UniquelyGeneric's recent activity
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Comment on Tips for increasing online privacy (without going insane)? in ~tech
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Comment on Why do you live? in ~humanities
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentThis reminds me a lot of my favorite Zen kōan, The Maybe Story. It reminds me to never get too caught up in emotional fervor with life as happiness or suffering can be transient, and sometimes a...I live because every day something happens. Might be good, bad, or neutral.
This reminds me a lot of my favorite Zen kōan, The Maybe Story. It reminds me to never get too caught up in emotional fervor with life as happiness or suffering can be transient, and sometimes a negative experience can lead to a positive one (and vice versa). It also encourages me to appreciate the “good times” when life is not particularly difficult, because things can easily turn around.
I’m writing this comment after a doctor’s visit about a recent knee surgery that will take 6 months to fully recover, so I have a newfound appreciation of baking able to walk, which I took for granted. The original knee injury happened while having fun dancing at a wedding, so good/bad times can shift very quickly or sometimes take very long. Regardless, nothing is forever, and the ephemerality of life is what makes it interesting.
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Comment on I've added ~society for topics related to politics, law, policies, and similar societal-level subjects in ~tildes.official
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentI was actually musing to myself that seeing Deimos post a major site change feels like witnessing a seismic shift in this forum’s future culture. The infrastructure being laid down now will govern...I was actually musing to myself that seeing Deimos post a major site change feels like witnessing a seismic shift in this forum’s future culture. The infrastructure being laid down now will govern the dynamic of the site and discussions around one of the most controversial topics of all time. It feels like being in “the room where it happens”, or witnessing a constitutional amendment.
While Tildes wasn’t created “in order to form a more perfect Union”, it does feel like Deimos’ has been striving to make the least shitty social media site/forum by encouraging collaboration over division, and so I see parallels between the two.
If Tildes is creating a more ideal model for discourse online, then it’s interesting what that says about how we will be conducting discussions about something that affects everyone. Politics has become so ubiquitous, that opting-out of it can be seen as a political statement itself (e.g. not voting). The choice to embrace politics as its own category, but allow people to filter it out by default may stem off future debates that could have eventually led to the site’s own destruction (i.e. toxic disagreements that dominate the content and turn away users).
Changing the parent topic of politics to ~society is also interesting as it seems more academic and inclusive than the gamesmanship associated with the word “politics”. I hope it will lead to more empathy and reasoned analysis rather than the fiery emotions that typically flare up when topics get personal.
Time will tell if the change was beneficial, but I’m just glad that regardless of the outcome Tildes is continuing to evolve, and that the “constitution” from our benevolent dictator is being treated as a living document. Part of the issue with the US currently is that our own Constitution has ossified and is not adapting to modern society.
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Comment on What to snack on (other than slices of parmesan) in ~food
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentIf you want to have authentic movie theater flavor, make sure to use Flavacol!If you want to have authentic movie theater flavor, make sure to use Flavacol!
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Comment on I bought a bike. What next? in ~hobbies
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentKryptonite is the established best-in-class for bike locks. E-bikes are a higher target for thieves due to their higher price point (at a minimum don’t leave the battery unattended), so you’re not...Kryptonite is the established best-in-class for bike locks. E-bikes are a higher target for thieves due to their higher price point (at a minimum don’t leave the battery unattended), so you’re not going to want to make a theft easy. Often thieves will initially disengage the bike by stealing a front tire, saddle, or the battery so that they can return later with better tools to remove the lock itself. You could consider hex locks if you’re paranoid, but that is dependent upon your environment and use cases. Kryptonite sells a hardened version of their locks the Fahgettaboudit) due to the prominence of bike thefts in my city. That being said, common thieves typically use leverage to pop off a U-lock before resorting to bolt cutters or portable circular saws, so where and how you lock your bike is more important than the type of lock.
The front wheel is detachable because it’s easier for servicing and for stowing a bike jn smaller spaces (e.g. back of a car). Also, the rear wheel is fundamentally attached to the gears in a way that there’s no easy way to remove without requiring separate tools and getting your hands dirty (and requiring a tune up afterwards).
I would advise against using 3D printed materials for the water bottle cage. The flexion it would regularly endure would make it easy to snap parts off. A simple steel cage is cheap and effective to the extent that you should probably spend more time figuring out what bottle you want (CamelBak Podium is a solid choice). That being said, if you’re committed to a 3D print, then I would suggest using ABS in your print to make it more sturdy.
