raze2012's recent activity
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Comment on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shoots and kills a woman during the Minneapolis immigration crackdown in ~society
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Comment on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shoots and kills a woman during the Minneapolis immigration crackdown in ~society
raze2012 Link ParentTo be an optimist, there is tons of opposition politically. Federal Court judges have been fighting non-stop since day one and I've seen quite a bit of congress openly defying this administration...here is no real opposition politically
To be an optimist, there is tons of opposition politically. Federal Court judges have been fighting non-stop since day one and I've seen quite a bit of congress openly defying this administration is ways unheard of before. And I've seen swings on the state level that would be unheard of in 2024 even. It just won't be as eye-catching as the mid terms, nor that moment we see some true convictions happening.
But the numbers dont line up right now, and if there's one quality of republicans to be admired, it's the ability to work together and compromise on the "small matters" to build up long term wins. But even THAT is crumbling. Remember that one of the most outspoken R's retired yesterday ahead of the midterms. If that isn't foreboding for the future of the party, I don't know what is.
And with the untimely death of Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), even in 2026 the house margin to pass anything is 2 votes. I would have picked one of the octogenarians to let nature take its course on, but I suppose we don't have the luxury of decorum these days.
But yes, this will sadly get uglier before it gets better. It's simply inevitable on the scale of hundreds of millions of people and with out current media environment. I can't offer much more than glimmers until November, but there are glimmers out there.
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Comment on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shoots and kills a woman during the Minneapolis immigration crackdown in ~society
raze2012 Link ParentAll I can do is call my CA reps and ultimately preach to the choir. I guess there's some solace knowing my state pretty much agrees this was all BS (up to one of the Senator's being temporarily...All I can do is call my CA reps and ultimately preach to the choir. I guess there's some solace knowing my state pretty much agrees this was all BS (up to one of the Senator's being temporarily detailed back in June), but we need more than CA if we want to stop any more of this bloodshed.
even then I have no faith in the Democrats to have the conviction to do anything major. Maybe a token, successful impeachment without removal?
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it'll depend on the kind of Democrat that gets in. I agree when leaders change we need a very thorough Nuremberg-style trial to expel all this out. No amnesty this time (they've tried that for 150 years now. They keep creeping in). Assuming the entire regime doesn't flee to Argentina and Russia (even then, a self-imposed exile may be a better result than Nuremberg).
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Impeachments don't mean nothing. Remember that impeachments have only happened a few times in American history, and the only presidential resignation (that wasn't from death) happened from the looming threat of impeachment. Think not of how it will get Trump out immediately and how it will affect the rap record for the years to come.
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Comment on Reddit overtakes TikTok in UK thanks to search algorithms and gen Z in ~tech
raze2012 Link Parentwell luckily (or not so luckily for seachability), discord seems to be taking that title from reddit. The more specific or niche topics that typically have dead subs tend to have more active...well luckily (or not so luckily for seachability), discord seems to be taking that title from reddit. The more specific or niche topics that typically have dead subs tend to have more active servers. Or groups that want to be less anonymous but also not into the twitterverse.
Though discord got new management that also wants to go public. So who knows how that will go?
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Comment on Reddit overtakes TikTok in UK thanks to search algorithms and gen Z in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentI'm pretty sure reddit sensed this and would basically negate such "revenge downvotes". It's a soft form of rate throttling to prevent that exact issue. But yes. I guess this is the "throw the...It would not be an uncommon occurrence for a disgruntled user to downvote every comment you had for an extended period of time because they were pissed off.
I'm pretty sure reddit sensed this and would basically negate such "revenge downvotes". It's a soft form of rate throttling to prevent that exact issue.
But yes. I guess this is the "throw the baby out with the bathwater" approach to the long standing issue where Sub A bans you for participating in Sub B, and then in Sub C because the same mod of A moderates C. Just a shame that that "baby" was the core community who'd come together and foster genuine discussions.
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Comment on Reddit overtakes TikTok in UK thanks to search algorithms and gen Z in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentMay have been possible. But I also get that the creator probably made a decent nest egg from his current efforts and that he'd see this as a chance to cash out and move on to the next endeavor....May have been possible. But I also get that the creator probably made a decent nest egg from his current efforts and that he'd see this as a chance to cash out and move on to the next endeavor.
Communities need to be made by the people at the end of the day. Seeing Bluesky slowly rise up gives me hope that Reddit isn't at some "too big to fail" level.
