whispersilk's recent activity
-
Comment on “Rediscovering” the operating system (AKA: the desktop is the killer app) in ~tech
-
Comment on “Rediscovering” the operating system (AKA: the desktop is the killer app) in ~tech
whispersilk Link ParentAbsolutely. I completely acknowledge that. But design choices are what we're talking about here: design choices that make use of the filesystem, and design choices that don't. Old iTunes could...That’s more of an app design choice. <...> Apple decided that the data for photos had a more relational structure rather than folder based.
Absolutely. I completely acknowledge that. But design choices are what we're talking about here: design choices that make use of the filesystem, and design choices that don't. Old iTunes could also have easily said that the data for songs had a more relational structure (they can be sorted by genre, decade, artist, and they can have multiple artists, etc) and was better suited to live in an SQLite database, but they didn't. That was a design choice they made that allowed users manage and view them through the filesystem, and now in the present day they're making different design choices.
you can actually quite easily read its contents through any SQLite client
While this is true, nobody is going to use an SQLite client as their primary interface for managing their photos. That's an "I no longer have access to anything but this file and need to crack it open for data recovery" option, not a daily-driver option.
-
Comment on “Rediscovering” the operating system (AKA: the desktop is the killer app) in ~tech
whispersilk Link ParentCan they not both be true? On the one hand, yes, Apple has done a lot of cool and convenient things to make the most of the Mac filesystem, as you've said. On the other hand, iOS is a very large...Can they not both be true?
On the one hand, yes, Apple has done a lot of cool and convenient things to make the most of the Mac filesystem, as you've said.
On the other hand, iOS is a very large proponent of pretending the filesystem doesn't exist. For instance, it is to the best of my understanding strictly impossible to view "My Photos" through the Files app; Photos is the only way to see them. Modern MacOS, for its part, makes it difficult to see anything outside of your personal "Home" directory. If I want to see the root filesystem I can't easily do that in Finder: I have to go to the terminal and run
open /if I want to do that. Also, as I poke around the photos thing seems to be true in MacOS as well, actually; the "Photos" directory in my home folder contains nothing but a single opaque file calledPhotos Library.photoslibrarythat has all of my photos in it and must be opened using the Photos app.Windows, for all its faults (which are numerous and ever-increasing, don't get me wrong; I will take MacOS any day at this point), will pretty much let you look through C: drive to your heart's content.
-
Comment on Meta and YouTube found liable in landmark social media addiction trial in ~health.mental
whispersilk Link ParentAs you noted above, gacha/lootboxes games are gambling, and gambling has really old roots in a way that more explicit/intentional behavior modification doesn't. I guess put another way, it feels...Edit: I would also argue the harm potential/result is different, as gaming addiction can lead to time loss and financial crisis, but social media addiction can lead to more self-image issues that become a negative spiral.
As you noted above, gacha/lootboxes games are gambling, and gambling has really old roots in a way that more explicit/intentional behavior modification doesn't. I guess put another way, it feels like it might matter legally that the objective of gacha/lootboxes is to make you spend as much money on them as possible while the objective of these social media algorithms is to make you spend as much time on them as possible.
-
Comment on Day 7: Laboratories in ~comp.advent_of_code
whispersilk Link ParentLooking at this actually made me curious — why was an unconditional beam_counts[i (+/-) 1] working? Did your input just not have a splitter on the far edges? And then I looked at my input and saw...Looking at this actually made me curious — why was an unconditional
beam_counts[i (+/-) 1]working? Did your input just not have a splitter on the far edges? And then I looked at my input and saw mine doesn't, either! It seems likely that's something that was forbidden in the input, so every input always leaves a blank space on either side at the bottom, but it isn't something I'd considered when I was writing my solution. -
Comment on Day 7: Laboratories in ~comp.advent_of_code
whispersilk LinkI agree with the rest of the commenters that this was a surprisingly easy day. I enjoy when it's feasible to do both parts in a single pass over the input! I was honestly a bit confused at first...I agree with the rest of the commenters that this was a surprisingly easy day. I enjoy when it's feasible to do both parts in a single pass over the input!
I was honestly a bit confused at first on what the second part actually meant, because I couldn't make the numbers add up in my head. Why would the number of timelines be less than the number of splits? And then I realized I was being dumb and comparing the number of splits from my input to the number of timelines from the test input and yes, it was in fact exactly what I thought it would be. From there tacking part 2's logic onto my part 1 solution was simple and the whole thing comes in under 30 lines of code.
