scarecrw's recent activity
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Comment on Connor McDavid puts his money where his mouth is with shockingly-low contract in ~sports.hockey
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Comment on How we're designing Audacity for the future in ~tech
scarecrw LinkI love seeing the effort poured into Audacity. I don't do any music or audio production, but I occasionally have a need to record something for work, clip an audio file, or similar, and Audacity...I love seeing the effort poured into Audacity. I don't do any music or audio production, but I occasionally have a need to record something for work, clip an audio file, or similar, and Audacity has been my go-to for as long as I can remember.
I'm definitely not a UI connoisseur (I use GIMP and don't get the fuss?), but I really appreciate the idea that there doesn't have to be some imposing barrier between software that's "for everyone" and that which is a "real tool". From my experience with it, Audacity has always made efforts to break down that wall, and it sounds like the future changes will continue to strive towards that goal.
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Comment on The Nobel Prize winners will be announced next week – what to know about the prestigious awards in ~science
scarecrw LinkAnd the Ig Nobel Prizes were awarded a couple of weeks ago! For those not familiar with this (less-prestigious) award, their criterion for acceptance is research that "makes you laugh, then...And the Ig Nobel Prizes were awarded a couple of weeks ago!
For those not familiar with this (less-prestigious) award, their criterion for acceptance is research that "makes you laugh, then think". I think my favorite this year was "Opportunistic foraging strategy of rainbow lizards at a seaside resort in Togo", as I love the kind of science that starts with everyday observations "huh, that lizard really loves cheese".
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Comment on 2025 NFL Season 🏈 Weekly Discussion Thread – Week 4 in ~sports.american_football
scarecrw LinkGot up at 6:30 to catch the Vikings play a pretty rough game. I felt a little like this was a reminder that fourth quarter comebacks, while perhaps exciting, usually still fail... some lucky calls...Got up at 6:30 to catch the Vikings play a pretty rough game. I felt a little like this was a reminder that fourth quarter comebacks, while perhaps exciting, usually still fail... some lucky calls and a rebound near the end aren't going to build a season.
It sounds like McCarthy won't be playing until after the bye, which hopefully can be a bit of a fresh start.
Also, not a fan of the guy off the field, but Rodgers just standing back during the tush-push was absolutely fantastic.
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Comment on What words do you recommend? in ~talk
scarecrw Link ParentWhat a great word! I need something like this for mathematical or other symbolic notations. I was shocked when I learned that things like circuit diagram symbols have regional differences.What a great word! I need something like this for mathematical or other symbolic notations. I was shocked when I learned that things like circuit diagram symbols have regional differences.
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Comment on ‘The Social Network’ follow-up sets 2026 release date and official title: ‘The Social Reckoning’ in ~movies
scarecrw LinkI'm very interested as to how this is going to tackle balancing the ethical responsibilities of individuals with the momentum of a large organization. For obvious reasons, most media representing...I'm very interested as to how this is going to tackle balancing the ethical responsibilities of individuals with the momentum of a large organization.
For obvious reasons, most media representing large organizations tends to narrow the focus to a few individuals and simplify all the decision-making processes involved. Narratively, this is almost a necessity: as a viewer, I can't understand the emotions and perspectives of 40 different people in a 2 hour movie. Because of this, a lot of media representations will do things like have a single invented character represent a whole collection of people, or treat a person in a leadership position as fully representing the entirety of their group.
I think that's going to be a particular challenge for a film like this, as I suspect the fact that decisions involved so many individuals and connected systems was a major reason why ethical considerations were put by the wayside. I don't mean to come off as an apologist; those at the top still bear full responsibility in my eyes, but I hope this movie is able to show how impactful scale and complexity can be in letting these decisions get made.
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Comment on British AI startup beats humans in international forecasting in ~tech
scarecrw LinkAnyone familiar with the competition know more about the scoring? I'm curious if they had any system to allow contestants to weight their confidence in their predictions.Anyone familiar with the competition know more about the scoring? I'm curious if they had any system to allow contestants to weight their confidence in their predictions.
