Interesting's recent activity

  1. Comment on The 2024 Steam Winter Sale is live (runs December 19 - January 2) in ~games

    Interesting
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    You're welcome! I also absolutely adored it growing up and I'm still surprised they never remade it for iOS or Android. It feels like it would be a perfect match for a touchscreen.

    You're welcome! I also absolutely adored it growing up and I'm still surprised they never remade it for iOS or Android. It feels like it would be a perfect match for a touchscreen.

    1 vote
  2. Comment on Car drives into people on Christmas market in Germany – death toll rises to four with more than 205 injured in ~news

    Interesting
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    I took a look at the Tildes src, and it seems possible that it might be fairly simple - - a very simple python script presently handles creating notifications for @ mentions, but I've not done...

    I took a look at the Tildes src, and it seems possible that it might be fairly simple - - a very simple python script presently handles creating notifications for @ mentions, but I've not done much in the way of database, or non-massive-framework web development before. That, and my code is not the cleanest either...

    2 votes
  3. Comment on Car drives into people on Christmas market in Germany – death toll rises to four with more than 205 injured in ~news

    Interesting
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    If I ever have time, I want to dive into the Tildes source code and add a wrangler queue... An ID a user can @ and have it go into a list for you, cfabbro, or Deimos without someone needing to...

    If I ever have time, I want to dive into the Tildes source code and add a wrangler queue... An ID a user can @ and have it go into a list for you, cfabbro, or Deimos without someone needing to ping you directly

    3 votes
  4. Comment on The 2024 Steam Winter Sale is live (runs December 19 - January 2) in ~games

    Interesting
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    I saw Insaniquarium Deluxe on the list for $1. I highly recommend it. Bejeweled 3 is also there and great mindless game for relaxation as well. I've put a good number of hours into both those games.

    I saw Insaniquarium Deluxe on the list for $1. I highly recommend it. Bejeweled 3 is also there and great mindless game for relaxation as well. I've put a good number of hours into both those games.

    4 votes
  5. Comment on Armchair governing dictator - new rule for 2025 (fun) in ~talk

    Interesting
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    When I put my phone in my pocket, sometimes it decides to type on its own.

    When I put my phone in my pocket, sometimes it decides to type on its own.

    2 votes
  6. Comment on What short standalone book is worth more than its page count? in ~books

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    I'm going to cheat a bit with some very sad stories. The short story version of Flowers for Algernon is (imo) in some ways stronger for its brevity. I read it in middle school and was crying in...

    I'm going to cheat a bit with some very sad stories.

    The short story version of Flowers for Algernon is (imo) in some ways stronger for its brevity. I read it in middle school and was crying in the middle of class.

    Another relatively short book that gutted me as a tween was Bridge to Teribithia.

    On a less sad example, there is a book called The Other Side of the Island I read around the same age that I found myself repeatedly re-reading and finding new meanings in each time. I've never really seen anyone else discuss it, and I don't think it was very popular (I picked it up at a school book fair) but for a standalone, relatively short book that felt meaningful, it fits the bill.

    7 votes
  7. Comment on Study: essay graders rarely detect AI, give higher grades in ~tech

    Interesting
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    I'm with you, I had a bad habit in school of figuring out my thesis only when I was 75% of the way through the paper. I would write a sad little intro paragraph to start with and then go back and...

    I'm with you, I had a bad habit in school of figuring out my thesis only when I was 75% of the way through the paper. I would write a sad little intro paragraph to start with and then go back and write a real one right before my conclusion.

    Google docs history would probably be fine for me though, since I do a lot of moving around sentences and rewording things as I write a paragraph, in a way that would very obviously not be me retyping an LLM essay.

    10 votes
  8. Comment on Study: essay graders rarely detect AI, give higher grades in ~tech

    Interesting
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    My condolences to your friend, none of those AI detectors are anywhere near good enough to be worth even consulting. I've anecdotally heard that many teachers are now requiring multiple drafts and...

