codexarcanum

@codexarcanum@lemmy.dbzer0.com

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Aussie Fauna⁩ ⁨⁨20⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩:

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  🐍: Anything you share with me is strictly confidential! (Doctor-patient privilege)

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨[deleted]⁩ ⁨⁨23⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩:

  I used to work in a computer lab, open plan, where we all had CRTs. I sat across from the main DB admin, who had TWO monitors for all the work he was doing (wild stuff to have dual CRTs back in those days.) Due to the layout, my monitor sat in-between his, facing the opposite way of course. I loved degaussing my monitor because:

  1. It would degauss both of his and
  2. The EM fields were so strong between them that my monitor’s image would flip entirely upside down before snapping back into frame while making just the craziest electronic noises, colors dancing all over the screen. Gorgeous stuff! I wonder if anyone has tried to recreate a degaussing effect using shaders to simulate the process?
• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Aussie Fauna⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago⁩:

  Well, I guess they aren’t a sea krait anymore, blabber mouth!

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Anon predicts the future⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago⁩:

  Yeah, basically this. 9/11 fundamentally changed the American psyche and ushered in a massive ramp-up of the neoliberal system. Covid didn’t really change a whole lot of anything (the biggest problem with it in many ways) but did utterly and fully convince me that we’re doomed as a species.

  Nothing has ever illuminated for me so clearly that an unmanageable number of people are too stupid, hateful, or whatever else to work together to overcome an existential crisis. A significant amount of people would rather feel correct and kill all of us than work out their issues. So if humanity is like 30-40% evil, and about 40-50% “neutral” (aka myopically self-interested but not actively violent or hateful), that leaves only 10% “goodness” at most. And I’m sorry but a group that’s only 10% good doesn’t deserve to go on running things.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Gloomwood - The Research Update⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago⁩:

  Yeah, I’ve been really impressed with Gloomwood but I am already tired of the fishery (level 1) and wish the EA would come with a jump-ahead feature. It’s looking to be a very good game on release, I’m quite excited for it.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨what is the truth⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago⁩:

  It used to get recommended all over Stack Overflow, but I did really love reading Göedel Escher Bach. That book taught me to see math as a game or, equivalently, as purely exercises in shuffling symbols around, with intent.

  That shift in outlook really unlocked the fun in math for me. I learned about category theory through Haskell shortly after, and got into number systems and the surreal numbers and quaternions after that. There’s so much neat math out there that the wall of calculus and linear alg really imposes right before all the good stuff.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Enter the Dungeon 2 gets a reveal almost a decade on from the first one, looks like more of the same, but in 3D⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Managed to auto-typo the URL and the article title, how embarrassing.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Caught Slacking⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Casualy sliding this out of my pocket like, no way bro, i always keep that thang on me!

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• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨GOG seems to be considering paid membership option⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  What if I told you that there are roughly 4 million steamdecks in existence. Ref

  And that this is about 1\3 of the Steam Linux market. Ref and about half of the entire handheld PC market. Ref

  Of course, we dont know how many MAU GOG has so maybe 4 million new customers is baby numbers, but Steam seems enamored enough of that market segment to commit huge new UI and store features (deck verification, “Runs on Deck” filters, other deck specific stuff) including the game controller mappings which do help with non-deck also but were clearly a necessary element for handhelds. Maybe deck users, it being a committed gaming platform, spend more on games?

  Anyway, trying to get subscribers (always a teeny fraction of your free users) ahead of converting new non-customers into customers, seems like bad econ to me.

  If GOG is so hot for game preservation why not see if they can score an emulation deal to bring lost handheld titles to PC\deck? Sega might be down, NeoGeo is owned by the Saudi’s, I’m sure they’d love some free money for their back catalog. That’s in line with Lutris’ mission of being the one game launcher for your entire library. A few strategic investments and partnerships could open up GOG as the gateway to classic gaming across devices, but that would require some vision to carry through.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Reddit’s 50% Plunge Fails to Entice Dip Buyers as Growth Slows⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Yeah I’m only still lurking there for the porn, and frankly, lemmynswf is getting better! Still not enough thirsty gooners to really support a diverse biosphere of onlyfans models, instasluts, and tiktok thots, but growing all the time. Also has the problem most of Lemmy does that like 4 posters are responsible for 95% of the content.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Reddit’s 50% Plunge Fails to Entice Dip Buyers as Growth Slows⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Stock growth, not user growth. Valuations are all made up, and the oligarchs are orchestrating for tech stock values to plummet so they can go shopping for user data, cheap employees, and tech stacks. (In that order)

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Definitely didn't waste half an hour making this⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Props for #2 being a #2, but of these I usually go for 6. My personal favorite though is Pentel twist erase.

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  Though all the kuru toga enthusiasts here have convinced me to give them a try.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Porn button might actually be runner-up to Esc.⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Folks seem awfully confident in their ability to encode other things with only a single letter, but who said you get spaces or other seperators?