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Comment on What words do you recommend? in ~talk
scarecrw Link ParentYeah, whatever oversight committee sanctioned that should have tabled it and moved on.Yeah, whatever oversight committee sanctioned that should have tabled it and moved on.
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Comment on What's a setting that you'd recommend? in ~tech
scarecrw LinkNot sure if this counts as a setting but site search shortcuts in browsers (I mostly use chrome so this works, but IIRC firefox and others support it as well). I have shortcuts set up for any...Not sure if this counts as a setting but site search shortcuts in browsers (I mostly use chrome so this works, but IIRC firefox and others support it as well).
I have shortcuts set up for any sites I regularly search (Wikipedia, Youtube, etc.) and the skipped steps of navigating to a site is remarkably handy. Type
Ctrl-t w bananaand I have the wikipedia page open. -
Comment on Kaiser says no limits on COVID vaccine for its patients in ~health
scarecrw LinkGood to hear. I've had good experiences getting Covid and flu shots through Kaiser in the past. That said, I actually got covid recently and after getting approved for paxlovid they wanted at...Good to hear. I've had good experiences getting Covid and flu shots through Kaiser in the past.
That said, I actually got covid recently and after getting approved for paxlovid they wanted at $1500 copay. Gave me a good laugh (which admittedly hurt quite a lot).
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Comment on Do we have enough NFL fans to warrant weekly discussions? in ~sports.american_football
scarecrw LinkCount me as interested. However, I'll likely comment as much as I do on most things, which is to say, not a lot.Count me as interested. However, I'll likely comment as much as I do on most things, which is to say, not a lot.
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Comment on Which other sites do you visit? in ~tech
scarecrw Link ParentOn Wikipedia, I'll give a shout out to their mobile app being surprisingly good. It's got a daily "Which came first?" game, wiki pages for nearby locations, picture of the day, featured articles,...On Wikipedia, I'll give a shout out to their mobile app being surprisingly good. It's got a daily "Which came first?" game, wiki pages for nearby locations, picture of the day, featured articles, and suggestions based off of previously read articles. With so many apps being worse versions of websites just created to get more user data, it's pretty great to see one that actually is a better experience.
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Comment on What is the most insane, tedious, difficult, and/or noteworthy gaming achievement you have completed or given up on? in ~games
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Comment on As religion wanes, how do we replace it? in ~humanities
scarecrw LinkI'm as far from an answer here as anyone, but I'll throw in one point of discussion that I've given some thought to over the years: familial obligation. One separator between religion and other...I'm as far from an answer here as anyone, but I'll throw in one point of discussion that I've given some thought to over the years: familial obligation.
One separator between religion and other more intentionally constructed community structures is the expectations that ones children will be brought into the religion as they grow up. I'd go as far as saying that, for many people, their induction into a religion as a child is their strongest connection with it.
I grew up culturally Jewish, and attending Hebrew school or having a bar/bat-mitzvah was a shared experience that, while not chosen by the children themselves, gave many people a strong shared identity. This effect seemed to overpower any personal beliefs about faith, morality, or societal roles. It's always been strange for me to see, as many people I've known would outwardly espouse secular beliefs, make light of their own religion or religion in general, and then quietly accept that "well... of course I'll still marry someone of _______ faith and raise our children the same."
This expectation to pass down identity to future generations has been a key part of what as driven many, myself included, away from organized religion. It contains a fundamental disrespect for an individual's self-determination. This can be seen acutely in religions that bar the expression of different genders/sexualities, but also in many subtle ways when people will be pressured to make certain life choices about who they form relationships with, where they live, or what goals to set for themselves.
All the negatives aside, it truly seems hard to replace the ties that are formed by this early and persistent push towards associating with an identity. It doesn't always feel right, but forced interaction and social pressure do seem remarkably effective in building a sense of community and belonging.
