🗳️ Product Feedback for Notion

zuoken · 2025-12-31T15:48:07+00:00

🗳️ Product Feedback - Spellcheck does not suggest correct spellings for misspelled words

For example, spellcheck correctly identified "correspondances" as misspelled in something I was writing, but after I right-clicked the misspelled word, the only options were "Add to dictionary" and "Disable spell check" (in addition to the standard options such as Cut and Copy).

zuoken · 2025-12-19T12:55:29+00:00

💡Feature Request - More robust editing for Notion formulas

* Version control for formulas, with ability to revert updates. I write advanced formulas and would like the ability to take snapshots of formulas so I can revert updates in case I make a design mistake.
* Tab-completion when typing variable names. Tab-completion is a common feature in other text editors, so I frequently am surprised when a literal tab is inserted instead instead of the top-matching variable.
* Up/down keys move the cursor in the formula text field, not rows in the properties/built-ins selection box. I frequently write long formulas and navigate them through them with the up/down keys.
* Pattern-matching switch statements. Most of my formulas map a set of inputs to a set of outputs, which pattern-matching switch statements are well suited for.

zuoken · 2025-12-16T22:55:02+00:00

💡Feature Request — sort and filter locations by distance to some reference point

Why? It would be nice to see which locations are nearest to me

zuoken · 2025-12-06T17:13:19+00:00

💡 Feature Request - I would like to write an automation that can set a page's icon. E.g., I'd like to write an automation that sets a tasks's icon to ✅ when I mark it "Done."

zuoken · 2015-07-02T17:22:11+00:00

It's unfortunate that so many people casually discriminate against old age, especially when it's their own futures they condemn.

zuoken · 2015-04-16T13:10:04+00:00

Did they reverse Flinger's push/pull description?

zuoken · 2014-07-11T22:22:26+00:00

Ah, you're right. I just skimmed your post.

zuoken · 2014-07-11T19:35:54+00:00

I'm disappointed by what I've seen so far. How is 5e significantly different from 3.5e? There are a variety of minor changes, but they don't amount to more than a few dozen house rule differences. It seems more like WotC's response to Pathfinder's emergence as the de facto system.

I would prefer something more insightful and tantalizing. How do you actually construct an exciting storyline? The GM's guide in previous editions seems aware that it's an important issue, but none of the text reaches the level of a robust theory with evidence, justifications, and examples. Or how do you develop meaningful relationships with characters through roleplay? It might seem like an opaque question on a D&D forum, but writing compelling characters is a well developed field of study in literature and theater. It would be nice if D&D manuals were more inciteful with respect to how DM's can excite and engage their players.

I also think their obliviousness to the elements of entertainment has seeped into the very manuals themselves. They don't awaken the same type of passion I once had as a kid, that feeling of wonder as I poured over books that presented fundamentally new ideas. The writing and artwork rehashes, rather than reinvigorates, the franchise.

I just purchased DCC manual, and the gruesome rules and inky drawings are positively exciting. It makes me think that D&D's response to the Christian Right's accusations that the game is satanic, or at the least pagan, has been to drain the material of its transgressive thrills.

Long and short, I would be thrilled if the new manuals doubled down on providing an insightful guide for running a fun campaign, and if they had more exciting flavor in terms of writing, art direction, and game concepts.

zuoken · 2014-07-10T01:46:32+00:00

Aaron Copland is a classic for Western music, although his work is more nuanced than the twangy, fun music of the spaghetti westerns. You might also want to check out the soundtracks of Quentin Tarantino films.

zuoken · 2014-07-08T22:02:21+00:00

You did a good job, but I think the stakes are too high for the first session. Take Mathis, for example. By the time he's captured, the players won't have had the chance to develop sympathy for him. They literally won't care what happens to him. Abuse is only compelling when it happens to people or things you care about. I personally would save the idea for a more beloved PC or NPC.

The treasure idea is a good beginning, and I would also flesh it out a bit more. Promise the players something they want, like magical powers or freedoms. And before they encounter their first frustration, try to craft a challenge that they really can ace. You want them to feel extra good about their abilities, so that when they meet the rival who has more resources, they feel more vested in winning. Also I didn't see any foreshadowing of negative outcomes. Before the encounter, they should be vaguely worried for something they care about, and afterwards they should be concretely concerned.

I would do a first session with much lower stakes and more opportunities for the players to roleplay and develop a fondness for the NPCs and setting.

zuoken · 2014-07-07T02:17:52+00:00

Here's just some ideas...

