ShroudedScribe's recent activity

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

    ShroudedScribe
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    I really like the edge that was added in Escape the Fate's cover of Smooth (originally by Santana with Rob Thomas). If you enjoy alternative rock and associated genres, the various "Punk Goes..."...

    I really like the edge that was added in Escape the Fate's cover of Smooth (originally by Santana with Rob Thomas).

    If you enjoy alternative rock and associated genres, the various "Punk Goes..." albums are worth skimming through. This one is my favorite though.

    3 votes

  2. Comment on What are the current channels to find remote work? in ~tech

    ShroudedScribe
    Link Parent
    How does one demonstrate or otherwise present compatibility with all of these traits in an interview? Are these all questions you run through, or are these potential behaviors inferred from your...

    How does one demonstrate or otherwise present compatibility with all of these traits in an interview? Are these all questions you run through, or are these potential behaviors inferred from your brief interaction?

    I feel like it's difficult enough to get an interview these days, and then to have an expectation of coming across as this type of person, potentially unprompted, within a timeframe of an hour or less, is incredibly hard to achieve.

    I'm not trying to come across as argumentative. I just don't understand how all of those things can be identified in one or multiple interviews.

    5 votes

  3. Comment on Vibe coding is just the return of Excel/Access, with more danger in ~comp

    ShroudedScribe
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    "Shadow IT" is going to exist with or without AI. As you mentioned, Excel and Access have been used for this for a long time. It's encouraged with platforms like SharePoint and AirTable. As...

    "Shadow IT" is going to exist with or without AI. As you mentioned, Excel and Access have been used for this for a long time. It's encouraged with platforms like SharePoint and AirTable.

    As someone who was very much living the shadow IT life, I navigated through most of these tools/platforms. I attempted to maintain documentation and pass it along before leaving roles, but I know most of the applications I've worked on are in the graveyard now.

    One thing that IT has to accept is that there is a need for short-term applications, or proof of concepts spun up by the business. The bad part of this is that the business is unlikely to speak up when they grow into something long-term or high volume.

    I can rant about this for days, but my point is that this isn't an AI problem, it's a business oriented problem. I don't have an immediate solution for it, other than suggesting IT provide supported avenues for this type of development effort, with a strong push or even requirement for best practices and documentation.

    24 votes

  4. Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp

    ShroudedScribe
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    Started playing with Godot engine. I've done these tutorials before, but now I have at least a semblance of a vision for some games I want to make. Fingers crossed I can keep with it this time.

    Started playing with Godot engine. I've done these tutorials before, but now I have at least a semblance of a vision for some games I want to make. Fingers crossed I can keep with it this time.

    7 votes

  5. Comment on Looking for more pop / rock songs with sick sax solos! Got any ideas? in ~music

    ShroudedScribe
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    Pushing the boundaries of pop just a little bit, but I have to mention Mr. Saxobeat by Alexandra Stan. More of a fun club/dance song. Edit: whoops, saw the "can't be a primary instrument" part too...

    Pushing the boundaries of pop just a little bit, but I have to mention Mr. Saxobeat by Alexandra Stan. More of a fun club/dance song.

    Edit: whoops, saw the "can't be a primary instrument" part too late. But leaving this for others.

  6. Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp

    ShroudedScribe
    Link Parent
    I'm several years into using OPNsense now (after a few years with pfsense) and very happy with both the reliability and the amount of learning it's supported me through.

    I'm several years into using OPNsense now (after a few years with pfsense) and very happy with both the reliability and the amount of learning it's supported me through.

    2 votes

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

    ShroudedScribe
    Link Parent
    I haven't quite beat it yet, but I'm towards the very end. Not 100% sure if I can do it with my current build just because the waves do get pretty tough. But I'll come back to it in a bit and...

    I haven't quite beat it yet, but I'm towards the very end. Not 100% sure if I can do it with my current build just because the waves do get pretty tough. But I'll come back to it in a bit and we'll find out!

    1 vote

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

    ShroudedScribe
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    I just bought The Spotter: Dig or Die, and I highly recommend it for $10. It's a "digging a hole" game with a bit more purpose, as it becomes a tower defense every night, while you typically dig...

    I just bought The Spotter: Dig or Die, and I highly recommend it for $10. It's a "digging a hole" game with a bit more purpose, as it becomes a tower defense every night, while you typically dig in the day.

    It literally just released yesterday, but the devs have jumped on bug reports quickly and already put out 3 hot fixes.

  9. Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp

    ShroudedScribe
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    I finally wrote out some scripts to simplify home finance reporting. The overall workflow involves data in nocodb (which is a layer over some postgresql tables and views) and reporting on that...

