UniquelyGeneric's recent activity
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Comment on What words do you recommend? in ~talk
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Comment on What words do you recommend? in ~talk
UniquelyGeneric LinkConflate - I most often use this when cautioning about equating two concepts that are necessarily distinct (e.g. “let’s not conflate rights with privileges”). Because I’m a sucker for etymologies...Conflate - I most often use this when cautioning about equating two concepts that are necessarily distinct (e.g. “let’s not conflate rights with privileges”). Because I’m a sucker for etymologies I looked it up and it’s essentially Latin for “with fire” as in to melt together.
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Comment on Glow-in-the-dark succulents could be the future of ambient lighting in ~science
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentYou’re right, I got carried away with a desire to turn my own succulents to an organic night-lite, regardless of relevance. removing my mistaken post as I wither away at my own cringeYou’re right, I got carried away with a desire to turn my own succulents to an organic night-lite, regardless of relevance.
removing my mistaken post as I wither away at my own cringe
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Comment on My ordinary life: Improvements since the 1990s in ~tech
UniquelyGeneric LinkWhile it doesn’t have as much self-reported analyses and graphs as some more iconic Gwern long-form reads, I think it roughly holds true for Millenials that grew up in the same time period. I do...While it doesn’t have as much self-reported analyses and graphs as some more iconic Gwern long-form reads, I think it roughly holds true for Millenials that grew up in the same time period.
I do think an implicit point that isn’t necessarily highlighted (caveat: I did initial skimming rather than a deep read), is that most of these changes happened before 2010. The past 10-ish years haven’t fundamentally changed the world the same way the 90s-10s did. The past 10 years may have extended concepts realized in the original dotcom-boom, but they also displayed the enshittification that occurs when you take these concepts to a logical conclusion.
Gwern might have done a good reminder, though, that we have progressed as a society in many somewhat un-sexy ways. We take for granted the relative comfort that we live in as if it weren’t the pinnacle of civilized society. That being said, I think it’s easy to project a lot of future progress by the recent(ish) rate of change. It may be that we’re exhausting the available solutions (/low hanging fruit) that exist in our current paradigm, and so we should be due for a new paradigm shift instead of expecting more incremental change.
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Comment on Spotify is adding direct messaging to their music streaming app in ~tech
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentI’m in my 30s and have been a Spotify user for years. I think a point that @EgoEimi might be missing is that when you’re <30 you have much more time for hobbies and socialization. My friends in my...I’m in my 30s and have been a Spotify user for years. I think a point that @EgoEimi might be missing is that when you’re <30 you have much more time for hobbies and socialization. My friends in my generation are all having kids, or hitting peaks in their career, so free time is a precious resource. We chat still, but we aren’t discovering music the same way we once were / at all.
I’m a musician myself, so I love talking about and sharing music, but it’s just not an activity I really do online anymore (even with my musician friends!). While Spotify may be tapping into the Gen Z/Alpha cultural zeitgeist by enabling DMs, I don’t think they need to bother inserting themselves into Millennial/Gen X lives to keep them as subscribers at this point…we’re already there and are becoming (/already are) averse to change in our Internet experience.
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Comment on Glow-in-the-dark succulents could be the future of ambient lighting in ~science
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentWhile I would also be psyched for a self-powered glow, I’m expecting these to be the same kind of phosphors in the toys I grew up with as a kid. The shame with that kind of phosphor is that it can...While I would also be psyched for a self-powered glow, I’m expecting these to be the same kind of phosphors in the toys I grew up with as a kid.
The shame with that kind of phosphor is that it can be charged up, but it hits a ceiling on the total power stored. This inevitably gets discharged over the span of an hour or two when it literally loses its luster (although looking it up, it might effectively last in some faint form for up to 6-8 hours).
While it might be nice to have some plants retaining ambient light once the sun sets, I actually most want this type of ambient light when it’s late at night (i.e. 10pm and later). It’s during this time I have automated timers to turn down/off room lighting and make everything more warm-hued.