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Comment on Reddit overtakes TikTok in UK thanks to search algorithms and gen Z in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentThe AI bots in the comments are unbearable. They are gonna take just as much a hit as any other tech company once the bubble pops. I won't necessarily say they will crash, but reddit as we know it...I am more than slightly salty this ended up working out for Reddit, honestly.
The AI bots in the comments are unbearable. They are gonna take just as much a hit as any other tech company once the bubble pops. I won't necessarily say they will crash, but reddit as we know it for this "community of authentic users" will cease to exist. Similar to what happened to Quora last decade.
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Comment on I no longer trust the stats that companies publish on the gender equality in their tech roles in ~tech
raze2012 LinkOn one hand, I agree. On the other hand, this was a futile problem to solve at the job level. You don't get a graduating class of, say, 25% women in CS (I don't know the modern statistics) and...On one hand, I agree.
On the other hand, this was a futile problem to solve at the job level. You don't get a graduating class of, say, 25% women in CS (I don't know the modern statistics) and expect 50% makeup in tech. Not without something horribly wrong occurring.
Any company that really cares about this needs to be doing outreach to high schools, not posting company statistics.
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Comment on US strikes Venezuela and says its leader, Nicolas Maduro, has been captured and flown out of the country in ~society
raze2012 Link ParentSure they always exist. But even with competent leaders it seems like the USMC only destabilizes and razes any foreign policy it jumps into. With Trump, this is only going to escalate quickly...think the possibility of outcomes that are not entirely terrible exists.
Sure they always exist. But even with competent leaders it seems like the USMC only destabilizes and razes any foreign policy it jumps into. With Trump, this is only going to escalate quickly unless he dies or Congress finally get a fire up their arse and convicts him over this, South Korea style. That's really the only way at this point to de-escsalate such matters.
but being from a country that was under a totalitarian regime as well, my view is much less strict.
Being from America, my view is more strict because I've seen 80 years of post WW2 history where much better intentioned battles still ended poorly on all parties. Heck, 2024 was voted on in a mentality of "it can't get worse". And then it did. Never underestimate the maws of humanity.
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Comment on US strikes Venezuela and says its leader, Nicolas Maduro, has been captured and flown out of the country in ~society
raze2012 Link ParentWell yes. Its much worse, because the US has zero heritage with South America, let alone Venezuela. There's not even a pretense of some glory day where the US wants to unite land that divided...These comparisons are still unbelievable to me.
Well yes. Its much worse, because the US has zero heritage with South America, let alone Venezuela. There's not even a pretense of some glory day where the US wants to unite land that divided itself.
arguing that Maduro has any sort of legitimate claim to Venezulean leadership is partisan-stoking, two-faced bullshit.
We're dealing with the exact same claims in the US right now. I don't think we have much energy nor time to intervene in another country's sociopolitical rupture.
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Comment on Rapid swings between pro-EV and anti-EV US policies have disrupted long-term planning, forcing Ford, GM, and Stellantis to scramble to reshape their strategy in ~society
raze2012 Link ParentYes. And for that very reason, under Biden (right before he was voted out), the US approved 3 years of tarriffs to hold off competition. The intention there is to give American automakers time to...Yes. And for that very reason, under Biden (right before he was voted out), the US approved 3 years of tarriffs to hold off competition. The intention there is to give American automakers time to ramp up production and compete in the long term. Instead we remove ev credits and not even attempt to make use of these 3 years. We're one year in with the best showing of having Ford already prematurely submit to China after driving a car made for quality and not to nickel and dime the consumer.
And this was a long, long time coming. American car makers have been resisting alternative energies since the days of the Prius. I have no sympathy for an industry that sat on their hands for 15+ years resisting everything (including a bailout in that time) and then worrying that suddenly they can't compete when a generation of progress is made from other countries. And even then then, this is a habit that's has gone on well before any green energy was viable...
If they want to give up another industry in the US, then fine. Lift the tarriffs and let companies that want to serve consumers serve them.
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Comment on US voter opinions about inflation and consumer prices look very bad for Donald Trump in ~society
raze2012 Link ParentWe'd need more states to adopt voting systems that aren't first past the post. The voting system as of now is simply an inevitability of basic game theory. Change the incentives, change the...When will Americans consider a third party?
We'd need more states to adopt voting systems that aren't first past the post. The voting system as of now is simply an inevitability of basic game theory.
Change the incentives, change the outcome. Now when will more states do that? Hard to say. It'll certainly the people fighting against bipartisan opposition. The only thing the 2 parties can agree on is keeping their current power.
