Madrigal's recent activity
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Comment on Christopher Luxon sworn in as New Zealand prime minister, says priority is to improve economy in ~news
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Comment on Christopher Luxon sworn in as New Zealand prime minister, says priority is to improve economy in ~news
Madrigal LinkRemember, folks. "The Economy" is a euphemism for rich people's interests.Remember, folks. "The Economy" is a euphemism for rich people's interests.
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Comment on Bringing back the minimal web in ~tech
Madrigal Link ParentPersonal take, but I would suggest that’s actually an issue with your browser’s built-in default styling. Yes I am aware this is ultimately just CSS. I think quite a few of the examples you cite...Therein lies the rub, because it looks really bad on a widescreen monitor.
Personal take, but I would suggest that’s actually an issue with your browser’s built-in default styling. Yes I am aware this is ultimately just CSS.
I've built a lot of responsive web pages, and I promise you that the web is not responsive by default. Even simple layouts, like a sidebar and main body, require CSS to work correctly on all screen sizes. Tables are not responsive in the least, and all other forms of layout (position, floats, flex, grid) require CSS to work.
I think quite a few of the examples you cite actually demonstrate the point about over design. Fonts, for example. In many cases these as best left to the user agent and in particular the user’s preferred settings. Accessibility is a key angle there - people’s needs are diverse when it comes to typefaces and text sizing. Locking in site-specific styling with “constraints” has the nasty side effect of overriding user settings, rendering the site inaccessible to many. My workplace has recently installed HelperBird to help correct this - again having to fix what web developers broke in the first place.
Ultimately I’m not arguing for “No CSS!!!” The underlying point here is that a minimalist approach can be superior in many ways, and we should be trying to preserve and enhance the core behaviour of the web rather than constantly messing with its conventions.
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Comment on Bringing back the minimal web in ~tech
Madrigal Link ParentNot sure where you got that idea from. Browsers apply default styling for HTML that work extremely well on whatever devices they’re being run on. No custom CSS is required for mobile support or...Not sure where you got that idea from. Browsers apply default styling for HTML that work extremely well on whatever devices they’re being run on. No custom CSS is required for mobile support or “responsive” design.
Here’s a classic example (language warning)
Looks great on mobile to me.
I think people forget that the web, at its core, is highly accessible and responsive. It was specifically designed that way. It’s all the dumb things developers and designers do that make it not so in the first place. It’s simultaneously hilarious and frustrating watching them then go into conniptions trying to fix problems they created in to begin with.
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Comment on Nostalgia -- what programs do you miss? in ~tech
Madrigal LinkHotline and Carracho: these were simple client/server systems that anyone could set up and run. They had FTP-like filing sharing, chat, and bulletin boards all built into one. You found servers...Hotline and Carracho: these were simple client/server systems that anyone could set up and run. They had FTP-like filing sharing, chat, and bulletin boards all built into one. You found servers you liked through trackers.
SoundJam MP: MP3 player for Macs, much like Winamp only with a more flexible skinning system. It was eventually bought by Apple and became the core of iTunes (albeit with a very different UI).
Arboretum Realizer: A plug-in for SoundJam MP (and Winamp I think) that algorithmically added back frequencies that were removed by MP3 compression, producing a dramatically richer and fuller audio experience.
Pirch 98: My client of choice in the late 90s back when IRC was still a thing. Yes I know it’s technically still around, but let’s be honest - it’s long dead.
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Comment on How you use YouTube in desktop and mobile devices. YouTube to limit usage of ad blockers soon. in ~tech
Madrigal Link ParentFor the moment, a range of things. But if their pricing comes down a bit, I'll switch to Kagi full time.For the moment, a range of things. But if their pricing comes down a bit, I'll switch to Kagi full time.
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Comment on How you use YouTube in desktop and mobile devices. YouTube to limit usage of ad blockers soon. in ~tech
Madrigal Link ParentI’m all good. My real email is paid for, along with my own domain, via a small local host. Gmail is just for throwaway stuff lol.I’m all good. My real email is paid for, along with my own domain, via a small local host. Gmail is just for throwaway stuff lol.