Post sunset glow might look cool, but wouldn’t be particularly useful outside of some novelty for guests (especially in the Winter when the sun sets earlier). My fear is that the only way to extend the “charge” for these plants would be to put them into some irregular lighting patterns that could be the bigger impact on plant health rather than the toxicity of the phosphors themselves.
Edit: I do remember the phosphors as a kid could be charged by standard home lighting, so it’s a possibility that they can retain non-UV light/energy. If so, these might actually fit the bill for my use case!
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Comment on Forums are still alive, active, and a treasure trove of information in ~tech
UniquelyGeneric LinkOne forum I’ve used in the past that wasn’t listed in the multiple music-related forum lists is Nord Keyboards. I linked for the Nord Stage, which is a keyboard that can combine organ, piano, and...One forum I’ve used in the past that wasn’t listed in the multiple music-related forum lists is Nord Keyboards. I linked for the Nord Stage, which is a keyboard that can combine organ, piano, and synthesizer sounds.
The real value in the forum in my view is harvesting all the time/effort of other users by downloading presets that can best emulate certain sounds or songs (e.g. the intro to “Baba O’Riley”). It almost feels like an underground pirate scene with the esoteric knowledge needed to re-engineer what could otherwise be more easily sampled directly.
It’s a niche scene that I could easily see blossoming if Nord made an official way to share community presets, but perhaps the forum itself is what fosters enough discussion to keep users engaged in the first place. I also suspect many users are middle aged dads in cover bands based on genre popularity, and so the forum format itself scares away younger users who balk at the friction of uploading preset files to an unstructured topic thread.
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Comment on UK voting age to be lowered to 16 by next general election in ~society
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentIsn’t this the same danger with voting, though? Many teens are addicted to social media feeds and as the US has seen in the last election: manosphere podcasters. Their critical thinking is being...Teenagers have probably underdeveloped reward centers that can be permanently hijacked
Isn’t this the same danger with voting, though? Many teens are addicted to social media feeds and as the US has seen in the last election: manosphere podcasters. Their critical thinking is being short circuited with maliciously constructed arguments that give a superficial understanding of complex problems. Feeling like you’ve “got it all figured out” could be an addictive dopamine hit, or maybe the rage-baiting topics could just be just as effective at triggering the amygdala as it is with older folks.
I find it curious that people don’t trust 16 year olds to make decisions like trying alcohol or drugs because of their inability to foresee and control long term consequences to their personal health, but yet don’t show the same concern with those same 16 year olds making decisions that affect the long term health of society.
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Comment on OpenAI to release web browser in challenge to Google Chrome in ~tech
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentI’ve been mulling this possibility over more and more these days. I think a way to break out of the clickbait-y and ad driven web is to shift to a “pay-per-play” model similar to your browser...I’ve been mulling this possibility over more and more these days. I think a way to break out of the clickbait-y and ad driven web is to shift to a “pay-per-play” model similar to your browser wallet concept.
What makes this shift seem more possible today is the move of the EU towards a Digital ID Wallet. Since websites are now requiring age verification (and who knows, potentially identity verification), this wallet idea holds the possibility of being your SSO for the web. Since it can be tied to your personal finances it could in theory be tied to a monthly charge for content.
While I prefer the idea of fixed microtransactions moreso than an arbitrary/discretionary monthly budget, I get nauseous thinking about the current state of crypto getting tied into my Internet access. We already pay to gain Internet access, but we don’t pay for all the externalities that come with that like paying journalists a living wage or the water costs of AI.
If the browser is truly to be a user’s agent, especially including AI agents as some new forks purport as possible (e.g. OpenAI and Dia Browsers), then maybe we need to get serious treating it as a separate entity. People used to pay a travel agent to find and book their trips, should we expect the AI agent of the near future to be at zero cost? Even if locally run, I’m still going to pay for the energy usage at home.
