ThrowdoBaggins's recent activity
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Comment on Things progressives get wrong in ~society
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Comment on Are you tech-savvy enough? in ~tech
ThrowdoBaggins Link ParentI was about to reply “yeah but windows 11 is still in beta” but I don’t know if that’s true, and even if it is, windows 10 is being deprecated this year, so they really shouldn’t still have this...I was about to reply “yeah but windows 11 is still in beta” but I don’t know if that’s true, and even if it is, windows 10 is being deprecated this year, so they really shouldn’t still have this reputation today
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Comment on Are you tech-savvy enough? in ~tech
ThrowdoBaggins Link ParentKnowing this was a thing is partly why I bought the Quest 3 as my first VR headset. Admittedly mostly the price, but partly because even if connecting to the computer failed or was too fiddly, I...Recently I had issues with my VR headset connecting, and fixing it was not trivial or pleasant.
Knowing this was a thing is partly why I bought the Quest 3 as my first VR headset. Admittedly mostly the price, but partly because even if connecting to the computer failed or was too fiddly, I would have the fallback of a device that’s intending to be standalone.
That said, my experience so far with just letting Steamlink handle everything has been pretty fantastic! Bless valve (and all their cs casino money) for putting in the effort to have stuff just work!
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Comment on What quotes inspire you? in ~talk
ThrowdoBaggins Link Parent— Junji Ito, The Enigma of Amigara Fault“I feel like this [redacted] was made for me”
— Junji Ito, The Enigma of Amigara Fault
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Comment on After almost a century, the bike valve is finally getting an update in ~engineering
ThrowdoBaggins Link ParentAlas, “source: I made it up” seems to have less trust than “source: I let a language mode hallucinate for a while” when they really should be treated about equal in veracity and trustAlas, “source: I made it up” seems to have less trust than “source: I let a language mode hallucinate for a while” when they really should be treated about equal in veracity and trust
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Comment on EU paves the way for iPhones and Android devices to ditch USB-C entirely in ~tech
ThrowdoBaggins Link ParentThe one thing I can see it supporting is making it easier/cheaper for devices to strive for higher waterproof ratings. Although I think these days some of the flagship models are already pushing...The one thing I can see it supporting is making it easier/cheaper for devices to strive for higher waterproof ratings. Although I think these days some of the flagship models are already pushing to IP68? So not sure how much further it needs to be pushed
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Comment on EU paves the way for iPhones and Android devices to ditch USB-C entirely in ~tech
ThrowdoBaggins Link ParentThat’s interesting, I’m only a year or two off your age, but I’m completely the opposite. I don’t go out of my way for wireless, but when the standards make them essentially cheap enough that I’m...That’s interesting, I’m only a year or two off your age, but I’m completely the opposite. I don’t go out of my way for wireless, but when the standards make them essentially cheap enough that I’m not losing out on anything, I’ll usually prefer wireless.
Every time I rummage through my box of miscellaneous cables, I relish how infrequently it happens compared to ~10 years ago.
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Comment on EU paves the way for iPhones and Android devices to ditch USB-C entirely in ~tech
ThrowdoBaggins Link ParentThere’s a possible consideration of cable length too — unless I break out the pliers (nah, that’s way over my head and above my pay grade to ever attempt) I can never reduce the fact that the...There’s a possible consideration of cable length too — unless I break out the pliers (nah, that’s way over my head and above my pay grade to ever attempt) I can never reduce the fact that the signal has to travel down two-point-four metres of cable before it hits my USB slot, but that’s just me playing devils advocate and not actually being an expert on any of this
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Comment on Post something from your notes app in ~talk
ThrowdoBaggins Link ParentHere’s a possible hint by changing your mental framework In the examples you posted, the total distance is fixed, and therefore by altering your speed, you can only impact the final time. From...Here’s a possible hint by changing your mental framework
In the examples you posted, the total distance is fixed, and therefore by altering your speed, you can only impact the final time.
From this perspective, we then consider walking (2m/s) versus running (4m/s) on the ground; you have doubled your speed (2x), therefore effectively cutting 50% off your time.
Contrast to walking (4m/s) versus running (6m/s) on the moving platform, you’ve only increased your speed by a factor of 1.5x therefore you’re only reducing your effective time by ~33%
I believe the constraint on running was that you can only run for a certain amount of time, which fits our paradigm here.
I believe your intuition of “it shouldn’t matter either way” would be true if instead the constraint was you can only run for some fixed distance, regardless of speed or time.
I hope that helps at least a bit?
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Comment on Post something from your notes app in ~talk
ThrowdoBaggins Link ParentI have two others, but they’re both still incomplete. So is this one below, now that I read through it — clearly Sash would be next. The other two incomplete ones are breaking the spelling rules,...I have two others, but they’re both still incomplete. So is this one below, now that I read through it — clearly Sash would be next.
