Tiraon's recent activity
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Comment on Steam Machine prices revealed, starting at US$1049.00 in ~games
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Comment on Around twenty drown in France as French seek relief from heatwave in ~enviro
Tiraon LinkFrom my personal experience there have been record summers and winters for a while now. I have to say I am ecstatic about the predicted 38° temperatures. We have known about climate change for...From my personal experience there have been record summers and winters for a while now. I have to say I am ecstatic about the predicted 38° temperatures.
We have known about climate change for half a century now.
And yet nearly nothing. This is a steady saturation of sinks, elimination of tolerances and starting a slow slide, like an avalanche. Once the climate change is majorly negatively felt by large amoint of normal people it will be late enough that even drastic action will not avoid massive consequences.
Best time to something about climate change was about a century ago but the half of a century would have also been fantastic.
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Comment on Steam Machine prices revealed, starting at US$1049.00 in ~games
Tiraon Link ParentIt goes in the same general category as "discounts", "membership discounts", "action prices", bright red price stickers mentioning the discounts, exclusive sales, seasonal sales. And even this is...It goes in the same general category as "discounts", "membership discounts", "action prices", bright red price stickers mentioning the discounts, exclusive sales, seasonal sales.
And even this is simply one category of ways to make someone spend more then they intended to and make it harder to reason about the actual price and the actual cost and benefit to me.
The problem is that it works universally, similar to advertising. I generally try to aware about this bit still regularly catch myself unconciously prefering an advertised brand or buying something I didn't intend to while grocery shopping.
Being on guard all the time is not possible, at least for me. The only way this changes is legislation or massive cultural shift.
And the Steam machine pricing is not even too egrerious. Just consumer hostile.
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Comment on Steam Machine prices revealed, starting at US$1049.00 in ~games
Tiraon Link ParentThis is mostly off topic but I hate the 9.99 or even 99 prices. It costs 10 and 100 respectively but makes it more cognitively expensive to think about them that way.(not .99)
This is mostly off topic but I hate the 9.99 or even 99 prices.
It costs 10 and 100 respectively but makes it more cognitively expensive to think about them that way. -
Comment on Google Chrome to fully remove legacy support for manifest v2 in ~tech
Tiraon Link ParentPersonally I mainly use Librewolf but Chrome and chromium forks have too large a marketshare to fully ignore.Personally I mainly use Librewolf but Chrome and chromium forks have too large a marketshare to fully ignore.
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Comment on Google Chrome to fully remove legacy support for manifest v2 in ~tech
Tiraon LinkMost prominent effect is the end of support for Ublock Origin. While a version targeting manifest v3 exists it has significant limitations. What this effectively means due to Chrome and chromium...Most prominent effect is the end of support for Ublock Origin. While a version targeting manifest v3 exists it has significant limitations.
What this effectively means due to Chrome and chromium dependent forks having a major market share is further locking down of the web.
While the security issues that publicly led to the deprecation of manifest v2 are legitimate it is very convenient how neatly it cripples the most capable rendered website modification tool that anyone could have access to for nearly no effort. -
Google Chrome to fully remove legacy support for manifest v2
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Comment on If Claude Fable stops helping you, you'll never know in ~tech
Tiraon LinkIn effect they simply decide to just silently give you nonsense in a random field they don't like you exploring. I don't particularly like the model refusing to do something but if it at least...In effect they simply decide to just silently give you nonsense in a random field they don't like you exploring.
I don't particularly like the model refusing to do something but if it at least tells you then fine.
This is unlikely to affect even most people who will be using Fable 5 but the problem is transparency and this making it impossible even as normal user to have any trust in an output of a tool whose accuracy was already problematic.
And they can decide to do this to absolutely any prompt.The scenario is follows:
I pay a company to access their compute and violate their ToS. The sane outcome is followup proportionate reaction and refusal to allow the access.
The reaction they are saying they will do is to bill as usual and output nonsense. What I am missing that makes this legal? -
Comment on I'm ever more annoyed with Steam in ~games
Tiraon (edited )Link ParentThat is the worst kind of games store part and they would enable more deliberate purchasing decisions of the consumer, yes. Yes other stores do implement at least some of these features. No, they...That is the worst kind of games store part and they would enable more deliberate purchasing decisions of the consumer, yes.
Yes other stores do implement at least some of these features. No, they are not mainstream due to various reasons.This reminds me of some old Youtube video by I think, Extra Credits, or I may be misremembering. In it they explained that game demos are not a thing because they would enable the buyers to see what they are buying. Though not in these words.
Yes we live in a society with the kind of user-platform power balance that enables that behaviour
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I'm ever more annoyed with Steam
I still think it is effectively the best possible version of a mainstream game platform that can realistically exist under current conditions and I think it is better that it exists than if it...
