A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted
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@JBert said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@acrow said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@DCoder Ah. Products break down. LAptops with bulging batteries.
OK, that's on another level. Overpriced, shiny, fancy and false claims is normal in that market. Breaking too soon is... not.Razer is famous for being the shittiest polished-turd brand. Another frequent thing is that the scroll wheel on their mice breaks after 6 months under normal use.
And if that doesn’t happen (it didn’t for me), after one or two years the mouse will stop connecting (has happened twice).
Yeah, Razor is crap.
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@JBert
I mean, I use Razer peripherals (the Black Widow keyboard and the Orbweaver programmable keypad) for my gaming computer, including FF14 raiding, and I've had no complaints about the keyboard. The first Orbweaver I had made it about 6 months before the glue on the palm wrest came loose (at an average of 30-40 hours per week utilization), which I would classify as not desirable... I'm only about 1 month into the 2nd one at this point, so I can't speak as to whether it's poor quality in general or whether I got an exceptionally bad one.
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@izzion said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
FF14
And I thought I used an outdated version of Firefox...
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@Lorne-Kates The next area of FF14 will be the WTDWTF bikeshed, where you can grind reputation with the local denizens to reach the esteemed rank of Trust Level 3 for access to the Lounge, in which you can obtain the needed items to venture deep into the highly dangerous Trolleybus Garage raid and vanquish the foes within.
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@Atazhaia said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
venture deep into the highly dangerous Trolleybus Garage raid and vanquish the foes within
It's dangerous to go alone. Take this. [hands over flamethrower]
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@dkf said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
[hands over flamethrower]
looks at branding THE BORING COMPANY
Oh great ... this is going to help.
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@acrow "Gaming" items in general are overpriced, and Razer doesn't make anything else.
I was given one of their light-up mice with 12 buttons on the side. It functions properly, but I was never able to get comfortable using it so it sits in my bag of old controllers.
Meanwhile, my Logitech MX518's still trucking along after 10+ years. The glide pads on the bottom are starting to fray, so I might want to buy some new ones soon.
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@Luhmann said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@dkf said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
[hands over flamethrower]
sprays frantically
FTFY
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@Parody I am using Corsair inputs right now. I went for their FPS gaming mouse. Not because I play a lot of FPS, but because I din't want a mouse that's all buttons like the more advanced (and especially MMO mice). Also, a mechanical gaming keyboard without both RGB and gaming keys, just the normal full-sized layout. Although I am a bit suspicious about the keyboard, as it has given me electrical shocks...
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@Atazhaia I use an IBM Model M. 31 years and still clicking!
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@Parody I have an IBM mechanical keyboard from the first computer we had in the family. Not an Model M, though. With most gaming computers including a PS/2 port I could use it if I want.
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@Atazhaia Once upon a time I bought a motherboard without legacy ports, so I ended up also buying a fancy PS/2 to USB port adapter that works with my keyboard. (Not all of them do.) The motherboard in this computer has PS/2 ports again, though, so that adapter joined the Razer mouse in the bag of unused wires and such.
Since I've been typing on this keyboard for years (and on Commodore 64 and 128 keyboards before that, which also needed quite a bit of force) I have no troubles playing games with it. Today's mechanical keyboards offer some nifty customization, though, both physically and through software. The lack of a Windows key was initially a blessing as I never had to worry about accidentally hitting it and crashing a game back when that was very common. Now Microsoft's been loading up on features only accessible with the Windows key and I have to use one of the virtual keyboards to test with them. Ah, well.
I still don't get the light-up keyboards or mice though.
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@Parody My IBM keyboard is modern enough (Windows 95 era) that it does have a Windows key, for good and bad. But my Corsair gaming keyboard does have a hardware key for disabling the Windows key if I want, to prevent accidental poking in games.
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The other month when I was mucking around with an old box I used a Model M lying aorund because it was available and the box had PS/2 ports. clack clack clack clack clack
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@kazitor Never miss typing a key again! :)
Mine lives in my home office/gaming room which is rarely visited by anyone else, so noise of any kind isn't much of an issue. Modern keyswitches give you plenty of options there, of course.
