Bike lanes and paths are now full of people buzzing by at 25mph or more.
I would take that over the hunters on our hiking trail.
That just sounds illegal.
2nd amendment and all
No I’m pretty sure that the DNR prohibits hunting to specific areas on public land.
No one is willing to enforce it here. The local pd and the sheriff’s department said to start carrying and fire back at them.
😰
Honestly everyone going 25mph on an ebike is taking a motorcycle or car off the road. And im happy with that deal
Anyone going that fast on a bike IS a motorcycle.
Yes agreed, although i prefer electric motorcycles to ICE. At least they dont wake me up at 3am, brrrpbrrrprrrrrrrrp
I saw a Vespa today for the first time in ages, and kind of wondered why mopeds have fallen so out of favour. There used always be a few 16 year olds belting about on them.
But why would anyone get one when they can have an ebike? Vespa is likely more expensive, needs petrol, you need a licence, a (relatively) expensive helmet, you need costly insurance.
Compared to an e-bike that’s half the price, doesn’t need a licence or insurance, can be ridden with a normal cycling helmet, and is allowed use bike lanes. It’s a bit of a no brainer.
Well I play video games, and woo boy, let me tell you about microtransactions, crap DLC content, season passes, never ending early access, unfinished releases, and anti cheat root-kits! If you’re on console you pay a premium to play online, if you’re on PC you have 18 different game launchers and DRM bullshit. Digital only stuff means you don’t own your games, cant loan them or trade them or sell them. I’m sure there’s more, and admittedly there’s good with the bad. Graphics have come a long way, and some rare innovations are fun to see. I still have fun with it, but wow it is a fucked up landscape full of way more land mines than it used to be.
When I was a kid me and my friends who lived on my street would always trade or borrow our NES and SNES cartridges
You can still do this with physical console games.
Steam also has the family sharing support where you can burrow games from people.
Not to mention every OG single player game now becoming heavily multiplayer focused.
Halo, Call of Duty, Battlefield, Rainbow Six, Grand Theft Auto…
Can’t just make a new IP. No…we need to ruin the old game you love playing and focus only on players who want an online exclusive experience.
I quit following Halo Infinite updates because it only ever was something new for multiplayer.
Rockstar canceled all DLC plans for GTA V and waited 10 years to unveil its successor. I’m not even interested in GTA VI because it’s inevitably going to be multiplayer focused and forget about the offline single player experience.
Rainbow Six Patriots got canceled so we could get Rainbow Six Siege which has pretty much become a CounterStrike knock off.
All these companies forgot what made their games great and who the original fanbase consisted of in favor of the flavor of the month players.
The industrial revolution resulted in climate change that makes it borderline impossible to be active outside in the summer.
The industrial revolution resulted in climate change that makes it borderline impossible to be active outside in the summer.
Eh, not yet. For me it’s much worse to be inside in a building without A/C, then being outside doing activities. You just need to be careful and do not expose yourself too much to the sun.
I casually bicycle around town and like to see who I can keep up with to test how fast I am. More and more folks have ebikes now and it’s getting way less fun.
I’ve been on social media for a little over half a year. With the introduction of AI image generators, I have had my art stolen by an AI image prompter, who took my art and made it look like a congealed mess, in addition to being accused of using AI on another site back in June, even though I’ve posted progress pictures, timelapses of me drawing and PaintTool SAI files with many of the layers being intact. The AI image prompter was locally banned by a moderator, while the other person had their account removed by the administrator, who then apologised to me about that person’s rude behaviour.
Programming. Got so much better. There’s always a mountain load of tutorials and lessons online for free. Libraries are easy to get.
I think you misread the post.
Somewhat tangential, but Eddy Burback recently posted a YouTube video talking about AI, and how it’s being marketed in a way that’s intended to rob people of wholesome interpersonal experiences. Or at least dilute them by horning in.
Nothing is safe from tech bros. Certainly not hobbies.
fyi, that URL can be trimmed. the ?si=asdkjlfhasldkjfhaslkdjf is just tracking metrics. https://youtu.be/IZ4HOCld5nY works just fine.
