deathinactthree's recent activity
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Comment on What’s something that didn’t work for you? in ~talk
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Comment on Consequences of advertising and enshittification on the Internet in ~tech
deathinactthree Link ParentFull disclosure, I work in e-commerce advertising, though I do not work for or with any of the platforms mentioned in the thread. I have, but refuse to anymore, for reasons I'll probably get into...Full disclosure, I work in e-commerce advertising, though I do not work for or with any of the platforms mentioned in the thread. I have, but refuse to anymore, for reasons I'll probably get into in some other comments as they're not germane here.
The statistical reality, for better or worse, is that two things are as true as they are counterintuitive to people like us, because I also prefer my ad load to be zero and go to great lengths to keep it that way. (I assure you the irony is not lost on me.)
First, most people actually do view advertising as a net benefit to expose them to new products and services. You'd think it'd be a minority but it isn't according to multiple studies. Importantly, this is true only as long as the advertisements are both relevant and not stupid like what we call "chum bucket" ads ("Click here for the #1 weight loss secret doctors don't want you to know") so it depends on good creative and good targeting algorithms, which aren't guaranteed.
Second, something people often complain about regardless of platform is seeing the same ads over and over again, even for things they just bought! Unfortunately every study on the subject (again, barring irrelevance or stupidity) shows that repetition will result in higher conversion over time. It doesn't make intuitive sense, but it works. You can argue it's manipulative, or if the algorithm is actually doing its job, you can argue that it's just keeping the balloon in the air until the customer is in the right frame of mind to buy.
Is this a great state of affairs? Who knows. But it's why in meat space billboards and seeing the same commercial on TV every ad break has existed for nearly a century. It seems wild even to me that this is what people seem to want, but if it didn't work, no one would do it.
Note this has nothing to do with the OP's premise about class separation on platforms or Dead Internet Theory, I'm only responding to the idea of why people actually like ads.
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Comment on Steam Summer Sale 2026: Hidden gems in ~games
deathinactthree Link ParentOkay, wow. It looks like NBA Jam mixed with Power Stone. This is an immediate buy.Okay, wow. It looks like NBA Jam mixed with Power Stone. This is an immediate buy.
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Comment on Graduated again, not sitting in a field this time, AMA in ~talk
deathinactthree Link:extreme Tom Ellis voice: What do you desire? By which I mean what do you want to do with your degree?:extreme Tom Ellis voice: What do you desire?
By which I mean what do you want to do with your degree?
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Comment on How much of an echo chamber is Reddit/the internet, really? in ~tech
deathinactthree Link ParentAh, lol. Well you may well understand then. While that is very broadly true, there is enough space spread out between them and many major metropolitan areas (Chicago, St. Louis, Dallas/Houston,...I live in one of the few countries that are physically bigger than the US lol.
Ah, lol. Well you may well understand then.
don't the vast majority of Americans live on the East or West coast?
While that is very broadly true, there is enough space spread out between them and many major metropolitan areas (Chicago, St. Louis, Dallas/Houston, Minneapolis, Atlanta, etc) that there's still a very large number of people even accounting for the lower population density once you add them all together. It's still fewer people depending on how much you stretch the definition of "coast", but still a force to be reckoned with, doubly so once you factor in gerrymandering, as our last election just showed.
But in terms of the "first group vs. the second group", it's more about distance from each other and urban vs. rural, rather than being on a coast or not--even in a coastal state like California or Oregon or Washington or Florida, you can be several hundreds of miles from any major city. For one example: Crescent City, CA is directly on the Pacific Ocean but is a 7-hour drive in any direction to get to the nearest major population center such as Portland, OR or San Francisco. And all of that space between SF and Portland is full of the "first group" from my comment and tend to skew conservative. A very large physical chunk of the geography of California is populated by people who don't typically encounter people from the second group, the kind of people who are trying to raise the alarm to the first group but it falls on deaf ears because they're like, "what? Yeah gas is pretty high right now but I haven't seen any of this stuff you're talking about except for you people constantly yelling about it on television and the Internet".
I know all of this is oversimplifying reality a bit but that's my basic take on it.
