sparksbet's recent activity
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Comment on An emotional day, and a request about pets in ~life.pets
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Comment on GOG confirm they are working towards GOG Galaxy on Linux in ~games
sparksbet (edited )Link ParentAnyone remotely familiar with runes or Nazis would recognize the runes in that email. It's fine that you don't recognize them, but they are not deep cuts when it comes to Nazi symbols. GOG's...Anyone remotely familiar with runes or Nazis would recognize the runes in that email. It's fine that you don't recognize them, but they are not deep cuts when it comes to Nazi symbols. GOG's insistence that they're familiar with the Nazis due to their being a Polish company goes the other way here. Moreover, they used specific Unicode codepoints that deliberately represent the versions used Nazi symbols rather than codepoints for more common similar runes that may display differently. This means that copy-pasting said symbols into Google (which I would consider the bare minimum level of due diligence when reviewing an email with unfamiliar symbols in the subject line like that) would immediately reveal what they were.
I can believe that there was a delay in internal communications that prevented the German team's observations that these were Nazi hate symbols didn't make it to other teams in time, but they have not effectively discussed this as the source of the problem or discussed any solutions they're taking internally to prevent this problem from reoccurring. I don't require a particularly detailed explanation here, but they haven't really provided even the vague lip-service I would expect from a company of their size here. They haven't addressed the source of these runes either, aside from the straightforward lies they told about it being a Unicode issue in their first response, and I personally would like to know how these showed up in the first place and how they've prevented this from recurring. Did they fire a rogue employee? Was this scraped from somewhere and they need to improve their review process there? We don't know, and they seem to be deliberately avoiding providing an actual example.
I don't think it's impossible for a responsible company with good-hearted management to have this issue show up due to their size and struggles with internal reporting. But their public response here is woefully inadequate even under the most charitable assumptions for the company, and attempting to shift blame onto people for criticising them for this blunder as seen in this response is probably the worst way to respond to your company sending out Nazi hate symbols in an email except for coincidentally in the territory where doing so is illegal. It may merely be bad PR, but no amount of Tildes comments defending them with plausible reasons for the initial incident will change how bad the PR response has been and how it has damaged my image of the company and its leadership.
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Comment on Women should be able to open things in ~life.women
sparksbet Link ParentUltimately I think when it comes to women specifically, it's simply differences in where the bell curve on a particular feature falls compared to men and who a particular feature is designed for....Ultimately I think when it comes to women specifically, it's simply differences in where the bell curve on a particular feature falls compared to men and who a particular feature is designed for. There's plenty of variation in hand sizes independent of gender, with plenty of overlap in the bell curves, but presumably the peak of the curve for women is at a smaller size than the peak of the curve for men.
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Comment on Women should be able to open things in ~life.women
sparksbet Link ParentI haven't had to wear such gloves recently but yeah, small ones have always been still a little big on me.I haven't had to wear such gloves recently but yeah, small ones have always been still a little big on me.
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Comment on Women should be able to open things in ~life.women
sparksbet Link ParentYeah, I think issues on public transit are particularly egregious examples of this because plenty of shorter people and children ride public transit and it can be extremely difficult to safely...Yeah, I think issues on public transit are particularly egregious examples of this because plenty of shorter people and children ride public transit and it can be extremely difficult to safely support oneself if handholds are too high. But given the relatively affluent, US-based population here and at the focus of the article, I understand why that hasn't been a centerpiece of the conversation.
I got a stepstool at my previous apartment, but when the cabinets are hung high enough that this is a regular issue, it's pretty exhausting to have to pull it out so frequently and thus I mostly just avoided storing anything I used frequently in those cabinets. This cost me money in buying separate shelves to add to my kitchen storage in addition to more abstract costs like "I never use my blender because I have to dig out a stepstool to even get it out" type things.
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Comment on Women should be able to open things in ~life.women
sparksbet Link ParentI think this can also vary a lot between homes. I can reach the lower two shelves of the three-shelf cabinets with ease here at my parents' home, and get stuff from the third shelf if I'm on my...I think this can also vary a lot between homes. I can reach the lower two shelves of the three-shelf cabinets with ease here at my parents' home, and get stuff from the third shelf if I'm on my tiptoes. But in my apartment in Germany I was basically stuck only using the lowest shelf of my cabinets because they were hung so high. I similarly struggled with hand-holds on public transit when I lived in Germany, so this may be something that's just worse there because their average heights are taller? But it did genuinely hurt my quality of life a lot.
