Rudism's recent activity
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Comment on I don’t feel like I’m a creative person. How could I fix that and get ideas? in ~creative
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Comment on Toem 2 | Launch trailer in ~games
Rudism LinkThe first one was very much my kinda jam. Other games I've enjoyed in a similar vein would be Lil' Gator Game, Alba, The Touryst, and A Short Hike. I'll definitely be picking this one up when it...The first one was very much my kinda jam. Other games I've enjoyed in a similar vein would be Lil' Gator Game, Alba, The Touryst, and A Short Hike. I'll definitely be picking this one up when it goes on sale (not because I don't think it's worth full price, I just buy too many games, necessitating a self-imposed only-during-sales policy).
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Rudism LinkI am pretty hyped for an excuse to do another playthrough of Witcher 3 and its DLCs now that the remastered version is out. I had bought it on the Switch back during an early sale, but never...I am pretty hyped for an excuse to do another playthrough of Witcher 3 and its DLCs now that the remastered version is out. I had bought it on the Switch back during an early sale, but never actually played it on that platform, and since the update was a free upgrade for me on the Switch 2 it's a total no-brainer. I also bought it on GOG (and also never played that one) so I have that option as well if I want even prettier graphics. First (and only) time I played it was on the Xbox One within a year or two of when it got released so it's probably been close to a decade.
Also excited for Transport Fever 3 which also just got released, though I'll probably wait for a sale on GOG before picking that one up.
I've also been playing Outbound on my Switch 2, and really enjoying the relaxed vibes, but after putting around 10 hours or so my saves all started crashing the whole game whenever I try to continue, so my only option seems to be starting a whole new game from scratch, which completely kills any enthusiasm I have to keep going. I've seen various threads online that this is a common problem, and reached out to support to see what they say. Hopefully they can fix it in an update and I can resume some day. Big time bummer.
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Comment on Irreverent ads make me want to buy things even less in ~talk
Rudism LinkI think we're just going through a very divisive period in history where tribalism and trolling "the other guys" is seeing a huge surge in effectiveness, so companies are hopping on that...I think we're just going through a very divisive period in history where tribalism and trolling "the other guys" is seeing a huge surge in effectiveness, so companies are hopping on that bandwagon. Back before the global rush toward fascism I think you saw a lot more ads focusing on how accepting, diverse, and progressive the companies were, but now of course even hinting at diversity is taboo, companies that once touted what a caring ally they were are pretending like pride month doesn't even exist... I think ads are just a cynical reflection of the current cultural zeitgeist, and since the cultural zeitgeist is basically awful right now the ads we see are going to be awful too.
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Comment on CGA-2026-09 🕹️🙎♂️🛹 REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 in ~games
Rudism LinkI played THPS 1+2 on the Switch, and I gotta say I'm not the biggest fan of the format. More and more as I kept playing I saw the time limit as an unnecessary and obnoxious mechanism, and I wished...I played THPS 1+2 on the Switch, and I gotta say I'm not the biggest fan of the format. More and more as I kept playing I saw the time limit as an unnecessary and obnoxious mechanism, and I wished there was a mode where you could work on the goals without it, or at least without having to go through the tedious rigamarole of dismissing a bunch of screens and navigating menus in between each attempt.
I also gave 3+4 a try, because I had read that the format had been "fixed" in THPS 4, where the time limit was removed and challenges could be attempted at a more relaxed pace, but apparently they "un-fixed" it in the remake and added the 2 minute timer back. It just feels like the biggest wtf missed opportunity ever that, instead of modernizing the older titles in the remake to take the improvements from THPS 4, they took the complete opposite direction and arguably made THPS 4 into a worse game in the remake.
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Comment on Billing for web hosting in ~comp
Rudism LinkAre you also paying for the domain name? In my experience the biggest hassles have been making sure the domain name stays registered and configured correctly (pointing to the correct IP, MX...Are you also paying for the domain name? In my experience the biggest hassles have been making sure the domain name stays registered and configured correctly (pointing to the correct IP, MX records if it's used for email, automated SSL certificate renewals, stuff like that). A good uptime monitoring service can usually be configured to alert you around all of those other things as well as let you know if your VPS goes down.
Personally I think the model I would go for if I were to get back into the hosting game would be an up front setup fee to cover domain registration and my time setting everything up, then a low monthly rate (with a slightly discounted annual rate if they pay for a full year) to help cover hosting and monitoring costs.
