secret_online's recent activity
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Comment on Where does your username come from? (Following up on last year's thread) in ~tildes
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Comment on What the hell is a Typescript or: Creation ideas above my skill level in ~tech
secret_online LinkI need this embroidered and hanging up on my wall. The feelings you have towards programming are exactly those I have towards graphic design, painting, music, and pretty much every creative...But damn, programming got hands.
I need this embroidered and hanging up on my wall.
The feelings you have towards programming are exactly those I have towards graphic design, painting, music, and pretty much every creative pursuit that isn't programming. I have all these ideas for how I want something to look, sound, or feel, but because I haven't practiced the skills I set my goals too lofty. I try to run before I can even crawl, let alone walk. Programming is not just about making a thing, it's a process, it's about the choices behind how you do something, and quite often when you look at someone else's work you don't see the journey behind its creation (does that sound at all familiar?).
The best advice I can give is to start small. Like really small. Since you're wanting to do something with images in the end, why not build a little image uploader. Strip out the login system, strip out any form of validation, just an application that you can send an image to and then download it again. Don't try do anything else until it works. Once that's working, add a feature. Any feature. And once that's working, save the project somewhere and start a new one from scratch. Since you want to have an application that people can sign up to, make a little page where people can leave a short message. No images, no team assignment, you're just making a login/sign up form and a form where text can be submitted and a page to view everything everyone has submitted. Add a feature, then throw it away. Start something new, explore one small part of what you ultimately want to create, then throw it away. Repeat, solving little problems before solving big ones.
Once you know how to solve the smaller parts, then you can start seeing how to put them together. This also isn't easy, so take you time and don't be afraid to use small projects to experiment. If you can, try tie them into your end goal of making PICTOCLASH. But don't build PICTOCLASH until you're ready.
Yes, programming got hands. But you got hands too. Go show programming who's boss.
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Comment on HTML for people in ~tech
secret_online LinkWhat a great resource. My start to web dev was not too dissimilar to what's written here, so it's almost a walk down memory lane. I like that it's very much focused on HTML specifically and not...What a great resource. My start to web dev was not too dissimilar to what's written here, so it's almost a walk down memory lane. I like that it's very much focused on HTML specifically and not web development as a whole; as they point out it's important to have that foundation.
I'm definitely going to file this away for future reference in case anyone asks what good beginner resources there are.
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Comment on We played a 72 hour game of tag across Europe (2024) in ~hobbies
secret_online LinkEpisode 6 spoilers Adam pulls off the best moves against the chasers not once (last episode), but twice! And both times without even realising just how close the other two were. It was a bit...Episode 6 spoilers
Adam pulls off the best moves against the chasers not once (last episode), but twice! And both times without even realising just how close the other two were. It was a bit unfortunate that he ended up trapped due to the accent guessing challenge, but I guess that's how the jets lag.
Listening to the Layover, Sam's train from Padua to Milan was delayed for a really long time, which is why he was still able to catch it even after spending all that time waiting for tickets. The combination of him being able to make that train and Adam and Ben's being delayed enough for them to miss the train in Milan basically sealed the fate of the game.
As soon as Sam said he had a particular ending place in mind I had a suspicion. As time went on that suspicion got stronger. Then he got to Göschenen. What a place to end the season.
Overall, the new map definitely funneled them into that triangle between Bologna, Verona, and Venice Mestre. I don't think it'd be interesting to do another season of tag at this location, but I wonder how other areas would change the game for the better. Not that there would be many other places where this format would work, the game definitely needs a large transport network.
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Comment on SS7: A mobile network operator protocol with scary vulnerabilities in ~tech
secret_online (edited )Link ParentI would hazard a guess and say no (i.e. this comment is based on speculation). If the attack hinges on the number on your SIM card, then as long as they have that number they can pretend to be you...I would hazard a guess and say no (i.e. this comment is based on speculation).
If the attack hinges on the number on your SIM card, then as long as they have that number they can pretend to be you regardless of whether you are connected via 2G/3G. Some things might not work, like the location tracking or man-in-the-middle-ing a live call, but other like intercepting 2FA codes sent via SMS would still work as your provider would see the connection over SS7 as the most recent connection from you.
So the way to protect yourself would be to use a SIM that your provider only accepts connections from using newer wireless protocols, but I don't know if such a thing even exists (nothing after a cursory search, but I didn't look deeply).
