/r/YouShouldKnow
A community to share tips and tricks that will help yourself improve on activities, skills and various other tasks.
YSKs are about self-improvement on how to do things, not for facts and figures, which is what /r/TodayILearned is for. Look here for some thoughts about difference between a YSK and a TIL.
1) Your post MUST begin with YSK and have appropriate flair. The post must be a YSK as defined above.
2) Within your post you must include "Why YSK" which should have an explicit statement of how it helps people improve on a task, skill, or ability as noted in the 1st Rule (and not your personal story).
3) YSKs regarding Reddit, Facebook, Twitter or any other social media are NOT ALLOWED.
4) YSKs with referral links to sites such as Dropbox or Amazon are NOT ALLOWED.
5) YSKs regarding ideas or concepts based in conspiracy will be removed at the discretion of the moderators
6) YSKs that are a call to arms, which can be asking for support for charities, organizations or political parties WILL NOT BE ALLOWED.
7) This subreddit is not the place to be self-advertising your websites, products and services. YSKs that are spamming websites, products and services will be dealt with at the discretion of the moderators and may result in action against the user posting the YSK.
8) YSKs regarding computer shortcuts are no longer allowed as of June 2, 2014. It is advised that you use the search function in this subreddit or any other technology based subreddit to search for posts containing shortcuts for your OS
9) Citations are required for YSKs regarding health and science related topics.
10) Don't shitpost. Be civil - Remember the human.
To see what fun facts people are finding out look at r/TodayILearned!
Check out r/LifeProTips to pick-up secrets of overcoming everyday problems!
Find out what every man should know over at r/EveryManShouldKnow!
[which will be considered as reposts]
Ecosia
/r/YouShouldKnow
Why YSK: Overheating circuits is a fire and electrical hazard. There are many cases where this has led to fire incidents in homes. I'm not saying that fishy odors are necessarily brought by overheating circuits, but it's just something to keep in mind in case anything bad happens.
Why YSK: This simple preparation can help you improve your readiness for unexpected situations, such as getting caught in the rain, needing to hit the gym unexpectedly, or even a quick outfit change. Having these items on hand can save you time and stress.
Why YSK:
If you're a gamer looking to save money, you should know about these fantastic websites and tools for finding the best game deals. They help you compare prices, discover discounts, and even snag-free games!
๐ BONUS TIPS ๐
Why YSK: Next time, when you are looking for books in a library for research, utilize the expertise of librarians. They can really help a lot in finding what you want, and ultimately increasing productivity.
Why YSK:
Many people have unclaimed money from things like forgotten bank accounts, old security deposits, or insurance refunds. It's easy and free to check if you have any unclaimed property through official government resources.
Details:
You might find forgotten funds just waiting to be claimed!
Why YSK: "Secure delete" doesn't work on solid state drives and you should know what to do to guarantee deleted files aren't recoverable by other people.
##Background
You may already know that when you "delete" a file, the file isn't actually erased. Instead the file still exists on your drive, instead the reference to the file in the file system's directory structure (e.g., the Master File Table in NTFS or inode table in Linux) is removed. The file still exists and it can potentially be found by examining areas of the disk that (according to the file system's directory) do not contain any current file data. In the past you could "secure delete" a file by overwriting the entire contents of the file with garbage data (random data, all zeros or all ones) sometimes several times to make sure it is no longer recoverable. However, this does not work on solid state disks. Solid state disks have a limit to how many times they can be written to, so the drive itself decides where to write data. It does this so that it can make sure that no one area of the drive is written to a lot more than others which would cause areas of the disk to become unusable while others areas are still "fresh" and can still be used. So if you tell it to overwrite a particular area of the disk there is no guarantee that data will actually be written to the physical location you specify.
##What to do
The only way I know to guarantee that deleted files are unreadable then is to encrypt your disk. When it is encrypted no one can read any part of the disk unless they know the encryption key, so both existing files and deleted files will be unreadable without the key.
##How to do it
To enable disk encryption in Windows [check out this guide here](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/device-encryption-in-windows-cf7e2b6f-3e70-4882-9532-18633605b7df). To enable disk encryption in MacOS [check out this guide here](https://support.apple.com/guide/disk-utility/encrypt-protect-a-storage-device-password-dskutl35612/mac). There are multiple ways to encrypt a disk for Linux and you'll have to find a guide for your distro and file system.
Why YSK: Your employer may be the one paying for your medical costs (not the health insurance company).
Many people in America get health insurance through their employer as a benefit of working there. Most Americans are under the assumption that their health insurance company is the one paying for their medicine, doctors appointments and surgeries, but that is not always true.
