exces6's recent activity

  1. Comment on He’s been king of the Ren Fest for twenty-two years. The crown is weighing on him. in ~hobbies

    exces6
    Link Parent
    Thanks for this! I almost gave up on reading it because of the paywall/tracking wall

    Thanks for this! I almost gave up on reading it because of the paywall/tracking wall

    1 vote

  2. Comment on End of the road: An AnandTech farewell in ~tech

    exces6
    Link
    Wow. Anandtech is one of those places it seemed impossible to not have around. I haven’t been a frequent visitor, but they really set the standard for in-depth, highly technical analyses that I...

    Wow. Anandtech is one of those places it seemed impossible to not have around. I haven’t been a frequent visitor, but they really set the standard for in-depth, highly technical analyses that I have yet to see replicated anywhere else. They were a wonderful resource of info for hardware questions and could always be trusted when looking to make a new computer build.

    They really do leave a void that probably just won’t be filled. As they discussed, so much of tech journalism these days is sensationalist and video-based. I’ll miss their detailed, written articles that I find easier and faster to parse compared to video. Not to mention that no other site gives the technical details that this elder millennial grew up expecting from a quality site. They make a reference to Tom’s Hardware picking up their metaphorical torch, but it will be a far second to Anandtech. It already seems too sponsored or fake or something I can’t put my finger on, like those listicles that give the “best” choice for a ton of irrelevant categories and don’t actually give details to back up any decisions.

    I’m sad to see such a staple of the tech journalism community bite the dust. I’ll start to sound like an old fogey (which I’m not), but without sites like Anandtech I wonder how I’ll teach my children to love technology, be knowledgeable about how it actually works, and recognize the sensationalist trend so it can be avoided.

    A sad day. If anyone has suggestions for replacements/alternatives, please do share!

    2 votes

  3. Comment on What is a software you wish existed? in ~comp

    exces6
    Link Parent
    I wonder if this would be achievable with some Zigbee sensors and a few HomeAssistant integrations. They definitely sell cheap presence sensors. Surely there’s a HomeAssistant plugin for various...

    I wonder if this would be achievable with some Zigbee sensors and a few HomeAssistant integrations. They definitely sell cheap presence sensors. Surely there’s a HomeAssistant plugin for various media programs though I’ve never looked.

  4. Comment on Recommendations for less mass-produced and more artistic tv in ~tv

    exces6
    Link
    Fleabag is great if you haven’t seen it. I’ve also enjoyed Starstruck and Extraordinary. Normal People was excellent as well. I’ve really been into British TV as of late. The British version of...

    Fleabag is great if you haven’t seen it. I’ve also enjoyed Starstruck and Extraordinary. Normal People was excellent as well. I’ve really been into British TV as of late. The British version of Ghosts was also lighthearted and fun.

    8 votes

  5. Comment on Help me ditch Chrome's password manager! in ~tech

    exces6
    Link Parent
    Blerg! I’ve given some thought to BitWarden but never made the jump. I do wish the 7->8 transition hadn’t been botched; you’d think that would be easy enough to achieve especially for a paid service.

    Blerg! I’ve given some thought to BitWarden but never made the jump. I do wish the 7->8 transition hadn’t been botched; you’d think that would be easy enough to achieve especially for a paid service.

    1 vote

  6. Comment on Help me ditch Chrome's password manager! in ~tech

    exces6
    Link Parent
    Sounds like it’s time to give it a shot; thanks!

    Sounds like it’s time to give it a shot; thanks!

  7. Comment on Help me ditch Chrome's password manager! in ~tech

    exces6
    Link Parent
    I’m like 1Password a lot for many of the reasons you describe. The family feature (shared vault) is great for keeping my wife and I in sync and ensuring if something happens to one of us the other...

    I’m like 1Password a lot for many of the reasons you describe. The family feature (shared vault) is great for keeping my wife and I in sync and ensuring if something happens to one of us the other isn’t stranded.

    I haven’t brought myself to upgrade my mobile app from 7 to 8, and I understand there was some early clunkiness which I hope has been resolved by now.