Another thing to consider is a saddle bag to contain any roadside maintenance necessities: Tire repair kit at a minimum, likely requiring a hand-pump or CO2 canister, and a bike key/tool. None of these are strictly necessary, just good to have in the event of a popped tire (which is when you’ll appreciate the front tire quick release!). I’m also the weirdo who over-optimizes and got the Aeroclam, but you can pack as much or as little as you want in the bag. Just commuting? Probably don’t need much. Extended rides? Best to be prepared for a tire popping miles from a city. Bike camping? Gonna want some panniers.
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Comment on Winamp releases source code, asks for help modernizing the player in ~comp
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentOn a similar note, Electric Sheep is one of the coolest screensavers from back in the day (and still is!). The Gold version allows HD resolution (though this predates 4K). Since the screensavers...Same for screensavers.
On a similar note, Electric Sheep is one of the coolest screensavers from back in the day (and still is!). The Gold version allows HD resolution (though this predates 4K).
Since the screensavers are actually generated on people’s home machines, it has the effect of continually making new designs throughout the years. This predates GenAI and blockchain, and uses a fraction of the compute power, and yet here I am feeling like a Luddite wondering if it was a better use of resources than modern tech is proving to be.
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Comment on Winamp releases source code, asks for help modernizing the player in ~comp
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentThe developer of G-Force is still maintaining and updating the code, supposedly looking into 3D modeling. I think it’s still the best visualizer on the market despite looking quite similar to how...The developer of G-Force is still maintaining and updating the code, supposedly looking into 3D modeling. I think it’s still the best visualizer on the market despite looking quite similar to how it was 15+ years ago.
The same developer also makes WhiteCap, which is a little more closer to a spectrum analyzer that looks cool.
It is a shame that visualizers haven’t seem to have gotten much love in recent years, especially since the hardware we have now has only gotten better.
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Comment on Which debut albums from the 2020s do you recommend? in ~music
UniquelyGeneric LinkCVC - Get Real Spotify recommended me this yacht-rock band one night last year, and I had the luck to find out they had a live concert nearby later that same evening! They're a whimsical band from...Spotify recommended me this yacht-rock band one night last year, and I had the luck to find out they had a live concert nearby later that same evening! They're a whimsical band from England, but capture an older era's sound very well.
Their main single, Sophie, is an earworm that I couldn't shake the feeling like I've heard before. At their live showing they gave a nod to Wicked Game, which shares the same chord progression.
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Comment on Elon Musk’s lawyers quietly subpoena public interest groups in ~tech
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentPrior to reading this, I was under the impression that anti-SLAPP was already federal, but after looking it up it appears it only exists in 33 states. Is there something about California’s...California’s anti-SLAPP legislation is one good example of a protection
Prior to reading this, I was under the impression that anti-SLAPP was already federal, but after looking it up it appears it only exists in 33 states. Is there something about California’s implementation that stands out amongst the others? Or are California’s generally progressive laws working in conjunction to promote a more fair judicial environment?
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Comment on Elon Musk’s lawyers quietly subpoena public interest groups in ~tech
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentI don’t want to pretend to be able to predict future dog whistles so I’ll just list a few terms/phrases that cropped up over the years that eventually had a negative political association...I don’t want to pretend to be able to predict future dog whistles so I’ll just list a few terms/phrases that cropped up over the years that eventually had a negative political association advertisers would probably want to avoid:
- Let’s Go Brandon
- “woke”
- DEI
- Critical Race Theory
- OK hand sign
While these may have originally been benign (or even seen in a positive context), the discourse about them eventually got dominated by right wing extremism.
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Comment on Elon Musk’s lawyers quietly subpoena public interest groups in ~tech
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentGARM discontinuing could have long-term consequences for the Internet at large. For those not aware, GARM is the organization that standardizes “brand safety” categorizations (i.e. porn,...GARM discontinuing could have long-term consequences for the Internet at large. For those not aware, GARM is the organization that standardizes “brand safety” categorizations (i.e. porn, terrorism, drugs, hate speech, and other things advertisers may want to avoid).
While the current categorization may be sufficient, it only takes a shift in dogwhistles to create a new type of category that can’t be agreed upon across the industry. The net effect is that it doesn’t get put into a blocklist for advertisers and can be funded despite negative societal effects.
