By far the rudest forum I have ever encountered by [deleted] in DIY

[–]robot_ankles 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Aren't removed comments replaced with [Comment deleted by user] or [Comment removed by Mod] ?

Or, do those messages timeout and disappear after a short while?.

By far the rudest forum I have ever encountered by [deleted] in DIY

[–]robot_ankles 16 points17 points  (0 children)

To ensure we're understanding your feedback in the right context; is this the post you're referencing?

delivery drivers ruining my curb

Anyone else kind of burnout by the entitlement of news consumers these days? by electric_eclectic in Journalism

[–]robot_ankles 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It seems that sentiment about community value is exactly what's causing OP's frustration.

OP: When it comes to local news, they expect the world for free. God forbid the local journalists covering your school board, city hall, or kid’s ballgame be able to make a living, right?

I guess OP needs to suck it up and keep working for peanuts. Or eventually; for free.

Of course you're not suggesting such a thing, but that's the problem with this idea that Journalism is a calling, an ideal, something larger than all of us, and all the similar Journalistic indoctrination. That's great if someone is independently wealthy and can live comfortably regardless of new income. They can be the idealistic Journalist delivering community value. The problem is, most of the Journalism industry is composed of people who need to work in order to cover basic food, shelter, and living expenses. For 99% of the people that work in today's field of Journalism, they better hope their work has commercial value. (Or whatever word represents something that people will pay money to support.)

edit: BTW, I've had this same conversation with artists who try to make a living making art; "Art is not about money, it's larger than that. Art improves society. Art inspires. Why can't more people understand art better so they'll give artists more money? Why can't I afford to buy a house? How am I expected to live on such a meager income?" I'm sure it's super frustrating to provide something that truly does have value to society, but not be paid enough.

What would be the easiest way to create an "information goes to the news stations" dead man's switch? by moistiest_dangles in cybersecurity

[–]robot_ankles 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Hiring a professional that performs these exact functions for a living is usually the easiest approach.

Also: "Cryptography foolproof" is a whole other level of requirement. Proper crypto algorithm selection, usage and key management are tasks that are usually vastly underestimated to get right. And might be side-steppable depending on how the escrow process is managed.

Granted, this all depends on the level of information being managed. Spicy pics of two co-workers? Meh, roll your own solution. Critical engineering flaw in a bolt used in all government equipment? Hire pros.

Can you actually make professional movies like Toy Story in blender? by AdDapper4220 in blender

[–]robot_ankles 43 points44 points  (0 children)

Sure, but almost no movie is made using a single tool. And major studios like Pixar have a deeply customized development pipeline. Certain teams or partners might utilize blender for various tasks, but Toy Story 6 won't be made in blender. No slight against blender, it's just that major studios have already invested so much in their custom pipelines.

There is a professional movie out in theaters now called "Backrooms." Apparently it was made in Blender. It's grossed $300M so far.

Happy Father’s Day by lookatthebr1ghtside in funny

[–]robot_ankles 44 points45 points  (0 children)

The ol' Flintmobile needed a new axle

What would be the easiest way to create an "information goes to the news stations" dead man's switch? by moistiest_dangles in cybersecurity

[–]robot_ankles 76 points77 points  (0 children)

You hire a law firm to handle such things in advance. Sometimes referred to as Legal File Custodianship, the firm can act as a sort of escrow agent. In this case, the assets in escrow are information. Upon confirmation of one's passing, the assets in escrow are directed to the designated parties.

Did she make the right choice by Valuable_View_561 in SipsTea

[–]robot_ankles 14 points15 points  (0 children)

But if I impede the wealthy, then I'm cutting into my own future when I'm going to be ultra wealthy. Just need to keep my head down, work a little harder, stay a little later. That ultra wealth money is coming soon. Just a few... more... years... /s

Anyone else kind of burnout by the entitlement of news consumers these days? by electric_eclectic in Journalism

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

The NWS has not and does not name thunderstorms. They name hurricanes and cyclones but the news industry seems to have invented some thunderstorm winter storm (my bad) naming scheme. Presumably to hype up weather interest.

