nsz's recent activity
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Comment on SpaceX reveals monthly cost of Starlink internet in its "Better Than Nothing Beta" in ~space
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Comment on Twitter won’t let The New York Post tweet until it agrees to behave itself in ~tech
nsz LinkFor those out of the loop, here's the background. the guardianFor those out of the loop, here's the background.
The story is almost comical. It alleges that someone delivered three laptops to a computer repair store in Delaware. The owner of that store thinks the man who delivered the computers was Hunter Biden, the son of Vice-President Joe Biden. But he can’t be sure it was Hunter Biden. Or maybe he can. He’s very confused about how this all went down. Anyway, the owner says he made copies of the hard drives and somehow sent the content, which he deemed suspicious, to some undetermined law enforcement agency and to the former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, one of Trump’s personal lawyers. It’s all very unclear how and why such a transaction happened – if at all.
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Comment on Proving the Earth is round at home in ~science
nsz (edited )LinkProbably the easiest and most straightforward way is to just look at the Moon, observe it's illuminated side change shape throughout the month, then have a think what shape could cause such an...Probably the easiest and most straightforward way is to just look at the Moon, observe it's illuminated side change shape throughout the month, then have a think what shape could cause such an effect, keeping in mind a single lightsource, the Sun.
EDIT: Peel half of an orange then rotate it while looking at it with one eye closed (to remove parallax), you should see the phases of the moon!
Here's the leap, extrapolate that earth will most likely have the same or at least similar shape. Is there a good explanation why it shouldn't? To back it up, try explaining time-zones. If you've done any travel you'll have first had experience of their effect. What are the possible shapes earth can take that make time-zones possible? Try getting a call with someone a few time zones away, see the sun set twice in one day. Try explain the phenomenon.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech
nsz Link ParentIt's so annoying when I Google a problem and it takes me to a tread with 3 top level comments but the information is hidden behind a whole bunch of "show me the full thread" buttons. It's absurd I...It's so annoying when I Google a problem and it takes me to a tread with 3 top level comments but the information is hidden behind a whole bunch of "show me the full thread" buttons. It's absurd I need to reload the page 6 times just to follow a 20 comment discussion.
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Comment on How do you know whether a back-and-forth conversation is productive and/or appreciated? in ~tildes
nsz LinkPersonally, I like the low cost of engaging online, it helps take the pressure off making replies. Adding in a system that makes it more personal, will (and kind of by design), make it more costly...Personally, I like the low cost of engaging online, it helps take the pressure off making replies. Adding in a system that makes it more personal, will (and kind of by design), make it more costly to engage; you're signing up for a proper conversation with higher expectations.
I don't ever get offended if an interlocutor walks away from the conversation, after all I've done it many times. Either you're busy, a reply is felt unnecessary or maybe you're just done with the topic; in all cases I'd much rather they leave, then feel obliged to reply.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech
nsz Link ParentThanks for that, makes this a fair bit clearer.Thanks for that, makes this a fair bit clearer.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech
nsz Link ParentWhat's the out of the loop explanation on Rooster Teeth and these guys roll in it? Literally never heard about them until this stuff started to surface.What's the out of the loop explanation on Rooster Teeth and these guys roll in it? Literally never heard about them until this stuff started to surface.
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Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health
nsz Link ParentWow fast reply, I just got done editing the original to includea question. But thanks yeah, when the outdoor rinks start opening up here I'll give it a shot.Wow fast reply, I just got done editing the original to includea question.
But thanks yeah, when the outdoor rinks start opening up here I'll give it a shot.
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Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health
nsz Link ParentI once worked with a Canadian who, during the winter, would literally go ice-skating during his 1 hour lunch break. It's such a gracefull sport, wish I'd taken him up on the offer a couple times...I once worked with a Canadian who, during the winter, would literally go ice-skating during his 1 hour lunch break. It's such a gracefull sport, wish I'd taken him up on the offer a couple times to learn a little technique.
Has it been hard learning to do this advanced stuff? I've tried figuring out how skating where you put your feet in front of each other, also backwards skating, totally eluded me.
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Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health
nsz Link ParentOh man that's awesome, we had a rower with a water drum growing up, the sound and the feeling of your whole body working, reall great.Oh man that's awesome, we had a rower with a water drum growing up, the sound and the feeling of your whole body working, reall great.
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Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health
nsz LinkJust went for my first proper run since covid I'd been training for a marathon, but since lockdown andthe race getting cancelled all motivation evaporated. So here it is: 5.1km in 34mins, feel...Just went for my first proper run since covid I'd been training for a marathon, but since lockdown andthe race getting cancelled all motivation evaporated.
