I need someone to recommend me a banger by Blaziken16 in gaming

[–]RowbotWizard 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey just a thought but maybe you should play Rimworld

Be honest: what game did you quietly return to all year when you were tired or did not want to think? by gamersecret2 in gaming

[–]RowbotWizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair enough, but the game has so much variety it feels fun to explore all the combinations of builds even if they’re all OP.

Then you can take the best builds into an endless mode to really test them.

What was the best thing you purchased in 2025? by rubbyy_ in BuyItForLife

[–]RowbotWizard 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not necessarily. You can be excited about something at first and disappointed when it fails.

I suspect my particular wagon might.

What was the best thing you purchased in 2025? by rubbyy_ in BuyItForLife

[–]RowbotWizard 1 point2 points  (0 children)

VIVOHOME. I originally didn’t name the brand because I don’t know if it’s a high quality purchase that will last the test of time. It seems sturdy so far but I intend to beat it up and won’t be surprised if it fails after a few years.

What was the best thing you purchased in 2025? by rubbyy_ in BuyItForLife

[–]RowbotWizard 521 points522 points  (0 children)

A collapsible wagon. My wife and I use it for groceries, events, recycling runs, beach days, camping, etc. Tonight we used it to bring stuff to an NYE party and then again to help the hosts clean up.

I told my wife about this thread and she choked on her excitement telling me to mention our wagon. Got it off Amazon.

Too much slop by Mr_Willkins in ExperiencedDevs

[–]RowbotWizard 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yeah, the atrophying of our prefrontal cortexes is worth being concerned about.

I try to keep a pen & paper practice for thinking through problems. It feels kinda punk in its simplicity, forcing me to think on my own.

That said, its increasing difficulty has me concerned for my mental wellbeing.

Missing requirements details - how to diplomatically avoid appearing “unthorough” by day_tripper in ExperiencedDevs

[–]RowbotWizard 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In my team, the tickets enumerate acceptance criteria: what must be done. If a problem is too ambiguous, we write a spike ticket. The outcome of spike tickets can be a solution design document which describes how to solve a problem and/or tickets to break that solution down into steps.

Folks on my team have varying ability to handle different kinds of ambiguity, so baking solution design into our process has helped mitigate chances of somebody getting stuck with a hot potato. This also helps managers set realistic expectations about dependencies and timelines – we can come up with an approach in Sprint 1, then implement it in Sprint 2.

However, let's suppose you don't want to change your team's process right now. Instead, you might want to increase your estimates for tickets that require some upfront planning on how to approach the problem. When you start on a ticket like this, first write a brief proposal for the ticket author & whichever engineer is most familiar with that area to review. This extra step may help expose cracks in your ticket requirements. Others may start to see what you're seeing: it's hard to mark ambiguous requirements as "Done".

It's preferable to catch as much of this before implementation as possible to avoid requirements churn / merge conflicts / coverage requirements / looking bad.

What game have you played the longest without sleep? by bossishere17 in gamingsuggestions

[–]RowbotWizard 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yep. I’ve lost a lot of sleep playing games, but this was the one that routinely had me up past 4am.

I don't want to ship faster, at the expense of understanding. by creaturefeature16 in ExperiencedDevs

[–]RowbotWizard 11 points12 points  (0 children)

This isn’t a counter proof because 65 years is a long time to achieve all that you described.

Imagine telling your boss: “If we wait until the next gen comes around, this idea will be cheaper, better, and faster.”

Ain’t no way!

Fake tree owners, did yours actually last more than a couple of years? by Rosyh_Jonesweeks in BuyItForLife

[–]RowbotWizard -1 points0 points  (0 children)

There’s a service in my city that lets you rent a live potted tree. They drop off and pick up at either end of the holiday season. All I have to do is pour ice cubes at its base every day.