    But I like that as a paid service there is incentive to continually improve while keeping things polished. I haven’t really used their support, but I feel like the app and its extensions are easily enough to use and pretty intuitive. I like that it suggests random passwords and I can adjust the complexity to meet various sites’ requirements, and then it just stores them easily for the future.

    Been using for a few years now and highly recommend. It has helped me greatly increase my password diversity and overall personal security.

    7 votes

  8. Comment on The costs of a phone-based childhood in ~tech

    exces6
    Link Parent
    Agree 100%. We don’t even own an iPad and try to keep our kids engaged and on task when out in public. It’s amazing how even a little TV time at home becomes engrossing for them, makes them crave...

    Agree 100%. We don’t even own an iPad and try to keep our kids engaged and on task when out in public. It’s amazing how even a little TV time at home becomes engrossing for them, makes them crave more, and really results in rapidly devolving behavior. We want them to be good digital citizens (something we’re still thinking about how to actually teach) while not feeding into the attention-consuming culture that the world keeps moving towards.

  9. Comment on Best foreign films and TV shows? in ~tv

    exces6
    Link Parent
    The IT Crowd is hilarious! You have to like British humor, but it’s been a favorite of mine for years. Have you tried turning it off and on again?

    The IT Crowd is hilarious! You have to like British humor, but it’s been a favorite of mine for years.

    Have you tried turning it off and on again?

    1 vote

  10. Comment on The costs of a phone-based childhood in ~tech

    exces6
    Link
    This was really enlightening; thanks so much for sharing. Our kids are still young, but helping them develop in a healthy manner and not be addicted to technology has been on our minds a lot...

    This was really enlightening; thanks so much for sharing.

    Our kids are still young, but helping them develop in a healthy manner and not be addicted to technology has been on our minds a lot lately. I hope we see some more community-based/large-scale attempts to address this. It really is a perfect storm as a collective-action problem that stands to alienate those who don’t participate until a critical mass of “avoiders” is achieved.

    3 votes

  11. Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv

    exces6
    Link
    We tried the first episode of Moonshine last night but couldn’t get into it. NYT recommended it saying it was “bright and exciting,” but it seemed a little contrite and forced to me. Wondering if...

    We tried the first episode of Moonshine last night but couldn’t get into it. NYT recommended it saying it was “bright and exciting,” but it seemed a little contrite and forced to me. Wondering if it gets better? Anyone else watched it?

    The latest season of True Detective (Night Country) was pretty superb. Highly recommend.

    2 votes

  12. Comment on Capital One to buy Discover Financial in $35.3 billion all-stock deal in ~finance

    exces6
    Link Parent
    I experienced this as well; once the customer service went down and the other benefits disappeared, I switched to other cards. I still have the Discover in a drawer somewhere, makes you wonder if...

    I experienced this as well; once the customer service went down and the other benefits disappeared, I switched to other cards. I still have the Discover in a drawer somewhere, makes you wonder if they ever cancel for inactivity.

    3 votes

  13. Comment on Capital One to buy Discover Financial in $35.3 billion all-stock deal in ~finance

    exces6
    Link Parent
    I could see that. There are a few other rotating 5% cards out there too that aren’t hard to get ahold of. I do like the breadth of categories with Discover, I just got tired of having to...

    I could see that. There are a few other rotating 5% cards out there too that aren’t hard to get ahold of. I do like the breadth of categories with Discover, I just got tired of having to micromanage their cash back and hope it all credited properly. Was more of an issue in the time of Discover Deals but I honestly just fatigued from chasing categories and moved to a general purpose 2% card for everything. Except Target, where their 5% card earns its keep easily with the in-house perks!

    1 vote

  14. Comment on Capital One to buy Discover Financial in $35.3 billion all-stock deal in ~finance

    exces6
    Link
    Interesting to see this. IMHO Discover has been on a downward spiral for years. A few years back they cut basically every benefit that made their cards worth having, like Discover Deals and...

