Random Thread ～Owaranai Insomnia '25 ver.～

[resop2]

Is it considered bad to say that you use an ad-blocker?

[Celedam]

Not at all. I use a custom HOSTS file to block the vast majority of ads, trackers, scripts, badges, beacons, "phone home" routines, and so on, because that entire industry is a massive abuse of the public's trust. If people only knew…

Anyhow, that file doesn't work for YouTube's video ads because they're served from the same domain as the actual videos. (Used to work, up until a few years ago. Not anymore.) But I usually don't mind YouTube's video ads because at least you can skip most of them after six seconds, and I genuinely want to support the channels to which I've subscribed.

It's just every so often, like right now with this certain maker of mobile phone accessories… <growl> …that my patience is tested.

[esm]

I'm annoyed by all the social distancing themed ads. Like, yeah, just let me watch Hulu in peace.

[TotallyUncool]

I can't stand pretty much any kind of ad - which is a little ironic, I suppose, since I've written my share of advertising and promotional material. But then again, a certain amount of lightweight hypocrisy (of the "Oh, no, I'd never do the thing that I'm obviously doing right now!" sort) is necessary to keep any kind of society functioning, I suppose.
Or so I tell myself.

[yuripop]

i don't see youtube ads because i use invidio.us (an alternate front-end for youtube), but when i watch youtube on the tv sometimes the ads get really annoying T_T and i don't really watch tv but when my family does i always hear the corona commercials, and it's REALLY getting annoying hearing "in these challenging times..." over and over again lol

[Zunu]

This person’s drawing technique is so precise and hyperreal that I’m still not 100% sure that it isn’t some kind of sophisticated trick.

[TotallyUncool]

Just for the record, Jinsei Blues has been running through my head for the past day or so. It seems relevant enough, and I'm quite OK with it as a running-through-the-head song.

[erilaz]

I returned to my day job yesterday, officially ending my staycation, so one of the songs from the "Once More, With Feeling" episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was foremost in my mind:

There was no pain,
No fear, no doubt,
Till they pulled me out
Of Heaven.
So that's my refrain,
I live in Hell,
'Cause I've been expelled
From Heaven.
I think I was
In Heaven.
So give me something to sing about!
Please, give me something…

[TotallyUncool]

I'm still working at home - with the software industry, the shift to 100% work-from-home is generally pretty simple, and I suspect that a lot of companies are likely to remain home-based. But I know that retail is very, very different.
At this point, I haven't gone anywhere for two months - I miss just getting out and socializing, but I know that will happen when it happens. In the meantime, my sleep-wake cycle is completely gone - I was up until 9:00 AM installing and configuring Kubuntu and MySQL on a virtual machine for a freelance piece. The deadline's tomorrow, and I could push it past that, but I just got carried away.

[rikkikow]

I got stimulated. First time ever. Qualification for lowest payout just squeaked by. I will use it to stimulate my auto mechanic.