zazowoo's recent activity
-
Comment on How has your career changed you? in ~life
-
Comment on What is your pet peeve with language acquisition? in ~humanities.languages
zazowoo Link ParentI know that feeling well. I had pretty good French education in school and was passionate enough about it that I did get to that point where I felt like I could just open my mouth and French would...I know that feeling well. I had pretty good French education in school and was passionate enough about it that I did get to that point where I felt like I could just open my mouth and French would spill out, but I got frustrated later in life when I spent years in German classes and felt like I was still impossibly far away from having a basic flowing conversation. It felt like I had to solve a math equation to determine word order and adjective endings before I could start any sentence. It baffled me that any human brain could juggle so many rules in real time, but obviously native speakers have no problem.
My frustration got high enough with this that I decided to "rage learn" German. I made myself spend a lot of time in German speaking online communities and chat rooms and ultimately decided to move to Germany. I eventually also married a German, and after all that 😅 I can say that I can now indeed open my mouth and have German spill out.
But my German is still far from perfect. Any given sentence I speak will be riddled with adjective ending errors. For me, it was relatively attainable to speak "perfect" French (not pronunciation-wise, but grammar-wise), and I realized I needed to relax that bar if I ever wanted to get a sentence out in German. So I intentionally stopped worrying about adjective endings and I know I sound a bit stupid to native speakers, but I also know that they can understand me completely, and I've come to terms with that being enough.
For others struggling with German adjective endings, this article was a complete turning point for me and I think marked the moment I embraced "good enough" and started being able to speak much quicker: https://yourdailygerman.com/adjective-endings-german/ (His whole blog is excellent, and I highly recommend it to anyone learning German).
-
Comment on There is no epidemic of loneliness, but there is an epidemic of social scurvy in ~life
zazowoo LinkI really relate to this. I moved to a new place with my husband right before covid. We didn't know anyone in our local area, and covid made it especially hard to get out and meet people (and my...- Exemplary
I really relate to this. I moved to a new place with my husband right before covid. We didn't know anyone in our local area, and covid made it especially hard to get out and meet people (and my remote job was no help). Little by little, when the world started opening up, I pushed myself to do the hard thing and sign up for various activities and try to find a foothold in the community. A lot of the time, going to one of these events felt like the last thing I wanted to do, but I think deep down I knew that it was vital to my mental health to have strong in-person connections in my life.
For a while, it didn't feel like it was really leading anywhere. I'd go sign up for some trail work, have nice conversations with my fellow volunteers and then not see those people again for a year. I went to board game nights and felt like I wasn't really connecting with anyone, just playing games. Years into living here, I felt honestly pretty embarrassed at how few local connections I had. Back then, it really felt tempting to just give up and stay home with my husband. It was definitely the easier choice, and part of me felt like, "yeah, I'm just a very unique person and the chances that I'm going to meet someone here that I'm compatible with are pretty much zero." And like the author described, I didn't really ever feel like I wanted to go out and meet people.
But I kept signing up for stuff, especially things where the same people would come back week-over-week. And slowly and then all at once, it felt like, man, I'm surrounded by people I know. I run into someone I know every time I go to the grocery store, and god I love it. I think maybe embracing acquaintanceship instead of being focused on finding a new best friend opened me up to a breadth of connection that I found really rewarding.
After getting past the tough initial investment and persisting in this chore that didn't seem like it was paying off, I eventually found the whole experience pretty self-reinforcing. I spend every week now socializing with a combination of people I know and people I don't, and my conversation skills have really improved. Just getting out and talking to people (like the author says) has really helped my social anxiety, and I feel genuinely confident talking with most strangers. And now that the anxiety is gone, I find small talk rewarding in a way I couldn't have imagined before. I really love getting to know so many different types of people, all with their own complex and unique background.
Work is more stressful than I've ever experienced, the world feels like it's on fire, but my life is way better than ever, and I think a lot of that is this positive feedback cycle of socialization that I've found myself in. Even if I lose my job tomorrow, I have this calm certainty that my community will still be there and will have my back.
