firedoll's recent activity
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Comment on I want to learn to draw on my iPad in ~creative
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Comment on Samification of the current Web in ~design
firedoll LinkI've been digging through this space a bit for inspiration on some current projects. There's a lot of reasons the web has turned into a swamp of best practices and many of them are good ones....I've been digging through this space a bit for inspiration on some current projects.
There's a lot of reasons the web has turned into a swamp of best practices and many of them are good ones. People have listed several good points and links, but I'll tack on a few thoughts about how we got here.
To some degree, I think the web and "digital media" have become less prestigious than they were between 2000-2015, but maybe that's just me seeing it from a different angle at this point. The internet has become business as usual and websites are table stakes. Most importantly, for a lot of products, fairly straightforward pages tend to convert better and bring in more sales. People didn't necessarily know that in 2000--and why wouldn't they try to impress customers in any way they could?
The tooling was obviously much worse in many ways. There were a ton of people experimenting with Macromedia/Adobe Flash for building interactive experiences that are now gone. There were also all kinds of crazy browser plugins for one off 3-D experiences and such. Over time online video was added in, but it was limited because performance was a major factor. These things were constraints that forced people to be creative. Now, a small business can use something like Squarespace or Shopify to do what they need, upload a bunch of high resolution images, and cut out engaging with creative/agencies to bring in that expertise. There needs to be somebody in the picture who wants to champion doing cool things, and businesses tend to be more focused on "make it work" than "make it nice."
I think that for creatives in the early 2000s (and the people paying them), there was genuinely a lot of excitement about pushing boundaries and making things that stood out. Marketing people were still trying to figure out what would work and big corporations were spending a lot to take chances on bizarre campaigns like Sublymonal, Subservient Chicken, etc. (I'd love try and list more, but it's crazy how much of this really big stuff has become bit rot or lost media.) T.V. and print were still very much in the mix, cellphones/shortcodes were emerging, and people were looking for ways to tie them together.
The audience, design trends, and the constraints have changed. The browsers people use now are on phones, with less screen real estate for flourish. Alternatively, now companies may just opt to build an app or something inside a walled garden. Do people even bother to look at product descriptions anymore? Can people even still read? It feels like we've moved to putting in a highlight video, or just laying rasterized text over product images. Going digging through some of these old sites and projects I think, "this would just be a video now, that other thing would probably be an animation." I could keep going.
I think there's still a place for personality, and I've always tried to put some in my projects, but it's a harder to fit in these days. There's a tinge of sadness to the fact that now browsers have all these things that were dreamed of in the 90s/2000s (animations, 3d, video, music, etc) and most of us probably spend our time in the same old haunts, occasionally peeking out at a sea of largely identical feeling sites.
With all that laid out, here are some potential paths to go down for anybody interested in tracking down old sites for inspiration (people here probably at least know some of these):
- Favorite Website Awards: These go back to 2000 and have links.
- The Webby's I think they may have previous winners behind a login? There's also a partial list on Wikipedia. Iirc, they focused not just on sites, but also content and people. Of particular note is the "art" and "weird" sections.
- Awwwards came along a little later, but was one that agency friends used to look at for inspiration.
- I mentioned before that print was still a big deal. Some awards like One Show Interactive published compilations of the winners.
- There are a couple series of books that could be kept around for reference and inspiration, like The Web Developer's Idea Book, The New Internet Design Project Reloaded, and several others.
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Comment on What are some great actual comedies made in the last twenty years? in ~movies
firedoll LinkIf I recall, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is a pretty pure comedy and I enjoyed how over the top it was at points. Looking at the IMDB score, though, it may not be everyone's cup of tea.If I recall, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is a pretty pure comedy and I enjoyed how over the top it was at points. Looking at the IMDB score, though, it may not be everyone's cup of tea.
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Comment on Where do you go to veg out online? in ~tech
firedoll LinkI may be a bit in the same boat. I've been trying to build up a list of sites to browse, like I had before the rise of social media and Reddit. I feel like the Fediverse should be a good match...I may be a bit in the same boat. I've been trying to build up a list of sites to browse, like I had before the rise of social media and Reddit. I feel like the Fediverse should be a good match here, because it's not designed around the same algorithmic engagement and therefore some of the behaviors shouldn't be as prevalent.
Lemmy was already mentioned, but I have a bookmark for trending in the last 6 hours. But, I think there's still a lot to get charged up about there, at least on the main page. Sometimes I'll also just drink from the fire hose of Mastadon.social's live feed and hope to stumble into something interesting.
Although I believe in the Fediverse, I haven't quite committed to accounts on various platforms yet. However, you may be interested in Pixelfed. Every now and then I'll hit the explore tab on some of the servers and the communities seem a lot more focused on photography and art, which may make for better veg material.