So, first they create phones that make it easy to ignore other people. Then they create machines to give you the ‘interpersonal experience’
I love board games, and own a game shop. Many companies are creating board games (and other types of games) that require their app, then after a few years they abandon the app making the game useless and unplayable.
This is why I don’t buy toys and other items that require a specific app.
The last one I remember buying was that little robot and the company that made it went under and a new company bought them and resurrected the robot but now required a monthly subscription.
Great example of why this kind of crap needs to stop already. I don’t need a damn app for everything I do and it doesn’t have to be specialized.
The other side of it is those things I have, like an older RC helicopter, that still has the app available on the App Store but not for modern devices because the specifications changed and the app no longer is compatible for modern devices.
Fun stuff…
Similar situation - those board games are honestly pretty rare and almost universally shit, app or no. Plus, they’ve been trying to do that for years. I had a clue board game that would text you clues throughout the game. I played that on my first flip phone. It was absolutely horrendous
I remember having an old boardgame with a VHS. It has a countdown and would interrupt you every so often with events or punishments.
It was fun, but after the first time you play it you’d know every “surprise” coming on the tape.
I LOVED books as a kid. I was reading at a high school level by the time I started kindergarten, and I just absorbed every book I could get my hands on. I would bring a 100-200 page book to school every day and would finish it before I got home in the afternoon.
I also enjoyed writing and would write my own stories. I was part of an organization in elementary school called Young Authors that encouraged kids to write, and I wrote 3 books through that group. It was my dream to be an author one day.
Then the Internet became a thing.
Suddenly, I didn’t need to spend hours in a library reading through dozens of books to find information I needed. I could just do a quick search on Infoseek, or Excite, or AskJeeves, and have a repository of knowledge at my fingertips. It was life-changing!
As the Internet evolved and more data got dumped on it, I started spending more time perusing its depths and less time reading physical books. I ended up getting a job in IT because computers fascinated me so much. Eventually, I realized I hadn’t picked up a book in years. Everything I wanted to read, I could find online.
Now here I am at 40 years old and my dream of being an author is gone. In our modern age, most people don’t read physical books anymore and authors don’t make enough to survive, unless they make it on a best-seller list or something. Even Stephen King is more well known today for his political commentary on Twitter/X. I haven’t heard much about any books he’s been writing in a long time.
I once wanted a library room in my dream home. I still kind of do, for the aesthetic. But I don’t really read physical books anymore, and I could only fill maybe a single wall with the books I currently own; mostly treasured classics from my childhood that have been stored away in boxes for years. I’d be better off having a PC gaming/theater room in my dream home, as that’s more where my modern interests lie.
I love the Internet age. It revolutionized my childhood and brought us into a wonderful age of information. But I can’t help but think about how completely different my life would’ve been if it hadn’t been invented. I sometimes wonder if I would’ve been more happy and/or successful in a world without the Internet.
Very much same. I was an art kid. I painted and wrote and sang and played music, fast forward 30 years and I’m on a computer for 8ish hours at work, then another 8ish hours at home then sleep, with phone time scattered through out.
I kinda feel this way about streaming music. Something has been lost with all the convenience gained. I like streaming. I’ve heard more electronica and techno and chiptunes that I’d never heard before streaming. I like weird stuff and I get a LOT of it for essentially no cost… But I miss collecting things. Collecting albums and such was more expensive and I got fewer but I miss album art and having a collection of said art.
Check out a book called House of Leaves by Danielewski. You pretty much have to have an actual copy.
I’m younger, but this basically sums up my experience. I still try and make sure to do some (TTRPG) writing every so often just to keep myself sharp.
I used to go through a saga in a couple days. I once reread all of Harry Potter in 6 days. I struggle to finish audio books that I love nowadays
Honestly, technology has made getting high and playing video games and D&D MUCH better.
Solar, batteries and portable music has wrecked most of my favourite camping areas.
I just got back from 3 nights out at a rustic cabin I use as a retreat when I need to get away. I took my portable record player and about 20 records. The record player has an internal rechargeable battery that I recharge with the solar generator I brought with me.
Where is the line where these things ruin a spot versus contributing to it?
