Sheep's recent activity
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Comment on 1Password wades into a right-wing mess after funding a Linux project in ~tech
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Comment on EU packaging regulations land another blow to an already precarious tabletop industry in ~games.tabletop
Sheep Link ParentFelt the same way about the implementation of customs tax on every import outside the EU a couple months back. Screw you if the item you want isn't available anywhere in the EU, everybody pays...Felt the same way about the implementation of customs tax on every import outside the EU a couple months back. Screw you if the item you want isn't available anywhere in the EU, everybody pays because somebody's aunt wants to buy plastic trash from Temu. Just complete lack of vision, everybody gets the short end of the stick.
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Comment on What are your current pain points with Linux? in ~tech
Sheep (edited )LinkStarted using CachyOS earlier this year, going on about 6 months now (no dual booting, just Linux). Main things that have caused friction are: My elgato XLR interface works inconsistently. Very...Started using CachyOS earlier this year, going on about 6 months now (no dual booting, just Linux).
Main things that have caused friction are:
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My elgato XLR interface works inconsistently. Very often the system just stops detecting mic input, I try to figure it out, and usually unplugging and plugging again fixes it but sometimes a restart is required. I know this is most likely Elgato's fault but I didn't want to throw away my expensive hardware for no reason. Could also be Vesktop being finicky but at this point I'm used to just "turning it off and on again."
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WiFi did not work at all on my system (WiFi card wasn't detected) until I discovered a solution where I had to unplug my PC completely and hold the power button for a while to discharge residual electricity, which caused the motherboard to somehow detect it on boot again. This is the most "voodoo black magic" thing I've ever done with a computer problem and it baffles me that it was necessary (and also that it somehow worked). Thankfully it was a very quick and easy thing to do.
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Can't play Hell Divers with friends. It is what it is.
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I still like Word and Excel better than libreoffice but I can live with the latter for most applications. I still miss being able to boot up Photoshop for random stuff. There is simply no alternative for PS on Linux. Photopea is about as much as you can get and it doesn't come close still.
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Installing a Japanese IME (the thing you need to convert your keyboard inputs into Japanese characters) or any IME for that matter (Chinese and Korean will run into the same issue) should not be as complicated as it is on Linux. On Windows as soon as I choose Japanese in the language settings it installs everything and I can immediately start typing. On Linux, choosing Japanese as a language or keyboard is not enough. I had to install 2 or 3 different pieces of software and the keyboard input configuration was a bit confusing (because your IME settings live separately from your keyboard settings, at least on KDE). It worked fine once I configured it but why oh why is there no set-it-and-forget-it option for users that don't use the Latin alphabet? This is the kind of basic essential thing that I feel should be shipped with the kernel and not be dependent on external software. Most users want to just type on their keyboards, not to tinker with settings...
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USB wake from sleep was completely borked on my PC. I'd press the sleep button and it would just put itself in a weird half-asleep state with the fans/motherboard still running and there was no way out of it besides a hard shut down by holding the power button. Thankfully disabling the feature entirely solved the issue. Could be one of my devices and I did ponder disabling wake from sleep on just the one device, but I honestly didn't need the feature. Still, it was scary to see my computer never going to sleep until I figured out this was the cause.
I want to end by saying none of this makes me want to go back to Windows. Yes they are real pain points and annoyed me to deal with, but I could make just as long, if not a longer list of things that drove me mad on Windows. I could also easily make a list of things that I have loved since being on Linux, so it goes both ways.
Switching to Linux has also taught me a lot more about troubleshooting my own machine and made me confident about it. I've even started using terminal software which I thought would never happen before but Linux kinda forces you to open it at some point. And just the general relief in knowing that if something is wrong, there is at least usually a way to diagnose the issue, if not outright fix it, whereas on Windows you're basically praying things work all the time and are often out of luck when they don't.
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Comment on How to find a new calling in life? in ~life
Sheep Link ParentThis is something I've thought about and you're right that ultimately it matters a lot more that you can just do something to safely have a roof over your head. Though I want to stress that, where...This is something I've thought about and you're right that ultimately it matters a lot more that you can just do something to safely have a roof over your head.
Though I want to stress that, where I live, without a university degree or something equivalent you basically can't do any decent paying jobs and are essentially guaranteed to live with or near minimum wage forever (not enough to afford rent in most places). It's absolutely ridiculous but it's the reality I live in. So that's what's driving me to want to go back to uni as well, not necessarily just "finding a new calling."
I do really appreciate the perspective though. You're not the only one who commented here with something like that and I think I do need to shift gears a bit to "what matters more is to just do something I can maintain without going nuts" rather than focus so much on passion.