The typical health insurance plan that we are all familiar with is called a "Fully Funded" plan, where the employer pays a premium to the insurer and in return the insurer manages all claims and makes payments for health services.
However, over 50% of employers instead purchase cheaper "Self Funded" plans, which means the employer is on the hook for payments of medical services, and the insurer only acts as a claim coordinator. It's just the health insurance company name on the letters we receive in the mail to make us think they are the one paying.
The reason an employer may choose a "Self Funded" plan is because premiums are cheaper, and the employer is taking a calculated risk that the cost of paying for their employees health benefits themselves is less than the cost of maintaining a "Fully Funded" plan, which requires up front fixed payments.
You may be wondering how an employer protects against a catastrophic accident, for example, if an employee gets cancer and needs $750k worth of rare experimental treatments (assuming it is approved). Insurers offer employers stop-loss insurance that will kick in under situations like this, thus protecting the employer from financial loss.
However, for most of us, this means that our employers are sometimes the decision makers behind what claims get paid for. They will not admit or advertise this fact, but employers are able to know who their most expensive employees are. As you can imagine, this creates a highly complex relationship between employee, health insurance company and employer.
Please check your plan document, which will tell you in small print if your plan is a Self Funded plan or a Fully Funded plan.
You can also Google how Self Funded vs Fully Funded plans work.
Source: https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/self-insured-plan/
Why YSK: many people think the only way to reheat using a microwave is just...turning it on. This often results in overcooked/undercooked food regions, and often destroys food if you go just a little too far.
Some foods (meat) are better at even lower power settings, for even longer. But generally speaking, if I'm reheating food and I'm not sure the best level to use, level 7 is always better than full power. 7's my easy go-to (for a longer amount of time), and the heating is far more even and less likely to overcook certain spots/undercook others.
Edit: The literal only time I will ever use a microwave on full-power is if I'm heating water in a mug.
Edit2: As this thread has gained traction, also - always put your plate off-center. Peaks in microwave on one side can hit valleys in microwave (talking about the wave function of microwave radiation), effectively canceling each other out. Putting your plate in as off-center as possible (assuming a turnstile) ensures no food is sitting in only one region of the microwave throughout the entire time you're heating, reducing the likelihood of this occurring.
Why YSK: https://fighthealthinsurance.com/ is a free AI tool that helps you by creating appeals documents that you can send back to your health insurance when they deny your claims. This was created by someone who had to fight their own health insurance over denials.
Why YSK: While Health Insurance companies deny a large portion of claims (32% in the case of UnitedHealthcare), only 1% of rejections are appealed. Often those rejections are in error, either on the health insurance end or the submitter forgot some important information.
Paperwork may be the only thing between you and critical care, or tens of thousands of dollars. You can fight the insurance companies in many ways, starting with their internal processes and escalating to your state government or the media.
Get more details at: https://www.iamthebottomline.com/knowledge-center
Edit:
If you want an AI to help you write your appeal letter, check outย https://fighthealthinsurance.com.
If you want to help cancel other people's medical debt, these guys will use your donation to buy some for pennies on the dollar and forgive it: https://unduemedicaldebt.org/
Why YSK: Many, many things common around the holidays can be dangerous or even deadly to your pets. Make sure youโre doing your research to keep them safe! Here are some examples
This is not a complete list. Please be careful and keep your pets safe this holiday season!
Why YSK: You can legally access tons of news articles free of charge and without any guilt!
MSN apparently partners with many mainstream news outlets and though I don't know what the arrangement is, if you want to see articles from the NY Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, NY Daily News etc, these articles are all available on MSN in full, no fees. If you see an article in one of these publications and can't access it, just search the headline in the MSN search bar and find the article on MSN in the search resultsโฆ just be sure to click the result that says "ON MSN" and not the result from the news publisher's website directly.
I know I sound like a time traveler shill trying to promote default homepages on Internet Explorer in 1995 but it's pretty great (and I promise I have no personal, business, or financial ties to Microsoft or MSN)!
(Note: They don't publish news from every single news outlet ever and not every paywalled news outlet is part of MSN.)
Edit: People don't need to post all the sites they know that get around paywalls. I am familiar with those. But I would say those don't work for me about 70% of the time, especially if the article was just published and hasn't been cached/archived yet. But on MSN, since they partner with these various news outlets, you can ensure a 100% success rate in being able to see the article.
