Hirom
@Hirom@beehaw.org
- Comment on Wine 10.16 released with fast synchronization support using NTSync 2 weeks ago:
NTSync is available as a kernel module. Not enabled by default un Debian nor Fedora, but it appears possible to use it without rebuilding the whole kernel.
wiki.debian.org/Wine/NtsyncHowto fedoraproject.org/wiki/Changes/NTSYNC-Contained
- Comment on Brazil's president has signed a ban on selling loot boxes to minors as part of a larger online child safety law 3 weeks ago:
I’m not convinced an outright ban would be helpful. Regulation focused on harm reduction, ie restricting to adult like various kind of gambling, would be less heavyhanded, hopefully better compromise.
Looping back on the earlier comments, adding extra requirements on age verification is the more controversial part. Especially since privacy-preserving solutions aren’t ready. Clearly neither of us are happy with that.
I’d be happy if regulators just categorized loot box as gambling, applying the existing declarative age verification that already apply to gambling.
The choice between state regulation and self-regulation depend on various factors, eg exactly how it’s implemented, people’s opinion on freedom to operate companies without state intervention. A meta-analysis conclude results vary a lot from self regulation, it can go well or fail. This is just an opinion and nothing definitive, but I don’t think the game editors that make money from setup efficient self-regulation. It would hurt their bottom line.
- Comment on Brazil's president has signed a ban on selling loot boxes to minors as part of a larger online child safety law 3 weeks ago:
If loot boxes were on the wane even before hard regulation was passed, then maybe the hard regulation wasn’t particularly needed.
That’s if and maybe. I would assume neither, but will keep an open mind in case evidence appear.
Let’s assume Loot Boxes are on the wane. Do we actually know they were on the wane BEFORE regulation passed (which started happening several years ago), or whether regulation caused them to wane? Do we know that self-regulation efficient for loot boxes? Self regulation results vary a lot, and is often ineffective, so I’m skeptical.
On the other hand, there is evince linking paying for loot boxes to gambling addiction, and plausibility since loot box exploit human’s tendency to look for rewards to extract money from players. There’s clearly a problem, and I wouldn’t bet on the companies that created it solving the problem.
- Comment on Brazil's president has signed a ban on selling loot boxes to minors as part of a larger online child safety law 3 weeks ago:
The link above is the primary source, they mention “OUR recent study”. The article publication date is February 2025, but they don’t give the exact date on their study.
Even if that figure already decreased since the study, or was overestimated, would it change the point of the regulation?
If less mobiles games integrated loot boxes, let’s say 50%, or even 30%, would change whether loot boxes is gambling or not? Or worth regulating?
- Comment on Brazil's president has signed a ban on selling loot boxes to minors as part of a larger online child safety law 3 weeks ago:
Who is still doing loot boxes
A majority of Android and IOS games, and 36% of PC games according to a study.
- Comment on Brazil's president has signed a ban on selling loot boxes to minors as part of a larger online child safety law 3 weeks ago:
Good point, it’s a bit late, and may hit hard on some games that already implemented loot boxes. But it’s never too late, assuming it’s indeed a kind of gambling.
Hopefully it’ll lead to less games integrating loot boxes, so that people of all ages can play games with neither loot boxes, nor the age verification that comes with it.
- Comment on Brazil's president has signed a ban on selling loot boxes to minors as part of a larger online child safety law 3 weeks ago:
I’m happy with loot boxes being categorized as gambling when money is involved, and regulated as gambling.
By “cool with this” are you refering to age verification? That wasn’t a comment on age verification. You’re putting words in my mouth, or I was ambiguous in the above comment, or both.
Online age verification is tricky to do right, balance effectiveness and privacy. That’s true of any age restriction, whether it’s loot booxes, other kind of gamblings. Existing age verification has bad effectiveness, privacy, or both. That doesn’t gambling shouldn’t be regulated, or that age verification can’t improve.
- Comment on Brazil's president has signed a ban on selling loot boxes to minors as part of a larger online child safety law 3 weeks ago:
Good move. Loot box is gambling. Most have learned gambling is dangerous, especially for minors.
- Comment on Russia orders state-backed Max messenger app to be pre-installed on new phones 1 month ago:
state media says it is not a spying app
State media has very specifically denied it. That’s quite suspicious.
- Comment on IBM and Moderna have simulated the longest mRNA pattern without AI — they used a quantum computer instead 2 months ago:
How much energy does this technique uses compared to AlphaFold?
- Comment on Microsoft suddenly kills its movies and TV store on Xbox and Windows 2 months ago:
Hopefully they focus their resources whatever game studios remain.
Just make easy to access movies and films from other sources on XBox, we don’t need a Microsoft monopoly on streaming.
- Comment on Inside China’s plan for ‘621mph floating train’ that goes faster than a plane 3 months ago:
Maglevs are overhyped. Adam Something call those GadgetBahn.
- Comment on Meta is making users who opted out of AI training opt out again, watchdog says 5 months ago:
This dark pattern seems similar to what spammy company do. After registering you’re automatically registering to 10 differents newsletters/spamlist. Clicking unsubsribe at the bottom of a newsletter removes you from 1 out of 10 lists. People either need to repeat the operation, or better, delete their account.
- Comment on Privacy disaster as LGBTQ+ and BDSM dating apps leak private photos. 6 months ago:
Cybernews has contacted M.A.D Mobile Apps Developers Limited for official comment, but a response has yet to be received.
I hope Cybernews reported the apps to the relevant app store, including a detailed report.
Developpers may ignore random researchers’ email, but probably wouldn’t ignore an app store that has the ability remove or until apps from its store.
- Comment on Microsoft is killing its “free” VPN with Microsoft 365 subscriptions, just days after increasing prices 8 months ago:
Most VPNs are overrated.
- Comment on 'Ending that completely': Facebook gets rid of fact-checkers in wake of Trump's election 9 months ago:
From another source:
[Mark Zuckerberg, Recipient of World’s First Rat Penis Transplant, Announces Meta Will Stop Fact Checking](Mark Zuckerberg, Recipient of World’s First Rat Penis Transplant, Announces Meta Will Stop Fact Checking)
At least it’s a good opportunity for parodic news medias to have some fun at Zuck’s expense.
- Comment on Data centers powering artificial intelligence could use more electricity than entire cities 10 months ago:
I’m not from the US, but know about the kind of cups you’re talking about. They’re common everywhere at fast food, and other restaurants selling food to go.
They’re indeed designed for using a straw. When having lunch outside I typical bring a water bottle. Then buy food without drink, or refill if there’s a dispenser. It’s helps avoid unhealthy sodas, and avoid the cup and straw altogether.
- Comment on Data centers powering artificial intelligence could use more electricity than entire cities 10 months ago:
Why use straws at all?
Straws ate useful for babies, the elderly or disabled who are unable to drink from a glass without making a mess.
Hopefully you’re able to drink from a glass, and don’t need a straw.
- Comment on Data centers powering artificial intelligence could use more electricity than entire cities 10 months ago:
Why not stopping use of BOTH plastic straws and wasteful LLMs?
- Comment on Amazon says it now runs on 100% clean power. Employees say it’s more like 22% 1 year ago:
100% organic bullshit