With a monetary incentive (/cost) to producing high quality information, an economic valuation of quality could be the incentive to counteract the proliferation of AI slop.
My fear is that the ignorant will happily pay for misinformation due to the emotional brain-hacking it’s already established, and that the masses will still sell out society collectively through sheer volume alone. Or maybe in the way that luxury goods and fashion are mimicked by cheaper brands accessible to the masses, we might see Truth™ having a certain desirable quality that shuns/shames the conjurors of cheap tricks!
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Comment on The Digg beta has just gone live. What are people's thoughts and experiences so far with the reboot? in ~tech
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentWith FB experimenting with AI generated “users” it feels inevitable that AI will dominate discourse on major social media platforms. A platform that is heavily leaning into that could be ahead of...With FB experimenting with AI generated “users” it feels inevitable that AI will dominate discourse on major social media platforms.
A platform that is heavily leaning into that could be ahead of the curve, or maybe they will embody Dead Internet Theory in a profound way that sparks an uncanny valley reaction by most users.
Given Digg’s previous downfall from caving early to capitalist pressure, my money is on the latter.
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Comment on US Senate passes Donald Trump’s megabill after pulling all-nighter in ~society
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentWe also need to curb the omnibus spending bills passed at the 11th hour to approve a budget before a government shutdown. So much pork barrel get shoved in there, and it has an innocuous name that...We also need to curb the omnibus spending bills passed at the 11th hour to approve a budget before a government shutdown. So much pork barrel get shoved in there, and it has an innocuous name that masks just how much corrupt add-ons are actually contained in it.
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Comment on G’AIM’E: Plug & play gun system for modern TVs in ~games
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentIf you don’t mind tinkering, then yes, it’s worth it. You can play some of the modern Steam games like Blue Steel or House of the Dead Remake without much hassle out of the box. Playing retro...If you don’t mind tinkering, then yes, it’s worth it. You can play some of the modern Steam games like Blue Steel or House of the Dead Remake without much hassle out of the box.
Playing retro games necessitates having the means to do so, which is either some forked Batocera image with ROMs specific to light gun games, or bring your own ROMs to Batocera (which supports Sinden in later versions). Neither of those options are easy. Doing a choose your own adventure of OS will become a series of trial and error that makes you question if it’s all worth it.
That being said, it works really well once it’s set up properly. I had to DIY my own dampener on the recoil to reduce the noise (the lowest setting is surprisingly loud). You also have to accept a white border on all games in order for the targeting engine to work. This removes some nostalgia, but is also quickly forgotten.
Keep in mind that the Sinden has some front-heavy weight that will put strain on your wrists. I found a 3D printed shoulder stock that helps reduce strain, but becomes yet another DIY thing you’re investing in. I don’t see any new devices avoiding this issue unless all the weight is distributed in the handle of the gun (unlikely given the need for optical sensors in the “barrel”). Ultimately this means you won’t have a play session longer than 30 minutes to an hour (not an issue if playing with friends, more noticeable on your own).
I would pose the question: how much do you care about light-gun games? Just a passing fancy? Then probably not worth the effort. Are you a 80s/90s kid with perennial nostalgia for Time Crisis and its ilk? This will scratch that itch. Do you like hacking for its own sake? Then this is fun outside of gaming.
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Comment on Where are the small phones? in ~tech
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentOne of my general gripes with modern websites: that “use desktop mode” is a largely useless feature. Due to display screen size or some other indicators within the user agent string, a website...One of my general gripes with modern websites: that “use desktop mode” is a largely useless feature. Due to display screen size or some other indicators within the user agent string, a website will straight up ignore a “desktop” HTTP request and instead return the mobile version instead. It’s this paternalistic infantilizing of the user that leads to part of the tech illiteracy that’s been growing.