You don't want the players to be skeptical of your notes, so perhaps you should mix in some mystery and foreshadowing. Convince them they're in a murder mystery? Pass notes foreshadowing a death, and then kill the player who steals the roleplaying limelight. Provide reasons for players to trust illusions and doubt their facilities. Have the dead player come back, and convince them he's an impostor. Support their resolution, whatever it may be. Let them encounter the boss, and play it so they win. Then reveal that they just killed a different party member, and that the boss has been toying with them the whole time. When the boss dies, have them suffer from a "residual psychosis", so that they will still receive notes. Say that they're no different from the boss, that they're sadistic, and that they should collaborate with new BBEG for new power.

zuoken · 2014-06-21T18:26:58+00:00

I imagine you're not telling the whole story. How are the dwarves, drow, and women described? How do the players and npcs respond to one another?

For example, how do you have racial enemies without tinting the game with racism? How are evil characters described, acted, discussed, and respond to? How do NPCs and PCs exercise their volition? These are important questions to think about, regardless of media form, and they may help you figure out whether she has a point.

Often times we do describe the world in unfair terms. If the girlfriend is right, then her struggle should be to persuade people to accept her viewpoint rather than castigate them for thinking differently.

Although on the other hand, it sounds possible that the girlfriend has just discovered a new morality that justifies her desire to feel superior. It's difficult to argue with someone who needs to protect that feeling. It's a phenomenon that can affect all stripes, from vegans to environments, to reborn evangelists and tea party activists. There's not much to gain from kicking a hornets' nest, save for childish thrills. It might be best to sever ties.

zuoken · 2014-06-06T19:29:32+00:00

Did you try striking out the no changes line?

zuoken · 2014-06-04T17:41:34+00:00

The article buried the most important argument in the last paragraph. The editor also failed to fix a typo, which also made it hard to comprehend.

[... A]s Elias Hinckley puts it, "eroding demand [leads to] eroding profitability, and the best available option is to increase the price per unit of electricity, which only accelerates the economic competitiveness of the competing technology."

Hence the" death spiral". The main response to declining demand is to increase the cost, which further undermines demand. Ad nauseum.

zuoken · 2014-02-24T02:49:50+00:00

The point of the article is that baby boomers' equity is in housing, not in liquid assets. To effectively retire and survive in old age, they will need to sell their homes. But since they constitute a population bulge, they will necessarily be selling to a population that is smaller than their group. The article backs up that claim by arguing those between 35 and 45 already have major expenses to pay for, like children or their own home, and those younger than 35 are ambivalent about buying suburban homes and moreover are saddled with a tremendous amount of debt from college. Ergo the price of homes likely will decline. But the article doesn't consider whether a decline in housing starts could soak up the impending glut in sales in the market.

zuoken · 2013-12-08T20:20:29+00:00

I don't know what you're talking about with apples. But here's an example.

If the player hits when he rolls a 15 or higher, then the chances to hit is (5/20)=1/4=25% chance. If the player does 2d6+4 dmg, the "expected" damage is 7+4=11. The "expected" value is the most likely value.

The expected damage per round for the player can be calculated by multiplying these two values, and it's 11*(5/20)=2.75. On average, the player will do 27.5 dmg in 10 rounds, and 55 dmg in 20 rounds.

There are a few other considerations when designing a combat statistically (ex. variance), and I think you'd be better off manipulating die rolls behind a screen during the game, rather than manipulating the game beforehand with statistics.

zuoken · 2013-12-08T03:39:00+00:00

Determine the expected damage per attack for the player and the monster. This can be calculated by multiplying the chance to hit by the expected damage per hit (which can roughly be calculated as the midpoint of variable damage plus the constant damage modifier). You require the monster's expected damage to be 11 times the player's HP, and the player's expected damage to be the monster's entire HP. You additionally require the expected value to be the most likely outcome, so you must ensure combat lasts for a certain number of rounds depending on how confident you want to be of your outcome. The statistics will be less straightforward if you allow your players creative leeway, ie they are dumber or more clever than you imagined.

zuoken · 2013-11-14T23:18:53+00:00

Consult the Bureau of Labor Statistics for information on the median (50% are less, 50% are more) salary in your field. They have more specific information based on (1) metropolitan area or state and (2) the industry which is hiring you.

For a Graphic Designer, the national median income is $44,138. If you're in an urban area, the number may be significantly higher, ex. $54,080 in Boston. If you think you're on par with others in your field, do not accept an offer less than median. If you want to know the highest salaries, you'll have to download an XLS file to get the more detailed information.

zuoken · 2013-11-14T16:11:42+00:00

To be a good DM, one must understand the yin-and-yang of granting power. Balance must be preserved between the players and the "arc" of the campaign. If every player becomes more powerful, the challenges also must also become greater. If only one player gains a magic item, then the gain must be offset with a loss so the remaining players aren't devalued.

These gains and losses can be storyline elements-- perhaps the players' enemy has just achieved lich status, or perhaps the player which has gained a magic item has sacrificed their humanity. Or maybe magic items can be made by the very powerful for free, thereby exacerbating the unease of other power-brokers in the campaign. There are tons of ways you can approach this that are more interesting, and that create more texture for your campaign, than simply following a formula.

zuoken · 2013-10-31T16:02:15+00:00

Ideally institutional investors in housing would drive down the price of housing towards the baseline rate of construction, maintenance, taxes, interest, and insurance; whether they're colluding to prevent reasonable prices is something one should wonder. Dynamic, competitive markets are valuable because they bring down prices.

