gary's recent activity
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Comment on How do you feel about your PTO? in ~life
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Comment on How do you feel about your PTO? in ~life
gary Link ParentIn the vast majority of states, like 80% roughly, companies are not required to pay out PTO when an employee leaves or is terminated. In California, where unlimited PTO is relatively popular with...In the vast majority of states, like 80% roughly, companies are not required to pay out PTO when an employee leaves or is terminated. In California, where unlimited PTO is relatively popular with tech companies, PTO has to be paid out but accrued PTO can also just be capped, so it's not a good reason to do unlimited.. just cap employees to 7 days or something, so there's no big liability on the books.
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Comment on Privacy is also protecting the data of others in ~tech
gary Link ParentiCloud ADP is opt-in because most users are not very good at remembering their passwords or having a mindset on recovery. We know this from decades of experience at this point. Apple serves over 1...iCloud ADP is opt-in because most users are not very good at remembering their passwords or having a mindset on recovery. We know this from decades of experience at this point. Apple serves over 1 billion users, the vast majority of which will be upset if they lost access to their photos.
To shit on the one major company that has provided E2EE in various product categories in a relatively seamless way is insane to me. I can actually count on one hand the number of companies even offering this at more than a small scale. I can count on one finger the number of companies that does it at Apple's scale: it's just Apple. Nothing Apple does will ever be good enough, will it?
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Comment on Hollywood’s IP dilemma | Whether it’s “Novocaine,” “Mickey 17” or the “Oceans” director’s latest, audiences are slow to show up for original films in ~movies
gary Link ParentIncreasing the time to streaming will help, but I don't think it'll bring us back to the peak number of movie goers. Back in the day, it was $8 to watch a new movie in theaters or $4 to rent a DVD...Increasing the time to streaming will help, but I don't think it'll bring us back to the peak number of movie goers. Back in the day, it was $8 to watch a new movie in theaters or $4 to rent a DVD of an old movie and watch on your dinky TV. Now it's $13 to watch a new movie in theaters or $20 to watch thousands of movies in 4K on a 75 inch TV. The value proposition has shrunk.
Every new movie that comes out now is basically competing with the sum of all human creation since the barrier to accessing old media came down so much. Combine that with people caring less about watching the same media at the same time and there's going to be a general "meh" feeling whenever a new movie comes out.
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Comment on US President Donald Trump invokes the Alien Enemies Act for the first time against Venezuelan criminal organization in ~society
gary Link ParentThe order to turn the planes around appear to have not been heeded: BBC: US deports hundreds of Venezuelans despite court orderThe order to turn the planes around appear to have not been heeded: BBC: US deports hundreds of Venezuelans despite court order
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Comment on The real problem with toilet paper: Where it comes from in ~enviro
gary Link ParentHey, I thought you sharing this article was pretty helpful. Even if the number of rolls is misleading, if the weight of toilet paper used is accurate or if the relative usage to other countries is...Hey, I thought you sharing this article was pretty helpful. Even if the number of rolls is misleading, if the weight of toilet paper used is accurate or if the relative usage to other countries is accurate, then that's a great comparison! Say we compare to Japan. America could potentially use 1/3 less by adopting bidets. That would be a big boon for the environment while improving cleanliness. It's nice to have a number in mind.
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Comment on San Francisco jails are packed for the first time in decades in ~society
gary Link ParentYou're making an assumption that the use of incarceration didn't receive scrutiny first. San Francisco, as a very liberal part of the country, did take a very forgiving approach to crime. How do...You're making an assumption that the use of incarceration didn't receive scrutiny first. San Francisco, as a very liberal part of the country, did take a very forgiving approach to crime. How do you know that the previous incarceration levels were the correct levels?