Pixelfed also has a project called Loops, which is meant to be similar to tiktok, but I haven't tried it yet and don't know what the vibe is.
I suspect that some of these communities are small enough, even if you got addicted, you'd run out of content. Nebula sort of feels that way to me, I find it a little hit or miss from day to day so I literally can't spend all my time on there.
I don't think I've found a great source of humor, but maybe I've just turned into a grump.
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Comment on Some ChatGPT users are developing delusional beliefs that are reinforced by the large language model in ~tech
firedoll Link ParentI'm not sure about all of them, but sycophantic is at least on the radar of Open AI. After a recent update cranked the dial up on it, they've made posts discussing why they think it happened....I'm not sure about all of them, but sycophantic is at least on the radar of Open AI. After a recent update cranked the dial up on it, they've made posts discussing why they think it happened.
Personally, I can't stand the way Chat GPT constantly opens message by tying to affirm or flatter me, my system prompts have reduced it a little, but I haven't been able to get rid of the behavior.
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Comment on You can join thousands telling US President Donald Trump what they think of his anti-trans passport policies. Here’s how. in ~lgbt
firedoll LinkI haven't actually posted a topic before, so hopefully I haven't missed anything major. That said, I just realized that nothing about this public comment period may have been posted on Tildes and...I haven't actually posted a topic before, so hopefully I haven't missed anything major. That said, I just realized that nothing about this public comment period may have been posted on Tildes and the comments close tomorrow (Monday, March 18th.)
...in mid-February, the State Department posted its updated passport policies for public comment, allowing individuals to submit their perspectives. With that comment period closing on Monday, March 17...
Personally, I have several friends who would be potentially impacted and endangered by this administration's attacks on their ability to get a passport that properly represents them. All of this is coming on the heels of reports earlier this year that the State Department was holding on to trans people's passports and refusing to issue passports, even with the original gender marker.
The ACLU has some text already written and a form for online submission.
You can apparently also directly submit comments anonymously, although I'm not clear on the specifics of how:
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You can join thousands telling US President Donald Trump what they think of his anti-trans passport policies. Here’s how.
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Comment on How do you go about learning a new language? in ~humanities.languages
firedoll (edited )Link ParentI'm not even conversational in Japanese because I've also had life stuff pull me away from my learning (and I've had to hard pivot to learning Thai.) That said, I like The Moe Way Japanese guide....I'm not even conversational in Japanese because I've also had life stuff pull me away from my learning (and I've had to hard pivot to learning Thai.) That said, I like The Moe Way Japanese guide. They mention a lot of great tips and techniques. I was hoping to try Visual Novels as an immersion technique before I had to pause.
I didn't like WaniKani because I wanted more control over the pace/timing and the stories felt way too wordy, so I would write out my own shorter/more informationally dense ones. I was ultimately putting them into a modified version of the excellent All In One Kanji deck for Anki, created by Jo Moko. It appears that deck was removed, though.
For Japanese and other languages, I want to call out a really great tool: Yomitan. This browser add-on allows you to provide a dictionary file, then when you hold a modifier key and hover over a word in your target language, the definition appears in a popup. You can even set it up to allow for quickly making Anki cards from the word.
[Edit: And yes, I'm applying techniques I learned with Japanese to approach Thai! I have Yomitan profiles set up for Japanese and Thai, using Thai dictionaries that I found in this GitHub repo.]
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Comment on The Airbnb/Hotel Gap: Private common spaces in ~life
firedoll Link ParentFrom my experience, it may make help to specifically look for "extended stay" hotels like Residence Inn. I've seen Residence Inn two story suites, including a kitchen and living area. But, the...From my experience, it may make help to specifically look for "extended stay" hotels like Residence Inn. I've seen Residence Inn two story suites, including a kitchen and living area. But, the living area and kitchen were a bit small, so it really depends on how many people will be there.
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Comment on Looking for some recommendations for games where you can build your own spaceships etc in ~games
firedoll Link ParentOP, if you're looking to make ships, I just want to second Starship EVO. I don't think it's exactly what I would consider a game yet, since it's early access and slow going. (Last I knew it was...OP, if you're looking to make ships, I just want to second Starship EVO.
I don't think it's exactly what I would consider a game yet, since it's early access and slow going. (Last I knew it was being build by a single, very talented developer.) But, I think it's got some of the coolest tools for building voxel based ships I've seen.
- You can create designs that aren't strictly box based like Space Engineers, allowing some more natural and practice shapes.
- It supports a grid of small decorations, allowing for good detailing.
- Good paint and decal system.
