Kalcifer

Git records the local timezone when a commit is made [1]. Knowledge of the timezone in which a commit was made could be used as a bit of identifying information to de-anonymize the committer.

Setting one's timezone to UTC can help mitigate this issue [2][3] (though, ofc, one must still be wary of time-of-day commit patterns being used to deduce a timezone).

Cross-posts:

• https://sh.itjust.works/post/24495744
• https://sh.itjust.works/post/24495795

In one of my posts, I noticed this removed comment:

I was curious what it was, so I checked the modlog, but it states that the last mod action in this community occurred a month ago:

What's up with this? Are mod actions being scrubbed from the modlog?

I'm looking for a cheap and portable tablet that I can use for writing. Microsoft Surface Pro tablets, at least around the gen 4 models, are rather cheap to buy used, and they seem decently well made. Naturally, were I to buy one, I would have to install Linux onto it.

I've been peripherally aware of the Linux Surface project for some time now. I looked at it recently, after having not for some time, and it seems that they have really made good progress compared to what I remember, and it's making me much more interested in trying to install Linux on a Surface Pro.

Having never owned a Surface Pro, I'm not sure which models are the most reliable and sturdy. I'm not looking for something that's the flashiest; I want something that works well. I want something pragmatic — something akin to the idea of an older era of Thinkpad (eg T460). I want a pen with low input delay and good accuracy, reliable and responsive touch controls, and a decent display. I was thinking the Surface Pro 4 might be a good choice, but it's hard to know as there aren't many videos out there of people installing Linux on them, so I'm wondering what your experience has been with Microsoft Surface Pro's and installing Linux on one.

Cross-posts:

• https://sh.itjust.works/post/24035406

My config for reflector is currently set as follows:

# Set the output path where the mirrorlist will be saved.
--save /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

# Select the transfer protocol.
--protocol https

# Use only the most recently synchronized mirrors.
--latest 200

# Sort the mirrors by synchronization time.
--sort rate

# Return, at most, the following number of mirrors.
--number 20

# Print extra info.
--verbose

I have Reflector set to run as a Systemd service, so it will run when my computer boots.

The "issue" is that I update my system as soon as I boot. Since Reflector is sorting mirrors by their measured download rate, I wonder if downloading updates, or simply doing any action that downloads data, would interfere with those measurements and cause Reflector to choose mirrors that may not be the fastest. I could simply wait for Reflector to finish before using the computer, but it takes quite a while to sort through 200 mirrors.

Is this concern justified? If so, are there ways to mitigate it that don't require me to wait for Reflector to finish? I've thought about setting it as a Pacman hook so that it runs after updating, but, then, that relies on me to perform an update for the mirrorlist to be refreshed, and that still leaves the concern of other actions eating up network bandwidth, thus skewing the measurements.

I'm looking for an open-source medication/pill tracking app.

Requirements:

• Android support
• Ability to create custom medication/pill entries
• Ability to set notification reminders for taking pills
• Ability to arbitrarily create entries at any date/time

Nice-to-haves:

• Data export/backup
• Data-at-rest encryption
• Data visualizations

Cross-posted at https://sh.itjust.works/post/23572613

I use Workman.

EDIT (2024-08-10T19:23Z): I should clarify that I am referring to the layout that you use for a physical computer keyboard, not a mobile/virtual keyboard.

I'm looking for a wiki to use and contribute to that provides information similar to what AllTrails provides, and functions similarly to Wikipedia. I would like for the wiki's data to be free and open, and for it to operate under a reasonably permissive license.

Cross-posted to: https://sh.itjust.works/post/23459715

I drink PG Tips Original.

Dr. Amen seemingly is a very popular "ADHD influencer". Many of his claims surrounding ADHD, however, are scientifically dubious. His main claim to fame is his work with SPECT imaging as a tool for diagnosing mental disorders [11]. Specifically relevant to this community is his advocacy for its purported use in diagnosing ADHD [12]; however, there is virtually no research to support this practice [1]. The only research that does exist (as far as I've been able to find, anyways) is a paper that he co-authored [2]. The paper does appear to show that SPECT can be used to measure observable differences between ADHD brains and the control brains [2.1], but one paper is far from an established body of supportive science for a medical practice that he touts and charges money for [5][10]. In addition to this, he also diagnoses what he calls the "7 types of ADD" [6]. This is not standard diagnostic practice in the DSM-5 [7]. He also operates an online store at brainmd.com where he sells many supplements that he has publicly claimed help with ADHD management [3.1], and he advocates for their use in his practice [4] — this is a conflict of interest; however, the supplements that he advocates for (that I have looked into) do have some research behind them [8][9], but they appear to not be well established treatments. I would also be wary of his research as he has openly stated that he doesn't respect the main body of psychiatric researchers, and that he doesn't wish to listen to their criticism [3.2].

I don't intend for this post to be interpreted as a trashing of Dr. Amen's reputation, nor do I fault him for trying to earn a living. There is simply a large potential for shady behavior given the context as a whole, and I believe that it is wise to be very cautious of his advice. I do hope that his research turns out to be beneficial, and not exploitative — I think that there is great benefit to be had from more accurate diagnostic methods, and improved classifications.