Nullroad's recent activity
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Comment on What are some more obscure hobbies you enjoy? in ~hobbies
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Comment on Does anyone else listen to any D&D podcasts? in ~games.tabletop
Nullroad LinkI am largely turned off by podcasts that cover campaigns. Most of them are staffed by comedians who might be able to run a set, but are trying so hard to be funny off-the-cuff that it becomes...I am largely turned off by podcasts that cover campaigns. Most of them are staffed by comedians who might be able to run a set, but are trying so hard to be funny off-the-cuff that it becomes cringe for me. But I do enjoy podcasts about gaming.
One I'd recommend, though it hasn't been updated in awhile, is Blogs on Tape. It's mostly OSR focused, and while I am not a strictly OSR GM, I am a shameless thief of ideas and its been good to sample blogs from across the internet in audio-format.
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Comment on Zero to low prep games in ~games.tabletop
Nullroad LinkI think it works more for one-shots and short-shots, but Beyond the Wall is a great game for sit-down-and-play games. The system provides play-books for players. These are guided random character...I think it works more for one-shots and short-shots, but Beyond the Wall is a great game for sit-down-and-play games.
- The system provides play-books for players. These are guided random character generation of a specific flavor. So pretty quickly the players get a nice skeleton to hang their characters on.
- After character creation, the characters take turns creating and adding elements to their home-village. here, the players create the world for you.
- While they're doing that, I'm usually running through the GM play book or scribbling the barest bits of prep.
It all really works well for a 1-3 session game.
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Comment on What are some more obscure hobbies you enjoy? in ~hobbies
Nullroad Link ParentI am kinda in the camp that a lot of the fancy pens are pretty overrated. I have a couple of $200 pens, and in front of me as my daily driver pens are... A $20 Wingsung 601 A $25 Moonman A1 A $30...I am kinda in the camp that a lot of the fancy pens are pretty overrated. I have a couple of $200 pens, and in front of me as my daily driver pens are...
- A $20 Wingsung 601
- A $25 Moonman A1
- A $30 Kaweco Sport.
Of my fancier pens, the only one I feel like is remotely worth the price is the Sailor Pro Gear Slim I have.
I actually have really enjoyed buying some of the cheapos and playing around with learning how to tune them for fun. Any pen that writes good for you is a good pen, and price doesn't necessarily have anything to do with it. Of course, if you find an expensive that calls out to you and makes you enjoy writing more, totally go for it.
I guess I just wanted to convey that cheap pens are just as fun and legitimate a part of the hobby as expensive pens, and that when and if you go for more expensive pens, really go for a pen that really calls out to you. Don't be dummy like me and pick up a gold-nib pen because you feel you ought to and want to know what the fuss is all about. I still like all the pens I have (with the exception of the Vanishing point - worst pen I have), but if I could go back I probably would just get the one I really love writing with (the sailor).
Also - it's weird, but fountain pens seem to attract the nicest people. It's a good hobby to get into, I hope you have fun!
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Comment on What are some more obscure hobbies you enjoy? in ~hobbies
Nullroad LinkMaybe it isn’t particular obscure, but I enjoy pre-computer writing instuments of all kinds. So I have a small collection of dip pens, fountain pens, and typewriters. Also way more ink than I...Maybe it isn’t particular obscure, but I enjoy pre-computer writing instuments of all kinds. So I have a small collection of dip pens, fountain pens, and typewriters. Also way more ink than I could ever use.
II’m also a horrific self-editor in my personal fiction writing, so I often draft things on the typewriter first as there is no undo feature in a typewriter.
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Comment on Do we need copyright? in ~humanities
Nullroad LinkCopyright is in a sense, a deeply contradictory idea. It's the supposed protection of property rights, but at the expense of those same property rights. The restriction copyright puts on the...Copyright is in a sense, a deeply contradictory idea. It's the supposed protection of property rights, but at the expense of those same property rights. The restriction copyright puts on the things you buy has converted a huge swath of products from things you own to rent-seeking licenses you've been granted temporary use of.
Does humanity need copyright? No, property itself not a given for the human experience. Does capitalism need copyright? Perhaps. Does it need the copyright system, the baroque and insanely exploitative system that does nothing but concentrate wealth for the upper class and seek rent? Absolutely not.
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Comment on Do you think this place will get big on/after July 1st? in ~tildes
Nullroad Link ParentI am not sure how much they will back-peddle, this time. It's an open question. Unlike previous stupid actions, there are bankers and IPO consultants involved, and there is a seething anger among...I am not sure how much they will back-peddle, this time. It's an open question. Unlike previous stupid actions, there are bankers and IPO consultants involved, and there is a seething anger among the social-media platforms' leadership that AI companies are getting a free-lunch at their table. It also appears that Reddit's leadership has the petulant view that mobile users on 3P as some kind of parasite, and is making that classic mistake of thinking that all these users would be fully theirs if <thing> didn't exist. They need to look strong in front of investors.
There is too many capitalist impulses and MBAs involved here. My assumption is that they'll at best make some some weak-tea concessions, but ultimately stay the course until they hit the iceberg that is IPO.
And IPO will be an iceberg. What are investors going to really see in Reddit? Ad revenues are not growing strong. Reddit is not a technology powerhouse like Facebook or Google and can barely keep their own lights on. Reddit has about 'saturated' its size and influence. User trust is eroding because reddit has completely failed to handle the bot / paid super-user problem and grown more intrusive. Where is the growth?
I see whatever price they release at bombing, and then leadership will have to scramble to raise revenues to appease whatever investors got suckered in. This will result in a wave of new, user-hostile anti-features. That's why I'm done even if they walk back this action. Nothing good lies in the future.
Tunning is adjusting the flow of ink in a pen or fixing small issues like misaligned tines. In my view, a fountain pen should write under its own weight - just lean a pen against your hand, and let it drag across the page. If the line is good, then you have enough flow. If its not, it probably needs a little tunning.
You can mess up a nib doing tuning, so its best to learn on expendable pens. The best way to learn a feel for it is by buying some cheap Jinhaos (usually like $2-3 a pop, and in my experience, always too dry. Is ink a precious commodity in China?) then you can watch some youtube videos and play around. It's really not much more than that. It's just kinda fun to play around and rewarding to get a pen to write exactly how you want it to.
There are some nice tuning tools - you'll almost certainly want a decent jeweler's loupe. Brass sheets and spreaders are also nice. There are also things like mylar sheets and other fine-grain materials that can help you smooth out nibs, if you find something too scratchy. Again though, this is stuff that can mess up your pen, so its best to throw sacrificial pens at it until you got it down.
After that we get into the wonderful world of nib grinding. But I haven't gotten there yet. I don't really have the space to get a grinder, but one day!