koopa's recent activity
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Comment on Career Advice for New Tech Workers in 2025 in ~comp
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Comment on What does your computer setup look like? in ~tech
koopa LinkI’m a software dev that works from home most of the time. I have 3 setups in different areas of the house depending on where I’m feeling like working for the day where I can easily plug in my work...I’m a software dev that works from home most of the time. I have 3 setups in different areas of the house depending on where I’m feeling like working for the day where I can easily plug in my work or personal laptops (Dell laptop and M3 MacBook Pro)
- Sitting only desk that also has my primary personal/gaming PC with
- 3 27” 1440p 165 hz monitors on VESA arm mounts
- Corsair mechanical keyboard with cherry Mx brown switches
- Logitech superlight mouse
- Herman Miller Embody chair
- Motorized sit/stand desk with
- standing pad
- a single 27” 1440p 75hz monitor on VESA arm mount
- usb c docking/charging station
- Microsoft wireless ergonomic keyboard and mouse
- Stand only treadmill desk with
- Lifespan walking treadmill
- a single 27” 1440p 75hz monitor on VESA arm mount
- usb c docking/charging station
- Microsoft wireless ergonomic keyboard and mouse
The walking treadmill has been the best addition, just doing two 45 minute working sessions while walking has me consistently hitting 10k steps a day without having to carve out extra time in the day specifically for exercise. Previously I was only taking about 2k steps a day on WFH days.
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Comment on Is there a way for Donald Trump to run for US presidency for a third time? in ~society
koopa LinkI’m very confident in saying it’s not going to happen. There isn’t any wiggle room in the 22nd amendment. It took a generation of the Heritage Foundation training conservative judges and coming up...I’m very confident in saying it’s not going to happen. There isn’t any wiggle room in the 22nd amendment. It took a generation of the Heritage Foundation training conservative judges and coming up with legal theories for the overturning of Roe v Wade.
There is not a majority on the court to just throw out the constitution if for no other reason than throwing out the constitution is throwing away the power of the Supreme Court.
He’ll probably bluster about it, but the same way he folded when the senate said no to recess appointments he’ll fold here as well.
Plus he’s already going to be the oldest president in history, he doesn’t have another term in him.
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Comment on Why US Democrats got the politics of immigration so wrong for so long in ~society
koopa (edited )Link ParentMy point isn’t that different immigration categories have different processing times, it’s that people in the same countries and categories often have wildly different processing times because the...My point isn’t that different immigration categories have different processing times, it’s that people in the same countries and categories often have wildly different processing times because the averages within a category are manipulated for people in the same exact situations.
You cannot use the “average” processing time for your immigration category as any sort of indicator of when your application will be process because applications are processed out of order to manipulate the average.
This is the reason places like visajourney have built their own database of timelines because you cannot rely on USCIS to accurately predict how long your application will take.
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Comment on Why US Democrats got the politics of immigration so wrong for so long in ~society
koopa Link ParentAs someone who has first hand knowledge of dealing with USCIS, their processing times are bunk, manipulated statistics. Maybe H1-B is different since there’s businesses sponsoring workers but with...As someone who has first hand knowledge of dealing with USCIS, their processing times are bunk, manipulated statistics.
Maybe H1-B is different since there’s businesses sponsoring workers but with family immigration what they do is pull some applications that come in to the front of the pile and approve them quickly. Meanwhile existing applications continue to sit and wait but this brings the “average” processing times down.
So it’s great if you’re one of the chosen ones for fast track but just pushes everyone else further.
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Comment on Why US Democrats got the politics of immigration so wrong for so long in ~society
koopa Link ParentTolerating illegal immigration also pisses off everyone going through the years long process of the broken legal immigration system. You make them feel like suckers jumping through the continuing...Tolerating illegal immigration also pisses off everyone going through the years long process of the broken legal immigration system. You make them feel like suckers jumping through the continuing bureaucratic hell of hoops and endless forms from USCIS that take literal years to process when they could’ve just walked across the border instead.
Democrats in the last decade have repeatedly made this mistake, especially at the local level. Instead of fixing broken systems and laws and providing real solutions, they just tolerate people breaking the law.
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Comment on Bomb threats made against US President-Elect Donald Trump cabinet nominees in ~society
koopa Link ParentAmericans have this romantic idea of violent revolutions because we had one of the few successful ones but the vast majority just lead to just endless cycles of violence and death until a...Frankly, if political violence is what it takes so my grandkids don't need to do monthly active shooter drills the way my kids do, I'm all for it. Because what's been happening "peacefully" for the last 20 obviously hasn't been working.
