simplify's recent activity
-
Comment on Chappell Roan - Pink Pony Club (Live from the 67th Grammy Awards, 2025) in ~music
-
Comment on NaNoWriMo officially shutting down in ~creative
simplify Link ParentFrom what I've read in the Reddit thread, the vast majority of their funds, over 99%, went to salaries, not programs. There's other stuff that sticks out in their Wikipedia, YouTube, the Reddit...From what I've read in the Reddit thread, the vast majority of their funds, over 99%, went to salaries, not programs. There's other stuff that sticks out in their Wikipedia, YouTube, the Reddit thread, but honestly I'm just some nobody outsider who's looking at the whole thing skeptically.
It also appears the current director who announced the shut down has essentially blamed the community for not contributing enough money. And even though they have announced they are closing their doors, the donation page is still up.
I'm not trying to start something or make a stink. Just my personal view of the organization is something I would never contribute financially to. It seems sketchy. That's all.
-
Comment on NaNoWriMo officially shutting down in ~creative
simplify Link ParentI suppose it reads to me as a grift. I know the organization helped and inspired a lot people over the years but it can still be a scam at the same time. Reading Wikipedia, it seems like it...I suppose it reads to me as a grift. I know the organization helped and inspired a lot people over the years but it can still be a scam at the same time. Reading Wikipedia, it seems like it started as a cool grassroots thing but devolved into something top heavy. It’s collapsing because they stopped being able to get money out of people and my interpretation from the YouTube comments is that this wasn’t unexpected.
-
Comment on NaNoWriMo officially shutting down in ~creative
simplify LinkWhile the fastest novel I ever wrote was in 2 weeks, I've never participated in NaNoWriMo. I clicked the link and read some of the comments on YouTube (I know...) and I guess I'm confused. This is...While the fastest novel I ever wrote was in 2 weeks, I've never participated in NaNoWriMo. I clicked the link and read some of the comments on YouTube (I know...) and I guess I'm confused. This is something that can "shut down?" Why? Did somebody try to extract money out of this? There are board members? And I see comments about a child predator? I can understand needing a little money to run a website, but it seems to me that this thing ballooned way out of proportion over the years. If you want to spend November writing a book, just do it. Find like minded people. Why do all these things devolve into grifters trying to scam and why do people go along with it?
-
Comment on What would your past self say about your current self? in ~life
-
Comment on What do you do with your diplomas? in ~life
simplify Link ParentThat's interesting. Is there no overarching authority where authenticity can be checked? I suppose I'm operating under the assumption that if I ever need to "prove" my education, it's a few clicks...Diplomas in Brazil are not merely ceremonial and you do need them sometimes.
That's interesting. Is there no overarching authority where authenticity can be checked? I suppose I'm operating under the assumption that if I ever need to "prove" my education, it's a few clicks away. Maintaining a physical document feels archaic.
-
Comment on What do you do with your diplomas? in ~life
simplify Link ParentIt's too bad, then, that a diploma isn't the size of a credit card. I hate having these large pieces of paper that convey some idea of who I am. Why can't it be portable?!It's too bad, then, that a diploma isn't the size of a credit card. I hate having these large pieces of paper that convey some idea of who I am. Why can't it be portable?!
-
Comment on What do you do with your diplomas? in ~life
simplify Link ParentThank you. I guess I hang on to this notion that maybe someday I'll be a professor but if I'm being a realist I don't think it'll ever happen.Thank you. I guess I hang on to this notion that maybe someday I'll be a professor but if I'm being a realist I don't think it'll ever happen.
-
Comment on What do you do with your diplomas? in ~life
simplify Link ParentAll of mine are in the envelope my master's came in, postmarked 2007. I just keep carrying it around. I guess it represents a lot of money, so maybe that's why I hang on. The education is all in...All of mine are in the envelope my master's came in, postmarked 2007. I just keep carrying it around. I guess it represents a lot of money, so maybe that's why I hang on. The education is all in my head, so the paper doesn't matter to me. Plus nobody really cares about my education. So I just have this paper that'll take some emotional gumption to dispose of if I decide that. It's so weird.
