geeklynad's recent activity
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Comment on What's your recommended survival crafting game to play solo? in ~games
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Comment on How to get into photography? in ~hobbies
geeklynad Link ParentJust wanna tack onto this a different approach from back in the film days... We used to get only like 24-36 shots per roll. So sometimes we'd burn through all of them on a single subject,...Just take a ton of pictures. Every time you shoot, go far, go close, look at angles, look at background. Every setting you're in, you should be taking 50+ different pictures starting out so you get the hang of things.
Just wanna tack onto this a different approach from back in the film days...
We used to get only like 24-36 shots per roll. So sometimes we'd burn through all of them on a single subject, sometimes we'd stretch them out for multiple subjects (like in a trip to a place and you only bring a single roll; you want it to last). Yes, in shooting crazy amounts of photos of a single subject, you're way more likely to get the picture you want. Especially if you're experimenting around with settings and trying all kinds of different things. Otherwise, you kinda just end up with lots of very similar images. Which, imo, can kinda stymie creativity by inundating you with an overabundance of choice (sometimes, anyways).
On the flip side with only taking one or two shots of a given subject before moving on and finding another: You're likely to not get the shot you want. And it's likely to make you sit there and think about why that shot didn't work, and give some motivation to figure out how to do it better next time.
But also: There probably will still be good shots of other subjects in that batch. So you can still get the satisfaction of having a handful of shots that you really like, while also getting some motivation to dig a little deeper into how to do things better the next time.
Just to be clear though... I'm saying both approaches work well. The moral of the story is to just get out and shoot.
(Edit: I'm now realizing that I kinda misinterpreted a little bit.. thinking this was saying more along the lines of "50 picture of the same subject". I'm sorry, I just woke up lol)
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Comment on Los Angeles’s mayor was contemplating a mask ban. She just got Covid. in ~society
geeklynad LinkThe politicians getting covid also get better medical treatment than most working class people. Around the time Biden got COVID, it was a known issue with paxlovid that a single course often...The politicians getting covid also get better medical treatment than most working class people. Around the time Biden got COVID, it was a known issue with paxlovid that a single course often results in rebound for at risk people because the course duration isn't sufficient. The FDA still hasn't approved a course extension. Biden got to have a second course. My mother didn't. My mother still has complications from long covid two years later. This is ridiculous. I've liked Bass fine enough up until now. This infuriates me.
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Comment on Streaming wars are over and Netflix won in ~tv
geeklynad Link ParentThere are a handful of dramas that run for 2, or very rarely 3 seasons. From what I've seen, it's usually planned for that duration from the beginning. Squid Game ended on somewhat of a...There are a handful of dramas that run for 2, or very rarely 3 seasons. From what I've seen, it's usually planned for that duration from the beginning. Squid Game ended on somewhat of a cliffhanger. It is also getting more common for a single drama to be split into Part 1 and Part 2, differentiated from full seasons of 16 episodes. The Glory is a good example. Aired in 2 parts of 8 episodes, totaling 16. Death's Game is very recent one that tried out a format of 2 parts of 4 episodes.
edit: To clarify, "I hope they learn from the methods" was intended to mean Netflix learning from k-dramas. Not sure if that came across clearly.
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Comment on Streaming wars are over and Netflix won in ~tv
geeklynad Link ParentI really started getting into k-dramas a couple years ago and frankly haven't felt a single urge to watch any Hollywood stuff I've been seeing out recently. K-dramas just have a very effective...But if they stop spending six to ten million per episode, and go back to writing and actors rather than spectacle (which was always the playing card movies had), I really think that'll do what they want.
Keep people tuning in. People like actors, and good writing. People like interesting stories.
I really started getting into k-dramas a couple years ago and frankly haven't felt a single urge to watch any Hollywood stuff I've been seeing out recently. K-dramas just have a very effective format that I really dig. They tend to be around 16 episodes on average. While the genres definitely have very dialed-in tropes, a lot of the stories themselves still end up approaching those tropes creatively. And the acting can be absolutely phenomenal. Stories also aren't strictly beholden to a single genre. Fantasy stories can have romcom elements. Romcoms can have murder mystery side plots. There's a lot of interplay with the k-pop scene as well, with big music groups contributing to soundtracks, and idols getting into acting.