Sometimes the desktop version of a website has richer features, or more verbose content. Since screen real estate is limited on a mobile device you can lose out on important details, and many times I actually lose site functionality (it’s ridiculous that I have to install Chrome on my phone just to use certain websites that refuse to present me with their desktop version when requested). Many images or graphs can be unzoomable on mobile versions of sites, and yet the desktop version gives me full control of my viewport.
I’m tired of these user hostile design choices. I still use old Reddit and zoom in despite the “poor UX” because I don’t want to give into the addictive tendencies that mobile apps lead to. Why can’t I control my own experience? Shouldn’t I know what’s best, especially if it’s a more technical request? My browser should be the agent that decides what’s best rendering for the user, not the website itself.
It’s not just the phones themselves that ignore users demands, but the software, too.
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Comment on Finding the best sleep tracker in ~tech
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentSo happy to have improved your sleep! I don’t have too much skin in the game because my problem (if I can call it that) is not that I can’t sleep, but that I choose to avoid sleep. I’m a night owl...So happy to have improved your sleep!
I don’t have too much skin in the game because my problem (if I can call it that) is not that I can’t sleep, but that I choose to avoid sleep. I’m a night owl who still has a 9-5, and so I generally choose to forgo sleep for whatever digital rabbit hole I’ve chosen for the night.
My one anecdote relevant to this thread is when I used a sleep tracker in college. My freshman dorm neighbor across the hall was enrolled in a psych course that included a sleep study across the whole class. Each use used an electronic headband to track their sleep phases (I don’t know which one it was, but it was top of the line at the time!). One day he approached me to see if I could wear it for a weekend because his long-distance girlfriend was visiting for the weekend. Out of curiosity’s sake I agreed.
This guy had a pristine sleep schedule, going to bed from 11pm-8am every day like clockwork. I guess the sleep scores are similar to IQ and normalized, so most of the class was middling around 100. My dude was a top performer with a high score of 120 or so. Meanwhile, I’m a night owl who went out to drink that weekend, and as freshmen do, I stayed out late and came back drunk. I knew enough to put on this goofy headband and clocked in my sleep for the night (here’s a case where I got a proper 8+ hours due to the weekend).
The result? The highest sleep score in the whole class for the rest of the semester: 141. 40% deep sleep. 40% REM sleep. 20% light sleep. Was this likely due to REM Rebound? Yes. Could alcohol have influenced the score? Potentially, supposedly alcohol disrupts proper sleep cycles, but maybe my general sleep deprivation is stronger. Is it healthy? Unclear, I haven’t changed much regarding sleep over the years, even seeing a sleep doctor. I have been diagnosed with delayed sleep phase disorder, but I hesitate to call it a disorder when my life has been relatively successful as-is. I wonder if there’s a similar form of masking that those with ADHD are prone to.
I don’t know whether this anecdata is even meaningful to the type of people who need to track their sleep to actively improve it, but it’s a story I keep with me whenever people comment on my sleep habits. I may not get the most sleep, but when I do, I get the best sleep ^_^
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Comment on My hair is thinning. Tips and tricks, please! in ~life.style
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentThere are studies that show minoxidil can improve women’s hair as well, but it can easily go overboard (e.g. growing a unibrow or other unintended hair growth). The difference between men and...There are studies that show minoxidil can improve women’s hair as well, but it can easily go overboard (e.g. growing a unibrow or other unintended hair growth). The difference between men and women’s minoxidil is purely on the frequency of use (once a day for women, vs. twice a day for men). The concentration is the same (5%), yet the price is marked up for the women’s version (because of course it is).
Don’t take my comment the same as truth, though, I’m just a random Internet stranger after all. Always good to familiarize yourself with available scientific research before undergoing any new medication. Unfortunately there’s a dearth of data for women’s hair loss/thinning, but that research is slowly growing over time.