Time in release mode is ~20 µs, which is insane. One thing I always enjoy about Advent of Code is that it reminds me just how fast modern computers can be.
Rust Solution
fn day_7(input: String) -> String { let lines = input.lines().filter(|l| !l.is_empty()).collect::<Vec<_>>(); let mut beams = vec![0; lines[0].len()]; let beams = beams.as_mut_slice(); beams[lines[0].as_bytes().iter().position(|b| *b == b'S').unwrap()] = 1; let num_splits = lines.iter().fold(0, |mut count, l| { for (idx, _) in l.as_bytes().iter().enumerate().filter(|(_, b)| **b == b'^') { if beams[idx] > 0 { let x = beams[idx]; beams[idx] = 0; idx.checked_sub(1).map(|idx| beams[idx] += x); Some(idx + 1) .filter(|i| *i < beams.len()) .map(|idx| beams[idx] += x); count += 1; } } count }); let num_timelines = beams.iter().sum::<u64>(); format!("Part 1: {num_splits}\nPart 2: {num_timelines}") } -
Comment on Which adhesive should I use? in ~creative
whispersilk Link ParentThat's also what I use, and I was going to suggest it as well! It looks like this site links out to it, but on giving it a scan it looks like someone messed up the QR code: it's just text saying...That's also what I use, and I was going to suggest it as well! It looks like this site links out to it, but on giving it a scan it looks like someone messed up the QR code: it's just text saying "Want more advice? Visit This-To-That."
-
Comment on Fiction with great “plot devices” in ~talk
whispersilk Link ParentYumi and the Nightmare Painter is really good! I'd second recommending it.Yumi and the Nightmare Painter is really good! I'd second recommending it.
-
Comment on How the Ivy League broke America - The meritocracy isn't working we need something new in ~society
whispersilk LinkArchive link. -
Comment on US President Donald Trump to issue executive orders to end birthright citizenship, limit gender identity — incoming official in ~lgbt
whispersilk Link ParentI wasn't aware of that (though it makes sense given that XX male development exists). Thanks for sharing!I wasn't aware of that (though it makes sense given that XX male development exists). Thanks for sharing!
-
Comment on US President Donald Trump to issue executive orders to end birthright citizenship, limit gender identity — incoming official in ~lgbt
whispersilk Link ParentSo is the argument that this person would be a male and should be forced to use men's restrooms and changing rooms, compete in men's sports, be treated as male in every official capacity? Like,...They could be XY, present female and have internal testes but physically appear (or be surgically altered in infancy to appear) female.
So is the argument that this person would be a male and should be forced to use men's restrooms and changing rooms, compete in men's sports, be treated as male in every official capacity? Like, sure, they're female in every outwardly visible way, but if you were to take a look inside them with surgical instruments you would find sperm so obviously they're male!
In a more general sense, there seems to be some conflation of different things here. You talk about the "biological concept of a gender binary" but the only thing that is binary is individual sexual chromosomes! X and Y are binary, but the possible combination of them in a single human body is not binary, and there are multiple possible sets of outward characteristics that can arise from each combination of chromosomes.
And then the biggest issue, ultimately, is that this isn't just a quibble about accurate terminology or what-have-you, it's a discussion about policy that will categorize human beings and constrain their actions based on which category they're placed in. In that context, I would much rather talk about the diversity of full human beings than the diversity of individual chromosomes.
To be perfectly clear, the biggest issue here is with the chain of thought that goes from "biological sex is exactly one of XX and XY, and XX always means vulva/ovaries/estrogen and XY always means penis/testicles/testosterone" to "all people with the XX set of characteristics are women and all people with the XY set of characteristics are men" to "we can define both public policy and medical interventions in terms of XX and XY and this will cause zero issues." If that chain of thought wasn't in play this "biological sex" conversation would... probably still be harmful, honestly, and would still be annoying to me, but would be a lot less harmful.
-
Comment on US President Donald Trump to issue executive orders to end birthright citizenship, limit gender identity — incoming official in ~lgbt
whispersilk LinkThe full text of the relevant executive action, for reference. I'm not a lawyer but it sounds very bad. I pray that it can be fought and found invalid.The full text of the relevant executive action, for reference. I'm not a lawyer but it sounds very bad. I pray that it can be fought and found invalid.