    My condolences to your friend, none of those AI detectors are anywhere near good enough to be worth even consulting.

    I've anecdotally heard that many teachers are now requiring multiple drafts and change history for submitted documents. I've also heard of them collecting the assignment and then asking in class for a handwritten 1 paragraph summary of the work handed on.

    15 votes
  9. Comment on Study: essay graders rarely detect AI, give higher grades in ~tech

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    I suspect that the most common method of detecting AI use by teachers at the middle and high school level is that the writing is at a level well above what the student is actually capable of...

    I suspect that the most common method of detecting AI use by teachers at the middle and high school level is that the writing is at a level well above what the student is actually capable of using. It's easy enough to ask a student the meaning of a word they used, or just to summarize their own work and fail them if they don't know.

    That leaves the ability to successfully cheat only to students who are at least smart enough to edit their "work" to something they are actually capable of, at least.

    College is likely trickier because professors tend to be less familiar with the capabilities of individual students. But college essay prompts are more specific, and I suspect the vague answers that LLMs tend to give won't be adequate for longer papers. Or perhaps the student would need to prompt body paragraph by body paragraph? That would at least require understanding essay construction.

    20 votes
  10. Comment on What long standalone book is worth its page count? in ~books

    Interesting
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    I get you. I had the peril as a kid of reading Ender's Game and greatly enjoying it well before I was old enough to look at an author's Wikipedia page, so I got basically forced towards separating...

    I get you. I had the peril as a kid of reading Ender's Game and greatly enjoying it well before I was old enough to look at an author's Wikipedia page, so I got basically forced towards separating an author from their work long before JKR's nonsense vomit. Fwiw, that work has a major theme of exploration of LGBTQI issues in a magical setting, which is why I suggested it for you in particular.

    If you're looking for something good that started on RR, I like Apocalypse Parenting - - unfortunately, it's stubbed, but if you really wouldn't read it for that reason, let me know and I can get you an EPUB of the first book to try; I bought it, and also got a Patreon subscription at one point, so I don't mind sharing book 1. It's less clearly up your alley than the fanfic I suggested, but I like it.

    I also really like Will Wight's Cradle, and Dungeon Crawler Carl, though the latter relies on crude humor a bit (not in a way that's disrespectful to the characters, just ridiculous stuff. The AI running everything has a foot fetish)

    1 vote
  11. Comment on What long standalone book is worth its page count? in ~books

    Interesting
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    If you like serial fiction, fanfiction is the place to be. Based on what you post here, if you (barring the author shenanigans) like HP, I suggest New Blood

    If you like serial fiction, fanfiction is the place to be. Based on what you post here, if you (barring the author shenanigans) like HP, I suggest New Blood

    1 vote
  12. Comment on Star Trek: Section 31 | Trailer in ~movies

    Interesting
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    If you're getting into Lower Decks, don't get put off by the first two episodes. If you find the main cast too immature, know that they grow immensely over the course of the show.

    If you're getting into Lower Decks, don't get put off by the first two episodes. If you find the main cast too immature, know that they grow immensely over the course of the show.

    3 votes
  13. Comment on Inside the MAGA plot to write birthright citizenship out of the US constitution in ~society

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    It's bizzare though, because following that through logically would result in people who have been here for literal generations being disqualified. It'll obviously be selectively enforced against...

    It's bizzare though, because following that through logically would result in people who have been here for literal generations being disqualified. It'll obviously be selectively enforced against brown people

    6 votes
  14. Comment on Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield reverses US policy that would have limited anesthesia periods in ~health

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    That $1700 is still distorted by the cost of constant battles with the insurance company to get paid. There are massive numbers of people employed solely for the purpose of filing insurance claims...

    That $1700 is still distorted by the cost of constant battles with the insurance company to get paid. There are massive numbers of people employed solely for the purpose of filing insurance claims and appealing denied claims.

    6 votes
  15. Comment on Are ‘ghost engineers’ real? Seeking Silicon Valley’s least productive coders. in ~tech

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    Beyond just "not looking at code changes only", you have to consider what sort of work the developer is doing as well. Green field code will always have faster development than legacy code....

