Rudism's recent activity
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
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Comment on Bluesky’s quest to build nontoxic social media in ~tech
Rudism Link ParentI think as long as the door is open to it and VCs are involved, all platforms will eventually enshittify. There's nothing in Bluesky's groundwork that seems intended to guard against that. In fact...I think as long as the door is open to it and VCs are involved, all platforms will eventually enshittify. There's nothing in Bluesky's groundwork that seems intended to guard against that. In fact everything seems to lean towards the opposite. Even the "decentralized" architecture that they tout is only surface-level--an absolutely ripe target to increase user acquisition in the short term while leaving the long-term so nebulously defined as to never have to commit to anything before eventually dropping it. And we saw first-hand with Reddit that even a rich ecosystem of beloved third-party apps using official APIs is no kind of profylactic against enshittification.
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Comment on It's official, Switch 2 Joy-Con will not feature Hall Effect sticks in ~games
Rudism LinkI'm probably sitting this round of the Switch out. I could probably swallow the price of the console, but they're just not addressing the things that they should be addressing. Stick drift on the...I'm probably sitting this round of the Switch out. I could probably swallow the price of the console, but they're just not addressing the things that they should be addressing. Stick drift on the Switch is a big deal; the games were already overpriced, and now they're increasing the price; the e-shop is a shovelware wasteland that's impossible to navigate and discover anything worthwhile on; and I'm highly skeptical that their overcomplicated digital game card thing will improve the game sharing situation in a way that isn't incredibly restrictive and annoying to use. Pile onto all of that their grossly anticompetitive and anti-consumer attitude in general and I'm just no longer interested in supporting them, even if it means missing out on first party titles (at least until the emulators eventually catch up).
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Comment on Looking for recommendations for a dumb phone (Canada) in ~tech
Rudism Link ParentI also gave up on actual dumb phones after going through a number of them, for a few reasons. The main one being that the majority of them only support 2g/3g networks which are being retired,...I also gave up on actual dumb phones after going through a number of them, for a few reasons. The main one being that the majority of them only support 2g/3g networks which are being retired, meaning that they're pretty much destined to become bricks sooner or later (if not already, depending on the carrier). Another reason is that for a long time dumb phones tried to compete with smart phones by bloating themselves up with stupid "app stores" and other features that don't work anymore but make the phones a chore to look at and use. The only way to really get a clean experience that uses modern networks is to get one of the more recent neo-dumbphones like a LightPhone, Mudita Kompakt, or Minimal Phone, but you could get a cheap Android and strip the software down into basically the same thing for like 1/3rd or less the cost of those (all of those neo-dumbphones use Android under the hood too).
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Comment on Looking for recommendations for a dumb phone (Canada) in ~tech
Rudism LinkThat's likely going to severely limit your choices in the dumb phone market, potentially down to zero. What I use as my "dumb" phone currently is an Android (any super cheap one will do, I went...can download and install Google Messages
That's likely going to severely limit your choices in the dumb phone market, potentially down to zero. What I use as my "dumb" phone currently is an Android (any super cheap one will do, I went for one with a really tiny screen), with all the pre-installed apps and Google/manufacturer bloatware completely uninstalled using Universal Android Debloater NG so it only has the small handful of apps I actually use (I use the dialer and sms app from the Fossify suite, plus a simple reminders app for meds and stuff). You could also install a minimal launcher (along the lines of Easy Launcher) that would let you hide the Play Store once you've finished installing Google Messages.
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Comment on Stremio is an impressive program in ~tech
Rudism LinkAnyone have experience getting this kind of backend watchable on Roku streaming devices? Is that even possible? That's what I got plugged into all my TVs already, and I've been looking for a way...Anyone have experience getting this kind of backend watchable on Roku streaming devices? Is that even possible? That's what I got plugged into all my TVs already, and I've been looking for a way to get off several streaming services that we hardly watch, but my wife won't accept anything that involves screen mirroring (or really any change in the convenience of being able to just turn on a TV and use a remote to watch stuff).