Adguard is an adblocking service, where you can tunnel your traffic through a DNS server that they set up (dns.adguard-dns.com). DNS servers work as a phonebook for computers, and the way adguard dns works is when your computer asks for the ip for https://exampleadserver.com, adguard, dosent send it (or sends a fake one)
Why YSK: Google is deprecating mv2 support, meaning adblockers like Ublock origin will stop working, and soon mv3 adblockers (which are terrible) or DNS will be the only way to block ads
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna172246
Why YSK: Iron deficiency anemia is an under diagnosed condition that causes fatigue and brain fog.
Why YSK: Quality of life is vital for your pet. This condition affects many cats and is often undiagnosed due to the stoic nature of our feline friends.
Resorptive lesions are a serious dental condition in cats where the tooth root and surrounding bone are gradually destroyed. This often leads to pain, infection, and potential tooth loss.
Here's why you should ask your vet about them during your next visit:
The only treatment is extraction. Many cat owners notice a positive difference in behavior from their cats after the procedure is done.
More information: https://1stpetvet.com/feline-tooth-resorption-a-guide-for-cat-owners/
In the US, food products have specific labeling requirements if they contain any of 9 common allergens: soy, wheat, sesame, milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish. However, medications are not subject to these requirements. They must list their ingredients, but are not required to highlight allergens.
Why YSK: If you suffer from food allergies, you may neglect to verify whether a medication contains what you're allergic to. Be sure to read the full list of ingredients, not count on there being an allergen warning.
Examples: Quite a few medications and supplements contain soy lecithin or soybean oil. For celiacs, some medications contain gluten. There are many other examples as well.
Why YSK: When someone knows you probably put a whole lot of effort into changing something from the old version to the new, they'll be afraid to answer "old" if they honestly liked it better. If you instead ask "which design do you like better, A or B?" they'll be more likely to be honest because they aren't aware of which one is newer. So doing this can get you more honest, objective answers.
This applies to things like comparing art styles or drawings. It doesn't apply to things they've seen the old version of, though.
Hi there! This tip works in the US. Worked at Cinemark for several years, and I frequent AMC. Here are the times when your movie actually starts. With AMC, it's usually 20-21 minutes after the advertised showtime these days. With Cinemark, there is a firm, 26 minute preview package. So say your movie starts at 7:15. If you go to AMC, so long as you arrive by 7:30, you're probably fine. Cinemark, you should be fine at 7:35. If your film is a Fathom Event however (retrospective, opera, etc.), you will likely want to arrive at the scheduled time, as they typically have minimal to no previews.
Why YSK: I endured more than my fair share of people complaining about a movie not starting 'on time'. Theaters and film studios obviously have incentive to advertise to a captive audience. If you want to avoid being advertised to, and get straight to the meat of things, it's good to know when your film starts.
Preface: I know technically this would be Dulce de leche (made with milk), but for the purpose of this post, and for brevity, Iโll be saying caramel(made without milk).
Edit for clarity: you boil the whole, unopened can, completely submerged under the water. Sorry if my original wording was vague and didnโt portray this message well enough.
Edit2 for a PSA: this needs to be done with the type of can that requires a can opener. That means NOT the type of can that has the pull-ring at the top, or the pull-tab with the perforated ring that opens similar to a soda can. These introduce weak spots in the can, which could potentially be under a decent amount of pressure.
Why YSK:
Traditionally, caramel can sometimes be a bit of a pain in the ass to make, as a home chef. Itโs also way too easy to give yourself some gnarly burns while making caramel the normal way.
Instead, by boiling a can of sweetened condensed milk for anywhere from 2.5 to 3.5 hoursโdepending on the darkness you seekโyouโll have a high quality caramel with nearly zero work put in. The most you have to do is rip off the label, and top off the water a few times as it boils off, depending on how deep your pot is.
The finished product is a silky, soft caramel, perfect for dipping apple slices into, or even for using in homemade confections.
Lastly, I canโt forego mentioning the flavor. To put it simply, itโs amazing. You would have to try really hard and likely fail many times if you tried to make a better tasting caramel at home from scratch. I just donโt see it being possible. The caramel โin a canโ has the smoothest texture Iโve ever seen in any caramel, also.
Thanks for reading, and now you know! You can impress your friends and family with this genuine life hack, and treat them to a tasty treat at the same time!
Why YSK: I've been working as a customer service agent that does strictly online chats for a few years and have amassed some tips on how to properly communicate with us. We completely understand that you may be frustrated going into the conversation, but it's so much easier for both persons involved if you keep a cool head and articulate properly what you need. These tips mostly go for live chats and may not all translate to email conversations or phone calls.
