Ask Lemmy

It seems like no matter how I scroll I find bad news. I know lots of things are happening but I just want funny memes and interesting stories.

I used to be able to get this back in the day on the Reddit app feed, but here the all page is always just depressing stuff. Back then, there was news and stuff but like it felt more balanced in the all feed. I could get bad stuff but lots of interesting stuff too .

I find myself engaging less and less and just avoiding Lemmy more and more since I know the moment I open it I'll get whacked with more depressing stuffs.

I don't want politics or world news or really even memes about that stuff anymore. Heck even tech news is depressing. I just want simple scrolling of fun content. Idk it's just hard to describe.

Does anyone else feel this way about their Lemmy experience?

I remember an old post about someone getting AM radio from their sink (probably from Reddit back in the day). That type of stuff is so much cooler than my feed.

To that end: any recommended active communities on Lemmy with that type of stuff?

In any way you know of. I find people here are more aware of politics and ethics behind big companies and this is what prompted my question but I'm also curious about any other differences.

I'm in Australia and I've only used Ebay and AliExpress so far. I find AliExpress has more variety and somewhat cheaper prices but I don't know why or anything else.

When I first heard about Temu it was always in relation to dodgy products and sex toys so I didn't pay much attention to it, however lately I keep hearing about people buying regular stuff without issues. Never tried it myself though.

Obviously for Northern Hemisphere folks here. Where I am, it has been mostly below freezing, a little snow but not enough to pe pretty or good to play in. It's mostly indoor activities. I work out at the gym, play board games, have random get togethers with friends. What do you do?

From my experience, most FOSS software is very ~~user friendly~~ user-centric / user-focused, while proprietary stuff is shit. What is the most notable exception to this rule that comes to your mind?

Edit: With user friendliness, I don't mean UI design, but things like how the software is handling user privacy, whether it sees its users as users or as money-making cattle, how it handles user feedback, compatibility with other software the user uses (vs. vendor lock-in), configurability, and similar issues.

Edit2: I was made aware that user friendliness is a defined term: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Userfriendliness

I've got several of these empty steel propane tanks from heating the chicken coop during the recent cold weather before I got an adapter to run the heater off of a larger refillable tank. Any ideas on what they could be repurposed for?

Seems like there should be some use for them besides tossing them in the recycling. I'd assume I'd need to poke a hole in them before recycling since they are/were pressure vessels.

I know there are adapters out there to refill them but now that I can use a larger, more easily refillable, tank I don't really have any inclination to do so.

My only thought so far was to cut the top off, drill some holes, and make a little stick burning camp stove. But, that's not something I'll ever use.

I've got a fairly extensive workshop and metal working tools so pretty much everything is on the table. I can even do really shitty welding if required.

EU absolutely is a country.

Thinking of starting media creation, want to have an email address dedicated to that purpose. Don't want to go with Gmail as I'd like to phase Google out of my life, amd Protonmail seems i correct for this because it largely wouldn't be encrypted mail.

Recommendations?

It would be nice to see the collapse discussed in real-time, but also have something to reference in the future as significant turning points.

I was looking for this since yesterday and I couldn't find a proper answer.

(If you have anxiety about death then maybe you shouldn't read this post, just letting you know!)

Edit: Thank you guys for being so quick to post your comments and give your thoughts, it makes me wish I said something sooner rather than dealing with it on my own. You guys are seriously awesome, and have made me want to fight way harder to be a better person for my friends and family, and everyone else around me. I think tonight I'll finally be able to sleep, and I'm looking forward for tomorrow and to be able to talk to my Dad about how I'm feeling and what I'm thinking about all this, and to spend as much time with him as I can. Take care of yourself guys! And again, thank you so, so much. I seriously feel way better and my anxiety is a lot less now.

Before joining Lemmy I used to be a devoted Christian since my family raised me as one and have been Christians for generations. And to add important context, I'm not talking about judge mental homophobic trump supporting Christians that judge gays and everyone else they see who don't live the way they live. I'm talking about being a real follower of Christ who loves thy neighbor and knows we have no right to judge, not what most church's are today who just exist to make a profit. My family are bible based Christians and raised me as one too, not by propaganda machines. (Or at least the propaganda that politicians or "Church's" who exploit vulnerable people for their money like to spread around. The "buy my book to change your life" or "plant your $1000 seed" type of shenanigans makes me sick.)

Anywhoo, while being on Lemmy and learning a lot about U.S. politics I just have never seen on other social media sites like X and Reddit, and talking about science, capitalism, global warming, and so on and so fourth with the incredible people on here, it has really broaden my view on certain subjects and be a lot more open to a lot more ideas, one of which is Atheism.

I haven't thought about it too much, but recently my Grandfather died and so my emotions and thoughts have wandered about him and about loosing someone I care a lot about, and then a question popped into my head; is he truly in a "better place"? Do they actually go somewhere? What will happen to my Dad?

After that random thought, my brain has kind of spiraled out of control about this topic and I haven't been able to sleep well since I've been having anxiety thinking about death. What is the point if all of life (our life) is truly just our brains, and our brain stops working? Is it really just, nothingness? What is the point of making all these amazing memories with family and friends that I cherish more than anything in the world, if all these memories are going to be forgotten? Whether its today, or 80 years from now? With this ideology, when I stop breathing, I will quite literally become nothing. There will be nothing. I am dead. It's made me into this "why should I care" mood about almost everything.

I think I've kind of made my anxiety worse during the last few nights since I also decided to look up what its like to die and what scientists have said about the topic, whoops! Turns out our brain can still think 2-15 minutes after our hearts stop beating! I know I'm joking here which I tend to do when I'm in these situations but I have been extremely anxious when it comes to the fear of death. Not in a "I'm scared to use this knife to cut a slice of tomato" kind of way, but a "when we're gone there will be nothing and I will remember nothing and become nothing" sort of way.

