Merc

@molly0xfff@hachyderm.io @gangrif@social.undrground.org It was big enough that your name was easily readable on my TV. I was happy for you.

@cstross@wandering.shop It's weird to me how the UK insists that its constituent parts are "countries" not provinces. Similar to how the USA insists its provinces are actually "states". Otherwise, this whole situation is pretty similar for most countries. One big province where most of the people live, especially the rich people, that bullies everyone else: Ontario, Ile de France, CDMX, Tokyo. A rural province with a much smaller population that often feels bullied (often this is where you find separatist movements and/or anti-immigrant movements). And then there's the problem child that just doesn't fit in: Quebec, French Guiana, Norfolk Island, Puerto Rico, Xinjiang...

@Migueldeicaza This seems like one of those times where incompetence is much more likely than malice. If it were malice, why would it just be Apple Maps? Someone would probably try to coordinate all the maps to do this simultaneously. A data issue at Apple is far more likely. Someone fat-fingered a command and it removed all the cities in Lebanon and their QA process didn't catch it. Or the threshold for a city showing up on the map is population > X and someone messed up that value. I used to work on an Internet maps team, though not at Apple, and these kinds of screw-ups happen. There are automatic release checks that are supposed to catch it. But, the checks tend to be "we messed this up once, let's catch it next time". There isn't much willingness to spend engineering time and effort creating new tests for theoretically possible scenarios.

@cstross@wandering.shop By "caught", I meant put in handcuffs and thrown in jail by legitimate cops. He does get nearly killed a few times. But, he's too cool to get arrested by boring-old, conventional-thinking, flat foot cops (except once). If working for the space CIA meant that he was never in danger of arrest, the stakes would be lower. But, he at least seems to think that he's cut ties with them, and will be in trouble if they get him again. In a way, it raises the stakes because now he knows they're aware of him and possibly trying even harder to stop him. A turncoat employee might be an even bigger priority for them than a mere criminal mastermind.

@cstross@wandering.shop It's more the CIA isn't it, they stop "bad" people but they're not restricted by laws? And, wasn't it also ambiguous whether or not he's a cop? Like, he steals a "CIA" ship, disables the remote destruct, goes after his foe, and at the end his boss says something like "You were working for us all along, mwuhahaha". (My memory is iffy here) In the end, he isn't following orders, he's working alone, and he's trying to avoid getting caught. Whether the space CIA thinks he's working for them might matter if he does get caught. Then again, part of the charm of the books is that he's so clever he (almost) never gets caught.

@Gargron@mastodon.social @taylor@social.axfive.net @mattblaze@federate.social It seems like there should be a way to mention someone in a private conversation without the person you mention being aware of it. Otherwise it's not really a private conversation, it's more a quiet conversation in a public place where someone's ears might perk up when their name is mentioned.

@sundogplanets@mastodon.social "semi-truck hood" in just 2 words you managed at least 3 cultural misunderstandings! First, the name of the vehicle, as you noted. Second, a "hood" is called a "bonnet" in the UK. Third, in the UK and Europe, their "artics" have a flat front. They use the "cab over engine" layout instead of the engine in front. So, even if you had used the words "artic" and "bonnet" they'd still have been confused. It's funny how most of the time we can speak with people in other English-speaking countries without any trouble. But, sometimes there's something like this.