kfwyre's recent activity
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Comment on Announcing the Backlog Burner event for May 2026: Shrink your unplayed games list this coming month! in ~games
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Comment on Announcing the Backlog Burner event for May 2026: Shrink your unplayed games list this coming month! in ~games
kfwyre LinkHey November 2025 Backlog Burner participants! I'm pinging you to let you know that our May 2026 event is right around the corner. This is a one-time ping, as I'll be starting a new notification...Hey November 2025 Backlog Burner participants!
I'm pinging you to let you know that our May 2026 event is right around the corner.
This is a one-time ping, as I'll be starting a new notification list for the new event with this topic. Anyone commenting in this topic will be added to the list.
If you want to be included in the new notification list, simply comment in this topic or reply to this.
If you do not want to be included in the notification list for the new event, you don't need to do anything.
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Announcing the Backlog Burner event for May 2026: Shrink your unplayed games list this coming month!
It's almost time... ...for another Backlog Burner -- the event where you try out games you've always wanted to play (but haven't yet -- for whatever reason). The Backlog Burner for May 2026 will...
It's almost time...
...for another Backlog Burner -- the event where you try out games you've always wanted to play (but haven't yet -- for whatever reason).
The Backlog Burner for May 2026 will officially begin in two days on May 1st.
If you're new to the Backlog Burner, check out our previous events to get an idea of what's going on:
Backlog Bingo returns yet again!
You might notice that the already beautiful Backlog Bingo site has gotten even more beautifuller. That's because our intrepid u/Wes has been hard at work once again adding polish to the site, changing things on the backend to make them smoother and more elegant, and even sprucing up the category lists.
Backlog Bingo has literally never been better! Or more beautifuller!
If you participated last time, clear your old card and start fresh with a new one.
If you're new to the event, click the link above to generate your card (but only if you want to -- playing a bingo card is NOT required to participate).
Notification List
If you are interested in participating in the Backlog Burner, please comment in this topic. Anyone commenting/replying here will automatically be added to a notification list for the Backlog Burner, unless you specify otherwise.
Start Planning (or Playing)
Technically the event starts in two days, so you have time to roll your cards (if you're playing Bingo) and plan out what you'd like to play for the month. That said, if you're eager to jump right in, and start early, I certainly won't stop you!
Let's get ready to burn through these backlogs!
Backlog Burner FAQ
What exactly is the Backlog Burner?
Your "backlog" is all those games you've been meaning to play or get around to, but never have yet. This event is an attempt to get us to collectively dig into that treasure trove of experiences, scratch some long-standing itches, and knock a few titles off our to-play lists.
It runs every May and November. New discussion topics will go up once a week during those months.
You do not need to sign up in advance -- the topics are open to all. If you would like to be included in the notification list, comment in this topic to be added.
How do I participate?
- Choose some games from your backlog and play them.
- Then tell us about your experiences in the discussion thread for the week.
That's it!
Optionally: you can play Backlog Bingo which is a fun way of cutting down the choices you have to make and playing games you might not have normally selected on your own.
Do I need to finish the games that I play?
Nope! Not at all.
There aren't really any requirements for the event so much as this is an incentive to get us to play games we've been avoiding starting up, for whatever reason. Play as much or as little as you like of a given game.
Try out dozens for ten minutes each or dive into one for 40 hours. There's no wrong way to participate!
Can I make multiple posts in the same topic?
Yes! Each discussion thread stays live for a full week, so feel free to make multiple comments in the topic as you play different games. This isn't considered
noise-- it's considered valuable participation in the event!
Backlog Bingo FAQ
Important: All data for your Backlog Bingo card is stored on your device, not the server. Clearing your browser data will delete your card. You can use the export feature to make backups or move your card between devices.
I'm a returning player. How do I reset my previous card?
If you've already created a card and wish to start over, click the
Settingsbutton in the header to access your card settings. Then click theResetbutton, and confirm the prompt. This will irrevocably delete your present card, allowing you to start fresh.Where is my data stored?
All data is stored by your browser in local storage. There are no accounts, and nothing is sent to the server, so it's privacy-friendly by design. This does mean that you are responsible for not deleting any browser data on
wescook.ca, either manually or through automatic cleanups performed on browser close.Backlog Bingo is open-source, and licensed permissively under MIT.
What is the difference between the "Standard" and "Golf" modes?
