maple's recent activity
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Comment on Human drivers keep rear-ending Waymos in ~transport
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Comment on Three days in England - Overwhelmed by options - Looking for ideas in ~travel
maple Link ParentI’m glad you said this because my first thought after reading they had a week in London and wanted to get out if the city was, “head North”! Travel time would make it tricky but it’s a very...I’m glad you said this because my first thought after reading they had a week in London and wanted to get out if the city was, “head North”!
Travel time would make it tricky but it’s a very different vibe. I still think it would be worth it.
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Comment on SpaceTraders — A unique multiplayer game built on a free Web API in ~comp
maple Link ParentI ran up ungodly phone bills playing Tradewars back in the day. Loved that game so much! You can still find it in various places online but it seems that all the players nowadays are using crazily...I ran up ungodly phone bills playing Tradewars back in the day. Loved that game so much! You can still find it in various places online but it seems that all the players nowadays are using crazily optimized macros etc, so it loses the nostalgic slow-paced feel.
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Comment on Mozilla is adding vertical tabs, profile management, and local AI to Firefox in ~tech
maple Link ParentGod I hope they don’t abandon it. I use tab containers for security/privacy reasons - keeping Facebook in its own jail etc. The UX of it isn’t so important to me (the centre of the universe)God I hope they don’t abandon it. I use tab containers for security/privacy reasons - keeping Facebook in its own jail etc. The UX of it isn’t so important to me (the centre of the universe)
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Comment on Folks in those $100k+ jobs, corporate types, office workers... What would you say you actually do? in ~life
maple Link ParentAlso IT, also management, exact same experience with back to back meetings, exact same purpose in them. Honestly I can’t wait for many corporate knowledge worker jobs to be automated, maybe mine...Also IT, also management, exact same experience with back to back meetings, exact same purpose in them.
Honestly I can’t wait for many corporate knowledge worker jobs to be automated, maybe mine will be one of them!
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Comment on Time to delete your Glassdoor account and data in ~tech
maple LinkInterestingly the full name that Glassdoor has assigned me is the unique, heavily truncated version of my name that I use on Facebook and nowhere else. I use the same email address on both sites,...Interestingly the full name that Glassdoor has assigned me is the unique, heavily truncated version of my name that I use on Facebook and nowhere else. I use the same email address on both sites, so I guess they’ve learned it through some shady backroom data purchasing arrangement. That’s gross, so goodbye account.
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Comment on What is the most reliable and affordable form of storage medium to use as a backup drive for your computer? in ~tech
maple Link ParentMy take on your question is that if you have an HDD that is just sitting on a shelf untouched, even if it's more reliable than an SSD in that situation, you have absolutely no guarantee that it's...My take on your question is that if you have an HDD that is just sitting on a shelf untouched, even if it's more reliable than an SSD in that situation, you have absolutely no guarantee that it's going to work when you need it to.
You need to test your backups. My approach here is that cloud providers can't compete with the cost of an 8TB SATA drive that's brought home from the office once a week and rsynced, then taken back to the office. Every week I plug that thing in and I know that it works.
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Comment on What is the "bible" of your hobby or activity? in ~hobbies
maple LinkStick and Rudder by Wolfgang Langewiesche. Terminology is a little dated now but airplanes fly the same now as they did in 1944. Pretty much required reading for any budding pilot.Stick and Rudder by Wolfgang Langewiesche. Terminology is a little dated now but airplanes fly the same now as they did in 1944. Pretty much required reading for any budding pilot.
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Comment on Advice for returning to a frozen car at long term airport parking in ~travel
maple Link ParentNot to make light of OP’s situation and I hope they figure it out safely — but your mention of credit card concierge piqued my interest. My card has the same service through Visa Infinite...Not to make light of OP’s situation and I hope they figure it out safely — but your mention of credit card concierge piqued my interest. My card has the same service through Visa Infinite Privilege and to be honest it always struck me as a gimmick — it would never occur to use the concierge for anything. Is there a reason you’re suggesting it here? Maybe just because OP is tired and busy?