We honestly want to help you. Our job is so much more fun when both parties leave the conversation happy. Sometimes we are simply unable to do what you are asking of us and that can be a tough pill to swallow. Understand that you are talking to another person on the other side and hopefully that will make the conversation a productive one.
Edit: People really seem to dislike customer service. The point of this post was to define a border between the company and the service agent. Even though you don't like the company, it doesn't mean you have to be an asshole to the person trying to help you.
Why YSK: It can take a long time to see a doctor. You also may encounter a time when a doctor refuses to order a test. You don't need to wait for a doctor. There are online vendors that you can order tests from and then you take those orders to a local lab (Labcorp or Quest in the US), and await emailed results. Insurance almost certainly won't cover without a doctor's order, but I think you'll find many of these tests to be cheap. I can get everything they typically do at my yearly physical for about $20.00. I honestly think this can be lifesaving information for the uninformed (typically the older folks). Hope someone finds this useful!
Edit: fyi, I don't think I'm allowed to post the names of the vendors that I've used, but the comments are already listing some.
Edit: As someone kindly pointed out, I'm in the US. I am unsure of how helpful this is in other countries.
Edit: The title is incorrect. When you go through these vendors, a doctor's order is provided to the labs, even though you never interact with them. So, technically, you have a doctor's order and labs do require these orders.
Why YSK: If you conceive a child with a girl on Nov 3rd and you ask Reddit for advice about it on Nov 22, Redditors will tell you about being three weeks pregnant. But the woman you impregnated isnโt three weeks pregnant. She is 6 or 7 weeks pregnant. Thatโs because pregnancy age is counted from the womanโs last period and not from conception. And if the woman doesnโt know when that is or she has irregular periods from time to time, she needs an ultrasound real fast to find out.
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/blog/how-can-i-calculate-how-many-weeks-pregnant-i-am
Why YSK: Different brands of plan b have different effectiveness ranges. If you are 150lbs or so please check the instructions for the brands available to you. If you are too heavy the pills may not work for you.
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/blog/whats-the-weight-limit-for-plan-b
Why YSK: With Google interface always "modernizing" by putting knowledge graph and AI answers on top, and all the sites that try to game SEO to appear on top of search results, you should know you can make your own search engine.
https://programmablesearchengine.google.com/controlpanel/all
You basically go to the URL above and create a custom search engine you desire. Once you create it, it gets added to your control panel. In the panel you can click the link icon that takes you to a public site of the search engine and you can bookmark it or create a Chrome app from it by adding it to your home screen. To edit your search engine tap its name.
You can change the interface of the search engine and by default it's like the old Google that only lists your links. You can also delete the thumbnails and make it even more compact.
When creating one you don't have much customization options. For more customization, first create one, and then tap its name in the panel to edit.
Use cases:
Creating a custom search engine that includes only trusted news sites.
Creating a custom search engine that excludes Fox News, Breitbart, etc
If you're learning a language, you can only include the sites that are for your level and you use them to improve your skills.
Only include sites Google intentionally puts at the bottom of results :-)
Include only websites from your bookmarks
Photo of results page on my custom search engine: https://imgur.com/a/eNLkmcS
At bottom of the search engine there is a button that searches your query on normal Google.
Why YSK: If you often eat too quickly, it can lead to some discomfort or poor digestion. But by simply slowing down while eating your food, you can help your body absorb nutrients better and feel more satisfied after meals.
When youโre about to eat, take a moment to breathe and relax. Chew your food thoroughly instead of rushing through your meal. Adding something spicy or really hot to your food can also help slow you down naturally. This way, you'll enjoy your meal more and give your body a chance to digest properly. Try it next time, and notice how much better you feel afterward.
Why YSK: Depending on what device you use, the Netflix app will start playing a preview if you even briefly pause at a title while browsing through the list of movies and shows. Also if you are watching an episode of a TV show, Netflix will automatically start the next episode when the current one ends. Many people find these features annoying.
You can turn off either of these features. Log into Netflix on a browser. Then go to Account > Manage profiles, and tap on your profile. Then go to Playback settings, then under Autoplay controls you can turn off autoplay next episode and autoplay previews.
Some people dislike having certain movies or TV shows constantly up in their profile. There is no way in the app to hide titles, even if you "thumbs down" them. You can do this by once again, logging into Netflix on a browser. Then go to Account > Manage profiles, and tap on your profile. Then go to Viewing restrictions . Enter the password to your account if prompted. Then scroll down to Title Restrictions. Here you can enter names of shows or movies you want to prevent from showing up on your profile. Make sure to hit the Save button at the bottom.
