Maven's recent activity
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Comment on Trump Administration to LGBT couples: Your 'out of wedlock' kids aren't citizens in ~lgbt
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Comment on Sony and Microsoft to explore strategic partnership, collaborate on new cloud-based solutions for gaming experiences and AI solutions in ~tech
Maven Link ParentYeah, no thanks. Let me know when you solve the latency problem. Hint: it's physically impossible to get a cloud game as responsive as a locally-processed game, and it's only going to get worse as...Yeah, no thanks. Let me know when you solve the latency problem. Hint: it's physically impossible to get a cloud game as responsive as a locally-processed game, and it's only going to get worse as American ISPs keep falling behind.
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Comment on Why do people not like telemetry? in ~talk
Maven Link ParentI use both. Firefox on mobile because it's the only real option (no addons = broken browser). Chrome on desktop... mostly out of inertia tbh, I've been thinking about switching for ages but it's...I use both. Firefox on mobile because it's the only real option (no addons = broken browser). Chrome on desktop... mostly out of inertia tbh, I've been thinking about switching for ages but it's got a few really nice features and the annoyances are just minor enough not to push me away. Plus, I kinda feel like with google it's more of a deal with the devil than a straight up middle finger, and I'd be using a lot of google stuff anyways.
In general I turn off telemetry unless it's for an open-source app. I don't specifically seek out open source apps, but I do use a fair number of them since they tend to be better than the alternatives. Slide is the best reddit app I've ever used, Musicolet blows away every other music app I've tried, libreoffice is free and customizable, and so on. But if your app isn't open source then yeah, I'm going to assume telemetry = spying and just turn it off without wasting my time on research. I wish more apps would work like my OS, which gave me an unmissable giant popup window telling me it had telemetry on my first login, plus a one-click toggle to turn it off, and a way to quickly see what would be sent if I left it on.
So yeah. That's probably not the hard-line stance you were expecting. I think people who advocate for ditching google, amazon, etc are fighting a good fight, but that lifestyle isn't for me. I do draw an absolute hard line at the OS though. Apps can be replaced with minimal friction, but changing OSes is a big deal.
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Comment on Why do people not like telemetry? in ~talk
Maven Link ParentAbsolutely, though it's pretty scummy to use dark patterns to make it difficult to disable. And then you have switches that don't actually do anything, like in windows. Great, I can choose between...Absolutely, though it's pretty scummy to use dark patterns to make it difficult to disable. And then you have switches that don't actually do anything, like in windows. Great, I can choose between invasive surveillance and slightly less invasive surveillance (that routinely turns itself back on), and somehow microsoft expects me to "trust" them...
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Comment on Epic buys Rocket League developer Psyonix, strongly hints it will stop selling the game on Steam in ~games
Maven Link ParentAs a linux user, proton buys a lot of loyalty. I messed around with wine before but these days, if it's not on steam it might as well not exist as far as I'm concerned. When linux support is that...As a linux user, proton buys a lot of loyalty. I messed around with wine before but these days, if it's not on steam it might as well not exist as far as I'm concerned. When linux support is that easy, not putting it on steam is equivalent to giving me the finger.
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Comment on Do you ever feel like you want to learn everything? in ~talk
Maven Link ParentThis makes me think of something I read once. I don't remember the exact quote, but the idea is that if you eat enough scientific fields then the gaps between them start shrinking until your...And what l think the advantage of the "jack of all trades" thing is, is that at some point you know a little bit about this, a little bit about that, you're aware x technique is a thing and works with y material; you can start combining fields to make interesting things.
This makes me think of something I read once. I don't remember the exact quote, but the idea is that if you eat enough scientific fields then the gaps between them start shrinking until your knowledge is a single coherent, unified whole.
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Comment on Do you ever feel like you want to learn everything? in ~talk
Maven Link ParentI've been looking for a gui automation language that works on linux -- can't believe I never thought of seeing if there was something built into another language. Thank you so much!The most recent being Python where a year ago, I really only knew how to use PyAutoGUI to move my mouse around.
I've been looking for a gui automation language that works on linux -- can't believe I never thought of seeing if there was something built into another language. Thank you so much!
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Comment on Toxicity is a symptom, not a cause: to fix it, treat the discontent around the game, not the players reacting to it. in ~games
Maven Link ParentYes. The number of edges in a fully connected graph grows exponentially with the number of nodes in that graph. In other words, the more people you have, the more chances there are for bad...or is there an underlying issue that causes some sort of a mathematical increase in ill behavior?
Yes. The number of edges in a fully connected graph grows exponentially with the number of nodes in that graph.