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Comment on Igorrr - ADHD (2025) in ~music
Rudism Link ParentPersonally I don't think GenAI tools will ever dig themselves out of the hole they're in. I think it's true that in the right hands they could probably be used to create stuff of actual value, but...Personally I don't think GenAI tools will ever dig themselves out of the hole they're in. I think it's true that in the right hands they could probably be used to create stuff of actual value, but that's not what the tools themselves are aspiring to be. You look at any marketing spiel for these things (remember the awful Apple Intelligence ads?) and they're all but shouting from the rooftops "do awesome things with no effort even if you're a schlub with no skill," so that's the kind of user base they want to and will attract, fueling the reputation that GenAI produces nothing but worthless slop, and that whole negative feedback loop will scare serious players (both tool makers and artists) from exploring the possibility that they can be used for anything else.
edit: I guess I should add that while I feel that way about GenAI tools, I also expect that the general population's expectations may eventually lower so much that it doesn't matter and we'll come to accept the slop as the new normal. So I guess I'm a cynic at both ends of the equation.
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Comment on Creative short story writing contest—prize for winner! (2025-03-07) in ~creative
Rudism Link ParentFor me personally, I'd be equally stoked and likely to participate even if there were no contest/judging element at all. I just enjoy the inspiration/excuse to write something that has a chance at...For me personally, I'd be equally stoked and likely to participate even if there were no contest/judging element at all. I just enjoy the inspiration/excuse to write something that has a chance at being read and getting some kind of feedback.
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Comment on Virtual Game Card – Nintendo Direct 3.27.2025 in ~games
Rudism LinkPreviously I think you could link the same account to up to 8 Switches, and you could download your full game library on to all of them. The only restriction is that only one of those consoles...Previously I think you could link the same account to up to 8 Switches, and you could download your full game library on to all of them. The only restriction is that only one of those consoles could be actively using your account at any given time.
This new video says you can manage digital game cards between "up to 2 systems." Does that mean someone with more than two systems, who previously could move between them freely, now not only has to do a magic local networking dance any time he wants to move the same game between consoles, but also now has up to 6 Switch-shaped paperweights that he can't even put his digital games on anymore?
Smells very Nintendo-y to me.
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Comment on Creative short story writing contest—prize for winner! (2025-03-07) in ~creative
Rudism Link ParentSorry to hear they're ending. I didn't participate this time because I didn't think of an idea I was happy with until it was far too late to make the deadline, but I was definitely looking forward...Sorry to hear they're ending. I didn't participate this time because I didn't think of an idea I was happy with until it was far too late to make the deadline, but I was definitely looking forward to taking part in the future. I agree with @CannibalisticApple some kind of ongoing extended-deadline low stakes prompt would be something I'd enjoy. I recently found Scribophile's weekly challenge to scratch that itch, but one week feels way too short and also your prompts are leagues better.
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Comment on Ploopy Classic 2 open source trackball in ~tech
Rudism Link ParentI got used to using the keyboard for clicks almost right away (right hand on Ploopy, left hand clicking). I also built a little 3x3 macropad that sits next to it with buttons for clicking,...I got used to using the keyboard for clicks almost right away (right hand on Ploopy, left hand clicking). I also built a little 3x3 macropad that sits next to it with buttons for clicking, toggling scroll-wheel mode on and off, browser forward and back keys, stuff like that so I can still accomplish stuff one-handed when I need to.
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Comment on Ploopy Classic 2 open source trackball in ~tech
Rudism Link ParentI went through a keyboard-building phase a while back and built myself three different Corne keyboards (two wired and one bluetooth), all of which I use pretty regularly on various different...I went through a keyboard-building phase a while back and built myself three different Corne keyboards (two wired and one bluetooth), all of which I use pretty regularly on various different computers.
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Comment on Ploopy Classic 2 open source trackball in ~tech
Rudism LinkI use a Ploopy Nano with my split keyboard and love the heck out of it. Saw that they announced a new version of their classic model and thought it might be of interest to fellow...I use a Ploopy Nano with my split keyboard and love the heck out of it. Saw that they announced a new version of their classic model and thought it might be of interest to fellow trackball-enthusiast Tilderinos.
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Ploopy Classic 2 open source trackball
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Comment on Why I recommend against Brave in ~tech
Rudism Link ParentI used to be on the anti-Chromium-monopoly bandwagon, but as time goes on it's feeling more and more like a lost cause. Even as a tech savvy person, if you want to use a browser other than Chrome...I used to be on the anti-Chromium-monopoly bandwagon, but as time goes on it's feeling more and more like a lost cause.
