Rudism's recent activity

  1. Comment on The banal horror of Jimmy Fallon in ~tv

    Rudism
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    I don't have a strong opinion on Fallon specifically--the last show of this format I was able to stomach was Conan O'Brien's Late Show in the 90s/00s, but I will say that I absolutely love the...

    I don't have a strong opinion on Fallon specifically--the last show of this format I was able to stomach was Conan O'Brien's Late Show in the 90s/00s, but I will say that I absolutely love the writing in this article. The language in this passage really jumped out at me:

    As Altman offers up the future of his own offspring to the black box of his company’s large language model, Fallon’s grin never wavers. It is the ultimate Gothic inversion: the living child is transformed into a data set to be optimized, while the host performs a pantomime of joy to mask the sound of a tomb clicking shut.

    1 vote

  2. Comment on How I feel about LLM (AI) writing in ~tech

    Rudism
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    I think it's essentially become shorthand for anything generated wholly or in part by AI (regardless of perceived quality).

    I think it's essentially become shorthand for anything generated wholly or in part by AI (regardless of perceived quality).

    1 vote

  3. Comment on The boy that cried Mythos in ~comp

    Rudism
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    Is it ironic? Can you not use AI or see value in it for certain things, while also being skeptical of it in other unrelated instances? Using an LLM means you're not allowed to be critical of the...

    The irony of this piece is that you can play count the LLM writing tropes in it. If you make it a drinking game you'll pass out before the end.

    Is it ironic? Can you not use AI or see value in it for certain things, while also being skeptical of it in other unrelated instances? Using an LLM means you're not allowed to be critical of the companies that sell them or hype them up? To be clear, I have no idea if the author used AI to help write this (it doesn't come off that way to me personally, but people have told me I write like an AI too so maybe my ability to detect it just sucks), but this kind of ad hominem really rubs me the wrong way.

  4. Comment on Help - Steam Link inconsistent across different games in ~games

    Rudism
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    I am also a convert to Sunshine/Moonlight due to many issues encountered with Steam Link (Linux host, clients on a combo of Linux and Android devices). I've only had one major problem with...

    I am also a convert to Sunshine/Moonlight due to many issues encountered with Steam Link (Linux host, clients on a combo of Linux and Android devices). I've only had one major problem with Sunshine (you need to jump through some hoops if you're running Wayland), but once I got that worked out it's been 100x more reliable and consistent compared to the constant struggles I had with Steam Link prior to the switch.

    2 votes

  5. Comment on What's something that you missed out on? in ~talk

    Rudism
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    Crypto wallets are protected by private keys, which is just a blob of data. When you use an online wallet or a crypto exchange, that private key necessarily has to be stored by the app or exchange...

    Crypto wallets are protected by private keys, which is just a blob of data. When you use an online wallet or a crypto exchange, that private key necessarily has to be stored by the app or exchange in order to access and do anything with the funds, which means the private key is vulnerable to hackers. Once the hackers get that key, they control the funds in the wallet.

    A cold wallet isn't technically any different from a hot wallet, it just means your private key is not stored anywhere online... the key is on a device that isn't accessible over the internet, like an unplugged hard drive or printed out on paper, making it completely inaccessible (to online hackers at least, obviously someone could still break through whatever physical security you have around whatever you're storing the key on to rob you and get it that way).

    1 vote

  6. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Rudism
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    Update: I ended up returning it just shy of putting 2 hours into it. Dunno if it's because Linux or what, but I was getting occasional stutters and screen tearing (despite vsync being on) that...

    Update: I ended up returning it just shy of putting 2 hours into it. Dunno if it's because Linux or what, but I was getting occasional stutters and screen tearing (despite vsync being on) that were driving me crazy.

    1 vote

  7. Comment on Linux privilege escalation (CVE-2026-31431) in ~comp

    Rudism
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    When you're writing markdown that gets converted to HTML, you can insert an en dash with -- and an em dash with ---. I also use them quite a bit in my writing—but now I second guess myself for...

    When you're writing markdown that gets converted to HTML, you can insert an en dash with -- and an em dash with ---. I also use them quite a bit in my writing—but now I second guess myself for fear that I'll come off sounding like an AI.

    8 votes

  8. Comment on Looking for early users to try my app in ~tech

    Rudism
    (edited )
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    It's not something I'm in the target audience for, but I do have some recommendations: Don't limit searches and tags for free users. Artificial limitations like that will turn people off, and once...

