kfwyre's recent activity

  1. Comment on Survey reveals almost 50% of California teachers may quit teaching soon in ~life

    kfwyre
    Link

    Nearly half of California teachers who were surveyed plan to retire or quit in the next 10 years. Nationwide, an estimated 35% of teachers plan to leave the profession in the next decade, Kurtz said.

    The findings are similar to a survey released in January by the California Teachers Association. It found that while a majority of teachers are satisfied with their job, 40% are considering leaving education within the next few years — nearly half for financial reasons.

    Teacher morale is increasingly important as states continue to struggle with teacher shortages, especially in hard-to-fill jobs like special education, science, technology, math, engineering and bilingual education.

    Teachers listed improved student behavior as the second most important factor for improving teacher morale. Three-quarters of elementary school teachers, 61% of middle school teachers and 54% of high school teachers surveyed said student behavior is getting worse.

    Discipline problems were the result of a perfect storm of factors that worsened when students lost socialization during the pandemic and when schools shifted to restorative justice models of discipline that weren’t always communicated well to teachers or implemented with the necessary resources, Kurtz said.

    More than half of the teachers who took the survey said improving student behavior would boost their morale. They called for restrictions on students’ use of cellphones and other personal devices, tougher consequences for students who misbehave, limits on parents’ ability to undermine those consequences and instruction for parents on teaching their children to behave in school.

    5 votes

  3. Comment on He thought it was a routine US Immigration and Customs Enforcement check-in. Now his family fears he’ll be deported. in ~lgbt

    kfwyre
    Link

    His family described it as a routine check-in with ICE for Ludovic Mbock, a 38-year-old regional video gaming champion who came to the U.S. from Cameroon legally as a teen and built a life in Oxon Hill.

    But Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Baltimore arrested him two weeks ago and sent him to detention facilities in Louisiana and Georgia. Mbock’s lawyer and family fear he will soon be deported back to Cameroon, where he will not be safe.

    “He’s an openly gay person. He won’t be able to survive in Cameroon,” said Mbock’s lawyer, Edward Neufville.

    Cameroon punishes same-sex activity with fines and prison sentences of up to five years. Mbock also has no family in Cameroon, said his sister, Diane Sohna, who was born in the U.S.

    In the past, the federal government was reluctant to send immigrants to countries with laws that threaten LGBTQIA+ people, but that changed under Trump, who in his second term embarked on a campaign of mass deportations. Campaigning on the issue, he promised to deport “the worse of the worst.”

    4 votes

  5. Comment on Colossal Game Adventure Schedule: April - September 2026 in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link
    I think it says a lot about how good our game list is that looking at the eliminated games kind of hurts because there are a LOT of great titles in there. I do think that we're ripe for...

    I think it says a lot about how good our game list is that looking at the eliminated games kind of hurts because there are a LOT of great titles in there.

    I do think that we're ripe for re-nominations in the future though, so I don't want people to think of an eliminated game as "gone forever" but more as "not in this round."

    Also, I think it's safe to say that the Lobbying Topic was a success: three of the five games endorsed ended up winning, and the other two advanced. Of course, this could be mixing up cause and effect and maybe people were just supporting popular games in the first place, but I have a hard time believing that Space Rogue would have made it to the top without @vili's outstanding writeup and the $100 they Venmoed me.

    CGA has been one of my favorite things over the past months, and I look forward to it continuing. It's fun to dive into these old games together, and it's great to read everyone's different perspectives on them.

    5 votes

  6. Comment on Colossal Game Adventure Schedule: April - September 2026 in ~games

    kfwyre
    (edited )
    Link
    CGA Announcement: Voting has concluded and we now have the new schedule for April - September 2026! Action Items 1. Selecting New Hosts People who nominated winning games have first dibs on...

    CGA Announcement: Voting has concluded and we now have the new schedule for April - September 2026!

    Action Items

    1. Selecting New Hosts

    People who nominated winning games have first dibs on hosting those months.

    Let me know whether you want to host. If you do NOT, I will open up hosting to anyone who would like for your month.

    2. Praising Old Hosts

    Can we give it up for the AMAZING hosts we had in the first round of games? They have given this club so much personality, and I've loved seeing the variety of different styles we've had.

    3. Pastebin Alternative?

    I've been keeping the hosting docs and some Backlog Burner stuff on Pastebin, but I've started getting spam comments on some of them. Is there a good Pastebin alternative I can use that isn't spam-ridden?

