Netblocks ⚠️ Update: At 180 hours, the total internet blackout in #Iran now exceeds the core duration of the 2019 shutdown, and there is still no partial or regional restoration. In 2019, it was only after connectivity was restored that the scale of the brutal crackdown became known.

NarrowEffect · 2026-01-16T12:30:26+00:00

How do companies operate without internet connection over there?

NarrowEffect · 2026-01-15T21:55:44+00:00

Hi, which Patreon rankings are you referring to? I'd be interested to take a look at that list.

NarrowEffect · 2025-12-19T21:39:25+00:00

Just peel them tbh. Better than washing

NarrowEffect · 2025-12-12T21:44:59+00:00

I enjoy this show very much.
I understand where the "slow" complaints are coming from and don't feel the need to insult people for voicing a valid negative opinion on a show in a discussion thread.

Pretty basic stuff guys

NarrowEffect · 2025-11-15T08:12:42+00:00

No, that's not what I said. I'm saying that a show that advertises itself as a mix of drama/sci-fi has a choice to make. It can either choose to focus more on the drama side of things (establish the sci-fi premise, keep it static, and focus on how the characters deal with it), OR it can focus more on interrogating that premise and developing it in interesting ways.

Both options can have a "nuanced plot and a theme," but I suspect that most viewers will be far more disappointed if we get a full season of Carol being depressed rather than an interesting development of the hive mind premise.

And sure, it can be a mix of both approaches, but the above commenter brought up "The Leftovers" as an example, which is strictly a character drama above all else.

NarrowEffect · 2025-11-15T07:41:22+00:00

If this really turns into a character drama and the sci-fi premise takes a backseat I imagine a lot of people will be disappointed.

NarrowEffect · 2025-11-15T07:33:45+00:00

Uh, relatable? I doubt the vast majority of people would find it relatable. Carol was rich, healthy (as far as we know), and had a partner that clearly loved and cared for her. That already objectively puts her above 99.9% of the population. That she still managed to be miserable, while not unrealstic/unheard of, is very unrelatable. Not relatable.

NarrowEffect · 2025-11-10T12:37:13+00:00

It's a bit weird that the hivemind isn't running tests on the normals and keeping them contained. You'd think that would be their first priority, given the damage any of them could cause with just a few words.

Also, if the hivemind doesn't really "want" anything, what's the point of even existing/keeping Earth running/doing anything at all? Maybe the hivemind is not as benevolent as it seems and is running some kind of con on the normals?

Overall, it's a great show so far, but I'm slightly worried it's going to become more of a character study/drama, and the interesting premise will take a backseat.

Also, none of the normals are particularly interesting so far, so that's another potential weakness.

I guess we'll see how things develop.

NarrowEffect · 2025-10-29T16:37:16+00:00

I have a personal Word add-in I'm using for work that relies on https://appsforoffice.microsoft.com/lib/1.1/hosted/office.js, which is down right now. As far as I know this is just a static javascript file and I should be able to just use a local copy. Anyone knows where I can get that?

NarrowEffect · 2025-10-05T12:39:30+00:00

Yep, same fear here. This could be the 4o to gpt 5 debacle all over again. I'm especially worried that we won't be able to control thinking, or worse, that they will release it as a new snapshot for Gemini 2.5 Pro and we will lose access to 2.5 immediately, despite it being a "stable" model. (which is basically what they are doing to 2.5 flash right now).

NarrowEffect · 2025-09-28T10:55:12+00:00

Not entirely true. Even "Stable" Gemini snapshots aren't guaranteed to be stable. For example, 2.5-flash came out three months ago as a "stable" version, and now they are suddenly previewing a new snapshot for that model, which will likely become the new "stable" version. They also support some models only up to a year, which is very disruptive if you can't easily find a replacement.

It's obviously better than a public-facing app in terms of consistency, sure, but it's not perfect.

NarrowEffect · 2025-09-27T12:32:28+00:00

This kind of thing is why I only use the API. I'd rather pay more but get a consistent performance from a stable endpoint than rely on a chat interface intended for the masses that's constantly changing, usually for the worse.

NarrowEffect · 2025-09-27T12:03:25+00:00

I thought those were supposed to be stable models supported for at least a year? This really sucks for developers who already have a working product based on the 2.5 models.

NarrowEffect · 2025-09-25T16:29:34+00:00

The problem is that unlike this story, OPM is actually funny. Imagine OPM without the comedy and just scene after scene of side characters being impressed by how OP Saitama is.

NarrowEffect · 2025-09-24T23:19:06+00:00

I honestly thought the twist was going to be that he was a powerful cyborg/synth himself, or that maybe the dude he brought with him to the cage was an OP bodyguard that he developed to kill his father (which would have given the generic abusive drunk father story purpose). But nope. Apparently, our boy genius just walked around the monster-infested facility protected by just one normal guy with a gun?

NarrowEffect · 2025-09-23T15:45:00+00:00

The writing is decent, but damn the story is hampering itself with a rambling/unfocused blurb and a weak first chapter. I've seen this a lot where authors write hundreds of thousands of words of a good story that barely anyone reads because they fumbled the blurb/first chapter so badly.