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Comment on Help me choose a small electric car in ~transport
Rudism LinkI replaced my old 2004 Hyundai Elantra with a 2017 Fiat 500e a couple years ago and really like it. I'm also not a car person, wanted something small (it's sooooo small I love it so much), and...I replaced my old 2004 Hyundai Elantra with a 2017 Fiat 500e a couple years ago and really like it. I'm also not a car person, wanted something small (it's sooooo small I love it so much), and 99.9% of the time only drive places within a 20 mile radius or so, so its range is not a problem at all. Interior is all physical controls for windows/AC/etc, and with the back seats folded down it's got enough storage for even absurdly large grocery runs. Mine has an aftermarket Android head unit (which I just use for OsmAnd offline maps and bluetooth music from my phone), so I'm not sure how the stock one is or what it's capable of (I know it doesn't have any kind of screen at all).
Only reason I wouldn't wholeheartedly recommend it is for someone who has to regularly drive outside of its range.
edited to add--I only drive maybe a few times a month, so I charge it from a normal 120V outlet in my garage, which is good enough to fully charge it over night even on the extremely rare occasions I run the battery low (like 20-ish% is probably about as low as I've ever gotten it).
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Comment on Anyone have a pebble? in ~tech
Rudism LinkI got one of the Pebble 2 Duos (ordered back when they were still called Core 2 Duo). It was cool to play with for a few weeks, and gave me a nostalgia blast from back when I owned one of the OG...I got one of the Pebble 2 Duos (ordered back when they were still called Core 2 Duo).
It was cool to play with for a few weeks, and gave me a nostalgia blast from back when I owned one of the OG Pebbles, but now it's just collecting dust next to all the other various tech purchases that I don't use anymore but don't have the heart to get rid of. The main feature aside from telling time that I really used it for was the vibrating smart alarm, but I got a pillow shaker now that does the same job without needing to be on my wrist all day.
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Comment on Best options for domain registrar and static site hosting in 2026? in ~comp
Rudism Link ParentThe only pushback I would give to this answer is to ask yourself whether you're OK with contributing to the problem of the entire internet gradually converging and relying on this single...The only pushback I would give to this answer is to ask yourself whether you're OK with contributing to the problem of the entire internet gradually converging and relying on this single commercial service provider. I mean it's fine if the answer is yes, I just think it's something worth considering before jumping on board.
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Comment on Nintendo - Customer appreciation sale in ~games
Rudism LinkI've already completed BotW on both WiiU and Switch, so I felt $10 for the Switch 2 upgrade was a little tough to justify, but when I heard about this sale I figured I'd pick it up and spend a few...I've already completed BotW on both WiiU and Switch, so I felt $10 for the Switch 2 upgrade was a little tough to justify, but when I heard about this sale I figured I'd pick it up and spend a few more hours messing around in it with better visuals. But of course it isn't part of the sale. For pretty much everything else I feel like this sale price should be the normal price and a real sale price should be at most half of that. Nintendo has been my last console hold out but I think they've worn me down and I might give the Switch 2 to my kids to destroy and stick to PC for the sunset of my dwindling game time.
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Comment on Forrest Nolan - thank you i guess (2026) in ~music
Rudism Link ParentI think I like the music itself, but something about the way it's mixed makes it unlistenable to me. Sounds like my speakers are blown out or something even when I have the volume down low....I think I like the music itself, but something about the way it's mixed makes it unlistenable to me. Sounds like my speakers are blown out or something even when I have the volume down low. Entirely possible that's the sound they were going for, but it invokes a nails-on-chalkboard physical reaction in me.
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Comment on What is your "when I found out about 9/11" story? in ~talk
Rudism LinkI was still living and going to university in Canada at the time. I remember my dad had the news on TV that morning and seeing the image of the first tower on fire before heading out. That day TVs...I was still living and going to university in Canada at the time. I remember my dad had the news on TV that morning and seeing the image of the first tower on fire before heading out. That day TVs were rolled out all around campus and I believe a majority of students didn't bother going to classes (in fact it's possible that classes had been canceled). We all just sat around those TVs and watched the horror unfold.
