Power0utage's recent activity
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
-
Comment on Man sets himself on fire near courthouse where Donald Trump is on trial (gifted link) in ~news
Power0utage Link ParentI am in a state of hypnosis now.Lastly, we string these major discoveries together: Cryptocurrency is an economic doomsday device; our government is a secret kleptocracy; The Simpsons exists to brainwash us.
I am in a state of hypnosis now.
-
Comment on PlayStation Portal sales continue to impress despite skepticism in ~games
Power0utage Link ParentI was able to play Elden Ring *just fine while staying in a hotel room. *I'm not sure about the latency or input lag, but I seemed to be dodging stuff just fine.I was able to play Elden Ring *just fine while staying in a hotel room.
*I'm not sure about the latency or input lag, but I seemed to be dodging stuff just fine.
-
Comment on PlayStation Portal sales continue to impress despite skepticism in ~games
Power0utage LinkI've enjoyed it for what it is. I know I can remote play on any of my other devices, including my Steam Deck, but I paid for the PS5 controller "feel". Whereas I feel carpal tunnel slowly sneaking...I've enjoyed it for what it is. I know I can remote play on any of my other devices, including my Steam Deck, but I paid for the PS5 controller "feel". Whereas I feel carpal tunnel slowly sneaking in with the Steam Deck, the PS Portal feels almost as nice as the controllers do.
-
Comment on 'Rust' armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed guilty of involuntary manslaughter in ~movies
Power0utage Link ParentIf I'm going to be sitting in front of a judge and jury, I'm going to make absolutely certain I put on my best "good church girl" impression, even if my standard style is completely opposite. You...If I'm going to be sitting in front of a judge and jury, I'm going to make absolutely certain I put on my best "good church girl" impression, even if my standard style is completely opposite. You gotta do whatever you can to sway the jurors.
-
Comment on Learning new programming languages with limited time: Rust, golang, or otherwise? in ~comp
Power0utage Link ParentThat's part of what was driving me so crazy, and I'm sure it's because I wasn't using Results properly. I vaguely remember being forced to handle an Sqlite exception and having to Google around...except having to wrap everything in Ok()
That's part of what was driving me so crazy, and I'm sure it's because I wasn't using Results properly. I vaguely remember being forced to handle an Sqlite exception and having to Google around until I could find the proper way to handle it. I didn't think the Rust book was very helpful in that particular section.
If could find a good primer on the RIGHT way to handle errors, I'm sure that would go a long way for me.
-
Learning new programming languages with limited time: Rust, golang, or otherwise?
I want to learn a new language that I can use for personal projects. But I want to pick the right one for me, given the fact that learning it will be a time investment and I don't have a ton of...
I want to learn a new language that I can use for personal projects. But I want to pick the right one for me, given the fact that learning it will be a time investment and I don't have a ton of time for "fun" stuff these days.
I've spent a decent amount of time tinkering around with Rust and my experience has been decent so far, if I'm trying to filter it through the lens of the current Rust craze. It just seems that the code has a somewhat... ugly(?)... aesthetic to it? I'm not willing to cast it aside yet and I think the "ugliness" just comes from me not really recognizing the syntax very well.
I started looking at golang and was immediately interested in the marketing message of it being "a better C". Aside from Hello World, I haven't done anything else with it.
Some random notes/points about my experience and what I'm looking for:
- I am very accomplished with PHP, quite accomplished with C, somewhat accomplished with C++ and Python. Of those, I find Python to be too "free and easy", PHP (Symfony specifically) and C++ to be so OOP-oriented that I just end up writing a bunch of boilerplate, and C is just... C (I'd rather pull out a tooth than have to work with C strings).
- Aside from the obvious pains of C, I think it's the most fun of the bunch. I don't know why I think this, because again, I absolutely hate C strings.
- I appreciate the package management and ecosystem of Rust, from what I've seen. C-with-Cargo would be awesome.
- The older I get, the more I appreciate strong typing.
- I like a language that allows me to systematically and logically organize my code into various modules, directories, etc. This is where PHP/Symfony shines in that there's a place for everything, as opposed to a bunch of .c and .h files all dumped into a folder.
- Ideally, I'd like something that can compile into a binary that doesn't require JVM, etc.