Even as a tech savvy person, if you want to use a browser other than Chrome you've got a lot of choices, but pretty much all of them other than FireFox are Chromium with a different color hat on. The only thing that could begin to shake Chrome from its roost is not another browser, but another browser engine that can be ported around and wrapped in new shells the same way Chromium can. The problem is that building a compliant html/javascript engine is hard and not very sexy or rewarding and anyone working on such a project would be banking on far-from-assured adoption by other browser projects down the road for their work to come to any kind of fruition. Probably something like Ladybird where a whole new browser and engine are being developed from scratch together are the best bet to give us something like that, so I have my fingers crossed for that to succeed down the road and hopefully lead to a new explosion of alternate non-Chromium-based browsers, but for the time being I don't think it's reasonable to expect people to weigh FireFox equally against the full myriad of Chromium-based browsers when considering a non-Chrome browser to use.
My unrealistic nerd pipe-dream future sees Chrome losing not to alternate browsers and browser engines, but a whole new protocol that replaces the god awful janky mess that the world wide web has become. Maybe a resurgence of the Gopherspace or some other medium that's more constrained and focused and simpler to write clients for.
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Comment on Are you tech-savvy enough? in ~tech
Rudism LinkIs this still a problem on Linux for the kind of user who doesn't actually tinker with their system at all? I remember running into this maybe as recently as 15 years ago, especially when doing...Updates on Linux were always like Russian Roulette. I would restart and pray to every deity in human history for nothing to break.
Is this still a problem on Linux for the kind of user who doesn't actually tinker with their system at all? I remember running into this maybe as recently as 15 years ago, especially when doing distro upgrades between major versions, but since moving to rolling release distros (Arch and then Void) I can't remember having a single issue resulting from an upgrade. Of course that could just be me misremembering problems that did crop up because they were trivial to me...
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Comment on Finding the best sleep tracker in ~tech
Rudism Link ParentI'm not really in the market either, and too lazy to parse their gee-whiz-marketing websites to figure out the answer to this question myself, but does anyone know if either Whoop or Oura require...I'm not really in the market either, and too lazy to parse their gee-whiz-marketing websites to figure out the answer to this question myself, but does anyone know if either Whoop or Oura require the paid subscription service, or do they have some useful level of functionality that works without ongoing subscription fees? An AI told me that Oura has near-useless levels of functionality without subscribing and that Whoop is a paperweight, but wondering if anyone has experience that can confirm or deny that.
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Comment on 23andMe files for bankruptcy in ~finance
Rudism Link ParentI used to work for a company in the genetic testing industry (one that provided services to labs, nothing consumer-facing), so I've been in a position where whenever someone in my family became...I used to work for a company in the genetic testing industry (one that provided services to labs, nothing consumer-facing), so I've been in a position where whenever someone in my family became interested in 23andMe or similar services, they would usually ask my opinion on it before pulling the trigger. I've always done everything I could to dissuade them, but it's so hard to convince people to take their own privacy seriously. It's very frustrating.
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Comment on Light Phone III begins shipping on March 27th in ~tech
Rudism LinkI used the LightPhone 2 as my daily driver for a few years. I still have it kicking around and use it occasionally. My primary purpose was to remove the temptation to waste time browsing social...I used the LightPhone 2 as my daily driver for a few years. I still have it kicking around and use it occasionally. My primary purpose was to remove the temptation to waste time browsing social media and other websites and be more present in general, which the LP2 was an absolute success at doing. I've since switched to a Unihertz Jelly Star (super tiny Android phone) instead, which achieves the same thing because it's so frustrating to type or read on that I never actually want to do it, but I don't have to give up on all the other benefits of a full-featured smartphone (like decent podcast and music apps, or the ability to scan QR codes). However, Unihertz is notoriously awful about providing software updates to their phones, so I'm on the look out for something else to replace it with. The LP3 isn't really a condender because:
- Not an e-ink screen anymore, which was one of my main draws to the LP2.
- Price is absolutely ridiculous.
- Still no good way to sideload the one or two Android apps I use regularly (primarily decent podcast and music apps).
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Comment on 23andMe files for bankruptcy in ~finance
Rudism LinkI hope that this doesn't end up getting bought for nefarious purposes. Some sieg-heil-throwing oligarch having all that genomic data plus AI models to feed with it would basically be all my worst...I hope that this doesn't end up getting bought for nefarious purposes. Some sieg-heil-throwing oligarch having all that genomic data plus AI models to feed with it would basically be all my worst nightmares about these private DNA testing companies come true.
If you've used them in the past I'll reiterate the point that you should do whatever you can to have them delete your data while you still can.
My kids begged me so I agreed to see it this upcoming weekend. Not particularly looking forward to it and my expectations are about as low as it is possible for them to be. I'm just thanking the gods that it's only 100 minutes long. Hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised like you were, but not going to get my hopes up.