CaptObvious

joined 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

To answer the question, I very much prefer fountain pens. They're much more economical in the long run, they write smoother and are less prone to clogging, and the different inks are just fun.

To the point about carbons: Not many situations require carbon copies these days. For those that do, you can usually pick up a vintage (not a modern) Esterbrook for a reasonable price and replace the nib. Esterbrook had a couple dozen different nibs, some specifically hardened for writing carbon copies. They're also fairly easy to find.

There may be some modern pens that are good for writing carbons. Check Goulet Pens or some of the other online sellers.

NB: If you go for an Esterbrook, definitely look for the antiques. They may require a bit of maintenance, but they still write beautifully. The modern ones are made by some outfit that purchased the company name for overpriced branding, but they have no connection to the originals.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I admit that I have all alerts deactivated for the simple reason that our local agencies can’t seem to use SAME codes and I get tired of waking in the middle of the night for a thunderstorm three counties over.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 days ago

If only he had found religion instead of founding a for-profit, he’d be riding high and no one would care.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Which sticks will they use to be sure that this funding actually develops charging stations rather than lining CEOs’ and bureaucrats’ pockets?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm not the one who brought athletics into this. I'm just following the conversation. But no, "esports" do not meet the definition of "sport."

[–] [email protected] -1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

"Sport" is defined as athletic activity, and "athlete/athletic" refers to physical exercise, agility, stamina, and strength. So no, playing a video game doesn't count.

If girls make you sweat, good for you. Sex could arguably be athletic, depending on what you get up to.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 2 weeks ago

Nice work if you can get it, I guess.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Not sure if you’re an artist yourself or if your handle is meant to poke society’s nose. :)

Either way, yes, I know what art is. I also know that it is very much in the eye of the beholder. I just don’t happen to agree that playing video games rises to either an art form or a profession. But everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 2 weeks ago

I did seem to find a soft spot, didn’t I?

 

I find that I need a security camera for my back yard. Do you folks recommend any particular makes & models? It should avoid the cloud but record locally. I'm somewhat handy with Linux and a RaspberryPi, if that helps.

Thanks!

 

One takeaway from this TED Talk is that Title IX, rather than balancing the playing field for women, tilted it against men. Are there any clear solutions?

 

Is anyone else genuinely not interested in knowing what should be private details of another adult's health? I'm happy to point students to helpful resources that I know about, but treating them is not my job, nor am I interested in the liability of being seen as some sort of first responder. This is well and truly out of my wheelhouse, and I work to keep it that way.

43
Dell Data Breach (literature.cafe)
submitted 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
 

Has anyone else received an email from Dell about a data breach? I’ve gotten three messages just today. What’s going on?

Dell Technologies takes the privacy and confidentiality of your information seriously. We are currently investigating an incident involving a Dell portal, which contains a database with limited types of customer information related to purchases from Dell. We believe there is not a significant risk to our customers given the type of information involved. 

What data was accessed?
At this time, our investigation indicates limited types of customer information was accessed, including: 

  • Name 
  • Physical address 
  • Dell hardware and order information, including service tag, item description, date of order and related warranty information 


The information involved does not include financial or payment information, email address, telephone number or any highly sensitive customer information. 

**What is Dell doing? **
Upon identifying the incident, we promptly implemented our incident response procedures, began investigating, took steps to contain the incident and notified law enforcement. We have also engaged a third-party forensics firm to investigate this incident. We will continue to monitor the situation. 

**What can I do? **
Our investigation indicates your information was accessed during this incident, but we do not believe there is significant risk given the limited information impacted. However, you should always keep in mind these tips to help avoid tech support phone scams. If you notice any suspicious activity related to your Dell accounts or purchases, please immediately report concerns to [email protected].

 

Now that the end is in sight, how's it going?

 

What is it with Nike and sexualized athletic uniforms these days (see MBA see-through pants)? Did PornHub invest without anyone noticing?

 

Have they given up already? I haven’t seen the popup in a couple of days (touch wood). For a few weeks, it showed up every time I used a logged in account and made the service unusable.

Maybe I’ve just stopped trying to watch monetized videos.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/18/us/college-board-ap-exams-courses.html?smid=

What do you all think of the College Board’s AP program?

1
submitted 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
 

In another thread, @[email protected] made a post leading to the question "How long until we need to include a lesson on crafting appropriate AI prompts in order to help students use them as tools and not as unpaid ghost writers?" Are we already doing this?

I definitely discuss acceptable use and try to keep the guidelines brief and familiar (Treat it like a not-too-bright friend who's a patient sounding board). But how far do you all think we'll eventually have to wade into the weeds on this?

 

I know that we're all still feeling our way around this issue, but how are other profs handling it? What is good evidence of unauthorized AI use? How do you handle a student who refuses to engage in attempts to get their side of the story?

For my classes, we talk once a month or so about acceptable use (treat it like a not-very-bright friend who's overconfident and prone to hallucinations). It's okay to brainstorm, bounce ideas, and generally use AI to spark creative problem solving. It's not okay to have it do your assignments.

2
Student BO (literature.cafe)
submitted 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
 

This fall, I have a student who seems unfamiliar with showering and deodorant. I haven't said anything, hoping that the issue is just a one-off and that it will resolve itself. However, we're quickly approaching the end of my patience, and I'm not sure how to proceed.

Everyone has a deodorant malfunction from time to time. Obviously, no one is going to be personally identified, even in a private email. My best idea so far is a general class announcement via the LMS that it's been brought to my attention that we may have a problem and for everyone to please double check their hygiene before coming to class.

Have any of you all ever had to deal with this? Any suggestions?

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