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Comment on GOG confirm they are working towards GOG Galaxy on Linux in ~games
sparksbet Link ParentI particularly dislike how this response ignores the fact that the offending email was held back from Germany, indicating that something in their internal review process clearly did catch the...I particularly dislike how this response ignores the fact that the offending email was held back from Germany, indicating that something in their internal review process clearly did catch the obvious Nazi symbols and not send them in a market where that's straightforwardly illegal, but still chose to send it to other markets. This "apology" doesn't remotely address any of my concerns with their internal review and spends considerable time trying to shift blame onto the people who accused them of agreeing with Nazi ideology based on the fact that they sent out Nazi symbols and how piss-poor their response to that was.
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Comment on Women should be able to open things in ~life.women
sparksbet Link ParentI played piano for over 10 years, but being a skilled pianist doesn't magically make you better at opening jars, and no amount of practice is going to make my hands physically larger. I probably...I played piano for over 10 years, but being a skilled pianist doesn't magically make you better at opening jars, and no amount of practice is going to make my hands physically larger. I probably have to do all the same work and flexibility you use to reach a 13th in order to reach a 9th or 10th. Granted, I have particularly tiny hands even compared to most women, but still. I think it's faulty to attribute everything to practice or skill when the causation can often be in the opposite direction.
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Comment on Is there a way to filter out everything posted by a user? in ~tildes
sparksbet Link ParentBlocking particular topics is already at least partially accomplishable via blocking certain tags, though. Certainly your LLM example is more effectively dealt with that way than by blocking...Blocking particular topics is already at least partially accomplishable via blocking certain tags, though. Certainly your LLM example is more effectively dealt with that way than by blocking particular users like a game of whack-a-mole.
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Comment on Is there a way to filter out everything posted by a user? in ~tildes
sparksbet Link ParentUltimately I think a filter that allows an individual user not to see posts from a repeatedly misogynistic user is a band-aid over a festering wound. Tildes shouldn't be a place where misogynistic...Ultimately I think a filter that allows an individual user not to see posts from a repeatedly misogynistic user is a band-aid over a festering wound. Tildes shouldn't be a place where misogynistic posts are tolerated as a pattern, and a few individual users hiding all posts from a certain misogynistic user doesn't stop them from negatively influencing the culture of the website. Ultimately I think it's a moderation issue, not an issue with lacking a "block" button.
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Comment on Why contacting customer service might not be best in ~life
sparksbet Link ParentHaving lived in Germany, it's actually bizarre how lax they are when it comes to fare evasion, especially on public transport. There are guys who come and randomly check your tickets sometimes...Having lived in Germany, it's actually bizarre how lax they are when it comes to fare evasion, especially on public transport. There are guys who come and randomly check your tickets sometimes (and ofc they're most common on popular routes with a lot of traffic), but if you're a local and smart about it (and willing to be a bit dishonest), it's far better financially to just never buy a ticket. Longer-distance trains check tickets more consistently, but still after the train has already left the station in my experience.
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Comment on Do I belong in tech anymore? in ~tech
sparksbet Link ParentI worked as a data scientist for years and have recently had to take a job at Starbucks while I continue to job hunt, as it's so hard to get tech roles in the current job market. I understand that...I worked as a data scientist for years and have recently had to take a job at Starbucks while I continue to job hunt, as it's so hard to get tech roles in the current job market. I understand that burnout is real and can harm you a lot, and probably a lot of the same problems OP experiences are at least partially responsible for the current market too... but it's hard to feel a ton of pity for someone who not only has a job but apparently also has the financial security to willingly quit that job. This is, of course, not the most charitable way to respond to a post like this on my part, but it is where it hits me emotionally.
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Comment on What’s a must-buy item you get when traveling internationally? in ~travel
sparksbet Link ParentBenadryl has a different active ingredient in Europe compared to the US, so it sometimes shows up on lists of "stuff to bring back to Europe after a trip home to the States", which is the context...Benadryl has a different active ingredient in Europe compared to the US, so it sometimes shows up on lists of "stuff to bring back to Europe after a trip home to the States", which is the context I'm familiar with for similar posts (peanut butter indeed did also used to feature on such lists but has gotten easier to find if you aren't too picky about your peanut butter). OP definitely should have specified what countries they meant, but the structure of the post reminds me a lot of this type of post from immigrants/expats.
When I lived in Germany and brought stuff back from the States or received a care package, I'd get brown sugar (for baking -- German "brown sugar" is just normal cane sugar that hasn't been turned white, similar to "raw sugar" in the States, and despite American-style brown sugar existing elsewhere in Europe, it was weirdly hard to find there). The other stuff I'd ask for was mostly just favorite snacks that weren't sold in Europe: Wintergreen Lifesavers and Cheez-Its were a mainstay. Once my mom mailed me some craft rootbeer and it somehow survived shipping unharmed.