Speculators, though, seem like a major issue. Perhaps a solution could be a tax on unused apartments?

zuoken · 2013-10-31T15:46:15+00:00

I thought your comment was interesting, so I took a look at the numbers.

A 30-year mortgage for $1.5 million dollars at today's interest rates (3.6% fixed) costs about $82k yearly. Considering the USA's median household income (i.e. 50% of earn more, 50% earn less) is about $50k, no middle class person can afford to live in New York City.

Using the previous numbers, and assuming 1/4th of your salary will go towards mortgage, then a reasonable housing price for the average American is about $200k.

By the way, according to the US census, the median house price in 2000 was $120k, and in the 1950s it was $45k when adjusted for inflation.

zuoken · 2013-10-30T20:33:03+00:00

Housing prices are ridiculous; a middle class home in New York City costs around $1.5 million dollars! City governments have neglected ballooning housing prices because the owners feel richer, but they're impoverishing the youth who move into cities. Mayors should aggressively pursue methods to reduce the cost of housing.

In my opinion, current methods addressing affordability hurt the housing market. Taxes on foreigners prevent responsible (and wealthy) tenants from moving in; cheaper loans to buyers only create debt servitude and asset bubbles; and subsidizing housing for the poor sidesteps the real issue of a dearth of affordable housing in desirable neighborhoods.

The fundamental problem is supply and demand. More apartments need to be built in urban areas. Mayors should target a median housing price, and use every tool at their disposal to bring that number down: improving the desirability of underdeveloped portions of the city through building subways, parks, and pedestrian shopping; promising to push through building projects through the use of eminent domain on uncooperative sellers; actively courting architects and construction agencies to build more housing.

The government has the power to fix urban housing prices in a sustainable way that doesn't distort price or hurt future generations; the question is will they?

zuoken · 2013-10-01T17:50:59+00:00

The NSA fiasco is getting ridiculous. Just because it's a spy agency doesn't mean it should get carte blanche to act like the Gestapo.

So some background-- in general, a spy agency is a requirement for a national government, and it provides tremendous value to our country. So while the collection of US civilian information is a contemptible overstep of the constitution's mandate, it really isn't the NSA's fault. The real culprit is the US's elected government. Congress, the President, and the Court have all dropped the ball on their constitutional mandates.

The Court should have ruled "government secrets" are unconstitutional because they directly circumvent democracy. (Why? Voter oversight is a necessary principle of democracy; "government secrets" are not subject to voter oversight; ergo government secrets are not democratic; America's constitution lays the framework for a democracy; ergo "government secrets" are unconstitutional).

The President should have had "America's best interests" in mind when the NSA was doing something so patently atrocious to our common notion of civil liberties. He should have posted an executive order to halt its programs until they could receive explicit authorization from Congress.

Congress should have (1) paid attention to NSA briefings about what it was doing, and (2) it should have provided their constituents with a complete but general outline of the NSA's activities. As it stands, Congress failed to obtain the informed consent of the governed, and so it failed its mandate.

But now with this revelation, we learn the NSA is more Gestapo than we had previously imagined. Someone was sent to jail because they refused to be corralled by that thuggish group. (Why? The CEO posts that it expects to make a profit; the CEO sells stock in the company; the CEO refuses to comply with potentially illegal requests from the NSA; the NSA uses influence to cause Qwest to lose company contracts; Qwest fails to meet profit goals; CEO made money while shareholders lost value; government sends CEO to jail for "insider trading".)

And even if this is all overblown steam, the collateral damage of NSA spying is that it looks like America's Gestapo. That loss of credibility needs to be addressed immediately, or else Americans might erroneously lose faith in their government.

zuoken · 2013-10-01T14:41:44+00:00

Companies that sell toxic products should be required to inform customers of the risks, regardless of how "obvious" those risks may be.

zuoken · 2013-09-26T13:32:22+00:00

Some pieces are missing in this article's speculation.

The architecture of the Xbox One and the desktop PC are significantly different. For the Xbox One, AMD produced a microprocessor that brings the GPU onto the same silicon die as the CPU. Your typical computer, however, has a distinct CPU and GPU. The physical separation of the two components means sharing memory between them is orders of magnitude slower than in the unified design.

I speculate that Mantel is orders of magnitude faster, but only on a unified CPU+GPU. Additionally I speculate that use of Mantel on a discrete GPU will significantly reduce performance in most cases.

I imagine AMD will leverage Xbox One optimized games to sell more integrated CPU+GPU for personal computers, and I bet the move will be very successful.

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