Americans have this romantic idea of violent revolutions because we had one of the few successful ones but the vast majority just lead to just endless cycles of violence and death until a strongman steps in to stop the chaos. Nine times out of 10 you don’t end up with a nice liberal democracy, you end up with something worse than what you started with.
Political violence will not give your grandkids peace.
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Comment on Reddit is hosting a hackathon for indie developers - Nov 20th to Dec 17th in ~games
koopa Link ParentThis is more than fair. Just following along when spez tried to libel the developer Apollo that had to be disproven with the audio recordings of their phone call told me everything I need to know...Having sat in a meeting with Steve (Spez) around the API debacle I can also say that even if I still had some energy left. Any goodwill towards reddit as an organization also is pretty much gone.
This is more than fair. Just following along when spez tried to libel the developer Apollo that had to be disproven with the audio recordings of their phone call told me everything I need to know about the guy. Not someone I would do business with, especially as a 3rd party dev at his whim.
I guess it all worked out for him, but I still feel sad that we lost something special by driving out all the talented people who built community instead of a business.
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Comment on Underrated ways to change the world in ~life
koopa LinkThis was a great essay and this from the comments also makes a great point I’ve seen these “Ruiners” get louder and louder over my lifetime, especially online. A good reminder that simply refusing...This was a great essay and this from the comments also makes a great point
Very inspiring. I would like to add perhaps the most important role I’ve discovered as an adult: if you want to do good in the world, don’t try to be the best person or even a good person, just don’t be that guy who ruins it for the people doing good, and don’t support Ruiners. There are all kinds of Ruiners—those that shut down promising and important ideas over technicalities, corrupt crooks who won’t let good things succeed unless they get a cut, and of course Nay Sayers. Whenever anyone asks me how to do good in the world, I tell them, there are already people working on it, and unless you’re careful, you might accidentally ruin it for them one day. So start doing your research, identify your ruining habits (pessimism, jealousy, cynicism, zero-sum thinking, greed, a need for fame or moral superiority) and get rid of those before you go off trying to change the world, lest you ruin what you’re trying to accomplish.
I’ve seen these “Ruiners” get louder and louder over my lifetime, especially online. A good reminder that simply refusing to join them helps make space to improve the world.
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Comment on Should I stop using Kagi because they do business with Yandex? in ~tech
koopa LinkThis is their response on Discord As an American company I’m kind of surprised Kagi is able to do business with Yandex. Though with the new administration I have doubts about how long Russian...This is their response on Discord
We are interested in building the best possible search. We do not discriminate based on current geopolitical issues. For more, check this : https://help.kagi.com/kagi/search-details/search-quality.html#search-neutrality-and-information-access
As an American company I’m kind of surprised Kagi is able to do business with Yandex. Though with the new administration I have doubts about how long Russian sanctions will last.
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Comment on Maybe Bluesky has "won" in ~tech
koopa Link ParentI think a big part of the problem is unless you’re living in a dense city or place like a college campus the internet just has more of the people you want to talk to. And if we’re talking about...I think a big part of the problem is unless you’re living in a dense city or place like a college campus the internet just has more of the people you want to talk to.
And if we’re talking about the US, the sky high real estate prices in the few dense cities make many potential third places impossible financially.
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Comment on Joe Biden allows Ukraine to strike Russia with US long-range missiles in ~society
koopa Link ParentIf you think appeasing dictators stops world wars, I have some bad news about WW2.If you think appeasing dictators stops world wars, I have some bad news about WW2.
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Comment on John Thune elected as US Senate Republican leader to succeed Mitch McConnell in ~society
koopa Link ParentIt is still important to bring awareness of his crimes if for no other reason than to hope future generations can learn from where we failed. And secondly, any amount of resources or time that can...It is still important to bring awareness of his crimes if for no other reason than to hope future generations can learn from where we failed.
And secondly, any amount of resources or time that can be drained away fighting impeachment is time and resources not put towards harming the country.
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Comment on John Thune elected as US Senate Republican leader to succeed Mitch McConnell in ~society
koopa Link ParentThune is definitely the least bad choice of the many bad options.Thune is definitely the least bad choice of the many bad options.