Another major aspect I appreciate about it is that k-dramas tend to wrap up stories in a single season. Occasionally, they might run for 2. But the stories are written with an ending in mind, and loose ends tend to get wrapped up neatly. Contrast this with the trend in US productions to end seasons with a giant question mark and no guarantee of a continuation.
That goes hand-in-hand with the amount of volume. For big hit actors who are popular at the moment, it's common for them to be in multiple projects per year. So instead of watching a show and being left wondering if and when a season 2 comes out, I end up just searching for the actors I like and finding other projects they're in. And invariably, while watching other shows I will end up finding more actors I like, and searching for more works they've been in. It makes for a very engaging cycle of consumption.
Lastly, the writing quality can be fantastic. Not all, for sure. But by and large, I've really enjoyed the various methods of storytelling. It seems like there's a lot more willingness to experiment with different ideas instead of just relying on tried-tested-trusted stuff that's been recycled so many times people are tired of watching it. Again, yes there are cookie cutter genre dramas (edit: these can still be worth watching because the different actors bring different characterizations to life, even if other plot devices are set in stone). But there's also a lot more that go out on a limb to try something wacky and end up blowing people away.
Netflix started getting pretty invested in the k-drama scene. I hope they learn from the methods. At present though, it seems like they're more interested in trying to get k-drama productions to adapt to netflix's methods (many get trimmed down to less than 10 episodes and it's not in a good way, leaving massive voids in the story that are noticeably absent) instead of taking lessons of success from k-drama production methods.
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Comment on Building a full adventure map in Valheim - Start to finish in ~games
geeklynad LinkI've spent around 1300 hours in valheim so far. Mostly building. I'm just chiming in to say those builds are incredible. I'm gonna have to check this out in-game one of these days.I've spent around 1300 hours in valheim so far. Mostly building. I'm just chiming in to say those builds are incredible. I'm gonna have to check this out in-game one of these days.
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Comment on What is something that, surprisingly, worked? in ~talk
geeklynad Link ParentI always did rubbing alcohol for the rims, and sanded down the pads with some 120 grit. Good stopping force, and usually got rid of squeals too. Never considered using oil though. How much did it...I always did rubbing alcohol for the rims, and sanded down the pads with some 120 grit. Good stopping force, and usually got rid of squeals too. Never considered using oil though. How much did it affect stopping force?
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Comment on What is something that, surprisingly, worked? in ~talk
geeklynad LinkI had a old ('96) toyota corolla. I accidentally locked my keys inside. I knew the locks were pretty worn out though. Asked my friend is I could borrow her keys. She had a honda accord. It worked....I had a old ('96) toyota corolla. I accidentally locked my keys inside. I knew the locks were pretty worn out though. Asked my friend is I could borrow her keys. She had a honda accord. It worked. The keys don't even have matching slots, let alone the ridges. But the lock was worn out enough that it didn't remotely matter. A screwdriver probably would have done the trick.
Another time, my keys got locked in on a backpacking trip (it wasn't my fault this time, I swear!). I was parked on a road, but it was very light traffic out in the middle of nowhere. I tried to flag down a couple people to ask if they had any tools I could use. No dice.
There was an old barbed wire fence. One of the wires was dangling. I tried bending it back and forth in one spot to wear it out and break it. But it was so malleable that it ended up just heating up to the point that it burned to hold it. So I used some small rocks to grip it, bend it back and forth until it broke, stripped the barbs off with the rock-pliers (old style barbs that are separate twists of wire, not the newer kind where it's all fabricated from one contiguous strip), fished the wire through the door frame and popped the lock on the inside. -
Comment on Losing my patience with chess in ~games.tabletop
geeklynad LinkBiggest game changer that I can think to recommend is to study openings. Modern Chess Openings is the classic reference for that. I'm sure there are likely decent online versions as well. But the...Biggest game changer that I can think to recommend is to study openings.