In Standard Mode, each square on the bingo card corresponds with one single game. Duplicate games cannot be entered into different squares. A winning card would have a row of five different games that each filled in one square.
In Golf Mode, duplicates are not only allowed -- they are encouraged! The purpose of Golf mode is to try to find a single game that will fill multiple categories at the same time. For example: Stardew Valley might fulfill
You got it on sale,A solo-dev project, andHas romanceable charactersall at the same time. A winning card would have all twenty five squares filled, but possibly only six or seven different games.What is the star space in the middle?
That is the "wildcard" or "free space."
In Standard Mode, there are no requirements to fill it. You can choose any game you want! Anything goes!
In Golf Mode, it does not need to be filled. Because Golf is all about stacking up categories on a single game, any game used in Golf would fill it automatically, meaning it has no real function. As such, the square will be pre-filled for you if you play in Golf mode.
The new
Freelist defaults to having this space turned off. Because you already have full freedom in how you fill the squares, having a free space is redundant (though if you miss it or just like the aesthetics, you can certainly turn it back on!).Can I create custom bingo categories for this, or other events?
Absolutely! The Backlog Bingo app reads in simple JSON files which define the available categories. We've created a couple prebuilt lists for this event, but you're free to tweak our categories, or create completely new ones. You could even use them for books, anime, movies, recipes -- anything!
If you are interested in learning more, you can find documentation on the wiki, and use an example JSON category file. You can also ask for help in the topic!
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of April 27 in ~society
kfwyre LinkThe Trump Administration aims to penalize disabled adults who live with their famillesThe Trump Administration aims to penalize disabled adults who live with their familles
Now, President Donald Trump’s administration is poised to penalize people like Burton simply for living in the same home as their families, according to four federal officials, internal emails and a federal regulatory listing. The administration is working on a rule change that would deduct the value of a disabled adult’s bedroom from their SSI allotment, even if the family members they live with are poor enough to qualify for food stamps. This would mean slashing the benefits of some of the most low-income SSI recipients by up to a third — about $330 a month in Burton’s case — or ending their support altogether.
The effort to cut SSI for families who also rely on food stamps, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, was initiated by top White House and Department of Government Efficiency officials last year, multiple Social Security officials said. It marks a second attempt by the Trump administration to quietly but dramatically downsize disability benefit programs overseen by the Social Security Administration, despite those programs’ strict eligibility standards and minimal instances of fraud. White House Budget Director Russell Vought and Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano abandoned a different proposed regulation involving disability payments last year after ProPublica and other news outlets reported on the harm that the plan would cause to hundreds of thousands of largely blue-collar workers in red states. (The disability programs are administered by the Social Security Administration but separate from the retirement program for which the agency is named. The Trump administration has promised not to cut Social Security retirement payments.)
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of April 27 in ~society
kfwyre LinkJustice Department to allow firing squads for executions in move to ramp up capital punishmentJustice Department to allow firing squads for executions in move to ramp up capital punishment
The Justice Department will adopt firing squads as a permitted method of execution as the Trump administration moves to ramp up and expedite capital punishment cases, officials said Friday.
The Justice Department is also reauthorizing the use of single-drug lethal injections with pentobarbital that were used to carry out 13 executions during the first Trump administration — more than under any president in modern history. The Biden administration had removed pentobarbital from the federal protocol over concerns about the potential for unnecessary pain and suffering.
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Comment on CGA-2026-04 🕹️🚀🧑🚀 REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ Space Rogue in ~games
kfwyre LinkRegrettably, I did not get a chance to start off Space Rogue. This month ended up being a particularly busy one for me. We’re about to start up the Backlog Burner though, so I’m hoping to play it...Regrettably, I did not get a chance to start off Space Rogue. This month ended up being a particularly busy one for me.
We’re about to start up the Backlog Burner though, so I’m hoping to play it (alongside Pirates!) then.
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Comment on Tildes Survey #2: What country do you live in? in ~talk
kfwyre (edited )Link Parent@talklittle Three Cheers on iOS (version 1.5.1) is freezing when trying to render the above comment (probably because an Examplary label is so glorious that it doesn’t know how to deal with its...Three Cheers on iOS (version 1.5.1) is freezing when trying to render the above comment (probably because an
Examplarylabel is so glorious that it doesn’t know how to deal with its unmatched majesty).EDIT: Trying to load my profile page just gives me an infinite spinner, which I’m assuming is because I copied the label here.