    Notification List

    @1338
    @Akir
    @ali
    @arctanh
    @AriMaeda
    @atomicshoreline
    @avirse
    @balooga
    @BeardyHat
    @Boojum
    @Bwerf
    @CannibalisticApple
    @chocobean
    @clayh
    @datavoid
    @Debook
    @DistractionRectangle
    @dotsforeyes
    @dozens
    @Dr_Amazing
    @endymiion
    @granfdad
    @Gummy
    @hamstergeddon
    @IsildursBane
    @J-Chiptunator
    @JCPhoenix
    @joshbuddy
    @kaiomai
    @Kawa
    @kej
    @kfwyre
    @kingofsnake
    @Kirisame
    @Lapbunny
    @mayonuki
    @Mendanbar
    @mysterylevel
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    @Pavouk106
    @PetitPrince
    @Plattypus
    @polle
    @preposterous
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    @rosco
    @rubix
    @Rudism
    @SloMoMonday
    @Sodliddesu
    @Soggy
    @sotix
    @Spore_Prince
    @SpruceWillis
    @squidwiz
    @talklittle
    @ThatMartinFellow
    @tildes-user-101
    @Timwi
    @tomorrow-never-knows
    @Trobador
    @Venko
    @vili
    @Weldawadyathink
    @xk3
    @zod000

    If you would like to be added or removed from the Notification List, please PM u/kfwyre.

    12 votes

  7. Colossal Game Adventure Schedule: April - September 2026

    ~games Text 548 words
    Schedule Month Game Host April 2026 Space Rogue May 2026 Sid Meier's Pirates June 2026 Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow July 2026 Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals August 2026 The Legend of Zelda: A...

    Schedule

    Month Game Host
    April 2026 Space Rogue
    May 2026 Sid Meier's Pirates
    June 2026 Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
    July 2026 Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
    August 2026 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past u/Boojum
    September 2026 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

    Discussion Topics

    Each month will have two discussion topics:

    • "Insert Cartridge" - 1st of the month
    • "Remove Cartridge" - 28th of the month (25th for February)

    Insert Cartridge topics are primarily for getting the game set up and running. Remove Cartridge topics are primarily for reflecting on the game once you've played it. However, the game itself and anything else related to it can be discussed in either one.

    Hosting

    Each month, the discussion topics will be posted by a different "host" who will act as the emcee for that month.

    Hosting is not required, but it is encouraged that people host months for games that they are either already very familiar with or that they are strongly interested in playing.

    People who nominated a game will be given preference for hosting, otherwise it will be given to whomever claims it first.

    Check out old months to get a feel for what it's like.

    Required Hosting Responsibilities
    • Editing the templates for the month's "Insert Cartridge" and "Remove Cartridge" topics.
    • Posting the month's "Insert Cartridge" and "Remove cartridge topics.
    Optional Hosting Responsibilities
    • Talking up the game.
    • Giving tips/tricks/guides/cheats.
    • Sharing your own thoughts/memories/reflections.
    • Asking questions.
    • Anything else you feel like doing (e.g. setting up a multiplayer tournament, making game-related memes, sharing fun trivia, etc.)

    If you would like to host a month, let me know which one and I will add you to the schedule.

    Before your month begins, I will send you a "Hosting Package" featuring templates that you can edit to your liking.

    If no one claims a month, I will host it as a fallback.

    Voting Results

    The top 6 games from the voting round were chosen to be played.

    Of the remaining games:

    • The top 50% will advance to the next round. They will start the next round with a base score of 30% of their vote totals.
    • The bottom 50% will be removed from the list.

    Removed games will be able to be re-nominated in future rounds if someone chooses to do so.

    Game Votes Status Rollover Votes
    Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow 31 Won
    The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past 29 Won
    Sid Meier’s Pirates 26 Won
    Tony Hawk’s Pro-Skater 2 26 Won
    Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals 25 Won
    Space Rogue 23 Won
    The Grue That Binds 22 Advances 7
    Another World 19 Advances 6
    Back in a Flash 18 Advances 5
    Tetris 18 Advances 5
    Mother 3 17 Advances 5
    The Genesis of Treasure 17 Advances 5
    Descent 16 Advances 5
    Resident Evil (REmake) 16 Advances 5
    Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist 15 Advances 5
    Beneath a Steel Sky 13 Advances 4
    Crystalis 13 Advances 4
    Maniac Mansion 13 Eliminated
    Red Dead Redemption 12 Eliminated
    Scroll Lock-on 10 Eliminated
    The Colonel’s Bequest 10 Eliminated
    Threads of Fate 10 Eliminated
    Behind the Wheel 9 Eliminated
    Metroid 9 Eliminated
    StarTropics 9 Eliminated
    Metroid Prime 8 Eliminated
    JSRF: Jet Set Radio Future 7 Eliminated
    Lode Runner 7 Eliminated
    6 votes

  8. Comment on Colossal Game Adventure: February 2026 Voting Topic in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    Last call for votes! The polls close in 12 hours.

