kollkana's recent activity
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Comment on Heat pumps used to struggle in the cold. Not anymore. in ~enviro
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Comment on Heat pumps used to struggle in the cold. Not anymore. in ~enviro
kollkana Link ParentHeat pumps need fairly well-insulated homes to be effective, don't they? Every house I've encountered in the UK has had some issue with either draughts or damp, so there's always some gap to the...Heat pumps need fairly well-insulated homes to be effective, don't they? Every house I've encountered in the UK has had some issue with either draughts or damp, so there's always some gap to the outside undermining any heating efforts. I wouldn't be surprised if that were a contributing factor.
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Comment on Where does your username come from? (Following up on last year's thread) in ~tildes
kollkana LinkI don't actually remember... the first thing I used it for was a username on Neopets over 20 years ago, though these days it's one of half a dozen or so that I cycle between so I don't feel like I...I don't actually remember... the first thing I used it for was a username on Neopets over 20 years ago, though these days it's one of half a dozen or so that I cycle between so I don't feel like I can be followed from site to site.
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Comment on If you had to start a blog and post even though very few may read it, what would get you blogging weekly? in ~talk
kollkana LinkEvery few years I think "I want to start a blog", but the kind of blogs I read are all quite samey and the space is saturated with people in my same demographic, so it feels pointless. Anything...Every few years I think "I want to start a blog", but the kind of blogs I read are all quite samey and the space is saturated with people in my same demographic, so it feels pointless. Anything I'd have to say has been said a thousand times.
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Comment on Understanding the leftist that didn't vote: "Everybody else gets one, but not me" in ~society
kollkana Link ParentBecause spoiled ballots are literally included in election statistics and other protests aren't.Because spoiled ballots are literally included in election statistics and other protests aren't.
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Comment on Understanding the leftist that didn't vote: "Everybody else gets one, but not me" in ~society
kollkana Link ParentI'm saying it's not "every available channel" if you choose to not vote instead of choosing to protest by spoiling your ballot, and that doing so is tantamount to leaving your voice out of the...I'm saying it's not "every available channel" if you choose to not vote instead of choosing to protest by spoiling your ballot, and that doing so is tantamount to leaving your voice out of the conversation. I'm glad you chose to continue the protest.
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Comment on Understanding the leftist that didn't vote: "Everybody else gets one, but not me" in ~society
kollkana (edited )Link ParentWhat else would you call it? There's a safe, known, low-effort protest option left on the table, but instead you decide not to keep voicing your opinion. That sounds an awful lot like silently...What else would you call it? There's a safe, known, low-effort protest option left on the table, but instead you decide not to keep voicing your opinion. That sounds an awful lot like silently accepting defeat to me.
Edit: for clarity, in the above the "you" in "instead you decide not to keep voicing your opinion" was intended as a hypothetical-you, not specifically Melvincible, and I'm sorry if I came across as unnecessarily aggressive.
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Comment on Understanding the leftist that didn't vote: "Everybody else gets one, but not me" in ~society
kollkana Link ParentI mentioned it further up, but the existing mechanism for "abstaining" is intentionally spoiling your ballot.I mentioned it further up, but the existing mechanism for "abstaining" is intentionally spoiling your ballot.
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Comment on HPV vaccination: How the world can eliminate cervical cancer in ~health
kollkana Link ParentThe vaccine wasn't available until 2006 according to the article, so it makes sense that that's when you'd first hear about it. The cohorts described in the chart are grouped by year of birth, in...The vaccine wasn't available until 2006 according to the article, so it makes sense that that's when you'd first hear about it. The cohorts described in the chart are grouped by year of birth, in case that was adding to the confusion.
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Comment on Understanding the leftist that didn't vote: "Everybody else gets one, but not me" in ~society
kollkana Link ParentIn the UK what OP is talking about is conveyed to politicians by spoiling your ballot when voting. I don't know whether the same mechanism exists in other countries, but here at least not showing...In the UK what OP is talking about is conveyed to politicians by spoiling your ballot when voting. I don't know whether the same mechanism exists in other countries, but here at least not showing up to be counted is indeed silent acceptance of the status quo.
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Comment on HPV vaccination: How the world can eliminate cervical cancer in ~health
kollkana LinkI'm part of that '90-'93 cohort. At the time it didn't feel nearly as radical as "this could end cervical cancer", because the messaging I got was: HPV can cause cervical cancer There are...I'm part of that '90-'93 cohort. At the time it didn't feel nearly as radical as "this could end cervical cancer", because the messaging I got was:
- HPV can cause cervical cancer
- There are thousands of HPV strains
- Having two sexual partners is statistically enough to catch one
- This vaccine only covers four strains
I only took it because I'll take any free vaccine, but that chart is incredible.