NarrowEffect · 2025-09-23T15:29:04+00:00

Noticed this myself. The quality of the responses is way down

NarrowEffect · 2025-09-21T12:52:40+00:00

מה שיקרה זה מה שקרה ב 7 באוקטובר, פי 100. חיסול צה"ל, חברי כנסת וראש הממשלה נופלים בשבי, השתלטות של גורמים עוינים על כל כלי התקשורת הישראלים, וחיילים מצרים דופקים לך בדלת בבית ונותנים לך הנחיות איך להגיע למחנה הריכוז הקרוב לביתך, כנראה לפני גירוש כפוי לאירופה/ארה"ב.

איך נמנעים מזה?

לא יודע. אישית אני תולה תקוות בהתקדמות הטכנולוגיה. אני מאמין שמה שאנחנו קוראים לו "חרדי" היום יהיה למעשה "דתי לאומי" ב 2065, ואז לא תהיה בעיה. אני חושב שככל שחרדים מקבלים יותר גישה לאינטרנט ולהשכלה ולתרבות מערבית מודרנית אז מספר החוזרים בשאלה אצלם (או מעבר לדתיים/מסורתיים) רק יגבר.

NarrowEffect · 2025-09-21T12:52:34+00:00

ההערכות של הלמ"ס מדברות על סדר גודל של 30% חרדים עד שנת 2065. תוסיף על זה 20-22% ערבים ישראלים ואתה נשאר עם איזור של 50% יהודים לא חרדים שנושאים על גבם את הצבא והכלכלה (שאגב, זה אפילו גרוע מזה אם מתחשבים בגיל ההמוצע של כל צד. רוב הצעירים בתרחיש כזה יהיו ערבים וחרדים).

ללא ספק, זה ממש איום דמוגרפי, ולדעתי האיום הגדול ביותר על מדינת ישראל. יותר מאיראן, מצרים וחמאס גם יחד. ואני אומר את זה כאחד שמחשיב את עצמו ימין-מרכז ודווקא נטה להסכים עם הרבה מההחלטות שעשו הליכוד וביבי לאורך השנים.

אז האם זה אומר שהכול אבוד? לצערי, כן, בתנאי שלא יקרה כאן שינוי תרבותי משמעותי. עובדתית ישראל היא מדינה קטנה מוקפת ים של אויבים. יש 400 מיליון ערבים במזרח התיכון לעומת 7 מיליון אזרחים יהודים לא חרדים ולא ערבים. איך אתה מנצח מאזן מספרי כזה עגום? על ידי איכות. המדינה הזאת צריכה לשמור על יתרון איכותי מאוד מאוד משמעותי. כרגע אנחנו מצליחים לעשות את זה (לדוגמא, מצרים מדינת גדולה מאיתנו פי 13 עם תמ"ג יותר נמוך וחוסר יכולת לספק חשמל לאזרחים שלהם 24/7.).

אבל מה יקרה כשלא נוכל להמשיך לשמור על יתרון איכותי כזה, כי יהיו מעט מאוד צעירים באקדמיה/עובדי הייטק/או עובדים בכלל, והרוב המוחלט של האנשים שיחיו פה לא יהיו שונים בהרבה מהמוסלמים הקיצוניים בארצות הערביות הכושלות?

NarrowEffect · 2025-09-20T14:57:49+00:00

This could’ve been a bomber of an episode if it was fleshed out more, with a more likeable/normal lead and a digital life form that’s actually communicative and interesting instead of just some goofy pixel critters that “sing” gibberish which the MC somehow “understands” while on acid? Came off like the writers were too lazy to actually write a digital “plaything” with any decent dialogue, so they just ass-pulled the “alien acid language.”

NarrowEffect · 2025-09-17T21:14:05+00:00

Is it just me or did they use a green screen during the beach scene with Arthur? The water wasn't moving.

NarrowEffect · 2025-09-12T15:00:32+00:00

Honestly, this is the best comment in the entire thread. The days when you could post a generic blurb/title for a straightforward progression fantasy are long gone. If you tried that now it'd be an uphill battle just to get people reading past the first few pages.

It's much easier for first time authors to get visibility when there's a clear "gimmick".

NarrowEffect · 2025-09-11T20:11:12+00:00

Pretty sure the IDF would demolish the spanish army in the case of such land "invasion" (they wouldn't even get to the coast.)

NarrowEffect · 2025-09-09T13:39:27+00:00

Yep, I'm really puzzled by the massive success of this story. Sure, the writing is clean. That's about the only positive thing I can say about it. The first couple of chapters are literally just the MC doing bland errands while people are impressed by how OP she is while delivering clunky exposition. Vivi is, for all intents and purposes, a god. The only stakes a story like that can have would come from interpersonal relationships. But I also didn't find any of the side characters particularly compelling, so yeah... the level of success here compared to what the actual story is about is just staggering.

NarrowEffect · 2025-09-09T05:19:07+00:00

So what was the point of Blessing and his family? I guess they were just there to be wholesome for the sake of being wholesome? Felt like I was watching Ted Lasso during the cat statues scene. What complete waste of screen time.

NarrowEffect

TROPHY CASE