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Comment on We played a 72 hour game of tag across Europe (2024) in ~hobbies
secret_online Link ParentEpisode 5 and podcast spoilers Sam mentioned in The Layover that when he got on the train he looked across, saw the other train, and figured that's what Adam had done. He mentioned that it was one...Episode 5 and podcast spoilers
Sam mentioned in The Layover that when he got on the train he looked across, saw the other train, and figured that's what Adam had done. He mentioned that it was one of those moments when you're playing where you just don't have the brain capacity to think about things, so you focus on what's in front of you.
Truly one of the best episode finales for sure. Definitely looking to see what the next episode leads to. I'm usually #TeamBen, but given the current scenario I'm definitely rooting for Adam. I mean, how could I not.
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Comment on We played a 72 hour game of tag across Europe (2024) in ~hobbies
secret_online Link ParentEpisode 5 spoilers I've been watching with a friend (it's their first season) and when Adam explained his plan I mentioned it wasn't out of the question for a move like that to be pulled off. Then...Episode 5 spoilers
I've been watching with a friend (it's their first season) and when Adam explained his plan I mentioned it wasn't out of the question for a move like that to be pulled off. Then when Sam and Ben started going south I was almost in dispair. Still, I really wanted Adam to pull it off. Queue my surprise when a complete reversal of a previous season's events happen, where the runner is completely oblivious to the chasers' presence and the chasers psych themselves out of looking for them.
I'm not sure why Sam and Ben didn't just go up and tag him at that point. I'm guessing they'll talk about that on the podcast, which I'll be listening to on the way to work today.
I hope in future seasons the runners remember that they can buy a power up to see the chasers' locations. While we maybe wouldn't have gotten this moment, there have been times where the runners have been uncertain on the chasers' locations with plenty of coin balance to spend.
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Comment on We played a 72 hour game of tag across Europe (2024) in ~hobbies
secret_online Link ParentEpisode 3 spoiler This is some extra text because the content of details sections still show up when the whole comment is collapsed. The bridge on Wikipedia. I think it was the right call. If the...Episode 3 spoiler
This is some extra text because the content of details sections still show up when the whole comment is collapsed.
DATE AN OLD THING
Find an old structure. You have one guess to accurately predict which century it was built in.
You may not use your phone or any concrete information concerning its construction date. You must make this guess using contextual clues.
If your guess is wrong, you cannot find a reliable date of construction, or if your building was constructed during the 20th or 21st century, this challenge is automatically vetoed.I think it was the right call. If the bridge had been repaired in-place then I'd consider it the same bridge (the bridge of Theseus?), but since it was destroyed three separate times, with the structure we're looking at being built in the 20th century, I think it was the right call to veto the challenge.
They briefly touch on this in the podcast. Sam wanted to show something scenic in the video, so chose the bridge to guess the age of. He ended up walking past a bunch of buildings which were almost certainly 16th century, and jokes on the podcast that he will never again entertain the audience (in that dry way that Sam does).
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Comment on Seven days in the North Island of New Zealand in ~travel
secret_online Link ParentYes, you will need to give way to cars approaching from the right (i.e. anyone who will cross your path).In the US, people entering roundabouts yield to people in the roundabout. Is that the convention in NZ as well?
Yes, you will need to give way to cars approaching from the right (i.e. anyone who will cross your path).
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Comment on Seven days in the North Island of New Zealand in ~travel
secret_online Link ParentKiwi here. The speed limit is a limit, not a target. Just because it's a state highway doesn't mean that it's going to be an easy drive. Even SH1 has sections that need to be taken slowly and...Kiwi here.
Any guidance or things to read about the highway network?
The speed limit is a limit, not a target.
Just because it's a state highway doesn't mean that it's going to be an easy drive. Even SH1 has sections that need to be taken slowly and carefully.
Roundabouts exist. Scan left-to-right, go when it's safe. If you're going straight through, don't indicate until you pass the exit before your one, then indicate left to exit (this often trips up travellers, if you indicate right to start, people will expect you to be turning right).
Sharper corners will often have longer yellow rectangular signs with black chevrons indicating direction and a recommended speed. Follow that speed, they're chosen well.
Merge like a zip.