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Comment on US voter opinions about inflation and consumer prices look very bad for Donald Trump in ~society
raze2012 Link ParentThe people are looking much more closely than 2018, or even 2021. People are hungry and angry at Republicans this time aroun. Any senate who tries to defend Trump will risk their reelection. Even...The people are looking much more closely than 2018, or even 2021. People are hungry and angry at Republicans this time aroun. Any senate who tries to defend Trump will risk their reelection. Even for states you'd think are safe. It's that bad as of now.
Its a slow process, but if no one is willing to "speed it up" (so to say), then it's really the best shot at trying to reverse things civilly.
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Comment on Her daughter was unraveling, and she didn’t know why. Then she found the AI chat logs. in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentI think there's a difference between social media telling someone to kill themselves and a supposed AI on a server managed by a private company. The accountability is much clearer, for one. You...they always fail to mention that these kids have unfettered access to the internet.
I think there's a difference between social media telling someone to kill themselves and a supposed AI on a server managed by a private company. The accountability is much clearer, for one.
You should also note that this is a teen, not just any child. I feel at some point "unfettered access" is inevitable, and points before that is about teaching kids how to responsibly navigate the internet. I lean closer to 13 than waiting until 18 and simply throwing them to the wolves like we do with a lot of other topics in life.
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Comment on YouTube is awful. Please use YouTube, though. in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentIt's more ubiquitous than just the US, or even just The West. So there's a point there. There will always been that human nature aspect of looking at a bard and saying "why are they making the...I think the lack of care about arts as your "job" is a ubiquitous or universal thing?
It's more ubiquitous than just the US, or even just The West. So there's a point there. There will always been that human nature aspect of looking at a bard and saying "why are they making the same QoL as I who tends my fields all day"?
I was a bit more focused on policy centered around the arts, however. The EU and even parts of Asia tend to give benefits to promote the arts in various ways. Maybe it's easier to loan money, maybe there's plenty of grants, they subsidize businesses, create huge initiatives to stimulate the industry, etc. It's the circus part of the "Bread and circuses"
The US really hasn't had any of those for decades. Probably because Hollywood culture is a national and worldwide phenomenon that surges demand for actors so that there's no more need to stimulate. And that spreads to every other kind of art and media. thousands upon thousands of people willing to travel the country and "suffer for their art". Why bother investing when they are so self-invested?
I've always seen artists in that unenviable position where you either do something you like, or you get paid better by working a job you dislike.
People can't get jobs they hate but keeps the lights on, and others are trying to get into creation spaces just to make a cheap hustle. It's all backwards these last few years.
So, progress I guess?
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Comment on YouTube is awful. Please use YouTube, though. in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentIs there? The takeover of short form content does give me a bit of pause to the idea that "we'd be better of if Youtube disappeared tomorrow". I'd still make due and find the valuable content, but...Is there? The takeover of short form content does give me a bit of pause to the idea that "we'd be better of if Youtube disappeared tomorrow".
I'd still make due and find the valuable content, but I don't have the same faith with most people.
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Comment on YouTube is awful. Please use YouTube, though. in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentI think the conversation will talk past each other because this is orthogonal to what the other side is asking: "how much do you value content?". On the logistical side, the question of "are you...I think we disagree on a simple and basic premise, and without agreement here, we won't agree on anything else in this conversation. So, I want to bring it back to one simple question. Is a consumer obligated to view ads?
I think the conversation will talk past each other because this is orthogonal to what the other side is asking: "how much do you value content?". On the logistical side, the question of "are you obligated to watch ads" is silly, because yes. These trillion dollar companies do take into account that some people have adblock and other people will simply walk away or mute the feed or any other manual asking past the website's control. So it's a moot point at the end of the day.
It's like suggesting that "Is stealing groceries hurting the company"? Kinda... but not really. The pricing takes into account that X% of goods are stolen, defective, or spoiled. A huge change to this would impact it, but huge societal changes don't come out of the ether.
Now, "how much you value content" gives a spectrum and bigger idea on how and if artists can survive on their talents. And it sadly isn't a meriocracy; I'm sure I don't need to name the ways in which influencers succeed in ways that do not reflect how well they can serve their community past "look pretty and sell a dream, no matter how viable".
That's definitely the side of inflencing that make it muddy compared to the craftmen, the animators, and the mission-focused ones who genuinely want to make a better world. But they all live on the same platform and to be frank; we're in a very vapid world. I wish more were educated enough to avoid obvious clickbait and grifts, but I'd also not blame any "good" content that uses the same techniques to "trick" someone into building more awareness or empathy of the world.
