Akir's recent activity
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Comment on Monopoly at McDonald's free food giveaway in ~food
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Comment on Gimp Tutorial for Idiot? in ~comp
Akir LinkYou probably don't need a tutorial. People who hate GIMP generally hate it not because it's the worst thing out there, but because they are used to using something else. It's like picking up a...You probably don't need a tutorial. People who hate GIMP generally hate it not because it's the worst thing out there, but because they are used to using something else. It's like picking up a fountain pen after spending your whole life writing with ballpoints; it's gonna feel weird and you might have more errors before, and then you get used to it.
Obviously an image editor is much more complex than a pen, so you'll have to put more effort into it; in this case, that means actually sitting down and reading the documentation. Go through it and try out each feature and see how you like them individually and how they will fit into your style.
Admittedly, it's been a hot minute since I've used GIMP because it's been a long time since I've had photo editing as one of my job responsibilities. But more recent years have seen me getting into art programs which are drammatically different from what I've been used to using. Aseprite, for instance, has a ton of tools and features that are specific to the pixel art domain. For these things I actually found watching and reading tutorials to be counterproductive about half of the time because seeing someone do something is a very different thing from doing it yourself. Doing it yourself will cause you to make mistakes, but if making the perfect art every time is your goal you are setting yourself up for failure. Learning is making mistakes.
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Comment on Meta: A Human-Friendly Programming Language in ~comp
Akir Link ParentTo be fair, they started this project with this name a few years before Facebook decided to rebrand.To be fair, they started this project with this name a few years before Facebook decided to rebrand.
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Comment on Can you really be addicted to food? Researchers are uncovering similarities to drug addiction in some eating patterns. in ~food
Akir Link ParentYeah! T-that would be crazy.... >_>; <_<;No one’s really eating copious amounts of broccoli every day.
Yeah! T-that would be crazy....
>_>;
<_<;
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Comment on Meta: A Human-Friendly Programming Language in ~comp
Akir LinkI wanted to share this because I found it incredibly strange and interesting. I actually found it while looking into something I hadn't seen in forever, a defunct open source operating system...I wanted to share this because I found it incredibly strange and interesting. I actually found it while looking into something I hadn't seen in forever, a defunct open source operating system called Syllable Desktop which was based on the earlier, also-defunct AtheOS. It looks like development has spun up again, for some reason. But the person behind it also is making this rather unusual programming language.
Meta is still in early stages and probably isn't terribly useful to most people, but it's built upon some very interesting opinions. One of the things they did to jump-start interest was to target the Atari 8-bit computer systems as well as the 2600, and apperantly many of the people working on it are from those communities. But the thing I find much more interesting is that it considers itself to be a successor to Rebol, in which it is written. And Rebol itself is kind of crazy.
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Meta: A Human-Friendly Programming Language
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Comment on Why cassette tapes are coming back in ~music
Akir Link ParentThat may be a function of being in your generation. I grew up in the 90s and our house didn’t have records until my father married someone who owned a turntable. In the meanwhile I have many good...That may be a function of being in your generation. I grew up in the 90s and our house didn’t have records until my father married someone who owned a turntable. In the meanwhile I have many good memories of using cassette tapes.
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Comment on Why cassette tapes are coming back in ~music
Akir Link ParentThe primary difference is the difference in a speed. The EP records that people prize are meant to run at 33-1/3 RPM, while those gramophones are meant to run at something like 80 to my memory....The primary difference is the difference in a speed. The EP records that people prize are meant to run at 33-1/3 RPM, while those gramophones are meant to run at something like 80 to my memory.
The material might also make a difference because the older ones put a lot more force on the needle. Shellac is more rigid than vinyl.
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Comment on Why cassette tapes are coming back in ~music
Akir Link ParentIf you still have the decks, you can replace the belts fairly easily. They’re simple rubber things you can order online; it’s not like a complex timing belt in an automobile.If you still have the decks, you can replace the belts fairly easily. They’re simple rubber things you can order online; it’s not like a complex timing belt in an automobile.
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Comment on Why cassette tapes are coming back in ~music
Akir Link ParentCan’t you accept that others find the qualities of cassettes degrading charming as well?But even with some dust, scratches, pops, and whatever, the degradation is kind of seen as acceptable and somewhat charming.
Can’t you accept that others find the qualities of cassettes degrading charming as well?
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Comment on I am angry at Google and wanted to share (rant) in ~tech
Akir Link ParentI have experience running a mail server with a business and have had countless issues of mail deliverability. The worst thing about it is that you will usually never know when your emails are...I have experience running a mail server with a business and have had countless issues of mail deliverability. The worst thing about it is that you will usually never know when your emails are being blocked, and if you are not sending large volumes of emails than it only takes one accidental send to junk button press for some email services to decide to block all of your emails. If that happens, you can send an email to ask about it but don’t expect to ever hear a response.
