The_Stone (u/The_Stone)

The_Stone commented on How did DOGE disrupt so much while saving so little? nytimes.com/2025/12/23/us... · Posted by u/JumpCrisscross

thisisit · 3 months ago

I like how in today’s world and especially when it comes to Musk things cannot be as simple as incompetence. It has to be some 4D chess move. Like a reverse Hanlon’s razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which might be/maybe/perhaps explained by 4D chess move. It’s like 4chan leaking all over the Internet. And Musk can keep his genius legacy alive.

The_Stone · 3 months ago

is it really 4D chess to imagine that a man under investigation by the federal government would desire to benefit from being given express permission to reduce force and efficacy of agencies directly threatening him?

I don't think Musk having bad faith intent shows him to be intelligent, more just greedy and selfish, but I think it's actually more irresponsible to believe that he had absolutely no idea what he was doing

The_Stone commented on Most gamers prefer single-player games midiaresearch.com/blog/mo... · Posted by u/omnibrain

olliej · a year ago

My feeling is that there are basically three reasons for the focus on multiplayer:

* cheap out on development: essentially just have a few low detail maps that people play constantly

* people want to look “unique” so you can charge them for near-zero-cost assets

* people don’t complain when you say “must have an internet connection”

All of which are garbage reasons to me and just mean fewer good games, and less reason to buy them (I’m uninterested in buying a game if it is just going to stop working in a year because they’re no longer selling it).

If I want to be subject to swearing and shitty behavior is just become a high school teacher.

The_Stone · a year ago

Add to this the appeal of a live service model:

* Committed playerbase that stays around for a long time

* Dev time focused on making new assets and gamemodes etc. rather than needing to develop entire new games

* Designed with an intentional grind (leveling systems, battle passes, random drop chances) which slows down player progression to acquire before-mentioned aesthetic items or even mechanically important upgrades, can provide shortcuts via payment

Of course, new live services are sinking now because each one depends on attention economy. If potential players are already committed to a different live service, they don't have the time or interest to re-commit to some other new one.

We've been watching for years now as major companies sink millions into games that are DOA because they never actually had an audience willing to commit to yet another major continuing time investment that these games represent.

The_Stone commented on Bosses Are Finding Ways to Pay Workers Less wsj.com/lifestyle/careers... · Posted by u/petethomas

Mistletoe · 2 years ago

Remember when we said that tech workers should be careful what you wish for with regard to work from home? Execs are slow to learn but eventually the dim light bulb will go off in their head that someone from a much poorer country with an internet line can do the same work as their engineers making six figures and working in their home.

If I was a tech worker I would be championing every return to office initiative that exists, for my own self-preservation. "Yep boss, those face-to-face meetings and talks around the coffee pot are VITAL to this company's success." You have to choose your battles.

The_Stone · 2 years ago

Already been happening. This is exactly what's been going on for over a year now at the company I was most recently working for.

When I check in with folks still there, they mainly talk about how the time difference and distance has done nothing but add churn to the entire process both between devs but also between devs and management. Hopefully higher ups will recognize these inefficiences too, but that's wishful thinking.

The_Stone commented on Many scientists don’t want to tell the truth about climate change. Here’s why wbur.org/cognoscenti/2023... · Posted by u/kitkat_new

Paul-Craft · 2 years ago

Hah. Yeah. The whole bit about climate tipping points, and how we've tripped (IIRC) 5 of them, and are in danger of tripping (IIRC again, sorry) another 8 or 9.... that's a whole other comment.

I was literally telling my therapist about a week and a half ago that it's so frustrating that I'm probably one of the most "doom and gloom" people I know on these subjects, yet every time I've been proven wrong, it's because I haven't been pessimistic enough. I'm about ready to start cross dressing and change my name to Cassandra, lol.

The_Stone · 2 years ago

One of my best friends when she transitioned literally did change her name to Cassandra because of this

The_Stone commented on Is it my fault if you can't handle the truth? (2019) agileotter.blogspot.com/2... · Posted by u/azefiel

lcnPylGDnU4H9OF · 3 years ago

> kind

That depends on the person. I’ve known people who take any criticism at any time for any reason as an offense. There is no kind way (from their perspective) to convince such a person that their behavior is anything negative. Neutral at worst or it’s, “What do you have against me?”

Edit: To add a bit more context, some of these people are family members and close friends (who are now distant, unfortunately); I very much prefer being kind to such people.

