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    1. Riff.cc, a torrent website for Creative Commons and free culture

      Riff.cc is a private tracker torrent site that is completely focused on works distributed with creative commons, public domain, gpl or other free culture licenses. It has some plans to allow...

      Riff.cc is a private tracker torrent site that is completely focused on works distributed with creative commons, public domain, gpl or other free culture licenses.
      It has some plans to allow tipping creators and seeders using digital currency.

      You can use this invite to signup (I believe there is a limit of 90 people who can use it).

      https://u.riff.cc/register/fb4dc3bf-af81-43f4-94fb-5afc6b24b159

      17 votes
    2. How accurate are whois records?

      I attempted to purchase a domain this week without first using whois. The registrar's search function got stuck in an infinite load animation. I then checked the whois to find the domain was...

      I attempted to purchase a domain this week without first using whois. The registrar's search function got stuck in an infinite load animation. I then checked the whois to find the domain was registered about 4 hours prior by a different registrar. Bad luck I guess but I can't help feeling paranoid that this was a domain front run.

      My question is how much leeway is there for a registrar reporting the registration time?

      9 votes
    3. How to deal with a stupid email situation?

      My spouse and I own a condo. The property management company that the home owners' association hired is generally mediocre (which is a huge step up from the usual scenario where most are actively...

      My spouse and I own a condo. The property management company that the home owners' association hired is generally mediocre (which is a huge step up from the usual scenario where most are actively awful). They do a reasonably good job of keeping us informed, but they way they do it is hilariously bad. Every email they send is sent as a .jpg and a .docx file with no actual text in the message. My email client renders it and I can read it, but it makes all of their emails unsearchable, and it makes filtering beyond the basic "emails containing address x" impossible.

      I've asked them personally several times both electronically and in writing to please stop sending such correspondence and just send a regular email. (I honestly don't care whether it's plain text or HTML, just so long as it's searchable and filterable.) But it's so far been to no avail. I brought it up at the last HOA meeting and they agreed to also include their messages as text in the body of the email, but they don't. If I'm really lucky they'll have one or two sentences in text, but the rest is a .jpg and a .docx (or .pdf) of the actual body of the message. I've tried to explain that this is bad for people with disabilities and may even run afoul of the Americans with Disabilities Act, but they didn't seem to care.

      It's not clear to me how one ends up sending emails in this form. I don't use any Microsoft products, which they probably can't comprehend, but I suspect this is some sort of Windows thing. Does anyone know how this happens and why? And more importantly, does anyone have suggestions for getting them to stop?

      14 votes
    4. Need a laptop for school, budget $2000, details inside

      Hi everyone, I'm looking into getting a new laptop for university work. Thanks to a scholarship, I can get up to $2000 covered off a laptop purchase (and I'd be willing to pay a few hundred more...

      Hi everyone, I'm looking into getting a new laptop for university work. Thanks to a scholarship, I can get up to $2000 covered off a laptop purchase (and I'd be willing to pay a few hundred more out-of-pocket too).

      I plan on using this laptop primarily for basic web browsing, word processing, and Zoom calls. I may be playing some video games on it like Slay the Spire or Hollow Knight, but these aren't too demanding and most of my time will be spent working anyway. My use case shouldn't require a lot of processing power or a high-end dedicated GPU. After graduating, I'll have more consistent access to my desktop anyway, which already has a dedicated card for gaming and can easily be upgraded to suit my needs if I get into video editing or programming, which further reduces the need for a laptop that can do these things. In light of this, I'm looking primarily at a laptop that is lightweight, has a long battery life, good build quality, and a 14-inch screen, to upgrade from my current 13-inch. I haven't decided whether I'll be dual-booting Windows/Linux or running Linux only, but I do plan on running Linux so compatibility is important. Ports aren't a huge deal since there isn't much need for anything more than HDMI/USB on a college campus and I can get a docking station for post-graduation needs.

      After lurking around on this forum and others, I've settled on a few potential options:

      • Thinkpad X1 Carbon
      • Thinkpad T14s
      • System76 Lemur Pro
      • MacBook M1 Air (added after suggestions, link to specs)

      ThinkPads seem to offer the best build quality and potential to last years after purchase, so I'm leaning towards those, but System76 appears to have upgraded their build quality recently, and I just love their designs as well. Lenovo will be releasing the next-generation X1 Carbon soon, but it may be priced out of my range, and I'd like to purchase soon. Even the Carbon Gen 8 is above my price range, though as I understand it Lenovo usually offers discounts so I'm waiting for the sale on customizable builds (they already have discounts on pre-designed builds). I'm totally open to suggestions not on this list, and I've also read that purchasing refurbished ThinkPads can be the way to go, though I'd like to take full advantage of my budget if possible. If anyone has any experience with the above laptops, reason to recommend one over the other, or knows why I might want to wait on purchasing (e.g. for a release of next-gen hardware), please let me know!

      basic hardware comparison
      blank T14s X1 Carbon (Gen 8) Lemur Pro
      starting weight (lbs) 2.8 2.4 2.4
      advertised battery life (hrs) 13.6 13.5 14
      Linux compatibility compatible Fedora pre-installed Pop_OS! pre-installed

      edit: Table working now!

      edit2: Thanks for all the suggestions and discussion everyone. I've yet to make a final decision but will update again later.

      15 votes
    5. What’s the right way to fix a squeaky controller trigger?

      My beloved Duke controller has developed an extremely squeaky right trigger. It sounds like a mouse or bird is in distress every time I play something. My dog is getting concerned. When I search...

      My beloved Duke controller has developed an extremely squeaky right trigger. It sounds like a mouse or bird is in distress every time I play something. My dog is getting concerned.

      When I search the issue online, seemingly everywhere says to spray WD-40 on it, with people immediately saying “don’t do that” without offering any real alternatives. Given WD-40’s toxicity, I’m not comfortable using that for something that’s going to be in my hands for a long period of time anyway (plus it’s even more potentially toxic to my dog).

      What’s the right, preferably non-toxic way to fix this issue?

      8 votes
    6. What should I look for in a headset?

      I am looking to buy a headset. It's for my child to use on PS4, and when stock comes back in on PS5. Which models have you used and liked? Are there any you'd avoid? I think I'd prefer either USB,...

      I am looking to buy a headset. It's for my child to use on PS4, and when stock comes back in on PS5.

      Which models have you used and liked? Are there any you'd avoid?

      I think I'd prefer either USB, or something easy to repair, or cheap so I can just buy a new set of this one breaks.

      7 votes
    7. I have $15 burning a hole in my Google Play balance. Help me figure out what to spend it on.

      Here's a list of Paid Games & Apps that I already have bought. Utils Tasker KLWP Sleep as Android Nova Prime One or two Icon packs for Nova Games Desert Golfing Death Road To Canada 2 Meteorfall...

      Here's a list of Paid Games & Apps that I already have bought.

      Utils

      • Tasker
      • KLWP
      • Sleep as Android
      • Nova Prime
      • One or two Icon packs for Nova

      Games

      • Desert Golfing
      • Death Road To Canada 2
      • Meteorfall
      • Mindustry
      • Mini Metro
      • Ordia
      • Prune
      • Reigns
      • Reigns: Her Majesty
      • RowRow
      • Teslagrad
      • UnCiv
      • .projekt
      • Sword and Sworcery

      I'm looking for something worthwhile to spend it on. Is there a lesser known utility app that you use all the time? What about an indie game not getting the praise it deserves? Tell me about it!

      17 votes