-
Comment on What do you do with your diplomas? in ~life
simplify Link ParentIf a new professor were hired and they came in and didn't hang up their diplomas, how would that be received by other faculty?If a new professor were hired and they came in and didn't hang up their diplomas, how would that be received by other faculty?
-
What do you do with your diplomas?
I'm kind of a minimalist. I really don't keep much but for some reason I've been lugging my diplomas along with me for decades. I have my high school diploma, my college diploma, and my master's...
I'm kind of a minimalist. I really don't keep much but for some reason I've been lugging my diplomas along with me for decades. I have my high school diploma, my college diploma, and my master's diploma. I really don't care about any of them, to be honest. And the worst is my master's, because it's stupidly large. If they were all small and uniform, I'd just slide them into some folder and forget about them. I'm not someone who will hang them up. In a way, they feel like emotional baggage. So I don't think I'm ready to just shred them and move on. But at the same time I find them generally worthless. What do you do with your diplomas and what should I do with mine?
23 votes -
Comment on Important 2025 Plex updates in ~tv
simplify Link ParentThe verbiage around users was unclear. I’m not worried about myself, just my family who streams from my server. But elsewhere they have cleared it up that if the admin of a server has a Plex Pass,...The verbiage around users was unclear. I’m not worried about myself, just my family who streams from my server. But elsewhere they have cleared it up that if the admin of a server has a Plex Pass, users won’t get charged.
-
Comment on Important 2025 Plex updates in ~tv
simplify Link ParentThank you. The wording in the release is not great. But in their FAQ near the bottom, it’s clearer:Thank you. The wording in the release is not great. But in their FAQ near the bottom, it’s clearer:
I do not have a Plex Pass, but stream remotely from a Plex Media Server:
To stream remotely starting on April 29, 2025, you will need a Remote Watch Pass or Plex Pass subscription on your account or the admin of the Plex Media Server from which you stream will need a Plex Pass subscription on their account. -
Comment on Important 2025 Plex updates in ~tv
simplify (edited )LinkSo what I’m reading is… even though I have a Lifetime Plex Pass myself, any users who have access to my server must now pay Plex a subscription? Did I read this right? EDIT: I jumped the gun....So what I’m reading is… even though I have a Lifetime Plex Pass myself, any users who have access to my server must now pay Plex a subscription? Did I read this right?
EDIT: I jumped the gun. Users will not have to pay a subscription if the server admin has a Plex Pass. The wording in the main content of the press release wasn’t clear to me originally, but I get it now. I also probably just assumed the worst because Plex has been losing its shine over the years and I wouldn’t be surprised if enshittification came for it, too.
-
Comment on Have you made a video game? Can I play it? in ~games
simplify Link ParentWhat I really need to figure out is how to feel not exhausted all the time. After I get home from work, do chores, dinner, there is still time left before bed but I’m just so tired that I can’t...What I really need to figure out is how to feel not exhausted all the time. After I get home from work, do chores, dinner, there is still time left before bed but I’m just so tired that I can’t get motivated to sit at my computer and dive in. And then on the weekend, I end up sleeping in because I’m so tired, then it’s errands and cleaning and a little bit of a social life, and then suddenly it’s Sunday night. I don’t know how people with children get anything done at all.
Quitting the job is the right move. I did that before and worked on my own project for years. I’ve got the discipline. I think, though, this time around I’d have to have a big chunk on the game finished and an even bigger chunk of cash in the bank to leave gainful employment for yet another dream. But I think you’re right. I need to find the passion or motivation or whatever to sit down and really learn the engine. I’ve read that GDScript is a lot like Python, so I think it would be a quick onboarding for me. Just gotta do it.
-
Comment on Have you made a video game? Can I play it? in ~games
simplify LinkI’ve been wanting to jump into Godot and start making a game for a while, but my job just takes so much out of me that I have no desire to code when I get home. My partner and I have a really fun...I’ve been wanting to jump into Godot and start making a game for a while, but my job just takes so much out of me that I have no desire to code when I get home. My partner and I have a really fun idea for a cozy farm sim that we’d like to make, it just feels so far off. I wish I could quit my job and dedicate all my time to working on it. For now, it’s so tough to get started.