People will walk across the road even where there aren't any marked crossings. Be prepared and keep an eye out for pedestrians.
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Comment on Discussion about asexuality, demisexuality, and allosexuality in ~lgbt
secret_online LinkThis thread has been great for discovering the aegosexual label, even if it's not one I'm going to use frequently when describing myself. In terms of romanticism, it's probably somewhere around...This thread has been great for discovering the aegosexual label, even if it's not one I'm going to use frequently when describing myself. In terms of romanticism, it's probably somewhere around the demi mark, but I don't know where in that area. Much like @MechanicalMagpie, it's just easier to say aro/ace and leave it at that.
So I guess I'll introduce myself as gay+aro/ace. It should have been obvious in my teens that I (M) was attracted to other men, but since that didn't really manifest itself in any actual wants or desires it sort of just left me confused. It wasn't until the end of high school that I finally internalised "oh I like men. Huh. Ok, now what", and a couple years later that I heard the aro/ace labels for the first time and things started clicking together.
I'm now in my late 20s, not been in a relationship (romantic or sexual), and am not really equipped socially to even know how to explore that space. Do I want to? Maybe, I won't really know until I do. Is a relationship (of any kind) something I have a need to for? No. Everyone is a friend, some are more friend than others, but I don't see anything beyond that point. That seems to be working out just fine, so I'm on the whole pretty happy with it.
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Comment on What video games have had you taking real-life notes? in ~games
secret_online Link ParentI did the same in Dishonored 2. I spent a good while solving the puzzle, and then went off to explore the rest of the dust district because I wanted to see what else was there too. Once you know...I did the same in Dishonored 2. I spent a good while solving the puzzle, and then went off to explore the rest of the dust district because I wanted to see what else was there too.
Once you know how to solve those kinds of puzzles, they're reasonably easy to solve. It just takes time. I think Dishonored's one was probably the right difficulty to put in the game; just hard enough that you can't brute force it, but few enough variables that you can figure out where to start with the solving.
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Comment on What video games have had you taking real-life notes? in ~games
secret_online Link ParentTUNIC was the last game I used pen and paper too. Finding out that puzzle mechanic was such a great experience, and had me going "oh, right" to many things throughout the world is already...TUNIC was the last game I used pen and paper too. Finding out that puzzle mechanic was such a great experience, and had me going "oh, right" to many things throughout the world is already explored. Actually that kind of moment happened a lot in TUNIC. Such an incredible game.
Spoilers for secondary puzzles in a 2012 puzzle game (another spoiler wall after I mention the game's title)
The game is FEZ.
Spoilers for secondary puzzles in FEZ
FEZ also had puzzles that used the d-pad (plus rotation) to unlock some of its anti-cubes. Finding out what those vertical lines on obelisks actually meant and how to read them had me deciphering and writing down the codes so I could just read a series of inputs off paper. That game was full of secrets, too.
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Comment on Assassin's Creed Shadows | Official world premiere trailer in ~games
secret_online Link ParentMirage was pretty good. The strongest point for me was that it was short, meaning the game ended right as I was starting to get tired of the Ubisoft sandbox formula (yet I keep coming back to...(seriously, I didn't even realize Mirage had come out, did anyone actually play it?)
Mirage was pretty good. The strongest point for me was that it was short, meaning the game ended right as I was starting to get tired of the Ubisoft sandbox formula (yet I keep coming back to their games).
A couple of nice gameplay changes. Good art and music. The story was good, but not what I expected given the events of AC:Valhalla. I feel like there was an opportunity to explore a really interesting part of the lore but the ideas weren't really given the treatment I'd liked to have seen.
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Comment on Jet Lag: AU$TRALIA | Trailer in ~hobbies
secret_online (edited )Link ParentToby acts as such a good foil to Sam's antics. It's really good to see her on the show again. This format is an interesting one. As had been pointed out in the episode, it's very much a game of...Toby acts as such a good foil to Sam's antics. It's really good to see her on the show again.
This format is an interesting one. As had been pointed out in the episode, it's very much a game of risk/reward. It'll be interesting to see how the teams play their wagers as the game progresses. As @guissmo pointed out, some of the challenges did seem a bit less... exciting compare to others. I think the challenge with those was meant to be the "you only have one guess", but in order to counteract that they seemed a bit easier.