    I finally wrote out some scripts to simplify home finance reporting. The overall workflow involves data in nocodb (which is a layer over some postgresql tables and views) and reporting on that data with metabase. That has been in place for a while.

    The new part of this is manipulating the csv exports from various banks / cc providers and uploading the data via nocodb's API. This is working great, except one provider has a bug right now where the date column is blank in their exports. Not much I can do with that, so hoping it'll be resolved in a bit, as the alternative is calling them and having it probably go nowhere. (Or scraping PDFs, but I reeeeeaaaally don't want to do that if I can help it.)

  10. Comment on Getting permission from your significant other in ~life

    ShroudedScribe
    Link Parent
    Honestly, even doing this is fine! It's just about the language choice. If someone told me they needed to "double check with [their] wife" before committing, that's completely valid. If they have...

    I don't feel the need to publicly state to my friends that I need to talk to my partner first

    Honestly, even doing this is fine! It's just about the language choice.

    If someone told me they needed to "double check with [their] wife" before committing, that's completely valid. If they have a family commitment already, it would be best to come out and just share it, kid related or otherwise.

    2 votes

  11. Comment on Getting permission from your significant other in ~life

    ShroudedScribe
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    I would guess it's a joke, even though it's in poor taste. It reminds me of home automation posts on reddit where someone would inevitably say their solution aligns with the "wife acceptance...

    I would guess it's a joke, even though it's in poor taste.

    It reminds me of home automation posts on reddit where someone would inevitably say their solution aligns with the "wife acceptance factor (or WAF)." It's sexist and pretty cringy to assume women aren't as capable of using an app to change the color of a lightbulb.

    I do understand the posts saying there's likely a bit of truth to it, but I agree with your statement of how the language used needs to go away with the older generations who used it.

    3 votes

  12. Comment on Meta and YouTube found liable in landmark social media addiction trial in ~health.mental

    ShroudedScribe
    Link Parent
    I think it comes down to this: So in your example, those games aren't designed to be addictive first and foremost. Now if we started bringing loot box and gatcha games into the conversation, that...

    I think it comes down to this:

    Jurors found that Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, and Google, owner of YouTube, intentionally built addictive social media platforms that harmed the 20-year old's mental health.

    So in your example, those games aren't designed to be addictive first and foremost. Now if we started bringing loot box and gatcha games into the conversation, that might be a different story. Those can be quite predatory as they hound you for in-game purchases, which give you the opportunity to roll the dice and maybe get something desirable out of it, aka gambling. That I would argue is addictive by design.

    Edit: I would also argue the harm potential/result is different, as gaming addiction can lead to time loss and financial crisis, but social media addiction can lead to more self-image issues that become a negative spiral.

    4 votes

  13. PSA: Flash storage warranties are long and legitimate (flash drives, SSDs, SD cards, etc.)

    ~tech Text 172 words
    If you have a flash drive, SSD drive (including NVMe drives), (micro)SD card, or some other popular flash memory media die on you, you might be able to get a free replacement, depending on the...

    If you have a flash drive, SSD drive (including NVMe drives), (micro)SD card, or some other popular flash memory media die on you, you might be able to get a free replacement, depending on the manufacturer and the product.

    I recently RMA'd a SanDisk microsd card that died unexpectedly. When I looked up their warranty, SanDisk has a lifetime warranty on most of their flash memory products. They even provided a return shipping label. Since they no longer make the card that died, they're sending an upgraded, currently available model.

    I've also RMA'd two Kingston NVMe drives. Both of them were getting a bit old, but the RMA was accepted, and in these instances I also received the newer version of the product. I did have to pay for return shipping myself, but it was well worth it.

    So if you're about to toss that broken flash media in the trash, double check to see if a warranty applies. It's worth the time and potential shipping cost/hassles in many cases.

    31 votes

  14. Comment on When you were first getting your driver's license, what were you afraid of? in ~transport

    ShroudedScribe
    Link Parent
    Then we need two horn types. If no one honked, there are certainly people who would never pay enough attention to move. Something like flashing your brights seems even more dangerous (and would...

    The horn is only to be used to signal an imminent danger.

    Then we need two horn types. If no one honked, there are certainly people who would never pay enough attention to move. Something like flashing your brights seems even more dangerous (and would possibly not be seen during the day).

    I agree that some people will move without looking up, though, and that could end up being fatal if they move into the intersection illegally.

    2 votes

  15. Comment on When you were first getting your driver's license, what were you afraid of? in ~transport

    ShroudedScribe
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    I would argue I'm more afraid now compared to when I got my license. I moved from a small town to a major suburb, and it is very different. I didn't realize at first why people would hesitate...

    I would argue I'm more afraid now compared to when I got my license.