The_Stone · 3 years ago

You can be honest and critical with someone and still be coming from a place of kindness. To be kind is not the same as being nice. Being kind is acting for the best interests of another person, which sometimes means being honest if it will help that person improve or gain a better perspective.

In addition, you can keep kindness as a guiding principle and still recognize the people who will take advantage of that kindness, and adjust yourself accordingly. You do not need to live to appease people who are never going to be appeased.

The_Stone commented on Americans' Trust in Media Remains Near Record Low news.gallup.com/poll/4031... · Posted by u/qclibre22

xen2xen1 · 3 years ago

Independent sources verified that 93% of journalists voted for Hillary Clinton. The media overall is very much leftist.

The_Stone · 3 years ago

I think you're conflating "leftist" with "voting Clinton in order to avoid a Trump presidency". You're also conflating Hillary Clinton with leftism, when she is a centrist whose policy could have lined up with Reagan in the 80s.

The_Stone commented on Address by the President of the Russian Federation en.kremlin.ru/events/pres... · Posted by u/daviddumon

Garvi · 3 years ago

There you go: https://reclaimthenet.org/youtube-removes-ukraine-on-fire-do...

I already explained my motivations behind what you describe as "acting in bad faith or arrogance" and would rather not be going in circles.

The_Stone · 3 years ago

Thank you for providing a source. Although, the claims of censorship here appear hollow per checking currently -

- It's available on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKcmNGvaDUs and was posted in April 2021

- It's searchable on Amazon currently despite being blocked in March of this year per the archived result in the article: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Ukraine+on+Fire&rh=n%3A2625373011...

This feels out of date; the movie is not being censored now. It was blocked by private companies likely as a quick response to the beginning of the war, and has since been made accessible again.

The_Stone commented on Address by the President of the Russian Federation en.kremlin.ru/events/pres... · Posted by u/daviddumon

philipkglass · 3 years ago

I think that I recognize the parent's allusion. The film is Ukraine on Fire, directed by Igor Lopatonok.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukraine_on_Fire

The executive producer (better known for his work as a director) was Oliver Stone. You can buy it on DVD from several major retailers or pay to get it instantly via streaming on Amazon Prime.

The reason "few US citizen seem to know about it" is probably because most US citizens don't watch political documentaries.

The_Stone · 3 years ago

Thank you. I'd agree with that presumption. It should also be clear that events in Ukraine have definitely evolved since 2016. Reception seems to imply that multiple sources dismissed the film as Russian propaganda at the time as well. Of course I can't say that for myself without watching it, but I'm noting it as significant.

The_Stone commented on Address by the President of the Russian Federation en.kremlin.ru/events/pres... · Posted by u/daviddumon

Garvi · 3 years ago

How else am I to demonstrate that the information has been removed clean from the internet? If that makes me a bad actor in your opinion, in my opinion you have your reasoning screwed up somewhere, because I'm not following that logic at all. Please refrain from such redditish personal attacks. If you want to aggravate me, disprove my points. Unfortunately I'd more likely thank you than being mad in that case. If you're actually into making people mad, you should stick to reddit.

I don't think there's a single person on this forum that's not an ace at googling. So I take it you didn't google it for other reasons. Which is also a point I'm making and has been additionally explained in the post you're replying to.

The_Stone · 3 years ago

I did attempt to search it based on the information you provided, but unfortunately couldn't find anything particularly relevant when I can't search in reference to the A-list Hollywood director you're alluding to and with any searches about Ukraine optimizing to being about the war with Russia which is obviously at the forefront of results.

You are being needlessly obtuse in your responses and in providing any clarifying information, which is either acting in bad faith or arrogance. If you believe me calling that out as such is a personal attack, then I suggest you provide sources so your points actually can be accessed and addressed.

The_Stone commented on Address by the President of the Russian Federation en.kremlin.ru/events/pres... · Posted by u/daviddumon

Garvi · 3 years ago

Fully intentional. As well as not mentioning the name of the prominent Hollywood director. If you're too afraid to google it, the 1984 comments in this thread bashing Russia will create their own gravity well from the irony displayed. Am a EU citizen, a communicologist and programmer.

The_Stone · 3 years ago

If it's censored so effectively, how do you expect people to find it via googling based on vague allusions? If you believe this is so important, why be so vague in the first place? This is not how speaking in good faith looks.