-
Comment on Spotify now lets parents block kids' music from polluting their recommendations in ~music
zazowoo Link ParentFYI I noticed recently that you can now customize certain auto generated playlists. For example, my Discover Weekly right now has buttons to make it more focused around progressive rock or...FYI I noticed recently that you can now customize certain auto generated playlists. For example, my Discover Weekly right now has buttons to make it more focused around progressive rock or electronic music, and when I go to an artist radio I see similar options, but also "Make it non-personalized" which I've been wanting for a while. Maybe it's not exactly what you're looking for, but I was pretty happy to stumble upon this recently. Seems to work pretty well for my needs.
-
Comment on The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder in ~books
zazowoo LinkI second the recommendation of the Wager. I also really enjoyed The Terror, which is a fictionalized account of real events in a similar kind of setting. I enjoyed them both immensely, but The...I second the recommendation of the Wager. I also really enjoyed The Terror, which is a fictionalized account of real events in a similar kind of setting. I enjoyed them both immensely, but The Terror got under my skin in a way I don't think any other novel has. Both books make me very thankful to get to sleep in a warm, safe bed.
-
Comment on In search of the hypothetical iPhone Duo buyer in ~tech
zazowoo Link ParentEven as someone who grew up with computers and probably has something like 10 laptops + desktops in my house right now, I've fallen into the camp of people who tend to do almost everything on my...Even as someone who grew up with computers and probably has something like 10 laptops + desktops in my house right now, I've fallen into the camp of people who tend to do almost everything on my phone. My phone is always on me, and I can always be in a comfortable position using it. I've just found more and more that if I can do something on my phone, I'll almost always prefer to do it there rather than get myself properly setup on a laptop. The main exceptions would be when using the terminal (or anything else that requires extensive typing) and gaming. (My main gripe with the form factor is just how big phones have gotten. So I'm not going to be one of the people racing to get a foldable, but I can understand why others would.)
-
Comment on Ubuntu on Windows is about to become more popular than Ubuntu itself in ~tech
zazowoo Link ParentPretty inconsequential, but I'm surprised to hear that. I've worked in software for a long time at many different companies, and I'd say Ubuntu is the most common base image I've encountered....I don't know anyone who stuck with straight Ubuntu on the desktop or server.
Pretty inconsequential, but I'm surprised to hear that. I've worked in software for a long time at many different companies, and I'd say Ubuntu is the most common base image I've encountered. Second most common would be something super minimal like alpine or busybox, but if you're using a full distro, it's almost always Ubuntu in my experience.
I also personally use it as my WSL distro. Haven't felt a need to switch.
-
Comment on How accurate have Ed Zitron's AI skeptic predictions been? in ~tech
zazowoo LinkI found this part particularly well said: I think we have a real problem in public (and private!) discourse where people are able to sound more convincing when they give their assertions extreme...I found this part particularly well said:
Another thing to note here is Zitron's extremely high level of stated confidence. Some that we noted were OpenAI's forecast that is "a statement so egregious that I am surprised it's not some kind of financial crime to say it out loud" (which they've achieved so far) and his claim that Google's forecast for Gemini users is "a number so unrealistic that someone at Google should have been fired, and that someone is Sundar Pichai" (they managed to exceed the forecast by 50% when Zitron's claim was that it would be completely absurd for them to reach the number at all).
I've made quite a few predictions, and quite a few of those predictions are wrong. When I'm really making a prediction, I attach a confidence level to the prediction just for my own sake, so I can look back at these things and see how well calibrated the predictions are. I have never been wrong about a prediction that has anywhere near the confidence Zitron gives to some of his predictions. Given the stated level of confidence, even a single incorrect prediction would be a sign of an extremely high degree of overconfidence. One should effectively never be wrong about a prediction delivered with that level of confidence but Zitron is routinely wrong about predictions he makes with what is rhetorically pretty much the highest possible degree of confidence.
I think we have a real problem in public (and private!) discourse where people are able to sound more convincing when they give their assertions extreme levels of confidence. It becomes socially difficult to dare to push back when someone implies their opinion is so obvious you'd have to be stupid (or a fraud) to disagree.
This style of talking is well suited to our social media age and gets them lots of followers, but it doesn't make them right.
-
Comment on Box of Broken Nails - A small game to lose your mind to in ~games
zazowoo LinkI don't usually watch this kind of thing, but I decided to watch 5 minutes (no way I'm going to watch the full 1:50, I thought...) and omg what a ride that was. Incredible video/film. I don't...I don't usually watch this kind of thing, but I decided to watch 5 minutes (no way I'm going to watch the full 1:50, I thought...) and omg what a ride that was. Incredible video/film. I don't really want to say anything more except to encourage people to give it a shot.