Modern Chess Openings is the classic reference for that. I'm sure there are likely decent online versions as well. But the goal is to memorize as well as analyze. For that, having a physical board might work a lot better than playing on a screen. Just pick an opening line you like and start looking at the various counters and consequences.
I haven't really kept up in a long time. The ones I remember starting with were Ruy Lopez and the French Defense. It wasn't until I had some of the more common e4 e5 openings down pat that I started delving into the Sicilian. There are a lot of variations. The Sicilian alone probably takes up about a quarter of the edition of the MCO that I had. But honestly, it's doesn't matter too much what opening you end up picking as long as it's one you like. Study the heck out of it. Make that one opening a specialty for yourself. Use it as often as you can in-game. Even if someone is trying out a different opening on you, you might still be able to adapt positions from it, for instance.
Another general concept to keep in mind is that you don't have to read 10 or 20 moves ahead. If you can read 2 moves ahead with certainty, you're generally good. It's the "with certainty" that's the catch.
But yea, opening knowledge sets you up for the rest of the game. It makes a massive difference. After getting some openings under your belt, if you still have difficulty with mid game or end game, you'll have some better ideas on how to approach studying. End game studies are particularly fun imo. But ya gotta be able to get there first, and for that you need some openings.
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Comment on How Californians are weaponizing environmental law in ~enviro
geeklynad LinkLos Angeles native checking in... I'll preface this by saying I have no idea how to actually solve the development issues that plague the area. And I'm not really sure how to structure the ensuing...Los Angeles native checking in... I'll preface this by saying I have no idea how to actually solve the development issues that plague the area. And I'm not really sure how to structure the ensuing rant, or what point I'm going to be trying to make.
I tend to think of the development cycles here as bearing more commonality with infection. Think of a ringworm infection, with a leading edge expanding outwards. We have a lot of restrictions on verticality, some founded in good reason (look up some photos of the '94 earthquake if an illustration is needed), but also with a smidge of bad faith (because there are plenty of ways to build vertically that account for the issues justifying prevention). But there is a constant need for more housing, so the ring expands outwards. Since the flat land and valleys are already packed full, that means expanding out to the hills.
The result is massive scars of development plots that level entire hills and literally alter the landscape irrevocably.
There has been an uptick in development projects repurposing previously developed land, though. But these projects often fall short of the mark, particularly when it comes to accounting for increases in traffic in a given area. The transportation infrastructure here is not easily adapted to suit new needs. There is a constant push for new public transportation, but it's always too little, too late.
That said, there have been some projects that seem to have tried their best to accommodate all concerns. Mixed used, vertical developments near public transportation hubs are all the rage right now. But quite a few of these developments have taken excessive advantage of the ease on parking requirements when building in proximity to transportation hubs.
Because of the highly competitive nature of the job market across pretty much all sectors within the area, personal transportation is too often an absolute requirement. Long commutes are often unavoidable. And the layout of existing public transportation provides solutions for very few needs. Being able to use public transportation to get to and from work is an outlier case, not the norm. So even if new developments plopped down near hubs are intended to offer easy access to public transport, the people living there will most often still need their own transportation.
Not accounting for that need is a good example of the types of issues that plague the development here. Lack of cohesion and forethought. I'd also throw "lack of ethics" into that bag. Gentrification and generally not giving a damn what kinds of effects a given development will have on a community is incredibly entrenched, both in development practices and in public perception. So NIMBYism is entirely to be expected.
I think if developers started illustrating a willingness to go the extra mile in terms of forethought in some of these mentioned areas as well as others I haven't mentioned, perception could quickly shift. Because there is dire need of fulfilling housing requirements. If people saw needs being met in a responsible manner, the NIMBYs would be much more readily cast aside.
