EnglishMobster's recent activity

  1. Comment on A lawsuit argues Meta is required by law to let you control your own feed in ~tech

    EnglishMobster
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    A lawsuit filed Wednesday against Meta argues that US law requires the company to let people use unofficial add-ons to gain more control over their social feeds.

    ...

    Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is best known for allowing social media companies to evade legal liability for content on their platforms. Zuckerman’s suit argues that one of its subsections gives users the right to control how they access the internet, and the tools they use to do so.

    ...

    In 2020, [Meta] argued that the browser Friendly, which had let users search and reorder their Facebook news feeds as well as block ads and trackers, violated its terms of service and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. In 2021, Meta permanently banned Louis Barclay, a British developer who had created a tool called Unfollow Everything.

    ...

    Sophia Cope, staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights group, says that the core parts of Section 230 related to platforms’ liability for content posted by users have been clarified through potentially thousands of cases. But few have specifically dealt with the part of the law Zuckerman’s suit seeks to leverage.

    “There isn’t that much case law on that section of the law, so it will be interesting to see how a judge breaks it down,” says Cope. Zuckerman is a member of the EFF’s board of advisers.

    John Morris, a principal at the Internet Society, a nonprofit that promotes open development of the internet, says that, to his knowledge, Zuckerman’s strategy “hasn’t been used before, in terms of using Section 230 to grant affirmative rights to users,” noting that a judge would likely take that claim seriously.

    Meta has previously suggested that allowing add-ons that modify how people use its services raises security and privacy concerns. But Daphne Keller, director of the Program on Platform Regulation at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, says that Zuckerman’s tool may be able to fairly push back on such an accusation. “The main problem with tools that give users more control over content moderation on existing platforms often has to do with privacy,” she says. “But if all this does is unfollow specified accounts, I would not expect that problem to arise here."

    6 votes

  3. Comment on Unity appoints former EA and Zynga executive Matthew Bromberg as its new CEO in ~games

    EnglishMobster
    Link
    This, of course, follows in the footsteps of another ex-EA executive (John Riccitiello) who caused Unity significant leverage in the game engine market when the engine announced plans to...

    This, of course, follows in the footsteps of another ex-EA executive (John Riccitiello) who caused Unity significant leverage in the game engine market when the engine announced plans to retroactively charge Unity developers a fee every time someone installs a game running the Unity engine.

    38 votes

  5. Comment on Turns out the Rabbit R1 was just an Android app all along in ~tech

  7. Comment on Take-Two publishes WARN notice about seventy layoffs and studio closure in Seattle, possibly affecting Kerbal Space Program 2 developers Intercept Games in ~games

    EnglishMobster
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I mean - I'm obviously not a KSP dev, but I can kind of speak to your last point from my experience. Our game was launching and not doing well. It started off as an indie project by a small (but...
    • Exemplary

    I mean - I'm obviously not a KSP dev, but I can kind of speak to your last point from my experience.

    Our game was launching and not doing well. It started off as an indie project by a small (but talented) team. The indie studio wanted to get acquired, so they slapped a coat of franchise-specific paint on a prototype they had been working on for 2 years and pitched it as an entry in an existing franchise.

    The publisher saw the potential and agreed. The indie dev was acquired and the prototype was being turned into a "real game". This is when I joined the team, as one of the first new hires after the buyout.

    We worked on the game for 3 more years. In that time, we made some missteps:

    • I was a strong advocate for using one particular system (Unreal's Gameplay Ability System) and got the engineers onboard. I spearheaded development on it for 8 months, with it being a core system everything else was built on. Designers hated it and there wasn't much I could do to address their concerns as it was an issue on the architectural side. Eventually after 8 months the lead designers told engineering that designers all agreed the current system was untenable and asked us to completely remove it (with the backing of production + management). This decision led to another year of new work as it meant rewriting large sections of the game from scratch. This happened right as the pandemic hit, so this rewrite also happened as the team shifted from in-office collaboration to being fully remote.

    • Our engineering lead quit unexpectedly. He was a shield that kept everything together, an industry vet of 30 years. Replacing him was an engineer who had never led a team before, with 6 years of experience. This is just after we recovered from the above-mentioned rewrite. Our new lead was grumpy that we did that rewrite to begin with because he says the new systems didn't handle netcode as well as the old systems. He pushed for a complete rework of netcode and movement systems, and since he was the new lead... well, what he said was gospel. He rewrote some core netcode and checked it in, but it was buggier than Unreal's stock networking. He would spend the next 10 months leading to soft launch trying to make it better, but it never got better.