-
Comment on How do you organize images you've collected? (e.g. memes, art, inspiration, etc) in ~tech
whispersilk Link ParentHydrus is very cool, and extremely powerful. It definitely takes some effort to set up tags and tag images as you import them, and it doesn't do things a photo-specific application would (face...Hydrus is very cool, and extremely powerful. It definitely takes some effort to set up tags and tag images as you import them, and it doesn't do things a photo-specific application would (face recognition, EXIF parsing, etc) but for images more broadly it's great.
-
Comment on What short book series is worth more than its page count? in ~books
whispersilk Link ParentSeconding His Dark Materials. I first read it as a younger teenager, and it affected me emotionally more than anything else I had ever read. I've re-read it as an adult, and the emotional effect...Seconding His Dark Materials. I first read it as a younger teenager, and it affected me emotionally more than anything else I had ever read. I've re-read it as an adult, and the emotional effect is less now but it really does hold up. I recommend wholeheartedly it to anyone who hasn't read it.
-
Comment on Favorite "A Christmas Carol" adaptation? in ~movies
whispersilk Link ParentI agree! I expected it to be just okay but wound up really charmed. Same spoilers I think it was really creative to do it as a sequel, and I really like that it's as much about Christmas Present...I agree! I expected it to be just okay but wound up really charmed.
Same spoilers
I think it was really creative to do it as a sequel, and I really like that it's as much about Christmas Present working through his issues as it is about Ryan Reynolds's character working through his.I also think it's really funny that the afterlife (or at least the "Christmas hauntings" part of it) is diegetically a musical, and I think they use that bit to good effect.
-
Comment on US election distractions thread in ~talk
whispersilk Link ParentI've always remembered them by making up initialisms (or adopting them from somewhere? I don't remember; I've been doing this since I was a kid). i.e. is "in effect" and e.g. is "example given."...I've always remembered them by making up initialisms (or adopting them from somewhere? I don't remember; I've been doing this since I was a kid). i.e. is "in effect" and e.g. is "example given." They aren't perfect, but I've never confused the two.
-
Comment on US study on puberty blockers goes unpublished because of politics, doctor says in ~lgbt
whispersilk (edited )LinkFor additional conversation about this piece, Erin in the Morning responded to it. For context, Erin does not have a glowing opinion of the New York times' reporting on trans issues in general.- Exemplary
For additional conversation about this piece, Erin in the Morning responded to it. For context, Erin does not have a glowing opinion of the New York times' reporting on trans issues in general.
-
Comment on Cards Against Humanity pays you to give a shit in ~society
whispersilk Link ParentLess even than that, they're paying people to make a voting plan and a social media post. Whether or not you actually vote afterwards is up to you and none of their concern.They’re not paying people to vote for a candidate, they’re paying people to vote at all.
Less even than that, they're paying people to make a voting plan and a social media post. Whether or not you actually vote afterwards is up to you and none of their concern.
-
Comment on US judge rules Google must give rival third-party app stores access to the full catalog of Google Play apps — and distribute third-party stores in ~tech
whispersilk Link ParentFrom the article (emphasis mine):From the article (emphasis mine):
Google will have to distribute rival third-party app stores within Google Play, and it must give rival third-party app stores access to the full catalog of Google Play apps, unless developers opt out individually.
-
Comment on <deleted topic> in ~society
whispersilk Link ParentI think they mean what percentage of the EU's PoC population has emigrated [from non-EU countries to EU countries] within the last decade. That is, how much of the EU's PoC population is "recent"...I think they mean what percentage of the EU's PoC population has emigrated [from non-EU countries to EU countries] within the last decade. That is, how much of the EU's PoC population is "recent" immigrants as opposed to people who have been EU residents for more than a decade.
But that's just how I read the question and it's possible I'm wrong.
I'm fairly familiar with the way iOS permissions are set up. As you alluded to in your last paragraph, though, iOS does allow apps special permissions to look into other apps' folders. Files can very easily look into the folders of other apps on my device (Firefox, Obsidian, Mobius (which can itself look into other apps' folders), etc). The mechanism exists, and the fact that Photos data isn't a valid target for it is a conscious decision on Apple's part.
It's something of a moot point, though, as I can only assume that photos on iOS are stored in an SQLite
Photos Library.photoslibraryfile like they are on MacOS and so them existing in the visible filesystem at all wouldn't get you much in terms of ability to manage them. It would help for backing them up, but that's mostly it.