In other words, the more people you have, the more chances there are for bad interactions. Negative stuff weighs much more heavily on people than positive stuff. You need at least two positive interactions for every negative interaction, and it might be closer to four or five. 1:2 is the average ratio for random stuff, 1:5 is from marriage/divorce research.
And of course, trolls are much louder than ordinary people, and they tend to suck others in. A single troll can easily "tilt" an entire team, creating four people who then go on to mess up games of their own.
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Comment on Florida State University and Stanford are developing an "online polygraph" that detects lies in text — without the contextual clues that can hint at deception in a face-to-face conversation. in ~tech
Maven LinkA skilled human lie detector only gets it right slightly more than half the time. I'm pretty sure this is just a bad training set or some similar error.A skilled human lie detector only gets it right slightly more than half the time. I'm pretty sure this is just a bad training set or some similar error.
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Comment on Fifty years of the internet -- What we learned, and where will we go next? in ~tech
Maven LinkThis makes me think of one of the phases of human development in Three Body Problem where humanity had more or less finished polishing every currently existing technology. As cool as it sounds, I...When I walk into a room, the room should know I’m there and it should provide to me the services and applications that match my profile, privileges and preferences. I should be able to interact with the system using the usual human communication methods of speech, gestures, haptics, etc.
This makes me think of one of the phases of human development in Three Body Problem where humanity had more or less finished polishing every currently existing technology. As cool as it sounds, I don't know that it's such a good thing because behind that tech is someone trying to manipulate everyone who comes into contact with it.
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Comment on what creative projects are you working on? in ~creative
Maven LinkI've been writing a fantasy web serial with my sister! It's still in the early stages, but think The Magicians crossed with Ender's game, except with hard magic and a more rational bent. I've had...I've been writing a fantasy web serial with my sister! It's still in the early stages, but think The Magicians crossed with Ender's game, except with hard magic and a more rational bent.
I've had issues with deadlines in the past, so now I'm working on getting it all written/edited before I start posting. The pace has really picked up lately as I've hit a stride though, so feel pretty good about that.
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Comment on Telegram gets three million new signups during Facebook apps’ outage in ~tech
Maven Link ParentIs there at least a good reason for them making their own encryption?Is there at least a good reason for them making their own encryption?
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Comment on The hottest chat app for teens is … Google Docs in ~tech
Maven Link ParentIt's only kind of real time though because updates are batched. You see whole sentences appearing sometimes, depending on how fast people are typing.It's only kind of real time though because updates are batched. You see whole sentences appearing sometimes, depending on how fast people are typing.
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Comment on What do you think will be the next big innovation to smart phones? in ~tech
Maven Link ParentI occasionally see people just talking to a microphone in their earbud wire or whatever and it always makes me think of Her.I occasionally see people just talking to a microphone in their earbud wire or whatever and it always makes me think of Her.
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Comment on Tildes mobile app in ~tildes
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Comment on I don’t wanna do my video game chores in ~games
Maven Link ParentSometimes the cross country route really isn't better though, like if there's a small cliff or ravine. For the rest, I think the roads are built to mimic real-life patterns, without thinking...Sometimes the cross country route really isn't better though, like if there's a small cliff or ravine. For the rest, I think the roads are built to mimic real-life patterns, without thinking through the reasons for those patterns. For example, in the game you don't care if you're going uphill. You can hurtle off cliffs no problem (as long as it doesn't kill you, you can just heal).
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Comment on I don’t wanna do my video game chores in ~games
Maven Link ParentRoach (Witcher 3) will follow roads to your active quest area. I hardly even used it because it was faster to go cross-country, but still.Riding in itself might become much more complex and possibly frustrating for large stretches, but another interesting thing about equines is that they know how to follow and memorize paths, so you don't need to steer them all the time as you do with a car. It's not uncommon for sleeping drunkards to be taken home by their horses.
Roach (Witcher 3) will follow roads to your active quest area. I hardly even used it because it was faster to go cross-country, but still.
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Comment on Amazon’s Lord of the Rings TV show is set in the Second Age — here’s why that matters in ~tv
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Comment on Amazon’s Lord of the Rings TV show is set in the Second Age — here’s why that matters in ~tv
Maven Link ParentWhat does the twitter comment intervals have to do with anything?What does the twitter comment intervals have to do with anything?
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Comment on Finally, women have their own mediocre Marvel movie in ~movies
Maven Link ParentI'm okay with formulaic movies. If I wanted to think, I wouldn't be watching TV -- I'm here to turn off my brain and enjoy the CGI.I'm okay with formulaic movies. If I wanted to think, I wouldn't be watching TV -- I'm here to turn off my brain and enjoy the CGI.
A little too much chimp? We're all chimp (metaphorically), and that's not going to change until we hit the singularity.