All opinion really. Some people like quiet, some people like music, some people hate genres of music. If someone went to relax and listen to the crickets/nature laying under the stars and all they hear is Luke Bryan, I imagine they may be saddened by it. I personally like socializing with others when camping so it wouldn’t bother me.
Wholeheartedly agreed. It was late and I misinterpreted the intent of the post, it is other people’s music that is the problem that OP was referring to, not the accessibility of music in general.
I have AirPods and headphones and love music. I have plenty of ways to stream it from the ether and into my head without others listening but I don’t like to do that in nature. I like records better for that because it has to be intentional and, from a functional perspective, I’d like to be able to hear a rattlesnake rattle before it bites me, or a bear or wild boars rustling in the trees/brush before it becomes an issue and they are right on me, with earbuds in or headphones on in nature can cause a safety issue. I like to be in the moment in nature and there are plenty of times where I do listen to the crickets or the lapping of the water with no music playing. I like feeling vibe of the moment, select the record and then have ~20mins of that music until it stops playing and I either switch records because the vibe has changed or I want to bring a different energy to the moment. It is more situational and tactile with records. Not having an endless stream of random music on a constant cycle is key for me to enjoying those moments in nature.
Like I said, I thought the OP was talking more about accessibility of music in nature in general, not the intrusion of other people’s music onto your life while one is in nature. It is a problem that is not specific to just campgrounds but I can see where it is a bigger problem in a campground than in normal daily life nowadays. With the advancement of technology in regards to streaming, wireless earbuds/headphones and personal technology I think music intrusion on a day to day basis is less intrusive now than it was 10 years ago or more. There are still people blasting music in their cars at midnight driving down city streets but there are less people playing boomboxes while walking down the street or while on the bus, subway or other public places because technology has advanced to a point where we can limit that intrusion on others and most reasonable people take advantage of that more now than they ever have before.
Where is the line where these things ruin
Decibels.
Does the entire camping areas need to hear your music?
Ahhh, well, it is just me out there so no one else can hear my music, there isn’t another house for a mile in any direction… but this is not an issue with just camping. Jerks blasting their music from their boats as they go by on the lake is a problem but that has been going on since the invention of music. Spock had to Vulcan nerve pinch a dude on the bus across the Golden Gate Bridge in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home back in the 80s because someone was playing music too loud and wouldn’t turn it down.
Yeah, the variety of music got more accessible I suppose but group camp grounds have been filled with music for a long time now, it was something that bothered me back in the 80s when I was a kid. This isn’t really a new issue due to technology, I am sure plenty of bards have been killed throughout history for playing their music too loud in the woods, or in parks, or wherever. Everywhere music can be played it has been played too loud.
Group camp grounds have been full of music for probably as long as music and group camp grounds have existed
Bluetooth speakers are amazing and also the worlds worst technology in public at the same time.
… we’ve had boomboxes since the 70s yo…
But they were at least limited in their portability and loudness and battery life. Now you can have a tiny speaker that gives up any semblance of sound quality for loudness, but will also manage to last 8+ hours.
Some of those bad boys would pack 8 D batteries and you didn’t ever have to charge it, just crack open a new pack of batteries every few outings.
Hell you can GRILL with 8 D batteries.
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Yeah I think this post is fishing for something that doesn’t make sense.
That’s funny, because I think fishing is probably the best example to answer OP’s question.
Ah ok I think I understand now why I and the person who commented above me, misunderstood this. I thought it was asking how has the technology that the hobby has adopted, but I think it meant just tech in general.
Yeah I used to love stargazing with my telescope but more and more ambient light polluting the skies means there are fewer and fewer places within any populated region where one can get a real look at the natural night sky. :-(
I could have worded things better, as I wanted to know how tech hurt your hobby when it was supposed to make it better. My issue, we now have all these ways of connecting to people all over the place, there are more TTRPG groups that play online instead of in person. Used to be I could go into a game/hobby/comic shop and find people who are willing to start a game. I don’t do well with online only games with my ADHD.
I agree too many people have isolated themselves thinking a keyboard and a screen can replace being in person. It sucks and it’s a sickness. Such a foolish and self-destructive way to live and so, what is it, laziness? I don’t know.
