tiredofsametab

I don’t think the two are fully related, at least not causally. If 1-3 are true, then there should be a large enough pool with things in common to avoid loneliness. If this specifically means sexual/relationship loneliness than, yeah.

Third spaces going away and moving a lot online has definitely had an impact on people hanging out outside of much more niche groups. I don’t care for organized religion much, but people of various backgrounds worshipped together. People had volleyball and other local leagues made up of all kinds of people who saw a flier for it. Men (not sure if women had something similar) went to fraternal order of the whatevers. Hell, dad and I went to Commodore computer enthusiast meet-ups. I think the loss of things like that has been bad for a number of reasons, including loneliness.

I graduated highschool, got out on my own, got 9/11. Then we had 2008 housing. Then we had corona. Probably some stuff I’m missing.

I was looking to get a mechanical keyboard. 8bitdo seemed to be recommended by some folks, but they don’t have the full-sized one with the 10-key here in Japan. Looks like I’m waiting.

I don’t know about ‘a lot’ but these are definitely in recently-renovated stations and buildings, at least in areas with high traffic. I definitely still see many that are only vaguely better than the US outside of Tokyo and the other big cities.

In a broad sense yes, but in narrow ones, no. Japan leads in certain things like some robotics and elder support technology. Faxes are still required to do even get internet through NTT here. We’re slowly being able to do more electronically, but definitely have a long way to go there. I had to go in to get help with my taxes and they had me do it all on my smartphone, which I think started in the last couple of years.

I mean, the OP mentions using a technology, not understanding everything that underlies it. I grew up entering programs on the C64 and such, but I certainly didn’t understand exactly how everything worked under the hood then nor has knowledge of assembly or even circuits really done anything super helpful in my life that isn’t hobby-related. At some point, it becomes less important for most people to know the level below and be able to use well the level they need (or to develop it).

When I posted, I was thinking more about things like using the technologies of social media and, probably not yet but eventually, things like AI assistants to their advantage regardless of any device or OS. It’s too soon to say for sure, but I’m thinking beyond the chip-filled boxes themselves. This of course also ignores other technologies that are more mechanical, but I think that would be going too far into the weeds.

I don’t think that’s necessarily the right way to look at it. We understand computers very well, but desktop computers are not the end-all be-all of technology. What is happening here happened in Japan before because they did the leap straight to smart devices well before the west with computers outside of offices being a very expensive and nerdy niche hobby. Their proficiencies lie in other technologies in which we fall behind as our parents typically do for technologies that we know.

Setup your own cloud services, all with FOSS tools and you’re fine.

“Just have tons of time, expertise, and money, you idiot, what’s wrong with you?!” is how I read this as someone with two jobs most of the year. I technically have at least the base of the expertise and used to do selfhosting, but there is no way I have the time nor money to keep up with that these days, let alone energy.

Losing the ability to use my FELiCA chip is a big one for me. We use it for all kinds of things here in Japan, the most annoying of which being all kinds of things for verifying our identity by reading our My Number (and other) cards. It would also add up to an hour to any of my commutes to account for having to wait to buy tickets, etc.

I renewed a year or two ago and it was no big deal (US passport but longtime Japan resident) and took like 3 weeks. I think part of it was by mail, even, though I can’t recall for sure (I think I submitted in person and received by mail? Now that I live hours away from Tokyo, I certainly hope that’s an option in 8ish years).