bugsmith's recent activity
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Comment on What are your favourite time-loop based books, movies and video games? in ~talk
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Comment on What are your favourite time-loop based books, movies and video games? in ~talk
bugsmith I have another entry for movies: ARQ. It's a very self-contained movie, effectively taking place within three or so rooms. It's a sci-fi, but arguable the sci isn't so important as it's highly...I have another entry for movies: ARQ.
It's a very self-contained movie, effectively taking place within three or so rooms. It's a sci-fi, but arguable the sci isn't so important as it's highly character driven.
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Comment on What are your favourite time-loop based books, movies and video games? in ~talk
bugsmith Movies Groundhog Day with Bill Murray is, of course, a classic and one of my all-time favourite films. A wonderful premise, excellently cast and executed. Despite not being a Christmas movie, it's...Movies
Groundhog Day with Bill Murray is, of course, a classic and one of my all-time favourite films. A wonderful premise, excellently cast and executed. Despite not being a Christmas movie, it's one I find myself rewatching annually around that time.Palm Springs is a movie I discovered far too late. Really quite a different Andy Samberg to anything else I've seen him in. A fantastic blend of comedy with dark and serious undertones.
Edge of Tomorrow. Unlike the previous two, this is not a cosy tale of learning about oneself over a period of life iterations. This is a bloody action thriller with superstar casting and a brilliant premise. The plot is often criticized, but make no mistake, this is a phenomenally executed high-octane take on the theme.
Books
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Clare North. This is a regular re-read for me. Very much a "longer time-loop", and conflict inducing "shared time-loop" plot. It's very well thought out and we get plenty of loops to discover different aspects of many characters.Replay by Ken Grimwood. This is a regular re-read for me. Very much a "fixed period" time-loop, and an emotionally charged "shared time-loop" plot. It's very well thought out and we get plenty of replays to discover different approaches to life, from wealth-seeking paths to deep emotional journeys. The start of this book, in particular, evokes in me that strong sense of fantasy about reliving youth with future knowledge.
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What are your favourite time-loop based books, movies and video games?
Warning: this post may contain spoilers
I absolutely love the premise of a time-loop. I find them fascinating, and there are so many variations to explore. Inevitably, I find myself fantasizing about waking up in my own younger body and the shenanigans I would get up to with so much future knowledge (before existential dread of meeting the same people and creating the same family kick in).
- Short time-loops where someone relives the same day, or an even shorter period.
- Medium time-loops where someone can live days, weeks, months or even years before resetting - often when they die.
- Longer time-loops where someone effectively relives an entire human lifespan on repeat.
- Shared time-loops where other people are independently looping - a great source of conflict.
And plenty more besides.
I'll share some of my favourite examples in a comment, but please share your favourites and tell us why you love them.
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Comment on What are some traditional internet forums that you still use? in ~tech
bugsmith Did you see this recent post on HackerNews about physicsforums (and dead internet theory)?Did you see this recent post on HackerNews about physicsforums (and dead internet theory)?
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Comment on a/s/l? Tildes user survey question. in ~tildes
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Comment on Single most useful program you daily use? in ~tech
bugsmith Yes, that's exactly how I feel. I search more and more tools that are great out of the box. And I've gotten into the mindset of configuring myself rather than configuring the tool, so to speak.Yes, that's exactly how I feel. I search more and more tools that are great out of the box. And I've gotten into the mindset of configuring myself rather than configuring the tool, so to speak.
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Comment on Single most useful program you daily use? in ~tech
bugsmith I live by Todoist currently. What is it you prefer about TickTick's work flow? I'm really fussy with my productivity apps and Todoist just feels right. I'm not actually entirely sure what it is I...I live by Todoist currently. What is it you prefer about TickTick's work flow?
I'm really fussy with my productivity apps and Todoist just feels right. I'm not actually entirely sure what it is I love about it compared to others. But there are some things I wish it had, such as the ability to differentiate between the date something is due by and the date I wish to do something. -
Comment on Single most useful program you daily use? in ~tech
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Comment on Single most useful program you daily use? in ~tech
bugsmith For me, it's my favourite text editor, Helix. It's a modal text editor, similar to Vim, but it's superfast and has incredible defaults. I've found very little I've wanted to configure as it's...For me, it's my favourite text editor, Helix. It's a modal text editor, similar to Vim, but it's superfast and has incredible defaults. I've found very little I've wanted to configure as it's amazing out of the box, and it makes typing (writing, programming, whatever) an absolute joy for me.
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Comment on As Internet enshittification marches on, here are some of the worst offenders in ~tech
bugsmith Dare I even mention something like Kagi? It's mentioned so often as a fantastic product, it almost feels like a meme (or makes me feel like a marketing shill). They just get better and better....Dare I even mention something like Kagi? It's mentioned so often as a fantastic product, it almost feels like a meme (or makes me feel like a marketing shill). They just get better and better. Each month, my value for money with them increases as they crank out user-centric features.
I'd throw in "high-end" UK supermarkets as something that are, in my experience, bucking the enshittification trend. I regularly shop at Marks and Spencers and Waitrose. I started because I moved house, and they ended up being the nearest shops to me. I love them. For the longest time I believed they were shops only the truly affluent could afford to shop in regularly, but it turns out that's nonsense. For basics like fruits and vegetables (which are relatively cheap in the UK as a whole), or own-brand staples, they are rarely more expensive than any other shop. They don't necessarily have a 'value' range, so you won't get rock bottom prices, and they definitely cater for people looking for the more exorbitant side of the spectrum. But the shops are clean and spacious, the produce is notably higher quality for a similar price, you rarely find parking or general traffic issues, and it's just a much nicer experience. Where I see shrinkflation in branded products, I find consistency and often greater quality in their own brand products.