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Comment on YouTube is awful. Please use YouTube, though. in ~tech
raze2012 Link Parentin a creator's market, the creators are the ones being moralized. Whether you disagree with that or not probably says a lot about where you stand on how you value talent. You must not be aware of...You're trying to moralize about a market, which is not how people truly value things.
in a creator's market, the creators are the ones being moralized. Whether you disagree with that or not probably says a lot about where you stand on how you value talent.
People would often like to have knitted things, but nobody is willing to pay the cost of the time and materials for the product (paying minimum wage for the hours to make a knitted scarf would be wildly expensive). But people knit, because they want to...and there is where the lack of value comes from.
You must not be aware of the Etsy market if you think this. The hierarchy is the same
- most people will do something once to try it and leave
- others will stay and do it as a hobby, infrequent activity for one's own sake. Maybe they make a few things for family
- others do it more, and try to sell a few things. Albeit infrequently, but they may be open to professional work when the moment arises. Alternative
- you do it consistently and professionally, either as a side income or maybe later as a main income. You start to focus more around how to optimize monetization over personal desires. Alternatively, you're so skilled that you can do infrequent, specialized work to perform the same means
- You work professionally under a company who does the monetization for you, and pays you for your labor.
Now, I'm not sure how much of #5 is alive and well in the knitting scene (at least in the West), but there's plenty of #4's through similar scenes to youtube (or even a few youtubers themselves). The volume will inevitably be lower, but it's a different pipeline; the content you make is a supplement to your real income of commissions or products you have on hand. A bit less reliant on tech, but still there.
Similarly, it takes a lot of effort to dig holes, but we're going to pay someone the absolute minimum to do it, because plenty of people can. But we pay people an exceptionally large amount of money to do heart surgery, because very few people have the knowledge, practice and physical ability.
This used to be conventional wisdom, but I'm less sure these days. At some point, the minimum isn't enough and now you don't get enough people digging holes, and not enough damns to raise pay rather than move out of the hole business (or wait for a bailout when the government needs holes dug. Totally not making a metaphor to this year in the US...)
On the other end, plenty of specialized work is suddenly plummeting demand, so even specialists are pushed out. Everything's topsy turvy these days.
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Comment on YouTube is awful. Please use YouTube, though. in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentThey changed it because the site changed hands. But at the same time, if people valued simply "making videos for the pasison of sharing", it was not the only site in town to do that with. Clearly...Do the creators deserve to be paid? Maybe? Are we obligated to pay them? I feel like no, because YouTube changed the terms of the contract unilaterally.
They changed it because the site changed hands.
But at the same time, if people valued simply "making videos for the pasison of sharing", it was not the only site in town to do that with. Clearly creators valued the monetization more, and the audience followed suit.
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Comment on YouTube is awful. Please use YouTube, though. in ~tech
raze2012 Link ParentI suppose by that definition, the entire industry of the arts is "Celebrity chasing", no? heck, maybe any B2C business period. Your pay is based on how many people value your services. The only...but it is why I used adblock with no reservation. I firmly believe that Celebrity is a privilege and not a right. For many, YouTube is the vehicle that makes them Celebrities. But it is the people that are what make them 'valuable'. Not YouTube, not advertising, and not their income.
I suppose by that definition, the entire industry of the arts is "Celebrity chasing", no? heck, maybe any B2C business period. Your pay is based on how many people value your services.
The only difference here seems to be the topic matter. People won't give as much friction over a farmer selling food, but someone trying to express their content is seen as "disposable".
And even if they have a concert show that evening, if they decide to busk that morning, I still don't owe them anything for listening in on them. This is the nature of the industry
I feel like this "it is what it is" culture is exactly why we've had decades of decline in the arts in the US. It is what it is, until the juice ain't worth the squeeze and being in a band is no longer an aspiration for the next generation. Easier to just look pretty and sell yourself on being a face for whatever brands want to shove into people's faces. Maybe not culturally valuable, but you "being pretty" has bonus perks in wider society in ways an artist doesn't.
I'm open to new approaches. But I can't do much about Minnesota as someone not from there. And we the people are still much too divided to really execute anything on the national level.
My biggest fear ironically enough is that midterms pass, the blue wave comes, they slap a few people, and then we sweep it under the rug and try to pretend 2016-2026 never happened. So we won't learn anything until the next dictator drops in. I really hope that to not be the case, but the attention span of the nation is definitely shot.