    It's not something I'm in the target audience for, but I do have some recommendations:

    • Don't limit searches and tags for free users. Artificial limitations like that will turn people off, and once they've written you off you've probably lost those users for ever instead of keeping them around to potentially entice them into upgrading in the future.
    • Include syncing at the Pro tier. I think that's the main thing people will want to upgrade for, and those users will be your bread and butter (assuming the product ever gets traction). I'd also throw syncing to and using the mobile apps on this tier (and build the ability to subscribe via Google or Apple's in-store mechanisms at this tier as well, with a free trial period to get them hooked).
    • Differentiate the expert tier on the 3rd party app integrations instead. I suspect those will be a bigger pain in the ass to maintain and support anyway, so it feels easier to justify why that should cost more.
    2 votes

  9. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Rudism
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    I picked up Assassin's Creed Odyssey + Seasons Pass on Steam since I've been eying that one as a potential mindless podcast-listening time-sink ever since it came out, and the price is finally...

    I picked up Assassin's Creed Odyssey + Seasons Pass on Steam since I've been eying that one as a potential mindless podcast-listening time-sink ever since it came out, and the price is finally right on sale for $20 right now. So far it's delivering what I wanted--neat looking open world to explore, simplistic side missions, no high-pressure story missions shoved down my throat. Unless they drop the ball somehow once I progress a bit further I could see myself putting a decent number of hours into it.

  10. Comment on Which covers did it better than (or put a fresh twist on) the original? in ~music

  11. Comment on What are your go-to meals that you cook? in ~food

    Rudism
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    A few people have already mentioned burritos, but that's my go-to meal prep as well. I'll cook up a batch of rice, make a big batch of refried beans (heat up some olive oil with garlic+onion...

    A few people have already mentioned burritos, but that's my go-to meal prep as well. I'll cook up a batch of rice, make a big batch of refried beans (heat up some olive oil with garlic+onion powder, cayenne, and chili powder, add 2-3 cans of drained black or pinto beans, then mash it all up once it's all heated), and a small batch of cheese sauce (make a roux from butter+flour, add some milk, then a bunch of shredded cheese, and I'll usually also mix in some taco seasoning). I refrigerate each of these in their own container, then when I want a meal I'll mix some of the rice, beans, and cheese and heat it in the microwave for a minute or two, warm up a tortilla for 15 seconds or so, then roll it all up into a burrito. I treat this as a meal "plotform" that I can change up before wrapping it by adding some diced tomato, lettuce, or other veggies, guacamole if I've got some, various hot sauces, a bit of sour cream--whatever I'm feeling like. If I still ate meat I'd probably add some variety on that front as well but it's pretty easy and tasty even without.

    2 votes

  12. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Rudism
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    I'm maybe 10-15 hours into Cairn. Still struggling with the climbing mechanic, at times I feel it can be just as frustrating as the afternoon I spent with Baby Steps, but even worse because AFAIK...

    I'm maybe 10-15 hours into Cairn. Still struggling with the climbing mechanic, at times I feel it can be just as frustrating as the afternoon I spent with Baby Steps, but even worse because AFAIK the game isn't supposed to be an absurdly difficult meme of a game so the failure feels more personal. I eventually turned off all the survival mechanics because managing hunger/thirst/etc. on top of the frustrating climbing was just too much. I'm determined to finish at least one run to the top, but I'm not sure it'll give as much replay value as I was originally hoping for.

    7 votes

  13. Comment on Which Linux distro do you use, and why? in ~tech

    Rudism
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    I was a long-time Arch user, but switched to Void a few years ago primarily because I was sick of how systemd basically consumed the entire Linux ecosystem. I'm a strong believer in the old school...

    I was a long-time Arch user, but switched to Void a few years ago primarily because I was sick of how systemd basically consumed the entire Linux ecosystem. I'm a strong believer in the old school "do one thing and do it well" unix philosophy, and I appreciate the ability to pick and choose my system components, as opposed to having one monolithic do-everything subsystem lurking in the background. It's not what I would recommend for a casual user who just wants to dip their toes into a possible replacement for Windows 11, but it's definitely the right choice for me--the only way I'll ever go back to a systemd distro is if there are absolutely no alternatives anymore (let's hope that never happens).

    3 votes

  14. Comment on The center has a bias in ~tech

    Rudism
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    What I keep noticing is that a lot of the criticism directed at crystal meth is perfectly legitimate, but it often comes from people without a meaningful amount of direct experience with it. They...

    What I keep noticing is that a lot of the criticism directed at crystal meth is perfectly legitimate, but it often comes from people without a meaningful amount of direct experience with it. They are not necessarily wrong. In fact, many of them cite studies, polls and all kinds of sources that they themselves spent time investigating and surveying. And quite legitimately they identified real issues: your dental outcomes can be bad, the malnutrition implications are scary, the hallucinations of insects are strange and potentially result in sores from over-scratching, there is a liver and kidney impact, the long-term nervous system consequences are unclear, and the hype is exhausting.