    We soft-launched and people complained about movement and core mechanics. Surprise surprise. We also didn't have any engineers on the audio team, so people complained that sounds were awful. The tutorial was drawn-out and had an abysmal completion rate (keeping in mind that most tutorials have bad completion rates).

    The community told us loud and clear what needed work. None of it was new (although the community did find some easy things we could fix). We made some adjustments and went for a second soft launch. Things were better the second time - not amazing, but the community reaction was improving. The game was getting more fun, and we got another round of feedback that was productive. It was looking like we could turn the ship around, with another patch planned in a couple months that would improve on a lot of areas the community disliked (and add some new features that we had finished internally but were purposely slow-walking to build hype).

    Then, a month before the patch dropped - we got a random all-hands meeting during lunchtime, on a Wednesday. 1 hour of notice. We were all nervously joking about what it could mean; there was some speculation about us doing a Switch port so maybe that was it.

    Instead... we got the news that we were all fired, and the studio was shutting down. It was to be formally announced at the earnings call in an hour, and we were not to say anything until then. We were told that we had 30 days of regular paychecks. After that, we were to be given a lump sum of 30 days of salary + sick/vacation pay + severance. (I calculated mine to be 5-6 months of runway.)

    Until the layoff "formally" went through within 30 days, we could look for other jobs at other studios owned by our parent company. However, we were informed that our parent company was not actively hiring at this time and that most of the 130-person team was going to be laid off. (The real joke is that they were to be hiring, just in Q1 and we were being laid off in Q4 to make the fiscal year look good. So because there was no overlap - we weren't eligible to transfer to the jobs that would open up a week after our transfer window expired.)

    In the end, I managed to find a role elsewhere. And it's not like the writing wasn't on the wall - we just refused to see it, thinking that we could somehow fix the issues and make something people liked. And we were making progress, which sucked.

    We never even got a chance to deploy that patch, either. We just quietly shelved it, and the new features/fixes never saw the light of day.

    It's one of those things that I think parallels the KSP Devs. It feels like they were in a similar situation. Like you mention, we probably won't ever know for sure - but I wouldn't be surprised if there were some aspects that overlapped between our situations. And I wouldn't be surprised if the KSP devs honestly thought they could fix things up until the day they got told they were fired.

    28 votes

  8. Comment on Take-Two publishes WARN notice about seventy layoffs and studio closure in Seattle, possibly affecting Kerbal Space Program 2 developers Intercept Games in ~games

    EnglishMobster
    Link
    Say what you will about the state of KSP2, but it seems there were internal problems regarding game direction and it wasn't the fault of these devs. I work in the AAA space myself and my prior...

    Say what you will about the state of KSP2, but it seems there were internal problems regarding game direction and it wasn't the fault of these devs.

    I work in the AAA space myself and my prior studio got shut down January 2023 under similar circumstances. I moved to a different project, which got cancelled February 29th of this year. I've found another home for now - but it's really scary seeing stuff like this constantly.

    The community manager posted an update last week saying things were "full steam ahead" - they recently updated their LinkedIn saying they were "open to work". Having been on the other side of it - you know your project is in trouble (well, sometimes you know), but you always hope you have enough time to right the ship. For legal reasons nobody is told that things are cancelled until appropriate legal notices have been filed. So from their perspective - last week things were "full steam ahead"... until they weren't.

    13 votes

  9. Take-Two publishes WARN notice about seventy layoffs and studio closure in Seattle, possibly affecting Kerbal Space Program 2 developers Intercept Games

    ~games Text 240 words
    Take-Two posted a legally-required notice that it is laying off 70 workers and closing a studio in Seattle. This is part of mass layoffs announced across Take-Two. This has also been mentioned by...

    Take-Two posted a legally-required notice that it is laying off 70 workers and closing a studio in Seattle. This is part of mass layoffs announced across Take-Two. This has also been mentioned by Games Industry.biz, although without much more details than what I have here (at time of writing).

    The only Take-Two studio in Seattle is Intercept Games, who have been making Kerbal Space Program 2. We also know that Intercept had about 65-70 people working there (half of which were on KSP2, half of which were on an unannounced project).

    Various KSP2 devs have also posted on social media that they have been impacted by layoffs (not sure about the rules re: linking social media profiles, so I'll hold off).

    We may or may not have more news in the coming days. It's hard times in the industry right now, and my heart goes out for everyone affected.

    EDIT: From Game Developer:

    When approached for comment by Game Developer, Take-Two wouldn't confirm whether Intercept Games has been impacted by the cuts–despite multiple Kerbal Space Program developers indicating they recently left the studio, with one expressly stating they were "laid off." A company spokesperson did, however, explain that its Private Division publishing label will continue to support Kerbal Space Program 2.

