• Blackmist@feddit.uk
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    4 hours ago

    It’s even more acceptable to half-ass your job.

    They’re paying you the minimum they can get away with, so pay them back in kind.

    • hydrospanner@lemmy.world
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      2 hours ago

      Hear hear!

      When you bust your ass all year for that great review and much needed raise…only to go in for your evaluation and be told, “Great job! Unfortunately due to budget cuts and corporate policy, we can only give you a 1.5% raise, but you’re welcome!”

      Don’t tell them, but remember that.

      Remember that regardless of the work you give them, they’re only paying you 1.5% more. And that’s not even factoring in information.

      At the most generous, you should only give them 1.5% more productivity than it takes to not get fired. If you look at it based on value…the value of your time and experience and productivity against the purchasing power of your take home pay… you’re getting a pay cut vs inflation as their way of thanking you.

      As such, cut your productivity, attention to detail, reliability, and shits given by the same amount as the purchasing power you’re earning.

      They call it quiet quitting, but in reality it’s the market economy working both ways. If they’re buying less from you, give them less.

  • limonade@jlai.lu
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    5 hours ago

    I love to draw but I have zero artist taste.
    I love to paint even though it is usually ugly.

    I did a few things a consider interesting but mostly pieces my friends think is made by school children until tell otherwise and I don’t even keep the ones I consider ugly.
    But I have fun at painting not I make a beautiful painting.
    And I have fun every time I paint even when I put my ugly looking result straight into the garbage bin.

  • pancakes@sh.itjust.works
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    16 hours ago

    As someone who occasionally does professional photography/ filming, the auto setting on your camera is fine if you’re just snapping pics. Where you’d want manual is if you were taking a larger series of photos and wanted to apply the same effects/ processing to the batch.

    • schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de
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      14 hours ago

      the automatic setting might give you 1/30 of a second when photographing fast moving animals or 1/500 with aperture 2.8 when photographing landscapes, neither of which will give you good photos :/

      Aperture, shutter speed and ISO aren’t very hard to understand and applying them correctly will give you a lot better photos.

      • Rekorse@sh.itjust.works
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        10 hours ago

        There is also semiautomatic modes which allow you to specify part of that triad without needing to exactly know how best to adjust all three.

        I figure it depends mostly how much time you have to take your shot. Though im not sure how fast someone can get with manual mode with practice.

      • frunch@lemmy.world
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        10 hours ago

        Agreed! I was surprised how easy it is to learn the basics, it really does help if you want to get better photos.

        Fwiw, the book Understanding Exposure was a nice entrance to photography basics for me… Really helped nail down what aperture, shutter speed, and ISO are for…

    • Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world
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      9 hours ago

      As someone who never did photography professionally but as a hobby, I learned the manual settings when automatic failed to take a good photo.

      • pancakes@sh.itjust.works
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        4 hours ago

        You’re totally right, but I would also say this is a great point for understanding/ learning photo editing software. More as a tool in your pocket so that when you don’t get a nice photo, you know what is or isn’t fixable.

  • Asafum@feddit.nl
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    1 day ago

    I “do astrophotography.”

    …I strap my phone to a telescope and I’ve been loving it lol

    • magikmw@lemm.ee
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      1 day ago

      I did macro photography for a while by flipping my tele lens and holding it up to the mount the wrong way.

    • IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
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      1 day ago

      The best part of learning astrophotography is not so much in taking awesome pictures … it’s the excuse to spend hours and hours sitting outside in the dark and staring up the night sky every night. To me the pictures are a bonus.

      • Asafum@feddit.nl
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        1 day ago

        Absolutely! Just learning the positions of everything now and being able to describe them to people during the day has been pretty awesome. “Useless” knowledge, but I’ve always loved space lol

        • IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
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          It’s not ‘useless’ knowledge … if learning about the wider universe outside our small planet makes you realize what your place in this reality is, then I really don’t think it is useless, rather it is critically important because it makes our small insignificant existence in this vast universe far more special and humbling to the point where we look and see everything and everyone around us as so miraculous that we should do everything we can to enjoy this time that we have together in peace, love and harmony. It makes you realize its all we have and all we’ll ever be.

          Definitely not useless knowledge.