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Comment on Accessible forms of poetry for journaling? in ~creative
deathinactthree Link ParentLook for the poems you like yourself, then look up the restraints and what makes them work. I recommend Hoagland's Real Sophistikation as a primer, or Japanese Death Poems by Yoel Hoffman if you...Look for the poems you like yourself, then look up the restraints and what makes them work.
I recommend Hoagland's Real Sophistikation as a primer, or Japanese Death Poems by Yoel Hoffman if you want to start on Hard Mode (which is good! I wrote my graduate thesis on poetry off of it) and go from there.
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Comment on How much of an echo chamber is Reddit/the internet, really? in ~tech
deathinactthree LinkI'm of the personal opinion that it's a "yes but also no" kind of thing. For people like you that are outside of the US, one of the things that tends to get lost in the conversation literally just...I'm of the personal opinion that it's a "yes but also no" kind of thing.
For people like you that are outside of the US, one of the things that tends to get lost in the conversation literally just how physically big the US actually is. It's entirely possible to live in the middle of nowhere and not have these things affect you very much beyond possibly the cost of gas and groceries. It's all stuff you simply don't see very often in your own personal life, even if you traveled 500 miles in any direction from your home. Seriously. So all of it can seem quite a bit alarmist if you're in that kind of situation: you don't know any trans people, probably very few gay people, don't interact much with the immigrant population, etc etc. You might grumble about the recent price of fuel or bananas but you also just sort of assume that it's all temporary and will be switched out with the next administration and just carry on going to your job and spending time with your family. Because, for a large chunk of the US, atomized as we are, that's the way it's been our entire lives. Stuff gets better, stuff gets worse, the cycle goes round and round but your own life is more or less the same on balance.
On the other hand, for people like me who live in a major metropolitan area, this stuff is all much more immediate. I know a lot of trans people, gay people, disabled people, minorities, or any combination of the above in my personal life for whom the policies of the current administration are disastrous. I know people that have been harassed by ICE or the police. I know people who can't get the critical health care that they need that they used to be able to get just 2 years ago, whether it's because they simply can no longer afford it, or it's been outlawed entirely. I live in one of the most ethnically diverse ZIP codes in the country, so when ICE shows up, we come out to protest not just because it's a principle but because families are being attacked, split up, and arrested right in front of you. So are the protesters.
For a lot of people in my immediate orbit, it's an actual crisis, not just something you see in a 2 minute package on the evening local news. For us, it's not just watching two sports teams spar it out from a distance, it's stuff that we deal with every day. It's on our doorstep.
The distance between the first group and the second is pretty vast, literally. People in the first group could easily be 1500 miles from anyone in the second group and never interact. As a result, the first group sees a bunch of echo chambers in the news and online, and I can't even judge them for that (though I admit I do, a little). The second group needs the awareness and solidarity and channels to organize. If that makes sense.
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Comment on What’s something that didn’t work for you? in ~talk
deathinactthree Link ParentUnfortunately nowhere yet--turns out it takes forever to get a machine. For context, I originally started this process back in December. Couldn't get the initial consultation until March. Didn't...Unfortunately nowhere yet--turns out it takes forever to get a machine.
For context, I originally started this process back in December. Couldn't get the initial consultation until March. Didn't get the actual home sleep study kit until June 1st. My follow-up where I learn if I can actually get a CPAP is next week. Who knows how long after that to actually be able to pick up a machine, much less learn how it'll work for me.
It's been frustrating. Hoping it's worth it.
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Comment on Skywind update 2026: the road continued in ~games
deathinactthree (edited )LinkMan--I am still cynical enough to doubt I'll ever get to play this, but the progress and high quality are truly impressive. Not to mention the professionalism of how it's presented. I would kill...Man--I am still cynical enough to doubt I'll ever get to play this, but the progress and high quality are truly impressive.
Not to mention the professionalism of how it's presented. I would kill for the sales or project teams at any of my past jobs to be able to deliver information this well-organized and succinct.
EDIT: Oh, they still need writers for the expansions. I think I'm going to apply.