Instead, we have a system where the major developers get their projects mainlined by wheeling and dealing to line the pockets of the local politicians. The concept of "responsible manner" is mainly just a political mask marketed to smooth things over, not something borne of any real ethical intention. And the system works so well for generating profit to all parties involved (except affected residents) that I don't see it changing any time soon, or easily.
The NIMBYs keep developers in check, but only to a certain extent. Namely, the my backyard extent. That's why the leading edge of the infection continues to expand outwards instead of inwards.
In short, it's all problematic. But if I had to pin it on one thing in particular, it would be that it's difficult as hell to regulate ethical forethought.
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Comment on SolarWinds and market incentives in ~tech
geeklynad LinkI've heard quite a few cybersecurity folks lament the fact that security is a cost center by nature. I think that categorization is simultaneously apt and awful. Development costs, too. But...I've heard quite a few cybersecurity folks lament the fact that security is a cost center by nature. I think that categorization is simultaneously apt and awful. Development costs, too. But development creates marketable products. In my opinion, good security practices are/can be/should be seen as marketable as well. The more people get their data breached and stolen from hack after hack caused by insufficient investment in security, the more exasperated they get at the widespread collection of their data going hand in hand with the inability to keep that data secure.
It shouldn't be seen as a cost center if doing so discourages the implementation of decent security practices. Recategorize it any way ya need to, financially. Market it. Invest in it. Wear it as a badge of pride to stand out as a company that gives a dang amidst a vast swath of carelessness. I dunno. Just know that throwing security in the can because it's an expensive hassle is a recipe for disaster... after disaster... after disaster.
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Comment on Adventures in Mastoland: A retrospective on Searchtodon in ~tech
geeklynad Link ParentYea, for sure it's one sided. That's kinda unavoidable considering I'm talking about my own impressions. Total of two interactions (I said I was a small sample size): posted something empathizing...Yea, for sure it's one sided. That's kinda unavoidable considering I'm talking about my own impressions.
Total of two interactions (I said I was a small sample size): posted something empathizing with OP. One was met with basically I don't know what you're getting at, subtext of are you just looking for an argument? The other was met with Godwin's Law. Apart from that, I'm not going to get into details of the interactions. You're free to not take my word for it. Those examples were brought up only for context of my own personal impressions, not as evidence of the problems (which I think are sufficiently illustrated in the main post).
As for what people were upset about, my best guess is laid out in my previous post. I think people are just inherently wary of broadly scoped interactions due to the state of social media.
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Comment on Adventures in Mastoland: A retrospective on Searchtodon in ~tech
geeklynad LinkI recall seeing another's account of blowback from fielding the idea of functional searching. My engagement with people on mastadon has been remarkably limited. I mainly lurk. But in the small...I recall seeing another's account of blowback from fielding the idea of functional searching.
My engagement with people on mastadon has been remarkably limited. I mainly lurk. But in the small handful of times I've tried to interact with people there, I've been met as an antagonist. I am not an antagonistic person by nature by a long shot. Granted, this is an incredibly small sample size and I shouldn't be taking it at an illustration of the community as a whole. But it's hard not to when combined with other impressions.
I see these forays into mastadon searchability as a mechanism of testing security resilience. This concept was even mentioned in this write-up as well as the other I read through (sorry I don't have a link for it; it was remarkably similar with regards to blowback). So in my mind, the signal being sent isn't just "we want privacy", it's also "we don't want to know about privacy issues". Lack of
noindexpropagation is a prime example.It can be assured that bad actors do and will continue to take advantage of any given lack of security feature. Exclusion from federation will likely only eliminate a percentage of the whole, as plenty will slip by unnoticed. Finding and resolving issues, coming up with improved models, and working with the people within the community who are motivated to do the digging would all be necessary to improve upon matters. Instead, those efforts seem to simply be met with stamping of feet, planting of a flag, and a pronouncement of "this is our town!"