- There's a whole wiring system with mechanical parts, allowing you to create all kinds of custom doors, landing gear, etc.
- The building tools can also be used to build hover vehicles, mechs, and other things.
I haven't toyed with it in a while, and again the survival stuff is still being added. But, it's a good sandbox for crafting. [In case it's important, the game world is a little more stylized than realistic.]
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Comment on How best to get a thorough inspection after avoiding doctors for a decade? in ~health
firedoll (edited )LinkIf I'm understanding correctly, it sounds like need to get established with a primary care doctor. You can probably tell them when scheduling the appointment that you haven't had a primary care...If I'm understanding correctly, it sounds like need to get established with a primary care doctor. You can probably tell them when scheduling the appointment that you haven't had a primary care for several years and you'd like a complete physical.
My big pieces of advice are to think about anything that's bothering you and write it down ahead of time, then go over the notes with them in the physical. If you have a family history of a certain thing or are particularly worried about something like cholesterol or diabetes, make sure you mention that. They only have so much time for each patient, so you want to make sure concerns get addressed even if they are swamped.
See if you can make sure you have your vaccine records from the state. Discuss if there are any you're due for a booster of. And, for issues related to mental health (or anything outside of general healthcare,) you could also ask for referrals to specialist.
The aren't going to run you through every test or do something like a "full body scan," but they may want to run something like a Comprehensive Metabolic Panel, Complete Blood Count, a Lipid Panel, and/or a couple others. You could ask about those types of tests.
That said, understand that tests have a margin of error. Unless there are symptom/signs that something is wrong, or you've reached an age where certain tests are normal (e.g. 45 year olds generally get a colonoscopy), they wouldn't run you through everything due to the possibility of false positives. Because, False positives can send you down an expensive path of unnecessary testing/treatment.
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Comment on US$ 30 million to reinvent the wheel (Bluesky vs. Mastodon) in ~tech
firedoll (edited )Link ParentI don't disagree, especially depending on the instance. My impression is that for established networks, it's on a different level. That may partially be because of the audience, but I wouldn't be...I don't disagree, especially depending on the instance. My impression is that for established networks, it's on a different level. That may partially be because of the audience, but I wouldn't be shocked if the algorithms (which people can't always opt-out of) encourage these things.
Misinformation just feels like it belongs with the potential downstream effects of prioritizing for engagement/time spent on site over the quality of content or quality of the time spent on site.
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Comment on US$ 30 million to reinvent the wheel (Bluesky vs. Mastodon) in ~tech
firedoll (edited )Link ParentI don't think the issue is necessary (just) the audience, but I think you're getting at one of the root causes. I've mostly stuck to Mastodon and Lemmy recently and haven't used Bluesky. But, my...The problem with protestors and boycotters is that they're aren't advertizer-friendly
I don't think the issue is necessary (just) the audience, but I think you're getting at one of the root causes. I've mostly stuck to Mastodon and Lemmy recently and haven't used Bluesky. But, my impression is that because these are tools built buy the community for the community, the platforms themselves aren't advertiser-centric. Do they provide key analytics, have sales teams wooing advertisers, provide revenue splits, etc? Would Mastodon or Loops ever have it's own version of the TikTok shop?
When people say they want to be an "influencer," obviously they need an audience to influence. But, also importantly, they want to be able to make money doing it. Why would a wannabe influencer spend their time on a platform that can't easily be monetized, especially without having clear examples of others successfully making a living on that platform?
As a user, it's nice to not be inundated with ads, influencers, misinformation, etc. But, those things are the also some of the growth engines for other networks. [(Additionally, the person who's an annoyance to me on other networks is someone that tens or hundreds of thousands may show up to follow.)]
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Comment on Steam: Best of 2024 in ~games
firedoll Link ParentMeh. It's just a reaction. Lots of people stop listening when something feels like it's pushed too forcefully or artificially. Lots of people have a twitchy finger over their block buttons. Maybe...Meh. It's just a reaction. Lots of people stop listening when something feels like it's pushed too forcefully or artificially. Lots of people have a twitchy finger over their block buttons. Maybe I'll unblock it someday, but right now I'm not interested.
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Comment on Steam: Best of 2024 in ~games
firedoll (edited )Link ParentMy reaction was the opposite; I blocked it. Maybe the steam awards are just a popularity contest, or maybe they're easily manipulated, but my impression is a little more of the second: the results...My reaction was the opposite; I blocked it. Maybe the steam awards are just a popularity contest, or maybe they're easily manipulated, but my impression is a little more of the second: the results are easily gamed. There's also been drama about BMW not taking best game at the Game awards and subsequent review bombing by their player-base.
