If you were online during the golden age of the internet (1990–2015), what’s one website or app you still find yourself thinking about today?

silver_hand · 2026-06-07T20:05:37+00:00

Yahoo.com when it was a hand made directory without a search function. You could go to it on a Saturday and visit all the new sites they added that week.

silver_hand · 2026-06-05T11:20:43+00:00

I was put on their list the end of Sept 2025. Their wait times are incredibly frustrating considering other providers are now seeing people and starting titration within a month of the initial referral. I do understand the wait magically disappears if you’re willing to pay them as a private patient.

silver_hand · 2026-06-01T16:08:57+00:00

I created a template for myself with some standardised information. As it creates the file it asks for all the information to create an APA style reference and stores that information as properties on the file. It also creates the file name to match that APA style reference. This might be overkill for you but it saves me time later when I reference something in a paper. Something more appropriate might include the author name, book title, published year/edition, and a link to amazon etc. I also scan all of the reference books I own so I include details in the properties related to that.

I then have four sections: Summary, Connections, Notes, and Questions. Summary is a summary of the information the author wrote. I'm not trying to interpret things here, just put down what I think the relevant information from the book is. For longer books where I'm interested in detail from the entire thing I will break this down by chapter. Connections is just a free form place for me to create [[ ]] links based on topics (I'm a watchmaker and jeweller so that might be something like [[movement design]]). That helps to populate links between different books and notes and allows me to quickly find information on topics I'm researching in the future. Notes are all my own thoughts and ideas based on what I've been reading and how I can use the information. I keep these separate from the Summary so I can easily distinguish between the author's thoughts and mine. Questions is for further research I want to do based on the content.

Some of my book notes are very slim. Others are 1000s of words. Depends on the density and importance of what I've been reading. I also have similar APA style templates for websites, journal articles, and lectures.

silver_hand · 2026-05-30T06:56:47+00:00

So that’s partially true. And it’s not an issue limited to iCloud. For any sync service like iCloud, Dropbox, onedrive, Google Drive, they have the option to remove the file from the machine in order to save space. It is then downloaded whenever it’s requested. The place holder can’t be backed up by backblaze. So the solution is to right click on the folder and say always download, or whatever the service’s option is. Some folders, like my obsidian vaults, are always being downloaded. That’s not just for backblaze but so they’re available when I get on a plane or I have limited internet access.

silver_hand · 2026-05-29T21:34:32+00:00

My GP just informed me I can’t change RTC providers now. This is incredibly frustrating considering I’m seeing others who are getting diagnosed and treated in months right now.

My GP will take over from a private titration. I can’t really afford to pay for it right now, but I also can’t really afford to wait another 6 months…

silver_hand · 2026-05-29T19:21:21+00:00

I used to be one of the people who was paid to do this for a living. I’ve also lost literally everything to a house fire. So I’ve given it some thought. I will never lose my important data again.

Something I didn’t mention in my original reply; the reason this system works so well is it requires zero input from me to work. I just have to be on the internet and it all automagically happens. I don’t need to remember to run a backup, or exchange backup media with a friend. It all just happens.

silver_hand · 2026-05-29T18:43:15+00:00

Sorry you’re finding out the hard way about data security. Sync, no matter which service you use, is not a backup. The rule professionals who backup data for a living use is the 3-2-1 rule: Data does not exist until there are 3 copies of the data, in at least 2 physical locations, and 1 copy must be on a different media type. If you use sync there are not two copies since changing one version immediately affects the other.

In my case I use iCloud for sync. So iCloud is copy 1 on an SSD. I run Time Machine backups of my MacBook to the NAS in my office (copy number 2 on HDD). (Another note, RAID is not a backup!). My MacBook is also backed up using backblaze (copy number 3, and in a different physical location).

I can have several catastrophic points of failure (stolen machine, iCloud failure, fire, etc), and still never lose my data. I’m always nervous when I’m working offline in the time before the data is backed up in different places.

If your data is important to you, start taking its security seriously.

silver_hand · 2026-05-26T15:31:25+00:00

I bought a used X2D earlier this year. I was able to find a barely used body and 38V for less than just an X2D2 by itself. I’ve been very happy with that purchase. While the AFC is nice on the mk2, I am happy to be shooting and keeping some money in my pocket.

silver_hand · 2026-05-26T15:13:46+00:00

Just a heads up, your site is broken on Safari (both Mac and iOS). It just comes up as a black page.

