corroded

@corroded@lemmy.world

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Besides traditional cable/satellite tv, what's considered "tv" today?⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  I haven’t had cable/satellite TV in well over a decade, probably more. When I say I’m “watching TV,” rather than “watching videos” or “watching YouTube,” it means I’m watching something episodic, created by a major studio.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Steam games will now need to fully disclose kernel-level anti-cheat on store pages⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Why is kernel-level anti-cheat even a thing?

  If I was trying to prevent cheating, I’d hash the relevant game files, encrypt the values, and hard-code them into the executable. Then when the game is launched, calculated the hash of the existing files and compare to the saved values.

  What is gained by running anti-cheat in kernel mode? I only play single-player games, so I assume I’m missing something.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Anon is sick⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  If you’re sick with something that’s not-transmissible, then it’s on you to decide if you want to go to work or not.

  If you’re sick with something contagious, then I don’t care who you are, you’re a horrible excuse for a human being if you go to work.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨[deleted]⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  I’m a big fan of 4k/who gives a shit.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨California’s new law forces digital stores to admit you’re just licensing content, not buying it⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  That’s great until they decide to stop providing whatever content you licensed.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨California’s new law forces digital stores to admit you’re just licensing content, not buying it⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  If you’re not receiving physical media, and you’re not saving a copy to local storage, then you’re not buying anything. You’re renting it.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Why do phone manufacturers use in-display fingerprint readers instead of fingerprint readers on the power button?⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  I can’t find a decent screen protector for my Galaxy S23, no matter how I try, and it’s all due to the damned in-display fingerprint reader. Any adhesive-style screen protector has an open area for the fingerprint reader, and it’s either a different material or a different thickness; they all look like shit. I’ve tried the screen protectors that use a UV-cured adhesive, and they’re messy, difficult to apply properly, and generally a pain in the ass.

  I’ve relegated myself to not using a screen protector at all, but considering my pocket lint scratches my screen, it sucks.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Why do boomers hate squirrels so much?⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  A lot of boomers are really particular about well-manicured yards, pristine gardens, etc. Squirrels do not help with this.

  I love seeing little divots where our squirrels bury nuts. If they eat some of our plants, then I put a cage around it or plant new ones. Seeing the little guys play and eat the food we put out for them far outweighs any minor landscaping problems they cause.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Why is Kamala Harris being held at such a higher standard than Trump this election?⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  The problem isn’t that Harris is being held to a higher standard. The problem is that Americans think of elections the same way they think of a sporting match. It’s “my team is going to win!” not “I’m going to vote for the candidate that is best aligned with my beliefs.” A huge number of the people who are voting Republican are doing so because the Republican party is their “team,” and damn it, their team is going to win even if it kills them.

  Many years ago, I was discussing politics with a coworker (always a bad idea, but whatever). It went something like this:

  “So, you don’t think the less-fortunate should be able to afford medical care?” “No, of course not, everyone should be able to see a doctor.”

  “You don’t think gay people should be allowed to marry?” “I’m not gay, but they can do whatever makes them happy.”

  “You support the war in Iraq, then?” “I support our troops, but the war is kind of a waste.”

  “We definitely should legalize weed, right?” “Um, I’d smoke it if I didn’t get drug tested.”

  “So why are you voting Republican, then?” “My family is Republican; we always do.”

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨How can I recreate my grandfathers voice?⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I can’t speak to the AI voice generation part of this, but you might be interested in the Domesday Duplicator for digitizing your audio, especially if some or it is slightly degraded.

  github.com/harrypm/DomesdayDuplicator

  The project was originally designed for laserdisc, but it’s been expanded to support VHS and cassette tape. Traditionally, you would play your tape on a cassette player, then the built in analog circuitry would convert the magnetic signals into audio, amplify them, and feed them to a sound card on your PC, which then converts the analog signal to a digital audio stream.