A simple table formatting issue? Or is it something more sinister…
Is Marvin is on the loose again? -
Comment on Tildes Survey #2: What country do you live in? in ~talk
kfwyre LinkJumping in here to say thank you for running these, Bauke! I'm loving the recurring format and quick turnaround time. I have no doubt that you've spent many hours setting everything up and will...Jumping in here to say thank you for running these, Bauke! I'm loving the recurring format and quick turnaround time.
I have no doubt that you've spent many hours setting everything up and will spend many more hours parsing and presenting results, so thank you for all your efforts.
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Comment on Tildes Survey #2: What country do you live in? in ~talk
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Comment on Is there a FLAC equivalent for digital comics? in ~comics
kfwyre (edited )Link ParentIt's a mix of CBZs, PDFs, and EPUBs. Most of them come from bundles (e.g. this one), with the others being direct downloads or de-DRMed from my Kobo account.It's a mix of CBZs, PDFs, and EPUBs. Most of them come from bundles (e.g. this one), with the others being direct downloads or de-DRMed from my Kobo account.
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What’s the best 3D-printed thing you have?
It doesn’t have to be something you 3D printed yourself. It can be practical or sentimental or aesthetic — whatever you like. What’s the best 3D-printed thing you have, and what makes it great?
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Is there a FLAC equivalent for digital comics?
I’ve bought enough digital comic bundles now that they’re starting to take up a decent chunk of storage space. What I’d love to do, if possible, is losslessly compress them all down to their...
I’ve bought enough digital comic bundles now that they’re starting to take up a decent chunk of storage space.
What I’d love to do, if possible, is losslessly compress them all down to their minimum sizes, in the same way that FLAC does with music. Is this a thing? And if so, what’s the best way to do it?
If lossless compression isn’t possible, is there a lossy compression that’s effectively lossless in that I won’t be able to tell the difference anyway? Lossless compression gives me good piece of mind, but the storage savings from an invisible lossy one are honestly quite appealing too.
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Comment on Indie Pass, a PC subscription service for indie games to launch on April 13, 2026 in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentI’ll have to try out the %u change and see if that works. Won’t have the opportunity to do it until probably Sunday though. I never actually did get the .desktop file to run on its own — it kept...I’ll have to try out the
%uchange and see if that works. Won’t have the opportunity to do it until probably Sunday though.I never actually did get the .desktop file to run on its own — it kept giving me an invalid desktop file notification when I tried to run it. I even opened some other files and copied their structure to see if that would work, but it didn’t.
Nevertheless, I appreciate the help! I’m absolutely the wrong person to be trying to get this going on account of my lack of Linux proficiency, but I also figured I could at least get the ball rolling. I’m still holding out hope that we can find a way, with the absolute holy grail being it running on the Steam Deck specifically.
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Comment on Before Absolute: creator-owned Image Comics bundle in ~comics
kfwyre Link ParentNo, unfortunately. The splits are locked down. They do give an option to add more to charity, but doing so increases your total rather than pulling it from the other categories.No, unfortunately. The splits are locked down. They do give an option to add more to charity, but doing so increases your total rather than pulling it from the other categories.
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Comment on Indie Pass, a PC subscription service for indie games to launch on April 13, 2026 in ~games
kfwyre (edited )Link Parentcc: @all_summer_beauty I have some more information: Firefox tries to pass this link back to Indie Pass: indiepass-launcher://auth?code=[LOTS OF ALL CAPS LETTERS]&state=[mixed case letters and...I have some more information:
Firefox tries to pass this link back to Indie Pass:
indiepass-launcher://auth?code=[LOTS OF ALL CAPS LETTERS]&state=[mixed case letters and numbers]I tried your .desktop file idea, Carrow, but unfortunately I couldn't get it going.
Then, having already dug up the path to the launcher executable out of the prefix, I tried to have Firefox open any
indiepass-launcherlinks withIndie Pass.exe. This stops me from getting an error message, but the launcher is still stuck on the welcome screen, so it's not taking.I also tried going into COSMIC settings to force the association, but unfortunately the default applications settings in the GUI are limited to only a few choices (see here). I'm sure there's a file I could edit to change ones that aren't available there, but I searched around for a bit and couldn't find out how to do it.
Is it potentially not working because Firefox is trying to pass the link to the executable directly instead of going through Proton?
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - How are you progressing on The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See? in ~books
kfwyre LinkI'm currently about halfway through the book. I did order some pu'er tea to accompany the book and tried it out. It's pretty good, but the Splenda I added might be doing a lot of the heavy lifting...I'm currently about halfway through the book.