-
Comment on Are most jobs not what you thought they would be? Expectations vs. reality. in ~talk
simplify Link ParentIt sounds like you already know the answer. I deal with this all by living my life true to my beliefs, for better or worse. And the "worse" side of that can get me into trouble and force me to get...I guess it feels like I cannot imagine a life doing the same thing over and over again forever or for decades at a time, but I also really need healthcare...
It sounds like you already know the answer.
I deal with this all by living my life true to my beliefs, for better or worse. And the "worse" side of that can get me into trouble and force me to get a job again. I don't know. The older I get, the fewer answers I have. Everything just feels unnecessarily difficult and complicated. I'm exhausted by it all. It seems so pointless to have to do so much of what we're made to do. But what else can I do? I didn't ask to be here, yet here I am.
I am able-bodied and able-minded, though I'm sure I could be diagnosed with something that society thinks is abnormal. I'm not a doctor and don't claim to know about any of that, but it seems to me that society doesn't like people who think outside the box or just feel or act or learn differently than society's own prescriptions. I tend to agree with Jiddu Krishnamurti who says, "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” So maybe I'm depressed, but how can one not be depressed when you consider how everything's going?
I wish I could offer some good, actionable advice on how to cope with having to go to a job, any job, day in and day out, and not feel the dread of wasting this gift of consciousness that's been bestowed upon us. Maybe the Zen adage, "Before Enlightenment chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment chop wood, carry water," is a helpful reminder that work has always sucked and the only way to deal with it is to understand it sucks, that's just how things are, and keep doing what you've got to do to live. But honestly, chopping wood and carrying water often sounds a lot better than modern employment.
I think what you might be looking for is your ikigai. It's a Japanese concept that is basically your reason for being. But it's more about finding that thing you're good at, that the world needs, that is something you love, and something you can be paid for. Easier said than done, I know. But it's a life pursuit. It might be something you haven't even considered yet. Maybe framing your search with this concept would be helpful in uncovering it.
For me, I suppose I'm just going to carry on doing what I've got to do on any given day. I'll try to make things better and easier for myself, but also try to be patient about it and cut myself some slack. I want to pay off some debt, but not be so serious about it that I neglect buying some silly thing that makes me feel like all the toil is worth it, even if that thing only offers a fleeting moment of respite from the psychic pain of having to do so much that seems so unnecessary. Sometimes I'll drink too much wine and feel bad about myself and regretful and promise myself that's it, I'm quitting. But then I'll probably change my tune in a week or two because wine's delicious and it helps.
My ideal self is some monk who isn't so obsessed with ego and materialism and sex and also doesn't have to do much beyond chopping wood and carrying water and thinking and writing. But that's just not me this time around. Maybe next time.
Recommended listening: Haley Heynderickx - Seed of a Seed
-
Comment on Are most jobs not what you thought they would be? Expectations vs. reality. in ~talk
simplify LinkI think most jobs are exactly what I think they'll be: a big waste of my life, a slog, something I just have to do for money. And I've had some pretty cushy jobs. I definitely enjoy some parts of...I think most jobs are exactly what I think they'll be: a big waste of my life, a slog, something I just have to do for money. And I've had some pretty cushy jobs. I definitely enjoy some parts of jobs I've had, I can find joy in little moments at them, and I'm generally a positive addition to a team. People like me, I'm outgoing and helpful, I'm not a killjoy. But at the end of the day, it's just eight hours of my life down the drain. If you wouldn't go there without the paycheck, then that tells you everything you need to know. I know some people can do the whole "work to live" thing and convince themselves that it's great that their job enables them to pursue their hobbies outside of work. I wish I could do that. Truly. But I can't. I can't help but feel that I'm wasting so much of what little life I get at some meaningless job.
The best "job" I had was working for myself writing. I would do that if money weren't a concern. I'd still be doing it if I had broken through and made the next level of income. But it did support me for a long time. For now, I'm back in the corporate world. I'm a software developer and it's exactly what I thought it would be. I'm good at it, but when quittin' time comes, it feels like more hours of my life that I'll never get back. My time continues to flit away into the aether.