I still think it is effectively the best possible version of a mainstream game platform that can realistically exist under current conditions and I think it is better that it exists than if it didn't. In particular their desire to not be reliant on Windows means the Linux gaming is in significantly better place than it would have been otherwise. They simply constantly remind me how low absolute bar the best possible version of the worst possible kind of game store platform is.
My non exhaustive list of problems in no particular order is
- Inability to filter by addtional EULA/DRM/account needed. Steam is already about all of what I am willing to tolerate. Not letting me hide these products is only wasting my time.
- Review system heavily biases towards positive and kills nuance.
- Inability to turn off game updates. For me personally this is the single biggest problem I have with the platform
- Related is inability to go back to previous game version.
- Refund window is a bad joke. For some kinds of games it is fine, for others it does not even allow to get out of tutorial. Sadly it is still better than a lot of other platforms
- I'm seeing more helpful recommendation features that are not possible to turn off - Calendar
- The wishlist/sale feature is extremely effective in enticing impulse purchases. Features that would limit this are of course not implemented. For example setting wishlist alerts only for below a certain price
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Comment on People who want less AI are breaking up with Google Search in ~tech
Tiraon (edited )LinkIf the impacts weren't so large and negative it would be purely interesting to see how the big platforms can continue to abuse their users for decades, degrade their quality of service to nearly...If the impacts weren't so large and negative it would be purely interesting to see how the big platforms can continue to abuse their users for decades, degrade their quality of service to nearly nothing and just not lose almost any users.
Most of it is probably the ubiquitous data harvesting enabling any changes to be thoroughly tuned. And also apathy and general tech illiteracy of course.Perhaps the most optimal way to use a search engine, however, is by downloading it to your device
What? I know there was a distributed search engine program a few years back whose name I unfortunately cannot recall right now. I doubt the article is talking about that, though. Even if something like DuckDuckGo or Kagi has its branded browser why I would I want to actually use that when simply trying new search engines?
Edit: It was Yacy(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YaCy) I don't know the current state though and latest release was almost two yeas ago. The challenge for these types of projects is the dreaded network effect.
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Online quests and fanfictions recommendations
Similarly to the few years old thread I made for webserials I would like to recommend and introduce some quests and fanfictions. Quests are a collaborative(ideally) stories that usually live in...
Similarly to the few years old thread I made for webserials I would like to recommend and introduce some quests and fanfictions. Quests are a collaborative(ideally) stories that usually live in forums. The usual format is that the writer/s enable the readers an input in how the story is written which is usually done by voting. I found that fanfictions vary in quality wildly but any sufficiently popular work will have some that are very good.
For the tyrants fear your might - https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/for-the-tyrants-fear-your-might-a-quest-of-interstellar-rebellion.83706/ - (quest) - a story of a an entertainment planet in a hypercapitalistic society rebelling. Does not have a single protagonist
The Practice War - https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/the-practice-war-complete.31698/ - (quest, Practice Effect) - humanity creates space faring dragons but is defeated by an advanced and enigmatic race.
Divided Loyalties - https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/warhammer-fantasy-divided-loyalties-an-advisors-quest.44838/ - (quest, Warhammer fantasy) - a Grey wizard becomes the advisor to the Elector Count of Sylvania and later continuing on in her adventures elsewhere. Very long with several distinct arcs
RHUNRIKKI STROLLAR - https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/rhunrikki-strollar-warhammer-fantasy-golden-age-dwarf-runelord-quest.63581/ - (quest, Warhammer fantasy) - a life of dwarven golden age runemaster among the coming troubles
The Burbank Situation - https://archiveofourown.org/works/19189534 - (Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Chuck) - Chuck has some unusual hobbies, such as LARPing as a vampire hunter. First part of a series
My Name Is Beautiful - https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/155302 - (Unordinary) - reincarnation story. A side character from original story runs a rebellion built on lies and manipulation against the Authorities. Probably the darkest story on this list
To The Stars - https://archiveofourown.org/works/777002 - (Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika) - story set in a ai run world that tries its best among a brutal war with advanced aliens. And of a magical girl whose wish was to be extraordinary
Birds of a Feather - https://archiveofourown.org/works/15996890 - (Harry Potter) - this is both a solid character exploration and a depiction of WW2 Britain
A Song of Ice and Fires That Weren't All My fault - https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/a-song-of-ice-and-fires-that-werent-all-my-fault-asoiaf-dresden-files.336499/ - (Game of Thrones/Dresden Files) - Dresden makes a living in Braavos finding things. The merging of these two different settings is very good
The Maretian - https://www.fimfiction.net/story/396744/ - (The Martian/My Little Pony) - Mark Watney is joined on Mars by the crew of an alien race. More fantastical than Martian but still features engineering challenges. MLP fandom needs a lot of getting used to but has some good stories
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Comment on Demand is booming for new no tech, repairable tractor in ~transport
Tiraon LinkThere is a difference between technology used antagonisticaly toward the user and technology that is there for a purpose other than that. But a lot of technology that would be genuinely useful is...There is a difference between technology used antagonisticaly toward the user and technology that is there for a purpose other than that.
