this post was submitted on 22 Aug 2023
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Asklemmy

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Mine would be creating pen and paper ciphers for my made up secret communication needs.

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[–] Ticklemytip@lemmy.world 15 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Fixing small things. My friends or family need something fixed that doesn't require a professional. I like figuring out how to fix things or at least providing a temporary solution. I do it because I'm helping someone, also I'm building my skill set. A basic search of answers and videos teaching me how to do it properly most times is easy to find. If not I find a way to create a safe temporary solution until they can have one come in. Very fulfilling, especially if you like a challenge.

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[–] CoolBeance@lemmy.world 15 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Sim racing isn't necessarily too quirky or obscure but I do it to maintain some sort of maybe possibly ADHD. Doing laps around a track really helps with getting myself used to focusing.

It's especially helpful because each lap around a race track tends to be only 1 - 2 minutes, which is a relatively easy amount of time to keep focus at any one point in time, but keeping it up for consecutive laps and remaining consistent as time builds up in small increments is a different kind of joy to me.

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[–] xkforce@lemmy.world 15 points 2 years ago (10 children)

I build and optimize molecules using computational chemistry software for fun.

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[–] TheRealGChu@lemm.ee 14 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Handspinning. I do a lot of fiber crafts.

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[–] cynetri@midwest.social 14 points 2 years ago (4 children)

Open-source virtual reality, usually just any VR works too lmao but especially FOSS VR

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[–] jamiehs@lemmy.ml 13 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Sim racing.

It’s difficult to talk about it without people dismissing it as just a video game with a steering wheel.

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[–] Kyoyeou@slrpnk.net 13 points 2 years ago (6 children)

I'll say me writting my homebrew DnD world. It goes in pair with me using ObsidianMD, I love the tool i'm using and i'm having fun specifically in the making of polical cities more than in the making of combat senarios. My mom knows about it and sometimes asks, Dad finds it stupid, and I don't talk about it with anyone I used to atlk about what I write to two friends, but they are coming to my session in september so now I have no one esle to bring it up

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[–] mhredox@reddthat.com 13 points 2 years ago (4 children)

I have quite a few obscure hobbies due to ADHD...

I'm super into collecting vintage analog music equipment. Old analog synthesizers and reel-to-reel tape machines to be exact. I also make music on them, but to be honest that's kind of a secondary thing haha.

I play a little bit of everything. Drums, guitar, keyboard, bass, etc. I'm probably best at drums though and have been playing for the better part of 25 years. Currently in a punk band and a desert rock band.

I'm into programming (web dev is my career) and embedded systems. I make a ton of various things with arduinos/raspberry pis. Often I'll try to combine the two and make midi/cv controllers for my synths.

I got into 3d printing a couple years back and have since been going down the rabbit hole of CAD with fusion 360/blender/etc.

I also got really into making video games for a bit in Unity. Started work on a VR game and have been meaning to get back to it.

Speaking of VR, I'm not a huge gamer but definitely love playing Beat Saber and Pistol Whip (both VR). I'm in the top 1000 or so in beat saber, but I was #1 globally in pistol whip for quite a while. I imagine I'm probably still top 10 at least.

And probably my most obscure hobby: Poi

Most people have no idea what it even is, and once they find out, just assume I'm a rave kiddie. I mean, I kind of am, but I legit love the art of poi.

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Writing fanfiction

[–] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 13 points 2 years ago

Lockpicking tends to be my most misunderstood hobby/interest.

[–] IdleSheep@lemdro.id 12 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

I love plushies. I have an ever growing collection and love just browsing plushies of all sorts when I'm online. I just really like cute things. But as a 28 year old man with a beard, it's safe to say I'm not exactly the spiting image of a plushie collector, and most people are definitely not interested in talking at length about it with me.

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[–] AttackBunny@lemmy.world 12 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Running. Ok, I know it's not obscure, however, if you say you're a runner, or that it's a hobby, you're frequently met with hostility, or people trying to talk you out of it. The amount of times people have said "running is bad for you, you need to stop" is insane.

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[–] boringbisexual@lib.lgbt 11 points 2 years ago (4 children)

I like to play with dos. Every once in a while I start looking for games and programs trying to recreate the computer my parents used to have. I've also gotten into randomizers recently. Currently in the middle of a 3-person multiworld playthrough of Stardew Valley.

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[–] June@lemm.ee 11 points 2 years ago (4 children)

I race RC cars.

Seems simple enough but there’s always follow up questions that inevitably take the conversation from interesting to β€˜in the weeds’.

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[–] FartsWithAnAccent@lemmy.world 11 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

!micromobility@lemmy.world is my latest obsession: Friends, family, and colleagues are tired of hearing me talk about ebikes.

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[–] Elegen@lemmy.world 10 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Not me, but my wife. She collects kpop cards. Apparently the bands have a random card of one of the members in the albums. Theres a whole trading and selling market for them.

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[–] gwildors_gill_slits@lemmy.ca 10 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I don't think it's super obscure, but I home brew beer and it's a hobby where you can really go deep into the technicalities of tweaking recipes, building equipment, and just the overall process in a way that would probably bore the average non-brewer to death.

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[–] MetricIsRight@lemmy.ca 9 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I repair and upgrade classic video game consoles. RGB modding NES, Adding HDMI output to a PS1 etc. Sometimes in the case of some NEC consoles like the Turbo Duo R, I'll buy ones that are totally hopeless (capacitors in these thing leak like crazy) and pick away at it for months, I've had some janky looking consoles but I've brought them back from the dead. Always satisfying when then work again.

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[–] Contramuffin@lemmy.world 9 points 2 years ago (3 children)

For me, probably insects. I've been fascinated by insects when I was little, and honestly I feel like I've been getting back into it recently. I started keeping a mealworm colony recently so that I wouldn't need to buy mealworms for my frog (it was really more of a practical decision than an interest in having a colony, but mealworms are pretty cool nonetheless)

I've been considering getting a mantis and/or some rhinoceros beetles, but I'm not really sure where I would be able to get the materials required to set up terrarium for them

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