The other two incomplete ones are breaking the spelling rules, because the intention is for these to be spoken out loud, and people will pick up on the sound patterns without necessarily thinking about the spelling. For example, Bait and Date are both in “Rapid Fire Quiz: ate” because they sound the same despite the spelling.
Notes for this one: the clue for the second word mentions “bogan” which I think might be a uniquely Australian/New Zealander word. Wikipedia link for the curious. I feel like it’s a very culturally immersed clue, because it’s a word I hear bogans (or people stereotyping bogans) use, and I very rarely hear anyone else use it unironically. The word is “bash” which means to beat up or assault.
Rapid fire quiz: ash
- Grey powdery remains left behind after a fire is called.?
- In bogan, another word for assault is...?
- Physical currency used to pay for goods and services is called ..?
- Another word for a fast motion or short sprint is ..?
- A small but severe wound across the skin is a.?
- Cryptographic process to process information to make it efficient to store and retrieve is ..?
- The action to use rope or netting across a loose load in order to secure it against movement is ..?
- Samwise Gamgee proclaims the versatility of potatoes by saying "boil 'em, what 'em, stick 'em in a stew"?
- The act of enthusiastically kissing someone is called ..?
- Patchy redness on the skin which can be a symptom often accompanied by itchiness is called ..?
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Comment on Perhaps I should write worse? in ~talk
ThrowdoBaggins Link ParentAh, alas, I guess I’ll have to adjust my writing style across the wider internet; I don’t really want to look like a bot. For the most part, I think I can usually substitute a semicolon where a...Ah, alas, I guess I’ll have to adjust my writing style across the wider internet; I don’t really want to look like a bot.
For the most part, I think I can usually substitute a semicolon where a single em-dash would sit, but I’m fond of using them in pairs — to break away from the topic and then come back — and I can’t really get the same effect with brackets (especially if all my thoughts come with bonus thoughts (and then you just have too many brackets all over the place)).
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Comment on Perhaps I should write worse? in ~talk
ThrowdoBaggins Link ParentAh, I revised that comment a few times before I hit send, but only intended for there to be one in the final comment, so “diacritic or two” was missed in the ultimate review. For what it’s worth,...Ah, I revised that comment a few times before I hit send, but only intended for there to be one in the final comment, so “diacritic or two” was missed in the ultimate review.
For what it’s worth, that quote instead of apostrophe is just the default of my iPhone’s soft keyboard for all apostrophes. I wonder if it’s something to do with language being set to Australian English?
Edit: For completeness, here’s the solution below.
Spoiler: describes the hidden diacritic
In the third paragraph, “suggestìon” uses a backtick instead of a dot for the i
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Comment on Perhaps I should write worse? in ~talk
ThrowdoBaggins Link ParentOkay, I wasn’t sure if I was going too subtle with only one, and a small inconspicuous one at that. I thought slamming in a few ñ characters might have been a bit on the nose so decided to go for...Possibly a bit too subtle for an indicator as I didn't notice this upon first reading or even when I scanned back through after reaching your last paragraph.
Okay, I wasn’t sure if I was going too subtle with only one, and a small inconspicuous one at that. I thought slamming in a few ñ characters might have been a bit on the nose so decided to go for something less obvious.
For completeness, here’s the solution below.
Spoiler: describes the hidden diacritic
In the third paragraph, “suggestìon” uses a backtick instead of a dot for the i
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Comment on Perhaps I should write worse? in ~talk
ThrowdoBaggins LinkLots of people are offering opinions here along the lines of “you’re excellent, don’t worry about it” and I wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment. But also, if you’re still looking for...Lots of people are offering opinions here along the lines of “you’re excellent, don’t worry about it” and I wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment.
But also, if you’re still looking for solutions after seeing the support people are offering here, I have an idea which might be a little sneaky, but may achieve what you want.
My suggestìon is to keep doing what you’re doing, but once you’ve got your comment complete and ready to post, just go back and alter one or two words to add diacritics to words where it might almost make sense that your native language keyboard tripped up and added it where it wasn’t needed.
This won’t change the content of your carefully constructed comments, but will provide a subtle indicator that implies you might not be a native speaker, even if your ideas and sentence structure are otherwise infallible.
I feel like this might be the text-equivalent to having a slight accent when you speak out loud — you may still have excellent ideas and perfectly constructed sentences, but if your pronunciation is just a little bit different, native speakers will pick up on that.
In an attempt to “show, don’t tell” I’ve followed my own advice here and popped in a nonsense diacritic or two in my comment before I pressed send. Points for if you spot it, and bonus points if you spotted it the first time around and didn’t need this paragraph to prompt you to go back through the comment and search for it.
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Comment on Post something from your notes app in ~talk
ThrowdoBaggins LinkContext: I occasionally sit down and add more to these, but here is the first in a series I call “Rapid Fire Quiz” — the intention is for these to be spoken aloud, sort of as an icebreaker I...Context: I occasionally sit down and add more to these, but here is the first in a series I call “Rapid Fire Quiz” — the intention is for these to be spoken aloud, sort of as an icebreaker I guess, because it’s kinda fun wordplay, but low stakes. Every word should end in the same “sound” (except the final one deliberately throws off the pattern — it’s spelled the same but pronounced differently, it’s also phrased to be a lot more difficult) and I’ve listed them in order of the answers alphabetically.
