j3n's recent activity

  1. Comment on How do you even find quality appliances anymore? in ~life.home_improvement

    j3n
    Link Parent
    This works well for online reviews of all kinds. Any time I'm looking at a product I really care about the quality/longevity of, I go straight to the 2 star reviews and start reading. Ignore...

    20 reviews saying this fridge sucks because its from a garbage brand mean nothing to me. 20 reviews saying this fridge sucks because the ice maker went bad is pretty telling.

    This works well for online reviews of all kinds. Any time I'm looking at a product I really care about the quality/longevity of, I go straight to the 2 star reviews and start reading. Ignore anyone complaining about things irrelevant to the product (e.g. "package arrived late" type reviews) and decided whether the complaints made in the remaining reviews are about things I care about.

    If peoples' common complaints about the product are things I don't care about, then it's likely that the product will work well for me. Conversely, if there's tons of people complaining about an issue that would be deal breaker for me, then it really doesn't matter what the numeric rating is or how much affiliate review sites and/or reddit love it, I probably don't want it.

    8 votes
  2. Comment on TikTok invaded this cruise for content. Maybe someday it’ll come for you. in ~tech

    j3n
    Link Parent
    That's a perk for some people! I have been on more cruises than I would like since my mom pays for them and likes it when my brother and I come along. Back in the dark ages I used to pack and...

    I was so bored I read books 2 through 5 of the Song of Ice and Fire series over the 2 weeks.

    That's a perk for some people! I have been on more cruises than I would like since my mom pays for them and likes it when my brother and I come along. Back in the dark ages I used to pack and entire carry on full of books for a week long cruise and I loved it.

    4 votes
  3. Comment on Pace of electric car adoption has markedly slowed in the US in ~transport

    j3n
    Link Parent
    I can/do. My new car almost tripled my gas mileage, is way more comfortable to drive than the vehicle it replaced and I can afford it so why not? Admittedly I went with a hybrid rather than an...

    I can/do. My new car almost tripled my gas mileage, is way more comfortable to drive than the vehicle it replaced and I can afford it so why not?

    Admittedly I went with a hybrid rather than an electric, but if I was in a position where I felt confident in my home charging situation for the next 4-8 years I would definitely have considered electric. The car I ended up buying was in the neighborhood of a Model 3 (not that I would actually buy a Tesla) so I don't think cost of electric would have been a major concern.

    2 votes
  4. Comment on How do you manage kitchen towels? in ~life

    j3n
    Link Parent
    Interesting. By your definition, I don't have towels. I have "rags" and "slightly cleaner rags", which I would refer to as "towels". Typically I will have 2-3 rags in use in my kitchen at any...

    Interesting. By your definition, I don't have towels. I have "rags" and "slightly cleaner rags", which I would refer to as "towels". Typically I will have 2-3 rags in use in my kitchen at any given time. The "towel" role is fulfilled by the cleanest rag currently out, or a fresh rag from the drawer if none of the existing rags are suitably clean for the task.

    1 vote
  5. Comment on California gas tax revenue will drop by $6 billion, threatening roads in ~transport

    j3n
    Link Parent
    Even a very pessimistic estimate says I pay less than $125/year in state gas taxes. $50/year is probably a more realistic estimate. No one is paying $1500/tire to make up for lost gas tax revenue.

    Even a very pessimistic estimate says I pay less than $125/year in state gas taxes. $50/year is probably a more realistic estimate. No one is paying $1500/tire to make up for lost gas tax revenue.

  6. Comment on The most insane “robocall mitigation plans” that US telcos filed with the FCC in ~tech

    j3n
    Link Parent
    Just as a counterpoint to the other responses, I essentially never get spam calls on either my personal or work cell phone. Haven't for years. I just went through my call history and I can't even...

    Just as a counterpoint to the other responses, I essentially never get spam calls on either my personal or work cell phone. Haven't for years. I just went through my call history and I can't even find an example of one. I'm not particularly careful about who I give my phone number to either.

    3 votes
  7. Comment on Best Buy is discontinuing physical media in Q1 2024 in ~tech

    j3n
    Link Parent
    I don't know if I'm some ultra rare exception, but I rarely read, watch or play anything twice, so it makes absolutely no difference to me that I continue to own the thing after I'm done with it.

    The one major benefit of physical media is that it means once you have it, you can watch it ANYTIME.

    I don't know if I'm some ultra rare exception, but I rarely read, watch or play anything twice, so it makes absolutely no difference to me that I continue to own the thing after I'm done with it.

    1 vote
  8. Comment on Best Buy is discontinuing physical media in Q1 2024 in ~tech

    j3n
    Link Parent
    What percentage of physical games are really physical these days? I'm a happy Steam sellout, but I thought most physical game boxes these days just contained a code to let you download the game.

    What percentage of physical games are really physical these days? I'm a happy Steam sellout, but I thought most physical game boxes these days just contained a code to let you download the game.