    I moved from a small town to a major suburb, and it is very different. I didn't realize at first why people would hesitate after a light turned green, but quickly discovered that running red lights is so common that you have to wait or risk getting hit.

    Distracted driving also seems to be getting progressively worse. At best, it's as "harmless" as someone holding up traffic because they're on their phone at a stoplight. (Disclaimer: I still think this is very bad but just saying it is unlikely to be fatal.) Worst case is when I saw someone turn left in front of me when they very clearly had a red light for a long time, and I saw them holding their phone and not even looking at the road as they turned. Absolutely horrifying.

    12 votes

  16. Comment on What are you no longer a fan of? in ~talk

    ShroudedScribe
    Link Parent
    Well, if that's the minority, I'm in there with you. I recently played through the series (but still haven't made it to the 3 DLC Re:Mind) and feel like each iteration is further away from what I...

    Well, if that's the minority, I'm in there with you.

    I recently played through the series (but still haven't made it to the 3 DLC Re:Mind) and feel like each iteration is further away from what I enjoyed about KH1. I don't hate Chain of Memories - I think it was very ambitious to introduce a card based live battle mechanic, and it mostly works. I also think KH2 was decent, it at least feels like a full game.

    Everything beyond KH2... the story is convoluted, the games feel half-baked (levels feel 1/4 of the duration of KH1, even KH3 levels feel like 1/2 the duration), and the integration with the Disney worlds is mostly lacking. I don't want to experience a 1:1 of the movies, I want to see some alternate events introduced by the heartless, Sora's unintentional "meddling", etc.

    I went back to KH1 because it is a game I always wanted to 100%, and I still enjoy it. Playing on PC with some quality of life mods and minor cheats makes it a better experience with reduced load times.

    3 votes

  17. Comment on What are you no longer a fan of? in ~talk

    ShroudedScribe
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    Pokemon, specifically the games. While many other games have evolved in each iteration, Pokemon has mostly stayed the same. And that's not inherently a bad thing, but there are just too many other...

    Pokemon, specifically the games. While many other games have evolved in each iteration, Pokemon has mostly stayed the same. And that's not inherently a bad thing, but there are just too many other games competing for my attention, and most of them don't involve grinding.

    I also am not a fan of Nintendo anymore for a variety of reasons, but primarily the Joy Con drift issue. Offering replacements is not a full solution - they should stop putting faulty parts in their consoles and peripherals to stop it at the source.

    11 votes

  18. Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (March 2026) in ~health.mental

    ShroudedScribe
    Link Parent
    Kudos for trying to do something about it. It's far too easy to feel powerless and just accept things.

    Kudos for trying to do something about it. It's far too easy to feel powerless and just accept things.

    4 votes

  19. Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (March 2026) in ~health.mental

    ShroudedScribe
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    I've been having a bit of an internal crisis due to everyone's favorite topic - AI. I haven't really been able to put much professional time into programming because my job is very...

    I've been having a bit of an internal crisis due to everyone's favorite topic - AI.

    I haven't really been able to put much professional time into programming because my job is very programming-lite / adjacent. My management is pushing me to use AI for some different tasks where I would be programming or at least thinking harder, and I've come to three conclusions.

    1. AI is a better programmer than me. This isn't imposter syndrome, this is a lack of my own skill set.

    2. I don't want to spend the rest of my career wrangling AI to try to make it do a required task.

    3. I should still invest some time into actually learning to wrangle AI so I know what I'm talking about in future conversations, and can learn when it would actually be useful.

    For point 2, this has steered me into the direction of wanting to become a full-time business analyst. The people side of developing software requirements will always be necessary, even if a future AI can somehow make the entire thing in one go when fed these requirements. I'm fortunate enough to have a lot of this on my resume, but I'm lacking project management certifications, and a lot of the formalities I see requested in job descriptions, so it won't be easy.

    But that doesn't stop me from having a breakdown over how much this has changed everything.

    10 votes

  20. Comment on Anyone get into caffeine (coffee/tea) as an adult? in ~food

    ShroudedScribe
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    Started coffee in my late 20s. At one point, I was drinking soda in the morning to get my caffeine, but that probably started in my early 20s and stopped a couple years in. The caffeine helps me...

    Started coffee in my late 20s. At one point, I was drinking soda in the morning to get my caffeine, but that probably started in my early 20s and stopped a couple years in.

    The caffeine helps me feel more awake and alert. Possibly helps with focus too. Oh, and coffee is both an appetite suppressant and can stimulate bowel movements, both of which are a positive for me. If I go without it for a few days, I get a headache.

    I don't have much more to say in a personal light because I don't think there's any more to it - caffeine does what it says on the label. (Energy drink levels of caffeine on the other hand... that's something I won't partake in.)

    1 vote