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Comment on Software for humans in ~tech
Rudism Link ParentLLMs as they are right now (opaque closed-source models, tightly controlled and guarded by billionaire-owned corporations) are the complete antithesis to FOSS ideals. They are an extreme shift in...In terms of stolen work, since I've started learning about Linux and free software, I've always felt like the current system was broken. https://web.mit.edu/m-i-t/forums/copyright/index_transcript.html The culture change that AIs bring seem to me to be something that will be positive.
LLMs as they are right now (opaque closed-source models, tightly controlled and guarded by billionaire-owned corporations) are the complete antithesis to FOSS ideals. They are an extreme shift in the opposite direction of what you're implying here.
For the environment impact, I guess I got magical thinking, but I feel like it's the only way to speed up research to save the earth.
You are correct, this is 1000% magical thinking. Even if it were feasible that predictive text generating engines could somehow come up with a solution to our climate problems, none of these companies are currently or will ever bother actually putting any kind of meaningful resources behind that kind of research, because it won't increase their profits (and I mean, realistically they probably know that the idea is absurd to begin with).
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Comment on LibreOffice breaks download records after declaring it has no AI features in ~tech
Rudism Link ParentA lot of the opposition to LLMs isn't necessarily due to the belief that it is not useful, but rather the way it's being developed (non-consensual training data acquisition, generating...A lot of the opposition to LLMs isn't necessarily due to the belief that it is not useful, but rather the way it's being developed (non-consensual training data acquisition, generating energy/carbon emissions for training models by burning fossil fuels, to name a couple) is not something we should be supporting or encouraging through their use.
I think LLMs absolutely can be useful tools (albeit in a drastically tinier subset of situations than they are currently being foisted upon us), but I still strongly object to them as a whole due to all the other problems they come with right now. If the industry cleans up its act my automatic objections/disgust to anything LLM-related would become much more nuanced.
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Comment on Adulting -- what advice or encouragement did you receive / wish you had received when you were just starting out moving out? in ~life
Rudism LinkIf you buy a non-fully-electric car, you need to get oil changes every 5000-15000 miles (depending on the vehicle and type of oil), there's usually a sticker on the inside of your windshield from...If you buy a non-fully-electric car, you need to get oil changes every 5000-15000 miles (depending on the vehicle and type of oil), there's usually a sticker on the inside of your windshield from the last place you got an oil change telling you when to get the next one. Cars also have a regular maintenance schedule that you should familiarize yourself with and follow if you want to avoid problems. You'd be surprised how many adults only learn of this kind of stuff through their first breakdown (or their car starting on fire).
Air filters in your living space should be replaced every few months, there are probably large air intake vents on a wall somewhere that they go into. Air filters come in different sizes so you need to know what size to get, and have a rating system (called MERV in the US) that essentially tells you how effective the filter is... usually MERV 8 is pretty typical, but you'll want to go MERV 10+ if you have pets, allergies, or respiratory problems (I use MERV 11 because we have 2 dogs, everyone has pretty bad allergies, and I have asthma).
If your house/apartment has a dryer that you use for laundry, you should clear the lint filter out before every load. Skipping that step can result in lint building up and blocking airflow and can become a fire hazard. Your washing machine might also have a filter to catch debris, which should be cleaned out every few loads too.
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Comment on What's your line? in ~life
Rudism Link ParentPre-Honey by a long shot, but essentially the same scummy business model. The hook for ours was if you shopped with our toolbar, you wouldn't pay any more than normal, but a "small percentage" of...Pre-Honey by a long shot, but essentially the same scummy business model. The hook for ours was if you shopped with our toolbar, you wouldn't pay any more than normal, but a "small percentage" of your purchase price from "participating merchants" would go to "charity" (we were never any more specific than that).
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Comment on What's your line? in ~life
Rudism (edited )Link15-ish years ago (give or take) I was working for a social networking company that wasn't doing so hot and had gone through a few rounds of layoffs while was there. Some of my ex-coworkers hit me...15-ish years ago (give or take) I was working for a social networking company that wasn't doing so hot and had gone through a few rounds of layoffs while was there. Some of my ex-coworkers hit me up to join them at a company that one of them had started after leaving and got acquired by a big advertising company. They were extremely vague about the kinds of stuff they were doing (basically just said they were developing "browser extensions"), but it would come with a pay bump and it was definitely time to jump off the sinking ship I was currently on, so I accepted. Here are some of the things I worked on while I was there:
- Turns out the "browser extension" they wanted me to help build was essentially just malware designed to inject their own referral codes and cookies into online store purchases.