Just trying to figure out if there’s a killer app for this thing that I’m missing.
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Comment on Tesla overtaken by China’s BYD as world’s biggest EV maker in ~transport
maple Link ParentI wish I had a more useful comment to make, and I'm sure you can find it if you Kagi hard enough, but I saw an interesting article or citation (forget which) that oulined that going right back to...finding new jobs for people in declining industries is actually a pretty tough problem. It doesn't just happen.
I wish I had a more useful comment to make, and I'm sure you can find it if you Kagi hard enough, but I saw an interesting article or citation (forget which) that oulined that going right back to the automotive revolution, when a new technology comes along, we don't really find new jobs for existing people who are being displaced (or replaced); new entrants to the labour market just find different jobs, and the old ones die out through attrition.
I suppose it might not hold now with new technologies and the pace of change being higher, but I found it to be an interesting idea.
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Comment on I'm gonna be a dad! in ~life.men
maple Link ParentI think this is really important to highlight. I don't mind admitting that I felt nothing for my daughter when she was first born. I was far more invested in my wife who didn't have a very easy...We don't carry baby so we have to do all of our bonding after the baby comes.
I think this is really important to highlight. I don't mind admitting that I felt nothing for my daughter when she was first born. I was far more invested in my wife who didn't have a very easy labour and was in some distress afterwards. The screaming ball of flesh under the heat lamp was at most a curiosity... and honestly it took me probably a couple of months before I really genuinely felt like I had anything more than a legal responsibility for my daughter.
She's 6 now, is smart, funny and loving and I love her to pieces, but it was a rough ride at the start. So give yourself some space, don't feel guilty if you don't get there straight away.
And everything /u/wolf_359 says is correct (although I have my differences regarding safe co-sleeping arrangements, it's possible if you're careful... but you have to be careful and understand the risks). Free baby stuff groups are a gold mine on both ends... it feels really great to be able to pass stuff on after you're done with it!
Babies are built to survive first time parents. Keep it alive, and everything else will fall into place!
Oh and -- this is a great book.
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Comment on It's spooky how fast Spirit Halloween stores pop up. Here's how the US retailer does it. in ~finance
maple Link ParentAgree. The most impressive part of their ability to appear overnight isn’t that they’re able to lease empty storefronts (empty stores easy to lease at short notice, news at 11); it’s that they’re...Agree. The most impressive part of their ability to appear overnight isn’t that they’re able to lease empty storefronts (empty stores easy to lease at short notice, news at 11); it’s that they’re able to lease empty storefronts and fill them with stock overnight, all across the country, in perfect sync. That speaks to some really highly optimized supply chains! Lots of interesting aspects to it that this didn’t touch on.
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Comment on What should I look at on Google Earth? in ~tech
maple Link ParentI thought I was the only one! I started planning a trip to Tuktoyaktuk back in early 2020 (obviously that didn’t go ahead), and in the course of doing that I found myself idly doing exactly what...I thought I was the only one! I started planning a trip to Tuktoyaktuk back in early 2020 (obviously that didn’t go ahead), and in the course of doing that I found myself idly doing exactly what you say. Sometimes I’ll pan around the streets of a northern community and imagine what life must be like there.
Sometimes I’m surprised by the existence of a photo sphere or two taken by visitors, and how the level of development can vary so wildly - Old Crow in YT is a good example. They have downright modern museum thing but no obvious way to get building materials there. It’s impressive.
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Comment on Why is Popeyes so good? in ~food
maple LinkCheck out Canadian (they’re from Newfoundland) chain Mary Brown’s - they used to just be back east but a bunch have sprung up in the lower mainland recently. They’re a much, much higher quality...Check out Canadian (they’re from Newfoundland) chain Mary Brown’s - they used to just be back east but a bunch have sprung up in the lower mainland recently. They’re a much, much higher quality KFC and their Big Mary chicken sandwich is pretty great.
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Comment on What’s in your go bag for the apocalypse? in ~life
maple Link ParentGo to Scotland! They have the Right to Roam, including wild camping; it was one of my favourite discoveries after I moved there.Go to Scotland! They have the Right to Roam, including wild camping; it was one of my favourite discoveries after I moved there.
