skyfaller

skyfaller, 29 days ago

@molly0xfff Top thing I miss is instant messaging. Specifically, I miss the culture of being "away" or "available": I miss seeing someone online I haven't talked with in a while, and striking up a conversation. Without that signal that someone is around and actually interested in talking, it's a lot harder to feel up to messaging someone.

Also modern text conversations tend to drawn-out asynchronous affairs, while IMs tended to be more present in the moment, IMHO.

RIP Google Talk, 2013.

skyfaller, 29 days ago

@tmstreet Simply raising prices is a regressive way to attempt to get people to buy less stuff. While raising prices (e.g. congestion charges) may be a necessary part of limiting harmful behaviors in our economic system, doing only that and tying it to degrowth will make degrowth very unpopular very quickly. Counterproductive.

skyfaller, 29 days ago

@tmstreet You just connected it to degrowth by using the hashtag. While I agree that you are not important or influential, this is still not good messaging, and I would like to discourage it before someone with more clout repeats what you're saying.

skyfaller, 29 days ago

@davekonopka Are you sure you want to bury yourself underground? Isn't that where the cicadas are?

skyfaller, 29 days ago

@berz I understand that some people see a benefit from running fans clockwise in winter, but I don't quite get it. When I tried it, it made my feet cold, and my feet are already cold enough in winter, it's difficult / unpleasant to add more layers to my feet.

skyfaller, 1 month ago

@berz If you watch them at double speed, they're only 10 minute videos

skyfaller, 1 month ago

@mjgardner So are you recommending bringing back human computers? Or are you suggesting a machine writing on paper with pencils, and then something like Scantron to read it?

I genuinely think human computers are a good idea in a few situations, like I think people should be able to use abacuses and slide rules when practical. Perhaps there are novel approaches to human computing that haven't been adequately explored that could expand practical applications.

skyfaller, 1 month ago

@yonkeltron This is a really cool solarpunk vision! I had forgotten about the concept of biocomputing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_computing

It feels like the trick is finding an application that plays to biocomputing strengths, while minimizing its downsides. Perhaps something related to chemical reactions? I don't know enough to speculate.

skyfaller, 1 month ago

@Bender Ok, this is genuinely cool, but what can we use it for besides teaching children (or adults) how computers work? I don't care how frivolous the application is, but what actual task could a marble computer complete in a way that is at least marginally better than a human doing it manually?

I guess we need a way for it to trigger actions in the real world, like maybe a physical switch that gets flipped by a marble hitting it (or enough marbles piling up to tip it over).

skyfaller, 1 month ago

@steve Decades sounds like too much time; you might be able to build a conventional RISC-V plant by then, for all I know. Let's say you have five (5) years warning to get things rolling before you have to start producing weird local computers. A time traveler tips you off. ("Why didn't you warn me sooner?" "Do you know how to work this time machine? Neither do I, I just hit the Back button.")

You have enough resources to make something interesting, but not enough to replicate the status quo.

skyfaller, 1 month ago

@liaizon I suggested we recycle what we need from local sources, but people pointed out that if we're using existing tech, we can just salvage old computers instead of building new ones out of recycling. And truly that's great as far as it goes, but I want to build and maintain a local supply chain for making new computers. I still feel like a circular economy should be important to the thought experiment tho.

Building a modern computer is not my priority, that's why I mentioned retro methods.

skyfaller, 1 month ago

@andrewhinton If hanging out on the porch doesn't count as adequately using nice weather, then I guess I'm just going to commit to Doing It Wrong

skyfaller, 1 month ago

@andrew If your lights stop working, just throw out your house and buy a new one

skyfaller, 1 month ago

@aburka Maybe "Donnie Darko friends" or "I made a new friend"? https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/donnie-darkos-i-made-a-new-friend

skyfaller, 1 month ago

@Gargron I've said this to a screenshot of your post, so I might as well ask you directly:

Let's assume for the sake of argument that Amir Ghavi cares about Mastodon. Given that there is no evidence that he has a Mastodon account, why does he care about Mastodon?

skyfaller, 1 month ago

@ashley Postel's Law baby, be liberal in what you accept from others, if you know what I mean

skyfaller, 1 month ago

@NoraReed The only one we're importing at the moment is Seirdy's Fedinuke, because it has receipts for every entry: https://seirdy.one/posts/2023/05/02/fediverse-blocklists/#fedinuke-entries

It's pretty small and limited though, there's a lot that won't be covered by it. It's a fine starting point, at least. And it's small enough you could theoretically read every receipt and decide for yourself. (I can't really recommend it as a good use of your time)

skyfaller, 1 month ago

@foone Was this why's (poignant) Guide to Ruby?

skyfaller, 1 month ago

@mitch Sounds like they need rain panels

skyfaller, 1 month ago

@vapaad But are there creepy crawlies in your creepy crawl space?

skyfaller, 1 month ago

@PINA_na Some links for more info about the Philadelphia City Repair Project:

https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2021/09/21/inspired-by-work-out-west-the-philadelphia-city-repair-project-promotes-reclaiming-public-space-and-strengthening-communities/
https://phillycityrepair.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/PhillyCityRepair/
https://www.instagram.com/phillycityrepairproject/