I've been reading The Culture series by Iain M Banks. I gave up on the first book a while back, which I've heard is quite common, but I plan to go back and finish it.
I've just read The Player Of Games and Excession and both are exceptional.
I only noticed this comment now, I've been reading the Culture series too - I enjoyed the world building in Consider Phlebas a lot but after a while I just wanted it to finish. So I skipped on and read a few others in the series then came back to finish it.
I finished Consider Phlebas on my commute - I still don't rank it quite as highly as the others but it came to life more at the end. My favourite bit was when Horza was trapped on the cannibal cult island. Completely irrelevant to the plot but some excellent wtf storytelling!
I like the part where they point out that writers probably have more leverage than they think about having a say - but then maybe many writers don't consider the ebook side of things when thinking about getting their work published.
It's obvious that 'they' are out to demonise IA as something like Pirate Bay whereas it really, really isn't. Aside from the massive amount of obscure reference material, I found BBC documentaries on there from the 80s about some history which is otherwise unobtainable. I can understand if there's some legal points which need to be worked out between both sides in order to keep the site going... but that obviously isn't what the publishers are going for.
Well I mean yeah we bought our house off my father-in-law who sold it at extreme mates rates, and my parents paid my half of the deposit. And I don't think that's news, that's the way it's been for people I know for the last 10 years or so. We only relatively recently managed to get a mortgage because I was doing contract work for a long time which paid a lot better but isn't stable enough to get one.
I feel lucky because I know there's no way I'd be able to live in our own house without parental help - we're both public sector workers so we do alright but don't have any money to put aside for savings. Which also means we won't be able to return the favour for our son, or at least not to the same degree. I've just turned 40, I have friends a few years younger who are working but still live with family because they have no other realistic option.
My father-in-law worked in the property world as a surveyor since the 70s or so and when his father died young he bought some flats in London with the inheritance. His dad was a miner so the flats were dirt cheap but they were in King's Cross which back then was known for drugs and prostitution. He despised the 80s, because he knew it was short term gain for his generation at the expense at the next ones - instead of investing in the future, governments were just selling everything off to the private sector for short term gain, and so he had this masterplan of saving all this stuff up for his kids. He's an interesting person to talk to.
My parents had enough money to put aside in savings for the future for me and my sister every month, which went towards the house deposit and my university fees. They didn't own any flats in London but they had that extra to put aside. That's what our generation doesn't have, the ability to put anything significant aside for the future - it all goes on bills.
I got an invite code and so spent a bit of time browsing around because I'd heard good things about it. But I was surprised at how basic and non-diverse it all is. The forums are preset and are very generic. The conversations are definitely better than Reddit, but no better or worse than the ones I've had with people on Fedi....
Tildes simply doesn't have the goals of "reddit alternatives" that are hoping to launch a new, popular site. It's just doing its own thing. Personally I find it refreshing, but it's definitely not for people who want to be part of the next "reddit" with millions of other people.
Sure, I definitely respect that and it is one of the things I like about it. I like the way it's focused on conversations over cut n paste memes.
But I think I've found a similar experience here on Kbin by blocking meme heavy groups and joining more specific communities. I'm still going to check out Tildes every now and then though
This is on my to read list. I have an annotated copy to help because I've heard it's hard going but I know it's hugely influential and so keep meaning to get to it!
I've read Dante and enjoyed that a lot. It's interesting how Dante also puts a lot more of his contemporaries into the various parts of the afterlife then I was expecting; so footnotes can veer from talking about Greek mythology to minor figures from the civil war that had led to his exile. Which can be a little jarring sometimes!
Hi! 👋 Here's our #introduction. We're BBC Research & Development; we explore and test new technology to discover how the BBC can best make use of it in the future. For 100 years our engineers have been at the forefront of developments in broadcasting. We're now researching how everyone could get TV & radio via the internet...
Ask any politician, but especially the ones in power, and they'll give you a list of reasons why they want to defund the BBC because it doesn't do what they want it to do.
Its reporting isn't always perfect but it's definitely not "government propaganda".
Maybe some people actually don't want the fedi to become popular because they're into gatekeeping and despite saying 'it's the future' etc, actually just want it to stay small and underground?
And yeah, the BBC having a 6 month R&D experiment isn't exactly the same as a Fox News takeover (not that that would even be possible)
That's a pretty good analogy, only he would have to specify that he still considers all women to be whores in his bio to be completely accurate.
Honestly though, it's desperate. I don't even want to know what's become of Accidental Renaissance 'Under New Management', I'm glad the original team are here though
Did Google help reddit? A short time ago the score for the reddit app was down around 3.2 as everyone gave it 1 star for how bad it was and all the drama going on. I just opened the play store today and the app has a 4.2. Did Google delete or discount some of those reviews?
I’m in the post-ban blackpilled mode right no so please forgive me. I know reddit is falling apart but it isn’t happening fast enough. Is there any hope that the whole site will be destroyed? I really just want the whole site / app completely destroyed and thew Vichyite mods unable to have their power trips anymore.