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Comment on What was the best job you ever had? in ~life
deathinactthree LinkDefinitely the one I have right now, but I don't want to jinx it so I'll instead say it's a tie between two other jobs from the distant past: First was delivering pizzas in southern Vermont....Definitely the one I have right now, but I don't want to jinx it so I'll instead say it's a tie between two other jobs from the distant past:
First was delivering pizzas in southern Vermont. Manchester Center is literally a one-stoplight town that was basically a stopping place for skiiers on their way to Mt. Snow, and at that one stoplight was a mom-and-pop pizza place that I spent a long summer working at between college semesters. The pizza was the best I've ever had before or since, and as I was basically the only delivery driver, I took every order out and got paid to drive around the beautiful Green Mountains listening to music and audiobooks.
The pay was ridiculously good for a 19-year-old--the Greek family that owned the place paid way higher than minimum wage, and tips from deliveries were always crazy generous because it was kind of a rich area. I got along with my boss and my coworkers the latter of which I hung out socially with. I tended to work a lot of hours because there wasn't much else to do in rural Vermont at a time when residential Internet wasn't widely available yet, but I spent my spare time reading a lot, lifting a lot, and learning to ride and repair motorcycles. I would regularly ride my motorcycle to Saratoga Springs, about a 30-40 minute trip, to visit the bookshops and coffeehouses there.
Not everything about that chapter of my life was great, which is a long story, but I'm still very glad for that time because I learned a lot about myself, got in the best shape of my life, and came away with skills and knowledge and a very literal fat sack of cash (I didn't have a bank account or credit cards at that time) I didn't have when I arrived.
The second was a few years after that, which was being a coffee roaster while I was still working my way through college and grad school. The pay was absolute garbage, below minimum wage because I was salaried at a number that would be considered part-time but easily worked 50 hours a week. I always said ,"I hate the job, but love the work."
After initially learning the basics of roasting coffee, I took to it like a duck to water, and studied it as in-depth as I could. I drilled constantly with Le Nez kits and cupping to develop my palate, read every trade publication, read lots of books on the science and chemistry of coffee, took several notebooks' worth of my own notes and research that I still have a quarter century later. I absolutely loved roasting coffee on the specific machine we had, a 12k Samiac metal drum roaster, and I've only worked on one I like almost as well since.
I was also entirely responsible for our wholesale business so I'd stopped doing barista shifts in FOH (though for the record I actually enjoy barista work), so I was left completely alone all day if I wanted it. Half of my typical day was roasting and the other half prepping ship-outs to out-of-town accounts and delivery-driving to local accounts. Time in-between tasks was spent working on my graduate manuscripts and thesis or posting on Livejournal or Something Awful. It could be extremely hectic but except for the pay, I found it very fulfilling, and the shop was extremely successful as a result.
Worth saying here that I later on owned my own coffeeshop but since I was my own employer I'm not sure if it counts for this question.
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Comment on What’s something that didn’t work for you? in ~talk
deathinactthree Link ParentThis has been worrying me for a bit. I have sleep apnea that's been getting steadily worse over the last few years, to the point that I go to bed at 10pm and my alarm is set for 8:30am because I...This has been worrying me for a bit. I have sleep apnea that's been getting steadily worse over the last few years, to the point that I go to bed at 10pm and my alarm is set for 8:30am because I have to give myself a ~10-hour window to hopefully get maybe 6 hours of total sleep. I've tried every single off-the-shelf solution and nothing helped even slightly.
It took forever to schedule but I'm finally getting a sleep study on June 1st, which is a requirement in order to be able to get a CPAP machine, which my doctor is pretty certain I need (but, importantly, doesn't think I need surgery). But I'm half-convinced it's actually not going to do much and the effort and expense will have been wasted. The reasons for this are varied, but the biggest one is that I cannot stand to have anything touching my face that isn't my pillow when I sleep, and I'm probably going to end up constantly clawing it off in my sleep. I'm going to try it anyway, because I don't want to risk it being something helpful that I didn't do. I, too, look forward to a possibility of being able to get a little extra time each day and having more energy, which is a major issue for me. I dunno though.
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Comment on Tildes Survey #3: What country were you born in? (Results) in ~talk
deathinactthree Link ParentFor the record I just now tried it and still no. Ftr, might be on my side.For the record I just now tried it and still no. Ftr, might be on my side.