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Comment on The Odyssey - discussion thread in ~movies
sparksbet Link ParentI do wish the film had lingered a little more on that beat than it did, though.I do wish the film had lingered a little more on that beat than it did, though.
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Comment on Netflix teams with SignUp Media to add ASL to 200 hours of kids shows in ~tv
sparksbet Link ParentI've heard that there has been criticism of the Disney project from the Deaf and HoH community as the framing and camera angles in those ASL song translations often lead to them being...I've heard that there has been criticism of the Disney project from the Deaf and HoH community as the framing and camera angles in those ASL song translations often lead to them being unintelligible even to those whose native language is ASL. Those demos are still technically impressive, but they don't really amount to a final product that's intelligible atm.
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Comment on We reviewed designs for the buckled Midtown high-rise. What we found raises questions. in ~engineering
sparksbet Link ParentIt's not particularly uncommon to start a sentence with a conjunction like "but" in news writing. I remember when I was marked down for starting a sentence with a conjunction in middle school, my...It's not particularly uncommon to start a sentence with a conjunction like "but" in news writing. I remember when I was marked down for starting a sentence with a conjunction in middle school, my dad had me comb through the newspaper and circle every sentence-initial conjunction to bring in to my teacher the next day. There was no shortage (and it did not win me any points with that teacher). This is far more likely to be an intentional decision than a typo, and I agree with the previous comments that it's being done intentionally in an arguably misleading way, implying that the "no comment" response from officials entails that the reinforcement wasn't properly completed.
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Comment on US President Donald Trump says he will impose fifty percent tariffs on Canadian goods in thirty days in ~society
sparksbet Link ParentI don't think the Americans here on Tildes have any more power over Trump being in office than the Canadians here on Tildes have over those wildfires. Insofar as we've done everything in our power...I don't think the Americans here on Tildes have any more power over Trump being in office than the Canadians here on Tildes have over those wildfires. Insofar as we've done everything in our power to fight against it by legitimate means and it hasn't prevented it, and none of us is willing to get ourselves killed attacking the problem head-on in a way that probably won't even work.
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Comment on ‘The Odyssey’ conquers $264m+ around the world, best ever for Christopher Nolan ahead of ‘Dark Knight Rises’ in ~movies
sparksbet Link ParentIn my showing, the mix was very loud, but the spoken dialogue was generally really clear and understandable,(outside of situations where it clearly wasn't intended to be understood, such as when...In my showing, the mix was very loud, but the spoken dialogue was generally really clear and understandable,(outside of situations where it clearly wasn't intended to be understood, such as when there's incoherent yelling while stabbing people or drowning or getting killed otherwise). As I'm generally a person who gets annoyed by modern mumble-y mixes and uses subtitles regularly when watching things, I think it's probably unlikely to frustrate you the way Tenant did.
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Comment on Gift ideas for niece who’s into sewing? in ~life.women
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Comment on Give me your culture clash stories in ~travel
sparksbet Link ParentWhen I lived in Germany, my bus route was a circle, but at one end the driver would often take a 15-minute break. Often this break would consist of the driver just sitting inside the bus, but...- Exemplary
When I lived in Germany, my bus route was a circle, but at one end the driver would often take a 15-minute break. Often this break would consist of the driver just sitting inside the bus, but sometimes he'd step out to have a smoke or something. Even if the weather was miserably bad and the bus driver was taking his break inside the bus anyway, passengers would not be allowed onto the bus to sit in the relative shelter during the break and would instead be forced to stand outside in the unsheltered, benchless bus stop. I'm all for bus drivers having periodic breaks during work, but nothing makes me feel quite as murderous in the moment as being forced to stand out in miserable pouring rain or sleet without anywhere to even sit down while the bus I'm waiting for is right next to me but the guy who could let me sit down in it 10 minutes early can't because of the rules.
My cats' former foster mom cried when dropping them off at my apartment, and she clearly cares so so much for the cats she fosters. She visited them at our place once or twice in the years following, and when I needed to move abroad she accompanied me to the airport very early in the morning to advocate for me to get a private screening room from the German equivalent of TSA -- and then did the same thing for my friend who was bringing my second cat with him a few weeks later, despite never meeting him prior! There's such a selfless love from people who foster pets, and I'm so glad I've stayed in touch with my cats' foster mom not just because of how much she's done for me, but also because of how much I know she loves my girls.