Discussion on one of the challenges
Referring to the flags challenge, it felt like there wasn't really any drama around it. Ben painted some paper with patterns designed to be recognised clearly at a distance, and Adam (presumably, given how quickly he was guessing the letters) looked them up on a table as Ben held them up. It didn't really feel like a challenge. It was a neat way of including local history/landmarks in the show, which is something I appreciated in the New Zealand series too.
I feel like it would have been more of an investment when actually playing. What we saw in the final cut was them buying supplies, then cutting to them up at the station with a quick art montage and then the actual signalling. The problem is, of course, that you can't make all of that in-between time interesting. It's a game show, and including all that time wouldn't be fun and it would ruin the pacing, so I feel like they were stuck in the editing room and had to compromise.
Shrimp on the Barbie, and the carnival games too, was a much better challenge for the format. That mixture of skill and luck is so key for thr show. Adam's throwing was consistent enough that it was really a matter of time before one of the shrimp ended up resting on the Barbie. In the same vein, though, having the multiple attempts did give Adam a sense of security, and I could very easily see it going the complete opposite way.
I'm not sure we'll see another season of this format (very few countries would be conducive to it), but I would be interested in what might change if they did. Speaking of... they have a podcast for that sort of discussion.
I haven't had the opportunity to listen to The Layover yet, but I am interested to hear more about how the ideas for this season came about. I might add a section to this comment after I have.
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Comment on To celebrate Minecraft turning fifteen, gaze upon the glory of new paintings by old friend Kristoffer Zetterstrand – artist is behind classics such as “Skull on Fire” and “Pigscene” in ~games
secret_online LinkI'm really glad they brought Kristoffer Zetterstrand back to make the new paintings. There's definitely a mood and feeling they bring to the game, similarly to how the original soundtrack pulled...I'm really glad they brought Kristoffer Zetterstrand back to make the new paintings. There's definitely a mood and feeling they bring to the game, similarly to how the original soundtrack pulled the game away from the stereotypical pixel art game style. I'd be interested to see what paintings didn't make the cut, since the article mentions some were discarded due to not working at the size/scale.
The main thing here is new painting sizes! Paintings with 3 blocks width mean that paintings can be more easily used in odd width builds. That's huge.
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Comment on The "Great Games"- AAA titles, easy brand recognition- are what everyone pushes. But sometimes you need a "just average" game. in ~games
secret_online Link ParentI feel this so hard. I recently finished Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and it took me so much effort to actually finish. At the start I was able to play the game for a few hours at a time, but by...As much hate as the "Ubisoft" formula gets online, there's a very addictive, rewarding, and easy gameplay loop.
I feel this so hard. I recently finished Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and it took me so much effort to actually finish. At the start I was able to play the game for a few hours at a time, but by the end the amount of time I wanted to be actually playing just kept shrinking and shrinking. Yet somehow, despite loathing being in the game (the word "loathing" simultaneously being too strong and not strong enough at the same time), I kept wanting to get back into it.
It's not all bad. The world is beautiful, the art serene, the music great, and the story serviceable. The gameplay itself it pretty simple, having a few movement options (running and sliding is fun, even though it's not the fastest way of getting around) and some variation in weaponry when it comes to combat. The mini-challenge of clearing facilities without being spotted made me engage with the stealth mechanic more, the Batman vision is very helpful, and the gear crafting ties into the resource collection with an encyclopaedia that has fun little lore and world building details right alongside the gameplay info you need. It's good, but at the same time I just can't bring myself to recommend it.
I loved Assassin's Creed: Mirage more than any other modern AC game for one reason: it was 30 hours instead of 100. I haven't had a similar feeling in games from other publishers, it's just Ubisoft. I still haven't quite pinned down why I keep coming back to this style of open-world game when I clearly have objections to it.
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Comment on Transport for London’s AI Tube station experiment in ~transport
secret_online LinkAll things considered, it looks like TfL's (Transport for London) use of image recognition in this trial is pretty reasonable. The signal of aggression being raising your arms was an interesting...All things considered, it looks like TfL's (Transport for London) use of image recognition in this trial is pretty reasonable. The signal of aggression being raising your arms was an interesting find. The article acknowledges the potential use-case of staff raising their hands to call for help as a quick action, rather than having to futz about on a tablet in a dangerous situation. That's a cool unintended side effect that possibly has applications elsewhere too.