I did order some pu'er tea to accompany the book and tried it out.
It's pretty good, but the Splenda I added might be doing a lot of the heavy lifting here (note: I find nearly all teas undrinkable without some added sweetness, so this is very much a personal preference).
The flavor itself was good, but there was a sour smelling note that put me off a bit. It had a bit of a mildewy/grassy scent. It wasn't super prominent, but it was enough that it gave me pause at the beginning. That scent didn't show up in the flavor for me though, and it also seemed to go away over time (maybe I just got used to it?).
Either way, I can see myself finishing the box, and, depending on how I feel after repeated cups, potentially even ordering more.
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Comment on Indie Pass, a PC subscription service for indie games to launch on April 13, 2026 in ~games
kfwyre LinkI tested out Linux compatibility. The short version: I couldn't get it working. The long version: it might be possible. Attempt 1: Bottles flatpak (Soda runner) I got the "installing program" box...I tested out Linux compatibility.
The short version: I couldn't get it working.
The long version: it might be possible.
Attempt 1: Bottles flatpak (Soda runner)
I got the "installing program" box to pop up, and according to Bottles it installed correctly (as in, it gave me the option to manually run it after the install was done). Unfortunately, running it does nothing.
Attempt 2: Bottles flatpak (Proton-GE runner)
The installer didn't even run.
Attempt 3: Steam (system install), Proton Experimental runner
This worked... kind of. The program installed and ran and it got me to the welcome screen where it wants you to log in.
The login process doesn't happen in the Indie Pass app itself -- when you hit sign in, it opens your browser where you log in, give permissions to the app, and then it "hands those back" to the Indie Pass app. This is where I got an error message, popping up an "Open With" prompt that says there are no apps available.
I'm assuming this means that my computer doesn't know to pass whatever it is (a string, a token, a cookie?) back to Indie Pass to confirm the login. So, unfortunately, I can't test it further.
If anyone has any ideas for a workaround, let me know! I'd love to have this up and running on Linux if possible.
Note: all of this was done on a Pop!_OS 24.04 install with COSMIC as my DE which is still kind of buggy, so take everything with a grain of salt. Also, I'm not Linux savvy AT ALL, so take my own experiences with several additional grains. Someone more knowledgeable than me might have more luck.
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Comment on Before Absolute: creator-owned Image Comics bundle in ~comics
kfwyre LinkDigiphile is a new bundle site created by former Humble Bundle employees, and this is their second comics bundle. All the comics are DRM-free. I'm not sure about region availability, so if people...Digiphile is a new bundle site created by former Humble Bundle employees, and this is their second comics bundle.
All the comics are DRM-free. I'm not sure about region availability, so if people want to chime in with whether or not the bundle is available from your country, please let us know. (Currently I can confirm that it's available in the US.)
Also, if you've read anything in here and can recommend (for or against) it, go for it. With so much on offer it's hard to know what's worth the time.
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Before Absolute: creator-owned Image Comics bundle
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Comment on Tildes Survey #1: How old are you? (Results) in ~talk
kfwyre (edited )Link ParentFor anyone with concerns about Bauke’s trustworthiness: Not only is he a really upstanding person and great Tildes citizen, but he is one of the official maintainers of the Tildes repo. So,...For anyone with concerns about Bauke’s trustworthiness:
Not only is he a really upstanding person and great Tildes citizen, but he is one of the official maintainers of the Tildes repo.
So, genuinely trustworthy.
I'm setting a personal theme for my Backlog Burner choices: Anything But Steam.
Nothing against Steam (I love it... mostly), but because I tend to do the bulk of my gaming there, my other libraries can feel a little bit ignored. So, for this Backlog Burner I'll be playing backlog games located anywhere besides Steam.
What are my options?
The main one I'm interested in is the Indie Pass library, since that's
relativelybrand new and I'm curious to do a broad survey of what they have on offer (I can count games as part of my backlog when I've had access to them for less than a month, right?).As usual, I'm going to try to target smaller games, and I'm going to be playing a
Flowcard because I've learned that's my preferred lane for these.I'm also going to be setting a seed as a precautionary cloud save in case I decide to suddenly distro hop mid-event. The seed will be, of course,
Anything But Steam. As always, if anyone wants to play the same card as me, join in with that seed (whether you're playing on Steam or not!).