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Comment on The real problem with toilet paper: Where it comes from in ~enviro
gary Link ParentI hate that I'm linking to this source, but I only found this when trying to fact check. The Federalist: No, The Average American Doesn’t Use Three Rolls Of Toilet Paper Per Week I had also gone...I hate that I'm linking to this source, but I only found this when trying to fact check. The Federalist: No, The Average American Doesn’t Use Three Rolls Of Toilet Paper Per Week
I had also gone through this link, found the link to the NRDC paper, and from there found that their number was from a Statista graph (which they link), which has a note "Assuming one roll of toilet paper weighs 90g". I have Charmin Ultra Soft (2-ply) at home and a roll weighs 141g with 4g of it being the cardboard tube. So I didn't get to 227g like the Scotts brand supposedly is, but density per brand being different makes sense. Charmin and Scotts being common brands though, 90g seems very weird.
And according to the same graph that has Americans at 141 rolls, then Germans are at 134 and Brits at 127. Japan, with its high usage of bidets, comes in 4th at 91 rolls.
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Comment on Apple will soon support encrypted RCS messaging with Android users in ~tech
gary Link ParentThanks, I wasn't aware that each iOS version was bringing in new support for carriers. Wonder what the hold up was for these MNVOs. Visible is an MNVO and has had RCS support for a while now, so...Thanks, I wasn't aware that each iOS version was bringing in new support for carriers. Wonder what the hold up was for these MNVOs. Visible is an MNVO and has had RCS support for a while now, so is it down to each carrier to add support?
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Comment on Apple will soon support encrypted RCS messaging with Android users in ~tech
gary Link ParentIs your carrier listed as supported, but it's not working for you? I haven't hit many bugs with RCS after the first month, but Apple has a list of carriers and whether or not iPhone can use RCS on...Is your carrier listed as supported, but it's not working for you? I haven't hit many bugs with RCS after the first month, but Apple has a list of carriers and whether or not iPhone can use RCS on that carrier.
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Comment on US Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer to vote yes on GOP spending bill in ~society
gary Link ParentI've come back to re-read these sentences multiple times! I'm uncertain averting if a shutdown was right or not, but I'm more frustrated that the Democrats still look leaderless. Even if the...Voting to advance the CR might be the right call given the situation the Dems find themselves in. But they don't have to be in this exact situation.
I've come back to re-read these sentences multiple times! I'm uncertain averting if a shutdown was right or not, but I'm more frustrated that the Democrats still look leaderless. Even if the Republicans won this fight, can I at least get some assurance that the Dems have rallied around a strategy?
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Comment on Apple will soon support encrypted RCS messaging with Android users in ~tech
gary Link ParentRCS updating to have encryption (as a standard via GSMA) is a direct result of Apple though. They were the ones that made a big push for it, even if they had to be forced into adopting RCS.RCS updating to have encryption (as a standard via GSMA) is a direct result of Apple though. They were the ones that made a big push for it, even if they had to be forced into adopting RCS.
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Comment on Dollar General warns low-income Americans' finances are getting worse in ~finance
gary Link ParentOh thanks! That reminded me I have an extension to do this (StopTheMadness) but hadn't enabled it on Google.Oh thanks! That reminded me I have an extension to do this (StopTheMadness) but hadn't enabled it on Google.
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Comment on USA asks Sweden for help in the egg crisis in ~food
gary Link ParentThat's the healthiest, smartest thing consumers could be doing. Eggs are great nutrition! But also just buy eggs when they're available and reasonably priced in your budget. It's all a...That's the healthiest, smartest thing consumers could be doing. Eggs are great nutrition! But also just buy eggs when they're available and reasonably priced in your budget. It's all a disproportionate fuss. You see people hoarding eggs which is just crazy.
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Comment on Dollar General warns low-income Americans' finances are getting worse in ~finance
gary Link ParentAmp was a bigger problem before but hasn't been controversial since they took away the Amp carousel (unless my browser hid it?). I couldn't quickly get a non-Amp version on mobile and it was...Amp was a bigger problem before but hasn't been controversial since they took away the Amp carousel (unless my browser hid it?). I couldn't quickly get a non-Amp version on mobile and it was enough to prove a point.