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Comment on My hair is thinning. Tips and tricks, please! in ~life.style
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentThis is usually because the liquid version uses propylene glycol to aid in absorption. That chemical dries out your skin, which causes itchiness. The foam version doesn’t use the same ingredient,...Minoxidil works, but […] it can really irritate your scalp
This is usually because the liquid version uses propylene glycol to aid in absorption. That chemical dries out your skin, which causes itchiness. The foam version doesn’t use the same ingredient, but it’s more difficult to get it to touch the scalp if you have longer hair.
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Comment on My hair is thinning. Tips and tricks, please! in ~life.style
UniquelyGeneric LinkFinasteride will stop hair loss and give you a baseline to work with. Minoxidil can grow and thicken hair, but it’s not a sustainable solution on its own without pairing it with finasteride to...Finasteride will stop hair loss and give you a baseline to work with.
Minoxidil can grow and thicken hair, but it’s not a sustainable solution on its own without pairing it with finasteride to prevent continued hair loss.
There’s various homeopathic treatments that are likely snake oil grifts exploiting the desperate, so watch out as you do research online. The only two FDA approved methods are the ones listed above. Nizoral shampoo has some clinical evidence of effectiveness, but is nothing compared to the other two medications.
Ultimately, you’re going to be fighting against a relentless biological process so you will have to commit to a daily regimen (twice daily for minoxidil). Hair is also a reflection of your overall health and stress levels, which you already have to manage daily.
I like the analogy to tending a garden. Finasteride gives you a good soil bed for roots to grow. Minoxidil is like a fertilizer. Exercise and a healthy diet are like sunshine and water. But as a gardener you need to develop a good routine to remain attentive to your garden’s needs.
Even with all the effort, you may not be able to stave off the hair loss entirely, you may just slow it down. That being said, the effort is not so onerous that it’s not worth trying it out. You already brush your teeth daily (and “you only have to brush the teeth you want to keep!”), so adding a few more minutes to your existing routine may be worth keeping your hair around for years to come.
If I were you, I’d find a dermatologist and get on finasteride asap to protect your baseline, and then you can see if it’s worth adding minoxidil to the routine. You will have to spend money, but there are ways to reduce costs. Stick to generic drugs, Kirkland brand liquid minoxidil (liquid is more effective and cheaper than foam), and you can use a pill cutter for finasteride since it’s cheaper in bulk.
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Comment on "Shower thoughts" and other things to ponder in ~talk
UniquelyGeneric Link ParentI creeped on a German subreddit to see that they describe flashing headlights as the “light horn”, which I thought was a funny concept. This reminded me of a story in Japan of people using their...I creeped on a German subreddit to see that they describe flashing headlights as the “light horn”, which I thought was a funny concept.
This reminded me of a story in Japan of people using their hazards as a way to show thanks/appreciation on the road.
I wonder if there’s an alternative method for communicating on the road that don’t need horns since they can be intrusive in quiet settings. Noise pollution adds stress and decreases life expectancy for the city-folk that live around it.
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Comment on "Shower thoughts" and other things to ponder in ~talk
UniquelyGeneric LinkA common party discussion in my friend group is playing the “kill, fuck, marry” game with bread, pasta, and rice. It’s a deceptively simple choice but leads to many passionate disagreements. Maybe...A common party discussion in my friend group is playing the “kill, fuck, marry” game with bread, pasta, and rice.
It’s a deceptively simple choice but leads to many passionate disagreements. Maybe better in a party setting, but it’s a difficult decision to commit to.
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Comment on Tips for increasing online privacy (without going insane)? in ~tech
UniquelyGeneric LinkAll 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...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).
I’ve been fascinated at the similarities between “wonder” and “wander” since they are conceptually similar (i.e. to wonder is to let your mind wander). The etymologies appear separate (though both of Germanic origin). The PIE root for “wander” at least gives some indication of its base abstraction which also forms the word “wind” (as in to turn / winding around). Makes sense, since you try to “wrap your mind” around a concept by wondering/wandering about various facets of it.