I do wonder what the other use-cases that were discarded were, especially the others in the shortlist that were in the high/medium category. Also the fact that some protected characteristics were being used by the system initially set off alarm bells, but upon thinking for 2 seconds it became clear that accessible needs (of all kinds) are a no-brainer. I do think having an explicit list of which characteristics are being processed would be good for transparency, rather than just a "the list includes these two but we're not actually going to tell you what else in in there". And finally facial recognition was being used for fare evasion in later parts of the trial, which makes me a little iffy. I acknowledge that for what they were trialing it's necessary, but hope its use stays limited. I'm not necessarily against its use, but I'd rather see more clarity and controls around how its used.
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Comment on What was your first computer game? (Soundcheck question 2023) in ~games
secret_online (edited )LinkCivilization: Call to Power. My grandfather had a copy, and between that and his train set I'd always be entertained when I visited. Being young, I quickly found the cheats menu, gave myself...My grandfather had a copy, and between that and his train set I'd always be entertained when I visited. Being young, I quickly found the cheats menu, gave myself near-infinite resources, and set about just building an empire. I'd spend my time placing a terrible network of roads/rails and working every possible tile I could to extract the maximum amount of stuff. My cheated technological superiority dissuaded my neighbours from being aggressive, but if they ever got brave enough they'd be dealt with quickly. With my infinite resources I'd reshape the terrain to my liking, though I'd usually just flatten everything because is had no creativity. I especially loved sending resources and units up to space, because there's an entire other layer of tiles up there. I'd actually love to see space gameplay like the Call to Power games in mainline Civ.
Having a turn-based strategy game as my first real gaming experience was great. It gave me an opportunity to be strategic with my
cheatingchoices, and gave me the opportunity to learn that style of storytelling that comes with the genre. My grandfather also had this A1 or A2 sized poster with the tech tree on one side and unit summaries on the other. I loved looking at those and thinking about human progress through this simplified and gamified lens.When he passed, my mum asked if I wanted the disc. It's sitting in my drawer, since I don't have a disc drive in my current PC, and I don't think it even runs. Last time I tried to play it I could only open the tutorial, couldn't save, and cutscenes wouldn't play so eventually the game would lock itself. I suppose I could try running it in a VM running Windows 98 for the nostalgia factor and see if that works.
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Comment on What is a classical music piece you like? And why? in ~music
secret_online LinkSymphony No. 1 by Vasily Kalinnikov is something that will always stick with me ever since the band I was in played the finale. Beautiful melodies, strong development of its ideas, incredible...Symphony No. 1 by Vasily Kalinnikov is something that will always stick with me ever since the band I was in played the finale. Beautiful melodies, strong development of its ideas, incredible orchestration, it's just an amazing work. I truly believe that this is something that should be more widely known. If you already know it, great. Have another listen. If it's your first time, give yourself an hour in a spot you love and enjoy.
Also the entirely of Camille Saint-Saëns' The Carnival of the Animals. Personal highlights include:
- Aquarium, because it's the perfect musical representation of shallow water and you can practically hear the caustics of the light source dancing across the floor
- Fossils, for first up being an absolute banger (because it's based on his own Danse Macabre and that's also one of my all-time favourite pieces of music ever) and then straight up playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (or the alphabet song if you prefer) like an absolute madlad
- Tortioses, because it's the Can-can and never before or since has the entirety of tortoisekind been lovingly insulted so much as the time this one guy decided that the best/funniest way to depict tortioses was to play the Can-can but slowly. It's musical genius
- The cuckoo, because all the darknesses of the forest are no match for just two notes
Honestly I could talk about all of the movements. It's such a good introduction to music's ability to paint entire scenes without a single word.
I wanted to prove to my parents that I would stay pseudonymous when on the internet, so chose a name that would remind me every time I typed it: secret_online. The underscore is important and I get annoyed any time a service doesn't allow me to enter it. I assume this feeling is felt by those with an O'<something> surname when systems don't accept the apostrophe.
At times I wonder if I should switch everything over to my IRL identity, but every time I come to the conclusion that I probably shouldn't because it'd be impossible to separate the two again. I also wonder whether this name has done its dash and I should pick a new one. But what purpose would that name serve that this name doesn't? For now this is fine so I'm sticking with it. Identity is hard.