protium's recent activity
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Comment on Overwatch 2 now: how does it look to you? in ~games
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Comment on Is 67 just brain rot? in ~humanities.languages
protium Linknoise: I put 2 seconds of thought into this 6-7 embodies the precession of simulacra as the reality of language becomes hyperreal under late stage capitalism. There is only sign value, as any...noise: I put 2 seconds of thought into this
6-7 embodies the precession of simulacra as the reality of language becomes hyperreal under late stage capitalism. There is only sign value, as any meaning assigned to its use is lost as it enters the cultural zeitgeist. -
Comment on Taskmaster Season 19, Episode 1 - 'Sometimes spit.' | Full episode in ~tv
protium Link ParentPersonally I find the asymmetric format for team tasks odd, but that's taking the game too seriously tbf.Personally I find the asymmetric format for team tasks odd, but that's taking the game too seriously tbf.
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Comment on Do dumbphones actually… work? (realistic week in the life) in ~tech
protium Link ParentI have an iPhone 15 which lets you rebind the mute button to toggle the grayscale on and off. It's nice for when you need to quickly look at something that requires color context like maps.I have an iPhone 15 which lets you rebind the mute button to toggle the grayscale on and off. It's nice for when you need to quickly look at something that requires color context like maps.
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Comment on What’s a recent “shower argument” you’ve had? in ~talk
protium Link ParentI'm definitely overselling it. There are probably more situations where the standard approach is still way faster than using an LLM to do research. I tend to just look at the references it...I'm definitely overselling it. There are probably more situations where the standard approach is still way faster than using an LLM to do research. I tend to just look at the references it provides instead of having to probe it for being more specific. That is a pain in itself. I also use local models as a glorified cntl+F for personal documents, but I doubt local models are the future tech bros envision for their product.
In university, I had a professor introduce me to the "five orders of ignorance" and I find that LLMs are great for addressing the second order of ignorance: not knowing that you don't know something. Your first example is probably how I mostly use online LLMs the most. They’re great as a starting point for research.
I'm hopeful the "next year's model" does eventually address these kinds of problems. The biggest reason I started using LLMs was because of all the issues I've had to deal with Google's declining search quality in recent years. Their ability for censorship and "thought control" are definitely the most terrifying parts of these tools becoming integrated into people's lives.
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Comment on What’s a recent “shower argument” you’ve had? in ~talk
protium LinkI've been thinking a lot about AI. How to use it ethically (if that's even possible), how it's been transformed into a commercial buzzword, but mainly its impact on education. I think AI has...I've been thinking a lot about AI. How to use it ethically (if that's even possible), how it's been transformed into a commercial buzzword, but mainly its impact on education. I think AI has proven itself to be a powerful tool, but with great power comes great responsibility, and I do not think that the average student has the capacity to use it responsibly.
If you're an inquisitive type of person, LLMs are amazing. You can research obscure concepts and process tons of information with significantly less effort than was possible without them. They allow you to skip the uninteresting, hard part of information gathering, sourcing quality documentation, and get into the parts you actually want to be using brainpower on. (I do have some concern about losing the ability to research things the old-school way. Without practicing mental skills, I've found it's easy for them to degrade, but I’m hopeful it’s more of a car/horse situation.)
I was fortunate enough to go to a wealthy enough school district and have parents that instilled the value of education in me, but I can’t really say my experience is the norm. The thing that worries me is that when I reflect on my experience in US public school, I believe that most of my peers, including myself at the time, viewed education as a tool; a mere pathway to a career to make money. Valuing knowledge came to me after years of effort put into meeting a goal of a “good life.” With LLMs offering people a shortcut, I don’t really know how we can expect people to take a more difficult approach without any immediate payout.
Most of my internal debate has been that my position on this is very cynical and elitist, I'm super biased because of my childhood, but most of the people around me have similar upbringings so it's been hard to find good counterpoints.
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DnD 5e - Do’s and don’ts as a player
I’m starting a new 5e campaign with some friends, and I think I have some performance anxiety. I’m not the most creative person, and the last thing I want to do is kill the fun. The only other...
I’m starting a new 5e campaign with some friends, and I think I have some performance anxiety. I’m not the most creative person, and the last thing I want to do is kill the fun. The only other time I've played a ttrpg was years ago in high school.
I’m curious what you all have found detracts from a session as well as any advice that enhances the experience for everyone.
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Comment on No escape, no control: there's a Severance keyboard group buy coming soon in ~tv
protium LinkIf anyone is just interested in the keycaps, these already exist. I’ve seen posts with it on the blue vortex model m clone and it has a nice retro aesthetic.If anyone is just interested in the keycaps, these already exist. I’ve seen posts with it on the blue vortex model m clone and it has a nice retro aesthetic.