It's in keeping with my own small sampling of interactions. Has more of a feel of driving others out of town than it does of trying to build up a community. Which, given the state of social media as a whole, is unsurprising. I think that what's currently most desired in social media is more insular than what mastadon's design has to offer. I've found far more value in the limited feedback from people who I like and trust than I did from having a broad audience with all its varied responses. The loss of a broad audience is hard to get past at first. The feeling of being seen by many is alluring. But the quality of interactions is fundamentally different.
I get the impression that a lot of people there are in the throes of grappling with that effect. While I'll continue to lurk the site for useful information, I stopped wanting to try to talk to people there. Hopefully they'll collectively come through the other side having figured out what they want from the platform and from online interactions in general.
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Comment on Stop talking to each other and start buying things: Three decades of survival in the desert of social media in ~life
geeklynad Link ParentOk that makes sense. So not so much from a single source as it is a general bit of wisdom. I've found that it's not only useful for keeping myself in check from being cocky, but also for relieving...Ok that makes sense. So not so much from a single source as it is a general bit of wisdom. I've found that it's not only useful for keeping myself in check from being cocky, but also for relieving the self imposed expectation of trying to be the best at something. It has also been a useful bit of insight into other people's various motivations.
Little bits like that which just float around in my head and become repeating themes kind of evolve into lenses through which to analyze the world around me.
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Comment on Stop talking to each other and start buying things: Three decades of survival in the desert of social media in ~life
geeklynad Link Parentlol that's hilarious. I mean I know for certain was my stepdad that originally burned it into my mind. I just don't know where he got it. He was in muy thai for a long time, and when he mentions...lol that's hilarious. I mean I know for certain was my stepdad that originally burned it into my mind. I just don't know where he got it. He was in muy thai for a long time, and when he mentions that it's in that context. But it would definitely be hilarious if he saw me watching that, heard that line, and figured it was a good enough quote.
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Comment on Stop talking to each other and start buying things: Three decades of survival in the desert of social media in ~life
geeklynad Link ParentI don't think she's citing that headline as a primary example of a business model gone wrong. Frame it a different way. She saw it when she was, what, 12? Mentioned that it made a big impact....I don't think she's citing that headline as a primary example of a business model gone wrong.
Frame it a different way. She saw it when she was, what, 12? Mentioned that it made a big impact. Memories like that can stick in your mind for a long time, detached from external events. They float around, touching on other experiences, reinforcing themselves through repetition.
It wasn't the content of the article, but rather just that notion described by the headline that she reiterates throughout.
I have a similar memory from a similar age. The line, "There's always someone better" has stuck with me. I think it was originally in the context of martial arts, but I have no idea who said it regarding what exactly. It doesn't matter to me. Because I've found that to be so ubiquitous. I've gleaned a lot of insight through the repetition of that line over my life, and even though I'll probably never bother finding out the original context for it, it doesn't change the insights that I've had regarding it.
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Comment on Stop talking to each other and start buying things: Three decades of survival in the desert of social media in ~life
geeklynad LinkDang that was a fantastic read. I'm around the same age and that sums up my feelings towards the matter of social media pretty nicely. Putting effort into building communities only to have them...Dang that was a fantastic read. I'm around the same age and that sums up my feelings towards the matter of social media pretty nicely. Putting effort into building communities only to have them crumble out from underneath you because the platform itself becomes unstable... over and over. It gets exasperating and tiring. There are quite a few people I have known who have helped shaped my life that I will likely never hear from again because it's hard to stay in touch with every single leaf that has been scattered to the wind.
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Comment on Your successes in 2022 in ~talk
geeklynad LinkAs a first step toward shifting over to a completely different career, I started off the year by cramming for and passing the sec+ exam. (I come from doing construction and various freelance/gig...As a first step toward shifting over to a completely different career, I started off the year by cramming for and passing the sec+ exam. (I come from doing construction and various freelance/gig based work, but I've been into computers perpetually.)
I helped my mom prep for and recover from difficult health stuff. Basically, keeping up on medical studies, helping her with physical therapy stuff, and doing lots of cooking. Sometimes ya just gotta throw some brioche croissants at life for things to start looking up.
