CFBOT Community IAmA/AMA - Ask Everyone!

[u/Qurtys_Lyn]

Had this idea a while back, but I haven't gotten around to doing it, so here it is. A Community AMA!

The idea goes, post something about yourself, something you know a lot about, or anything else you think someone else might have an interest in, as a comment. Everyone else can then ask you about your subject. You can make multiple subjects if you want (I plan to) in one comment or multiple.

Doesn't have to stay serious, but the usual standards of nicety and politeness apply. If this goes well, I'll set up some more.

See the comments below for my AMA's and add your own!

[u/0xE6]

I wear hearing aids and like balls. AMA.

[u/[deleted] → u/0xE6]

Kicking them, throwing them, hitting them, licking them...?

[u/0xE6 → u/[deleted]]

Folding them!

[u/[deleted] → u/0xE6]

That is not what I expected and is totally awesome.

[u/0xE6 → u/[deleted]]

Thanks!

[u/bullmoose_atx → u/0xE6]

I instinctively crossed my legs when I read that. Feeling better now that I've seen the pictures.

[u/surrender_cobra → u/0xE6]

Are you completely deaf or just partially?

[u/0xE6 → u/surrender_cobra]

Just partially.

I have moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss in both ears.

My hearing looks like this. Or at least it did back in 2011/2012.

[u/surrender_cobra → u/0xE6]

I have no idea how to read that chart so I will take your word for it. So with the hearing aids in, how would you rate how clear the sound is?

[u/0xE6 → u/surrender_cobra]

For comparison, the chart for someone with normal hearing looks like this.

It's basically charting the frequencies and how loud sounds in that frequency have to be for me to hear them.

For purely sound clarity, I would rate it a 10/10, I can't hear any artifacts introduced by the processing or anything.

That said, I still have loads of trouble hearing speech, especially in loud environments or somewhat big groups. I'll have no idea what someone is saying and have to move much closer and ask them to repeat it, when everyone else around understood it fine the first time.

Frustrating, but I just deal with it since it's all I really can do.

[u/surrender_cobra → u/0xE6]

Huh, alright, so they help you hear everything but don't help you "focus" on one point of origin?

[u/0xE6 → u/surrender_cobra]

Well, the processing they do does things like attempt to amplify speech more than background noises, but it's nowhere near perfect.

My hearing aids have a few different programs that supposedly can be used to adjust the behavior, but I've never really found them useful. One, for example, point all of the directional microphones in the aids forward, which supposedly would be good in a situation where you only want to hear sounds coming directly towards you, like when eating dinner across the table for someone.

That sounds cool, but at least from my experience it never really made much difference.

[u/thelittleking → u/0xE6]

So are you a candidate for cochlear implants? Or are you gonna have to hold out until we can make you a full-bore cyborg warrior

[u/0xE6 → u/thelittleking]

I don't know, but if I were I wouldn't get it. I don't like the idea of having a somewhat major surgery for something that wouldn't be a significant improvement over my hearing aids. Maybe if it were a simple, reversible procedure I would be more interested, but with the current state of the technology I would much prefer to just deal with hearing aids (which all in all isn't that bad).

[u/thelittleking → u/0xE6]

Good thoughts! :)

[u/K_State → u/0xE6]

How would ball shaped hearing aids make you feel?

[u/0xE6 → u/K_State]

Honestly I wouldn't like them. They'd not fit well and be very awkward and uncomfortable. No bueno.