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Comment on Leaker claims that a PlayStation 6 Portable is in the pipeline in ~games
protium LinkThe death of exclusives really killed the idea of owning a console for me. I have a PS5 and it just sits there. If I were using TVs instead of monitors I could maybe justify having it as a media...The death of exclusives really killed the idea of owning a console for me. I have a PS5 and it just sits there. If I were using TVs instead of monitors I could maybe justify having it as a media station, but for my use case there's really not much reason to have one when I can wait a few months to play a game on PC with an input method I prefer. The only game where I thought the console/controller added unique value was the last Spider-Man, but haptic feedback hardly justifies the price pint.
As far as handhelds go, I see the same issue if they are trying to compete with the switch. If i'm going to invest in a device it's probably best to get the one that gives me the most access to games I can't currently play.
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Comment on What's your favorite music album to get high to? in ~music
protium Link ParentThe beautiful of listing to Floyd with good headphones is finding all the instruments that you never noticed before. The fun really starts when you start to wonder what if the gibberish isn’t just...The beautiful of listing to Floyd with good headphones is finding all the instruments that you never noticed before.
The fun really starts when you start to wonder what if the gibberish isn’t just gibberish.
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Comment on What do Audible narrators sound like? in ~books
protium (edited )LinkSomewhat related, but what are people's thoughts on author-narrated audiobooks? I see a lot of value in literally having the authors voice come out through the text, but at the same time someone...Somewhat related, but what are people's thoughts on author-narrated audiobooks? I see a lot of value in literally having the authors voice come out through the text, but at the same time someone more experienced in narrating is probably better at sounding pleasing to the listener and making the content accessible.
I find that I prefer non-fiction to be author narrated, while I think there's more of an art to narration in fiction that only a good performer can bring out.
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Comment on UK creating ‘murder prediction’ tool to identify people most likely to kill in ~tech
protium Link ParentThe anime Psycho-Pass was my initial thought when reading this article. I think I've fully transition to the 'AI is a tool' train of thought, but I genuinely don't know if it's possible for it to...The anime Psycho-Pass was my initial thought when reading this article.
I think I've fully transition to the 'AI is a tool' train of thought, but I genuinely don't know if it's possible for it to be as powerful as it is without being used to enact authoritarian control. If this gets any positive results it will be sold as some kind of panacea, and I fear the public at large does not have the technical knowledge to refute, or even care about it.
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Comment on In praise of Arcane season 2 in ~tv
protium LinkThe ending to the show has lead me to jokingly develop a theory that Act 3 spoilers all great sci-fi anime end with the human instrumentality project. Obviously this is an exaggeration, but for...The ending to the show has lead me to jokingly develop a theory that
Act 3 spoilers
all great sci-fi anime end with the human instrumentality project. Obviously this is an exaggeration, but for some reason I really connect with the idea of a villain trying to save humanity from itself. Up until the final ActI legitimately found myself routing for Vikor to save the world through space magic.By the end of the show I felt like there every character had some level of morally grayness, which is probably a big reasons I feel quite attached to the characters.
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Comment on Sony is reportedly working on a PS5 portable in ~games
protium (edited )Link ParentThat era of random proprietary formats really was peak Sony. Fortunately they've ported most popular games on there to other platforms.That era of random proprietary formats really was peak Sony. Fortunately they've ported most popular games on there to other platforms.
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Comment on Does anyone else have posting anxiety? in ~tech
protium (edited )LinkI used to have really bad posting anxiety, I would always think "why would anyone care what I have to say?" Nowadays I'm much better about it, except on platforms like discord where I kinda always...I used to have really bad posting anxiety, I would always think "why would anyone care what I have to say?" Nowadays I'm much better about it, except on platforms like discord where I kinda always worry if I'm butting in on a group of friends as an outsider.
The biggest change in my anxiety was to just actually start posting things. As bad as reddit is now, there are still some communities I feel attached to so most of my commenting is done there. I limit my posting to topics I think I know about and have something insightful to add, but I feel much more confident in sharing my ideas on things. I try to keep emotions out of arguments as much as possible, since in my experience on the internet being emotional is the best way to have what you're saying be dismissed. I use alt accounts for posts that I feel are very negative since I find people on the internet are very quick to associate you with your worst moments.
I think part of my anxiety was just due to rejection sensitivity, like the idea people disagreeing with me made me terrified that I would develop a bad reputation among that community. The way I got over that was to just inevitably post bad or controversial takes and receive flack for them. Now when I receive a lot of negative feedback on something I'm confident I'm right in I just remind myself that the average person isn't very smart. It's very elitist and arrogant, but learning to value my opinion over others was a huge lesson I learned way too late in life.
Another factor my anxiety is just my spelling and grammar. I tend to repeat words, use a lot of filler, and spend a lot of time rephrasing things so I often end up accidentally posting something that's poorly worded. I usually read my post before and after posting them so I usually catch my mistakes, but I am embarrassed having to edit a post because of my poor writing. (Edit: the irony...)
I'm relatively careful not to doxx myself or link one screen name I own to another, and I make sure to scrub some accounts every now and then. Obviously this makes it harder to make friends in those communities so I try to use my best judgement when I feel like sharing personal information can deepen a connection. I grew up with a somewhat narcissistic parent, so I am very careful on what information I disclose, but I'm not actually super worried about posting something that someone will be offended enough to harass me for. I (hopefully) have things setup in a way where I can just nuke that account and move on with my life.