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Comment on Questions for ~books on self promotion in ~books
deathinactthree LinkAs someone who's promoting his own wife's self-published books (as an otherwise successful midlist author) as of 4 weeks ago: I don't think it's a sin as long as you don't abuse it but I legit...As someone who's promoting his own wife's self-published books (as an otherwise successful midlist author) as of 4 weeks ago: I don't think it's a sin as long as you don't abuse it but I legit think it won't move the needle here specifically. It's up to SEO and marketing.
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Comment on Tildes Survey #3: What country were you born in? (Results) in ~talk
deathinactthree LinkSurvey's not loading for me for some reason but: born in SE Tennessee, currently living in Seattle. The difference is...bracing. In a good way.Survey's not loading for me for some reason but: born in SE Tennessee, currently living in Seattle. The difference is...bracing. In a good way.
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Comment on I don't "get" soulslikes, but I'm interested in Bloodborne in ~games
deathinactthree Link ParentFor sure, until you hit PvP in Oolacile. My Onion Samurai build (Catarina helmet, Crimson Skirt, Havel Gauntlets, no chest, Chaos Blade, Dark Hand on the left with an Uchi backup) wrecked a lot of...For sure, until you hit PvP in Oolacile. My Onion Samurai build (Catarina helmet, Crimson Skirt, Havel Gauntlets, no chest, Chaos Blade, Dark Hand on the left with an Uchi backup) wrecked a lot of overconfident Giant and Lightning Dads.
But for PvE it's largely unmatched.
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Comment on I don't "get" soulslikes, but I'm interested in Bloodborne in ~games
deathinactthree Link ParentAgreed that heavy weapons, which can be good in any Souls to be clear, really shine in DKS2. I first beat the game with two bog-standard +10 maces powerstanced. Nothing withstood the basic bonk...Agreed that heavy weapons, which can be good in any Souls to be clear, really shine in DKS2. I first beat the game with two bog-standard +10 maces powerstanced. Nothing withstood the basic bonk and poise breakage. I just steamrolled through it and didn't use Focus at all. I was taking everyone to the International House of Pancakes.
That said it's a little overshadowed in DKS2 by powerstanced daggers. Absolutely absurd DPS and versatility, beat the game on my second (of many) run with just those. Almost broken honestly. A shame that's the only Souls where an early dagger build is not only viable, but the best thing going.
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Comment on A 24-year-old Frenchman shows up at hospital with a World War I shell lodged in his rectum in ~health
deathinactthree LinkRectum? Damn near killed 'im! (...sorry, I'll show myself out.)Rectum? Damn near killed 'im!
(...sorry, I'll show myself out.)
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Comment on What's the coolest thrift store find you've ever scored? in ~talk
deathinactthree Link ParentCool, thanks. I'll take a look at these.Cool, thanks. I'll take a look at these.
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Comment on What's the coolest thrift store find you've ever scored? in ~talk
deathinactthree Link ParentPossibly, though I don't know how it would be done without damaging the book, and except for the red X on the cover the book is physically in good shape for its age. Not saying it can't be done,...Possibly, though I don't know how it would be done without damaging the book, and except for the red X on the cover the book is physically in good shape for its age. Not saying it can't be done, only that I personally am not sure what method to use.
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Comment on What's the coolest thrift store find you've ever scored? in ~talk
deathinactthree LinkThere's a used bookshop in my hometown (McKay) that had a bin out front of books they couldn't sell. They'd draw an X in red marker on the cover to indicate they were worthless. In that bin, I...There's a used bookshop in my hometown (McKay) that had a bin out front of books they couldn't sell. They'd draw an X in red marker on the cover to indicate they were worthless.
In that bin, I found a first edition 193X hardback version (of that version) of the essays of Montaigne, with illustrations by Salvador Dali.
I keep wanting to frame some of the illustrations but it feels like a crime, even now after 30 years.
Following up on this to say I did finally get the machine. I'm only two nights in but my snoring/apnea has been reduced to absolutely zero according to my spouse.
For now, I can't say my sleep quality is hugely better because I'm still getting used to having something on my face so it keeps waking me up whenever any adjustment in position causes an air leak, which has been often, but even the second night was better than the first. I will probably look at switching masks because I went with the "easier" under-nose version and I probably need the full-nose to account for my unconscious shifts, but I'll give it a fair shake first as I have 90 days to change it.
But it is good to be able to not keep waking myself (or my partner) up by snoring, I think this is a net positive even now, and will probably only get better.