So here it is: 5.1km in 34mins, feel like shit and can bearly breath, but at least I've started.
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Comment on Let's play and win our own game in ~tech
nsz LinkReally interesting talk, even listened to the Q&A session, (link was in the comments). One question I'd ask about the kind of hyper local approach to social networks, a small neighborhood, like...Really interesting talk, even listened to the Q&A session, (link was in the comments).
One question I'd ask about the kind of hyper local approach to social networks, a small neighborhood, like Kazemi's friend camp; how do you allow for personal growth? If the mechanic joins a mechanic focused camp, their identity is linked to the federation they're part of, can you move house? Is that easy, I know so little about how mastodon works.
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Comment on What social norm(s) you would like to see changed? in ~talk
nsz Link ParentI've been thinking about this idea, while I agree in principle, I still think it's a bit of red herring. I'm starting by assuming everyone would--give the chance--be empathetic to those outside...I've been thinking about this idea, while I agree in principle, I still think it's a bit of red herring.
I'm starting by assuming everyone would--give the chance--be empathetic to those outside their "tribe", but the system makes it harder then it should be -- decrying a lack of empathy puts the onus on people rather then the system. The system is probably not he best phrase, maybe society, or a power structures that exists in politics or whatever the issue is related to.
So many of the instances where basic empathy is felt out of the equation come from the top down; war, climate change controversy, smoking killing, contraception, etc. As far as I can see, these are all pushed from the top down, the agenda of a narrow few. Now, they're probably acting out of what they feel is necessity, and that's really the thing that needs changing.
I say that, but I also see the counter argument, the BLM movement for instance is the response to a broken system and it's, at least partially fueled by people's empathy. But by god is it slow to affect change, and only really because they've started speaking the system's language -- which isn't empathy, but rather property destruction and economic impact.
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Comment on How can we change the site's structure/mechanics/patterns so that we're not discouraging posting "too much" on particular subjects? in ~tildes.official
nsz LinkThere's been so much feedback, so I'm not sure if this will be a repeat. Allowing users to manually sticky posts to their frontpage. For instance, the music best of, it's what I'm most...There's been so much feedback, so I'm not sure if this will be a repeat.
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Allowing users to manually sticky posts to their frontpage. For instance, the music best of, it's what I'm most consistently checking these past few days, it'd be nice if it was easily accessible. A follow discussion type button. There would need to be some mechanism to let it fade once there is no discussion, say 10 days of inactivity removes it, popping back up if it picks up again.
I know bookmarks do a similar thing, but that's three page loads from the front page, and separated from the rest of the site's content. -
Also, timed filters. Say it's political season, and you'd rather not be inundated with country X politics, setup a timed filter for 2-3 months. That way it returns to normal after the deluge.
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Or maybe some way of letting users know how many posts they are filtering out, to deal with this idea of setting and forgetting a filter.
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This might already be possible, but filtering of the opposite to your filter settings, this was you can easily assess what you're missing and adjust your filters accordingly.
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Comment on US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania have tested positive for coronavirus in ~health
nsz Link ParentUseless he recovers within a week, then he's just indestructible... Idk I can see it as an insane idea, could even be a false positive, you'd get the same effect.Useless he recovers within a week, then he's just indestructible... Idk I can see it as an insane idea, could even be a false positive, you'd get the same effect.
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Comment on If you could completely refresh something and rebuild it from the ground up, what would it be and why? in ~talk
nsz Link ParentOk, let's use borough in an English vs American accent, just focusing on the ough sound, I hear an American accent rhyming it with furrow, or burrow, but not the British one, when you standardise...Ok, let's use borough in an English vs American accent, just focusing on the ough sound, I hear an American accent rhyming it with furrow, or burrow, but not the British one, when you standardise do you use the same letter combination (grapheme?) for furrow as for borough? Wouldn't that decision exclude one side of the atlantic?
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Comment on Trump/Biden 2020 Presidential Debate #1 Discussion Thread in ~society
nsz Link ParentI'm pretty sure 99% of people will come across this as snippets that get shared online and reported by news media. It's the reason everything is so superficial and preformative, both candidates...I'm pretty sure 99% of people will come across this as snippets that get shared online and reported by news media. It's the reason everything is so superficial and preformative, both candidates know it and prepped for just that.