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Comment on How to find a new calling in life? in ~life
Sheep Link ParentNo but I took a few of the ones you linked and they helped a bit to quantify what I more or less figured I already felt, so thank you.No but I took a few of the ones you linked and they helped a bit to quantify what I more or less figured I already felt, so thank you.
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Comment on How to find a new calling in life? in ~life
Sheep Link ParentSorry if I made it seem like McDonald's was an easy job. I'm aware it's not. I just meant that it's easy to start for most people and, crucially, usually doesn't give you a lot of leverage as far...Sorry if I made it seem like McDonald's was an easy job. I'm aware it's not. I just meant that it's easy to start for most people and, crucially, usually doesn't give you a lot of leverage as far career progression goes. It's ungrateful work that should be paid a lot better.
I actually had an interview there yesterday and I'm keenly aware that there's a higher chance of me not liking the job than not, and I probably won't last, but when times are tough you do what you have to do.
Also, have you considered looking into local/regional/national government work for translators?
I have tried looking into government jobs but it's difficult to get into anything and as far as I've seen there's nothing for translation specifically, just a lot of administrative work. The most difficult part being that those jobs always require experience or a certificate in something, and all the results are public so they can't just give you the job without a valid reason.
One thing being a translator taught me is that nobody is ever looking for translators, you have to desperately beg everyone for a job. And that's getting more true in the age of AI.
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Comment on How to find a new calling in life? in ~life
Sheep (edited )Link ParentThat does help and it lines up a bit with how I already feel. I think the anxiety I have stems not from the fact that I don't understand how people get into the jobs they have, but the fact that I...That does help and it lines up a bit with how I already feel. I think the anxiety I have stems not from the fact that I don't understand how people get into the jobs they have, but the fact that I landed in a job that ultimately "trapped" me in place, didn't let me meet new people (irl. I have met a lot of people online), and thus heavily reduced those "lucky" opportunities that many folks run into. Part of it was out of my control, since I had a lot of undiagnosed conditions (especially crippling ADHD) that I've only learned about and began treating this past year, but part of it was also me not investing whatever free time I had into others.
It might be possible to enroll in a few classes, I'll have to take a look. Thank you for the book recommendations.
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Comment on How to find a new calling in life? in ~life
Sheep Link ParentYeah, AI is an aspect that has complicated everything further. I mean it ruined my field over the last years so I'm more keenly aware of it than many. It's why I kinda put something like...Yeah, AI is an aspect that has complicated everything further. I mean it ruined my field over the last years so I'm more keenly aware of it than many.
It's why I kinda put something like mechanical engineering above computer science at the moment, even if the latter usually has a higher wage ceiling. I'm so afraid AI will only get better and better and take on everything it can possibly get its fingers on, so at least picking an area with a strong component on real world elements seems like a good idea.
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Comment on How to find a new calling in life? in ~life
Sheep Link ParentYou're not wrong. I sometimes forget that I have some soft skills that came bundled with this job. Though I will say it's really hard to express the existence and development of those in my CV...You're not wrong. I sometimes forget that I have some soft skills that came bundled with this job. Though I will say it's really hard to express the existence and development of those in my CV because companies here are always looking at your education/experience and expecting you to specifically be from their field first and foremost.
I'll be sure to make a list, though.
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Comment on How to find a new calling in life? in ~life
Sheep Link ParentThis is a perspective I hadn't considered much. I've been so focused on looking at what people in these areas do that I forgot to even consider the people themselves, which does indeed matter a...This is a perspective I hadn't considered much. I've been so focused on looking at what people in these areas do that I forgot to even consider the people themselves, which does indeed matter a lot to me because, if there's one thing translation taught me it's that working fully remote feels very isolating. I might not have been giving that part as much weight as I should.
I think it's time I reach out to more people outside of my immediate friends and acquaintances to get a better idea on that.
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How to find a new calling in life?
I've been having a bit of a midlife crisis (well, I'm 31 so technically not there yet but...) and was hoping maybe some kind folks on Tildes could give me some perspective. Apologies in advance...
I've been having a bit of a midlife crisis (well, I'm 31 so technically not there yet but...) and was hoping maybe some kind folks on Tildes could give me some perspective. Apologies in advance for the long-winded post.
I currently work my "dream" job. I put that in quotes because I'm a freelance translator which, as you might expect, has not been the best place to be at for the last couple of years. Nonetheless, it was the job I wanted to do when I got into university 7 years ago so it's what I'd say is the only "calling" I've had.
Because I've only ever done this, I feel like I missed out on opportunities and soft skills that a person might typically develop early in their career at more typical jobs. I was fortunate to have an accommodating family who really let me try as hard as I could in the translation field until I could succeed, which unfortunately I haven't as much as I wanted to.