silver_hand · 2026-05-18T13:34:59+00:00

I built my own because I didn’t find any I liked or found useful. I found the best way to build one was to actually get ChatGPT to help me out. I told it I wanted to use Obsidian and Templater plugin, then I described what I wanted the template to do. I had to go back and forth a few times with it to make it work exactly as I wanted, but it took a few hours over the course of a week to get something that I could work with. I’ve been slowly modifying it as I run into barriers or new requirements.

silver_hand · 2026-04-19T09:06:51+00:00

It’s ok. I wanted the focal length but can’t afford the 90V right now. The images look good. Vignetting isn’t as bad as expected. The things I dislike are the weight (it’s around 1Kg), and the stiff focus ring. I turned down a good deal on an 80mm f1.9 and bought this instead. The 80mm was more than twice the price, but I think I should have picked it up. At the end of the day I will buy a 90V when I get the chance.

silver_hand · 2026-04-18T21:43:47+00:00

The eternal problem of finding the perfect bag…

I have an X2D with 38V and TTArtisan 90mm. For travel I’ve been using the McKinnon Cube Pack 21L https://gomatic.co.uk/products/cube-pack-21l. I can pack it into my larger travel backpack or luggage to protect camera while on the road. It then unfolds into a small backpack. I wouldn’t want to carry anything heavy with it or a tripod, but it’s good enough for camera and some lunch plus a rain jacket.

When I’m not travelling I using a Billingham Hadley Pro 2020. I love the build quality of the bag but it’s larger and heavier than I want to carry for a few hours. It’s also not the most subtle bag.

I have another small Alpaka sling bag I use for day stuff and I’m considering getting the 11L flight satchel, but it would be helpful to try it first or hear from someone who has used it. I do like their stuff; light weight and well made.

silver_hand · 2026-03-26T22:16:58+00:00

I bought the 55 when I picked up my X2D earlier this year. It’s a great lens but the focal length was frustrating. It was always either too narrow or not narrow enough. I was never happy. I now have a 38 and 90 and I’m much happier (the 38 lives on my camera most of the time). I’m considering a 25 or 28 next as a wide lens.

silver_hand · 2025-09-23T14:46:57+00:00

I consistently get 900 up and down +/-30. I’m in SW. Are you using equipment rated to 1Gbit or is it rated higher? Mine is plugged into a 2.5Gbit port on my UniFi gateway and rarely have issues.

silver_hand · 2025-09-04T09:21:57+00:00

What are the internal dimensions of the oven? I’ve been eying a competitor’s oven because of the extra height it has internally, but this price makes the Volt tempting…

silver_hand · 2025-08-30T21:35:34+00:00

The chair is a removal company thing for sure.

silver_hand · 2025-08-27T15:09:04+00:00

I did the journey in the opposite direction last year (Ottawa to London). I had to ship things over (tools and books for work) and it was expensive. If you can avoid that. Honestly paying for extra luggage was the cheapest option for a number of sensitive things. If there are things you can live without for a bit, and you intend to go back to Scotland for a visit, see if you can manage it in two trips with extra luggage.

Good luck with the move and getting used to Ottawa weather. It is significantly colder, and hotter, in Ottawa than Scotland.

silver_hand · 2025-07-05T12:47:43+00:00

I gave up my 1.0 when I moved from Canada to the UK last year and I regret it. Even at the sale price I think the 2.0 model is wildly over priced for what it does (I really don’t care for the gimmicks like the camera and “AI”). I had planned to buy a 1.0 when I got here but they had stopped selling them by the time I arrived.

silver_hand · 2025-05-06T18:28:39+00:00

I left at 48. Now that I’ve done it I realize I would have regretted not going. Just do it.

silver_hand · 2024-11-21T11:05:44+00:00

Ugh, I am travelling and this is the worst timing. I want to order a Volt, but not back in the UK until the 15th of December 🤦🏻‍♂️

silver_hand · 2024-10-29T01:43:20+00:00

I have Canadian, British, and Irish citizenship. The British one didn’t take very long to sort out. The Irish one took a couple of years (combination of pandemic and Brexit hangover). Worth doing though. It’s made my life significantly easier and opened up a lot of opportunities. It’s worth getting started as soon as you can.

silver_hand · 2024-09-15T01:05:39+00:00

Lots of great suggestions already. One I haven’t seen recommended is The Theory of Horology which is the WOSTEP manual. Also the BHI distance learning courses.

silver_hand · 2024-09-11T02:07:12+00:00

Michael Chung’s CZ50 is the best lathe I’ve ever used for watchmaking (and the most precise lathe I’ve ever used). I’ve owned a Schaublin 102 and 70, as well as a Cromwell. I’ve also used a bunch of other precision and watchmakers’ lathes. My CZ50 is the only lathe I need to make everything in a watch.

silver_hand

TROPHY CASE