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Comment on Make it ephemeral: Software should decay and lose data in ~tech
kollkana Link ParentThat depends heavily on the data in question. If something like my opt-out from the public electoral roll automatically expires that frees up my name and address to be listed online by any...That depends heavily on the data in question. If something like my opt-out from the public electoral roll automatically expires that frees up my name and address to be listed online by any business that buys the list. If files on my own computer expire that means I need more physical backups of important documents or have less security that e.g. I can make an insurance claim, prove my employment history, prove medical diagnoses etc.
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Comment on Make it ephemeral: Software should decay and lose data in ~tech
kollkana Link ParentWhy do you think the default should be expiring data?Why do you think the default should be expiring data?
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Comment on Make it ephemeral: Software should decay and lose data in ~tech
kollkana Link ParentThere are already tools to do that sort of thing anywhere it would be useful. Email clients allow for filtering rules and auto-deletion within folders etc. That's what I find strange about this...There are already tools to do that sort of thing anywhere it would be useful. Email clients allow for filtering rules and auto-deletion within folders etc. That's what I find strange about this opinion piece, it seems to be talking about ignoring existing tools (because that requires setup and effort, I guess) in favour of software systems deleting stuff based on vague criteria that the end user doesn't need to set.
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Comment on Make it ephemeral: Software should decay and lose data in ~tech
kollkana LinkThis is a really weird take. Only the final paragraph makes any kind of sense. "I don't want to make my own deletion schedule or change how I organise my files/systems, so make all software delete...This is a really weird take. Only the final paragraph makes any kind of sense.
I will forget to delete, and I'm lazy and given the tools available I rarely clean up. Yet many of the things I create I already know I really only need for a week or [two]. So give me a button I can press to schedule deletion. Then I don't have to remember to clean up after myself a few months later, but I can make that call already today when I create my thing.
"I don't want to make my own deletion schedule or change how I organise my files/systems, so make all software delete stuff automatically"
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Comment on Touchscreens are out, and tactile controls are back. Rachel Plotnick's "re-buttonization" expertise is in demand. in ~design
kollkana (edited )Link ParentIt's all very reminiscent of The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy, where radio buttons are replaced with touch controls, and touch controls are replaced with "wav[ing] your hand in the general...It's all very reminiscent of The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy, where radio buttons are replaced with touch controls, and touch controls are replaced with "wav[ing] your hand in the general direction of the components and hop[ing]" so once you find a programme you actually want to listen to you must sit very still.
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Comment on ‘I grew up with it’: readers on the enduring appeal of Microsoft Excel in ~tech
kollkana Link ParentFor that specific example it's not how it displays, it's that in Excel the table is itself an object with useful properties like acting as a dynamic named range and auto-populating formulas and...For that specific example it's not how it displays, it's that in Excel the table is itself an object with useful properties like acting as a dynamic named range and auto-populating formulas and formatting for new rows. I've not found any kind of equivalent to that in LibreOffice Calc.
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Comment on ‘I grew up with it’: readers on the enduring appeal of Microsoft Excel in ~tech
kollkana Link ParentI disagree that LibreOffice is a drop-in replacement. It's what I use at home, and it's fine for most stuff, but I still find myself missing Excel features I use heavily at work (like today,...I disagree that LibreOffice is a drop-in replacement. It's what I use at home, and it's fine for most stuff, but I still find myself missing Excel features I use heavily at work (like today, "format as table").
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Comment on Carbon myopia is concealing a deeper problem: our insatiable appetite for materials in ~enviro
kollkana Link ParentRepairs can easily cost more than buying new, too, at least as a non-company individual. Like the time I bought a £6 spring to repair the clasp on a £5 bag strap, or the £95 quote to fix a bag I...Repairs can easily cost more than buying new, too, at least as a non-company individual. Like the time I bought a £6 spring to repair the clasp on a £5 bag strap, or the £95 quote to fix a bag I paid roughly that for a decade ago.
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Comment on Thoughts on the friendzone in ~life
kollkana Link ParentIf you're entering a friendship with the intent of turning it romantic, that could be seen as trying to leverage the person's existing emotional investment in you as a friend to improve the odds...If you're entering a friendship with the intent of turning it romantic, that could be seen as trying to leverage the person's existing emotional investment in you as a friend to improve the odds of them agreeing to explore the potential for romance. Basically relying on the sunk cost fallacy rather than being direct in your interest and taking the raw odds.
But that is a specific scenario, not applicable to e.g. people who only develop romantic interest after getting to deeply know someone as a friend.
Cars are significantly smaller than houses, and are usually way more effective at keeping the driver and front passenger comfortable than anyone else, so I'm not sure how well that comparison scales.
I'm no expert either, just looked into getting a heat pump a year or two ago and all the "is it right for me?"-type articles I've read highlight a need for eliminating draughts, improving insulation, and getting "heat loss survey" done to even decide whether a heat pump is viable. Though what ultimately stopped me was needing something like 2m of unobstructed outside wall space.