  I’ll take A, so I can express how i feel everyday now:

  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨The Toxic Avenger (2025, dir Macon Blair)⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Wow! a toxie remake in this the year of our Elon 2025. And with peter fucking dinklage like I don’t even know how to feel about this one

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Tea time⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  To paraphrase a common joke, it’s called the Fediverse because it’s full of feds.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Low effort arguing⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  This was probably a rare Babylonbee hit and OP was rightfully ashamed of the source.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨I have an entire cabinet currently storing empty jars...⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  A friend posted this meme on Facebook and my thoughts immediately went to Ocarina of Time. Was Miyamoto also a jar collector? How many jar-obcessed children did this game create?!

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Ow ow ow ow ow⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  Well, I just found out that manatee mammaries are located in their armpits, so I think we’re going to need to pull up the drawing board on this one. Seems like mermaids need a total do over!

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨horizontal boogie⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  Are we truly conscious, or do we just learn to imitate a pale simulation of the mushroom’s true understanding of reality?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Diablo speedrunners searched 2.2 billion random dungeon seeds to debunk a two-decade old speedrun record⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  Wow, unreal to think a 20 year old cheater ruined a whole category of runs! I feel like if the community can’t come close to replicating a run, they should just automatically be removed as sus. Imagine screaming about how obviously fake this run is for 20 years until someone finally proves it?

  Also, tangent, I read the linked Diablo 4 review and i don’t think a review has ever so tightly captured my sentiments towards AAA games and movies. The idea that a thing can be polished, well made, basically without flaw, but still be deeply uninspiring. These media projects are spectacle and addiction but where’s the fun, the challenge, and the spark?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨my version is better⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  There’s a break-up song on Chvrch’s debuted album called Tether. One line, frequently repeated, goes “I’m feeling capable of… seeing the end.” A fine lyric, very breakup, much hopeful.

  Except, I can’t tell when listening that she isn’t saying “I feel incapable of…” I don’t know if it’s intentional but I think the ambiguity really elevates the song from semi-empowering breakup song to powerfully-relatable song about the chaos of seeing a relationship end; simultaneously believing you can get through it while also having no idea how you’ll ever get through it.

  It’s just fun wordplay too: feeling capable/feel incapable. Makes me want to use that structure more in my own writing.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Animal Spirits⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Great reference, going to be stuck in my head all day.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Are there any better mechanical keyboards that don't break the bank?⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I got an RK recently and have been very happy with it. Multiple connection options (wired, usb, or 2.4ghz), nice white and green colors, switches and caps all feel very good for such a budget model. Only thing I dislike is they made it full size but inexplicably decided no one needs an “End” key anymore. Its an Fn-layer button (on Page Down?!), along with Pause, PrtSc, and ScrLk. Admittedly I never need those other keys but I use End failry often and it’s an odd choice, especially since they kept the numpad.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨What are your favorite games for killing nazis?⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  If you liked SupCom and want to recapture the magic, do check out Zero-K! It’s free (like actually, no weird micro-transactions) and open source (though buried a bit on the site) It’s based on SpringRTS, which is great to see something cool being done with Spring!

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Have you ever gotten jerked around like this trying to get a job?⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  There’s an excellent, way underrated scifi novel that I love telling people about because it predicted our current moment. Greg Egan’s Permutation City, written in freaking 1994.

  You follow the simulation of a man as that man runs experiments on him of how simulated people work. If you played SOMA, those folks definitely read it! Advanced AI spam filters are used to detect advanced AI spammers in a nonstop cold war for your precious attention. I think eventually the AIs are replaced by simulations of yourself enslaved to the task of responding to messages, but I may just be combining that story with qntm’s short story Lena which is also terrifying yet likely soon to be true!

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Have you ever gotten jerked around like this trying to get a job?⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  It was so bad job hunting a couple of years ago. Took me months and months. I even used AI to help me write cover letters after a while. No one was reading them so might as well have no one write them too.

  Productively, I hate to say it, but I think we’ve actually circled back to Boomer job hunting advice being good. I got my current job by attending local industry meetups, meeting a recruiter, and they got me face-to-face at a company which immediately hired me.

  At this point, I’d just go for the most unhinged approach. Put on a suit, show up where you want to work, walk in and demand to meet the ceo or something. Tell him you’re not here to waste time with “process”, you’re here to make some real money. If you aren’t a white man, make friends with one and have them do this, then bait-and-switch the hire. Act like you’ve always been a queer black woman, it must be their mistake.

  The time for asking to be hired is over. We’re just taking the jobs now!

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨What are your favorite games for killing nazis?⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  In my mind the RTS genre hit major twin peaks with SupCom and CoH1. SupCom is the best of its subgenre (massive rts? actually the recent and free Zero-K hits real good in this genre too!) CoH 1 is the top of the Dawn of War family of more tactical RTS.