-
Comment on Between the Buried and Me - The Proverbial Bellow (2018) in ~music
zazowoo Link ParentWhen I was a teenager I really loved the beauty and the beast vocals of Sirenia (specifically the album "At Sixes and Sevens") with a female singer contrasting with male growls. I still like that...When I was a teenager I really loved the beauty and the beast vocals of Sirenia (specifically the album "At Sixes and Sevens") with a female singer contrasting with male growls. I still like that album today, but I can't tell if it's because of nostalgia or if it's legit good. Heads up that it's not prog metal though if that's what you're mostly looking for.
-
Comment on How to find a new calling in life? in ~life
zazowoo LinkWhat kinds of activities do you find you're naturally good at and/or enjoy? That could be things like specific subjects in school, particular ways of working/living that suit you, or anything else...What kinds of activities do you find you're naturally good at and/or enjoy? That could be things like specific subjects in school, particular ways of working/living that suit you, or anything else you can think of.
-
Comment on What are we in a golden age of? in ~talk
zazowoo Link ParentTotally agree. I've been able to follow my curiosity on anything that strikes me, and it makes me feel like a kid again. I can take any subject and ask a hundred questions to Gemini about it. It...Totally agree. I've been able to follow my curiosity on anything that strikes me, and it makes me feel like a kid again. I can take any subject and ask a hundred questions to Gemini about it. It recommends books for me to read, and then when I have a question about something in the book, I can follow up with Gemini. It's like having a personal teacher who never gets sick of me asking "why" or wanting to drill deeper on some bizarre detail.
In the past year, I've been able to use this to deepen my understanding of my local court system, the Khmer language, the physiology of exercise and recovery, and now the immune system. It's re-awakened my love of learning in a way that I'm deeply grateful for.
Edit to add: when I say Gemini, I mean the Gemini pro chatbot that I have a subscription for. I don't use Google, so I don't know how it shows up there.
-
Comment on What are we in a golden age of? in ~talk
zazowoo Link ParentI know there are a lot of concerns about Spotify's business model and impacts on artists, but if I can just take a very selfish perspective for the moment, it's absolutely astounding to me how...I know there are a lot of concerns about Spotify's business model and impacts on artists, but if I can just take a very selfish perspective for the moment, it's absolutely astounding to me how great I have it as a consumer of music these days.
I grew up in the age of ipods and CDs and I already thought that was amazing at the time. Now, I can listen to any song I want at any moment on any device I choose. And I can easily discover more music that I love, and my musical appreciation can so easily grow deeper and broader by the day.
My younger self would be thrilled that I could essentially have an ultra portable, legal Napster without any download time or security concerns.
-
Comment on Moderna, Merck say mRNA vaccine prevents melanoma from returning in ~health
-
Comment on Which privacy-friendly home appliances exist? e.g. robot vacuum cleaners. in ~tech
zazowoo (edited )Link ParentCompletely off-topic, but after checking out their docs, I wound up perusing the auto-mod rules for their forums, and they're absolutely wild. Some of the things that get your message auto-deleted...Completely off-topic, but after checking out their docs, I wound up perusing the auto-mod rules for their forums, and they're absolutely wild. Some of the things that get your message auto-deleted include "I'm new here", "bummer", "accepting prs?", and "the right place to ask".
And the comment on this one, damn:
// messages containing two or more tears of joy emoji in a row. 100% idiot marker /([😂🤣]){2,}/u,I've been known to throw a 😂😂 my coworker's way when they make a great joke. TIL I'm an idiot. Bummer 😂
-
Comment on Is it time to include pronouns? in ~tildes
zazowoo Link ParentI probably should stay far away from this conversation, but just to represent some other personal perspectives on this - I'm a cis-gendered woman who has a lot of interests that are more common...I probably should stay far away from this conversation, but just to represent some other personal perspectives on this - I'm a cis-gendered woman who has a lot of interests that are more common for men, and honestly it really does bother me when internet people assume I'm a "he" with nothing to go on. I instantly feel othered and like I'm not expected to belong in the space. I'm a big fan of "they" when someone's gender is unknown.