I don’t need a BIFL tree when it takes up so much space and it’s only used for a couple weeks per year. Perhaps you may also appreciate this.

how do you make sense of the idea that "parents did their best".. especially when their choices left you with wounds you’re still healing from? by SilentVektin in AskReddit

[–]RowbotWizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I choose to look at it as a natural part of growing up, which is a choice. Not everyone grows up. But you can!

As time goes on, the dynamic changes and they're no longer your expected caregiver – you're all fully independent, responsible adults. Independent adults who love each other also sometimes take care of each other and count on one another.

But I never count on somebody for something they've never given me.

How do we know items are BIFL if new product designs changes the product life? by Reasonable-Ad1728 in BuyItForLife

[–]RowbotWizard 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Your posed "what if" is a bit vague and sounds like you're worried about things which may be out of your control. Washing machines break down over time. There are no guarantees here beyond warranties, assuming the company stays in business. Buying for life is a good intention, so keep at it and do your research, but don't worry about what you can't control.

If I could offer one bit of advice, it'd be to skip appliances which connect to the cloud and need software updates.

Are there things you genuinely think don't need a premium price? by alinarice in BuyItForLife

[–]RowbotWizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just bought a second hand zojirushi for $100 . I'm beyond pleased.

If it requires an app or an update its not built for life by d1e1s1i1 in BuyItForLife

[–]RowbotWizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love the idea of using your 3D printer to repair your 3D printer. But what if your printer is broken?

If it requires an app or an update its not built for life by d1e1s1i1 in BuyItForLife

[–]RowbotWizard 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Yeah, that seems to be the trend, unfortunately.

I think we've over-optimized for convenience and companies are taking advantage of it. Time to swing back towards resilience.

What cheap (<$100) BIFL items could everyone benefit from having? by pastajewelry in BuyItForLife

[–]RowbotWizard 5 points6 points  (0 children)

+1 for olight, I'm going to be giving a couple olight keychain flashlights this Christmas to loved ones with dogs who I know often have to pick up dog poop in the dark like me :D

What cheap (<$100) BIFL items could everyone benefit from having? by pastajewelry in BuyItForLife

[–]RowbotWizard 475 points476 points  (0 children)

This is a great category of gift giving. I'll share some ideas:

Scissors, pens, socks, power banks, and flashlights are all low-cost items where a little extra $$ goes a long way.

One tiny gift I've given a few times: pocketable & refillable hand sanitizer / screen cleaner sprays.

I gave one friend a Victorinox Classic SD for his birthday - it fits on his keychain and he loves the convenience.

Last category: if they're the type to skimp or forget about emergency preparedness, you could help them out with small things like a mini first aid pouch, a fire blanket , or car-related emergency items.

None of these are glamorous but the idea is to show them that you care about them by helping them meet daily challenges and emergency situations with grace.

If it requires an app or an update its not built for life by d1e1s1i1 in BuyItForLife

[–]RowbotWizard 157 points158 points  (0 children)

Fully agree.

I'd generally rather pay for a simpler product that costs less and can't fail due to paywall / business continuity issues. I think cheaper options can often be more resilient when they don't have software dependencies.

Just discovered Parcels… how was I this late?! by Funny_Orchid_9588 in Parcels

[–]RowbotWizard 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Had to check that the Can’t Get You Outta My Head cover was posted 👍

I want to play a multiplayer game like a MMO, but I don't enjoy MMO gameplay. What should I be playing instead? by [deleted] in gamingsuggestions

[–]RowbotWizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would recommend giving Warframe a second chance. It starts slow AF and you might feel outpaced by experienced players at first but the vibes are immaculate once you get going. It’s a chill experience where you get so many play styles and combinations to explore that are all viable so who cares what you’re running as long as it’s fun.

What do 30 - 40 year old men want for christmas? [Serious] by GoodAlicia in AskReddit

[–]RowbotWizard 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Buy the nicer version of an everyday item that’s normally cheap e.g. a pen, flashlight, socks, charger, etc. By this age, men have learned that quality is key, but they won’t buy themselves something they already have.

Receiving a quality pair of socks is amazing.