    ...

    When pushed again on the current status of Intercept Games, Take-Two told Game Developer it has "nothing further to note."

    31 votes

  10. Comment on I made a mistake, I started using Reddit again in ~talk

    EnglishMobster
    Link Parent
    The ban message explicitly told me a human did it and not a bot, which makes it even more frustrating:

    The ban message explicitly told me a human did it and not a bot, which makes it even more frustrating:

    Note: This decision was made without the assistance of automation.

    8 votes

  11. Comment on ‘Red One’ down: How Dwayne Johnson’s tardiness led to a $250 million runaway production in ~movies

    EnglishMobster
    Link Parent
    That's what I was thinking. It's also odd to me that people who worked with him say one thing - but the companies who he worked for are saying something else. Like, I'm not necessarily inclined to...

    That's what I was thinking.

    It's also odd to me that people who worked with him say one thing - but the companies who he worked for are saying something else. Like, I'm not necessarily inclined to believe the companies, but at the same time it's hard to say that isn't just some folks with a vendetta.

    But also... there's enough of a pattern that there likely is some truth behind it.

    8 votes

  12. Comment on US to require automatic emergency braking on new vehicles in five years in ~transport

    EnglishMobster
    Link Parent
    And making sure that folks who shouldn't be driving aren't driving anymore. For example - I love my grandma. She was born in a London bomb shelter during the Blitz in WWII. She still, to this day,...

    And making sure that folks who shouldn't be driving aren't driving anymore.

    For example - I love my grandma. She was born in a London bomb shelter during the Blitz in WWII. She still, to this day, drives hundreds of miles alone.

    She got in a car accident last month. Completely her fault. The guy stopped at a red light, and she mixed up the brakes and the accelerator. She hit the accelerator when she thought she was hitting the brakes.

    She should not be driving anymore. Of course, she thinks otherwise. She took a driving test and passed, just a couple days before the accident. But clearly that's not enough, because she got in the accident a couple days later.

    We need better systems for determining "hey maybe this person shouldn't be behind the wheel anymore". And we need a society that is able to support public transit and other mobility platforms for folks who are no longer able to drive (for any number of reasons).

    20 votes

  13. Comment on I made a mistake, I started using Reddit again in ~talk

    EnglishMobster
    Link Parent
    I've had my Reddit account for 13 years. I saw someone spreading hate on the platform. I reported it, like anyone should. Reddit banned my account site-wide because I was "abusing the report...

    I've had my Reddit account for 13 years.

    I saw someone spreading hate on the platform. I reported it, like anyone should.

    Reddit banned my account site-wide because I was "abusing the report system". Like, what?

    11 votes

  14. Comment on Do you think this place will get big on/after July 1st? in ~tildes

    EnglishMobster
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    I think a lot of Redditors like what Tildes looks like. Just anecdotally, I've seen people get turned off by some of the bigger Lemmy instances having a hard-left culture, with some even bringing...

    I think a lot of Redditors like what Tildes looks like.

    Just anecdotally, I've seen people get turned off by some of the bigger Lemmy instances having a hard-left culture, with some even bringing out the term "tankie" to describe Lemmy users.

    I can see where they're coming from, but I ultimately disagree - Lemmy is what you make it, and you can easily ignore those by going to a Lemmy instance like Beehaw.org (which is closer culturally to Reddit, but - like Tildes - doesn't allow people to make their own equivalent to subreddits).

    Tildes, by contrast, is very pleasant and thoughtful. I think a lot of people will be drawn to that, but also I think a lot of them will see the similarities to Reddit and expect... Reddit. Tildes (of course) is different, more focused on thoughtful discussions... but you're going to see the people that want /r/aww or /r/politics or NSFW porn subs and think Tildes is going to be a 1:1 Reddit clone that has all those things.

    So I expect a lot of new users to join (I'm one of them! Hi!). How many stick around when they realize it's not Reddit remains to be seen - I don't personally mind, myself, but part of me does miss seeing memes and cute cat photos (even though I totally get why they aren't here).

    33 votes

  15. Comment on Disney is staring down the barrel of a no good, very bad year in ~movies

    EnglishMobster
    Link Parent
    There's also layoffs hitting the economy as well. I was laid off in late January. I'm in the tech sector, which is famously volatile... but my mom also got laid off recently, and she works for the...

    There's also layoffs hitting the economy as well.

    I was laid off in late January. I'm in the tech sector, which is famously volatile... but my mom also got laid off recently, and she works for the University of Chicago. Now I've been reading articles about Disney doing layoffs and JP Morgan doing layoffs, and it's only a matter of time before the economy slows enough that other non-tech sectors start performing layoffs.

