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Incubator Q&A

Welcome to the staging ground for new communities! Each proposal has a description in the "Descriptions" category and a body of questions and answers in "Incubator Q&A". You can ask questions (and get answers, we hope!) right away, and start new proposals.

Are you here to participate in a specific proposal? Click on the proposal tag (with the dark outline) to see only posts about that proposal and not all of the others that are in progress. Tags are at the bottom of each post.

Questions, answers, and articles tied to current proposals. Ask questions and post articles as you would post them on the "live" site. This "incubator" is how we develop proposals and their scope.

Because some proposals include article-based categories alongside Q&A, we've enabled them here. This means you'll need to choose question or article when posting in this category.

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Book recommendations on intentional community building

What books (or other sources) would you recommend for folks wanting to learn about intentional community building?

1 answer  ·  posted 7mo ago by da5nsy‭  ·  last activity 6mo ago by matthewsnyder‭

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Is there a specification meta-language for logics?

Is there a specification meta-language for logics? A formal language which can express, “a logic with variable symbols, unary predicates, and connectives”?

1 answer  ·  posted 9mo ago by Julius H.‭  ·  last activity 6mo ago by Derek Elkins‭

Question philosophy logic
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What is "strength axis" on OSB boards?

OSB boards often have a stamp that says "strength axis" with an arrow, usually parallel with the longer dimension of the board. What is this strength axis? Should it be parallel or perpendicular t...

1 answer  ·  posted 1y ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  last activity 6mo ago by Spamalot‭

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What are the drawbacks of leaving wood unfinished?

I've mostly worked with pine wood, because it's cheap and easy to work with. I've had some projects where I finished it (polyurethane coat, sometimes a stain) and other projects where I didn't (jus...

1 answer  ·  posted 1y ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  last activity 6mo ago by Spamalot‭

Question Arts-&-Crafts
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How to fix spade bits wobbling in drill press?

I have a cheap drill press and a set of cheap spade bits. Some of the spade bits wobble, the tip makes a circle of as much as 5 mm in diameter for some of them. Others wobble less, 1-2 mm. Since t...

1 answer  ·  posted 1y ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  last activity 6mo ago by Spamalot‭

Question Arts-&-Crafts tools
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Calculating load for OSB flooring

I have a 1/2in OSB board with "32/16" stamped on it. This means that when used as flooring, it the supporting joists must be spaced 16in or denser (32 is for roofing). However, if I did put it on ...

1 answer  ·  posted 1y ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  last activity 6mo ago by Spamalot‭

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Where can I find a simplified Railways of the World map for player reference?

I've just gotten a copy of Railways of the World after playing and enjoying a few games. The eastern-US map is physically very large and "artistic". I and some of my friends have vision problems ...

1 answer  ·  posted 1y ago by Monica Cellio‭  ·  last activity 7mo ago by Michael‭

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Am unable to solve Minesweeper variant puzzle I created 6 months ago.

So 6 months ago, I posted this puzzle on Puzzling Stack Exchange that was part of my "Filling in an 8x8 minesweeper grid with mines" puzzle series. This specific one was based on Day 30 of the Mine...

0 answers  ·  posted 7mo ago by CrSb0001‭

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Can I set up a regular machine like the Steam Deck?

The Steam Deck comes with an OS which is basically a customized Arch, plus Steam, Plasma and some extra programs. The Steam Deck mounts most system dirs as read only, so for example it's not possi...

1 answer  ·  posted 11mo ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  last activity 7mo ago by matthewsnyder‭

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What battery type has the least environmental impact?

Common general-purpose battery types available on the market today are: Disposable batteries, usually with some sort of zinc chemistry Older, generic rechargeable batteries, usually nickel chem...

0 answers  ·  posted 8mo ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  edited 8mo ago by matthewsnyder‭

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One cert with many domains, or one domain per cert?

I've noticed that it's possible to use DNS Name multiple times, so that a TLS certificate will cover multiple domains. Alternatively, you could generate a separate cert for each domain. What are ...

1 answer  ·  posted 8mo ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  last activity 8mo ago by Michael‭

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Can you always interpose an intermediate effect into any causal chain?

Consider the following claim: In any causal relationship X -> Y, it is always possible to find an intermediate effect A such that X -> A -> Y. This is a claim about nature, not our c...

1 answer  ·  posted 8mo ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  edited 8mo ago by Peter Taylor‭

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Proper way to create your own TLS certificates

What exactly are the steps to creating your own TLS certificates such that they create minimal error messages for users? For example, a simple self-signed certificate will trigger a lot of errors ...

1 answer  ·  posted 9mo ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  last activity 8mo ago by Michael‭

Question Webmasters tls
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How does science generalize local results to global scale?

Science tends to discover knowledge by performing experiments in the lab. For example, suppose we have a hypothesis that a volume V of atmospheric air, when compressed quickly to a certain ratio, ...

0 answers  ·  posted 8mo ago by matthewsnyder‭

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How does climate change research establish causality?

How does climate change research establish causality? For example, when it is said that human activity causes global warming, what sort of logic is used to justify this claim? Let's not get into t...