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Comment on Hunter Biden indicted on US federal gun charges in ~news
maple Link ParentDisagree, I think the big guy would go out of his way to stay out of it; he doesn’t need to give anybody ammunition to attack him during the campaign.Disagree, I think the big guy would go out of his way to stay out of it; he doesn’t need to give anybody ammunition to attack him during the campaign.
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Comment on Tim Berners-Lee 'sorry' for slashes (2009) in ~tech
maple Link ParentNope, it comes from the url. Quoth wiki:Nope, it comes from the url. Quoth wiki:
The name "Slashdot" came from a somewhat "obnoxious parody of a URL" – when Malda registered the domain, he desired to make a name that was "silly and unpronounceable" – try pronouncing out, 'h-t-t-p-colon-slash-slash-slashdot-dot-org'".[15]
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Comment on The blight of bright white LEDs in ~life
maple Link ParentTotally agree about overhead lighting vs lamps! I go for a “pools of light” aesthetic. I’m loving this whole thread. My kind of people!Totally agree about overhead lighting vs lamps! I go for a “pools of light” aesthetic.
I’m loving this whole thread. My kind of people!
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Comment on The blight of bright white LEDs in ~life
maple LinkYou’re definitely not crazy. I’ve had to replace almost all our bulbs with Hue bulbs because it’s nigh on impossible to find regular LED bulbs that are less than 3000K. Under my roof thou shall go...You’re definitely not crazy. I’ve had to replace almost all our bulbs with Hue bulbs because it’s nigh on impossible to find regular LED bulbs that are less than 3000K. Under my roof thou shall go no higher than 2700K!
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Comment on Terry Pratchett was fantasy fiction’s Kurt Vonnegut, not its Douglas Adams in ~books
maple Link ParentI love this whole comment chain so much. The Culture has long been my favourite book series as well as fictional universe, and I completely agree that Banks’ philosophy (and politics - he was a...I love this whole comment chain so much. The Culture has long been my favourite book series as well as fictional universe, and I completely agree that Banks’ philosophy (and politics - he was a staunch socialist) comes through loud and clear, but doesn’t often get as much attention.
You missed Consider Phlebas in your list which is a great book and true space opera (I believe it was considered one of the most likely to be turned into a movie? Which I’m rather glad didn’t happen). I’m sure that was intentional, but just throwing it out there for any other readers.
Excession is probably my favourite book of the series, if only because I’m a sucker for the antics of the Minds and again, space opera.
I met Banks a couple of times and he was a true gent. Lovely, lovely man and the world - and our bookshelves - are lucky to have had him.
Side note, if anyone exhausts the Culture series and wants something that scratches a similar itch but in a very (very) different universe, consider the Warhammer 40k Eisenhorn series. They give me similar feels.
Great relevant username btw ;)
My suburban city went to great lengths and expense to rework one of our major east-west throughfares so that it included a grade-separated bike lane (actually a "multi-use path"), pissing off many NIMBYs in the process. It's beautiful clear smooth tarmac, with one lane in each direction. Well lit and about six feet offset from the road. I was thrilled to see it go in.
The only cyclists who use it are the occasional casual cyclist like me, and kids. Dedicated cyclists (which is to say, the ones who own and wear special outfits, and ride fancy road bikes, often in gaggles of 10 or more) don't go near it, seemingly preferring instead to ride on the street with the cars. The very street that was made significantly narrower and more precarious by the building of the new path. I've actually witnessed more road rage (on both sides) since it went in than I did before.
I'm sure this is the city's fault for some reason, perhaps it's not as convenient or enjoyable for the cyclists to have to go up and down dropped curbs at intersections, but I have little sympathy for the cyclists if they aren't using the facilities provided to them.
I'm delighted to see more separate cycling infrastructure, but in this case we can't even get the horse to come to the water, let alone drink it. I'm not sure what to do about that. I guess my point is just that sometimes you can do everything seemingly right, but human behaviour confounds you.