You might have had someone watch a movie or show you don't like (or would never watch) using your profile. This can end up influencing the recommendations for your profile. It is possible to fix this! Log into Netflix on a browser. Then go to Account > Manage profiles, and tap on your profile. Then go to Viewing activity . Scroll through the list and find the title you want to remove from you viewing history. Then tap the circular block icon on the right side. Also if it is a whole series you can just tap on Hide series instead of hiding each episode one by one. Bonus: Tap on Ratings at the top of the list to edit your past "thumb ratings".
Lastly, if you share your account with other people but hate it when they accidentally (or intentionally) keep using your profile to watch stuff, you can set up a PIN lock for your profile. Log into Netflix on a browser. Then go to Account > Manage profiles, and tap on your profile. Tap Profile Lock, enter your account password, check the box that says "Require a PIN to access..." and enter a 4-digit PIN below it. Don't forget to hit the Save button.
Why YSK: Many people want to find a great deal during sales, and many sellers take advantage of this. They raise the price a few days before the sale and then lower it just to show a large discount.
Always check price history charts to see what prices were like in the past and make sure the discount is real. This will help you avoid impulse purchases, shop at the lowest prices, and find real deals.
Camelcamelcamel, Keepa, Pricearchive are popular one's for Amazon and Aliexpress.
Links:
https://camelcamelcamel.com/ - price tracker for Amazon
https://keepa.com/ - another good price tracker for Amazon
https://www.pricearchive.org/ - price tracker for Aliexpress
It would be great if you could list good price trackers you use for Walmart, eBay, and other stores. This will be especially helpful during ongoing and upcoming sales.
Why YSK: Canada Post provides this service so that your kids can enhance the magic of Christmas by receiving a reply from Santa in the North Pole. Volunteer Canada Post employees write response letters, in dozens of languages, and you don't need to be in Canada.
Santa's address is:
Santa Claus North Pole H0H 0H0 Canada
Within Canada, postage isn't required, but if mailing outside of Canada, you'll need to pay your own country's standard postage for international mail. Return postage isn't required. They do ask that you include all letters from the same family or classroom in one envelope though.
Have fun!
Why YSK: In case you are used to using an electric kettle in Europe, which is very common and considering buying one in North America.
This is because of the different voltage standards around the world (240 vs. 120). It is also why stovetop kettles are more common in NA than in other parts of the world. It takes roughly twice as long to boil water in an electric kettle in NA than in Europe.
Edit: Apparently they are still the best option for most people. TIL :)
Why YSK:
Many people suffer from these symptoms and go years without mentioning them, due to fear of potential consequences or stigma. Some hallmarks of these thoughts are that they are unwanted, disturbing, and intrusive in nature. Often, they are completely at odds with your nature, and usually latch onto things you hold dear.
Some sufferers may also find themselves ruminating on said thoughts, trying to wrestle with them and find meaning to alleviate the fear they cause. Some common themes include:
Harming your loved ones
Harming yourself
Harming children
Violent, graphic imagery
Embarrassing yourself/losing control in public
Sudden urges to say horrible things to people
Religious fears, such as unwanted, blasphemous thoughts in prayer or church service
Fear of being a sexual predator
Fear of cheating on your spouse/partner
Fear of losing your sanity
And several, several others. Don't panic if you didn't see yours listed here; that alone is a symptom.
OCD is highly treatable using tried and true techniques like ERP, or Exposure and Response Prevention therapy. Medication is available to those who need it, and while many reports suggest SSRIs are helpful, they aren't required for treatment.
I have this. I struggled with this for a decade, and want to make sure others know about it. Hearing that I wasn't alone saved my life, and I'm simply hoping to pay it forward. In therapy now and it's making a world of difference. I wish I'd gone 10 years sooner.
If this is something you are struggling with, you aren't alone and support is out there!
You aren't crazy.
Sources:
[The Gateway Institute]https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.gatewayocd.com/harm-ocd-symptoms-and-treatment/&ved=2ahUKEwiklp_e7dqJAxWWTDABHSNtFdIQFnoECC4QAQ&usg=AOvVaw2x2Hx2b68cklCVr2pU9opc
[International OCD Foundation]https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://iocdf.org/faith-ocd/what-is-ocd-scrupulosity/&ved=2ahUKEwiFkoeW7tqJAxU_ZjABHZvtEgMQFnoECBwQAQ&sqi=2&usg=AOvVaw1ZuYyG9uS11qSrRAqpxikJ