sylver_dragon

No. Math isn’t just doing sums, or other numeric operations. Math is the application of logic to solve problems. Part of what you should be learning, is how to break complex problems into more manageable steps and then solving those steps to solve the overall problem. And this skill carries well into lots of other areas of life, even those that don’t seem immediately “math-y”.

I’ve not returned an item over it, but I’ve often wondered if there was a market for a company which de-LEDs items.

As in most social media apps, downvote and move on. Personally, I have a list of channels I subscribe to and mostly just stick to watching the content they produce. None of that is reaction videos, which I agree are lazy and stupid, but I guess some people like them or they wouldn’t keep making the rounds.

I made the jump about a year ago at this point and have been happy with the choice. That said, there is a learning curve and everything isn’t sunshine and roses. I’d still rate it as fully worth it.

I think I need to pick a “distro”, right? Based on the above, which distro may work best for me?

Yes, though this is less of a “gotcha” than it might seem. Different distros will have advantages and disadvantages for different things. However, most distros are going to do most things at a reasonable level. It sounds like you are prioritizing ease of use and gaming; so, you may want to go for one of the more gaming focused distros such as PopOS or SteamOS. But, I would echo what @redlemace said, “take a live-distro, put it on an USB stick and boot from that. Yes, it’s sometimes slow/sluggish but it works and you can get an impression of the distro”. I ran my chosen distro from a USB stick for a bit over a month before committing.

what am I most likely to NOT be able to do, if anything?

Very little. However, you will need to relearn how to do some things. And you’ll probably have to get comfortable with using the terminal for some stuff. This can be a bit jarring for someone who grew up with Windows, as there are some things which just don’t have a GUI to configure. And some applications will need to be replaced. For example, you’re probably not going to be able to use Microsoft Office, but Libre Office is a good replacement. Photoshop will get replaces with Gimp, and so on.

Lastly, there are some games which just don’t work on Linux. A lot of that is around Anti-cheat software. For example, I wasn’t able to join my work team in playing Call of Duty 6. The EA Anti-Cheat is a complete “fuck you” to Linux users. So, check out ProtonDB for games you care about. Most games run just fine; but, there is the odd hole. Anymore, I’m more surprised that a game doesn’t work on Linux than when it does.

I have heard modding in particular can be challenging with Linux.

I’ve not run into this; however, I don’t use any of the mod managers (e.g. Vortex) and so I’m used to moving files around manually. I’ve also not run Skyrim on my Linux setup, and that does seem to require a bit of work to get going. So, this may be an issue, depending on the game. This is yet another reason to give the whole “install on a USB stick” recommendation a go. Spin up Linux, give modding Skyrim a shot. If it’s too heavy a lift, then maybe don’t do it. As much as I think Linux has been a good idea, it may not be right for everyone.

Are there some smaller indy games that don’t have Linux support (thinking back to the early mac days)?

Funny enough, I find the smaller indie stuff usually has better Linux support, but YMMV. For example, my son introduced me to Dome Keeper. It’s a small game, but it just worked and is one of my favorite casual games. Though again, checking ProtonDB is a good thing to do.

I would rate my computer technical ability at like… A 4/10. I haven’t done anything too crazy but can Google most issues and willing to learn. Is this realistically enough to get me up and running with Linux?

I’d think so. There’s lots of good info out there now to help you get up and running. Though this links back to the question about distros. If you don’t want to have to get super technical, pick a distro which is more aimed towards “just working”. And again, the USB “try before you buy” idea is really, really useful.

if the final answer here involves running a windows partition, is it possible to safely still use a windows 10 partition, even after the end of support?

Depending on how you plan to use it, the risk may be reasonable enough. For example, let’s say you have one or two games which just don’t run on Linux and you keep a Windows 10 partition around to run those games. You boot to Windows, play those games and then jump back to Linux for your normal computer use (web browsing, email, etc.). Then ya, that’s probably fine. The real risks start to show up when you use Windows for stuff which exposes it to the internet. If you are downloading and running random applications on it, you’re gonna have a bad time. Over time, even basic web browsing may start to be a risk, as vulnerabilities could be found which allow a malicious web page to run code. You also want to be sure you don’t have the device completely exposed to the internet (this is bad, even with an up to date Windows). Though, most home routers already prevent this; so, this is unlikely to be an issue. Just don’t hook your Windows 10 partition up to public WiFi (e.g. coffee shop, library or conference).

Just having the partition isn’t a risk. So long as Windows isn’t running, it isn’t available for attackers to attack. It’s just data on a disk. It’s only when it’s running and exposed to attackers that it becomes a problem. And you can control that and manage the risk.

anything else I might run into that I’m not expecting? Words of encouragement?

Be patient with it and it can be a worthwhile change. Also, don’t be afraid to come back and ask questions. There’s lot of folks here who can help you along. Getting away from Windows feels good and it’s great to actually own your system, rather than renting it from Microsoft. Best of luck.

I just want to stop feeling imposter syndrome. I’m nearing 50, at work everyone seems to think I am one of the most competent people they have met in my field. I get the hard problems, get dragged into lots of projects as a technical consultant. And yet internally, I forever feel like I’m “faking it until I make it”. Like I’m one question away from being unmasked as a kid playing at knowing what I am doing. Consciously, I know I am not and that I’m actually pretty good at this. But, every time I get a meeting request from my boss, I still get a moment of panic thinking, “this is it, I’m about to be fired”. That’s what I want from “growing up”, to just not feel that feeling constantly.