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Comment on Netflix is reportedly exploring adding in-game ads to its gaming service in ~games
protium (edited )Link ParentI feel like for the less technologically literate there's not much they can do to respond to these policy changes. The whole point of these companies burning money for the sake of growth was to...I feel like for the less technologically literate there's not much they can do to respond to these policy changes. The whole point of these companies burning money for the sake of growth was to eliminate the competition and capture their consumer.
Now that these products are integrated into peoples their only option is to either pay for these degrading services or stop using them all together, and these companies know that breaking a habit is hard. Until there's a popular and convenient alternative to a service most people are going to be trapped using the products they've already learned about.
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Comment on What are your favorite aesthetics? in ~design
protium (edited )LinkI'm a big fan of Art Deco. Something about it is very grandiose and reminds me of a time where the American dream was more tangible. The symmetry and geometric shapes are just soothing.I'm a big fan of Art Deco. Something about it is very grandiose and reminds me of a time where the American dream was more tangible. The symmetry and geometric shapes are just soothing.
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How do you journal?
Apple recently released a journal app in their latest iOS update. I used to journal when I was younger and thought it would be a good opportunity to get back into it. I usually use it as a...
Apple recently released a journal app in their latest iOS update. I used to journal when I was younger and thought it would be a good opportunity to get back into it. I usually use it as a reflection of my day, but some days nothing happens and I feel like there's probably a plethora of things I could be writing about.
So for those of you who journal what do you like to write in it?
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
protium Link ParentThe movement in RoboQuest is such a joy. When I first got into I thought it felt a bit floaty like borderlands, but after learning all the mechanics and discovering rocket jump it's become so much...The movement in RoboQuest is such a joy. When I first got into I thought it felt a bit floaty like borderlands, but after learning all the mechanics and discovering rocket jump it's become so much fun to just zip through levels.
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Comment on Ask Anime Recommendation thread in ~anime
protium Link ParentThe first show I though of after your first paragraph was Horimiya. It is so wholesome. If you haven't checked out Toradora! yet, it meets your criteria perfectly. Clannad is also a classic...The first show I though of after your first paragraph was Horimiya. It is so wholesome.
If you haven't checked out Toradora! yet, it meets your criteria perfectly.
Clannad is also a classic wholesome romcom, though if you have any interest in visual novels that's probably the better option.
I'm in a similar boat to you. I had over 1k hours in OW1, most which was during the 2020-22 graveyard era, 1k more in OW2, and scrimmed for a few hundered hours after season 9.
I think I was fortune to have a coach that wanted to focus on fundamentals instead of practicing the meta. Our teamwork was initially quite poor so we would just force Symm comp (before pros picked up on how strong she was). Learning to IGL on that hero was incredibly rewarding. I always loved the teamplay aspect of this game, even with randoms. I do agree the default setup of most OW2 comps is pretty monotonous, the only thing that really changes is the tank and the job of the role is not as varied as it used to be.
I don't know if it's because I'm better at the game or just older/burnt out/whatever, but OW2 definitely doesn't hit the same way as the first game. I remember playing game after game night after night, always wanting to play one more and figure out how to improve. I could play into double shield all day and I still would want to go again, it was figuratively like crack. The same feeling just never came with OW2, even when the metas are "good". I think in its attempt to make the game more appealing to a wider audience it lost a lot of complexity and adversity that made it so addicting for me.
This is more specific to when the game was abandoned, but during that era it really felt like there was a sense of community in the player base that was lost in OW2. There was no reason to play the game other than your enjoyment of it so you'd run into the same people every game and just passively learn to synergize with them. After going f2p, introducing the battle pass system and other live service incentives, the social aspect doesn't feel as alive. The gameplay of OW2 is inherently more selfish, and the most common advice given to new players is to just turn off all comms to avoid experiencing toxicity. After they reintroduced 6v6, I feel like some of that community came back, at higher ranks it's a small community with the same kind of "be happy with what you got" vibe.
Stadium is really fun with friends as a non-serious "competitive" experience, until it becomes grating. I think the mode may eventually have the potential to justify the 2 in Overwatch 2, but as of right now it feels like it's in a live beta test. It really exemplifies what the Overwatch team has always been great at; there are tons of fun abilities and the UI and FX are extremely polished. Unfortunately it shares a lot of the same issues with the OW2 in terms of balance and lack of macro gameplay consideration.
Ultimately it's one of the best feeling and performing fps game engines out there. The movement still feels incredible with some of the most satisfying weapons and abilities in a shooter, and you can hit your frame cap very easily. I imagine it's extremely fun for new players if they can get past the chaos. Even though I despise the meta at the moment and will probably be taking a break for a while, there's no game that scratches the same itch as Overwatch. If anything watching the finals will motivate me to play for a while until the reality of OW2 pub games sets in.