Tiraon's recent activity
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Comment on Demand Is Booming For New No Tech, Repairable Tractor in ~tech
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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.
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Comment on America’s tech-filled classrooms are facing a backlash against school-assigned devices in ~life
Tiraon LinkThe current (parts of) internet are designed to be addictive or 'maximize engagement' and the issued devices are locked down, unconfigurable and unexplorable. I started with digital devices...The current (parts of) internet are designed to be addictive or 'maximize engagement' and the issued devices are locked down, unconfigurable and unexplorable.
I started with digital devices exploring them. Simply booting the os of the time and seeing what was there and what I could make happen, though the lack of social media also played a part of course. Doing that today on even Windows is close to impossible while chromebooks lose the close part.
So losing the possibility of exploring, figuring out and learning on their own for those that inclined that leaves TikTok, Youtube and whatever. It doesn't help that the likely one personal device they may or may not have is a smartphone which is terrible for anything other than consumption.
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Comment on 007 First Light fans are requesting refunds after learning about Denuvo DRM addition ahead of launch in ~games
Tiraon LinkDRM generally is a net negative to everyone who gets the game legally while not impacting pirates** much but Denuvo specifically is in its own category. Personally I simply want to pay for a game...DRM generally is a net negative to everyone who gets the game legally while not impacting pirates** much but Denuvo specifically is in its own category.
Personally I simply want to pay for a game I find interesting, have a sane refund window or a representative demo and play it without the publisher, developer or the storefront feeling entitled to wring more money, attention or data out of me. Even Steam is generally pretty bad when viewed this way.
The practice of adding hostile DRM, forcing online accounts or not having even opt outs for data harvesting won't really stop if people keep throwing money at publishers behaving this way, it will simply get worse. Hopefully events like this mean at least the worst DRMs will be used less.
Personally I simply will not buy a game that goes too far and while it means I won't get to play several games I'd like to, there is a large amount of smaller developers not pulling these moves.**An another case of marketing appropriating words to force a false impression on the public but is far too ingrained culturally by now.
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Comment on Anyone playing Subnautica 2? in ~games
Tiraon Link ParentEULAs generally are user hostile joke. There is zero chance 99%+ customers fully read and understand even majority of the EULAs they technically agree to and expecting that is unrealistic and also...EULAs generally are user hostile joke. There is zero chance 99%+ customers fully read and understand even majority of the EULAs they technically agree to and expecting that is unrealistic and also not desirable in my opinion.
These kinds of contracts really should be governed by template, understandable language and legal jargon walls of text forbidden and fined in addition to fines for any unenforceable clauses. -
Comment on Google Search as you know it is over in ~tech
Tiraon Link ParentIt doesn't exactly matter if they are being deliberately used. The search stopped being about giving users tools to find what they need at around 2015 or so. It is apparently beneficial to the...It doesn't exactly matter if they are being deliberately used. The search stopped being about giving users tools to find what they need at around 2015 or so.
It is apparently beneficial to the company for them to be used. -
Comment on Google Search as you know it is over in ~tech
Tiraon LinkWell that's terrifying. The feature as such could actualy be very useful assuming it would be created with care, diligence, properly attributed everything, linked to the website first and was left...Well that's terrifying. The feature as such could actualy be very useful assuming it would be created with care, diligence, properly attributed everything, linked to the website first and was left optional. To be honest it somewhat sounds like simply an llm powered chat integrated into their systems.
Their actual search results were nearly useless for close to a decade now so I do not have cause to expect something different.
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Comment on Smartphone recommendations? in ~tech
Tiraon Link ParentNot difficult as such assuming compatible device but it does mean it is needed to deliberately choose one of those. PostmarketOS seemed to be the most supported. I am not current on what phones...Not difficult as such assuming compatible device but it does mean it is needed to deliberately choose one of those. PostmarketOS seemed to be the most supported. I am not current on what phones can be flashed and for phones intended to run Linux there is not much. I used to have PinePhone and there was also Librem5, I think.
Unfortunately there seems to a universal assumption that everyone has ios or Google owned Android which is one reason I finally personally switched. -
Comment on Smartphone recommendations? in ~tech
Tiraon Link ParentThat depends on the usage I suppose. For myself I had for several years the equivalent in terms of power of budget 2016 phone running Linux and performance was not a problem. I suspect that would...That depends on the usage I suppose. For myself I had for several years the equivalent in terms of power of budget 2016 phone running Linux and performance was not a problem.
I suspect that would not be a problem even today.
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Comment on Google Chrome silently installs a 4 GB AI model on your device without consent in ~tech
Tiraon Link ParentMalware is simply malicious software. While it may not fit the actual definition, on scale of malware to well behaved software I would not place this all the way to the right.Malware is simply malicious software. While it may not fit the actual definition, on scale of malware to well behaved software I would not place this all the way to the right.
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Comment on Google Chrome silently installs a 4 GB AI model on your device without consent in ~tech
Tiraon LinkI think comments here demonstrate how much the personal computing landscape shifted from even a decade ago. User has negligible agency without going far out of their way and even then it is not...I think comments here demonstrate how much the personal computing landscape shifted from even a decade ago.
User has negligible agency without going far out of their way and even then it is not great.
How is a 4gb model that is not even used in the most prominent AI workflow of Chrome going to help the end user?
For that matter did the browser at any point ask if the AI functionality should be enabled at all? In fact the user facing settings are generally ridiculously useless.
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Comment on Looking for general monitor advice in ~tech
Tiraon Link ParentI kept it purposefully vague but I don't mind clarifying. Currently I have quad hd 27 inch 60hz monitor and it seems a good compromise on real estate, pixel density and price. Personally I would...I kept it purposefully vague but I don't mind clarifying.
Currently I have quad hd 27 inch 60hz monitor and it seems a good compromise on real estate, pixel density and price. Personally I would consider mid sized the 27-32 inches.
I will definitely be gaming on the monitor but it will also be used for general media and productivity, mainly programming. I'd prefer something that can switch between that without problems and has flexibility for the future and I don't mind paying more for it but so far I did not find something really excellent.
Right now I have AMD card, 6700xt but if the economy and the computer parts market was not in such poor shape generally I'd be tentatively looking for upgrade in a year or so and at point the choice of brand will depend on the conditions. I will also drive the monitor from integrated graphics.
What is most important to me is the quality of the image, though quality and longevity of the monitor is important too. Other things can be always worked around somehow even if it is inconvenient. -
Looking for general monitor advice
My knowledge here is about a decade out of date so I would like to ask for some advice and recommendations. I am looking less for a specific model to buy and more for personal experiences and...
My knowledge here is about a decade out of date so I would like to ask for some advice and recommendations. I am looking less for a specific model to buy and more for personal experiences and general tips on what to look at or good review sites or knowledge bases.
Ideally I'd want a general purpose midsized flat monitor with higher refresh rate.
Mostly what I find are either gamer branded items usually without chain linking or data interface or office ones with 60hz though I'll work around of what is available. The image quality is the important part.What price ranges and display technologies should I be looking at to get a generally good image without too many compromises?
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Comment on What Google thinks you're worth in ~tech
Tiraon LinkI wish there was other internet monetization strategy available just generally. Right now it is usually either data harvesting and ads or subscription nearly guaranteed to be supplemented by data...I wish there was other internet monetization strategy available just generally. Right now it is usually either data harvesting and ads or subscription nearly guaranteed to be supplemented by data harvesting and occasionally ads.
There are entire fields of anti consumer behavior that either would not exists or would not be profitable if data harvesting was not somehow universally accepted.
If they make their 760 on someone it costs that someone and the society a lot more than that.
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.