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Comment on If you could completely refresh something and rebuild it from the ground up, what would it be and why? in ~talk
nsz Link ParentTo me these two contradict each other. Your pronunciation, accent or dialect, will change how a word sounds to you, ie. what letters you think should makeup its spelling. You mention the "o"...We're talking about reforming spelling though, not enforcing some standard pronunciation. (...)
(...) As long as there is correspondence between the sound and how it is written, reform will be useful to you no matter your dialect. (...)
To me these two contradict each other. Your pronunciation, accent or dialect, will change how a word sounds to you, ie. what letters you think should makeup its spelling.
You mention the "o" sound, the examples you list don't sound the same to me, I hear a distinct difference between ough (as in "wrought"), and o (as in "onomatopoeia"), for instance. I realise that depends on my pronunciation, and that's my point. How would you reform the spelling of "wrought", without making an assumption about it's intended pronunciation?
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Comment on If you could completely refresh something and rebuild it from the ground up, what would it be and why? in ~talk
nsz Link ParentThe other goal is to make all citizens speak the same language, leave no room for accent or interpretation, no individuality. That speaks to my next point, I only alluded to it before, but I'll...The point of New Speak in 1984 was to limit the vocabulary of the citizens.
The other goal is to make all citizens speak the same language, leave no room for accent or interpretation, no individuality. That speaks to my next point, I only alluded to it before, but I'll expand here:
English learners frequently struggle with spelling and pronunciation, and making that process easier could potentially improve literacy amongst the types of people who struggle with the English language.
Easier for whom and from what country? What pronunciation would you pick as the "standard" English? Would it be as spoken in; Australia, Canada, South Africa, India or The Caribbean, and so on, not to mention regional or racial lines you can draw. Each have their way of pronouncing the same words and could not in any world be distilled down to one phonetic spelling. You'd have to invalidate all but the one you choose to pick as your standard, and thus, we approach newspeak uniformity.
But ok, lets hand wave away this problem and say that English just is phonetic, how long can it stay that way? You'd either police it's learning and keep everyone's pronunciation inline (1984-ish), or let people speak as they like, quickly arriving at the state we're in now; not phonetic and following some arbitrary set of rules. At least now the rules have meaning, follow a history.
Either way, I think it's futile trying make it phonetic -- English is too global, use by too many.
(...) children who might otherwise have more interest in reading were it not confusing for them, and adults who managed to get through high school without achieving significant literacy.
I think schools failing at teaching English is more complicated then, "it's hard, so I give up" for children and adults alike. Maybe deemphasizing the importance of pedantic spell checking could make it easier on students, idk. Besides there are far more complex languages than English that get taught just fine.
Also worth mentioning that reforming English spelling to be phonetic would be a boon to AI, which has a hard time understanding the pronunciation as it is, made all the more difficult by inconsistent rules.
Yes reforming everyone's pronunciation to be the same would make things easier for an AI to understand us, but again, why kill such a large part of human expression, for an AI? Nope, they are built as a tool for humans, not the other way around.
As for rules? Unless you have an insight I don't, it makes no difference to an AI what letter combination represents a sound, it's still got to learn it and adding extra rules is not an issue for a machine who's one advantage over humans is the ability to access many stored things.
For the simple fact that a modern world without spell-checking in a language as convoluted as English would be a nightmare
I totally agree, I'd not have written this, were it not for my spellchecker -- it gives me the confidence to express myself online when I'd fail a spelling test given to a highschooler.
Well I agreed, until you got to the convoluted part, yes English has many words and spellings to remember, but it's stimple in terms of; tens, gender, possessive, all these other rules that make French, German or Russian, (and other no European languages I'm sure, It's just I know too little about them) more structured and logical, but certainly not simpler to learn or use.
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Comment on Why some people change their wallpaper/profile picture more than others ? in ~talk
nsz LinkIt's weird I've had the same phone wallpaper for 5-6 years(?), specifically searching for a higher res version when switching phones, but I change my laptop background every 5-6 months, sometimes...It's weird I've had the same phone wallpaper for 5-6 years(?), specifically searching for a higher res version when switching phones, but I change my laptop background every 5-6 months, sometimes recycling old images. Not sure why, I guess my phone screen holds all my icons and so I don't want to be distracted by the background, but I keep my pc desktop clear of all icons, again in a bid to reduce distraction and a new image is a useful break, like walking in a new room, or starting a new year, a signifier of things being different now.
I'm going to hazard a guess and say for the unaffordable countries they will not be targeting consumers, but rather their gov or forign powers that provide aid money. It would totally kill any local initiative to establish internet, pushing them towards total dependence. It's fucking diabolical.