@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

Rycaut

@Rycaut@mastodon.social

Entrepreneur & Product Manager - currently looking for new opportunities. Likely starting a Fediverse related business to host, manage and extend instances for businesses and organizations. Writer and GM

https://calendly.com/rycaut to schedule meetings with me

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

Rycaut, to random
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

Prompted by an unarmed post

The entire population of the US is less than 5% and closer to 4% of the people alive globally today (roughly 8B people globally, 330m in the US)

Even the most popular of books (or films) in any language have rarely crossed 1% (80M) readers/viewers

For individual books Wikipedia excluding books like religious texts or political texts lists only 9 books with individual sales of that scale. More series and frequently updated works however

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_books

Rycaut,
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

Something to keep in mind. ALL fandoms are niche when you think on a global scale. Even Taylor Swift or the Beatles while they have a massive fanbase and generate vast sums of revenues do so from an actually small number of people on a global scale.
It’s easy to lose sight of this because we tend to cluster (in person and online) with people who we are similar to which includes the media we enjoy (across all forms) so we often assume everyone we meet has read/seen/played/heard the same hits

Rycaut,
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

I’m a bit hyper aware of this because while I’m “GenX” and a native English speaker I don’t share all the same touchstones as my peers because I grew up without a tv until I was in high school (so I listened to “old time” radio and read books magazines and newspapers more than most of my peers) this means stuff like “schoolhouse rock” has no emotional connnection for me while most of my US peers could sing every song. And I know there are many other gaps (which I experienced growing up)

tomjennings, to random
@tomjennings@tldr.nettime.org avatar

Here's what would seem a mundane ask:

Where to buy good quality USB cables? Amazon is out. Reported problems too frequent serious (shorting, melting).

I need dumb old USB A to USB B's, a couple short USB A to USB C.

Monoprice? They're cheap, too cheap really.

EDIT: possibly Digikey. Quality supplier at least!

Rycaut,
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

@tomjennings perhaps Anker? (Directly from them?) I have an Anker power brick I bought a really long time ago that just keeps on working well. So I assume the quality of their full lineup is likely similarly solid. I bought it so long ago I don’t actually remember where I purchased it but looks like they sell USB cables directly.

Rycaut,
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

@tomjennings looks like if you click on the shop all cables they have some USB A options also. Having trouble loading parts of their site on my iPhone however but I saw some USB A to lightening and USB A to C cables. I suspect they have a wider array but I’ll look when I’m back in front of my computer.

Rycaut, to random
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

Reminded of the value of just sitting in cafes in areas with lots of others in similar fields and llaces and overbearing their discussions. Right now a really amazing high level catch-up between senior tech managers discussing careers, next roles, past firms and more. Obviously two guys who know each other well and have a high degree of trust - sharing exact salary ranges and other details. And yes probably not intending to talk loud enough to be overheard.

(At Red Rock in Mountain View)

Rycaut,
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

Earlier there was a private meeting where some investor types were talking with some early stage entrepreneurs about their ideas. Conversations that were modern echoes of ones I’ve heard for decades but again nice to hear again (and for once not all about LLMs)

In recent years I’ve spent a lot of time working from home (pandemic) not from offices or cafes. So definitely been missing hearing (and having) such conversations. Hearing how folks at a high level think and plan their own careers

davidnjoku, to UKpolitics
@davidnjoku@mastodon.world avatar

The foundational belief of the right wing is this:

I am rich because of my hard work, not just because I was born rich. You are poor because you are lazy, not just because you were born poor.

Rycaut,
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

@davidnjoku it’s even worse. There is a deep belief among many that if people make what they are worth (a core belief in the simplistic models of economics) and that people get what they deserve (prosperity bible idiocy) fhen if you are rich you deserve it and it means you are morally superior.

And likewise that if you are poorly paid and poor not only does it reflect your value it’s because you are somehow immoral.

(To be clear I strongly disagree with everything about this bonkers view)

Rycaut,
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

@zzypt @davidnjoku indeed. It is also why they attack education on structural racism and systemic causes of poverty. And oppose stuff like minimum wages or unions - because they deeply feel that there is a connection between material success and moral worth. If that is questioned and indeed utterly rejected they see that as a personal attack on their self identity and how the view and judge others.