I'm open to suggestions outside of Rust and Go... those are just the ones I've been seeing mentioned the most over the past decade.
26 votes -
Comment on How MLS roster construction is evolving as Lionel Messi shines in the spotlight in ~sports.football
Power0utage Link ParentTheir new kits have gotten a mixed response (mostly negative if I'm just looking at Reddit) but I think they're absolutely SWEET. In fact, as soon as I reply, I'm probably going to order one. The...Their new kits have gotten a mixed response (mostly negative if I'm just looking at Reddit) but I think they're absolutely SWEET. In fact, as soon as I reply, I'm probably going to order one.
The haters down here in Houston can continue to hate as I wear my Texas Rangers and FC Dallas gear.
As far as the MLS goes, I'm not quite sure why this is the case, but I've found it more entertaining than the big Euro leagues lately. It might have something to do with parity, or how money can buy a good team in the Premier League (Man City), or just the fact that I'm American and we've got a pretty decent little league here now.
I can definitely say that the quality has increased by magnitudes over the past ten or so years. I stopped watching MLS in 2011 and switched to PL full time. Back then, passes were shoddy, runs were slow, and audience sizes were embarrassing. Each of those have trended in the right direction. It's a very fun league if you invest some time into it.
-
Is it time for a user growth campaign?
Take a look at the Tildes Statistics site. Couple things: 1, and most obvious: there has been a decline in users over the past few days for the first time that I'm aware of. 2: (I was going to...
Take a look at the Tildes Statistics site. Couple things:
1, and most obvious: there has been a decline in users over the past few days for the first time that I'm aware of.
2: (I was going to make this point before the user decline occurred but it's probably moot now) Due to the scaling of the Y-axis, it appears that there is healthy user growth in the site. But if you look at the numbers, we're talking about user growth of roughly 60 people over the past month.I know we want controlled growth, and I know we don't want to open it up to the masses. But we also want this site to succeed (i.e. provide interesting discourse and keep people coming back on a regular basis). I don't believe success can happen when growth is stagnant (or, declining!)
I don't think that the conversations are necessarily stagnant per se, in fact there's an impressive amount of thoughtful discussion relative to the size of the user base. But if a given topic is too niche (e.g. MLS football or MUDs, two of my interests), the odds of finding like-minded users to discuss with is obviously lower.
Is it time to consider some sort of growth campaign (one that is not reactionary a la the Reddit API changes) in order to infuse some new life into this awesome site?
37 votes -
Comment on Tiny little mobile feature request: dot indicator in ~tildes
Power0utage Link ParentI just checked and it's showing the indicator now. Either I'm going crazy, or there was an update overnight. Probably the former.I just checked and it's showing the indicator now.
Either I'm going crazy, or there was an update overnight. Probably the former.
-
Comment on Tiny little mobile feature request: dot indicator in ~tildes
Power0utage Link ParentJust viewing it through a mobile browser. I've done Safari on iOS and Chrome on Android.Just viewing it through a mobile browser. I've done Safari on iOS and Chrome on Android.
-
Tiny little mobile feature request: dot indicator
When viewing the desktop version of the website, there is a little orange notification to the left of my name when there are replies to my messages. When viewing the website in mobile, there is no...
When viewing the desktop version of the website, there is a little orange notification to the left of my name when there are replies to my messages.
When viewing the website in mobile, there is no such indication, and I have to open up the sidebar to see if I have any new replies.
Could we get a simple, orange "dot" indicator to the left the Sidebar link in mobile to let us know when we have unread messages?
I apologize in advance for the imgur link, but it could look something like this: Example
10 votes -
Comment on How MLS roster construction is evolving as Lionel Messi shines in the spotlight in ~sports.football
Power0utage LinkSome of my unordered observations, having really dived into MLS in the past year or so: On Messi: The league is milking him for all he's worth right now, and you really can't blame them. But, many...Some of my unordered observations, having really dived into MLS in the past year or so:
- On Messi: The league is milking him for all he's worth right now, and you really can't blame them. But, many people have become disillusioned or balk at the constant marketing around him/Inter Miami. Taylor Twellman seems like he is going to explode every time Messi gets a touch. Hopefully there have been significant "gains" league-wide (in terms of attracting new talent abroad and from the young'ins) because as soon as Messi's gone, this component of marketing for the MLS will vanish entirely.
