For those who don't need cloud access, I just put all of my photos on a NAS and use a digital asset manager software. digiKam is great if you want an open source solution. I use ACDSee because it's faster and has better usability in my humble opinion. But since both of the software packages store the metadata in image files and XMP sidecars and basically only use local app-specific database for caching, if digiKam ever gets a couple of quantum leaps ahead, switching back to it isn't that big of a deal. (As usual, don't use Adobe Lightroom or you're screwed in that regard. Or so I've been told.)
Yup. Hasbro-WotC has already dragged their name in the mud, and they're really busy digging their own grave with the recent push for digital-first/virtual-tabletops-first stuff and micro(macro)transactions. Meanwhile, they forgot that tabletop RPG rules have always been flexible and homebrewy (and the old OGL reflected that ethos perfectly), and you can't hyper-monetise them the same way as video games.
They're making the same mistakes TSR did. (Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it, yadda yadda yadda.) Except in TSR's case, they got bought by WotC who pulled an extremely community-supportive, business-ecosystem-building move by introducing OGL. Even if Elon bought out WotC I doubt he is actually going to be interested in fixing whatever's actually ailing them right now, dude's too busy fighting woke demons than actually doing sound business/pro-community moves.
My gosh that Reddit app icon is horrible. It looks like a terrible meme NFT or something. ...Which was probably the aesthetic they were going for, to be clear.
It's apparently $50 a month, but based on one recent video from a guy who looked into this, there's apparently a hard sell to "commit" to the program for a year, and if you do commit, it won't let you cancel or refund, because you committed to the program, bro, that's a sacred vow, bro, you can't violate that, bro.
I'm a trans woman in Europe. Got traumatised by public restrooms in the 1990s way before my transition when one fucking coin-operated bathroom lock on a train station malfunctioned and I almost missed a train until some dude entered. Why the fuck do people use public bathrooms. Scourge on humanity. Especially coin-operated ones. Fuck them. I always hold until I get home, no matter what. Yet, glad our trains have gender neutral bathrooms. And they're free of charge. SEE, AMERICA? TRAINS GOOD.
Authors have to submit manuscripts to publishers individually (or, in some markets, agents who work with multiple publishers in the same niche).
Publishers get showered with manuscripts. Very small percentage of them are what publishers deem will meet market goals.
In standard publishing contracts, the author gets paid an advance. This is basically the royalty percentage for the entire first print run. It's not refundable. It represents the trust the publisher puts on the author, and if the publisher can't sell all copies, well, tough for them. (They'd probably just not work with that author again.)
Getting to that point is a pretty massive hurdle to clear for first time authors.
So no, authors don't really get to pick their publishers. The only scenario where people get to pick their publishers is some celebrity deal bullshit.
In my opinion, as an outside observer, I'd say it is the duty of every patriotic American to mass produce signs that say "THIS COUNTRY IS RUN BY IDIOTS" and post them everywhere.
The way publishing industry has been for a very long time, authors (especially first time ones) don't get to pick whoever pays the best deal. Just whoever pays the first.
Edit: Also, theoretically, publishers should accommodate author wishes once a publication contract has been made. Actually not unheard of that a publisher would do something cool for their up and coming star. But this? Sloppiness on the publisher's part, plain and simple.
I think I saw some quip by Linus Torvalds about how Finland has such long winters with nothing to do, so it's no wonder we have so many great information technology nerds.
I need to one day develop a DVD/BR/book catalogue app to get even vague idea about what exactly is on my shelves and boxes. It has long since gone unmanageable. At least I know what's my next major project after NaNoWriMo.
I remember registering my CD key of HL1 on Steam and was surprised when they gave me the expansions for free. Cool, because I didn't have them.
I remember buying The Orange Box on Steam. I remember it because Steam gave me a warning because I already had Portal - it was free at some point. Was a bit miffed when TF2 went free to play later on.
And I somehow still haven't played HL2 on Steam, I think? I played it about 1/3 way on Xbox 360. Played the shit out of Portal on 360 though.
Ah, this will be the Department of Dunning-Kruger. The workers are idiots who think they are supergeniuses. Led by an idiot who thinks he's a supergenius.
During Trump's first term, this was just a metaphor, suggested by random comedians. Now, life will imitate art to its full extent.
For me OneDrive "memories" are from my wallpaper folder or Xbox screenshots.
Google "memories" are food diary photos (on days when my food budget is spent, Google loves to show me photos of the massive pizzas I ate years ago, because it knows) or random sunsets. (Except for that photo collage with cheery music from my grandma's funeral. Why did it have to do that specifically. Just asking.)
Fun thing, I don't want to get YouTube Premium because YouTube has a huge bunch of bugs and glitches and crap UI design and since they're the only service in the niche there's been no indication they'll ever fix their shit.
I didn't care about YouTube Music, so losing ads on stock YouTube apps was literally the only reason I was even considering getting Premium.
For those who don't need cloud access, I just put all of my photos on a NAS and use a digital asset manager software. digiKam is great if you want an open source solution. I use ACDSee because it's faster and has better usability in my humble opinion. But since both of the software packages store the metadata in image files and XMP sidecars and basically only use local app-specific database for caching, if digiKam ever gets a couple of quantum leaps ahead, switching back to it isn't that big of a deal. (As usual, don't use Adobe Lightroom or you're screwed in that regard. Or so I've been told.)