    Interesting to see this. IMHO Discover has been on a downward spiral for years. A few years back they cut basically every benefit that made their cards worth having, like Discover Deals and extended warranty coverage. Rotating 5% categories were boring without other benefits and not worth chasing. I always assumed they were on their way out and never saw any value in their latest neutered products.

    9 votes

  15. Comment on Capital One to buy Discover Financial in $35.3 billion all-stock deal in ~finance

    exces6
    Link Parent
    Glad to see another former Simple user out there. I didn’t use mine much but felt the concept was great if a little ahead of its time. I too was sad to see them get bought out and enshittified.

    Glad to see another former Simple user out there. I didn’t use mine much but felt the concept was great if a little ahead of its time. I too was sad to see them get bought out and enshittified.

    12 votes

  16. Comment on A trip down the UK in ~travel

    exces6
    Link
    The Cotswolds was beautiful and an easy day trip from London. We did the Secret Cottage tour with Becky which is low key and includes tea in a traditional thatched cottage. Super fun, unique...

    The Cotswolds was beautiful and an easy day trip from London. We did the Secret Cottage tour with Becky which is low key and includes tea in a traditional thatched cottage. Super fun, unique experience!

    https://secretcottagecotswoldtours.co.uk/

    If you find yourself with time in Scotland, especially if you like being outdoors, check out Scotland’s Wild tours. We hiked to a beautiful waterfall with John and it was a highlight of our trip. Since then he’s expanded considerably and has lots of options that leave from areas near Edinburgh. Even if you don’t want that intensity but want to be outdoors, I highly, highly, recommend them.

    https://www.scotlandswild.com/

    I can’t recommend these first two things strongly enough.

    Here are some other notable things we did:

    Blenheim Palace is a little out of the way but worth it if you like grand old estates. Hampton Court Palace was also a quick train ride from central London and fun for history buffs.

    We did some driving through lower Scotland, stayed in Aberfeldy at Townhouse Aberfeldy which was awesome, then hit the Edradour distillery and walked around Pitlochry which is a quaint Scottish town.

    In Bath we enjoyed a tour of the Roman baths and then caught the Big B bus which circles the city. Was a great way to see some views and just relax.

    We loved the Tate Modern in London, and were not even huge art buffs. If you like shopping take a walk through Liberty or Fortnum & Mason. Borough Market was fun for a low key lunch.

  17. Comment on Introducing Surfboard for Tildes in ~tildes

    exces6
    Link
    My TestFlight beta expired; is this affecting anyone else?

    My TestFlight beta expired; is this affecting anyone else?

    1 vote

  18. Comment on What is your favorite type(s) of cheese? in ~food

    exces6
    Link Parent
    Oh that’s amazing! Thanks so much!

    Oh that’s amazing! Thanks so much!

  19. Comment on What is your favorite type(s) of cheese? in ~food

    exces6
    Link Parent
    Sorry it took me so long to reply; I remember seeing the notification then must have forgotten before having a chance to read the entire comment. It’s definitely one of the more expensive cheeses...

    Sorry it took me so long to reply; I remember seeing the notification then must have forgotten before having a chance to read the entire comment. It’s definitely one of the more expensive cheeses here, so funny to hear that it’s a table cheese there! Everything I’ve had from them is delicious; I’ll have to keep an eye out for that 12 year. Thanks!

  20. Comment on US stores increasingly reverse course on self checkout in ~tech

    exces6
    Link
    I feel like self-checkout was just a cover for continued enshittification of the store experience. I love self-checkout for a few items, but anything more complex and the use case falls apart. And...

    I feel like self-checkout was just a cover for continued enshittification of the store experience. I love self-checkout for a few items, but anything more complex and the use case falls apart. And God forbid you need help with anything or encounter an edge case like an item that won’t scan properly; in my experience I’m lucky to get the attention of anyone at all and even then it’s a crapshoot if they know how to fix the issue in a timely manner. It doesn’t happen often, but in general I’d rather have stores with more staff overall because it incentivizes them to be more helpful and available than stores with lots of self-checkouts.

    I also agree with the poster above that mentioned trying to be more human-focused with their behaviors. I’d rather support someone’s job than get bad service and still pay the same amount.

    4 votes