Because of all this, I've now been looking for non-specialized jobs anyone can do in order to at least have a more stable income. But I feel like just working at say a McDonald's or other less skilled jobs won't get me very far in life. Yes I can do translation on the side as a supplement and maybe one day I'll get lucky enough to score a well-paying client (I know it's possible but just haven't had the chance yet), but that's a lot of ifs for comfort. At the moment I can't even focus on paying my bills, let alone try to have a life outside my job or a partner or basically anything, and that's what also sorta torpedo'd the intense anxiety I've been having.
So I've been pondering seriously going back to university to get another degree, as some of my friends and acquaintances have done. The problem is I just don't know how to even go about finding something that can give me a better professional life and that I connect with in some capacity. I've been so sheltered and non-diversified for 7 years that now I have very little to connect with.
I thankfully live in a country where university is not a big financial investment, so that's not an issue. But as I've been warned by others (and agree myself), jumping into a degree when I only have nebulous ideas about my future in it is a good way to ensure I burn myself out and waste my time. I can't just pick a degree because "it'll pay well." It has to be something I can actually concentrate on and feel the drive to work toward. Otherwise I'll probably be back on this road again, just in a different way (low end skilled work is as poorly paid as unskilled work where I live).
I've been eyeing typical big engineering degrees like computer science and mechanical engineering. Looking at jobs they can provide makes them sound somewhat interesting (robots are cool, right?), but it still all feels very nebulous, like nothing fully clicks. It's like I can't find something that's more guaranteed to pay well and where I also feel "this is where I want to be."
I'm also constantly worried about "what if I choose wrong" and wondering if I won't be good enough or stand out and just set myself up for another bad career. The choice paralysis is very real. And reading testimonials online, no matter for what field, just makes things feel more bleak (I should probably stop that), though there is occasionally some positivity.
The way I describe my mental state right now is "I want a job that will let me not have to worry about surviving 24/7, but I don't know what that might look like." It could be working at McDonald's or some menial office job and then doing translation on the side (AKA the only "calling" I've ever fully clicked with), it could be becoming an engineer, or maybe it's something else entirely I haven't found yet. I don't know.
I also know that sometimes all it takes is to try something out to see if you like it, so I'm not ruling the possibility that maybe I'll just click with a degree after I get into it, but until I have that opportunity I'd like ask fellow Tildeans: how would you go about finding a new calling in life in a situation like this?
I know there's no silver bullet answer and that nobody can decide my life for me, but I feel as though I'm missing the tools to make that decision for myself.
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Comment on Japan tried to build an operating system for the entire world, then the US government intervened in ~tech
Sheep Link ParentIt's not just that. It's also the fact the UI designers in Japan get no say. Whatever the client wants the client must get (and usually they want to show everything because their company and their...It's not just that. It's also the fact the UI designers in Japan get no say. Whatever the client wants the client must get (and usually they want to show everything because their company and their products are always the greatest, and maybe graphic design is their passion). That's why you get pages crammed with basically everything the site has to offer.
I've heard someone say that Japanese UI design is what other countries would have if the client always had it their way and could never be contradicted.
I also agree that Western-centric businesses tend to oversimplify to the point that most websites look and feel the same, but I do find the information density and cramped navigation of Japanese sites quite annoying to use as well (and I can read Japanese). They're both unpleasant extremes.
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Comment on Webcomic of the author's experience in an abusive school that was a part of the Troubled Teens Industry in ~life
Sheep LinkFor continuity, link to the past Tildes discussion on this comic, back when the last chapter came out.For continuity, link to the past Tildes discussion on this comic, back when the last chapter came out.
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Comment on ha.mr: a link compressor in ~comp
Sheep Link ParentSeems right to me. The emoji url has 20 emojis. This tildes post has 45 characters in its url. That is a 43% reduction. What this tool doesn't take into account is that text characters are not...which is apparently 43% shorter.
Seems right to me.
The emoji url has 20 emojis. This tildes post has 45 characters in its url. That is a 43% reduction.
What this tool doesn't take into account is that text characters are not equally wide, whereas emojis are always the full width a character on a computer can have.
iiiiiiiiii and 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 are both the same length character wise (10), but visually the emojis take up more than quadruple the space.
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Comment on Cheap / budget travel Japan ideas request in ~travel
Sheep Link ParentI highly subscribe to this idea. The restaurants I went to on my last trip to Japan were heavily influenced by him and I had a wonderful experience in the majority of them, even the more tourist-y...I highly subscribe to this idea. The restaurants I went to on my last trip to Japan were heavily influenced by him and I had a wonderful experience in the majority of them, even the more tourist-y ones.