-
Comment on Albums based on a recurring musical phrase in ~music
zazowoo Link ParentBig plus one to both of these! Was just about to recommend Jeff Wayne's War of Worlds before I saw your comment.Big plus one to both of these! Was just about to recommend Jeff Wayne's War of Worlds before I saw your comment.
-
Comment on Albums based on a recurring musical phrase in ~music
zazowoo LinkI love this too, and I have so many to recommend I feel overwhelmed! But get something out there, I'll start with Green Carnation's Light of Day, Day of Darkness. It's an album-length song (60...I love this too, and I have so many to recommend I feel overwhelmed! But get something out there, I'll start with Green Carnation's Light of Day, Day of Darkness. It's an album-length song (60 min) and just a wonderful journey with lots of references back to other parts in the song.
-
Comment on Nobody clicks your share buttons in ~tech
zazowoo Link ParentI don't think it's so binary. I often spend hours cowriting things with an LLM. I double-check the tone and accuracy and stand behind it. But I also don't try to hide that I used AI for it and...if you're not going to put in human effort for my attention
I don't think it's so binary. I often spend hours cowriting things with an LLM. I double-check the tone and accuracy and stand behind it. But I also don't try to hide that I used AI for it and there are certainly AI tells left behind.
I share your annoyance though when someone doesn't put in the effort and just presents something that they didn't take the time to double check or polish at all. I just didn't get that sense from this particular article.
-
Comment on <deleted topic> in ~life.men
zazowoo LinkFor what it's worth, as a hetero woman, the most satisfying sex I've had was with a guy who was smaller than most of the men I've been with. He was great at knowing how to read my signals and...For what it's worth, as a hetero woman, the most satisfying sex I've had was with a guy who was smaller than most of the men I've been with. He was great at knowing how to read my signals and build the experience up, and it really didn't make much difference that he wasn't as big. If anything, the bigger guys can make it painful at times. I was really sad to read this and imagine all the insecurity that some guys are dealing with.
Man, my career has had a big impact on me, and it's difficult to imagine who I'd be if I'd gone into a different career or even just worked at different companies within this career. I'm a staff+ software engineer, which means my job is both technical and very people/soft-skill focused.
Overall I'm very thankful for the challenges I've had and the exposure and growth I've gotten through those challenges. I'm naturally a person who tends towards perfectionism and going slow so that I can deeply and confidently understand something. My career has really helped me shake that tendency and learn to constantly think about outcomes and the impact of everything, including the impact of the time it takes to go deep. Stopping at "good enough" has become second nature to me now in daily life, and that helps me to actually be able to get anything done. I also appreciate how my career has drilled into me the concepts of problem space vs solution space and not jumping to solutions before really understanding the problem.
I don't have kids myself, but I've heard people say that having kids has taught them that they can handle much more stress than they thought they could. I feel like that with my job. It's taught me that I can handle more ambiguity and pressure than I ever imagined, and I can learn to get comfortable in discomfort.
I don't think I've ever been bored at work -- I'm almost always feeling some form of "oh shit, how am I supposed to do this?" and throughout 15+ years of constantly feeling that way, I'm finally starting to learn to trust myself and my team that we'll probably figure something out, even though I can't imagine how right now. (Again with the "comfort in discomfort")
...which reminds me of another way I've grown. I used to hate group projects in school. I really prefer (or have an illusion of preferring) to figure things out on my own and have a complete solution ready before I engage with others and get their input. My career has taught me how important it is to be able to make space and truly be open to other people's ideas. If I come to a discussion with everything already figured out, I'm missing the chance to engage minds that are different than mine and will come up with things I couldn't have. I've gotten a lot better at learning how to just bring one piece of the puzzle to the table and encourage others to bring the rest. Not only does it take the pressure off me, but I've seen again and again how a team can come up with way better ideas than any one individual.
My career has also really impressed upon me how absolutely everything in society is a system, and feedback loops and incentives guide everything we see around us. I've worked for large companies and been in situations where the general public has some assumptions about the evil intent behind some decision, when I know it's so much more complicated than that, and it's often people trying their best in face of needing to juggle tricky competing priorities.
I could go on, but overall I've grown a lot from my career, and while on one hand I feel desperate at times to retire as soon as I can financially manage it, on the other I appreciate how this career has made me a stronger, more confident, and more nuanced person, and I worry about what would happen to me if I left.