• toynbee@piefed.social
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    49 minutes ago

    I have lots of books and prefer physical media. I’ve organized them various ways, mostly by author, then by series name and book number (if applicable), then by book title.

    I generally prefer mass market format because it’s easier to hold, but sometimes a collectible version is too tempting or, in other cases, the mass market option simply isn’t available. As a result, my library consists of a wide variety of shapes and sizes of books.

    Unfortunately, for assorted reasons, most of my library is in boxes right now. Less unfortunately, I haven’t been dating for a long time. However, back when I was dating and my literature was on shelves around my bedroom, sometimes I would bring a partner home and they would complain about my books not being arranged by size or, alternatively, by color.

    Of course they could setup their library however they wanted, but I did feel a bit of despair every time I heard this desire for form over function.

  • Rose@slrpnk.net
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    2 hours ago

    Sure, the guy has a ton of books in the shelves. But how many mysterious badly sorted storage boxes of books he has? Now that’s the real test of character.

    Also ask probing questions about how many obsolete programming books he has. It may get awkward but it has to be done.

  • 1984@lemmy.today
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    5 hours ago

    I think books are cool. Anyone who read books is a cool person and not yet lost to social media addiction. They can still be in the moment with themselves.

    I had a period when I could not read a single page in a book because my mind was constantly wanting to use the phone instead. Many people are like that right now.

    • square@lemmy.zip
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      1 hour ago

      Yeah, I have zero in my house now. I have over 1k on my ereader, in my pocket, and on my tablet. Even when I read physical books I never had this many, every time I got to a couple hundred I’d take them to Goodwill for others to enjoy. My reading list is so long, it’s not like I’m likely to reread anything. Every book I reread is one other book I won’t get to read before I die.

      I see bookshelves like this these days it’s like someone with a lot of vinyl. They’re either old (old to me and I’m almost 50), or just into an old format for some reason. Nothing wrong with that, it just doesn’t mean the same thing it used to.

  • Mikina@programming.dev
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    19 hours ago

    I knew I recognized him from somewhere.

    I have no idea who he is, but this is my favorite quote ever, as someone who’s both a goth/punk poser and works in cybersecurity.

  • homes@piefed.world
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    20 hours ago

    Once I offered to buy John Waters a drink, and the bartender got offended

    Edit: at the very idea that John Waters would ever be charged for a drink

    • TrackinDaKraken@lemmy.world
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      19 hours ago

      I dunno, can’t see them in a bookshelf. He didn’t say anything about making reading cool, just books. “If they don’t have books, don’t fuck them.”

      I don’t think digital versions count, at least not for John.

      • Drusas@fedia.io
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        16 hours ago

        I guess they don’t for me, either, because when I read or listen to a book and really, really like it, I buy a physical copy.

        • pmk@piefed.ca
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          17 hours ago

          Playing chess against people who have read chess books is the worst… you make one move and they go “ah… the Toledo-Salamanca opening, I can checkmate in 34 moves.”

          • Zombie@feddit.uk
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            10 hours ago

            That opening is worth about a million bucks.

            I find it’s best to play ridiculous moves then that don’t show up in any books, you may end up in a strategically worse position but they have to work for their win now instead of just doing memorised plays. It’s better to burn out, than to fade away!

          • MinnesotaGoddam@lemmy.world
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            16 hours ago

            But that is my favorite way to play chess!

            I just haven’t actually read any books and an making up the names of moves. I hope my wife hasn’t caught on (she caught on the first time didn’t she)

          • Kanda@reddthat.com
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            16 hours ago

            I have yet to experience that even when playing against a fide master, but talking at the board is bad form. They do however know their way in the opening and it usually ends in disaster sooner or later