stu2b50's recent activity
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Comment on The hatred of podcasting in ~life
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Comment on Millennials: How do you feel about nostalgia pandering? in ~talk
stu2b50 LinkSeems fine. Like you said, there's always been "nostalgia bait" mainly aimed at a people of a certain age (middle-aged). Always has, always will be. Not everything needs to be high brow genre...Seems fine. Like you said, there's always been "nostalgia bait" mainly aimed at a people of a certain age (middle-aged). Always has, always will be.
Not everything needs to be high brow genre defining. Nostalgia content is entertaining for the middle aged geezers, and that's all it needs to be to justify its existence.
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Comment on Microsoft's ambitious new Xbox: Your entire Xbox console library, the full power of Windows PC gaming, and no multiplayer paywall in ~games
stu2b50 LinkI wonder where the margin is for this at all. It just seems like there's not much money in making PC-labeled-as-Xbox. I guess it'll come with a big revamp of the Xbox store on windows, but is that...I wonder where the margin is for this at all. It just seems like there's not much money in making PC-labeled-as-Xbox. I guess it'll come with a big revamp of the Xbox store on windows, but is that enough?
The margins on consoles has never been amazing (famously negative in some generations, like the PS3) - the revenue comes from licensing and the cut on store sales. The margin on prebuilt PCs is famously godawful.
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Comment on Making liquid nitrogen from scratch (an absurd amount) in ~science
stu2b50 Link ParentI mean, the reasons he's doing this is to make air into alcohol, gasoline, and a bomb. Not exactly, uh, practical solutions. This is very much a journey-over-destination kind of thing. The actual...and really I can’t imagine why anyone would want to produce liquified gases at home instead of just procuring them from an industrial supplier.
I mean, the reasons he's doing this is to make air into alcohol, gasoline, and a bomb. Not exactly, uh, practical solutions.
This is very much a journey-over-destination kind of thing. The actual product NileRed makes is interesting youtube videos, not any of the chemicals that are the final results. In that aspect, this video alone made thousands of dollars.
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Comment on Looking for low-cost ways to replace industrially processed foods in ~food
stu2b50 Link ParentIf you mean the zero sugar coca colas, then honestly, yeah it would probably be healthier. The science on the health detriments of artificial sweetners shows little evidence of serious links...If you mean the zero sugar coca colas, then honestly, yeah it would probably be healthier. The science on the health detriments of artificial sweetners shows little evidence of serious links between the two. You lack the vitamins and antioxidents of fruit juice, but for the average person's diet in the modern day an explosion of sugar is going to be worse for you.
That'd be an example of a case where an incredibly ultraprocesed food, coke zero, can be better for you than home-made fruit juice.
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Comment on At least twenty-five US states plan to cut off food aid benefits in November in ~society
stu2b50 Link ParentThe way this is worded implies that 25 states told Politico that they would cut off food aid off the record, but did not consent to have this be published in the article yet. Only 5 states did,...Twenty-five states told POLITICO that they are issuing notices informing participants of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — the nation’s largest anti-hunger initiative — that they won’t receive checks next month. Those states include California, Arkansas, Hawaii, Indiana, Mississippi and New Jersey. Others didn’t respond to requests for comment in time for publication.
The way this is worded implies that 25 states told Politico that they would cut off food aid off the record, but did not consent to have this be published in the article yet. Only 5 states did, which are listed in the article.
In the end, journalism is as much about maintaining good relationships with your sources as anything else. Otherwise, you end up with no sources.
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Comment on Looking for low-cost ways to replace industrially processed foods in ~food
stu2b50 LinkI feel like the concept is a bit fallacious. The issue with ultraprocessed foods is what it allows, not the inherent property of being "ultraprocessed". Because you're "ultraprocessing" it, humans...I feel like the concept is a bit fallacious. The issue with ultraprocessed foods is what it allows, not the inherent property of being "ultraprocessed". Because you're "ultraprocessing" it, humans can make food that contains wildly imbalanced macronutrient mixes.