0 answers  ·  posted 8mo ago by matthewsnyder‭

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Where do I get a high-quality, ergonomic mouse with a dedicated middle click button?

Where can I get a high-quality, ergonomic mouse with a dedicated middle click button? I use "ergonomic" loosely, in the sense of "doesn't hurt to use all day". It doesn't have to have a special ...

1 answer  ·  posted 8mo ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  last activity 8mo ago by matthewsnyder‭

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Is the historical method a scientific method?

Is the historical method a scientific method? When I was a child in grade school, I learned that "The Scientific Method" had the following steps: Observe a phenomenon: find things by curious ex...

2 answers  ·  posted 8mo ago by Conrado‭  ·  last activity 8mo ago by matthewsnyder‭

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What type of contractor does flooring?

If I'm looking to pay someone to replace my floors (eg. carpet, laminate, hardwood), what is this service called? Would I be looking for a contractor, handyman, floorer or something else? I am ask...

1 answer  ·  posted 9mo ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  last activity 9mo ago by Monica Cellio‭

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Can you summarize any explanation?

When explaining a piece of knowledge, sometimes the explanation is short and simple and other times it is long and complex. Some people put the burden on the explainer, and demand that they make i...

2 answers  ·  posted 9mo ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  last activity 9mo ago by Michael‭

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What happens to TLS name constraints when the client does not support them?

I only have a working knowledge of TLS. TLS today supports name constraints, to restrict which domains a CA can issue certs for: https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5280#section-4.2.1.10 I've seen ...

1 answer  ·  posted 9mo ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  last activity 9mo ago by Peter Taylor‭

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How to mitigate the risk of self-signed root CA?

Since self-signed server certs are discouraged nowadays, often people create their own root CA and sign server certs with that. Obviously client apps won't trust the root CA, so the admin must the...

0 answers  ·  posted 9mo ago by matthewsnyder‭

Question Webmasters tls
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Has anyone published a definitive argument regarding a "positive correlation fallacy"?

I think there may be a common fallacy which I do not know if it has been given a name and a fully developed, possibly mathematical, argument. The idea is something like a basic fallacy of assuming...

0 answers  ·  posted 9mo ago by Julius H.‭  ·  edited 9mo ago by Julius H.‭

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What is the modern view on the Socratic method?

Socrates was fond of engaging in philosophical discourse where he would simply ask questions and not make any statements or assertions. This created a situation where all the conclusions come from ...

1 answer  ·  posted 9mo ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  last activity 9mo ago by Julius H.‭

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What can I do with humans captured in pal spheres?

I've discovered that I can capture syndicate thugs in pal spheres. I can then have them fight for me or work in my base like regular pals. The thugs I caught (around level 10) seemed pretty useles...

0 answers  ·  posted 9mo ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  edited 9mo ago by matthewsnyder‭

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Is there a consequence to catching humans in pal spheres?

I've discovered that I can capture syndicate thugs in pal spheres. It appears that I can then summon them to fight for me or work in my base like other pals. The message when I capture says that "...

0 answers  ·  posted 9mo ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  edited 9mo ago by matthewsnyder‭

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How do you build a Fluffy Pal Bed?

To upgrade my base, I need to build 2 fluffy pal beds. However, in the tech tree, I can't find this building. Some techs are locked because "I haven't caught the right Pal yet", but which Pal do I...

1 answer  ·  posted 9mo ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  last activity 9mo ago by matthewsnyder‭

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What's the deal with content farms?

In the last 5-10 years, I've noticed that many searches (especially Google) about technical or semi-technical questions, have the results clogged with "content farm" results. It's hard to precisel...

0 answers  ·  posted 9mo ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  edited 9mo ago by matthewsnyder‭

Question Webmasters
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What is a common infinite and decidable set of axioms?

a formal system is a system of axioms equipped with rules of inference, which allow one to generate new theorems. The set of axioms is required to be finite or at least decidable, i.e., there mus...

1 answer  ·  posted 9mo ago by Julius H.‭  ·  last activity 9mo ago by matthewsnyder‭

Question philosophy logic
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What is the definition of ‘decidability’?

In order to understand Gödel’s theorems, one must first explain the key concepts essential to it, such as “formal system”, “consistency”, and “completeness”. Roughly, a formal system is a system ...

0 answers  ·  posted 9mo ago by Julius H.‭

Question philosophy logic
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Is there an explicit law that you can reject being elected President (in the US)? If so, which law?

In the following scenario: A person is not running for President of the U.S. Somehow, they receive a large number of votes as a write-in candidate, and secure the election victory. They decline ...

1 answer  ·  posted 9mo ago by Julius H.‭  ·  last activity 9mo ago by matthewsnyder‭

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What theoretical frameworks have been proposed to mediate the possible mutual exclusivity of privacy and free knowledge?

From what conceptual framework could one derive self-consistent ethical principles about how to distinguish between situations in which people’s right to privacy enables them to choose what data ot...