Supermarkets in the UK are actually pretty great in general when compared on a world stage, at least in my own experience. We have a fiercly competitive market with no dominant company as of yet. Tesco is the largest my a fair margin, but only represent 28% market cap. See for yourself. I'm not sure how long it will last as there have been several attempted mergers and buyouts, fortunately stopped due to monopoly rules, but with Asda and Morrisons both struggling (the former due to being effectively purchased and stripped of assets...), we may see a shift for the worse in the coming years.
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Comment on What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking? in ~food
bugsmith I've been consuming a lot of Huel. I started a few years ago, to help ease the burden of full-time work and part-time study towards my BSc. The degree is now finished, but I've just grown to like...I've been consuming a lot of Huel.
I started a few years ago, to help ease the burden of full-time work and part-time study towards my BSc.
The degree is now finished, but I've just grown to like the product. It's pretty nutritious, low calorie, high protein and prepared in minutes - which is a rare combo.
Am I concerned about consuming large amounts of UPFs? Yes, slightly. I think there's much worse stuff out there though, and this is ultimately stopping me from eating something much higher is saturated fats and sugars, for sure. But I do try to limit my consumption to just a few lunches per week. -
Comment on You can change ONE thing about a game. What do you change? in ~games
bugsmith Yes. And no more forced stealth missions in non-stealth games. Nobody is buying Spider-Man to play as MJ...Yes.
And no more forced stealth missions in non-stealth games.
Nobody is buying Spider-Man to play as MJ... -
Comment on How would you moderate this scenario? in ~tech
bugsmith No, but that's why I lead with the part you cut off of your quote: I simply wished to provide additional context I'd missed in my original post.No, but that's why I lead with the part you cut off of your quote:
Not that I think this debunks your point, but for clarity, the individual mentioned is more than a developer...
I simply wished to provide additional context I'd missed in my original post.
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Comment on How would you moderate this scenario? in ~tech
bugsmith Fantastic response. Thank you. I cannot believe I've not come across that XKCD before this, but it really hammers your point home. You have really expressed something in your reply about free...Fantastic response. Thank you.
I cannot believe I've not come across that XKCD before this, but it really hammers your point home.
You have really expressed something in your reply about free speech that resonates with my own feelings, but I've struggled to express properly. -
Comment on How would you moderate this scenario? in ~tech
bugsmith Yes, I think this is a rule we should have. But then you've perfectly described how that rule is the often applied too stringently, or moderators are torn apart for not applying it perfectly and...advocating for violence/death threats
Yes, I think this is a rule we should have. But then you've perfectly described how that rule is the often applied too stringently, or moderators are torn apart for not applying it perfectly and ridiculed for having used discretion.
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Comment on How would you moderate this scenario? in ~tech
bugsmith I'm certainly not a fan either. But it seems to be contextual whether a community finds it acceptable. I think there would be uproar if someone stated that David Attenborough should be hurt for...I'm certainly not a fan either. But it seems to be contextual whether a community finds it acceptable.
I think there would be uproar if someone stated that David Attenborough should be hurt for any reason, but it seems to be very accepted when somebody calls for the killing of Vladimir Putin for example. -
Comment on How would you moderate this scenario? in ~tech
bugsmith I would be horrified. Sickened. Sad. It's hard to actually put into words how awful that would make me feel. Not that I think this debunks your point, but for clarity, the individual mentioned is...I would be horrified. Sickened. Sad. It's hard to actually put into words how awful that would make me feel.
Not that I think this debunks your point, but for clarity, the individual mentioned is more than a developer, and are certainly what I'd consider as a well-known public figure. Think somebody like Todd Howard or Peter Molyneux.
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How would you moderate this scenario?
I'm one of the moderators of a small / medium community. I've been doing it for around a year, with no prior experience at moderating or helping to foster an online community. We have a section...
I'm one of the moderators of a small / medium community. I've been doing it for around a year, with no prior experience at moderating or helping to foster an online community.
We have a section for jokes and humour, and somebody posted one of those "train dilemma" memes. It gave the choice of letting the train hit one of several groups of people. It was general enough to not name anyone specific. The options were similar to:
Let the train hit:
a) Nintendo developers
b) Sony developers
c) Microsoft developersFine. A bit crass, but hardly shocking.
A commenter then replied by stating they don't mind which, so long as x well known developer is shot.
Now that really threw me.
The moderation team have been divided over it, although not strongly so. We are all generally in favour of removing it. But we are concerned about over-stepping and of course the topic of free-speech has arisen.
As it came up with us, I'll also mention that there are no specific rules of the website, or this specific sub-community, to state such humour is disallowed.
Where is the line drawn with free-speech? We would certainly remove anything pro-fascism, racist, homophobic or grossly offensive, but we do have rules that cover those.
I'd be really keen to hear any views on how you would approach this and how you would justify your decision.
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Comment on I’ve acquired a new superpower in ~games
bugsmith Am I the only one who cannot both cross their eyes and focus on objects? Whenever I try to cross my eyes, the only thing I can really focus on in my nose. I also end up getting eyes shakes. Am I...Am I the only one who cannot both cross their eyes and focus on objects?
Whenever I try to cross my eyes, the only thing I can really focus on in my nose.
I also end up getting eyes shakes.
Am I different?
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Funnily enough, I watched it on a whim after having recalled someone recommending it in a forum thread somewhere.