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Comment on Dollar General warns low-income Americans' finances are getting worse in ~finance
gary Linku/Jase do you mind not posting from this source? The author "Silly Ninja" (that should have given pause) rewrites existing articles and posts to their Substack. Here's the original article they...u/Jase do you mind not posting from this source? The author "Silly Ninja" (that should have given pause) rewrites existing articles and posts to their Substack. Here's the original article they ripped off:
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/03/13/business/dollar-general-shoppers-inflation
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Comment on Spotify paid out a record £7.7bn in royalties in 2024 – debate continues about how much money artists and songwriters receive in royalties in ~music
gary Link ParentI think it's hilarious that you're only the second person to have told me this story about Babymetal. It's great for consumers today to have a way to steadily patronize musicians and then...I think it's hilarious that you're only the second person to have told me this story about Babymetal. It's great for consumers today to have a way to steadily patronize musicians and then selectively enjoy them in person. Kudos to you for living as the pirates pre-Spotify predicted how the music industry would eventually turn out.
This model works well for music, but will it work well for movies? The demise of movies hasn't come about just yet, since building a great pirating solution is slightly harder than it was for music (movies being so much larger), but it is moving in that direction. The non-tech folks in my life continue to surprise me when they mention some niche piracy services for movies. But movies don't have live performances like concerts. So I wonder how the streaming model for movies will work out for actors 5, 10, 15 years from now.
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Comment on New policy changes for Southwest Airlines in ~travel
gary (edited )Link ParentWe must fly from very different airports. The last Southwest flight (Boston) I took, there were so many preboarders that by the time I got on the plane with B7, I was 2/3 to the back of the plane...We must fly from very different airports. The last Southwest flight (Boston) I took, there were so many preboarders that by the time I got on the plane with B7, I was 2/3 to the back of the plane before I found an aisle or window seat. I passed by many rows where people were "saving" a seat. One person saved two seats. Southwest's policy was that they wouldn't intervene in that situation and to figure it out yourself.
My front rows are now always full with families or people saving seats and the best I can get, even if A30, would be a middle seat around the 6th or 7th row. I live near a SW hub though and my experiences match yours pre-COVID. It's only the last few years that any sense of decorum on SW has been dropped.
Edit: removed an unimportant portion that I don't feel the desire to litigate. Also changed halfway to the back to 2/3 after finding my texts at the time.
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Comment on Spotify paid out a record £7.7bn in royalties in 2024 – debate continues about how much money artists and songwriters receive in royalties in ~music
gary Link ParentConsumers are free to give more money to artists, but they consistently vote with their wallets to give as little as possible. How many people on Tildes bitch about price increases on streaming...Consumers are free to give more money to artists, but they consistently vote with their wallets to give as little as possible. How many people on Tildes bitch about price increases on streaming services even though today's consumer has access to a far wider pool of content, on demand, and at higher quality for a lower cost than they've paid in absolute and adjusted dollars than in the past?
In order for Spotify to pay individual artists "enough", there would have to be a drastic price increase. Double, triple, maybe quadruple. Spotify passes on a percentage of revenue; if they gave up their entire cut, which is completely unrealistic, it would still not be "enough". That's the economics of art in a digital age.
Alternatively, you could convince artists to leave the music publisher system that's reigned supreme all these years, but there's clearly an economic benefit for artists to sign these deals.
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Comment on Michelle Obama launches podcast with her brother Craig Robinson in ~life
gary Link Parent+1 that Harris losing is not an indicator on whether America is ready to elect a female president yet. Maybe it's not, but Harris didn't prove that. Nor did Clinton. As for Warren, she wasn't even...+1 that Harris losing is not an indicator on whether America is ready to elect a female president yet. Maybe it's not, but Harris didn't prove that. Nor did Clinton.
As for Warren, she wasn't even that liked in the 2020 primaries. She came in third in her own home state.
Good point. Guess in California a realistic accrual max would have to be something close to a realistic minimum PTO/year. So 3 weeks maybe? Maybe that's why California switch to unlimited then.