I learned a bunch of networking stuff and completely revamped my home network with pfSense, Mikrotiks, and Ubiquitis running VLANs. (Just wanna mention how huge of a difference good documentation can make, and how mind bogglingly frustrating lack of documentation can be... AHEMMikrotikAHEM)
Learned how to set up a website served off an AWS EC2 instance using Ghost on Ubuntu Server, got myself a .dev domain, and populated my site with a bunch of of the stuff I've been doing and learning about.
Learned a bit of Python. Never really programmed much before. During my networking adventures, I stumbled across a vulnerability in a piece of network hardware. And despite having never even touched any Java before, and barely knowing Python, I managed to crank out an exploit for the vulnerability in both languages. I then reported the vulnerability to the company and filed for a CVE. The company has been working on a patch, which I tested out for them.
Put together my resume (it's a from scratch kinda deal, as I've never needed one before) and have been getting ready to finally start putting in some applications.
Oh and I've had some pretty fantastic times playing some games with friends this year too. It's been nice.
I still kinda wish that I had been able to get a bit more done. But having written all that out (knowing that there are plenty of little things that are more noteworthy to just me personally), I think I'm pretty cool with this year. Have much much worse, that's for sure. -
Comment on Valheim dedicated servers using Docker in Linux in ~games
geeklynad Link ParentYea I have a small group of close friends that I like to play with. I've tried a couple times with randos but it's just not the same vibe. There's always who wants to just blaze through...Yea I have a small group of close friends that I like to play with. I've tried a couple times with randos but it's just not the same vibe. There's always who wants to just blaze through progression, which is pretty antithetical to the pacing that I enjoy. I like to be able to take my time with things, namely because I like to spent a lot of time building infrastructure. But when there's someone who wants to blaze on through ahead of everyone, suddenly everyone else has to progress in order to handle the next tiers of mobs and raids. So having a good group with some cohesion makes a huge difference.
I haven't checked out mistlands itself yet. Have a friend that wanted to get into it, so we all decided to start a new world with fresh characters. So it'll probably be a while before we progress up to mistlands. I've been kinda itching to check it out, but I think I can hold off to do it with the group. I've seen a few spoilers along the way, but I still think it'll be nice to experience it for the first time with the rest of my friends.
I hear you about the grind though. Swamp in particular was brutal. Less now, as they balanced it a bit. But that's another thing that playing with good friends negates a lot. For me it becomes less about moving forward than it is about just spending time with people you enjoy being around.
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Comment on Valheim dedicated servers using Docker in Linux in ~games
geeklynad LinkWasn't sure whether it was more appropriate to post this here in games or if it would have been better in comp. Hopefully this is fine. My friend and I got frustrated with the dedicated server...Wasn't sure whether it was more appropriate to post this here in games or if it would have been better in comp. Hopefully this is fine.
My friend and I got frustrated with the dedicated server hosting service we were using, so I took a 10 year old computer I had laying around and set it up to run our own dedicated servers. This was my first experience with Docker and I honestly couldn't be happier about it. I wanted to write up this experience and share it because it was worth every minute. If you're a total Valheim nerd like myself and you've got a spare rig laying around collecting dust, I highly recommend diving into this.
I'm also working on writing up a how-to for setting up remote access using a VPN hosted from pfSense.
I second valheim. Although I've mostly played it with friends. It's still great solo. And the building mechanics are hands down the best I've ever used. I have around about 1500 hrs in valheim, and the vast majority of that is building stuff.
I also really enjoy setting up dedicated servers for new groups of friends to play on. I try to take a back seat as far as progression goes and just let the new folks kinda dictate the pace they want to go at. Instead, I just spend my time building out infrastructure for others to use. But it seems like a lot of times, people tend to lose interest around the swamp biome and just kinda wander off to other games. Which is a shame, because imo swamp is a low point, and once you get past it, the game really opens up.