Not trying to get political here, but with this thought in my mind for the last couple of days and hearing about situations like Palestine has made me completely rethink everything like life itself, and now every time I hear about Palestine or Ukraine or whatever else going on in the world, I can't help but burst into tears.

Sorry for the rant or whatever this is, just asking what you guys think or how you live your life if thats alright. Take care of yourself!

I'm a complete beginner with no photography experience but excited to get into it.

Budget: ~$500

Needs: High quality macro of all kinds (my main purpose for getting a camera in the first place). Secondary: portraits (full body / upper body). Tertiary to those is versatility for everything else as it's going to be the only lens for the foreseeable future. I'd also love for the lens to have all the latest features like autofocus and the such (if there's anything else).

I've done some research around macro RF lenses for R50 (ASP-C cropped sensor) and among the 24mm, 35mm, and 85mm it seems 35mm stands out the most for the above needs but since I'm on a tight budget, I need quality advice to make sure I'm not making a mistake here.

I know Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM is better due to 1:1, but it wouldn't be as versatile as 35mm and thus annoying to use for anything other than macro due to the effective 160mm on the crop lense, right?

I could theoretically get used lenses but it's difficult where I live. The EF to RF adapter would have to be without the ring (too expensive otherwise), and I might have real trouble finding the suggested proper older EF (or third party) lens. Plus, most used lenses here aren't much cheaper, even the really old ones, and I really doubt they'd be in good condition either. But for a really good recommendation I might consider it.

Anyone that down votes is more than welcome to provide an example.

Just asking. I do not see me alive under u.s. reign, so I've already played that out; just a discussion.

What keeps you away from PeerTube? What features does PeerTube lack? If you were the developer of PeerTube, how would you improve it?

Looking for focused alternatives to Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc Not just for myself but for my family members and friends who I wish to keep in touch with.. any other threads going on about this? Maybe have a general thread and subsequent migration movements, we really need to act on this social life fascist monopoly we've became hostages to..

What was the journey like? How much easier is it now to run your own instance compared to the beginning?

Just curious.

Am looking for a compact paperback encyclopedia but am struggling to find one available in the UK. I used to have the Hutchison compact, but believe that was last printed in the 90s..

Old title - Tolerance - Is violence ever justified?

For reference - https://lemmings.world/post/19791264 and all comments below the post about tolerance and non-tolerance

is it too naive for me to believe any and every lives matter? I do understand if someone is coming for my life, and i stop him by retaliating back, most nation's laws would deem me innocent, maybe even most people will - but was it right?

It has not happened with me yet, and this is post is not politics related, a general discussion about tolerance, but I dont know how will I respond to such a situation, Is there a correct approach?

I know in a imaginary utopia - we can have a society where everyone thinks any violence, or for that matter, any evil deed is evil. And I know real world is far from being a utopia, but i believe most people can differentiate between good and bad. In my opinion, most people who do such acts are not really doing it because they enjoy it, some do because they have to, some think they have to, and they have been brain washed.

I also think if we ask a binary (yes/no) question to everyone - Is violence justified" - most people will vote no. I know there would be some exceptions (even in perfect utopia's like N. Korea, lords only get like 99% majority)(/s).

Now if we change question - "Is violence ever justified" - many will now vote yes, and start listing out situations where they think it is valid.

This question was also brought up in Avatar. For people who don't know - should Aang (a person with firm opinions, and more importantly a child - 12(112) years old) kill Lord Ozai (for now, consider him embodiment of evil for simplicity, but still a human). Many shows get away from asking, by basically having monsters (non human) as the opponent, so it is does not feel morally wrong. But here the question was asked. His past lives (in this world reincarnation exists, and aang is the Avatar - person who can control all elements) also suggested he should kill him, and he is tethered to this world, and this is no utopia ......... In the show they got away with basically a divine intervention.

Maybe here is my real question - Is it correct to have your morals be flexible?

Now for my answer, I have almost never felt correct labeling people good or bad, I have almost always treated people depending on what the situation expects me to (maybe how I feel I should be treating). In some sense I have a very flexible stance, and in some others, I dont. For example - I never cheat on exams or assignments - I can't justify cheating, If I am getting poor marks, then I should prepare well. But If someone else asks me to help them cheat (lets say give assignment solutions) - I dont refuse either, as I have understood, even though judging people by a few numbers is bad, world still does that - mostly to simplify things, and in that sense, a higher grade for anyone is better for them.

I dont even know what can be a answer. I dont know if it exists, or it can exist, I am not really trying to find it either, consider this just a rant at clouds.

edit - I am not asking a binary question - you are not expected to answer a yes or no, see the line just above this edit. It is not even really about violence - it is about morality

edit 2 - Changed title, old 1 is still here for full context. I dont know why I chose that title. I am not blaming anyone who answered on the basis of title, It was my bad to have some title, and ask a "not really orthogonal but generalised question" in the middle, hoping people answer that, some one did, I thank them. Many people have written (or in similar vein) - violence should be be avoided, but not when it the last thing. I understand this general sentiment - but according to me - having a excuse to ever do violence allows you to have loop hole, just blame the circumstances.

Someone gave a situation where they would do violence - someone trying to assault a kid - and I agree I would too (If I would be in such a situation).

I had a small back and forth with someone about morals - my stance is morals are frameworks to choose if a action is moral/immoral. And then the question is really how rigid should your moral framework be, and should it depend on background of people in consideration?