Eh... It's only a website. Believe me you'll get over it quicker than you think. I go back to it every now and then to check up on some old subs and I can't believe how much time I wasted on there.
I'm more satisfied with my experience here personally. I don't scroll for hours, I read a couple articles, maybe comment on them and move on. If I come across something interesting that isn't already posted in my community here, I'll actually post it because it might actually get some engagement.
This sums up my experience pretty well too. If I post something, it tends to get a good conversation going, which is nice. But overall I spend a lot less time. I read 3 books last month on my phone using the time I would usually spent on Reddit.
Edit: alright I'm sticking this up here because a number of people seem confused--this post isn't trying to convince you that "fediverse" is a bad term--rather it's a discussion of why I think "threadiverse" is a good umbrella term, for the forum-based part of the fediverse specifically. (lemmy+kbin)...
Reddit seems to be fully aware what users are likely to do in the current climate. Do they think people who aren’t angry will be louder than everyone else, do they have a plan for protests, or are they just letting the chips fall?
I actually think they're cashing in on the media coverage the protests produced. And this article is proof it's worked. But the Verge were covering Reddageddon practically every day
If you recall reddits growth many of their communities evolved as offshoots of a single generic community. This made it easier for people to see discussions they normally would not get involved in, and once the posts in a similar category reached critical mass it moved to a sub Reddit....
From a user point of view there's definitely that initial rush of 'wow, this group looks great!' to scanning across to see 0 posts, 0 comments, 0 users access feeling sad...
That's not too say that these should necessarily be removed but it's a lot harder to get people in to niche communities. Unless you outright went into the Reddit equivalent and said politely you were trying to start one here. But they'd probably be happy in Reddit by this stage so...
Quora is an impeccable font of online knowledge and we should be grateful for bwahaha no I can't even...
Basically the amount of karma farming that already happens on Reddit is going to quadruple. And yeah it's going to be a) on the more 'serious' questions like Quora and b) on the more AITA or Confessions posts 'oh you guys have helped me so much, of you can upvote me and give me some awards it'll really help get my life on track'
Part of me couldn't believe they'd actually introduce this but in light of everything this year, whatever. Because what else could benefit Reddit ....oh yeah - grifters!
If they want to add fuel to the fire that's burning down the house fine. I'm over at Kbin. I'm staying.
My only regret is there's some really great health support communities there and I hope they can be allowed to live in peace because I don't think they'll feasibly migrate.
It's certainly worth paying to hear American views over the rest of the worlds I would say. Reddit is on to a winner with that one for sure. American Reddit users like u/spez are so wise while we are so stupid.
When the whole Reddit fiasco started happening, I saw a lot of people wiping and deleting their Reddit accounts and moving elsewhere, like here on Lemmy....
Same here, I just stopped using it. I never had the urge to burn the place down.
Not that erasing my paltry contributions over the years will probably have made that much difference but who knows if it helps someone in a future Google search that's a good thing.
I don't think many people understand that if they use Lemmy or kbin, they are posting to the fediverse. There are other platforms and will be more to come. Referring to a post on "Lemmy" or "kbin" is like saying you saw a post on your Windows or Mac computer....
Referring to a post on "Lemmy" or "kbin" is like saying you saw a post on your Windows or Mac computer.
That's not how language works. Language evolves naturally and in this scenario people would instantly know that the user had seen something on a fediverse platform without having to use another awful '-verse' word.
Likewise you can't police how people use language. People use whatever makes understanding for both sides easiest on both sides
If someone logs into a website called Kbin and sees something interesting, it's fair to say 'I saw something interesting on Kbin' without having to give unnecessary explanations about what the fediverse is.
And once again, no one likes the word fediverse...
I actually only ever used the official Reddit app. I wasn't really aware of 3rd party apps before all this API stuff kicked off. (I'm genuinely not an AI!)
It is full of 'promoted' posts and presumably the other apps were better but that ship has sailed. But maybe people are saying they're happy with the official app because like me they were uneducated about the alternatives on offer and they're just used to it now.
Not saying for sure that this is the case here, but food for thought.
Nah, I don't think it is the case here at all. The guy had an opinion and was expressing it. I didn't agree, but it's good to see some proper discussion going on.
FWIW The biggest thing I would like to see implements sooner rather than later is a way to handle multi magazines, chiefly because it's not actually that much of an issue yet. A bigger deal seems to be people asking is there a community for X, y, z. So if there's a plan in place then that would be good.
But even the way on some Reddit subs mods sometimes have a list of 'Associated Subs' (so a Reading sub might basically give a shout out to Books, Literature, etc... would be good
Some users wonder if the dev will be charged for having it still up, others argue Reddit can't charge him without having signed a contract. Everyone is confused as to why the API change hasn't made it inoperable....