    2 votes
  9. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    j3n
    Link Parent
    I don't know if the "same space" is Bethesda games or ED/NMS/etc, but either way I think I have probably played just about every game in the space for a hundred or more hours (which is about where...

    I don't know if the "same space" is Bethesda games or ED/NMS/etc, but either way I think I have probably played just about every game in the space for a hundred or more hours (which is about where I'm at with Starfield already). I can't really explain it, but my experience is exactly the opposite. The first couple of hours were a slog, but the more I play the more I get sucked in.

    7 votes
  10. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    j3n
    Link Parent
    Same. I have played the game a little bit, but I probably have 100 hours just in the ship builder at this point.

    Same. I have played the game a little bit, but I probably have 100 hours just in the ship builder at this point.

  11. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    j3n
    Link Parent
    This is really interesting. I have been playing Starfield and reading a lot of posts on the Starfield subreddit. Multiple people have complained about Starfield's writing and specifically compared...

    This is really interesting. I have been playing Starfield and reading a lot of posts on the Starfield subreddit. Multiple people have complained about Starfield's writing and specifically compared it negatively to BG3.

    BG3 is probably next on my list after I get tired of Starfield. I'm now very curious to see how they compare.

    1 vote
  12. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    j3n
    Link Parent
    Couldn't disagree more.

    Couldn't disagree more.

    6 votes
  13. Comment on iOS 17 is available for iPhone users in ~tech

    j3n
    Link Parent
    Hahaha. Back to the days of answering machines. I wonder how many iPhone users are too young to remember that this is a thing that used to exist.

    Hahaha. Back to the days of answering machines. I wonder how many iPhone users are too young to remember that this is a thing that used to exist.

    10 votes
  14. Comment on Cities: Skylines II | Megathread in ~games

    j3n
    Link Parent
    I wonder how true this will really be. Didn't the last Sim City promise the same thing only to vastly under-deliver? It's basically the holy grail of this kind of simulation, but unless you can...

    I wonder how true this will really be. Didn't the last Sim City promise the same thing only to vastly under-deliver? It's basically the holy grail of this kind of simulation, but unless you can run it on a NASA supercomputer, it practically limits you to "Sim small town" rather than Sim City.

    8 votes
  15. Comment on US senator and pilot Tammy Duckworth: anyone who votes to reduce the 1,500 hour rule for pilot training will have blood on their hands in ~transport

    j3n
    Link
    This is a nearly content-less polemic. How, exactly, did we arrive at the 1500 hour number? Was it well thought out and considered at the time, or was it a knee-jerk reaction? (I have my own...

    This is a nearly content-less polemic. How, exactly, did we arrive at the 1500 hour number? Was it well thought out and considered at the time, or was it a knee-jerk reaction? (I have my own knee-jerk suspicion...) There is a real problem in the world today in that safety standards only ever move in one direction. It makes literally every aspect of life more expensive. It is a good idea to revisit standards from time to time and investigate whether they really need to be as stringent as they currently are.

    7 votes
  16. Comment on Starfield reviews in ~games

    j3n
    Link Parent
    It's exactly the MO of every single Bethesda game in the last 20 years though. It's Bethesda delivering exactly what you should expect.

    It's exactly the MO of every single Bethesda game in the last 20 years though. It's Bethesda delivering exactly what you should expect.

    4 votes
  17. Comment on Starfield reviews in ~games

    j3n
    Link Parent
    Not exactly known for their coverage of video games though. I'm well aware of SI, but this is the first I've heard of them reviewing video games.

    Not exactly known for their coverage of video games though. I'm well aware of SI, but this is the first I've heard of them reviewing video games.

    9 votes
  18. Comment on Solar panels on water canals seem like a no-brainer. So why aren’t they widespread? in ~enviro

    j3n
    Link Parent
    I can't find a separate article. I think perhaps they have pulled the original article entirely because of the erroneous math, with the correction published in its place.

    I can't find a separate article. I think perhaps they have pulled the original article entirely because of the erroneous math, with the correction published in its place.

    3 votes
  19. Comment on I want a clean config directory! in ~comp

    j3n
    Link
    And I'm over here just wishing I could have a clean home directory! You can make absolutely whatever mess you want in ~/.config. I'll be thrilled to see the mess contained to a single directory.

    And I'm over here just wishing I could have a clean home directory! You can make absolutely whatever mess you want in ~/.config. I'll be thrilled to see the mess contained to a single directory.

    3 votes
  20. Comment on How Tabasco fills up to 700,000 hot sauce bottles a day | Big Business in ~food

    j3n
    Link Parent
    What do you consider to be "hot sauce"? To me "hot sauce" is a genre of condiments that is defined as "vinegar with bits of chili", possibly with the addition of some minority ingredients for...

    What do you consider to be "hot sauce"? To me "hot sauce" is a genre of condiments that is defined as "vinegar with bits of chili", possibly with the addition of some minority ingredients for flavor like garlic and spices. If it's any more complex than that, it's salsa, not hot sauce.

    3 votes