    I think it's already starting to happen and people are cutting back while they can.

    2 votes

  16. Comment on Disney is staring down the barrel of a no good, very bad year in ~movies

    EnglishMobster
    Link Parent
    Disney has kind of always moved in cycles, so I'm not too surprised. The issue is that when Disney was releasing bombs in the 80s, their animation department was largely spared (except for Black...

    Disney has kind of always moved in cycles, so I'm not too surprised. The issue is that when Disney was releasing bombs in the 80s, their animation department was largely spared (except for Black Cauldron).

    Now the issue is that they are so big and releasing so many different movies that a lot of them are just... bad.

    9 votes

  17. Comment on Introductions | June 2023, part 1 in ~talk

    EnglishMobster
    Link Parent
    It's probably best if I compare it to the others: The Jungle Cruise could be exhausting, but fun. It was really hard to screw up at Jungle, and once you understood what made people laugh you could...
    • Exemplary

    It's probably best if I compare it to the others:

    The Jungle Cruise could be exhausting, but fun. It was really hard to screw up at Jungle, and once you understood what made people laugh you could get really good at it. There was a laid-back culture at Jungle, and since it was incredibly hard to mess up you could kind of do your thing without worry.

    Tiki was nice because it was air conditioned and you could sit down. You generally sat inside for 20 minutes, then stood outside for 20 minutes, then went back inside. You just enforced the rules, but you didn't have to do anything other than start and end the show. There was no heavy machinery to keep an eye on and nothing super important to remember.

    The Disneyland Railroad could be fast-paced. You were genuinely on a schedule. When it was busy, you would have to leave on a green light. But once you locked up the station and the train was on its way, it was very zen. You just peoplewatched for the most part, and you'd go around the park seeing what was happening.

    By comparison, Indy was just not fun. There was a lot to remember at Indy. There were a lot of rules, and if you accidentally did something wrong you'd be fired. This was true at the other places too... but like I said, it was really hard to mess up at Jungle/Tiki, and only 1 way to mess up on the train - don't leave if the station gates are unlocked. It could be really easy to forget to lock the gates if you were busy, but it was only 1 thing to remember.

    Indy... you had to know what button to push if XYZ happened. You had to know how to react if the ride went down - there were dozens of very important steps and I forgot half of them after training. I asked for a reminder, but a lot of Indy people are jerks and it seemed like a chore for them to remind you how to do your job properly. Then there were times where something happened and you were by yourself... and you sure had to hope to remember all the steps you needed to do in order. On top of that, Indy was much faster-paced as far as work went, with a height requirement that you had to strictly enforce... and deal with the people who are upset that Timmy is too short, while also doing the rest of your job.

    I never had fun at Indy, but everywhere else could be really fun.

    11 votes

  18. Comment on New users: Ask your questions about Tildes here! in ~tildes

    EnglishMobster
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    I know this place is still fresh - is there an Android app in development? I usually browsed Reddit on mobile (I had 50 hours in Relay for Reddit this week...) so it'd be great if there was an app...

    I know this place is still fresh - is there an Android app in development? I usually browsed Reddit on mobile (I had 50 hours in Relay for Reddit this week...) so it'd be great if there was an app so I can pretend nothing happened. ;)

    10 votes

  19. Comment on Introductions | June 2023, part 1 in ~talk

    EnglishMobster
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    Hello! I've been a Redditor for 11 years - I was even in the Century Club subreddit (it's not nearly as interesting as you probably think it is). I work as a AAA game programmer. I previously...

    Hello!

    I've been a Redditor for 11 years - I was even in the Century Club subreddit (it's not nearly as interesting as you probably think it is).

    I work as a AAA game programmer. I previously worked on the Battlefield series, but EA laid me off earlier this year as part of them shutting down my former studio. Now I'm working on a new AAA title I can't really talk about.

    Before I worked in the AAA space, I worked at Disneyland! I used to be a skipper on the World-Famous Jungle Cruise. I also worked as a host at the Tiki Room (fun fact: technically, this is considered part of the Jungle Cruise), a conductor on the Disneyland Railroad, and an "archaeologist" on the Indiana Jones ride they have there (although I hated working Indy).

    As a hobby, I have a model train layout. It's in N-Scale (1:160). I'm also part of a local model railroad club that periodically meets up and puts together modular layouts. We meet at local convention centers and whatnot, where we string together a bunch of 4x2-foot layout sections that we each individually own/maintain and make one big mega-layout.

    I'm super excited to be here!

    22 votes