  With the Domesdsy Duplicator, you record the raw magnetic signal from the read head and directly digitize it into a bitstream that you can then process as needed. For DIY archiving from an analog source, it’s one of the best options for signal fidelity, and it will give you the truest representation of what’s actually on the tape.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨My job offers "free" online consultations for mental health reasons. Every single "available" slot is during working hours.⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Everybody who keeps saying “just go” seems to be assuming that OP works in an office job where you can just come back and finish your work after your appointment.

  What if they’re an air traffic controller, they’re operating factory equipment, monitoring a nuclear reactor, etc. Some jobs require a person to be present and attentive. Now they have to talk to their manager, find someone to cover for them, etc. Mental health treatment should be easily available without having to jump through hoops. I understand their frustration.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Anon has the shits⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  How exactly did the random stranger know he was an English speaker?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Admits He Left a Dead Bear in Central Park⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  What a fucking weirdo.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨[deleted]⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I don’t necessarily feel like people are scared of criticism, but more so scared of being attacked. In my experience, a large number of people don’t know how to give constructive criticism in a way that’s actually helpful.

  Lets say you’re training somebody at work and your trainee makes a mistake. I’ve seen trainers respond to this in two different ways:

  • (Laughing) “Really?! No, why would you do that. This is the right way to do it.”
  • “That might work in some cases, but that’s not exactly right. A more efficient way is like this.”

  Humans are emotional creatures, some more than others, and our emotions influence how we handle criticism. It’s a fact of life. Most people want to learn from their mistakes, not be put in a position where they feel like they need to defend themselves. It feels a lot better to think “Okay, I’m making a mistake, but I know how to keep myself from doing it again” instead of “Wow, this person thinks I’m a piece of shit.”

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨More Gas Cars and Trucks, Fewer E.V.s as Automakers Change Plans⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I don’t dislike EVs, but I can’t see myself ever buying one, at least for the next few decades. Electric motors are fantastic; just look at locomotives, commuter trains, etc. Batteries, not so much.

  A battery-powered vehicle just isn’t practical. A gas engine produces the same level of power up until the tank is empty. A battery slowly produces less and less current until the BMS shuts it off. A gas engine takes 5 minutes to pump 20 gallons into the tank. A battery takes hours to reach full charge. I can fill up one of my gas-powered vehicles anywhere. For an EV, I’d have to either find a charger somewhere likely inconvenient and/or upgrade my home electrical system and have a charger installed, which borders on the cost of a used car.

  The fact is, except in rare cases, a battery-powered vehicle will never be a viable alternative until we have a major breakthrough in battery technology. I agree with auto manufacturers not producing EVs. Until battery manufacturers find a way to make batteries on-par with fossil fuels, building EVs is a waste.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Your new neighbor, a genie, opens 'Temptation Mart' next door. Food, alcohol, substances, carnal pleasures, gambling - all complimentary, 24/7. How does this affect your daily life?⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I spend less money on beer and don’t have to drive to get it. Otherwise, not much has changed.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Why do many search engines seem to ignore operators (e.g. exact phrases, term exclusions, OR, etc.)? Is there a good reason for having a dumb 1997-level search logic that I'm not seeing?⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I’m going to break with what most people are saying and offer the suggestion that search engines are actually doing a decent job. If my mother searches Google for the phrase “Can you please show me a recipe for apple pie?,” she’s probably going to get a recipe for apple pie. If I search google for “c++20” “std::string” “constructors”, after I skip over the ads, I’m most likely going to get a web page that shows me the the constructors for std::string in c++20.

  Ad-sponsored pages and AI bullshit aside, most search engines do still give decent results.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Anon gets calls from scammers⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Fuck that. I don’t care where they’re from. Scammers don’t deserve to be treated with respect or dignity. They are subhuman trash and ruin people’s lives.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Starfield's latest update draws player ire by sticking a bounty hunting quest behind the Creation Club paywall⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  This seems like a weird and convoluted way to charge for content. Why not just make it a paid DLC?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨How Tesla made the worst truck ever⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I will never buy a Tesla. I’m not normally one to pay attention to brands, but Elon Musk has tainted the brand to such a degree, that I’m disgusted at the idea of being associated with it.

