Great point. I did a PhD mid-career a few years ago. I never had any intention of going into academia, I can hardly think of anything worse.

I've since found that, because I already had proven practical skills, it has opened a lot of doors for people wanting consulting/contracting work in my field and let me span out into other research-adjacent jobs for really interesting organisations that would have been closed to me before.

I got a full scholarship so overall a no-brainer for me.

wow that's a big system! and a big saving on the power bill

I'll look into batteries a bit more, because I can't see it being particularly worthwhile without storage. I see Harrisons have the Powerwall 3 or Givenergy (3 models) - did you do much of a comparison between batteries, or just went for the powerwall?

what fraction? A large NZ solar retailer claims around US$7k install cost for a 5kW system; a presumably neutral news site (rnz.co.nz) says it's about NZ$2k per kW currently so that roughly checks out.

I'm quite surprised genuinely if these numbers are real. Having central AC, switching to a hot water heat pump last year, and probably buying an EV in next couple of years - with the retail price increasing - I've been thinking about this more and more...

Exactly, I don't know why they can't just slap a warning on it like "this app can access all your files if you let it, is that ok?"

My question is how google apps do functionally the same thing, but presumably without using this particular API??

Same here - diagnosed autistic last year. I also feel like I need office time- sure I get much less work done, but its actually important to build networks, hang out with someone new for lunch and develop your allies, or people who can confirm to others you're a 'good guy' and not just a silent face hovering on a zoom call who also happens to be extremely productive. Its all totally exhausting but it is important.

what I've learnt is that neurotypicals value whether they like you way higher than anything to do with your work.

what does rsilvergun have to do with any of this???

are you that guy with all the rsilvergunisgay accounts?

Sometimes people have different opinions than you, and that's ok. Why are you so triggered by someone having different opinions to you? It's quite childish.

I don't know anything about your specific subject area but, yes, it's the cool thing about a Phd (or almost any research degree) - you are free to research any new area of knowledge you like.

You obviously have to research it objectively, follow sound principles around research approach, but otherwise free to test your hypothesis. If what you say is indeed true, then your literature review would uncover a tendency to marginalise an issue faced by males, and that is a good starting point into what you can prove is an 'under-researched' area.

If I may say, a PhD is a very long and difficult road - you have to be passionate about your topic. Sometimes it can be difficult to separate a passion from some kind of grievance, or in some cases a need to prove yourself right. For a Phd it doesn't particularly matter - the research itself has to be neutral and grounded in an evidenced issue. The issue is more about your own wellbeing and those around you - what will give you the motivation and drive to keep going? Good luck!

Maybe you missed the point of a PhD - it's not just a harder and longer undergrad.

PhD's are explicitly about uncovering a new area of knowledge that hasn't been researched before. So - you review literature that is related to the new idea you want to research. But you don't get the degree until you have explored this new area, that nobody else has focused on.

So, no, your comment is completely redundant - by definition Billy Bob wouldn't be able to read about your as-yet unresearched idea. But love the inverted snobbery, well done.

Wow snobby much?

They earned an advanced degree and are perfectly entitled to call themselves Dr. Maybe they had to study part-time because they work low income jobs, and have a family to provide for - what's your problem exactly?

After I finished my PhD a few years ago, I thought seriously about going in to academia - at the time I already had a quite well paying career and just thought it'd be an interesting area to move into.

But after seeing postdoc or other academic opportunities - usually along the lines of an objectively low income, doing lots of teaching, and basically being the faculty's bitch, while at the same time needing to have a million publications from somewhere - I just thought fuck this and stuck to the career I already had.

It seems like academia, for above reasons, is geared towards people who just stay at university their whole lives - you just go straight to grad school, publish a lot, get conditioned into the absolutely pathetic salary being paid, and stay there forever, slowly ossifying. It's definitely the impression I got from academic staff I've worked with - sad combination of desperation, fear while being a decade behind in industry knowledge.

on b) thank you for picking up this probably small but really important group!

lots of people do PhD's to fill what they see as really important knowledge gaps - and really this is the whole point of PhD's in the first place. The difference is that funding is available for some of those knowledge gaps (science and STEM good examples because govts see them as economically productive and/or they have commercial applications), and for many of them almost nobody gives a shit and people work really hard to put their thing out there.

Particularly in forums like slashdot the discussion often turns to "liberal arts stupid" because everyone here is special and clever, but personally I think it's super cool if someone wants to pay to do a PhD in Medieval literature or the history of operettas on cruise ships - I'd much rather live in a world where people have such diverse passions and we can come at problems from lots of different angles, rather than all be EE professors.

It's not just about literal noise levels, there's a more subtle social norm around respect and courtesy here (maybe it doesn't translate so well into the US context).

The point is - two people talking loudly are a bit annoying, but they're having a conversation, it's a normal and expected part of being in public.

A person on the phone, has to literally press a specific button and use the phone in a non-default way to purposely TURN ON the other voice, thus it becomes a very avoidable and discourteous incident which this idiot is rightly fined for.

Is there a technical audio advantage to using loudspeaker? No. Is there perhaps some disability/access issue where it's easier to use loudspeaker than speak normally or with earbuds? No. So we're left with the only explanation being, this guy is an inconsiderate asshole.

additionally for people visiting it's very important and a bit mind-bending to get your head around ACC.

so quite separately to the formal healthcare system, if anyone in the country at any time, no matter their immigration status or anything else, has an injury resulting from an accident, then they are eligible for free healthcare and treatment related to that incident.

Globally it's quite an anomaly of a system, but means for example that it is not possible in NZ to sue a healthcare provider for care resulting in injury - the rehab is provided fully by ACC, and a separate body will deal with the physician/provider.

The Spinoff has an amusing and typically self-deprecating guide as to where to Nomad in Aotearoa.

Good intro at least to the local humour if you are even considering it.

On Fiordland and sandflies specifically, it notes:

[sandflies] will eat you alive and fly into your eyes. They will find any way to get you, including going through the vents of bathroom extraction fans. Oh, and there’s also alpine parrots that would love to take apart your laptop.