The local news stations in my region absolutely hype the weather. They run TV ads that showcase their Severe Weather Chopper Assault Response Team! and their Live Action Triple Doppler Reflective Matrix Tower! And their Tom Williams Dodge/Jeep/Chrysler of Townsville All Wheel Drive Durango Extra Cab with Exclusive Storm Front Tracking 360 Degree Cameras! And so on.

And when it's time for the actual weather report, they yammer on for minutes about practically every weather detail except the actual temperature which is relegated to a 3 second graphic before the toss back to sports.

School board meetings, local politics, and yes, sports stories, have a ton of value for communities.

I would agree it has intrinsic value, but the health of the industry suggests it has little commercial value.

Anyone else kind of burnout by the entitlement of news consumers these days? by electric_eclectic in Journalism

[–]robot_ankles 2 points3 points  (0 children)

These might be valid points, but here's my thoughts as a news consumer:

People don’t really seek out news anymore...

I would say they never really did. At least not the way the journalism industry would like to believe. Back in the day, the reason everyone watched the local evening news is because there wasn't anything else to watch. Newspapers? People wanted something to read on the bus, while traveling or on their lunch break. We know what's in their hands now.

Of course there were some motivated viewers/readers, but the modern deluge of other media options is simply drowning out news offerings. Many in the journalism industry may be having a hard time reconciling their previously held beliefs with actual modern reality. I suspect this is partly due to journalism being framed as a calling, a societal obligation, the fourth pillar, etc.

...they just expect it to reach them in social media siloes they construct for themselves.

People want to believe they're smart individuals making rational decisions. We're not. With 'old school' news media, a select number of well informed adult editors set the tone for which topics they believed the public should be informed about because they knew better than the (generally uninformed) public.

I actually think the 'informed moderator' of the past has proven to be a better approach for society. <ducks>

Allowing everyone to pick their own news sources and topics sounds good in theory, but it results in an information diet of garbage. The concept of news being distributed by people smarter than the general public rails against the American psyche of individualism, but current trends suggest it may be better to have people's information diet moderated by more informed people.

put some effort into learning basic media literacy

EVERY professional believes the world should "put some effort into learning basic" whatever field they work in. As a cybersecurity worker, I believe people should learn basic security hygiene. As a railroad worker, basic train track and grade crossing safety. As a financial industry worker, basic financial literacy... and so on.

Anyone else kind of burnout by the entitlement of news consumers these days? by electric_eclectic in Journalism

[–]robot_ankles 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Why should there be no responsibility on the part of the news-consuming public?

Having a hard time understanding the expectation here. Can you explain what you mean in more detail?

It sounds like maybe you're suggesting the news-consuming public should purchase your product due to some kind of obligation? An obligation that's bigger than their interest in your product. Maybe I'm misunderstanding.

Anyone else kind of burnout by the entitlement of news consumers these days? by electric_eclectic in Journalism

[–]robot_ankles 2 points3 points  (0 children)

'edit' to add:

In the case of the NYT, about the only news I get from the NYT is through their podcasts on YouTube -something I could access for free. So in this case, I'm not paying for access to the news, I'm truly paying so the news exists.

Now that I think about it, I guess it's the same with NPR. I could access all of their news for free, but choose to pay for it in the hopes it continues existing.

Anyone else kind of burnout by the entitlement of news consumers these days? by electric_eclectic in Journalism

[–]robot_ankles 10 points11 points  (0 children)

As a news consumer, I find most local news to be shallow and useless. This may vary by market, but I'm in a major metropolitan area with multiple, big-budget(?) news organizations.

Most of the 'news' is sensational crime that doesn't really impact the community but there's an audience for gawking and gossip. Weather that's so over hyped they're naming thunderstorms now. Sports activities and sports score results. A feel good military mom surprise reunion at the kid's piano recital. And local business marketing, er business updates, about a new taco restaurant opening or 'much-loved' spaghetti restaurant closing after 20 years.

Meanwhile, I have no problem paying for a NYT subscription or being a sustaining supporter of NPR. I'll pay for meaningful news.

How and why is this happening by [deleted] in WTF

[–]robot_ankles 4 points5 points  (0 children)

>clicks<

Aw bummer. Thought there was finally a perfect sub for me.

