The problem is not really subscriptions, it's being able to enter and leave a subscription without hassle, something that is increasingly difficult these days. If you're paying for an ongoing service, then it makes sense to pay a monthly fee. But if you're paying for an app and don't expect significant long-term upgrades, then yes, a one-time purchase makes sense.
In theory, iOS implements this well by allowing you to unsubscribe with one click. In practice, it's a terrible UX. Just try finding the subscriptions page in Settings and you'll see what I mean.
Is Nautilus doing ok, since the problem a few months ago about paying writers? I've noticed lately that a lot of front-page articles are pulled from older issues, and they publish fewer articles every week. Also, I still haven't received any print issues in the mail this year. Maybe they are transitioning to a digital-only publication?
You haven't received a print issue this year? That makes me think my story may not be unique.
I ordered a subscription to the physical magazine on May 1st of this year. Liz (managing editor) responded to my two inquiries about shipping. Each time she stated shipping was 2-3 weeks away. Both of those time frames were missed. Liz stated there were issues with the production of one issue (specifically #24).
Nearly four months after ordering, I am still product-less. I asked for a refund earlier this week, and I haven't gotten a response--I have escalated the issue to PayPal at this point. The order is marked as refunded on naultil.us's store page, but I haven't seem any action on the PayPal end.
I've always thought the fact that The Sims was fun was a masterwork of good game design. Especially early in its life when it had fewer of the more fantastical additions - it's a game that simulates normal life down to some pretty mundane details. I mean, the game even started out as an architecture simulator and not an actual game!
Yet, I sunk many hours into the first game as a kid and enjoyed 3 and 4 as an adult (2 was a bit of an in-between for me). Ironically, I think it's the life simulator aspect that makes it fun. It's an escapist sandbox where you can play out "real" life without consequence. Maxis was smart to realize that what was fun was the player's choices, and not so much the game mechanics itself.
Don’t most career fields come with important knowledge you learn as a junior, but don’t actually use on a daily basis? I assume doctors learn a huge variety of things in school, but practically don’t use more more than 50% of that knowledge on the job. But having this knowledge makes you better at your job overall.
I never got a CS degree, but I wish I did. There are times I run into obscure issues where deeper knowledge of the compiler, os, etc would help me understand the problem better, or how to design my code better.
There's nothing in a CS degree that you can't brush up in a self-study.
For example, I have a hard time believing my compilers class at UT serves me better than someone taking one of the compiler MOOCs I've seen people mention on HN from time to time. Especially since it was 10 years ago. The class cost me over $2,800 too.
It might be tempting to think a CS degree would help you know more about things you don't, but I think it can be an excuse to not just dig into it yourself. It's not like CS majors graduate with an understanding of OS and compilers in the wild they'd have to actually debug.
My favorite technique is asking “what’s a great undergraduate program / course(s) in this field?”
And then getting the syllabi. (A lot of professors just host their syllabi on their publicly accessible site, not through a portal. If one instructor needs you to go to a portal, try another instructor. Try searching for the syllable PDF or .Doc via Google)
You might be able to learn stuff on your own but you'll probably do it at a much slower pace. I consider myself an autodidact but when I started taking in-person classes at my local CC I got access to an almost custom level of guidance. "You get out what you put in": If you're expecting professors to just upload all this karate to your brain, you won't get as much out of it as the guy practicing at home and bringing his questions in.
Steam games are cheap, old games are cheap, lots to choose from.
Nintendo(or other consoles), full price 60$ games, 40$ on sale. First party games are the primary buy, and those are few and far between.
The last Nintendo console I owned was the GC, I havent looked back. There are enough cheap games for the PC that I dont miss out on the last 2 zelda games.
I want to add another suggestion - try a podcast like “The Daily” from NYT. It’s about 20 minutes long per episode, and covers one or two of the most important issues of the day. It’s a more human/meaningful experience for me, because you hear the voices of people who are directly affected by the news (such as the students from parkland). It adds an emotional depth, and I feel like I can stay up to date with current events without mindlessly scanning dozens of articles. The host, Michael Barbaro, is fantastic and pleasant to listen to. Give it a try!
Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I listen to and enjoy "The Daily" as well. However, I dislike the "human interest" stories. I would prefer it to be an unemotional summary of the previous days news.
I'm not a robot and I don't hate humans. ;-) However, I feel like those kind of stories can trick you into making illogical decisions. I.e. "think of the children" argument for some new policy. It is a trend in news that I dislike. I think they are trying to make the news more engaging but I think it is leading to poorer decision making.
I’ve experienced the same problem, for about six months I never received any issues. The entire time I thought there was a mail delivery issue or some other anomaly. It’s a shame because it’s a great publication.
I’ve had frustrating issues syncing joy-cons. For example, if a game only supports 1-2 players, and my controller is using the player 3 slot, the sync screen will simply ignore any attempt to sync that controller. I can fix this by going to “Change grip order” in setting, but there is no UI indication why I can’t use the controller. It’s just a bit frustrating for a few minutes until I figure it out.
I love BotW, but Wind Waker is also my favorite. Tetra is one of the most interesting Zelda characters, the combat mechanics are great, and exploring the sea with the King of Red Lions as lightning fills the sky feels even more epic than the best moments of BotW. Not to mention the final battle..
Yep, I can still feel myself 15 years ago in my old loft apartment sitting in front of a CRT TV with my brand new Gamecube with the boat out on the water and the zelda dawn theme playing as the sun rises. The game has really stood the test of time, I really enjoyed playing the HD re-issue on the Wii U too.
In theory, iOS implements this well by allowing you to unsubscribe with one click. In practice, it's a terrible UX. Just try finding the subscriptions page in Settings and you'll see what I mean.