At the same time, tech has enhanced a lot. It’s a matter of selecting the situation where tech has made the thing better and discarding the idea of tech when it’s just for the sake of it.
I assumed OP was asking about hobbies that can’t be done the old way anymore because everything has been converted to a newer way that makes it easier but not as much fun anymore. Like in the example I posted earlier it’s now impossible to buy a fully handmade high quality guitar anymore unless I want learn how to build it myself from scratch or pay thousands of dollars for a high end custom guitar because almost all affordable guitars are built on assembly lines now
Model trainers used to be 2 wires to the track from a DC transformer. Add in a switchboard if you want blocks. Set the locomotive on the track and it would run based on your output from the transformer.
Now they are mostly computerized, and prohibitively expensive. A decent steam locomotive used to be $300-500… Now in the $700 range. Granted there is new functionality, but it feels like a hobby simple enough for a 7-12 year old to enjoy became an old rich man’s hobby.
Holy shit, what kind of system do you use?
On this side of the pond most H0 engines are still well below 200$. Sure,there are some that are more expensive, but I could only find sets or special editions in that range here.
Definitely better. I play tabletop RPGs (D&D, Pathfinder), and technology has allowed us to do all sorts of things that would be challenging in a physical medium. We can create detailed maps with lighting effects, sound effects, and triggers. A lot of the more tedious parts of the game such as initiative and health tracking get automated, and applying damage and healing is as easy as clicking a button while having a unit selected. And to top it all off, we’re not restricted to playing with the people around us and physically getting together. You can sit at home in your PJs and just hop into a Discord call to play with your friends. I’m truly grateful for it because I was able to continue playing Tabletop RPGs with my sister when she moved 1300 miles away to live with her then boyfriend, now husband.
My issue with all that tech is now I can’t find players who are willing to meet up in person.
My issue, as a younger grognard, is that point and click character builders and sheets have led to a lot of players who don’t actually understand how to play the game without their buttons. They don’t get what I mean when I say “roll a spell attack” unless they have a button that does it. They don’t get how to build a character outside of something like D&D Beyond where it does everything for you.
Probably aware, but sometimes local gaming tabletop gaming ships will have signups. I’ve also seen FB groups for regional areas.
The part it made worse is having to purchase things twice. Either physical book or as part of the VTT. I do only book and copy everything in. Worth it for me but you can lose your digital everything
If you strip the DRM and keep a local copy of your digital content, you are no longer at the mercy of whatever services the provide it. Then you can keep a backup in case something happens to your primary copies.
That’s true but lot of work. Still not worth buying another copy.
(I did this for the digital only content from Dragon’s of Icespire Peak)
I prefer to have a printed copy over a digital one for the simple reason of bookmarks. If a game is rule-heavy, I will have multiple bookmarks in parts I need to reference often. And having the bookmarks visible to me in the book does make it easier to remember which one is which section.
I love having physical books for most things. It’s just the little things like exact spell wordings around needing to see a target or components. Same with exact languages of class features for edge cases.
I always use my books for prep and when I’m running my character. When DMing it’s nice to have a quick reference
Right, I refuse to get sucked into DND beyond it any other service, we played fine before it was a thing, no need to pay to play this game. Also with all the free content available no need to buy anything apart from basics like player’s handbook & DMG, though PDFs are online.
I love being able to find all rules online for quick reference, but Pathfinder has always had this for free. I will still get books because it’s more fun to read and keep.
I’ve considered switching to Pathfinder due to this and other stuff wotc has been doing in recent years. Just I have everything I need to run games for the foreseeable future without any cost. Also I’m a bit lazy, learning a new set of rules.
It’s a totally different game to play. But it’s great for players to have all the rules on the official website.
It’s not nearly as much fun to collect things. There’s no thrill of the hunt-- if you need a stamp for your collection, just go online and buy it.
Finding old stuff felt more fun as well before eBay. You could have some old forgotten collectible thing in a drawer and think, “oooh, this might be a treasure that’s worth money!” but it’s somehow less fun when you immediately go online and see “oh, I could theoretically make $7 on this if I gave a shit” and just chuck it in the bin.
