Brewchin

The @FediTips@social.growyourown.services account created a site specifically to help people decide on a Mastodon server based on their needs and wants:

https://fedi.garden/

They’re also an account worth following.

I’d forgotten about that. How dumb. 🤦🏻‍♂️

The 80s, I think, thanks to AutoDesk. AutoCAD required their DB9 serial dongle (in-line with the mouse) for the software to function.

As you say, well before DRM was the default for everything. I thought they were an awful company for it, but little did I know how things would pan out due to the DMCA… 😒

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It’s true that people on the internet can be dicks. Even more so technical people (and that’s not limited to online: those online dicks are usually IRL dicks when taking technical stuff). But that’s a hurdle, not a barrier.

There’s little anyone here can do to help OP, as they (if I understand it correctly) have already irreparably nuked their hardware. The current problem is significantly different and harder than the original problem. Asking randos on this community is unlikely to yield results. Hence the focus on variations of “Now… what did we learn? 🤨”

I’m not trying to help, as I’m not familiar enough with SAS nor the current problem. The same is likely true of others here.

Can you really blame anyone who turns to AI, because that garbage at least sounds like it tries to help you?

A comfortable lie is still a lie. Everything that comes out of an LLM is a lie until proven otherwise. (“Lie” is a bit misleading, though, as they don’t have agency or intent: they’re a variation of your phone keyboard’s next-word text prediction algorithm. With added flattery and confidence.)

There’s a reason experienced people stress hard to others about not using them as shortcuts to your own knowledge. This is the outcome.

Another way to look at it is “trust, but verify”. If you’re intent on relying on probabilistic text as an answer, instead of bothering to learn, then take what it’s given you and verify what that does before doing it. You could learn to be an effective sloperator with just that common sense.

But if you’re going to give an LLM root/admin access to a production environment, then expect to be laughed at, because you had plenty of opportunities to not destroy something and actively chose not to use them.

The same Anna’s Archive that allows free anonymous downloads that are throttled to the speed of a 1990-era modem unless you pay?

Yes, I’m sure preservation and social good is their goal. Definitely not about making money.

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Remember when everyone used to say that competition breeds innovation? 😖

Turns out that’s nowhere near as shareholder-friendlyprofitable as consolidation, monopoly and micro-iteration.

Looking forward to all public US companies being a subsidiary of the Amazon-Walmart-Disney mega-conglomerate in 20 years or so…

I certainly see the appeal of being able to make it avoid certain areas. Sounds better than arranging furniture or using those little battery-powered outposts to repel the Roomba (can’t remember what they’re called).

But, for me, I don’t see that outweighing the risks of cloud dependencies (and the inevitable expiration date).

Even assuming a solid internet connection, reliable cloud service and perfect software updates, you may still only get a year or two out of it before they decide to yank it or make it a subscription service. The last decade or so of shitty manufacturer behaviour has permanently jaded me, I think… 😅

Interesting to hear the feedback, thanks.

I’ve had a dumb Roomba (560? 650?) for years. The worst they can do is stop making replacement batteries and brushes available, and there’s plenty of third-party alternatives.

Who buys a smart device when a dumb one is available and does the job just as well. 🤷‍♂️

Aha! Thank you.

Perfect answer. No notes.

The words are from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, but aren’t the images stills from The Neverending Story?

Is this one of those ‘“Use the Force, Luke” -Gandalf, with an image of Harry Potter’ type memes?

Or am I going mad? 😄

Saw the YT video for this a while back (~15 mins) and thought it mostly a nostalgic throwback to the stuff we saw or hoped for in the 80s and 90s. If “how can we charge rent for this?” hadn’t come along and destroyed innovation, anyway.

It seems more like a proof of concept, as it just fills soapy water up past the seal line, shows progress and wildlife scenes on screen (which will definitely be used to advertise at you eventually), sprays your face and other bits above the water line, drains, and then blow dries you. You’d still need to scrub, and wash your back, butt, etc.

I was kind of hoping for one of those sonic/pulsing water/jet-wash/scrubbing shower things you see in SF. This isn’t it.

But it is great that some companies are still innovating. It’s been a while.

You can still use tailscale and reverse proxy to allow remote streaming

I used to use Plex and when I discovered there was paid remote streaming function - that goes through their servers - my reactions were “Haha, no”* and checking whether my existing WireGuard setup would do it instead.

Whaddya know, remote streaming using Plex and PlexAmp at no cost.

*Not because I begrudge them recouping costs, but because it’s designed that way to justify charging for it, gives them whatever information they want from my viewing, and it’s not self-hosting if there’s any third party cloud/account component to it.

No leaning forward in the heat of the moment… 😄

Good lord, I had one of these. By SoundBlaster, IIRC (May still have it in a box somewhere).

For the confused younger folk: They were a neat idea on paper, but awful in practice. Being all rigid plastic without padding on the base, they excelled at transmitting every bump/vibration of the desk, keyboard taps and (roller ball) mouse movement. 😬

Before headsets with mics or decent noise cancellation were a thing, and before online gaming was much of a thing, so most gamers had powered speakers on their desks. Which the mic was also great at picking up…

I agree, and do regret the harshness of my initial response.

I thought about editing or removing the response, but we did have some follow up in the thread (where I qualified some of my reasons), so I thought it better to leave me being a dick to a stranger untouched in that whole context. It opens up further discussion from others and serves to remind me to take a breath to consider why others post idealistic, well meaning content.

Not everyone’s had their idealism battered out of them by greedy companies and stupid managers yet. 😅