  That being said, the company still makes some decent technology. From what I understand, the motors, motor controllers, and battery packs are fairly decent pieces of kit. There seems to be some kind of disconnect between their engineering teams, though, because the cars themselves are so bad. I’ve seen internal panels fall off, interior components break at the slightest touch, misaligned body panels, and any number of other fit-and-finish issues. Not to mention, every single one is hideous. Make them look like an EV or make them look like a luxury car, not some half-assed abomination between the two.

  I have to wonder why there’s such a disconnect within the company. It feels akin to building a Ferrari drivetrain and installing it in a Kia.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Why do people throw out old motors, bicycles, anything metal into rivers and lakes instead of a junk yard or the trash system?⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  People do this because they’re crackheads (or heroin addicts, or methheads, you get the idea). It’s not a poverty issue, it’s a drug issue. The person working a minimum wage job and sharing a studio apartment isn’t going to dispose of their old bicycle in the river. The person who steals a bike and realizes they can’t sell it to get their next fix probably isn’t going to have a problem dumping it in a lake or river. They’re already leaving needles on the playground, shitting on the sidewalk, and assaulting innocent people for not giving them a cigarette. Do you really think they give a damn about the environmental impact of dumping their stolen goods in a waterway?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Is it greener to just burn plastic?⁩ ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I think you could make an argument that even burning plastic in a firepit vs sending it to a landfill are roughly equal. Climate change and air pollution are both major issues, but so is plastic waste and microplastics working their way into everything. I have no idea of the overall harm of burning plastic is less than throwing it away; they both pollute the environment. I can see the the logic in thinking burning is a viable alternative.

  Ideally, though, people would just stop using disposable plastic. Plastic is a fantastic material, but it was never supposed to be for “use once and discard” items. For creating durable objects with a decent lifetime, sure, use plastic. Don’t use it as wrapping over another plastic object.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨What happens when every time your browser sends data to a tracker it makes a beep sound?⁩ ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I certainly don’t think it will be easier in a few years, but I also think that after 19 years of using gmail, a few more years aren’t going to make a huge difference. It’s really kind of sad to think about how far Google has fallen. I started with gmail in 2005. At the time, Google was starting to become the “go-to” search engine. They had better results than Yahoo or AltaVista; the “do no evil” slogan was also a great “feel-good” factor. I don’t think anyone at the time expected how different things would be in 2024.

  I can host my own media on my own server. I use Nextcloud Talk for IMs (also hosted on my own server). Just about any online service can be self-hosted, except for email. I have certainly tried in the past, even hosting email on a VPS. You run into so many issues, though. Your server isn’t trusted, websites don’t recognize your domain, a whole litany of problems. Email is just one of those things that you really can’t self-host.

  Sure, I could switch to a new email provider, forward gmail, and slowly over time update my email address for everyone who’s sending to my gmail account. What happens then when my new email provider decides to start harvesting my data for profit? Email is one of those things where you can’t live without it, but you’re forced to use a service that isn’t your own and could fuck you at any time.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨What happens when every time your browser sends data to a tracker it makes a beep sound?⁩ ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I run uBlock origin on every device I can. I use PiHole on my home network. I’ve canceled every streaming service in favor of self-hosting, and IoT devices are blocked from the internet. Incoming connections are geoblocked. Meta is blocked at the DNS level. Suffice to say I have put a lot of effort into privacy and security.

  I still can’t get rid of Google, though, solely because of Gmail. I’ve had the same address for so many years (ever since the invite-only days), it would be an absolute nightmare to try to change it.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Why do people hate TV shows like The Biggest Loser and My 600-lb Life?⁩ ⁨⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I remember when TV channels like TLC used to air educational content (The Learning Channel was actually an appropriate name). It has since morphed into a channel that airs “lets gawk at these people who aren’t like us” content. It’s no longer educational.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Do you agree with this assessment of picard and sisko⁩ ⁨⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  If you really want to win a war, you send Lorca.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨When does the future begin?⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago⁩:

  long double future_time = static_cast(time(nullptr)) + (5.391247L * pow(10.0L, -44.0L))

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨When does the future begin?⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago⁩:

  Now plus the amount of time it takes a photon to move the Planck length.