This dissolution of GARM may put a chilling effect on future industry collaboration and force more advertisers to be on the hook for their individual decisions of where to spend their money. In an ideal world that might be a good thing, but under a fascist regime where anybody who dares go against the party’s alignment is punished, it could be a very bad thing.
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Comment on Valve handbook for new employees — first edition in ~games
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentFurthermore, the concept of a CEO's main priority to be providing shareholder value was pushed by Milton Friedman in the 70s without any fundamental basis, and even Jack Welch has called it "the...Furthermore, the concept of a CEO's main priority to be providing shareholder value was pushed by Milton Friedman in the 70s without any fundamental basis, and even Jack Welch has called it "the worlds dumbest idea" (bet you didn't expect Forbes to write that article!).
So in reality, the idea of maximizing shareholder value was all based off perception/vibes (as if the stock market wasn't already a graph of "rich people's feelings." This perception became ossified by structural incentives made during the 80s to reduce taxes for the wealthy and heavily weighting executive compensation towards stocks.
So when you see that a lot of the decision makers at companies are detached from actual business realities (i.e. their employees, customers, and product), it's no surprise why so many public companies these days march head-first towards enshittification.
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Comment on Google must destroy $5 billion worth of user data illegally collected in Incognito Mode in ~tech
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentI think they introduced that type of language after a few years of general users misunderstanding what it actually does. I believe in the blog post where they reintroduced the feature, Google said...I think they introduced that type of language after a few years of general users misunderstanding what it actually does.
I believe in the blog post where they reintroduced the feature, Google said something like “if you’re shopping for a gift for your wife and don’t want her to know about it”, which I thought was a tongue-in-cheek reference to the more common use for porn. In retrospect, if you were actually shopping for your wife, your household IP would likely get targeted for ads related to your product search so she would get exposed to your gift search regardless.
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Comment on What is a software you wish existed? in ~comp
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentI’ve thought about this recently and I think a topical conversation starter is usually all that’s needed to continue conversation on my own. Typically in an awkward situation both people just kind...I’ve thought about this recently and I think a topical conversation starter is usually all that’s needed to continue conversation on my own. Typically in an awkward situation both people just kind of stare dumbly waiting for the other person to spark a jumping off point.
If somehow you could incorporate news of the day/week and any other generic icebreakers (e.g. “see any good movies recently?”) you could do slightly better than this small talk calendar (which is admittedly geared towards college students).
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Comment on Y2K | Official trailer in ~movies
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentJonah Hill is one of the producers, but despite that I think this will be nothing of the caliber of Superbad. It looks focused on the bespoke horror plot rather than the universal relationship...Jonah Hill is one of the producers, but despite that I think this will be nothing of the caliber of Superbad. It looks focused on the bespoke horror plot rather than the universal relationship drama that made Superbad great.
It also has Kyle Mooney involved as a producer, and as much as I want to like his humor, it just doesn’t capture wide appeal.
It truly feels like a movie that ChatGPT threw together based off of a few inputs and while enough to fool an out-of-touch rich guy to find it, I doubt it will actually attract a genuine audience.
It’s a horror movie right before Christmas, for “Christ’s” sakes! October is when you release good horror movies. December is when you clean house to take the loss on your financial reporting.
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Comment on "A total of 203,946 employees have been laid off across more than 165 tech companies worldwide since the start of 2024, with firms such as Dell, Intel, and Tesla leading the cuts" in ~tech
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentDespite what capitalists might tell you, Henry Ford compensated his workers beyond a living wage not “so they could afford the same cars they were making”, but because the burnout and churn from...Despite what capitalists might tell you, Henry Ford compensated his workers beyond a living wage not “so they could afford the same cars they were making”, but because the burnout and churn from running an assembly line was so high that he needed to double the average factory salary just to convince workers to stay. This single act arguably led to the modern day middle class, and now 100+ years later we’re seeing the withering of the middle class for even highly technical jobs due to corporate greed.
Most white collar jobs require years of experience in a specific field, even for technologies that only recently existed. Layoffs are an unpredictable mar on someone’s resume, yet are more likely based off interest rates more than job performance.
The people usually making these decisions, however, usually have golden parachutes or are so well compensated that the idea of being laid off is basically a glorified vacation. They are detached from the middle class and the job market. One only needs to look at the wording of RTO policies to see the tone-deafness in these positions. As a reminder, RTO (return to office) did not benefit anyone.