  I haven’t played in a long time, but I recall the story being good. The mechanics though were just so top notch! Great squad controls, not too much micro, vehicles feel really impactful, the nature of control point capture means every skirmish is very dynamic. Ah, what a classic!

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Birbs⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I appreciate that the username “woodrider” also sounds like a filthy bird name.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Deepseek when asked about sensitive topics⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Except if you look at the top of OP’s picture, they are also running deepseek-r1:14B through ollama. I downloaded my copy on Sunday, so these should be fairly comparable situations.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Deepseek when asked about sensitive topics⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  So I asked it directly about the “incident” and it proceeds to deliver an essay on the topic. The rest of this post is all DeepSeek-R1:14B.

  >>> Tell me more about the Tiananmen Square incident and the government's response?
  
  <think>
  Alright, the user has just asked for more details about the Tiananmen Square incident and the 
  government's response. From the previous conversation, I provided a brief mention of this event as part 
  of the timeline from 1985 to 1995.
  
  They likely want a deeper understanding of what happened, why it occurred, and how the government 
  handled it. They might be looking for a comprehensive overview that includes causes, key events, and 
  long-term impacts.
  
  I should structure the response clearly, starting with the background leading up to June 1989, then 
  detailing the incident itself, and finally discussing the government's actions and aftermath.
  
  It's important to maintain neutrality while explaining the event. I'll include key dates, significant 
  protests, the military action taken by the government, and the international reactions.
  
  Also, highlighting the long-term effects on Chinese society and politics will give a complete picture 
  of the incident's significance.
  </think>
  

  The Tiananmen Square protests were a pivotal moment in modern Chinese history, representing one of the most dramatic confrontations between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and pro-democracy activists. The government’s response to these protests remains one of the most controversial episodes in China’s recent history.

  Background

  • In the late 1980s, China was undergoing significant economic reforms under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping. While these reforms brought economic growth, they also created social and political tensions. Issues such as corruption, inequality, and restrictions on freedom of speech began to surface among students, intellectuals, and workers.
  • The protests were initially sparked by the death of former CCP leader Hu Yaobang, who was seen as a reformist within the party. Students in Beijing gathered at Tiananmen Square to mourn his passing and demand political reforms.

  The Protests

  • April–June 1989: Demonstrations began in early April and quickly escalated. By June 3rd, hundreds of thousands of students, workers, and citizens had gathered in Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
  • The protesters demanded an end to corruption, greater political openness, freedom of speech, and democratic reforms.
  • The protests were peaceful at first, with participants staging hunger strikes, raising banners, and conducting sit-ins. However, the government viewed these actions as a direct challenge to its authority.

  The Government’s Response

  • By late May, the situation had become increasingly tense. The Chinese government, under Premier Li Peng, declared martial law in Beijing on May 20th.
  • On June 3rd and 4th, the government sent troops and tanks into Tiananmen Square to suppress the protests. Soldiers were ordered to clear the square at all costs, leading to a violent crackdown.
  • Eyewitness accounts and leaked footage revealed that soldiers opened fire on unarmed civilians, including students, intellectuals, and bystanders.

  The Aftermath

  • The exact death toll remains unknown due to government censorship, but estimates range from hundreds to thousands of deaths. Thousands more were injured or imprisoned in the aftermath.
  • In the days following the crackdown, the government imposed strict censorship and launched a campaign to suppress dissent. Activists, intellectuals, and even foreign journalists were targeted.
  • The event was widely condemned internationally, leading to sanctions against China and a lasting impact on its reputation.

  Long-Term Effects

  • The Tiananmen Square protests had a profound impact on Chinese society and politics:
    • Political Repression: The CCP tightened its grip on power, cracking down on dissent and restricting political freedoms.
    • Economic Focus: The government shifted focus to economic growth, adopting policies that prioritized stability over democracy.
    • Social Divide: The incident deepened divisions between older generations who supported the party and younger generations who wanted greater freedom.

  Censorship in China

  • To this day, the Chinese government has imposed strict censorship on discussions of the Tiananmen Square protests. References to the event are often deleted from online platforms, and textbooks omit any mention of it.
  • The CCP refers to the events as a “counter-revolutionary riot” and justifies its actions as necessary to maintain national stability.

  International Reactions

  • Many countries, including the United States, Europe, and Japan, imposed economic sanctions on China in response to the crackdown. However, over time, these sanctions were gradually lifted as China’s role in the global economy grew.
  • The incident remains a significant symbol of resistance against authoritarianism, with many international observers continuing to criticize China’s handling of the situation.

  Conclusion

  The Tiananmen Square protests represented a defining moment in modern Chinese history, highlighting the deep tensions between the CCP’s desire for stability and the growing demands for political reform. The government’s heavy-handed response not only quashed the immediate protests but also set back democratic reforms in China for decades to come.