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Comment on If our worst fears about Donald Trump play out, how will we know when it's time to leave? in ~society
koopa LinkMy wife is a LPR, my line would be if the authority of the courts to protect legal immigrants breaks down. Which to clear, I do not expect at all. Trump is going to start out with an attempt to...My wife is a LPR, my line would be if the authority of the courts to protect legal immigrants breaks down. Which to clear, I do not expect at all.
Trump is going to start out with an attempt to “shock and awe” his authority which is meant to spark fear but the important thing is the restrain and resist him at every level. Elect democrats. Litigate everything. Run out the clock. Saving the country is a far better option than fleeing it. The world without a USA as a force for freedom and democracy, is a world that has authoritarians creeping in from all directions no matter where you flee to.
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Comment on Taylor Swift fans are leaving X for Bluesky after Donald Trump’s US election in ~society
koopa Link ParentStarter packs have done a great job of making the jump super easy. I originally got into the Bluesky beta but kinda bounced off because I didn’t really have anyone to follow. But now there’s...Starter packs have done a great job of making the jump super easy. I originally got into the Bluesky beta but kinda bounced off because I didn’t really have anyone to follow.
But now there’s enough people over there that I was able to follow with one click via starter packs that I’ve completely replaced my Twitter usage.
And moderation lists means that any MAGA bots/rage baiters are just automatically blocked without me having to do anything which makes everything 100x better than Twitter.
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Comment on American election mental health thread in ~health.mental
koopa Link ParentYeah this isn’t 2016, where Trump won solely based on the shifting uneducated white male vote in the electoral college. He did better across every demographic group than last time. NYT projects...Yeah this isn’t 2016, where Trump won solely based on the shifting uneducated white male vote in the electoral college. He did better across every demographic group than last time. NYT projects he’ll win the popular vote by about 1%.
This is simply a country wide failure.
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Comment on American election mental health thread in ~health.mental
koopa Link ParentTrump wouldn’t even have to send anything to Putin. Just take off the sanctions and let China have free rein to give whatever they want to Russia without their current guise of “dual use” weapons...Trump wouldn’t even have to send anything to Putin. Just take off the sanctions and let China have free rein to give whatever they want to Russia without their current guise of “dual use” weapons and tech.
Europe alone cannot compete with China’s manufacturing capability.
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Comment on AI is killing remote work in ~tech
koopa Link ParentYeah, in my experience even just using AI to generate little helper functions like take a timestamp string in this format and give it to me in number of seconds has failed at least 30-40% of the...Yeah, in my experience even just using AI to generate little helper functions like take a timestamp string in this format and give it to me in number of seconds has failed at least 30-40% of the time.
It’s nice when it works and incredible that it works slightly more often than not but when it’s wrong it’s usually in subtle ways that are easily missed if you aren’t being careful.
It might “feel” like you’re going faster but you’re probably fooling yourself.
This stuff gives me big “open offices promote amazing collaboration and speed up productivity” vibes. And we all know the results of that.
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Comment on Recruiting help for election day posters in ~creative
koopa LinkIf you’re looking to actually persuade someone you need to think about what is the most persuasive issue and framing for them, not for you. Abortion and healthcare are Democrat’s best issues. I...If you’re looking to actually persuade someone you need to think about what is the most persuasive issue and framing for them, not for you.
Abortion and healthcare are Democrat’s best issues. I would also heavily lean into the freedom from government control messaging that has been effective in passing pro-choice referendums in red states.
Something like “keep the government out of your doctor’s office, vote for freedom, vote for Harris.”
If you are in a place with many elderly voters, emphasizing that “Trump’s plans will bankrupt Social Security to give billionaires a tax break. Vote for Harris, save Social Security.” would also be an effective message.
These might be a bit too long for a sign but they’re imo the best messages for persuadable voters.
My first team I worked on was a real honest to god agile team in the spirit of the manifesto and I just assumed that was mostly how everyone worked since everyone and their dog throws around the word agile. And when it works agile is an incredible and fulfilling experience.
But I’ve come to believe you really need the right people both on the team and management at every level above the team for it to actually work. Because every other corporate and bureaucratic incentive is pushing against effective agile. And the only people that truly see and experience the magic are the developers themselves.
Add the fact is that unless you’re a start up, you can coast for a long, long time on counterproductive processes if you already have an established customer base. No one is going to know that the product could’ve been 15% better this year if dev time wasn’t wasted on process, meetings, and busywork. Because people only have loss aversion about what is actually in front of them, not what could have been if things were done better.