kej's recent activity
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Comment on What kinds of philosophy are expressed in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels? in ~books
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Comment on In email, Microsoft suggests Windows 10 users trade in or recycle their PC in ~tech
kej Link ParentThe unofficial launcher uses your Google account to get the app from the Play Store and then once you run the app you login with a Microsoft account to get your avatar and friends list and...The unofficial launcher uses your Google account to get the app from the Play Store and then once you run the app you login with a Microsoft account to get your avatar and friends list and everything.
So it should work to use your Google account to install it and then each kid's Microsoft account so they keep their own settings and can play together. There is an option during installation to encrypt the Google credentials so that they can't be used elsewhere.
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Comment on In email, Microsoft suggests Windows 10 users trade in or recycle their PC in ~tech
kej Link ParentGood news! There is an unofficial launcher that will download the Android Bedrock version and makes it playable on Linux, with pretty much the same look and feel as Bedrock on Windows. You do have...Linux isn't an option for Minecraft, as there's no Bedrock edition, which is essential for my kids.
Good news! There is an unofficial launcher that will download the Android Bedrock version and makes it playable on Linux, with pretty much the same look and feel as Bedrock on Windows. You do have to own the Android version on Google Play, but that's a lot cheaper than buying and maintaining another computer (plus you can use it on your Android tablet or phone).
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Comment on Dutch parliament calls for end to dependence on US software companies in ~tech
kej LinkA guy I used to work with had a series of posts on Facebook about how Trump was bringing us back to "big stick" diplomacy and how great it was going to be, and I tried to explain how our strength...A guy I used to work with had a series of posts on Facebook about how Trump was bringing us back to "big stick" diplomacy and how great it was going to be, and I tried to explain how our strength comes from being dependable and predictable but he was sure that pushing around our friends was going to lead to positive outcomes.
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Comment on Libby on a phone -> Kindle Paperwhite without WiFi. Possible in ~comp
kej LinkCould you describe you situation a little more? You have internet access on the phone to get to Libby, but don't have access on the Kindle? I feel like there might be a better solution if you gave...Could you describe you situation a little more? You have internet access on the phone to get to Libby, but don't have access on the Kindle? I feel like there might be a better solution if you gave us some more details.
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Comment on What's the oldest tech you use, and why do you still use it? in ~tech
kej (edited )LinkThis question reminded me of this essay by Ursula K. Le Guin, particularly this part: Edit to add: I want to be clear that I'm not trying to bash or diminish the question; I'm all about making...This question reminded me of this essay by Ursula K. Le Guin, particularly this part:
We have been so desensitized by a hundred and fifty years of ceaselessly expanding technical prowess that we think nothing less complex and showy than a computer or a jet bomber deserves to be called “technology” at all. As if linen were the same thing as flax — as if paper, ink, wheels, knives, clocks, chairs, aspirin pills, were natural objects, born with us like our teeth and fingers — as if steel saucepans with copper bottoms and fleece vests spun from recycled glass grew on trees, and we just picked them when they were ripe...
Edit to add: I want to be clear that I'm not trying to bash or diminish the question; I'm all about making computers stay useful longer than they should, for example. I just think Le Guin's perspective is also an interesting way of looking at things.
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Comment on Steam Spring Sale suggestions in ~games
kej Link ParentI feel like all they would need to do is allow you to put games you already own back on your wish list. Then you'd get the wishlist notifications, but if you try to buy it you'd only get the "buy...I feel like all they would need to do is allow you to put games you already own back on your wish list. Then you'd get the wishlist notifications, but if you try to buy it you'd only get the "buy as a gift" link which is what I want.
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Comment on Repeatedly upvoting violent content on Reddit can now get you flagged in ~tech
kej Link ParentSure, I guess my point is that you could announce something without giving away the details that will discourage users from participating in your site that relies almost entirely on user...Sure, I guess my point is that you could announce something without giving away the details that will discourage users from participating in your site that relies almost entirely on user participation. You could make a vague announcement about "advanced filtering to detect TOS violations" or something and still keep the implementation private "to avoid coordinated abuse".
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Comment on Repeatedly upvoting violent content on Reddit can now get you flagged in ~tech
kej LinkWhat I don't understand about this is why you would announce it. They already do things like shadowbanning and vote fuzzing; behind-the-scenes actions to mitigate potential abuse. Why not just...What I don't understand about this is why you would announce it. They already do things like shadowbanning and vote fuzzing; behind-the-scenes actions to mitigate potential abuse. Why not just keep a secret score of how many times a user has upvoted certain things, and if you want to minimize those things you have those users' votes count less.
It could have been implemented with no backlash, tweaked whenever they feel like it, and for most users the overall site quality would probably improve.