1 answer  ·  posted 9mo ago by Julius H.‭  ·  last activity 9mo ago by matthewsnyder‭

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Comcast internet went down for small business. Can we have our losses offset?

In a small call center which handles many calls, the internet suddenly went down. This led to major workplace disruptions the entire day, lost business, and stress. A small business depends on thei...

1 answer  ·  posted 9mo ago by Julius H.‭  ·  last activity 9mo ago by matthewsnyder‭

Question Workplace
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Why is Schopenhauer's definition of intentionality not generally accepted by philosophers?

The following is cross-posted from Stack Exchange for catching my eye: Schopenhauer already defined "intentionality". There is a part in his philosophy where he separates representation into subj...

0 answers  ·  posted 9mo ago by Julius H.‭

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Is colonialism bad?

It is common nowadays for the term “colonialism” to have a default morally negative connotation. But, what really is colonialism, and is it always bad? Why/why not?

0 answers  ·  posted 10mo ago by Julius H.‭

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When is it ethical to kill?

What are some developed ethical theories and frameworks regarding killing? For example, is it ever ethically justified to kill? When, under what circumstances, and why?

0 answers  ·  posted 10mo ago by Julius H.‭

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What is a good, simple way to send electronic updates to a small group?

What is a good way to send occasional updates (like meeting times) to a small group of people (5-20) electronically? I see a lot of groups like this create a Facebook page and post updates on ther...

2 answers  ·  posted 12mo ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  last activity 10mo ago by Michael‭

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Do search engines detect and penalize AI generated content?

If I want to use chat GPT or other large language model AI to generate content for my website, will that be a good strategy for SEO? Can search engines detect and penalize content that was written...

1 answer  ·  posted 1y ago by Stephen Ostermiller‭  ·  last activity 10mo ago by Michael‭

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What electric smokers can cold smoke food?

I want to buy an electrical device for cold smoking food. From what I read, the temperature of the food must stay below 80F for cold smoking. When I search for electrical smokers, most products qu...

0 answers  ·  posted 11mo ago by matthewsnyder‭

Question shopping smoking
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Are certificate errors always reported immediately, or is validation cached?

I visited a site that I use infrequently and got a certificate error, specifically NET:ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID. I contacted the owner, who asked for a screenshot. That surprised me, as I had a...

1 answer  ·  posted 12mo ago by Monica Cellio‭  ·  last activity 12mo ago by matthewsnyder‭

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Why can't the body clear / drain a periapical tooth abscess on its own? [closed]

Every single article I've read about periapical tooth abscess (including the one on this previous link) states that it won't go away without treatment. I mean it's just hard for me to understand h...

1 answer  ·  posted 1y ago by toraritte‭  ·  closed 1y ago by Monica Cellio‭

Question health physiology
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Why do I sometimes get gold when I didn't last hit anything?

Occasionally when I'm in a lane, I'll get 40-something gold when I seemingly didn't do anything. It flashes the amount above my head and makes the gold clinking sounds like I last-hit a creep, but ...

0 answers  ·  posted 1y ago by Ullallulloo‭

Question video-games dota-2
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Do search engines use content user ratings for ranking purposes?

I have a Q&A site where users can upvote and downvote the questions and answers. Does Google use these votes as a ranking signal? Will pages that my users vote up rank better than pages that ...

0 answers  ·  posted 1y ago by Stephen Ostermiller‭  ·  edited 1y ago by Andreas witnessed the end of the world today‭

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What is the technical term for converting a sound recording to a phoneme vector?

Many natural language processing models begin by taking text and converting it to a vector where each element is a number representing some semantic entity (I would say each number is a word, but a...

1 answer  ·  posted 1y ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  last activity 1y ago by mr Tsjolder‭

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Can an email's Reply-To have a different domain than its From?

Are there any negative effects[1] when sending an email wherein the From header is an email address on my server's domain but the Reply-To header is an email address on a different domain, specific...

1 answer  ·  posted 1y ago by Michael‭  ·  edited 1y ago by Michael‭

Question Webmasters email
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What is the most cost effective way to purchase specific, non-rare public domain English books online in the US?

Over the years I've done a lot of my reading through libraries, borrowed books and chance finds at garage sales and the like. Now I want to start working on my reading list, so I will be purchasing...

1 answer  ·  posted 1y ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  last activity 1y ago by Michael‭

Question shopping books
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Is LLM fine tuning the same as transfer learning?

When people talk about fine tuning LLMs, it sounds a lot like glorified transfer learning. Is it the same thing, or is it a distinct technique? What are the differences?

1 answer  ·  posted 1y ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  last activity 1y ago by mr Tsjolder‭

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What types of learning should I know about?

In machine learning there seem to be various types of learning. I commonly hear about supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning. However, it is not always clea...

1 answer  ·  posted 1y ago by mr Tsjolder‭  ·  edited 1y ago by mr Tsjolder‭

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What is unsupervised learning?

In unsupervised learning, training data does not have labels. But, how can a model be trained without labels?

1 answer  ·  posted 1y ago by matthewsnyder‭  ·  last activity 1y ago by mr Tsjolder‭