But a lot of technology that would be genuinely useful is better avoided due to the potential abuses it makes possible.
And unfortunately technology is routinely used antagonisticaly, in large part due to abysmal tech literacy rates.
Also what is a no tech tractor? Even a horse drawn plow is technology. I genuinely don't find these kinds of exagerations helpful.
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Comment on Your URL bar can be a CLI for searching websites in ~tech
Tiraon LinkThis one doesn't seem bad but personally I would be a lot happier with browsers if they left adress bar as address bar and left search to the already present dedicated box. Or at least exposed...This one doesn't seem bad but personally I would be a lot happier with browsers if they left adress bar as address bar and left search to the already present dedicated box. Or at least exposed that setting instead of requiring workarounds for such a fundamental feature.
I consider omnibox one of most irritating small/infrequent annoyances in my life.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Tiraon LinkChild of Light - it is over a decade old Ubisoft game which likely was an attempt to capture some the same market as indie games of the time. It is basically a whimsical fairytale told in a rhyme...Child of Light - it is over a decade old Ubisoft game which likely was an attempt to capture some the same market as indie games of the time.
It is basically a whimsical fairytale told in a rhyme and with good artwork.
The combat system is actually good blend of turn based and real time with every character taking an interruptible action of varying length with subsequent cooldown. The actions take place simultaneously and can be affected by player.
What I really like is that the combat is trivially skippable except for bosses. It still means it is needed to engage in it to be able to pass them but it is significant improvement on games forcing a meaningless encounter every five minutes.On the other hand it features cosmetic DLCs, Ubisoft shenanigans and seems about two thirds of the actual planned length.
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Comment on What are people's experiences with using Kagi? in ~tech
Tiraon (edited )Link ParentI would personally still consider that an improvement over the current default. As for an organization not being able to be neutral Wikipedia is doing an acceptably a-okay work.I would personally still consider that an improvement over the current default.
As for an organization not being able to be neutral Wikipedia is doing an acceptably a-okay work. -
Comment on What are people's experiences with using Kagi? in ~tech
Tiraon Link ParentIdeally search would be public utility. It is too central to everyday life and biased results have too large of an influence on everything. I really don't know if nonprofit could function well in...Ideally search would be public utility. It is too central to everyday life and biased results have too large of an influence on everything.
I really don't know if nonprofit could function well in this role but at least theoretically neutral search would be extremely useful to anyone individually and society in general. In the meantime paid search seems the best available option on a personal level. -
Comment on I think Anthropic and OpenAI have found product-market fit in ~tech
Tiraon Link ParentMy experience was more along the lines of large efficiecy gains in rare situations, eg setting up a project. The rest of the time the llm is somewhat helpful, decreased a lot by the need to...My experience was more along the lines of large efficiecy gains in rare situations, eg setting up a project. The rest of the time the llm is somewhat helpful, decreased a lot by the need to recheck all of output thoroughly which takes time and is mentally taxing.
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Comment on I think Anthropic and OpenAI have found product-market fit in ~tech
Tiraon Link ParentCrucial differences are that compilers are deterministic, understandable and limited in their scope. LLMs are tools to generate next likeliest token based on their training data. There is no...Crucial differences are that compilers are deterministic, understandable and limited in their scope.
LLMs are tools to generate next likeliest token based on their training data. There is no guarantee or accuracy or anything else and it will not fundamentally change with the current technology.
Personally I was only able to effectively utilize llms when I was already proficient in the domain, the quality of the result didn't matter or it was possible to trivially check the output. The problem is also the scope. Lllms can be used, badly, for everything. -
Comment on Audible mandating authors transition to new royalty system or lose payments in ~books
Tiraon LinkAs an end user I prefer a simple model. I pay for a thing, I get offline access to the thing, the end. It is simple, easy to understand, keeps costs bounded and doesn't offer as much room for...As an end user I prefer a simple model. I pay for a thing, I get offline access to the thing, the end. It is simple, easy to understand, keeps costs bounded and doesn't offer as much room for black box algorithms to manipulate engagement.
The more this model is deviated from the more options and incentives are there to use any trick possible to keep the user engaged. And it goes back to the content made. If binge worthy, or also addictive, content is incentivized monetarily then more content will be made more binge worthy.
Fifty million merits was made a lot of years back now but as a metaphor it works too well.
The value of the Steam machine would be in the extreme small form factor, low power draw, low noise, steam integration and console like ease of buy, setup and use.
It's a question how much someone values that and it makes it a niche device. It is not something I would pay but given the unfortunate hw market it is not sadly entirely ridiculous.