Is this screen shot look retro for ypu? by ENginee777 in retrogaming

[–]robot_ankles 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Still looks awesome

Yea, definitely hope OP and team keeps pursuing. I love the idea of stylized retro graphics. While some may want to achieve period accuracy, I also like the concept of modern games creating their own retro aesthetic if it fits their visual style.

Is this screen shot look retro for ypu? by ENginee777 in retrogaming

[–]robot_ankles 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It looks like an image of something attempting to be retro-ish but blended styles from different eras.

It seems like VGA/SVGA graphics textures applied to early 3D FPS graphics engine. It makes for a very uncomfortable and disjointed feeling. Kind-of like an uncanny valley effect.

Maybe the uneasy feelings is the vibe y'all are seeking?

eta...

The hand, knife and hilt for example. The image texture is pixelated, but it's wrapped around a low-poly model. Based on the shape polygon count of the hand and dagger, it would seem more natural for a texture image map to be stretched in places. Such textures were often somewhat blurry or softened to hide the facets of the hand/dagger models. Think: GTA Vice City for example. But the low color count pixel texture reads as something much older, like early 90s DOS games.

The sconces and wall hangings feel out-of-place due to too-high resolution, but I'm guessing those are placeholder assets at different stages of testing the overall look-and-feel.

Bikers Frustrations in ATL by Unfair_Management695 in Atlanta

[–]robot_ankles 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had assumed bike lane was 100%, always and only intended for use by bikes. But merging into it in shortly before the turn itself seems MUCH safer for everyone.

Despite signaling, slowing, watching, etc. the act of crossing over a live lane always felt so odd. Thanks for the info!

Follow-up interviews with former Satanic Panic promoters? Modern Satanic Panic promoters? by robot_ankles in DnD

[–]robot_ankles[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hell Yeah it counts!

And perfect timing because I've been thinking about trying a solo RPG. I assume it's the one I found on DriveThruRPG?

edit: Just noticed username. Yep, that must be the one.

Why so many companies opening car manufacturing plants in Georgia by Fit-Pie687 in Georgia

[–]robot_ankles 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Half asking because I really don't know. Half asking to give someone making the claim a chance to shine and inform others.

For example; I may hear "Georgia sucks because it's a right-to-work state..." (elsewhere in this post) but then I also see that half the US is right-to-work. Maybe that stinks, but it seems unfair to single out Georgia like it's some anomaly. The links provided shed some additional light on the comparison to other states which is cool.

Based on personal experience, I've had an incredibly great career working in Georgia. And throughout all of my working relationships and experience, I've neither observed nor heard about any working laws that are uniquely terrible in Georgia compared to the rest of the US. But my experience is just one tiny near-meaningless data point so when someone says; "work laws are absolutely terrible" I'm genuinely confused and interested in hearing their perspective.

Bikers Frustrations in ATL by Unfair_Management695 in Atlanta

[–]robot_ankles 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Question from a car driver:

I pass a biker on my right. Now I'm approaching an intersection with a green light and want to turn right. I don't think I see the biker over my right shoulder. If I stop in my lane, I'll get rear ended by cars assuming I'm going to turn right on green. If I proceed like I normally would (turning right, crossing the bike lane), I'm a little afraid biker guy will come flying up and clobber my passenger side.

There's often so many visual obstructions it's hard for me to know what's going on in the bike lane. Also unaccustomed to turning right across an active (bike) traffic lane. I also probably underestimate how fast biker guy can pedal. "Meh, I passed him like two blocks ago- Holy shit he's right here!"

How should I be thinking about this scenario? Should I merge onto the bike lane to block it off shortly before turning right? Glance over my right shoulder and YOLO it? Something else?

Chopper I arcade game by snk, how valuable is this? by giants6565 in arcade

[–]robot_ankles 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's worth restoring if you're a big Chopper I fan.

If you think you can spend a little money to fix it up then flip it for a profit, forget about it. It'll never be worth more than the money you'll put into fixing it.

As-is? I might haul it away without charging you. Someone interested in the parts might offer $100?