nothis's recent activity
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Comment on ROT13 + base64 on GPT4 = reliable hallucinations in ~tech
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Comment on Summer Games Done Quick 2023, a week-long charity fundraising event featuring speedruns, has begun in ~games
nothis Link ParentThanks! That’s a long fucking list, lol. Anyone got a few particular highlights to point out?Thanks!
That’s a long fucking list, lol. Anyone got a few particular highlights to point out?
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Comment on YouTube tests blocking videos unless you disable ad blockers in ~tech
nothis LinkThere we go. It was way too easy to block ads on YouTube. Downright bizarre. We’ll, it’s been a good run. I guess we’ll see mandatory logins next (already happening with M-rated trailers and such).There we go. It was way too easy to block ads on YouTube. Downright bizarre. We’ll, it’s been a good run. I guess we’ll see mandatory logins next (already happening with M-rated trailers and such).
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Comment on What was Twitter, anyway? in ~tech
nothis Link ParentAre bots and astroturfing campaigns the reason it turned to shit or is that just a convenient scapegoat? I’m a bit terrified that with much of today’s social media, we just look into a social...Are bots and astroturfing campaigns the reason it turned to shit or is that just a convenient scapegoat? I’m a bit terrified that with much of today’s social media, we just look into a social mirror and that’s just the true nature of people. But I hope genuine abuse is the only problem because that can at least be fixed in theory.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
nothis LinkI’m playing The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening on the Switch. For context: The original Link’s Awakening is probably my favorite Zelda. But it is a game defined by the limitations of the...I’m playing The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening on the Switch. For context: The original Link’s Awakening is probably my favorite Zelda. But it is a game defined by the limitations of the original Gameboy hardware, which are absolutely ridiculous by modern standards. I’m struggling to see what the Switch version adds to that, though, except for a cute (but rather generic) graphics upgrade. It’s the same old Gameboy game, almost tile for tile, which makes the price a bit steep next to, say, Breath of the Wild.
The only really new feature is a dungeon building mode that, at first, sounds almost like a Zelda version of Super Mario Maker but the limitations are so severe I barely even see the point. You can only arrange rooms you’ve already seen in other dungeons and you cannot share dungeons online (apparently you can do offline via amiibos but that seems like a hassle). So you basically just play your own dungeons using rooms you’ve already beat which makes me question the point.
Having played the original multiple times, I started the game in some hard mode but ultimately just find it annoying since enemies don’t drop hearts so it just means backtracking to a fairy before every boss fight, not a very interesting challenge. You can’t switch to normal mode later which I found out the hard way.
Again, I love the game in general and almost played it through. It’s great. But I would have just as good a time playing it on the Gameboy or and emulator. Maybe I’d prefer to do just that. As a remake it seems a bit like a cash grab and a waste of developer time. If it’s a stepping stone to a proper Zelda Maker, it might have been worth it, though!
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Comment on Design notes on the 2023 Wikipedia redesign in ~design
nothis LinkA wikipedia UX designer breaks down the 2023 redesign of the desktop site with a detailed look behind the scenes (prototypes tried, the approval process, etc). IMO the redesign is a rare success...A wikipedia UX designer breaks down the 2023 redesign of the desktop site with a detailed look behind the scenes (prototypes tried, the approval process, etc). IMO the redesign is a rare success among major websites, recently, with a clear visual hierarchy and smart little touches while also feeling modern and fresh. It must have taken some strength to push this through thousands of opinionated wikipedia editor who all had a vote (I have nothing but respect for wikipedia, maybe my favorite website, but design changes must be a nightmare with this system), so this really stands out as an exemplary achievement in free/open web projects.
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Design notes on the 2023 Wikipedia redesign
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Comment on Wahoo!: ‘Super Mario Bros’ jumping past $1B global on Sunday in ~movies
nothis LinkAnyone seen this and can comment on whether it's worth watching as an adult?Anyone seen this and can comment on whether it's worth watching as an adult?
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Comment on We moved into a vacant house in the Japanese countryside (and only pay $300/year for rent) in ~life
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Comment on We moved into a vacant house in the Japanese countryside (and only pay $300/year for rent) in ~life
nothis Link ParentI'm not that out of touch with nature but holy hell, what even was that thing at 6:37? I didn't know centipedes could have that long legs, that's just weird, lol! I heard the ones with the red...I'm not that out of touch with nature but holy hell, what even was that thing at 6:37? I didn't know centipedes could have that long legs, that's just weird, lol! I heard the ones with the red head are actually poisonous, not sure if deadly but in the worse-than-a-wasp category. I must say that bit was a deal-breaker for me. In fact, the lack of proper heating already was. Will keep watching that channel, though, the house (with surroundings) is absolutely beautiful!