Also, I want to be independently wealthy when I grow up. Fuck this whole work thing.

The cost to have them is basically zero. The benefit that they can provide for visibility and clicks is non-zero. So, with a positive ROI, why not have them?

So much this. I was having a discussion with one religious zealot and he kept insisting, “he’s your god too” when I referred to yahweh as “his god”. No asshole, I don’t subscribe to your fairy tales. Though, in a nod to keeping the discussion civil, I limited my responses, to “no, I don’t subscribe to your beliefs.” Getting upset, yelling or insulting only plays to their ability to project victim-hood. So, it’s important to stay calm and keep the conversation rational and focused on the failures of their explanations. You will never convince the delusional to give up their delusions, but you can convince the other people around, who aren’t fully delusional, to question the delusions.

Uh, no shit. State backed espionage groups are targeting the communications channels used by their primary targets. What are you going to tell me next? That water is wet and fire is hot? If the US government started using IP over Avian Carrier (RFC1149) you can bet that the GRU would start up a program to intercept the carriers.

This is why many communication options these days advertise that they are encrypted.

Like Signal. You know, the app they were using, as was mentioned in the article, multiple times. You did read the article, right?

This is what I mean by my constant insistence upon “moderation” in government. Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H.L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid.
– President Eisenhower

It seems that this is going to be put to the test.

17 and 19 is a two-year gap, that’s totally fine.

Might want to check the laws in your local jurisdiction. In the US, in some States this may be OK under Romeo and Juliet Laws (check your local laws if the whole “kill yourself from a misunderstanding” bit of the story is required). But, some States do not have such laws. No idea if/how this applies in other countries.

The honeymoon period is slowly coming to an end. We’re just about to reach the bleary eyed, “what the fuck did I just do?” period.

Perfect, we’ll just spin up an image of your machine in EC2, give it a public IP, set the default network rules to “allow any any” and we’re good. And I have no idea why the security team just all quit.

Unless we have a way around general relativity, boring will describe any conservation with another civilization.
Hello.
wait 1000 years
Hi. How are you?
wait 1000 years
Who the fuck are these guys?

Space is really, really, really big. And by comparison any form of communication we have yet discovered is very slow.

This is only true for quantum computers.

Every site has a dev environment, some are lucky enough to have a separate production one.

Again, show your work. What traits are those and how did you come up with the list? And why do those traits only exist in specific types of societies?

To contrast such a claim, the first nation to reach space was Nazi Germany. The USSR also did a fine job of conquering the vacuum of space under Khrushchev. And, no sane person would look at Khrushchev’s USSR and describe it a system which “maximize[s] the potential of all individuals”. In a more modern context, China is doing a pretty good job in space exploration, having landed a rover on the moon and built their own space station. And, at the risk of provoking the wrath of the tankies, China isn’t exactly a free and open nation.

So again, I’m just not seeing a basis for such a claim. And the example we do have, human history, seems to disagree with it.

Can someone take them on a tour of the ice sheet, and then accidentally forget to bring them back?

Section 3 of the 14th Amendment does not require any specific test which defines “insurrection”.

Ya, the real problem is that it doesn’t. As specifically stated by the CRS:

Determining who has engaged in either of the two disqualifying activities—that is, engaging in insurrection or rebellion or giving aid or comfort to an enemy—is likely to be a difficult task given the scarcity of precedents and lack of clear definitions

And that difficulty is why that whole document exists, there isn’t clear legal guidance. And the historic precedents on it are a mess. Yes, either house of Congress has the power to refuse to seat a member of their respective house and have used the 14th Amendment as a reason in the past. Moreover, Congress could pass a law which sets out a legal framework; but, that’s not really happened either. The whole reason that this is even a discussion is that lack of clarity.

Republican strategy has long revolved around the targeted devolution of norms. They hide in the cracks between definitions which assume good faith participation in the labor of mutually consensual governance and shield themselves in perpetual faux-victimhood. If Congress does not pursue the execution of Section 3 it is nothing less than an abdication of their duty to their Oath of Office.

Arguably, Congress did try to do something, the House Impeached Trump. The Senate dropped the ball. And the American people then buried that ball far enough to interfere with Satan’s daily activities by re-electiong Trump. It’s a bad situation, but also not one we’re going to solve by misrepresenting the law. Especially by handing The House the sole power to determine what Presidential Candidates have engaged in insurrection by a simple majority vote (the requirement to impeach). If you want to bring up “devolution of norms”, that sort of power is going to take the cake. Anytime we have a split government, we’re going to see impeachment and barring from office on the flimsiest of excuses. What we need isn’t half-baked ideas but an actual, well considered framework.

Your last paragraph is a result of misunderstandings and assumptions on your part.

I think it’s down to you moving the goalposts. You specifically stated:

The language of the 14th doesn’t require an impeachment or other formal conviction to apply. The fact that Trump was successfully impeached for inciting an insurrection is enough. The Senate’s failure to execute its duty does not erase reality.

You are arguing that the House Impeaching is enough to trigger Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Which is what I’m calling ridiculous. Trump being convicted by the Senate would have clearly barred him from holding office again. The reality is that he was acquitted. That’s the part which is actually important.