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Comment on How you use YouTube in desktop and mobile devices. YouTube to limit usage of ad blockers soon. in ~tech
Madrigal Link ParentI’ve only seen a couple of passing mentions, but supposedly Google are making moves to ‘extend’ email protocols with their own proprietary ones, kind of like Microsoft tried to do with JavaScript...I’ve only seen a couple of passing mentions, but supposedly Google are making moves to ‘extend’ email protocols with their own proprietary ones, kind of like Microsoft tried to do with JavaScript back in the day.
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Comment on This feels dumb to ask, but how do you get your news? in ~news
Madrigal LinkI find a great source for what’s really happening around the world is Wikipedia’s Current Events Portal.I find a great source for what’s really happening around the world is Wikipedia’s Current Events Portal.
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Comment on How you use YouTube in desktop and mobile devices. YouTube to limit usage of ad blockers soon. in ~tech
Madrigal LinkSo much for Alphabet. I’m already moving away from Google search because it’s become basically useless due to their failure to handle “SEO” abuse properly. I’ll be abandoning Gmail if the rumours...So much for Alphabet.
I’m already moving away from Google search because it’s become basically useless due to their failure to handle “SEO” abuse properly.
I’ll be abandoning Gmail if the rumours about their plans there are true.
And now it seems my days of using YouTube are coming to an end as well. Shame, I’d actually be willing to drop a few dollars a month for an ad-free premium experience, but they’re asking way too much and their “search” algorithm basically ignores what the user is looking for, so that’s a no-go.
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Comment on Should we be going back and editing games for content that doesn't fit with a modern viewpoint? in ~games
Madrigal Link ParentI believe Disney does the same. It’s absolutely the right way to handle it.I believe Disney does the same. It’s absolutely the right way to handle it.
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Comment on What are some antiquated things that most people still do out of a force of habit, or that are now unnecessary but have lasted culturally? in ~talk
Madrigal Link ParentOh yeah, this was a fun habit when I started using Confluence. "Save" is identical to "Publish" in that system. 40-something versions later...Oh yeah, this was a fun habit when I started using Confluence. "Save" is identical to "Publish" in that system. 40-something versions later...
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Comment on The Apple Vision Pro headset is a stupid product on the surface, but it is a calculated move that can bring Apple to the holy grail of computing: true augmented reality in ~tech
Madrigal LinkThere are two key things that appeal to me with the Vision Pro, and by extension the proliferation of similar devices we’re likely to see in the coming months and years (as with the iPod, iPhone,...There are two key things that appeal to me with the Vision Pro, and by extension the proliferation of similar devices we’re likely to see in the coming months and years (as with the iPod, iPhone, iPad etc):
- Potential replacement for monitors, providing much larger effective ‘screen size’. Great for people who are often juggling several windows / documents simultaneously.
- I’m hoping it’ll reduce the eye strain I suffer from by letting me shift my “desktop” focal distance much further away.
I don’t be an early adopter, partly due to price and partly because I expect the tech to take several iterations to hit maturity. But I will be keeping a close eye on it.
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Comment on Introductions | June 2023, part 2 in ~talk
Madrigal LinkHello everyone. Yet another ex-Redditor / Apollo user here. I didn’t leave just because of the latest drama; that was just the proverbial last straw. Truth is that Reddit has had major issues for...Hello everyone.
Yet another ex-Redditor / Apollo user here. I didn’t leave just because of the latest drama; that was just the proverbial last straw. Truth is that Reddit has had major issues for years now - rampant karma “farming”, out of control power mods, and a general decline in content quality. I’m finally done with it.
Looking forward to getting to know Tildes. I’m definitely drawn by the the fact that it’s not trying to be a Reddit clone.
Not with this government. For example, they have given their hard-right/libertarian coalition partner the workplace relations portfolio. This speaks volumes about their intentions for ordinary working class folks. We're going to see policies that promote casualisation of labour, union-busting, that kind of thing.