A ultraprocessed sparkling water will be healthier than a homemade fruit juice, because the latter still has all the fructose and none of the padding from fiber and cellulose and all the rest of the fruit.
IMO the better lesson is to consider the macronutrient composition of what you eat, rather than obsess over whether or not it's "ultraprocessed". All tofu you can buy is categorized as ultraprocessed, because it comes with preservatives, but I'd wager a pan fried tofu is probably healthier than 90% of the protein-rich foods most Americans eat.
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Comment on CS2 skin update ‘rug pulls’ collectors as $1 billion wiped from market cap in ~games
stu2b50 Link ParentCryptocurrency but Valves database instead of a blockchain. Because it’s liquid and fungible, skins can be used as a currency for things like gambling.Cryptocurrency but Valves database instead of a blockchain.
Because it’s liquid and fungible, skins can be used as a currency for things like gambling.
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Comment on Thieves steal crown jewels in four minutes from Louvre Museum in Paris in ~arts
stu2b50 Link ParentWhat are they supposed to study? I think we know how diamonds, silver, and gold works pretty well at this point, scientifically. Most of the crown jewels stolen were contemporaneous with Napoleon...What are they supposed to study? I think we know how diamonds, silver, and gold works pretty well at this point, scientifically. Most of the crown jewels stolen were contemporaneous with Napoleon III, so it's not exactly ancient history.
Not to mention that they can be pretty easily documented to such a degree that any historians have more than enough data permanently available to them in digital form.
Then [they should] guard them appropriately so it's not easier to steal France's national treasure than from a supermarket...?
Did anyone argue that they shouldn't have defended them more? I'm confused where this line even comes up. My argument is mainly that there is little inherent value in stuffing the crown jewels in a vault where no one ever sees them. No one said they should be undefended.
I mean, for reference, at one point one of the French Republics sold all the jewels the government owned to raise funds and because they detested the idea of having monarchial items like "crown jewels". They were reacquired for display in louvre.
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Comment on Thieves steal crown jewels in four minutes from Louvre Museum in Paris in ~arts
stu2b50 Link ParentI mean, another way to look at it is, why even store them if you're not going to display them? These are items of worth because of their contribution to France's national history and identity....I mean, another way to look at it is, why even store them if you're not going to display them? These are items of worth because of their contribution to France's national history and identity. Otherwise, they're just some pretty rocks. Insignificant compared to, say, France's gold reserves, or France's foreign currency reserves.
By displaying them in a museum, they're useful, to impress, to educate, to instill French culture and history. Locked up in a vault, what is even the difference between them not existing?
If a tree falls in a forest and all.
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Comment on What's a quantum computer? in ~tech
stu2b50 LinkFirs you have to relax your definition of "computer". We think of computers as silicon chips, but that's just one way to make a computer. A computer is fundamentally us taking advantage of...Firs you have to relax your definition of "computer". We think of computers as silicon chips, but that's just one way to make a computer. A computer is fundamentally us taking advantage of physical reactions in a way that the result of some series of physical reactions has a useful relationship with the input.
That's why you can make computers capable of adding with just flowing water and some boxes. Or make an entire CPU in Minecraft redstone.
Now, in practice, we've discovered that we can make extremely small and reliable logic gates with transistors and electrical signals, and this allows us to make very powerful general purpose computing units that takes up little space.
A quantum computer is a a computer that is trying to take advantage of quantum mechanics to make useful results. That's special because quantum mechanics encodes more information than classical mechanics.
A normal bit can be in one of two states. 0 or 1, as it is usually represented. A quantum bit, or qubit, is a linear combination of two states. That means that 0a + 1b is a valid qubit state, and 1a + 0b, but so is 2a + 1b or 3a + 2b. That is, a single qubit already can be an infinite number of values (specifically, in a vector space).