- On the other Miami transfers: Busquets, Alba, and Vampire, even with being some of the greatest players from the recent past, haven't really moved the needle like Messi or Beckham have. Apparently, nothing short of a superstar on the world soccer stage will attract American viewership when there are so many other sports options.
- The league is really fun to watch, but I miss seeing defense. I'm not sure what the solution is to this and I've been told over and over again that we Americans love to see high scoring games so it's in our blood and best interests to keep the attacks strong and defenses weak.
- I really hate the way the MLS is handling the US Open cup. On the other hand, I really did have a blast watching the Leagues Cup last year. If only the US Open could get the pomp and marketing dollars that Apple poured into Leagues last year, it might have a better chance at surviving. But, I get it -- there's not a lot of media money in airing a soccer team Minot, ND playing someone from Midland, TX.
- I would love to see more inter-league games to see how MLS teams stack up against the elites. NOT MLS Allstars vs. Arsenal or friendlies.
- After a year of indecision, I think I'm finally settling on FC Dallas as my team. Nashville and LAFC are runners up because I really like some of the players, but I have no roots or loyalty to either. Hani Mukhtar has been my favorite player to watch because of his talent as well as his upbeat personality.
-
Comment on Why do the English love non-League football? in ~sports.football
Power0utage LinkWarning: American take ahead. Just going through the Wikipedia page on the pyramid is mindblowing to me. I thought I was an indie follower from the States when I discovered Wrexham in the National...Warning: American take ahead.
Just going through the Wikipedia page on the pyramid is mindblowing to me. I thought I was an indie follower from the States when I discovered Wrexham in the National League (5th level)*. Then, I started following** a club that is currently in the Isthmian League North Division (8th level).
*I'm not a complete Welcome to Wrexham bandwagoner... I discovered them after the acquisition announcement came out but before the documentary announcement came out.
**Following is a loose term -- the best updates I can get are post-match tweets about the final score and photos on Instagram a few days later...But it goes SO much deeper than that. Below the Isthmian League is the Combined Counties League (levels 9/10). Below those are, let's pick one, the Hampshire Premier League (levels 11/12). And it just keeps going. And to think, everyone gets a chance at the FA Cup!
There's no comparison with sports in the USA since we don't use promotion/relegation, but maybe one could compare the levels of the pyramid to college football teams, roughly based on attendance sizes. FBS teams would be Premier League teams (actually NFL teams, but bear with me for the sake of this dumb thought experiment). FCS teams, perhaps League 1 or 2? Directional U-type schools, perhaps National League North/South? Junior Colleges, perhaps levels 10+?
Luton Town's rise from National League to PL would then be akin to Southwestern Oklahoma State (the fightin' SWOSU Bulldogs) rising through the ranks up to FBS, and the Luton result against Liverpool today would be akin to SWOSU hanging in there, but ultimately being bested by the University of Michigan. Can you imagine an SEC team having to travel to Weatherford, Oklahoma to play on a muddy field with a few bleachers (a.k.a. PL teams playing at Luton)?!
It's a really awesome system and I wish we had something comparable in the States. Until then, I'll keep following my Isthmian League team in hopes that they will get promoted to where one day I'll actually be able to stream one of their games.
-
Comment on Why Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami will open the new MLS season with replacement match officials in ~sports.football
Power0utage LinkI couldn't read past the summary because of the paywall, but did they reference where the replacement referees are coming from? Are they going to be somewhat competent tonight/this weekend?I couldn't read past the summary because of the paywall, but did they reference where the replacement referees are coming from? Are they going to be somewhat competent tonight/this weekend?
-
Comment on Side projects that were actually good? in ~music
Power0utage Link ParentThere's also Big Red Machine which has put out some great stuff in the past few years.If you're a fan of Bon Iver's most recent albums
There's also Big Red Machine which has put out some great stuff in the past few years.
-
Comment on A reasonable configuration language in ~comp
Power0utage LinkI appreciate the legibility and simplicity of YAML for small, personal project-type configuration files. But I, like many others I'm sure, learned very quickly how messy YAML becomes when the...I appreciate the legibility and simplicity of YAML for small, personal project-type configuration files. But I, like many others I'm sure, learned very quickly how messy YAML becomes when the project starts to grow OR you start to depend on configuration for lots and lots of things.