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@Parody said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@Atazhaia I use an IBM Model M. 31 years and still clicking!
We had some old machines with those on. I disliked them myself because the key action was ridiculously firm. And they were too heavy to hold and use.
I did regret skipping them later though, when I found out you could sell them on eBay for good money.
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@Cursorkeys said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@Parody said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@Atazhaia I use an IBM Model M. 31 years and still clicking!
We had some old machines with those on. I can't see how anyone would voluntarily use them, the noise is a secondary problem to the key action being ridiculously firm.
I did regret skipping them later though, when I found out you could sell them on eBay for good money.
I learned typing on a mechanical type-writer, so I type very hard. I really don't register a significant difference in firmness between a laptop keyboard and a physical one. The difference in feedback is immense though, and I very much prefer the distinct feel of a mechanical keyboard to the sloppy feel of regular keyboards.
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@Parody said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
"Gaming" items in general are overpriced
Not to mention ludicrously colorful. RGB lighting can go suck a fat one.
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@pie_flavor I like my older pre-lighting rig for that reason. Only the GPU got RGB lighting, so I can see a faint red glow. My newer computer got a frag harder disco lights MB which tries it best to be flashy, but the case don't have any windows. Bit hard to avoid if you want good modern hardware, though. Maybe I should do a compromise and keep it at a faint static glow (or just disable it outright).
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@Carnage said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@Cursorkeys said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@Parody said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@Atazhaia I use an IBM Model M. 31 years and still clicking!
We had some old machines with those on. I can't see how anyone would voluntarily use them, the noise is a secondary problem to the key action being ridiculously firm.
I did regret skipping them later though, when I found out you could sell them on eBay for good money.
I learned typing on a mechanical type-writer, so I type very hard. I really don't register a significant difference in firmness between a laptop keyboard and a physical one. The difference in feedback is immense though, and I very much prefer the distinct feel of a mechanical keyboard to the sloppy feel of regular keyboards.
Interesting, I much prefer rubber dome over mechanical (tried a Corsair K70 for gaming too). I guess it's what you're used to.
@pie_flavor said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
Not to mention ludicrously colorful. RGB lighting can go suck a fat one.
My RAM has RGB lighting, while hilarious I'm not sure why. I can see it though the vents sometimes, glowing away to itself.
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@Cursorkeys said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
My RAM has RGB lighting
Everything that's wrong with this world, Exhibit A.
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@Cursorkeys You're , you're supposed to have a fully transparent case so you can show off your bits to the world, glowing in all the colors of the rainbow!
While I could get a transparent case I dunno how much use it would be, as I've put it between the desk and the TV, making it obscured from all sides.
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@ixvedeusi said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@Cursorkeys said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
My RAM has RGB lighting
Everything that's wrong with this world, Exhibit A.
You know what's worse?
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@Cursorkeys said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@Carnage said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@Cursorkeys said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@Parody said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@Atazhaia I use an IBM Model M. 31 years and still clicking!
We had some old machines with those on. I can't see how anyone would voluntarily use them, the noise is a secondary problem to the key action being ridiculously firm.
I did regret skipping them later though, when I found out you could sell them on eBay for good money.
I learned typing on a mechanical type-writer, so I type very hard. I really don't register a significant difference in firmness between a laptop keyboard and a physical one. The difference in feedback is immense though, and I very much prefer the distinct feel of a mechanical keyboard to the sloppy feel of regular keyboards.
Interesting, I much prefer rubber dome over mechanical (tried a Corsair K70 for gaming too). I guess it's what you're used to.
Exactly. When new work computers started coming with the laptop-style low-throw thin keyboards I kept my old keyboard with full depth keys. They're rubber domes, but they mostly feel OK.
@pie_flavor said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
Not to mention ludicrously colorful. RGB lighting can go suck a fat one.
My RAM has RGB lighting, while hilarious I'm not sure why. I can see it though the vents sometimes, glowing away to itself.
Yeah, I don't get that either. This case came with a side panel with a combination window/vent and one exhaust fan that glows red, but nothing else in there lights up. It sits in its little cubby underneath the desk, red light guiding the dust bunnies to the back wall.