With all that in mind, I was basically expecting these results. But, seeing them still inspired me to put distance between myself and the game. [Overall, I don't put much stock in the awards. At this point I vote to get my badges and move on.]
[Upon further reflection, it's probably both: A popularity contest with groups actively trying to manipulate the results. Extra messy.]
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Comment on CrowdStrike avoids customer exodus after triggering global IT outage in ~tech
firedoll Link ParentTo keep it short, I think we see very eye to eye here!To keep it short, I think we see very eye to eye here!
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Comment on CrowdStrike avoids customer exodus after triggering global IT outage in ~tech
firedoll Link ParentI didn't want to come across as too conspiratorial sounding, especially without a lot of hard data to back up my hypothesises. It wouldn't surprise me to see the same behavior just about anywhere....I didn't want to come across as too conspiratorial sounding, especially without a lot of hard data to back up my hypothesises. It wouldn't surprise me to see the same behavior just about anywhere. It really feels like the general public is only protected by the security experts who successfully manage to wrestle in a win or the developers who squeeze in a little bit extra care.
The accountability trend and games being played here seem clearer to operations and leadership than to those on the front lines. Hopefully, folks in the trenches don't forget to cover their own asses so they aren’t scapegoated when leadership neglects security.
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Comment on CrowdStrike avoids customer exodus after triggering global IT outage in ~tech
firedoll Link ParentI'm not surprised, maybe it's selection bias, but this seems to be the trend. T-Mobile has been breached multiple times (three times in 2023 alone, iirc) and, despite line keeps going up for them....I'm not surprised, maybe it's selection bias, but this seems to be the trend.
T-Mobile has been breached multiple times (three times in 2023 alone, iirc) and, despite line keeps going up for them. I think in total they've been able to get away with a couple hundred million in fines and judgements, which would be a lot of money if they weren't a giant telecom company.
Even SolarWinds, while not doing as well, seems to be ticking a long bruised, but not broken. My understanding is that they're still being used by the U.S. federal government, despise the severity of the 2020 breach and the incompetence leading to it. A lawsuit was originally filed against their CISO, and for a second there I thought we may see some accountability. But, as of 2024, my understanding is that no individuals at SolarWinds have been criminally charged or held personally liable for the 2020 cyberattack.
It really leaves me with the impression that businesses can skate by on bare minimum cyber security, as long as there's some plausible deniability--at least for the larger more established ones.
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Comment on Thoughts on a Democratic postmortem in ~society
firedoll (edited )Link ParentI suspect this hurt them quite a bit, and more-so when combined with other factors like their candidates being relatively unknown. At the very least, the last moment tag-out was the focus of...I suspect this hurt them quite a bit, and more-so when combined with other factors like their candidates being relatively unknown. At the very least, the last moment tag-out was the focus of narratives around being undemocratic. But at the time, the limited primaries and swap came across to me as some as party elites prescribing what's best to their members or callously believing (again) that they could just put anybody against Trump and automatically win.
Several businesses fail because they don't validate their product, and this whole aspect reeks of the same thing to me. It doesn't appear that the DNC made a good faith effort to validate who and what ideas resonated most with voters.
(Edit: I could also be totally off base here. Only a fraction of people turn up for the primaries, so it's not a sure thing that they represent the larger voting population. But, that doesn't automatically mean the process can be ignored or glossed over and it still seems like an important data point.)
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech
firedoll Link ParentI try to avoid YouTube, but it was recently reported that they've started displaying ads when a video is paused. While I haven't seen that, I have seen some terrible implementations of it in other...I try to avoid YouTube, but it was recently reported that they've started displaying ads when a video is paused. While I haven't seen that, I have seen some terrible implementations of it in other streaming apps.
There are functional requirements around pausing. Some content is even designed to be paused, with backgrounds that are filled up with points of interest. When I was using YouTube regularly, I found the UI and features to already have several issues (search comes to mind,) but it sounds like they're at a point where they're willing to actively destroy core functionality in hopes that people jump on these higher priced ad plans?
Maybe I'm being a little paranoid, but with the way things are going at YouTube and other streaming companies, I honestly wouldn't trust them to resist putting some kind of ads in premium at some point.
There used to be a subreddit called ArtFundimentals that was pretty active, and the creator eventually created a site for the exercises. It had been closed due to disagreements with the management, but I guess they literally just opened the sub back up because the owner is worried that otherwise reddit would step in to take it away.
TL;DR: Don't be afraid of a pencil or wasting paper. There are lots of ways to start, but check out Drawbox.
In general, I think there are lots of exercises to get you familiar with shape and form; familiar with breaking things down into simple shapes; to build muscle memory; etc. Depending on what you want to be able to draw, you may want to look into specific things like figure drawing and anatomy.