jcd's recent activity

  1. Comment on What are people using instead of VS Code? in ~comp

    jcd
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    I personally use geany + a terminal. Id use sublime if I wanted something less spartan

    I personally use geany + a terminal. Id use sublime if I wanted something less spartan

    2 votes
  2. Comment on Gas prices soar as QatarEnergy halts LNG production after Iran attacks in ~finance

    jcd
    Link Parent
    Its just that it doesnt make any other sense to me. Regime change is Persia seems... unlikely from where i stand. What does Israel gets?

    Its just that it doesnt make any other sense to me. Regime change is Persia seems... unlikely from where i stand. What does Israel gets?

  3. Comment on Gas prices soar as QatarEnergy halts LNG production after Iran attacks in ~finance

    jcd
    Link
    Today I made the thought that this is the whole point of this war: To keep fuel prices up and to make deals to sell US gas/oil at high enough prices (now that other supply sources are diminished)....

    Today I made the thought that this is the whole point of this war: To keep fuel prices up and to make deals to sell US gas/oil at high enough prices (now that other supply sources are diminished).

    Such prices should also help Russia with its current economy troubles (side-bonus?)

    :/

    5 votes
  4. Comment on The hidden cost of AI art: Brandon Sanderson's keynote in ~tech

    jcd
    Link Parent
    I can do that, but I cannot build/train such a model. Which means i can't control it. That goes for everyone not having access to a whole lot of GPU and training data.

    I can do that, but I cannot build/train such a model. Which means i can't control it. That goes for everyone not having access to a whole lot of GPU and training data.

    12 votes
  5. Comment on The hidden cost of AI art: Brandon Sanderson's keynote in ~tech

    jcd
    Link Parent
    I easily agree that art is what we define to be and it is ultimately useless, which makes what ai makes not-art. But my personal issue (a big one) against LLMs is that they can only be owned by...

    I easily agree that art is what we define to be and it is ultimately useless, which makes what ai makes not-art.

    But my personal issue (a big one) against LLMs is that they can only be owned by very few: they in fact (will) become a means to further contol us.

    7 votes
  6. Comment on Ole Gunnar Solskjær would be interested in a shock Manchester United return as caretaker head coach after the club parted company with Rúben Amorim in ~sports.football

    jcd
    Link
    Yea, I don't believe any manager today can bring ManU back. IMO they should have supported & stuck with Amorim at least until the summer.

    Yea, I don't believe any manager today can bring ManU back. IMO they should have supported & stuck with Amorim at least until the summer.

    2 votes
  7. Comment on How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers in ~science

    jcd
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I recognized that in my last sentence, yes! But I do keep the notion that kids will converge into the same reading mode (little of both?) as they become more experienced.

    I recognized that in my last sentence, yes!

    But I do keep the notion that kids will converge into the same reading mode (little of both?) as they become more experienced.

    1 vote
  8. Comment on How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers in ~science

    jcd
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    On the subject of learning to read, we were taught to read (my mother tongue is phonetic but not English) as follows: p-o-n-y (read the letters one by one) -> po-ny (convert to syllables) -> pony...

    On the subject of learning to read, we were taught to read (my mother tongue is phonetic but not English) as follows:

    p-o-n-y (read the letters one by one) ->
    po-ny (convert to syllables) ->
    pony (get the word).

    After a little while (for me AFAIR, within 1-2 years), this process converges to #1 (you read the word as a whole sequence of letters). It makes sense that way, as it is very fast and also helps with correct spelling (ever worse on the internet nowadays, implying that people might not be learning to read in this way).

    Anyway, #1 leads to problems when you don't actually know the word. Then comes #2 and #3 to help the reader infer the words or general meaning, but these can only work only if you don't know only a few words on each sentence. If you don't know many words, it will be a problem.

    Also, beyond these, one can infer the meaning of an unknown word by thinking of known words sharing a similar root (+context).

    In the end, I'd still think that such problems come not from the method but its application in schools. Of course no method can be perfect.

    Btw I have no backing in phonics as a field of knowledge (as you see i was taught to read in the phonic way) but I still find the subject interesting (linguistics in general).

    3 votes
  9. Comment on How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers in ~science

    jcd
    Link
    I don't get it: I've used the same strategies (#1 and #3 exactly like that, plus a variation of #2), but it never hindered me. Instead, reading always has been one of the things I am good at, be...

    I don't get it: I've used the same strategies (#1 and #3 exactly like that, plus a variation of #2), but it never hindered me.

    Instead, reading always has been one of the things I am good at, be it for my job or entertainment or when I took foreign language courses.

    I think that likely no learning method is applicable to everyone: A good teacher might be able to identify what is good for whom.

    3 votes
  10. Comment on At the end of our ropes in ~health.mental

  11. Comment on Help choosing a new linux computer? in ~tech

    jcd
    Link Parent
    I agree. Tbh I do use Arch, but I started on Mint (which should be close to Ubuntu as far as ease of use / support is concerned). No point for newcomers to go into deep OS journeys. They can do...