Give them a go at reading them out loud to someone, see how it goes!
Rapid Fire Quiz: art
- Painting, sculpture, and interpretative dance are all forms of..?
- The eldest child in The Simpsons family is named .?
- An analogy for doing things in the wrong order is putting what before the horse?
- In the classic pub game involving a bullseye, the small metal projectile is called a ..?
- Another informal word for flatulence is ...?
- The internal organ responsible for blood circulation is called the ..?
- The video game series about driving around a racetrack using characters from Nintendo and other franchises is Mario ..?
- In The Simpsons, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is the owner of the convenience store Kwik-E-..?
- Another word for component is.?
- A small dessert similar to a cake or pie is called a ..?
- Final question, a small skin growth caused by human papillomavirus that sometimes resembles a blister is called a ..?
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Comment on Thor Bjørklund's ostehøvel, a popular cheese slicer which developed into an important Norwegian export, celebrates 100 this year in ~engineering
ThrowdoBaggins Link ParentThat’s just the cocaine receptors talkingI want cheese now
That’s just the cocaine receptors talking
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Comment on A sodium-ion portable power bank comes to market in ~tech
ThrowdoBaggins Link ParentI think I disagree, with my opinion mostly weighted on the significantly increased number of charge cycles. From a random website I found when searching online: So compared to Li-ion or LiPo...I think I disagree, with my opinion mostly weighted on the significantly increased number of charge cycles.
From a random website I found when searching online:
Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries typically offer around 300-500 charging cycles before their capacity starts to degrade noticeably.
Lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries can generally handle 400-600 charging cycles.
Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries are known for their longevity and can endure up to 2000 charging cycles.
So compared to Li-ion or LiPo you’re looking at nearly 10x charge cycles, and even 2x the known-for-longevity LiFePO4.
At grid scale, I think even a conservative 4x lifetime for a 4x cost ends up being worth it, if only because it means a longer time horizon before you need to replace it.
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Comment on Important 2025 Plex updates in ~tv
ThrowdoBaggins Link ParentThat’s fascinating, and makes me wonder if their legal team said that “lifetime” is arguable in English, but in other languages they have to use different wording to avoid legal trouble down the lineWhen I bought it, the literal translation for "lifetime" in their own official email was this: "you now have a shiny new Langdurig Plex Pass!"
Langdurig literally means "long lasting", and definitely not "lifetime".
It could've been an error, or a portent of what's to come.
That’s fascinating, and makes me wonder if their legal team said that “lifetime” is arguable in English, but in other languages they have to use different wording to avoid legal trouble down the line
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Comment on If you could go into hibernation and wake up in the future, would you? in ~talk
ThrowdoBaggins Link ParentOne of the side characters within Peter F Hamilton’s Pandora’s Star and the following series is someone who has few connections and an addiction to this kind of stasis to leap forward through...One of the side characters within Peter F Hamilton’s Pandora’s Star and the following series is someone who has few connections and an addiction to this kind of stasis to leap forward through time. Awake for a few years at a time, and then asleep for a number of decades, the technology was developed early enough that the first person to set foot on Mars after a months-long conventional flight in the 2030s is also part of the first faster-than-light space voyage 300+ years later (and also turns up in a later series set more than a thousand years into the future again, because reusing characters across time is good fun)
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Comment on Privacy is also protecting the data of others in ~tech
ThrowdoBaggins Link ParentFrom my selfish perspective, when considering having iCloud Advanced Data Protection switched on; the combined total benefit to myself and all the people I ever interact with digitally, is easily...opt-in encryption for their online storage (À la, iCloud Advanced Data Protection
From my selfish perspective, when considering having iCloud Advanced Data Protection switched on; the combined total benefit to myself and all the people I ever interact with digitally, is easily outweighed by the cost of losing everything, if I ever forget my password.
Without going into personal detail, I’ve recently been helping a friend who found out that their relationship of several years was barely more than a relationship scam, similar to the kind you hear about on the news. There may genuinely be a legal battle to unravel their life from the scammers, because they only found out after getting married, but it’s been incredibly difficult to collect any actual evidence. They basically have zero chat history from their entire relationship other than the rare screenshot, because their messaging services were default end-to-end encrypted, and the scammer wiped my friend’s phone as a final act of “fuck you”.
We were lucky to still have access to photos because a laptop was not connected to wifi when the wipe happened, and we were able to keep it offline while we made backups.
Before I even evaluate whether this claim is correct, I’m pushed away by the absolutism inherent to the faux “simplicity” you’ve suggested here
And this is the reaction coming from someone who probably already aligns with your own opinions, which I hope gives more weight to the idea that you should re-evaluate your messaging to understand whether it achieves what you’d like it to achieve