The application of quantum computers is that there are classes of problems which are too hard for us to compute classically. Some of those are intentional, like some encryption algorithms. Because of how quantum mechanics works, hypothetically, you could encode the input as a superposition of every possible input, run the calculation, and then you have every possible output.
it seems to only be used for algorithms and such. not personal computing.
All personal computer is algorithms. Just with a pretty layer on top. But how could you even calculate the correct size of a window without algorithms?
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Comment on Warner Bros. Discovery has received interest from multiple parties for all or part of company in ~movies
stu2b50 Link ParentIt's not always that clear. A merger can make a market more competitive when the company being absorbed is likely to die if on its own. Honda was pressured by the Japanese government to merge with...It's not always that clear. A merger can make a market more competitive when the company being absorbed is likely to die if on its own. Honda was pressured by the Japanese government to merge with Nissan, for instance, because Nissan was seen as on the verge of bankruptcy, and so it was better for the Japanese car market for Nissan to exist as part of Honda than to not exist at all.
Another case is where there is a oligopoly or duopoly, and the minor players in the market merge to try and compete with the larger players. Although technically the raw number of companies decreased, there are now more real actors in the market.
I don't really see much of a monopoly in either streaming or show production. Hasn't everyone been complaining about having "too many subscriptions"?
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Comment on Warner Bros. Discovery has received interest from multiple parties for all or part of company in ~movies
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Comment on 'This is definitely my last TwitchCon': High-profile streamer Emiru was assaulted at the event, even as streamers have been sounding the alarm about stalkers and harassment in ~games
stu2b50 Link ParentThe key difference is that they work for the host of the event, and therefore implicitly the hosts invests in them the power of a private property to kick people out. In this case, the private...Escorting individuals off the premises is a routine part of security details at concerts, bars, museums, malls, etc.
The key difference is that they work for the host of the event, and therefore implicitly the hosts invests in them the power of a private property to kick people out.
In this case, the private security has no association whatsoever with the event itself. There is no difference between them and anyone else in the event. This is just a private citizen who is assaulting another private citizen on premises.
In an event where a celebrity hires their own private security, a competent organization would be happy to coordinate venue security protocol with the private security to remove disruptive individuals like a known stalker, instead of actively working against their own damn talent.
Who is working against who? Twitch runs the event, and its security, and Twitch was not the one who banned the security guard.
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Comment on Death in D&D 5e, the various revival spells, and their impact on the game in ~games.tabletop
stu2b50 Link ParentI think those cases are exaggerations. Revivify, the 3rd level spell, only works on people who have been dead for a minute or less. It's really a combat spell. The other revival spells are much...I think those cases are exaggerations. Revivify, the 3rd level spell, only works on people who have been dead for a minute or less. It's really a combat spell.
The other revival spells are much higher level. 5th level or above, at least. To cast a 5th level spell, you have to be 9th lvl - it may not seem like it because of how many PCs are at or above 9th level, but in traditional 5e worldbuilding, a 9th lvl person is exceptionally rare. These are people near demi-god levels of power.
Your daughter died? Yeah, too bad. The Emperor's Chief Court Mage isn't going to do shit for them.
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Comment on 'This is definitely my last TwitchCon': High-profile streamer Emiru was assaulted at the event, even as streamers have been sounding the alarm about stalkers and harassment in ~games
stu2b50 Link ParentThe question as to "who should care" is pretty clear - it's Twitch, Twitch is supposed to care. Twitch also isn't the one who banned the bodyguard. That was the whole point. No one is saying that...The question as to "who should care" is pretty clear - it's Twitch, Twitch is supposed to care. Twitch also isn't the one who banned the bodyguard. That was the whole point.
No one is saying that Twitch shouldn't care, they should, and it's their responsibility (and the dereliction thereof when these kinds of incidents occur) to do so.
And they weren't the ones that banned the bodyguard. To be honest, I don't even know what you're trying to say anymore.