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@Atazhaia
You see, it’s important to ensure that your Bitcon mines are a safe work environment. You need proper lighting to ensure that all of your Bitcons can be safely extracted and moved to your wallet, without the little midgets that power your GPU hashers getting injured. And if you don’t have enough memory modules in the system, you need those spacers to ensure you have OHSA approved lighting levels for your mines.
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@Cursorkeys said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
Interesting, I much prefer rubber dome over mechanical (tried a Corsair K70 for gaming too). I guess it's what you're used to.
Me too.
I have a Corsair K30 because when I needed a new keyboard from an actual shop it was otherwise the best but would have preferred it to be non-mechanical.
My Corsair Sabre mouse is the RGB version and it does sort of make me want to get an RGB keyboard too, even if it's completely useless functionality.
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@izzion What about a digital canary to warn us if there's dangerous levels of bit gas?
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@hungrier said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@izzion What about a digital canary to warn us if there's dangerous levels of bit gas?
Does it take several hours to confirm the danger?
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@Cursorkeys said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
My RAM has RGB lighting
Last time I bought a computer case, I told the salesman "and I don't want my case to look like a jacked-up Civic with neon lights under it"
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@TimeBandit When I built my current PC, I bought the cheapest "black rectangle" case available. Even with that, the stock front fan had blue LEDs which glowed through the front grille. It was a simple fix though; I just exchanged it with the rear exhaust fan that didn't have any lights.
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@hungrier said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
the stock front fan had blue LEDs
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@Parody said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@Atazhaia I use an IBM Model M. 31 years and still clicking!
Q: How do you know someone uses an IBM Model M?
A: Don't {CLICK} worry {CLICK} they'll {CLICK} tell {CLICK} you {CLICK}.
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@TimeBandit said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@hungrier said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
the stock front fan had blue LEDs
Or possibly:
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@Atazhaia said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
glowing in
all the colors of the rainbowa very very specific and exact shade of each color in the rainbow!
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@TimeBandit said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@dcon said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
Or possibly:
Or plan C:
Final solution:
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@Lorne-Kates said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@Atazhaia said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
glowing in
all the colors of the rainbowa very very specific and exactan accurate and nice shade of each color in the rainbow!
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@Lorne-Kates I was wondering when you'd post that again. :)
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@hungrier said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@izzion What about a digital canary to warn us if there's dangerous levels of bit gas?
That depends on what I had to eat. If it's dangerous, no canary required.
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@hungrier What was your first component with extra lights?
I think mine was a PSU. Shone a bright blue to the wall behind the tower, under the desk. Confused the hell out of me though, as I didn't know that it had lights when I ordered it.
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@hungrier said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@izzion What about a digital canary to warn us if there's dangerous levels of bit gas?
Those go at the end of buffers to warn you of dangerous levels of horse's name.
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@acrow
Cherenkov radiation, obviously.
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Have you ever felt like your degree was worthless?
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@hungrier said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
Have you ever felt like your degree was worthless?
Oh dear, people will start off with a PhD and six months later it'll be down to an A-Level.
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@TimeBandit said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@boomzilla said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
Final solution:
A.K.A. Plan D
That's not the final solution. After Plan D comes Plan E () and Plan N.
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@Cursorkeys said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@hungrier said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
Have you ever felt like your degree was worthless?
Oh dear, people will start off with a PhD and six months later it'll be down to an A-Level.
What happens when they fork?
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@dcon said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@Cursorkeys said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
@hungrier said in A fool and his not-really-money are soon parted:
Have you ever felt like your degree was worthless?
Oh dear, people will start off with a PhD and six months later it'll be down to an A-Level.
What happens when they fork?
Your PhD in astrophysics splits into two degrees in lesbian dance theory and underwater basket weaving..
EDIT: keep the punctuation error, I’m giving up on fixing this on mobile.
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The executives are alleged to have made fraudulent transactions between September to December of last year, using a fake corporate account to make bogus orders worth 254 trillion won (or $226.2 billion) to inflate trading volume figures and attract more customers to the exchange.
They are also accused of selling 11,550 bitcoins to customers to reap 150 billion won (or $133.8 million) through rigged transactions.