I don’t have an answer to why corporate leadership consistently makes the wrong moves with regards to long term (and even short term) profits. My best guess is that the Peter principle applies best at the top levels of a company, and that those leaders are more succumb to the whims of the market because they truly don’t understand how things work themselves.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Comment on What are your favorite Dreamcast games? Any odd or unique ones worth playing? in ~games
UniquelyGeneric LinkNights into Dreams is a surreal game with innovative movement mechanics. It feels like the video game transition from 2D to 3D took a turn through an M.C.Escher staircase overlooking isometric...Nights into Dreams is a surreal game with innovative movement mechanics. It feels like the video game transition from 2D to 3D took a turn through an M.C.Escher staircase overlooking isometric grids. It's technically an on-the-rails platformer, although it feels anything but. Flashy colors, fun sound effects, and the feeling of being at the helm of Mister Toad's Wild Ride make this game noteworthy. If only for the game controls alone.
Others here mentioned Rez, which has a multi-platform HD version worth checking out. It, too, has an extremely unique control system that has yet to be replicated in other games. My suggestion for adapting the game to modern controllers is to control the cursor with gyro and use a trigger button for marking targets. Feels almost like a lightgun game that anyone can pick up at that point.
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Comment on Which content-recommending algorithms are actually good? in ~tech
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentDiscovery was (and is) a real problem for accessing new content; you don’t know what you don’t know. A Web 1.0 tech that didn’t survive the Web 2.0 transition was StumbleUpon. At the time it was a...did anyone actually want recommendation algorithms in the first place?
Discovery was (and is) a real problem for accessing new content; you don’t know what you don’t know.
A Web 1.0 tech that didn’t survive the Web 2.0 transition was StumbleUpon. At the time it was a breath of fresh air from the ensuing rise of link aggregator sites. It gave you seemingly endless random websites from parts of the web you would never have found on your own. After a while of clicking the “StumbleUpon” button (browser toolbars were also a thing that Web 2.0 killed…not lamenting about that one, though) you’d eventually exhaust the available sites and you’d cycle through ones you’ve seen before (i.e. “you’ve reached the end of the Internet”).
Eventually they introduced a Like/Upvote button which would help the cream rise to the top. In a way, this was likely a bare-bones recommendation algorithm (purely popularity based instead of using ML “personalization”). I can’t remember if they ever shared metadata like submission timestamp, number of upvotes, etc. in later years. I just remember it being a fun and charming part of the Internet that gave you access to the small web before it was solely personal blogs.
What I think made StumbleUpon’s charm so addictive was because it introduced unknown randomness to your internet browsing. Many times I don’t want to be recommended the same things I’ve already seen or what people like me have seen. Getting something to break me out of my comfort zone has value in itself and it’s something that is sorely lacking in the modern web. Everyone is stuck in echo chambers that encourages them to be xenophobic to outsiders and new ideas.
I don’t know if something like StumbleUpon could take off today. I checked online and its successor is an app called “Mix” (at least that’s who took over the domain name). After a cursory look, “Mix” is a video-meme doom-scroller. The memes themselves were ancient from what I could see. The network effects of Big Tech have entrenched such a stranglehold over information flow I don’t see anything that copies their formula butting its way in, either. Why would TikTok/Instagram/Reddit ever promote a competitor when it could tweak its algorithm to suppress and/or steal content instead?
Even the original StumbleUpon founder went on to found Uber, which makes me feel like his thoughts around a free and open web have likely changed since 2001.
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Comment on The lights don’t just go out: A lifelong fainter on how fiction gets fainting all wrong in ~health
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentI only fainted once, and mostly blacked out the experience itself. The part I can remember of regaining consciousness was like I was watching a movie screen play out in my head and the images...I only fainted once, and mostly blacked out the experience itself. The part I can remember of regaining consciousness was like I was watching a movie screen play out in my head and the images where what my eyes were seeing. The screen itself started small and distant and slowly moved forwards until the screen was so large it completely consumed my “homonculus” visual spectrum. At that point I snapped back to reality, where I was currently laying on the floor in the middle of a church with my entire 8th grade class standing around me thinking I was just possessed by the devil because I had apparently been twitching while knocked out.
For what it’s worth, I’ve woken up after being put under for surgery (and even woke up during one!) and that’s more of an out of body experience with a swirly headspace. More chaotic as your mind tries to fight against it to make sense of it.