    Beyond just "not looking at code changes only", you have to consider what sort of work the developer is doing as well. Green field code will always have faster development than legacy code. Working in critical parts of the code will go much, much more slowly than working further from the core functionality. Working in code that is poorly (or not at all) unit tested will take much longer than something that has automated tests.

    Metrics like the one the company in this article is trying to push with (what seem like to me) ass pulled statistics are just going to incentivise developers to take the most-bang-for-the-buck work themselves and push off (or fight over who has to do) the vital, but difficult stuff. And WaPo seems to to swallow it almost wholesale, with only minor criticism at the very bottom of the article.

    33 votes
  16. Comment on Your partner asks for your phone, you refuse over privacy, they tell you they don't trust you. How do you respond? in ~talk

    Interesting
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    I used to keep it off, but then Google changed the permissions model so that turning off location prevented apps from accessing Bluetooth, which prevents me from benefitting from my smart watch.

    I used to keep it off, but then Google changed the permissions model so that turning off location prevented apps from accessing Bluetooth, which prevents me from benefitting from my smart watch.

    3 votes
  17. Comment on A freeze dryer is not a reasonable purchase in ~tech

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    I've heard that freeze dried cheesecake is amazing, so it's already on my list of things to try. Eggnog seems like it would be a bit of a nuisance, and I've thought every storebought one I've...

    I've heard that freeze dried cheesecake is amazing, so it's already on my list of things to try. Eggnog seems like it would be a bit of a nuisance, and I've thought every storebought one I've tried is disgusting, so I'd have to make it myself... (also, I'm Jewish so I've really only had it fresh once or twice)

    1 vote
  18. Comment on French government toppled after losing no-confidence vote in ~society

    Interesting
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    Murdered hostages in Gaza as well...

    Murdered hostages in Gaza as well...

    3 votes
  19. Comment on South Korean president declares emergency martial law in ~society

    Interesting
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    I mean, there is plenty of "wtf" elsewhere, but not normally our allies in Europe or Eastern Asia.

    I mean, there is plenty of "wtf" elsewhere, but not normally our allies in Europe or Eastern Asia.

    4 votes
  20. Comment on What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking? in ~food

    Interesting
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    This time of year, roasting vegetables is the best effort to value ratio cooking. Carrots, broccoli, onion, squash of all types, peppers, brussel sprouts, turnips, green beans, whatever you can...

    This time of year, roasting vegetables is the best effort to value ratio cooking.

    Carrots, broccoli, onion, squash of all types, peppers, brussel sprouts, turnips, green beans, whatever you can find at a reasonable price.

    Get out the biggest tray that will fit in your oven, cover it in foil. Preheat your oven to 400. Cut your veg into pieces you consider eatable (well, maybe not the green beans, since they're so small). Dump in onto the tray, add oil and mix (I use olive, no need for extra virgin, since the flavor will burn off in the oven). At minimum, add salt to taste (literally, taste the raw vegetables and see if it has as much salt as you want). If you'd like add whatever other seasonings you have or want - - black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and cumin are all easy. For best results, avoid overcrowding the tray.

    Throw it in the oven and let it go for around 20-25 minutes, and then pull it out and check on it. If the veg still needs cooking, throw it back in. You can stir them first if the top or bottom is already browned. If it's nearly done, but you want more browning, turn on the broil setting for a few minutes (I always stare directly at the oven while broiling after I had a kitchen fire once toasting pita bread).

    If you want meat, I'll often do whole sausages, or chicken thighs directly on the tray. Thighs take about 35ish minutes to cook through, whole sausages take 30ish. I always check with a meat thermometer. You can also cut the casing on the sausage and divide it into smaller pieces. Either way, it's often a good idea to reduce the oil a bit, since both options will render out their own fat.

    If you want to add a carb, potatoes are easy, particularly fingerling potatoes. Shelf stable gnocchi is delicious as well.

    5 votes