    Last call for votes!

    The polls close in 12 hours.

    1 vote

  9. Comment on Colossal Game Adventure: February 2026 Voting Topic in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    Thanks for the additional bugfixes! And I definitely want CGA to be a place where re-nominating games is possible. I figure the population and their interests will shift over time (we’re already...

    Thanks for the additional bugfixes!

    And I definitely want CGA to be a place where re-nominating games is possible. I figure the population and their interests will shift over time (we’re already seeing the effects of a significant shift since last time!). So, a game that didn’t do well in a previous round of voting might do better if re-nominated again later, especially if someone goes to bat for it.

    1 vote

  10. Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of March 2 in ~society

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    Conflicted here too. I think what we're seeing is a result of the fact there's been abstention/negligence at all the other levels that we could be addressing the issue of school shootings, which...

    Conflicted here too.

    I think what we're seeing is a result of the fact there's been abstention/negligence at all the other levels that we could be addressing the issue of school shootings, which has thus forced its "solution" down to the level of individual parent responsibility.

    That isn't a solution, and the broader systemic factors causing the shootings will continue unchecked as they have for decades now.

    4 votes

  11. Comment on Humble Choice - March 2026 in ~games

    kfwyre
    (edited )
    Link
    Well, well, well, if it isn't eight Windows-only games that run on Linux anyway... Everyone say it with me now: PROTON IS MAGIC

    Well, well, well, if it isn't eight Windows-only games that run on Linux anyway...

    Everyone say it with me now: PROTON IS MAGIC

    11 votes

  12. Humble Choice - March 2026

    ~games Text 117 words
    March 2026's Humble Choice is now available with the following eight Steam games. Steam Page OpenCritic Steam Recent/All Operating Systems Steam Deck ProtonDB Tempest Rising 79 85 / 88 Win 🟨...

    March 2026's Humble Choice is now available with the following eight Steam games.

    Steam Page OpenCritic Steam Recent/All Operating Systems Steam Deck ProtonDB
    Tempest Rising 79 85 / 88 Win 🟨 Playable 🎖️ Platinum
    Chants of Sennaar 82 98 / 98 Win ✅ Verified 🎖️ Platinum
    Sworn 72 71 / 83 Win ✅ Verified 🟨 Gold
    Etrian Odyssey III HD -- -- / 89 Win ✅ Verified 🎖️ Platinum
    Bread & Fred 69 74 / 79 Win 🟨 Playable 🟨 Gold
    Zero Hour -- 65 / 78 Win ❌ Unsupported 🟨 Gold
    Smalland: Survive the Wild 76 83 / 81 Win 🟨 Playable 🎖️ Platinum
    Hard West 2 79 76 / 81 Win ❌ Unsupported 🟨 Gold

    Does anyone have experience with any of the games and, if so, would you recommend them? Is there anything in here that you're particularly excited to play?

    7 votes

  13. Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of March 2 in ~society

    kfwyre
    Link
    Father who gave gun to Georgia school shooting suspect for Christmas is guilty of 2nd-degree murder

    Father who gave gun to Georgia school shooting suspect for Christmas is guilty of 2nd-degree murder

    A Georgia man who gave his teenage son the gun he’s accused of using to kill two students and two teachers at a high school was convicted of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter on Tuesday.

    Jurors took less than two hours to find Colin Gray guilty of all charges in the September 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, northeast of Atlanta. Gray now joins a growing number of parents being held responsible in court after children were accused in shootings across the country.

    Colin Gray was found guilty of second-degree murder in the deaths of two 14-year-old students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo. Georgia law defines second-degree murder as causing the death of a child by committing the crime of cruelty to children. Gray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the killings of teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53.

    8 votes

  14. Comment on Colossal Game Adventure: February 2026 Voting Topic in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    Ah, good catch! I forgot to check that.

    Ah, good catch! I forgot to check that.

    1 vote

  15. Comment on Colossal Game Adventure: February 2026 Voting Topic in ~games

  16. Comment on Colossal Game Adventure: February 2026 Voting Topic in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    You’ve got three more votes on your ballot if you want to use them.

    You’ve got three more votes on your ballot if you want to use them.

    1 vote

  17. Comment on Colossal Game Adventure: February 2026 Voting Topic in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    We use a script to tally the votes so they have to be formatted in a specific way. Can you make sure your titles match the ones in the table and the votes go in parentheses so they’ll get counted?...

    We use a script to tally the votes so they have to be formatted in a specific way.

    Can you make sure your titles match the ones in the table and the votes go in parentheses so they’ll get counted?