Exactly my thoughts - it's going to be a slow decline. Probably the first thing that will happen is that mods will drift away and the quality of subs will decline. Any replacement mods may be good but are also just as likely to drift away after a month or two.
The site will slowly attract more and more spammers and scammers when they wake up to this fact... Whether it actually disappears I don't know but it will become irrelevant by becoming more bland and corporate in an attempt to chase money. It'll end up being more like Tumblr or something I reckon, something that exists but only some people actually use.
What are you reading?
Hey Beehaw (and friends)! What’re you reading?...
A Book Is a Book Is a Book—Except When It’s an e-Book ( www.thenation.com )
Welcome to the ‘nepo’ housing market: 40% of homebuyers under 30 get family money to cover their down payment ( archive.ph )
Definitely a trend I see around me (Europe, 30 years old)....
You know what I DON’T miss from Reddit? Having a 75% chance of having your submissions immediately removed anytime you post something. ( media.artemis.camp )
Squabbles is now Squabblr ( kbin.social )
Just an FYI about another Reddit alternative. New URL, too. I think they decided to change the name to avoid a copyright issue.
Finally got access to Tildes today... Seems unimpressive ( kbin.social )
I got an invite code and so spent a bit of time browsing around because I'd heard good things about it. But I was surprised at how basic and non-diverse it all is. The forums are preset and are very generic. The conversations are definitely better than Reddit, but no better or worse than the ones I've had with people on Fedi....
What are you reading? (August 2023)
Hey Beehaw (and friends)! What’re you reading?...
BBC Launches A Mastodon Instance ( social.bbc )
Hi! 👋 Here's our #introduction. We're BBC Research & Development; we explore and test new technology to discover how the BBC can best make use of it in the future. For 100 years our engineers have been at the forefront of developments in broadcasting. We're now researching how everyone could get TV & radio via the internet...
Reddit calls for “a few new mods” after axing, polarizing some of its best ( arstechnica.com )
Will Reddit get quality replacements? "Not a snowball's chance in hell."
Project Gutenberg - huge library of free ebooks ( www.gutenberg.org )
Probably the best source of non-copyrighted literature on the planet, imho, and a necessary bookmark for any lit addict
The whiteout delivers a clear message! ( media.kbin.social )
Reddit app score changed dramatically ( kbin.social )
Did Google help reddit? A short time ago the score for the reddit app was down around 3.2 as everyone gave it 1 star for how bad it was and all the drama going on. I just opened the play store today and the app has a 4.2. Did Google delete or discount some of those reviews?
Reddit Refugee here venting
I’m in the post-ban blackpilled mode right no so please forgive me. I know reddit is falling apart but it isn’t happening fast enough. Is there any hope that the whole site will be destroyed? I really just want the whole site / app completely destroyed and thew Vichyite mods unable to have their power trips anymore.
On Coining a New Term ( kbin.social )
Edit: alright I'm sticking this up here because a number of people seem confused--this post isn't trying to convince you that "fediverse" is a bad term--rather it's a discussion of why I think "threadiverse" is a good umbrella term, for the forum-based part of the fediverse specifically. (lemmy+kbin)...
U/SPEZ not popular on place ( lemmy.world )
A current state of Place on Reddit shows seems to seems to be signalling something to u/spez :)
Reddit is bringing back r/Place at perhaps the worst possible time ( www.theverge.com )
Reddit seems to be fully aware what users are likely to do in the current climate. Do they think people who aren’t angry will be louder than everyone else, do they have a plan for protests, or are they just letting the chips fall?
I think the rush to recreate communities is a bad idea. ( kbin.social )
If you recall reddits growth many of their communities evolved as offshoots of a single generic community. This made it easier for people to see discussions they normally would not get involved in, and once the posts in a similar category reached critical mass it moved to a sub Reddit....
Reddit kills awards and coins ( old.reddit.com )
Does anyone regret deleting their Reddit account?
When the whole Reddit fiasco started happening, I saw a lot of people wiping and deleting their Reddit accounts and moving elsewhere, like here on Lemmy....
It is not Lemmy or kbin, it is the fediverse. ( kbin.social )
I don't think many people understand that if they use Lemmy or kbin, they are posting to the fediverse. There are other platforms and will be more to come. Referring to a post on "Lemmy" or "kbin" is like saying you saw a post on your Windows or Mac computer....
This is the Reddit app. They are making it really easy to want to migrate ( lemmy.world )
cross-posted from: lemmy.world/post/1032247
Reddit's API protest just got even more NSFW ( mashable.com )
People in /r/redditalternatives are talking about a "Reddit 2.0" What website would fill that role? ( kbin.social )
On Reddit at reddit.com/r/redditalternatives, people are talking about a "Reddit 2.0." What do you suggest?
3rd party app for Reddit, Boost, is still functioning well after July 1st ( www.reddit.com )
Some users wonder if the dev will be charged for having it still up, others argue Reddit can't charge him without having signed a contract. Everyone is confused as to why the API change hasn't made it inoperable....