    4 votes

  15. Comment on How are we all feeling about piracy these days? in ~movies

    Rudism
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    My decision tree is essentially: Is the thing I want to watch something I already know I'll love and want to watch again in the future? Yes - Is a physical release available from a source that is...

    My decision tree is essentially:

    • Is the thing I want to watch something I already know I'll love and want to watch again in the future?
      • Yes - Is a physical release available from a source that is unlikely to send me a shitty bootleg?
        • Yes - Buy it, rip it, watch it.
        • No - Hit the high seas.
      • No - Either stream it if it happens to be on whatever service(s) I'm paying for that month, or hit the high seas. If it turns out I loved it, re-run the decision tree next time I want to watch it.

    More and more lately the answer to "is a non-bootleg physical release available" is no. eBay has already been a no-fly zone for physical media for a long time, since my track record there is 100% bootlegs, and now even Walmart has started sending me bootlegs since (I guess) they allow 3rd party merchants to fulfill orders (they even list box sets for shows that never had an official physical release, where there is zero chance the thing is not a bootleg).

    3 votes

  16. Comment on I’m traveling internationally for the first time and could use tips! in ~travel

    Rudism
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    When my wife and I went to Europe we found that some hotels will hold on to your bags for you prior to and after your check in/out times (the one we stayed at in Geneva had a ticketing system and...

    When my wife and I went to Europe we found that some hotels will hold on to your bags for you prior to and after your check in/out times (the one we stayed at in Geneva had a ticketing system and a whole room dedicated to holding on to bags for this purpose). I don't know about hostels since I've never stayed at one. There were also businesses that rent out lockers at pretty affordable hourly or daily rates that you can leave luggage in that might work if you want to explore without lugging around your extra carry on--we used one in Amsterdam that a cab driver recommended since we arrived way ahead of our check-in time and didn't have any problems.

    3 votes

  17. Comment on Amazon killing purchasing, borrowing and downloading books for older Kindles in ~tech

    Rudism
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    It's been a long time since I used my old OG paperwhite, but don't all the Kindle devices require you to connect to wifi and log into an Amazon account before you can do anything at all? Maybe the...

    It's been a long time since I used my old OG paperwhite, but don't all the Kindle devices require you to connect to wifi and log into an Amazon account before you can do anything at all? Maybe the bricked state is you're permanently stuck staring at a login form that will never work.

    1 vote

  18. Comment on Backrooms | Official trailer in ~movies

    Rudism
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    The aesthetic that really appeals to me (in Kane Pixels' Backrooms related videos and a lot of Backrooms media in general) is the "found footage" nature of it. I'm really hoping that this movie...

    The aesthetic that really appeals to me (in Kane Pixels' Backrooms related videos and a lot of Backrooms media in general) is the "found footage" nature of it. I'm really hoping that this movie leans into that aspect of it a lot more than the trailer is giving, though I'd also be surprised if it does because I think found footage is a pretty niche sub-genre that turns off even a lot of horror fans.

    2 votes

  19. Comment on Can we talk about rice cookers? in ~food

    Rudism
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    I agree on the instant pot. My impression (which is admittedly not worth much, having never owned one) is it is jack of all trades, master of none. It might make sense if you want a pressure...

    I agree on the instant pot. My impression (which is admittedly not worth much, having never owned one) is it is jack of all trades, master of none. It might make sense if you want a pressure cooker, crock pot, and rice cooker but don't have room or a budget for all three, but if all you want is good rice then a dedicated rice cooker is probably going to serve you better.

    For close to 2 decades I used an ancient department store pot-style cook+warm rice cooker (which was a wedding gift, I believe) and was pretty happy with it, until a couple years ago we replaced it with a Cuckoo (the 6-cup red one on Amazon) and let me tell you I friggin' love that thing. Simple to use, perfect rice every time, no sticking, no fuss, barely needs a rinse afterwards to get it clean... Best rice-related purchase I've ever made that isn't rice.

    5 votes

  20. Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music

    Rudism
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    At some point in my childhood I had seen the music video for Cloudbusting and it kind of stuck in my subconscious as a thing I had vague memories of but without any context (was it from a movie?...

    At some point in my childhood I had seen the music video for Cloudbusting and it kind of stuck in my subconscious as a thing I had vague memories of but without any context (was it from a movie? tv show? can't remember).

    Recently I came across it again, solving the mystery, and sparking more interest in the rest of Kate Bush's music. The only song of hers that I recognize at all as having heard before is Running Up That Hill, but it's not something I could have named or even told you the artist if you played it for me, so I really was going in pretty blind.

    1 vote