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Comment on Amazon Web Services outage shows internet users ‘at mercy’ of too few providers, experts say in ~tech
stu2b50 Link ParentMy point is that I don't think any other group of people could have, over the long term, better reliability and incident response than AWS. Of course, for any given incident you can point to the...My point is that I don't think any other group of people could have, over the long term, better reliability and incident response than AWS. Of course, for any given incident you can point to the exact things that could have been done better, but that's just life. Happens to everyone.
Regulation is for when there is negligence in the operation of an important resource. I don't think there is, in this case.
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Comment on 'This is definitely my last TwitchCon': High-profile streamer Emiru was assaulted at the event, even as streamers have been sounding the alarm about stalkers and harassment in ~games
stu2b50 Link ParentExactly, which is why they banned the only person who actually broke a law in that situation: the bodyguard. The venue doesn't care about the context of who is doing what; all kinds of weirdos...And they are responsible for people harmed in their venue
Exactly, which is why they banned the only person who actually broke a law in that situation: the bodyguard.
The venue doesn't care about the context of who is doing what; all kinds of weirdos rent out the space. Break law = get banned.
Let's just say I'm tired of my government only acting when it's too late. Putting out fires instead of preventing them in the first place
What does that have to do with anything? Whether or not the venue bans one private security guy has no bearing on being proactive or reactive.
Yes, Twitch should be proactive, and in particular they should do a more thorough blacklist and hire better security, since the security there didn't intervene physically when they had enough time to do so. Note that allowing private security to do whatever they want is not part of that list.
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Comment on Amazon Web Services outage shows internet users ‘at mercy’ of too few providers, experts say in ~tech
stu2b50 Link ParentI don't really think that would change much. AWS has very high reliability, and when it breaks, they haul ass to fix it ASAP. Unironically AWS fixes their outages faster than any utility in the US...I don't really think that would change much. AWS has very high reliability, and when it breaks, they haul ass to fix it ASAP.
Unironically AWS fixes their outages faster than any utility in the US (to be fair, they have 100x the resources).
It's just a fact of life and entropy that things break.
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Comment on 'This is definitely my last TwitchCon': High-profile streamer Emiru was assaulted at the event, even as streamers have been sounding the alarm about stalkers and harassment in ~games
stu2b50 Link ParentBillion dollar or not, it doesn't matter - the people who own the venue get to decide who can and cannot be in the venue. I can ban people from my house, and Amazon has no recourse. That's private...Billion dollar or not, it doesn't matter - the people who own the venue get to decide who can and cannot be in the venue. I can ban people from my house, and Amazon has no recourse. That's private property laws. Amazon cannot sue the venue to get them to unban someone. What would they even sue for?
you they go to small claims for much more frivolous stuff.
That's civil, not criminal cases.
It's only silly if safety isn't a priority for your venue over minimizing liability.
It's silly if you care about the truth, because it's incorrect. Twitch didn't ban him, the owners of the space the convention was at banned him. They banned him because he went well above what a private citizen can do to another private citizen, and that's their right as the property owner. To the venue, this is someone who doesn't know what they can and cannot do. The bounds of private security is that you can't be proactive like that. You can call the police, you can stand and look intimidating, you can block people by standing in their way, you can retaliate if someone is attacking your client with equal or lesser force. But that's it.
Twitch should do more on the security front if they want to invest guests to host panels. But that incident is entirely separate from that.
Idk I don't think this chronology makes sense. The first podcasts were about as indie as you can get. It was just a random segment of the iTunes store that anyone could upload to (and still can - the iTunes Podcast registry is considered the canonical ones and outside of spotify, 3rd party podcasts apps primarily track it).
That's why it's a podcast - iPod + Broadcast. Apple coined it.
The very first podcasts were exactly the kind of thing you're complaining about happening now. This has always been a low barrier of entry medium. It was only much, much later after podcasts came to be that essentially a bunch of radio stations expanded to it, which brought the "professionalism" and stuff like ThisAmericanLife and NPR and The Daily.
It was the journalists who co-opted the indie podcasts scene, not the other way around.