    Example:

    Descent (5)

    1 vote

  18. Comment on Colossal Game Adventure: February 2026 Voting Topic in ~games

    kfwyre
    (edited )
    Link
    CGA Announcement: 2026-03-03 Patch Notes Rollover decay strengthened from 30 -> 70% Seasonal voting event extended by 48 hours Voting table updated with new rollover data Hi CGA players! Current...

    CGA Announcement: 2026-03-03 Patch Notes

    • Rollover decay strengthened from 30 -> 70%
    • Seasonal voting event extended by 48 hours
    • Voting table updated with new rollover data

    Hi CGA players! Current nominations were getting steamrolled by rollover votes, so our dev team has been hard at work implementing our most recent balance patch based on player feedback.

    What This Means for You:

    • If you haven’t already voted and would like to, nothing changes. Vote as you see fit!

    • If you have already voted, please check the updated table and edit your ballot if necessary.

    Voting will now close 48 hours from the time of this post.

    I apologize for the confusion! Such are the perils of running a live service Tildes event. I thank everyone for their patience, and a huge thank you to the devs, especially @Boojum, who collaborated with me on identifying the problem and finding a solution.

    Also, if someone could check my work on the updated numbers, I’d appreciate it. I put them in hastily from my phone at work, so I might have messed some up. If there are any errors let me know and I’m happy to correct them.

    Notification List

    @1338
    @Akir
    @ali
    @arctanh
    @AriMaeda
    @atomicshoreline
    @avirse
    @balooga
    @BeardyHat
    @Boojum
    @Bwerf
    @CannibalisticApple
    @chocobean
    @clayh
    @datavoid
    @Debook
    @DistractionRectangle
    @dotsforeyes
    @dozens
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    @granfdad
    @Gummy
    @hamstergeddon
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    @preposterous
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    @rubix
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    @Soggy
    @sotix
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    @squidwiz
    @talklittle
    @ThatMartinFellow
    @tildes-user-101
    @Timwi
    @tomorrow-never-knows
    @Trobador
    @Venko
    @vili
    @Weldawadyathink
    @xk3
    @zod000

    If you would like to be added or removed from the Notification List, please PM u/kfwyre.

    15 votes

  19. Comment on Colossal Game Adventure: February 2026 Voting Topic in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    Thanks again, Boojum! You saved me a ton of time. Also, the breakdown of the different columns is very illuminating. I think this is a much more reasonable outcome than what we had before. Unless...

    Thanks again, Boojum! You saved me a ton of time. Also, the breakdown of the different columns is very illuminating.

    I think this is a much more reasonable outcome than what we had before.

    Unless I hear any counters, I’m going to move forward with this. I’ll ping everyone tomorrow, note the changes, encourage people to edit their ballots if necessary, and extend the deadline.

    3 votes

  20. Comment on Colossal Game Adventure: February 2026 Voting Topic in ~games

    kfwyre
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I appreciate all the feedback, y’all! It sounds like adjusting the votes is the best way forward. I’d like to keep things relatively simple. I also don’t want vote normalization to be dependent on...

    I appreciate all the feedback, y’all! It sounds like adjusting the votes is the best way forward.

    I’d like to keep things relatively simple. I also don’t want vote normalization to be dependent on a current number of voters, because I want people to be able to go into voting knowing what the scores are, rather than the outcome potentially changing based on how many people participate that round.

    I played around with a couple different person-dependent formulas but couldn’t really find an elegant solution. I think just having a higher flat decay will work independent of population size, simply by nature of it cutting out so much?

    With that in mind:

    Current Proposal:

    1. Change the decay from 30% to 70%.

    The raw votes for returning games from last time ranged from 17-32.

    At 30% decay, this brought their rollover range to 12-22.

    A 70% decay instead compresses the range down to 5-10. Not nothing, but not insurmountable either (equivalent to 1-2 people maxing out their votes on them). It’s an additional support but a game won’t win on that alone.

    1. Add in Boosts as normal.

    The nominations round is current and it definitely doesn’t feel right to me to adjust these, so I say we keep them as is.

    Lufia II got +9
    Sid Meier’s Pirates! got +6
    Aria of Sorrow, A Link to the Past, The Grue That Binds, and Back in a Flash all got +3

    1. Edit ballots if needed.

    People are always welcome to edit their ballots up until voting closes, but in this case we can formalize it as an option. I can ping everyone and extend the deadline.

    Let me know your thoughts on this.

    I haven’t run the numbers officially with this plan yet and won’t be able to do so until later, so if anyone has the time and wherewithal to do that before I get to it, feel free. I feel like seeing the current standings that way could give us a better lay of the land and whether or not 70% is a good target.

    For a not quite exact reference, I suspect it’ll look a lot like @Boojum’s table here which used a slightly higher decay.

    Also, big credit to Boojum for running the numbers and raising the issue with me in the first place.

    5 votes