There’s also a lot of other difficulty related to self hosting in particular that should make doing it unattractive like local power and internet outages that providers are generally not going to have as issues that often, but you are doubtlessly already aware.
Paying for an email provider makes things so much easier and more stress free. It’s absolutely worth it.
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Comment on I am angry at Google and wanted to share (rant) in ~tech
Akir Link ParentA shocking number of web designers don’t care about breaking people’s expectations to how their stuff works. As an old person I guess, I expect to be able to page through webpages with the...A shocking number of web designers don’t care about breaking people’s expectations to how their stuff works.
As an old person I guess, I expect to be able to page through webpages with the spacebar, to be able to fill out forms by pressing tab to go to the next field, and to be able to search through drop-down menus by pressing the first few letters of the thing I want to select. But all of these things are things I have seen being overridden by overzealous web designers. But I guess if I’m not poking at the web with my finger I’m a freak.
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Comment on Cycling is revolutionising transport in ~transport
Akir Link ParentI agree. Forcing bicyclists to need insurance would be yet another handout to the insurance industry, and it would be ridiculous to need it for a bike. Car insurance requirements are less of a...I agree. Forcing bicyclists to need insurance would be yet another handout to the insurance industry, and it would be ridiculous to need it for a bike. Car insurance requirements are less of a thing for car owners to protect their investment in their own car as it is to protect the entire rest of the world for the damage you can do with your car.
Even on e-bikes it seems extraneous. E-bikes are heavier than bicycles, but not by that much. Throttle ones are kind of being thrown under the bus because of ones being made that are illegal, but those illegal ones actually do have requirements for registration and licensing. That’s why we’re calling them illegal.
And just to add on as response to @Moogles:
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bike groups exist partially as a safety precaution. Bicyclists travelling together are more safe than individual cyclists, and going together in groups can be something of a requirement if you want to make certain trips or routes
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Both Apple Maps and Google Maps offer bike specific routing which will give travelers safer routes when available. That being said, having bike- or pedestrian- only paths being marked on them is not likely depending on where you are.
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there are numerous types of indicators, from different types of bells, horns, and lighting indicators that can be picked from. My e-bike came installed by default with a very loud horn, a bright front lamp, and a rear light that flashes when I press the breaks. I also added on a bell to the handlebars because I wanted a more friendly sound for pedestrians.
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Yeah, bike lanes desperately need to be expanded. See my other comment about my local city. While I agree wider lanes are great, the gold standard are ones that are both wide enough for passing but also separated from car traffic with a physical barrier. But at the same time, I would prioritize building any bike infrastructure at all around public service facilities that don’t have any to begin with.
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Comment on Cycling is revolutionising transport in ~transport
Akir Link ParentUS cities rather desperately need to redesign their roads so they aren’t just for cars. Here’s my personal experience with bad road infrastructure. I live nearly on top of a hill. On the road down...US cities rather desperately need to redesign their roads so they aren’t just for cars. Here’s my personal experience with bad road infrastructure.
I live nearly on top of a hill. On the road down the hill, there is a highway on/off ramp, and immediately after it is the local high school. That road has a painted bike lane… that ends right at the street connecting it to my house, which means that the students going to and from school do not have protection from cars. Oh, and to make things worse, there is no crosswalks on my side of the street for pedestrians! For kids to get to and from school they have to cross the busiest, most dangerous road in the area twice, which also brings the number of signaled crosswalks they have to cross up from just two to five and legitimately adds about 10-15 minutes to their travel time. But fuck kids, I guess, we can’t inconvenience cars!
I’m an adult and the place I work at is literally across the street from that high school; it’s just over a mile so I’d be ecstatic to bike to and from it. I’m more confident in my ability to bike safely on the roads than I am children. But I am also a private teacher. My schedule for weekdays is when kids are not in school. That means I would have to go at the most dangerous time because there are so many cars on the street with parents picking their kids up in their giant metal death machines which keep only that one kid safe at the expense of everyone else.
It’s ludicrous.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Akir Link ParentI wonder if you're in a different region than me? Because the page for Wolf's Rain on Apple TV does not say that it's included with Apple TV+ and they cost $2.99 each to buy. Weirdly enough, it's...I wonder if you're in a different region than me? Because the page for Wolf's Rain on Apple TV does not say that it's included with Apple TV+ and they cost $2.99 each to buy.
Weirdly enough, it's no longer saying that it's available to watch in Crunchyroll either, even though it notes that I've watched it since I watched the series on my Apple TV device.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Akir Link ParentPreferably for $10 or less. I don't have a lot of disposable income.Preferably for $10 or less. I don't have a lot of disposable income.