(I’m not a Christian but the prosperity bible stuff is a radical departure from historic beliefs

markwyner, to design
@markwyner@mas.to avatar

When you visit the paleontology exhibit and your favorite thing was the collection of dinosaur movie posters. 🤷🏻‍♂️

The exhibit at the OMSI in Portland, OR is really cool. No doubt. If y’all are nearby, give it a go.

Framed movie poster. The title is ‘The Land Unknown.’ It’s a color illustration of some dinosaurs and other unknown creatures in various action poses, with a couple of humans in the corner, seemingly observing all of the mysteries.
Framed movie poster. The title is ‘The Valley of Gwangi.’ It’s a color illustration of a T-Rex walking amid a pile of bones with some rock formations behind it.
Framed movie poster. The title is ‘Lost Continent.’ It’s a color illustration of a T-Rex hovering over a smaller dinosaur eating its kill. There’s a missile flying in the background and a group of people huddled in the bottom corner with one holding up a gun to protect the others.

Rycaut,
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

@markwyner @cainmark cool if we get back to Portland while this exhibit is running well check it out.

One tip - if you have a membership to a local to you science museum see if they have reciprocal agreements with other similar institutions. We have a membership at The Tech here in San Jose which got us into both the OMSI on a Portland trip last year and the Pacific Science Museum on a recent Seattle trip earlier this month!

Many zoos and children’s museums have similar agreements

Rycaut, to random
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

If you’re considering a pay package for a ceo that would cover the 10,000+ employees you just laid off for probably the next 20 years (and that’s assuming over $150k per employee per year)

The answer should be hell no.

And the company should be reevaluating priorities.

(And while this is specifically about one company these days something similar is true at lots of other firms)

harrymccracken, to random
@harrymccracken@mastodon.social avatar

Strangely enough, the first reviews of the Ai Pin inspired me to write about my Brother label printer for this week's Plugged In newsletter. It's an incredible device, in part because it doesn't try too hard to be incredible! https://www.fastcompany.com/91091644/brother-p-touch-label-printer

Rycaut,
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

@harrymccracken someone seriously needs to write a profile of how Brother has managed unlike most other currrent tech companies to keep pumping out tech that. Just does what it says it does - reliably and for a reasonable price. I bought a Brother laser printer at the beginning of the pandemic. It handled years of home schooling and everything else since and just works. Print is fast, all my devices can connect to it easily and I’ve had to replace the toner once (since 2020)

Rycaut, to random
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

A local coffee shop (actually a coffee cart with extensive outdoor seating) just announced that they will have regular evening hours. So they now close at 1:30pm every day (instead of previously being open until 3pm) and are now open from 5-10pm everyday with a fire pit, boardgames and locally roasted coffee brews.

They first had evening hours for Ramadan (the business is Muslim owned) and I guess it was successful. Awesome to see businesses like this creating evening all ages spaces.

Rycaut,
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

Helps that the coffee is exceptional (both the roasting and the preparation) and they are located across from a local high school.

Anyway if you are in San Jose - check out Kenz Coffee Roasters

https://www.instagram.com/p/C5zI07KPECo/?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA==

Rycaut, to random
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

I’m far from an expert but Tesla’s plans to scrap a lower priced vehicle in favor of focusing on robotaxis seems like it has a lot of serious financial risk.

Ie Tesla is already unusual in selling direct to customers not to dealers (so holds inventory directly) but with robotaxis they will have to keep the vehicles on their books, incur the ongoing operating costs and risks (insurance for the real liability) and account for the assets over time (depreciation)

ernie, to random
@ernie@writing.exchange avatar

This is going to work exactly the opposite of the way Elon thinks it will: The bots will pay and the regular users will not.

https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/15/elon-musk-plans-to-charge-new-x-users-to-enable-posting/

Rycaut,
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

@ernie and how many of those bots will pay with their own CCs. Instead they will almost certainly use stolen credentials which likely means great costs for X in the future as they face chargebacks and may face higher fees or even loss of service from their payment processors

(I’m going to guess that next he will try to route around this issue by requiring payment via crypto shifting the chargebacks etc elsewhere)

Rycaut, to random
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

related to my thread earlier today - a simple test of your personal social media - do you see people you follow celebrating holidays (including secular ones like finals for sports leagues) that are not ones that you personally celebrate/follow?