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Comment on The Nintendo Switch 2 is the fastest-selling gaming hardware in US history in ~games
scarecrw LinkI don't know if this is information anyone would have, but, at a demographic level, who's buying this? I haven't been in touch with the portable gaming scene since I had a gameboy color (which I...I don't know if this is information anyone would have, but, at a demographic level, who's buying this?
I haven't been in touch with the portable gaming scene since I had a gameboy color (which I admittedly kept playing until ~2013). I could see this being handy for people who travel a lot but other than that I feel so out of the target market I don't have a good sense of who uses this and how.
I'm always caught off-guard remembering how atypical some of my interactions with games and technology are, that the average age of people playing videogames is ~30, most people use a laptop instead of a desktop computer, and the most popular youtube device is a TV.
Answered my own questions a bit finding this report from 2021 about the original switch. It breaks down the age, but I'm still left wondering about use cases.
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Comment on What is your silly or (kinda) useless talent? in ~talk
scarecrw LinkI can do the wave with my eyebrows. I'm not sure how I learned, but I must have been quite young, as I remember being in 2nd or 3rd grade and having my sister gather her friends around at recess...I can do the wave with my eyebrows. I'm not sure how I learned, but I must have been quite young, as I remember being in 2nd or 3rd grade and having my sister gather her friends around at recess to have me show them.
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Comment on My classroom will be AI-free this fall in ~humanities
scarecrw Link ParentI know of at least one course already implementing a similar system. Their solution to scaling is similar to what you described but they used two slightly different approaches: It's TAs, rather...I know of at least one course already implementing a similar system. Their solution to scaling is similar to what you described but they used two slightly different approaches:
- It's TAs, rather than the professor, performing the oral exam
- The assignments are made up of multiple questions, and one question is selected to be tested, rather than randomly selecting the students
I think there's some resistance to this approach, due to the potential for human bias it presents. I agree this is possible, but I think we're overly cautious about human bias while ignoring systemic biases in the current approach. At the end of the day, an instructor's simple BS detector is a fairly accurate tool.
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Comment on Piano key dimensions are a math puzzle in ~design
scarecrw LinkWhat a great puzzle! These articles address the optimal solutions for both evenness and practicality of construction, but I wonder if there's a usability benefit possible to different sizings. I'm...What a great puzzle!
These articles address the optimal solutions for both evenness and practicality of construction, but I wonder if there's a usability benefit possible to different sizings. I'm just a beginner at piano, but I could imagine having wider d, g, and a keys could make fingerings easier than optimally even widths.
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Comment on GamerCard - Grab & Go Raspberry Pi gaming in ~games
scarecrw LinkSuper Cool! I've been considering buying a physical device for Pico-8 for a while, as I'd like some motivation for getting back into it. Unfortunately, as neat as this product looks, I'm not sold...Super Cool!
I've been considering buying a physical device for Pico-8 for a while, as I'd like some motivation for getting back into it. Unfortunately, as neat as this product looks, I'm not sold on the design matching my needs. It doesn't look comfortable to hold, and the input reminds me of the steam controller pads, which I loved, but were barely passable to use as d-pads/buttons. I'd love to see a review of it though, as I'm just going off of the quick snapshot given here.
Could be useful as a demo device or to show to others, as it's got that "whoa, cool!" factor, or for educational purposes as a device to fool around on (if it's durable enough).
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
scarecrw Link ParentAaron Chen is fantastic! I'll have to check out the NZ one, as I've finished up the Australian version.Aaron Chen is fantastic! I'll have to check out the NZ one, as I've finished up the Australian version.
Offtopic:
Looking this up, apparently this is the more common term, but it bugs me to read this instead of "hectomillionaire". I'm at least comforted knowing that there was a pointless back-and-forth on wikipedia with others as bothered as I am...