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When you create JavaScript and you're not satisfied with just one clusterfuck…
There's a free and open-source web browser called Brave, where Eich is one of the founders. It's basically "we took Chromium and ripped out the evil Googly bits". It comes with a built-in ad blocker and tries to promote alternative ways to pay for content in a typical fragile fashion.
Step 1: they have a Basic Attention Token, an Ethereum-based shitcoin frankensteined into a decentralized ad platform:
- Advertisers purchase advertising space on the platform with BAT tokens;
- Publishers receive user contributions and advertising revenue in the form of BAT tokens;
- Users will be paid in BAT for viewing ads in a future update.
Basically, instead of watching ads on the websites you visit, you watch ads right in your browser. The websites don't track you and advertisers can't build a profile of you from the sites you visit. Sounds like a good idea, if only it weren't connected to a shitcoin.
Step 2: the content creators are encouraged to sign up to their platform, and then when you visit certain websites/pages where the browser recognizes the content creator, you get a nag screen to donate to them. It looks like this:
Source: @ummjackson
Step 3: the nag screen is shown even for creators that haven't signed up. In fact, Tom Scott from the above screenshot hasn't signed up! But they're collecting donations for Tom anyway. Oh, but since he hasn't signed up, the "donations" made to him will instead be used to attract new users to the Brave collective.
Full thread from Tom Scott (I don't know who that is, I just saw the thread on my Twitter feed multiple times):
I don't ask for donations or crowdfunding on any platform. If that ever changes, it'll be incredibly obvious. If someone's asking you for money or suggesting that you can donate to me, it's not true and you should stay well clear.
This warning is prompted by a company called Brave, who've been taking cryptocurrency donations "for me", using my name and photo, without my consent. I asked them not to, and to refund anyone who's donated; they said "we'll see what we can do" and that "refunds are impossible".
So if you thought you'd donated to me through Brave, the money (or their pseudo-money) will not reach me, and Brave's terms say they may choose to just keep it themselves. It looks like they're 'providing this service' for every creator on every platform. No opt-in, no consent.
I did ask Brave how keeping profiles on untold numbers of people and assigning donations to them without consent complied with GDPR, at which point the person talking to me stopped replying to emails.
There have been hundreds of replies to my thread about Brave overnight. Here's a summary as I understand it:
Brave believes opting every creator into their system, and holding donations without consent, is ethical and in line with privacy laws. They also claim that a domain name or YouTube channel URL is not personally identifiable information. I disagree strongly with both of those.
I cannot see how 'a YouTube URL is not personally identifiable information' is compatible with the CEO's statement that 'Tom has $33 waiting for him'. Under GDPR, that's clearly information (and money!) they're holding that is connected to me.
Brave is changing their UI to make their policies clearer, and considering providing an opt-out. That's good, but they still take and hold donations on creators' behalf without consent by default, and I think that's wrong.
A lot of people got caught up on photo copyright, which wasn't the issue: it's about "passing off", claiming you represent someone when you don't.
Finally, I've sent Brave a formal right-to-be-forgotten request requiring that any profile they've built, and any records of donations tagged to me (via domain name, or YouTube channel, etc), are deleted. They have acknowledged it, and have a month to reply under GDPR.
Source: @tomscott
In the replies we have some arguments from Brendan Eich:
We do not keep it for ourselves; we put it back in the user growth pool that funds user grants & creator referral awards.
Tom has a point, we should let creators say "no thanks" and be auto-excluded. Users may already auto-exclude unverified sites/channels. We will work on this.
I realize some don’t like it, agree we should respect their wishes. But the ability to paypal or western union or otherwise send to people without their consent exists and is not illegal or unethical. Nominative fair use of public data also legal.
And responses from shitcoin analysts and Tom Scott himself:
There have been multiple schemes of this sort in the crypto world, e.g. soliciting crypto tips to github contributors without their permission.
Every one's been shut down as donation fraud.
Because it's donation fraud.
There's a big, big difference between "sending someone money" and "setting up a donation page for untold numbers of people without their knowledge and keeping the money if they don't claim it". This should be 100% opt-in, not opt-out.