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Comment on What is the most profound impact a dream has had on you? in ~talk
UniquelyGeneric LinkThis likely wasn’t the expected response to the prompt, but it’s a doozy nonetheless. I had a dream a few years ago, the specifics actually evade me due to the nature of dreams but I vaguely...This likely wasn’t the expected response to the prompt, but it’s a doozy nonetheless.
I had a dream a few years ago, the specifics actually evade me due to the nature of dreams but I vaguely remember searching/digging for something in the woods/brush. What hit me next had me floored.
I literally woke up on the floor after having fallen while sleep walking. I could feel blood starting to pour down my face and I knew something bad had just happened. After going to the bathroom to clean myself up I realized I couldn’t control the bleeding and had to go to the hospital.
Fast forward a series of doctor evaluations and a 2 hour ambulance ride later and I’m getting facial reconstructive surgery because I had shattered my skull. I got two plates put in my head, and my eyelid had to be stitched back together. It would be another month before I could even open my eye to know if it was damaged.
It turns out that my fall had landed my head onto the sharp corner of a wooden desk next to my bed. Due to how I had semi-instinctually caught myself, I aggravated an already damaged shoulder and had to get surgery for that, too.
I spent 1/3 of the year with some sort of a disability, and the near death experience took months to process/recover from. After talking to a doctor friend, I believe the worst case scenario wouldn’t have been losing my eye, or even dying, but having broke my neck and live the remainder of my years a quadriplegic. Spending a majority of my life knowing what once was, and having zero answers for why it got taken away so abruptly.
Thankfully I made a full recovery with minimal scarring, but it did cause me to question a lot of my perceived complacency at the time. My job had stagnated and I felt like a leech on society, only consuming and never giving back.
It caused me to turn a new leaf: I got a better job working to protect the data privacy rights of others, I invested in my hobbies of playing music and cycling, I made a conscientious choice to stop dating around and settle down (just moved in with my gf 2 months ago). I tackled nearly every part of Maslow’s hierarchy I had reached the nebulous self-actualization in a matter of months.
It was/is super empowering: to be granted a new lease on life. I realized a lot of barriers were self-imposed, and I managed to take the risk of venturing into the unknown because I didn’t feel like I had anything to lose. What’s the worst that could happen, I could die (again)? Hah, I already struck the lottery once with a relatively good life in America, now I was in the bonus round and everything is a cherry on top. Life became a gift, which turned around my generally pessimistic/cynical attitude I had for all of my previous life. I’m not making irrational bets that have real risks involved (like gambling), but I’m definitely more willing to talk to the stranger at the bar because I don’t hold my own pride/introverted comfort level on a pedestal. I try new foods. I try experiences. I embrace life.
Now, none of these changes are wholly specific to my NDE: I had already become a more open minded social butterfly due to college. Rather, I had realized that I could embrace who I had become and double down on the things that make me unique, the things that make me driven.
Many people after hearing my story immediately ask if I normally sleep walk: no, I have no real history. I do have a long history of lucid dreaming, somewhat more recent sleep paralysis, and a general temperament of a night owl. After seeing a sleep doctor and describing everything that happened to me and my history his response was basically “shit happens” ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
I know a lot of people in this thread are potentially searching for some interpretation of their dreams, but I think they’re a little more closer to a virtual reality space we regularly play in than some deeper allegory. That being said, I think they provide a good insight into our subconscious psyche and are valuable to analyze to the extent that they can provide positive direction in someone’s life. I don’t think people need a NDE to improve their life, but it certainly helps.
My best theory for my sleep walking incident: it was the night of Jan 6th.
All great suggestions by many here, but one I haven’t seen is to use Firefox Focus for general browsing. It deletes cookies, history, and local storage after each session. Alternatively you can just start a new session at any time. Removing the ability for any site to track you longitudinally is just another method of covering your tracks when you can’t ensure privacy blockers will work for 100% of trackers.
Side benefit is a decluttered browsing experience. On my other browsers I have and endless growth of tabs I keep forgetting to clear out. Firefox Focus removes the need to think about maintaining data hygiene.
Occasionally I do need to switch to Chrome (ugh) or Vanilla Firefox because I need to persist my browser state (signing into services or online shopping), but it’s nice to force me to be more thoughtful when I do need to switch to a different context. It’s similar to having to use a !bang operator in DuckDuckGo/Kagi when I want to switch to Google Search (thankfully less and less common these days).