    I agree. Tbh I do use Arch, but I started on Mint (which should be close to Ubuntu as far as ease of use / support is concerned).

    No point for newcomers to go into deep OS journeys. They can do that on their own pace

    1 vote
  12. Comment on Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without an online account in ~tech

    jcd
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Been using linux as main OS for 12 years, so for some it is most definitely ready now. I game on it (among other stuff). But, I keep a dual boot Win10 around (same as yours), which i use once is a...

    Been using linux as main OS for 12 years, so for some it is most definitely ready now. I game on it (among other stuff).

    But, I keep a dual boot Win10 around (same as yours), which i use once is a blue moon for compat reasons (very occasionally wine can't do the job).

    1 vote
  13. Comment on Deus Ex Remastered | Announcement trailer in ~games

    jcd
    Link Parent
    Deus Ex is excellent indeed. No actual need for a remaster. IIRC, the BG EE editions feature new (recreated from scratch) assets, because the originals were destroyed in a flood. So they do create...

    Deus Ex is excellent indeed. No actual need for a remaster.

    IIRC, the BG EE editions feature new (recreated from scratch) assets, because the originals were destroyed in a flood. So they do create some additional value.

    1 vote
  14. Comment on New electric-powered locomotive designed for harsh winters unveiled near Edmonton Canada in ~transport

    jcd
    (edited )
    Link
    According to the article, the locomotive will be powered both by a battery and by overhead lines. So my questions are, (1) why a battery if it will rely on overhead lines and (2) why is it a big...

    According to the article, the locomotive will be powered both by a battery and by overhead lines. So my questions are, (1) why a battery if it will rely on overhead lines and (2) why is it a big deal to have an electric powered locomotive in Canada, if the battery is optionally used?

  15. Comment on Nvidia, AMD agree to pay US government 15% of AI chip sales to China in ~tech

    jcd
    Link Parent
    Who pays for his golfing trips on his golfing courses, (reportedly hundrends of millions per year) I wonder.

    Who pays for his golfing trips on his golfing courses, (reportedly hundrends of millions per year) I wonder.

    9 votes
  16. Comment on New Android phones, stock or flash? in ~tech

    jcd
    Link Parent
    I still don't get why the HW manufacturer has a say in the SW I can and cannot use (other than tech limitations). Same for right to open / repair. IMO its dystopic

    I still don't get why the HW manufacturer has a say in the SW I can and cannot use (other than tech limitations). Same for right to open / repair.

    IMO its dystopic

    1 vote
  17. Comment on New Android phones, stock or flash? in ~tech

    jcd
    Link
    I personally root + flash a custom rom the moment I get a new phone. LOS is pretty good compared to most stocks: Better performance, battery use, support, less bloat. Of course then I need to play...

    I personally root + flash a custom rom the moment I get a new phone. LOS is pretty good compared to most stocks: Better performance, battery use, support, less bloat. Of course then I need to play games to make apps that hate rooted/custom ROMs work, but I gladly pay that price.

    1 vote
  18. Comment on How is Linux these days? in ~comp

    jcd
    Link
    I've been using linux as main desktop OS for 15 years now. My use is general: media/gaming/code stuff. IMO Linux has never been better and is still going in the right direction. The only hitch can...

    I've been using linux as main desktop OS for 15 years now. My use is general: media/gaming/code stuff. IMO Linux has never been better and is still going in the right direction.

    The only hitch can be the X/Wayland thing, but Wayland is close to covering 99% of peoples needs. We do need a little more compositor options, but kde is nice. No real windows compatibility problems for a while, except for MS software of course.

    In comparison, i actively dislike the Windows experience forced on me by work, which is is getting worse all the time.

    1 vote
  19. Comment on 'I can't drink the water' - life next to a US data centre in ~enviro

    jcd
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Boycotting LLMs makes their training and their supporting data centres less profitable. Its just slow/ long term. Also, it is against the tide and wont succeed in 2025/2026.

    Boycotting LLMs makes their training and their supporting data centres less profitable. Its just slow/ long term. Also, it is against the tide and wont succeed in 2025/2026.

    1 vote
  20. Comment on Weather forecast is for extreme heat in Europe. Heat related deaths are expected. in ~enviro

    jcd
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Just come to Greece and see: Summer temperature range 40-28C (heatwaves clock 40-45-48C) Window shutters + screens in mostly every home AC galore (though I prefer roof fans) Houses built to...

    Just come to Greece and see:

    • Summer temperature range 40-28C (heatwaves clock 40-45-48C)
    • Window shutters + screens in mostly every home
    • AC galore (though I prefer roof fans)
    • Houses built to dissipate heat, not trap it.

    Point is that Europe is too big and our climate diverse enough, so such generalizations can't/don't apply

    9 votes