I'm sorry this is so negative, but this is how I've always felt in my life. No job has ever felt truly valuable to me, regardless of the money. I just can't feel fulfilled assisting someone else's dream. I'm not built that way and it's been a source of conflict inside of me for a long time.
-
Comment on Tildes homepage is down? (2025-02-25 4pm UTC) in ~tildes
simplify Link ParentTildes should have some kind of prepared statement for outages like this.- Exemplary
Tildes should have some kind of prepared statement for outages like this.
-
Comment on The ideal candidate will be punched in the stomach in ~health.mental
simplify (edited )Link ParentMy advice for her is to do some research on the niche/category she wants to write in by looking at the Amazon bestsellers list (Top 100) for that niche, take a look at the bigger authors in that...- Exemplary
My advice for her is to do some research on the niche/category she wants to write in by looking at the Amazon bestsellers list (Top 100) for that niche, take a look at the bigger authors in that niche to see what they're doing, read some of their books, and see if it's a viable moneymaker. If the #1 book in a niche/category is sub-5000 in overall sales rank, there's decent money to be made there. If the #1 book is sub-100 in rank, it's going to be very competitive. Throughout all of this research, keep writing. Treat writing like a job, keep a schedule, try to write 3000-5000 words a day. It's a muscle and you need to work it out.
Writing an on-going series is probably the way to go from the start. It doesn't have to be the same characters every time. One book could be about the cousin of the protagonist from another book. But romance readers love series. My advice on a series would be to write 3 novels in the series and then publish them all at once, making the first one permafree (there are ways to make a book free forever on Amazon) to get readers hooked.
All the money is on Amazon. You pretty much have to be in their Kindle Unlimited program. It pays a fraction of a cent per page read, but fractions add up. The more you write, the more people who read you, the more you will earn. I averaged a novel every 6 weeks or so. There are other ways to do it, like writing longer books, writing in a series as I mentioned, but you need to get your name out there and the easiest way is to put as much content in front of readers as you can.
She should signup for Dirty Discourse; it's a forum for romance writers and there is so much information and support there. I'm not a member anymore, but I was for many years. I can't vouch for it over the last few years, but the admins and moderators always did such a great job, I'm sure it's still thriving. It does cost money, but it is totally worth it. Seriously. Sign up for it and start devouring all the information now. Introduce yourself and contribute what you can. They boot you if you're not active.
Self-publishing is a lot of work. Unless you plan to pay people to do stuff for you, you've got to write, edit, market, do graphic design, and so much more. I did it all myself because I have a unique set of skills. If she (or you) don't have all these skills, you may end up farming things out. Dirty Discourse can help with that as well. Covers are just so important. Readers judge a book by its cover first, blurb second. You need to have alluring, niche-specific covers.
For software, I recommend writing in something like Scrivener to help keep you organized. For layout of ebooks and print books, the absolute best software out there is Vellum. It's amazing. It's Mac-only. But it has no rival with ease of creating ebooks and print books, that if you don't have a Mac I would recommend buying one (older, secondhand, whatever) just to use Vellum. It's that good. Vellum will absolutely make your work look professional. I think not using Vellum is a huge mistake unless you really love laying books out by hand with something like LaTeX. If you don't have a passion for that kind of work, get Vellum. Get Vellum.
You mention erotica, but short-form erotica has been a dead end for making money for almost 10 years. It's all about romance novels (which can be erotic). The readers are voracious, so just write and write and write. I sort of got stuck in a rut of writing 50K word novels, which is about 250 pages. I should have been writing 80-100K word novels. This goes back to the Kindle Unlimited pay-per-page scheme. Readers like longer books, because they are addicted. You can never write enough to satisfy them.
This brain dump should hopefully get you and your partner started. First step is research and Dirty Discourse. And keep writing. Write as much as you can. Good luck!
I like Chappell Roan in general. I own her record due to a drunken night hanging with a friend who likes her. I've got some of her songs on my modded Beat Saber and they're fun to play. But she's so obviously a phony and poser. The election nonsense sealed it. She strikes me as rich and privileged and performative. She's a pop star joke like so many other pop stars. She's Capitalism.
Maybe I don't like her in general.