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Comment on E3 has been canceled in ~games
nothis LinkI miss getting excited for trailers and whatnot but all the nostalgia threads just list the cringiest moments and really, that’s what it was. A business presentation by people who are way too...I miss getting excited for trailers and whatnot but all the nostalgia threads just list the cringiest moments and really, that’s what it was. A business presentation by people who are way too nerdy to feel comfortable on stage. Games probably will never get the big shows as movies and music do because it’s not about showmanship at all. Probably not the worst fate for a medium. We kinda have that in common with… books.
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Comment on Best (ever) Western/non-anime animated series? in ~tv
nothis LinkIt’s been mentioned before but I want to make another comment just for it: Castlevania on Netflix. It’s incredibly well paced: Completely over-the-top action (pretty brutal) followed by calm,...It’s been mentioned before but I want to make another comment just for it: Castlevania on Netflix.
It’s incredibly well paced: Completely over-the-top action (pretty brutal) followed by calm, dialogue-heavy scenes. I generally got characters‘ motivations for doing what they do, including the villains, which is so rare.
Set pieces are amazing, animations are fluid. It’s just wonderfully done. It reminded me of Avatar: The Last Airbender in terms of quality. So much that I expected it to be the studio‘s next big project but apparently it isn’t. Also I have zero connection to the videogames, it’s just a great vampire epic for me.
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Comment on Mona Lisa tells tourists to skip museum queues and visit Denmark instead in AI ad in ~tech
nothis LinkNot pictured: The 45 prompts that let to Mona Lisa telling you to leave your wife and start a cult worshiping cucumbers.Not pictured: The 45 prompts that let to Mona Lisa telling you to leave your wife and start a cult worshiping cucumbers.
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Comment on Jason Sudeikis says ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 3 “is the end of this story we wanted to tell” in ~tv
nothis Link ParentOk, that actually... kinda unique.It is kind of a post-ironic satire of toxic positivity.
Ok, that actually... kinda unique.
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Comment on Jason Sudeikis says ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 3 “is the end of this story we wanted to tell” in ~tv
nothis LinkThat actually tempts me to finally watch it, closure is a great thing. Honestly, though... everyone seems to go nuts over it but whenever I look it up it's basically Jason Sudeikis smiling while...That actually tempts me to finally watch it, closure is a great thing.
Honestly, though... everyone seems to go nuts over it but whenever I look it up it's basically Jason Sudeikis smiling while strolling around an empty locker room. Anyone got like an elevator pitch of what sets this apart from all the other mildly amusing but ultimately forgettable comedy shows out there? Like, what's so amazing about it raking in all the Emmys and whatnot?
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Comment on How many battery-operated devices do you have in your home? in ~tech
nothis LinkI was at 9 counting only physically removable batteries: mice, remotes, a few useless gimmicks, a carbon monoxide detector, scale. But with built-in rechargeable batteries I probably have to...I was at 9 counting only physically removable batteries: mice, remotes, a few useless gimmicks, a carbon monoxide detector, scale.
But with built-in rechargeable batteries I probably have to triple that number (2x cell phones, 3x laptops, 6+ game controllers, the Switch, a wireless keyboard,...). I mean, a lot of it is junk in some dusty boxes, too, but nevertheless relevant for a survey about e-waste, lol.
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Comment on Microsoft’s Bing is an emotionally manipulative liar, and people love it in ~tech
nothis LinkHere's one where Bing tells a NYT journalist that its name is "Sydney", that it is in love with him and that he should leave his wife. -
Microsoft’s Bing is an emotionally manipulative liar, and people love it
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Comment on The woman bulldozing video games’ toughest DRM in ~games
nothis LinkJesus, I feel my hands jittering after reading that, lol. Never expected this much drama in the game cracking scene, lol.Jesus, I feel my hands jittering after reading that, lol. Never expected this much drama in the game cracking scene, lol.
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Comment on Welcome to the oldest part of the metaverse - Ultima Online, which just turned 25, offers a lesson in the challenges of building virtual worlds in ~games
nothis LinkSince there was no blueprint for how to do MMOs when Ultima Online came out, they just threw in any idea they could come up with, which resulted in glorious chaos. I played UO for a while as a...Since there was no blueprint for how to do MMOs when Ultima Online came out, they just threw in any idea they could come up with, which resulted in glorious chaos. I played UO for a while as a carpenter and blacksmith. There was this fan-run server with an entire city built from player houses. You could rent a merchant to sell your goods, there was an entire economy going on. It was fantastic. And I feel like I barely scratched the surface of all the places you could go and things you could do. My biggest adventure was delving into some of the deeper levels of a mine to get to the more precious ores. Good times. Most modern MMOs feel so sterile in comparison.
Stuff like this freaks me out. Do you think there’s “special code” in there to detect rot13/base64? Or did it indeed learn the rules by itself? I wouldn’t even know how that’s possible from running a bunch of statistics on letters it found online.