Something that Symfony (PHP) has that comes with the copious YAML config files is an "Options Resolver" class, which forces validation on their internal configs (or anything else you build it for). So, you could use YAML files and enforce types, value ranges, etc. But unfortunately, you have to build a bunch of boilerplate code in addition to the config, so it becomes very tiring.
Along those same lines, I just saw the Hacker News post about Pkl which seems like it accomplishes both legibility and some sort of validation.
-
Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
Power0utage LinkMy current side project may be the best example of "when all you have is a hammer..." ever. Since I use PHP/Symfony daily and can develop very quickly with it, and I very much enjoy tinkering with...My current side project may be the best example of "when all you have is a hammer..." ever.
Since I use PHP/Symfony daily and can develop very quickly with it, and I very much enjoy tinkering with MUDs (they happen to be the source of my childhood promotion from Qbasic to C...), I've been working on a Symfony-based MUD server.
It's crazy and illogical, I know.
But the further I go down this road, the more interesting and cool benefits I find. For example,
- Symfony is meant to be a webserver first and foremost, so the MUD server also comes with a complete web frontend, using Symfony authentication, EasyAdmin for backend management, Symfony config, and even using Twig templates to render in-game things like score, help, etc. The MUD Server itself can be hosted via telnet or websockets. With the latter, the webserver provides a "terminal" to play the game directly in the browser.
- Symfony also has a great console component with awesome logging, so all of the CLI stuff has been a breeze.
- Symfony makes building components/plugins very easy and configurable, so you could download the base MUD and then attach a bunch of third-party packages for things like weather, combat, Discord, etc.
I've tried to adhere to Symfony's design philosophy as much as possible, and I've tried to stick to using a Symfony component if one exists.
As far as progress goes, I've got a pretty great working version right now (you can build a world, fight mobs, level up, equip gear, cast spells) and I'm working on some niceties like adherence to various MUD protocols, building tools to import areas from other types of MUDs, etc.
What's my end game? I have no clue. I think it's fun to build MUDs with Symfony, and maybe there are one or two others in the world that agree... or maybe not.
-
Comment on 50 Algorithms Every Programmer Should Know (Second Edition) in ~comp
Power0utage LinkSince we don't have the book on hand, why don't we come up with the Tildes-approved list of 50 algorithms every programmer should know (first edition)? I'll start with some easy ones. Please feel...Since we don't have the book on hand, why don't we come up with the Tildes-approved list of 50 algorithms every programmer should know (first edition)?
I'll start with some easy ones. Please feel free to strike through them because I have very little formal computer science training.
- Fizz Buzz (I know, it's so simple and overused that it's a meme, but if we're talk about algorithms everyone should know, it seems like it'd be good to have this one on hand in an interview)
- Bubble sort
- Quicksort (are sorting algorithms actually good to know these days??)
- Prime number algorithms (is n a prime number, or calculate the nth prime number)
- Fibonacci sequence (computer science 101, recursion, another meme)
-
Comment on The old games that still hold up incredibly well in ~games
Power0utage LinkI'll add: Super Metroid Final Fantasy IX (especially now that the load times are gone) Super Mario Kart from any era going all the way back to SNES Shining Force II (from the Sega Genesis...I'll add:
- Super Metroid
- Final Fantasy IX (especially now that the load times are gone)
- Super Mario Kart from any era going all the way back to SNES
- Shining Force II (from the Sega Genesis collection on Switch/PS5 etc.)
And Final Fantasy 1-6, if we're allowed to count the Remaster versions that were just released.
I've been looking for a good "junk food" JRPG fix and I've come across Octopath Traveler 2. For whatever reason, I couldn't really get into the first one, but I'm about 20 hours into this one and it's providing the fix I was looking for.
Pros:
Cons:
I went into this one completely blind and I have no clue if I'm in for another 10 hours or if it will be a 100+ hour grindfest, like Dragon Quest 11 turned into. 40 hours seems like the sweet spot for me -- I can't see how this could make it beyond that without becoming entirely too repetitive.