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Comment on Cory Doctorow: Tech-like apps can obfuscate what’s really going on, sloshing a coat of complexity over a business that allows its owners to claim that they’re not breaking the law in ~tech
Akir Link ParentIt's true that the measure was passed by a majority of voters, but they managed to do so because like pretty much every regressive California voter initiative, the people supporting them put out...It's true that the measure was passed by a majority of voters, but they managed to do so because like pretty much every regressive California voter initiative, the people supporting them put out misleading advertising to confuse people about what the measure actually did or to create endorsements from fake leftist organizations. Many California voters thought they were voting on a bill to give gig workers more benefits, when in reality it took away much more important benefits and legal protections.
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Comment on Amazon's Prime Day deals could actually cost you more in ~tech
Akir LinkIt’s almost funny how much people are resisting dynamic pricing in grocery stores but still shop online where they are constantly adjusting prices. It’s probably been a decade ago when I first saw...It’s almost funny how much people are resisting dynamic pricing in grocery stores but still shop online where they are constantly adjusting prices. It’s probably been a decade ago when I first saw someone posting advice to check a price tracker to see when the price on Amazon was low, due to their constant changes.
Don’t get me wrong, I agree with them; I want stable pricing myself. But it’s something they already lost because practically every major online platform is doing dynamic pricing. Rideshare companies have surge pricing, and online pricing is often different from the store for multiple reasons even when the products are coming from the store. The only way to stop dynamic pricing is legislation, and the odds are that the apocalypse will probably happen before that.
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Comment on What's a product or service that you use but don't want to pay for and why? in ~life
Akir Link ParentPlease do not mourn monoculture. For every common good it had, it had several major negatives. Monoculture is the thing that allowed every prejudice to fester and grow no matter how crazy and...Please do not mourn monoculture. For every common good it had, it had several major negatives. Monoculture is the thing that allowed every prejudice to fester and grow no matter how crazy and stupid it was; see how popular it was historically to be publicly racist, homophobic, sexist, etc.
Also consider the fact that we managed to suppress those things largely while the monoculture existed is a good indication that monoculture was always overestimated. At one time the United States had slavery, and the country was split into two and we had a civil war over it.
The thing you are missing is general social consensus. There are many reasons for that that are frankly too much to discuss in this format and would be best examined in an academic paper. But if I were to guess what was the largest common reason, I would say it was due to constant attacks by certain minority voices on large institutions (I.e. the recent defunding of public media in the US).
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Comment on Video projectors used to be ridiculously cool in ~tech
Akir LinkIn my childhood, my father was an independent electronics repair technician, which meant that sometimes we would get goodies that people didn’t want to keep. One of them was a professional Barco...In my childhood, my father was an independent electronics repair technician, which meant that sometimes we would get goodies that people didn’t want to keep. One of them was a professional Barco CRT projector that was about as big as I was and about five times heavier. We kept it in a dedicated room that only had a single window for some reason. The screen took up the entire wall.
This guy makes a big deal about how difficult it is to adjust, and to be fair, they absolutely are. But they are also not meant to ever be moved. That barco projector from my childhood basically couldn’t be moved; it was stuck on the dressers until we trashed it because we needed the room for someone to live in. So the vast majority of adjustments are meant to only happen once, and only have minor (software controlled) adjustments done from time to time.
There isn’t anything wrong with that guys projector. Pretty much every CRT projector has that exact same problem with the red channel, even with rear projection tv sets. Ive seen red fringing on pretty much every one of the thousands of CRT projectors I have seen. I can’t recall exactly why it is, but I believe it has something to do with how bad people are at seeing the red channel. I think it probably needs to be overdriven and it causes the red channel to wear down from heat faster. CRTs are kind of weird compared to modern displays; the geometry can move around and distort depending on if and where bright parts are in the image and how long. So it could be the opposite problem and the blue and green channels are wearing out faster than the red.
While I have a rose tinted picture of CRT projectors myself, I know it’s all nostalgia. This guy can be happy for how crisp it is because he has an absurdly expensive model that was capable of super high quality video and is also extremely compact. In reality, pretty much every other example was a big blurry mess. Rear projection TVs could theoretically be made to be any size, but the reason why they didn’t go too big wasn’t so much because of the brightness and more of SD content just not looking good when it’s exploded. At some point it just starts looking like a wall of color changing Vaseline.
That projector was basically the reason why I decided to never mess with projection. LCD projectors were great for showing a lot of people what is going on on your computer screen, but it was horrible for video. It didn’t matter if it were brighter because brighter bulbs just meant more washed out colors and lower dynamic range. All digital projectors had issues of being extremely expensive if you wanted full resolution. DLP offered major improvements but the problems with them was that they were kind of transient; they needed specialized bulbs that burned out frequently and they also needed mechanical color wheels to produce color, which could also burn out. Our shop made lots of easy money replacing those. And beyond everything, having an absurdly large screen taught me that there was such a thing as too big of a picture. Forgetting how bad SD content looked on a huge display, it ended up taking you out of the scene more often than it should would draw you in.
A lot of work and the selling of your private data through the use of the McDonalds app.