          Keeping looking at the stars, I’m watching the same sky as you.

        • pseudo@jlai.lu
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          5 hours ago

          The knowledge of the position of the astres is anything but useless! It is one of the most pratical thing you can learn both for modern life application and very traditional use case.

    • The Picard Maneuver@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 day ago

      Hey, nobody would have questioned the worse quality cameras that astrophotographers were doing this with 20 years ago. Even though it’s your phone now, it counts!

      • Asafum@feddit.nl
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        1 day ago

        That’s true and I can just plug it into my computer afterwards and do post processing!

    • Mirshe@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      Phones are arguably some of the most powerful consumer cameras ever built. That Nikon or Canon might have more funny buttons and settings, but your phone camera is pretty powerful on its own.

      • Asafum@feddit.nl
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        1 day ago

        Hell my phone camera now is advanced enough that it has the ability to do “astrophotography” on its own without a telescope. The pixel series of phones after 4 has an astrophotography mode, the “ai” processing slightly corrects for star trailing. It’s been pretty crazy to just point my phone up and catch Andromeda or the Orion nebula!

      • drosophila@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        1 day ago

        In some ways phone cameras are very impressive, since CCDs are now cheap and good enough that they’re no longer the bottleneck. All the computational photography stuff they do boosts their capabilities even more.

        The thing that really limits them is the size and optical quality of their lenses.

  • Zoidsberg@lemmy.ca
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    23 hours ago

    Every time I share my photography with my parents, they suggest new ways I should be selling it. Just let me enjoy the pretty birds, dad

    • Donebrach@lemmy.world
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      20 hours ago

      At least your parents are supportive.

      Every time id share some creation of mine in my late teens and early 20s with my mom, I’d just hear a random smattering of reports on shit her “friends” (vague acquaintances) had done with no acknowledgement of what I had created.

      At least the skills I picked up over the years landed me a job where the things I make are objectively crap and everyone who I don’t really care about sings my praises.

  • IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
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    1 day ago

    Nothing like poverty to teach you how to do things yourself.

    I grew up poor. We’re didn’t suffer or starve, mom and dad just never had any extra to give us kids anything like fancy toys or games or anything. I remember being completely bored out of my mind in the house and wanting a snack. The best thing we could come up with was toast and butter … but sometimes we didn’t even have butter so we opted for lard instead … and sometimes we didn’t even have bread! (but we didn’t opt for eating pure lard)

    What that meant was that I spent all my life learning how to do things myself and on my own. I learned carpentry, plumbing, electrical, mechanics, welding, metal working, landscaping, operating machinery, small engine mechanics, boat building / repairing, hunting, trapping, camping, survival … mostly because we lived away from the city and we are Indigenous … we never had anything or anyone help us so we had to learn to do things on our own. I remember being on many snowmobile trips into the wilderness and breaking down … dad would just spend hours or even a night or two camping, tearing apart an engine, fixing a problem, putting it all back together and going on our way again. Same thing in the summer with an outboard. It all just built confidence for me and my brothers and sisters to never be stuck in any situation. We just learned to do what we could, work at it and figure it out. Sometimes we might not do a great job because we didn’t know what we were doing and other times we were geniuses because we had messed up so many times before that we finally figured out how to do it right.

    Once you build the skill and confidence, you can do just about anything in any situation … then the world doesn’t feel so intimidating any more. It’s a skill and you have to learn to do it. And the only way to do it is to just go out and get started with it.

    • GorGor@startrek.website
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      22 hours ago

      Sometimes we might not do a great job because we didn’t know what we were doing and other times we were geniuses because we had messed up so many times before that we finally figured out how to do it right.

      As I grow older, I find this is how you become an ‘expert’. You start not knowing how to do it, then you figure out all the wrong ways to do it by doing it wrong. Eventually, when you have messed it up in more ways than anyone else you know which paths not to take and you are then the expert.

    • The Picard Maneuver@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 day ago

      I learned carpentry, plumbing, electrical, mechanics, welding, metal working, landscaping, operating machinery, small engine mechanics, boat building / repairing, hunting, trapping, camping, survival

      What a skill set! I’m impressed.

      • IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
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        1 day ago

        It doesn’t mean I’m the best or a professional or make the best work … I am just capable and comfortable in doing these things.

        It’s amazing what you can learn when you are forced to.

        Also … if anyone wants to argue intelligence … dad didn’t like speaking English, he knew how but just never liked it and preferred our Native language (his English was actually terrible) yet he was able to build several small businesses and equipment companies with city people … and I have several cousins with a grade school education and are the same way with the English language yet can tear down and rebuild entire vehicles. I also grew up watching old trappers and hunters that didn’t speak the English language at all but they played chess like grand masters.

        What I’m saying is that it doesn’t matter what you know or learned in school or how much education you have … all you need is a bit of motivation and confidence and most people everywhere no matter their circumstance are capable of doing many, many things.

        • okwhateverdude@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          Don’t sell yourself short. That’s an impressive, useful skill set. Not everyone could acquire the same skills you have just by watching. And not everyone can muster the motivation and confidence to even attempt new things. And then there is the aspect that you chose to take advantage of the expertise around you. On the other end of the spectrum, you could have ended up like me with a completely shit character build where I dumped most of my stat points into being a nerd long before I knew how the game was played. Being a walking wikipedia and chatgpt-level bullshitter is quickly being obsoleted. But it will be decades before we have robots that will fix your shitter.

    • Mango@lemmy.world
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      5 hours ago

      This is exactly how I got good at maintaining/using computers! I had this old Dell Optiplex gxb with just a Pentium 2 or 3 and 4gb of memory. We lived out in the country and this computer was my only real connection to the rest of the world, so I had to make damn sure not to break it! In fact, I had to fix it several times! I can’t tell you how nervous I got putting the mobo in the oven, but it worked! HDD in the freezer? Welp, it worked! I wondered if I might have to put the mouse in a toaster at that point.

      Anywho, I think it’s the mentality that gets us more than the reality of the conditions. When you gotta be careful, you’re gonna be.

      • IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
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        4 hours ago

        That’s hilarious because I was the same. I was never able to afford the latest computers, laptops or electronics… so I spent a lot of time maxing out every device, learning to download software, massive (10 MB) updates on a dialup connection, learning to use cracked software, then graduating to Linux and open source software … I’ve tried the freezing hard drives to rescue them but never tried baking my mainboard!

        • Mango@lemmy.world
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          3 hours ago

          Yeah, the baking is specifically to fix cold solders without needing to see them or have a soldering iron or whatever. If you look up wave soldering on YouTube, you’ll see that PCB can stand up to ridiculous temps!

  • Default_Defect@midwest.social
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    23 hours ago

    I’m using Linux and keeping a debloated windows install handy for the stuff I don’t care to have to console jockey to make work.

  • KittenBiscuits@lemm.ee
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    1 day ago

    I also love to watch someone unlock this super power within themselves. To not stress out about the wonky pancake or the missing crochet stitch.

  • mommykink@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Cute but this is one degree removed from “shy away from everything that challenges you.”

    “The all of nothing mentality is not healthy,” but you can learn and try to do more (and fail) without beating yourself up, too, and you should want to grow.

    • cactopuses@lemm.ee
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      1 day ago

      I don’t disagree but we’re talking in terms of a hobby, I have things I want to improve (chess, game dev) and things I don’t care about (baking, guitar, doodling ) the latter are honestly just time fills when my brain needs something that isn’t stressful or challenging.

    • randomname01@feddit.nl
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      Yeah, I agree. It’s not like I disagree with any of the specific points made in the post, but when you put it together it seems very, idk, complacent? Sure, not everything needs to be a challenge, but I also think it’s important to challenge yourself in some things.

      Like you alluded to, it means that you’ll fail from time to time, but to me that’s better than never succeeding. Failure is more of an achievement than not trying at all.

    • HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com
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      1 day ago

      Another way of looking at it is do things even if you don’t have talent in the area. Im one of those folks that are not a very good doer but while this means I generally just can’t make that fantastic meal that impressives everyone or draw something that approaches reality or really do anything which does not utilize known measurements and timings ; I can do them well enough that it will do. So I can make a decent tasting meal or draw something interesting or write a poem with meaningfulness to me.

