techdmn

6 ms·

1.
by techdmn 7d ago
I remember reading a comment here a while back about merchants being offered a discount on the processing fee if they also transmitted detailed data about the purchase (essentially the data that would be on the receipt). That data could th
2.
by techdmn 13d ago
Interesting question. I'm not sure yet. Insane? The woods? Time may tell.
3.
by techdmn 13d ago
Any business that puts an ALPR in their parking lot is a business I do not visit.
4.
by techdmn 27d ago
Having been on the stage a few times, I have heard that as explicit advice for actors and musicians: Look at the audience, but DO NOT make eye contact with anyone! You risk losing concentration. I also read something once that resonated, t
5.
by techdmn 1mo ago
I would avoid phrasing it as "better". Less wealthy parents are likely working more hours, have to spend more time on household maintenance (don't have a cleaner, can't afford grocery delivery), not to mention the overw
6.
by techdmn 1mo ago
Yes and no. It's hard to escape ads even by paying for things, with cable TV being a common (though increasingly outdated) example.
7.
by techdmn 1mo ago
To answer my own question: Yes, police in France also under scrutiny: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/france-once-again-critici...
8.
by techdmn 1mo ago
I admit I haven't followed the French protests as closely as I should have. Do they shoot protestors in the face with teargas canisters there too? Maybe they do. Do those protestors face the real possibility of medical bankruptcy if
9.
by techdmn 1mo ago
Yes. If costs are up AND profits are up or steady, it implies that the squeeze is being felt by consumers rather than by the large companies seeing profits. To me that implies the issue is a lack of competition, itself largely due to fail
10.
by techdmn 3mo ago
Never been happier that I've turned into a retro-gamer. This is more the result of being old than a principled stance, but never the less. Increasingly I don't view myself as actually owning anything that connects to the interne
11.
by techdmn 3mo ago
This is actually very difficult for a significant number of people. Some people really struggle with saying "no" or enforcing boundaries, some people are very wary of negative interactions with strangers. If you are relying on p
12.
by techdmn 3mo ago
My car won't let me flick the windshield wipers while the car is parked. I don't know why, maybe they think I'm throwing rain onto... already wet pedestrians? Similar problem with auto-folding mirrors. My mirror was frozen
13.
by techdmn 3mo ago
Another way of thinking about this, is by thinking about who defines what is productive or what produces value. I tend to be a little old fashioned, I think that doing the right thing for customers produces value. (That's what my sel
14.
by techdmn 3mo ago
> overregulate, overtax and raise barriers Also known as labor and environmental protections. I am in favor of labor and environmental protections, but when producers are allowed to avoid them simply by moving production abroad, well, t
15.
by techdmn 4mo ago
Parts availability can be a problem, but especially if you drive a once popular model and are willing to do work yourself, the mileage you can get out of junkyard parts is significant.
16.
by techdmn 4mo ago
For the last few years I've been working on a project, before I buy anything online I try to find it at a local retailer (ideally locally owned). If I do find it, I pay cash. I treat it like a game, it's a scavenger hunt. I&#x2
17.
by techdmn 4mo ago
This is both one of my pet peeves and a thing that legislators seem to love: Somebody does a thing that is already illegal, but in a slightly novel way. Perfectly valid statute exists to prosecute, but legislators want to be seen as doing
18.
by techdmn 4mo ago
Increasingly headed in this direction. Already have the old Toyota and use cash. I've been saying for years that advertising ruined the internet, we're getting to the point where surveillance is ruining computing.
19.
by techdmn 4mo ago
You are punching down instead of up. The problem is not children, or parents, but the state trying to enforce restrictions.
20.
by techdmn 5mo ago
As an old man yelling at clouds, I've been hanging onto a car from the 80s. Not only does it have physical controls, the controls are directly attached to the mechanical systems they operate. Currently the door locks are a little sti
21.
by techdmn 5mo ago
I'm not a gambler, but when I consider it I think the worst thing that could happen to me would be to win a substantial but not life-changing amount of money. I think that's where most people get hooked. They get lucky once (or
22.
by techdmn 5mo ago
I would argue the opposite, that having members of government who CANNOT be prosecuted like normal citizens is not compatible with democracy. I would think arguments to the contrary would have to assume other impediments to a properly func
23.
by techdmn 7mo ago
They say the fish rots from the head. I think the U.S. has been rewarding lawlessness at the top for quite a while now. I concur on missing the turn of the century optimism that tech could make a brighter future.
24.
by techdmn 7mo ago
Carriers have also sold customer location data, no search warrant required. Though we can rest assured that the FCC has slapped the carriers' wrists with the utmost seriousness.
25.
by techdmn 7mo ago
And my axe! Let me know if you do. (Also WI)
26.
by techdmn 7mo ago
Two such instances of police using Flock to track current or former romantic partners: * https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article29105... * https://www.fox6now.com/news/milwauke
27.
by techdmn 7mo ago
> but no one wants to use a pay-phone when they have their own mobile! I have a hobby-level interest in avoiding pervasive surveillance, and have been thinking about ditching my phone more often. Something like no-cell Tuesdays. What if
28.
by techdmn 7mo ago
To me this suggests that the problem is not cost, but lack of competition, either in production or in pricing. My understanding is that there are sufficient laws to ensure competition, but they are not widely enforced.
29.
by techdmn 8mo ago
I'm sorry that happened.
30.
by techdmn 8mo ago
I agree with everything you've said. To me the next question is: If nobody has a job, who will buy all the robot-produced goods?

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