If not you are almost certainly missing diversity (in all dimensions) in who you are following and/or at least in what the algorithm in many cases is showing you

This is also why sharing such celebrations matters

Rycaut,
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

in general I'm not much of a sports fan these days (grew up in Chicago, since moving to California I haven't followed sports as actively as I once did in part because the teams I care about are harder to follow here) but I love seeing friends celebrating teams and leagues in some cases for sports I have never previously heard of - it reminds me that there is always something new to learn about, something people take seriously that I have yet to experience

SleepyChi, to random
@SleepyChi@pawb.fun avatar

"Mastodon is dead"

Ways to not make it dead:

1.) Follow people.
2.) Engage in other people's posts.
3.) Use hashtags. They don't demote posts here.
4.) Browse hashtags.
5.) Post more often! (PostyBirb is a great tool for posting art to multiple sites)

Seeing so many people claim "Mastodon is dead" when they only come here like only once a month, to post art, then hop off. And not engage at all. Or use hashtags.

You gotta follow people, engage with the community, follow feeds, etc.!

Rycaut,
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

@SleepyChi also follow people who get boosted by people you are following (I usually see what else they are posting/that they are a real human but countless accounts I now follow I discovered from boosts by other accounts I follow.

And then also when accounts boost my content / reply to it I have found many other people I now follow.

jeffjarvis, to random
@jeffjarvis@mastodon.social avatar

TED begins today. Bill Ackman, Scott Galloway, Bari Weiss, and Andrew Yang are speaking. That's all I need to know. Easiest $12,500 I've ever saved.

Rycaut,
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

@jeffjarvis sheesh that's sad (and alas not entirely surprising) but still seems notable for the platforming of idiots

Rycaut, to random
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

Decades ago I observed that shared perceptions of time might be a good proxy for social networks a yet is rarely used.

That is if right now you are thinking about TED 2024 you are part of one group. Coachella 2024 a different (but overlapping group). Or preparing for upcoming Seders.

Ie how we measure time, what events we pay attention to (even if not attending). What holidays we mark the passage of. - all these serve to define who we are and who we share a lot in common with

Rycaut,
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

I still believe that these mental calendars - not of our day to day meetings but of our attention could help people find each other amidst bigger networks.

ie - I likely share interests with others who track the deadlines for Hugo Awards nominations and voting whether or not I’m attending Wirldcon this year. Likewise someone tracking when Free RPG Day and Free Comic Day.

But less with someone tracking when various finals for different sports are happening or Christian holidays

Rycaut,
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

And for my mixed cultures family someone aware of when Holi and Diwali are is more likely to share something with my family than someone who is very aware of exactly when Easter is this year. If they also know when Hanukkah falls this year then they too might be a similarly mixed family as my own.

The thing about this is also that it scales from the local to the international. The folks for whom Saturdays are about youth sports schedules differ from those tracking theater auditions

mwichary, to random
@mwichary@mastodon.online avatar

In Gmail, searching for…

label:keyboard-secrets label:inbox

…doesn’t find all the relevant emails. I can see them in my inbox with the label as I navigate using < > buttons, but they aren’t all found when searching.

I thought this might have to do with the fact that perhaps not all the emails in threads get the right metadata, but even turning off “Conversation view” (threading) doesn’t solve the issue.

Is there a secret to making it happen? I’ve been googling and experimenting for a while.

Rycaut,
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

@katzenschiff @mwichary indeed just encountered this "fun" feature from gmail.

Did a search of my inbox for receipts (subject: receipt) as I periodically label and archive such emails.

Found them, archived then, then gmail decided to be "smart" and without telling me it had done this instead of showing 0 messages showed "many" matching on stuff like "invoice" or "recipe" in the subject OR in the body of the email.

Extremely annoying as emails with recipes are eh not receipts

Rycaut,
@Rycaut@mastodon.social avatar

@katzenschiff @mwichary google seems to have (and many other companies share this) developed an aversion to simply showing no results if that’s what is returned for a given search. Instead they seem to feel it is necessary to find something, anything tangentially related.

(Facebook, Amazon and many others share this aversion)

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • •
  • JUstTest
  • GTA5RPClips
  • DreamBathrooms
  • InstantRegret
  • magazineikmin
  • osvaldo12
  • Youngstown
  • ngwrru68w68
  • slotface
  • everett
  • rosin
  • thenastyranch
  • kavyap
  • tacticalgear
  • megavids
  • tester
  • modclub
  • cubers
  • ethstaker
  • mdbf
  • khanakhh
  • Durango
  • normalnudes
  • Leos
  • cisconetworking
  • anitta
  • provamag3
  • lostlight
  • All magazines
    •