    • jballs@sh.itjust.works
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      1 day ago

      Related to what you said, but not necessarily this post: I was so damn frustrated with my neighborhood community the other day. We had a vote on whether or not to repurpose a huge grass field that takes up a ton of water and sees very little use. We’re wasting a ton of money (and water) watering this pristine empty field.

      The main argument for keeping the field was “we waste water in other areas of the community as well. The common-area sprinklers were on when it rained the other day. We need to address all waste before making a decision about this empty field.”

      There are a lot of people that don’t realize you can make incremental progress towards a goal.

    • 4grams@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      right. I feel like the world is desperate to pretend we aren’t standing on the shoulders of giants. who wants to reinvent everything, every time. use the paths already there and find shortcuts along the way, then mark them and leave them for the next traveller.

      • lightnsfw@reddthat.com
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        1 day ago

        This is why I write down everything when I’m setting something up that’s new to me. Even if I go off someone else’s tutorial I put it in my own words. That way when I come back to it later I’ll understand it and if I run across someone else that’s trying to do the same thing I have at least one step by step guide to offer them.

      • frezik@midwest.social
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        22 hours ago

        Recognizing that for a second would destroy the basis of private property. How can you say “this is mine” when it comes attached to the work of a million others?

  • Warl0k3@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    God this is so true. I teach compuster science, and I always make a point in one lecture to show the students how many tabs full of basic questions I have to open when grading their assignments. Nobody can memorize all of this, and it’s so important to shake off that feeling of not being good enough just because you have to look something up.

    • LovableSidekick@lemmy.world
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      23 hours ago

      Career software developer - Years and years ago I stopped reading programming manuals and trying to remember the syntax of languages. I just google the same basic things over and over, and often paste & edit example code.

  • glitchdx@lemmy.world
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    23 hours ago

    me: does a thing because I like it and I get kinda not shit at it.

    Everyone else: HaVe You cOnSIDErEd DoinG ThaT PRofEssIONaLLY? YOu cOULd mAKE so MUCH MOneY.!1!

    me: fuck off. I have a job. I do this for me.

    everyone else: Do What yOU LOve anD You’lL neVER worK A dAy IN Your life.!

    me: turn your hobby into your job and you don’t have a hobby anymore. There’s no faster way to hate your passion than to monetize it.

    • Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz
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      14 hours ago

      There’s a word for that: jobby

      As you said, it’s not healthy to turn every hobby into a jobby. The best thing about hobbies is the lack of urgency and technical criteria. The whole point is to do it for fun.

    • GoTeamBoobies@lemmy.world
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      12 hours ago

      I lost interest in photography for several years because of this. And because I’m a slow learner, I did the same thing with woodworking An extra few bucks doing a random thing or two is nice, but the side hustle gig mentality is toxic

    • Mango@lemmy.world
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      5 hours ago

      I feel so seen!

      I do not want my customer’s money deciding how I do my favorite things! That’s for ME.

      I’ve got extremely good dexterity and my favorite hobby is flow arts which is a visual spectacle. This results in lots of attention and I’m always hearing that I gotta make money with it.

      • AsheHole@lemmy.world
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        4 hours ago

        Yep, I do have a business out of my hobbies, but I definitely have lost some fire for a couple of those hobbies I now depend on for income.

    • exasperation@lemm.ee
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      6 hours ago

      That’s why it’s funny that the bicycling community talks of “dentists” with all their gear. The people best equipped to really pursue that hobby wholeheartedly are the people who make a shitload of money doing something completely different.

  • hardcoreufo@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    I’ve been playing guitar for 25 years and I kinda suck. I’ve forgotten everything I know about music theory, I don’t know any songs and my fingers just don’t move that fast. But I enjoy coming home and making some noise for 15-20 minutes. I just move my hands around and make a lot of bad sounds until I start making a good sounding riff then I’m done.

    • papalonian@lemmy.world
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      22 hours ago

      That’s how I used to play guitar, too. I got a cheapo sound pedal with a bunch of effects and premade back beats. Try to play some songs that I know. Sound bad. Keep doing it until I get bored or it sounds kinda cool once. That’s enough for the week.

      Am I ever gonna be anywhere close to decent? Nope. Do I care? Nope.