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Comment on Has anyone read the books listed in the New Lifetime Reading Plan by Clifton Fadiman? in ~books
kej LinkIt's interesting to me that The Koran makes the list but the Bible does not, even though a bunch of later works that are going to presume familiarity with the Bible are included.It's interesting to me that The Koran makes the list but the Bible does not, even though a bunch of later works that are going to presume familiarity with the Bible are included.
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Comment on US tariff war risks sinking world into new Great Depression, International Chamber of Commerce warns in ~finance
kej Link ParentBefore Al Franken ran for office himself, I thought it would be fun for him and Ben Stein to do a Crossfire-style political show since they are both smart and funny people from different sides of...Before Al Franken ran for office himself, I thought it would be fun for him and Ben Stein to do a Crossfire-style political show since they are both smart and funny people from different sides of the political spectrum. They could have called it the Franken/Stein Show.
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Comment on What are your favorite books with an unreliable narrator? in ~books
kej LinkThere's a whole section for this on TV Tropes.There's a whole section for this on TV Tropes.
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Comment on Looking for low-precision, mouse-only Steam game recommendations in ~games
kej Link ParentMachinarium is from Amanita Design, and pretty much all of their games would fit here: https://store.steampowered.com/developer/AmanitaDesignMachinarium is from Amanita Design, and pretty much all of their games would fit here: https://store.steampowered.com/developer/AmanitaDesign
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Comment on What is your strangely specific phobia? in ~talk
kej LinkMine is hidden trapdoors, like the ridiculously comical kind a Bond villain would have in his lair to eject underlings who don't obey. I don't like manhole covers or sidewalk grates and will step...Mine is hidden trapdoors, like the ridiculously comical kind a Bond villain would have in his lair to eject underlings who don't obey. I don't like manhole covers or sidewalk grates and will step around them when possible.
For a year or two I had a boss who didn't like me whose office was directly above a four story atrium, and I was sure anytime I was called in there I was about to fall into the lobby.
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Comment on What are everyone’s favourite pens and stationery items? in ~creative
kej LinkThey should probably start paying me since I recommend them so often, but I really like the Rocket Book line of reusable notebooks. You use it like any other spiral notebook, but when you're done...They should probably start paying me since I recommend them so often, but I really like the Rocket Book line of reusable notebooks. You use it like any other spiral notebook, but when you're done their app will scan your pages to your email or cloud storage, and then you wipe the pages clean with damp cloth and start over.
You get the digitization benefits of fancy e-ink tablets, but with the "it's not the end of the world if I lose this" price of a nice notebook.
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Comment on If you sharpened a particularly stiff carrot, could you kill a vampire with it? in ~talk
kej Link ParentRelated, this was my favorite Wikipedia article until some killjoy decided it needed to be deleted and moved to fandom:...Related, this was my favorite Wikipedia article until some killjoy decided it needed to be deleted and moved to fandom:
https://vampire-encyclopedia.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_vampire_traits_in_folklore_and_fiction
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
kej LinkThis time of year we pull out the Christmas Luge, where you play as a penguin trying to collect scarves for other cold penguins. It's like if someone took the penguin race slide level from Mario...This time of year we pull out the Christmas Luge, where you play as a penguin trying to collect scarves for other cold penguins. It's like if someone took the penguin race slide level from Mario 64 and turned it into a silly little Christmas game. It's janky and the scoring is weird and we can't figure out what some of the items do, but it's free and fun for the kids.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
kej LinkMy brain has been taken over with Bombe lately. It's like minesweeper except instead of solving each puzzle individually you create a rule for a situation and then that rule will be automatically...My brain has been taken over with Bombe lately. It's like minesweeper except instead of solving each puzzle individually you create a rule for a situation and then that rule will be automatically applied to all future puzzles. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoyed no-guessing minesweeper games like HexCells or Tametsi (which are both good and you should play those first).
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
kej Link ParentWhich server are you (and any other Turtle players reading this) on? I don't think anyone I know IRL is interested in getting back into WoW, but I can totally play just a little without getting...Which server are you (and any other Turtle players reading this) on? I don't think anyone I know IRL is interested in getting back into WoW, but I can totally play just a little without getting hooked again and can quit anytime I want.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
kej Link ParentAnything I need to know for getting OpenMW running on the Steam Deck? I have a compulsion to play games in order so I haven't touched Oblivion or Skyrim and am still impressed by early 3D graphics.Anything I need to know for getting OpenMW running on the Steam Deck? I have a compulsion to play games in order so I haven't touched Oblivion or Skyrim and am still impressed by early 3D graphics.
I think you're right that the answer is going to be more complex than just "Sir Terry was a Whateverismian", but the good news is that you're not the first to ask this question so here is some further reading for you:
The sci-fi magazine Reactor has a The Tao of Sir Terry column.
There is a Philosophy and Terry Pratchett book where different philosophers write about the intersection of philosophy and Discworld.
Not strictly philosophy, but The Annotated Pratchett File does a nice job of telling you when a passing joke is a reference to some bigger idea you many not have been aware of.