- Developed our own Android advertising library that used all the scummiest ad delivery tactics (remember when ads would just show up as a notification on your Android with no indication of which app generated it? I do!)
- We had a whole team dedicated to working on those scummy fake SEO landing sites and Windows installers that would pop a bunch of malware "offers" to install along with Paint.Net or The Gimp or whatever other free software you were actually trying to install.
- We built an "App Discovery" platform for iOS that tricked people into installing apps that we were getting paid per install for. (Apple banned this whole app category shortly thereafter.)
- I wrote "offer" code for our Windows installer that would steal Chrome or Firefox cookies and use it to secretly do things like connecting your Facebook account to games that we were getting paid for, or triggering the same requests that clicking the "install" button on Google Play does to push apps to your phone where we were getting paid for each install.
- We got in trouble for not providing a real support email address for our Google and Apple apps, so I set up an address that would simply black-hole every email sent to it into a giant database table that nobody ever looked at (except me once or twice, and the kinds of stuff people sent to us could make flowers wilt and curdle milk).
- Can't even remember how many times I was on the phone with Google Support over freshly purchased VOIP numbers, setting up new developer accounts using fake names and addresses because all our old ones got banned.
I knew the whole time that all of it was bullshit and I was being a shitty person. The straw that finally broke the camel's back was that one of the higher-ups had discovered some Chinese malware for Windows that was somehow able to steal browser cookies and silently install apps onto the user's iOS phone (the same way we were already doing for Android by stealing Google Play cookies). I was trudging through the decompiled source code for the Chinese malware and just thinking why the fuck am I wasting my time and talent on this horrible bullshit. I refreshed my CV and wrote up a cover letter basically begging someone to save my soul, and that landed me the first job I applied for (which was in the medical/genetics industry and such a breath of fresh air compared to all of my prior experience). It got me out of Florida too, which was a not-insignificant additional bonus.
After that whole experience my line has tightened up a lot. I don't want to spend one more second of my life working on something that makes other people's lives worse instead of better.
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Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health
Rudism LinkBeen feeling bad since I haven't done any kind of deliberate exercise for several months (I got diagnosed with crohn's disease back in April and haven't had the energy or been feeling motivated...Been feeling bad since I haven't done any kind of deliberate exercise for several months (I got diagnosed with crohn's disease back in April and haven't had the energy or been feeling motivated enough to keep up my regular routines). I'm feeling better lately and decided to ease myself back into it with a 1 mile run yesterday morning. I forgot how sore it was possible for my calves to get, I can barely walk today. But it's the kind of soreness that actually feels good, compared to how I would feel if I had decided to continue wallowing in apathy instead.
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Comment on Ink | Official teaser in ~movies
Rudism LinkI found the color grading (of this teaser at least) to be very distracting. The film looks very... turquoise?I found the color grading (of this teaser at least) to be very distracting. The film looks very... turquoise?
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Rudism Link ParentI recently started on the manga (having never seen the anime) and think I have a very similar reaction to it as you describe here. Nothing groundbreaking but a fun/silly read so far a few volumes in.I recently started on the manga (having never seen the anime) and think I have a very similar reaction to it as you describe here. Nothing groundbreaking but a fun/silly read so far a few volumes in.
Lots of good advice here already. The corollary that I'd add is I find that I'm at my least creative during periods of time when I'm constantly distracting myself. Like I jump from waking up to working to playing games to listening to an audiobook to watching a movie to watching youtube to listening to podcasts as I fall asleep---basically a constant barrage of stimuli. The worst is when I throw in a second screen and I'm also doing crosswords or sudokus or something at the same time.
My creativity, along with my motivation to act on that creativity, always increases when I give myself more time to just sit with my own thoughts and let my mind wander. When I want a creativity boost I'll slow down on media consumption---leave the headphones at home when going for a run or walk or doing chores, leave my phone in a drawer, take naps, just sit and meditate or chill out and do nothing at all, basically give myself more "calm-mind time."
A "news" story was floating around a few years ago around when Oppenheimer came out talking about how Christopher Nolan had a flip phone that he'd use from time to time, because the distraction of a smart phone would hurt his ability to come up with ideas for his films. That really resonated with me.