But be warned about choice paralysis. I added so many options to my list that some days we couldn't decide which one to go with. If I was to do this again I would plan out the meals in advance and have at least one restaurant set for the day (so for example, on whichever day I decide to go to Shibuya, I'll go to restaurant X that's also nearby). This would avoid scenarios where I didn't get to try some types of food.
Also pay close attention to travel distance and whatnot because while in big cities there are trains and buses everywhere, if you need to switch lines a lot it can eat up more time than you might assume at first. Ideally always plan to eat around where you're visiting and/or plan a visit around where you're eating for minimum friction.
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Comment on How has climate change affected your life / plans? in ~enviro
Sheep (edited )LinkI live in Portugal and it has had a huge impact. I remember when I was a kid that summers were always fun to be outside and go to the beach and seldom did I feel temperatures were unbearable....I live in Portugal and it has had a huge impact.
I remember when I was a kid that summers were always fun to be outside and go to the beach and seldom did I feel temperatures were unbearable. Sure, it got hot, but not sweat coming out of every orifice hot.
Now, we often get days where there is a weather agency advisory not to go outside if possible due to the extreme heat and high UV intensity. Most houses are also extremely uncomfortable now because they were not built with such high temperatures in mind and it's hard to retrofit any kind of central AC in them (you'll be lucky if you can install a heat pump for one room without a lot of fuss. If you can't, portable AC/fans are your only resource). Folks without AC like me basically have to put our blinds down for most of the day so the house doesn't heat up as much during those bad days.
Winters are also getting more extreme weather events. We had a massive Winter storm that devastated a large region of the country that is still recovering to this day because our politicians are not equipped to handle this kind of adverse weather, as we've always been the country of "calm weather" before now.
And don't even get me started on the forest fires. Every year it seems to be getting worse. I live next to a forest too so it's double scary for me. I could lose my house because of a random spark somewhere.
To say I don't feel too positive about the future of the environment would be an understatement. I think it won't be long until we start having significant migration fluxes because of this type of weather.
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Comment on You can vote on the design of the next Euro banknotes! in ~design
Sheep LinkMaybe a hot take but while the fictional bridges weren't the most visually punchy, they were all neutral and could be a common cultural element in any European country. I am very strongly against...Maybe a hot take but while the fictional bridges weren't the most visually punchy, they were all neutral and could be a common cultural element in any European country.
I am very strongly against depicting any real-life personality on the notes, no matter how significant they were to the continent and it's history, because the European Union isn't just 5 or 6 countries and cannot possibly be represented by such a small number of personalities.
Love the designs themselves in a vacuum, but I will be voting strongly against all the notes with faces on them. Sadly the o the only other alternative seems to be European birds, which I think is an odd choice for those who don't want faces, but at least those share a wider geographical area and are thus a more common sight for the average European.
Overall, not too happy with these options.
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Comment on There is no reason to buy another PlayStation or Xbox in ~games
Sheep Link Parent800 dollars is an entire month's salary for me. How "fortunate" I am.800 dollars is an entire month's salary for me. How "fortunate" I am.
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Comment on There is no reason to buy another PlayStation or Xbox in ~games
Sheep Link Parent800 dollars a year is most certainly not a rounding error for a big portion of the world's population. I hope you have the self-awareness that this is an extremely privileged position to be in.800 dollars a year is most certainly not a rounding error for a big portion of the world's population. I hope you have the self-awareness that this is an extremely privileged position to be in.
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Comment on There is no reason to buy another PlayStation or Xbox in ~games
Sheep (edited )Link ParentNot only that but if sitting on the couch in your living room is paramount, it is so extremely easy to connect your computer to your living room tv even without a single cable (steam remote play,...Not only that but if sitting on the couch in your living room is paramount, it is so extremely easy to connect your computer to your living room tv even without a single cable (steam remote play, parsec, moonlight, etc.). That means you not only get to enjoy kicking back on the couch, you don't even take up any extra space in the living room. Building a dedicated PC just for your living room is completely unnecessary.
And no, you don't need to walk all the way to where your PC is to turn it on if it's off. Pretty much every modern motherboard has the Wake on LAN feature which lets you remotely wake up your pc as long as it's connected to a router in your home, so it literally is just kick back on your couch and play.
I have a PS5 and happily use it, but it takes me the exact same amount of time to boot into it and play a game than it does to boot into my pc and play a game. And it also has to deal with random updates. I fail to see how one is more convenient than the other, they are both just as convenient.
It has never been easier to play PC games in your living room.
Keepass and its derivatives. It's been around for ages and has always been fully offline. Just need to sync a single database file between your devices, which you can do with whatever solution you prefer.