year is to just try the same with more time spent on blog posts, I don’t see why the reaction should be different

    12 votes

  14. Comment on A rant about how devices handle users with language backgrounds other than English in ~tech

    Macha
    Link Parent
    Too much software thinking a naive string.split or string.join is sufficient for CSV handling :(

    Too much software thinking a naive string.split or string.join is sufficient for CSV handling :(

    3 votes

  15. Comment on Humble Bundle Books: (Almost) the entirety of Discworld for $16 in ~books

    Macha
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    It's a satirical fantasy setting which uses its fantasy world to explore real world issues. It starts off in real swords and sandals territory and over the course of the series undergoes an...
    • Exemplary

    It's a satirical fantasy setting which uses its fantasy world to explore real world issues. It starts off in real swords and sandals territory and over the course of the series undergoes an industrial revolution. Lots of interesting looks at how a fantasy world reacts to that kind of change too.

    As for reading order, the community has made this guide:

    https://i.pinimg.com/736x/1c/10/d9/1c10d9e1c5800ead1dd17223125f9ecb.jpg

    There's basically 7 major subseries:

    • The witches: Explores the rural kingdom of Lancre, particularly through the eyes of the witches who, while they are magical, are more sort of folk healers, amateur psychologists and sort of detached oracles who guide society while only partly being in it.
    • Death: Explores the adventures of Death, the grim reaper who is curious about humanity and thinks of himself in ways as tending to it.
    • The Watch: Explores the police force of Ankh-Morpork as the city becomes increasingly metropolitan. Very often explores themes of integration and inclusion.
    • The Wizards: There's two types of stories in here, the more metaphysical which is often ultimately about why magic can't solve everything and then the travel diaries which show off the other cultures of the setting.
    • Industrial Revolution: These focus on the impact of technology and modernity in this fantasy world and lots of focus on who try to benefit from the change. Like The Watch, it's largely set in Ankh-Morpork, so it shares a lot of characters with the later Watch books
    • Tiffany Aching: This is effectively the YA sequel series to the Witches. The YA designation may put a lot of people off, but it's not dumbed down, the only really YA thing about it is the protagonist being a teenager. Like these are
    • The Science of Discworld: This is a sort of half pop science and half novel series where they use the wizards accidentally creating a non-magical world that they can observe to explore various real world physics and also some meta-commentary on how observers view worlds different to their own.

    Most of the books are relatively independent for their main plot and message, but characters from earlier in their subseries are going to reappear. I think the only subseries where reading in order is really mandatory are The Watch and Tiffany Aching though, you can read the other subseries out of order if you don't mind some spoilers. The books aren't thrillers or mysteries though, so it's usually not a big deal. The one exception is the first two books (The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic) are a sort of duology.

    My suggested starting point is either "Guards, Guards" (the first Watch book) or "Equal Rites" (the first Witches book) which will give you a good taste of if you'll like those subseries and should continue or not.

    As for books to skip, honestly most of them are very good. There's a couple of ones that are commonly considered weaker though:

    1. The first two books (The Colour of Magic / The Light Fantastic) are before Pratchett really found his voice, so they're sort of him trying to be "Douglas Adams, but fantasy". It's enjoyable, but it's not what the series is known for, and is weaker than when the series really finds its feet.
    2. The Amazing Maurice. While the Tiffany Aching books are "YA" books that are perfectly enjoyable for adults, I think Maurice doesn't quite achieve that so it's more childish.
    3. The last few books (Unseen Academicals, Raising Steam, The Shepherd's Crown) - by this stage Terry Pratchett was clearly suffering from his Alzheimers and the books do suffer. That said, I will defend Shepherd's Crown for bringing some closure to the story and I guess his editor probably did more to whip that one into shape after he passed.
    13 votes

  16. Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of February 16 in ~society

    Macha
    Link Parent
    Ah, I guess I normally just don’t see it so early

    Ah, I guess I normally just don’t see it so early

    2 votes

  17. Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of February 16 in ~society

    Macha
    Link
    Wasn’t this moved to ~society?

    Wasn’t this moved to ~society?

    6 votes

  18. Comment on Something big is happening in ~tech

    Macha
    Link Parent
    Here's one plausible way the training sets are already approximately "the entire internet" there's not much more data to feed into these high end models The AI companies are already wildly...

    there's no plausible way for it to get worse;

    Here's one plausible way

    • the training sets are already approximately "the entire internet" there's not much more data to feed into these high end models
    • The AI companies are already wildly unprofitable, the investors insist they stop doing expensive activities like training new models and instead raise ROI on the current models
    • This means raising prices (especially on stuff like the Claude subscriptions) which means the good models are too expensive to use for many tasks
    • so a lot of stuff tries squeezing into Haiku/GPT-mini etc., or cheaper to run models which just aren't as good as the bigger models.

    And there's your enshittified AI that goes backwards

    20 votes

  19. Comment on Discord will require a face scan or ID for full access next month in ~tech

    Macha
    Link Parent
    It's not "not being friended by strangers" it's "strangers friend requests go into a other folder" which they will be accustomed to looking in as so will their initial friend requests from their...

    It's not "not being friended by strangers" it's "strangers friend requests go into a other folder" which they will be accustomed to looking in as so will their initial friend requests from their friends.

    2 votes

  20. Comment on Discord will require a face scan or ID for full access next month in ~tech

    Macha
    Link Parent
    In 7 years, they might have incrementally moved to just outright asking to know your ID and keep it on file with the way some of these regulations are trending. :(

    In 7 years, they might have incrementally moved to just outright asking to know your ID and keep it on file with the way some of these regulations are trending. :(