BroiledBraniac's recent activity

  1. Comment on The tech baron seeking to “ethnically cleanse” San Francisco in ~life

    BroiledBraniac
    Link Parent
    There is this huge pedantic energy amongst programmers, and as a programmer it is more painful to have conversations with other programmers than "everyday" folk, who can recognize the limits of...

    There is this huge pedantic energy amongst programmers, and as a programmer it is more painful to have conversations with other programmers than "everyday" folk, who can recognize the limits of their knowledge.

    33 votes

  2. Comment on The Assist - Thoughts on AI coding assistants in ~comp

    BroiledBraniac
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    Never use it to write "real" code, but copilot writes some nice test suite boilerplate. Of course, you have to go and edit everything it writes, but it does save me a good chunk of time there.

    Never use it to write "real" code, but copilot writes some nice test suite boilerplate. Of course, you have to go and edit everything it writes, but it does save me a good chunk of time there.

    2 votes

  3. Comment on UT Austin lays off around sixty staffers to comply with Texas DEI ban in ~life

    BroiledBraniac
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    They care about life, so they ban abortions to subject low income families to hardship. They care about jobs, so they pull the rug out from under people's livelihoods to make way for "white" jobs....

    They care about life, so they ban abortions to subject low income families to hardship. They care about jobs, so they pull the rug out from under people's livelihoods to make way for "white" jobs. Not to beat a dead horse, but seeing this play out is incredibly sad. I do wonder in 30 years if we'll look back on this as a momentary regression.

    21 votes

  4. Comment on Hey, monthly mystery commenters, what's up with the hit-and-runs? in ~tildes

    BroiledBraniac
    (edited )
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    I actually feel more comfortable commenting here than on other platforms, considering it's a reasoned debate that isn't being actively data-mined (by its own host, at least). That being said, if...

    I actually feel more comfortable commenting here than on other platforms, considering it's a reasoned debate that isn't being actively data-mined (by its own host, at least). That being said, if I'm speaking anecdotally or through qualitative reasoning, don't ask me to cite my sources like I'm presenting a dissertation! This is just an online convo, and I want to spout my opinion! Thank you. I still respond to these on occasion, but I generally don't want to.

    7 votes

  5. Comment on You're wrong about Aptera's car. It's ridiculously efficient (and solar powered). in ~transport

    BroiledBraniac
    Link
    This looks pretty incredible, added bonus that you aren't enriching Elon Musk by purchasing it!

    This looks pretty incredible, added bonus that you aren't enriching Elon Musk by purchasing it!

    6 votes

  6. Comment on Natural Habitat Shorts - Mr Sheddingskin in ~hobbies

    BroiledBraniac
    Link
    That was very cute...and also slightly reminded me of Salad Fingers.

    That was very cute...and also slightly reminded me of Salad Fingers.

    3 votes

  7. Comment on Climate sustainability through a dynamic duo: Green hydrogen and crypto driving energy transition and decarbonization in ~enviro

    BroiledBraniac
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    Yes this could be a reinforcing feedback loop, hypothetically if Bitcoin maintains its perceived value until 2140, could create an impetus for an expansion of green energy. That being said, if the...

    Yes this could be a reinforcing feedback loop, hypothetically if Bitcoin maintains its perceived value until 2140, could create an impetus for an expansion of green energy. That being said, if the mining becomes unprofitable, what happens?

    2 votes

  8. Comment on A pill to make exercise obsolete (2017) in ~health

    BroiledBraniac
    Link Parent
    I mean I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. Unless there's a reason they need to lift weights, i.e. training for a competition, if they enjoy dancing they should just do that.

    I mean I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. Unless there's a reason they need to lift weights, i.e. training for a competition, if they enjoy dancing they should just do that.

    2 votes

  9. Comment on A pill to make exercise obsolete (2017) in ~health

    BroiledBraniac
    (edited )
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    I exercise rigorously mainly for the mental health benefit, the endorphins calm my anxiety, plus it creates a routine and ritual that gets me out of the house. I think the benefits to exercise go...

    I exercise rigorously mainly for the mental health benefit, the endorphins calm my anxiety, plus it creates a routine and ritual that gets me out of the house. I think the benefits to exercise go way beyond physical health, and a pill could never replicate them.

    2 votes

  10. Comment on I always knew I was different. I just didn’t know I was a sociopath. in ~health.mental

    BroiledBraniac
    Link Parent
    Maybe 'need' was the wrong word here, but we cannot get rid of them or cast them off into some dark corner of society, so what do we do with them? Might as well use them in situations like...

    Maybe 'need' was the wrong word here, but we cannot get rid of them or cast them off into some dark corner of society, so what do we do with them? Might as well use them in situations like zero-sum games and other places where that lack of empathy can help us collectively rather than the mental "block" empathy can create in certain scenarios.

    2 votes

  11. Comment on I always knew I was different. I just didn’t know I was a sociopath. in ~health.mental

    BroiledBraniac
    Link Parent
    The answer is complex. Part of this is a virtue-signaling impulse that some people have to "correct" those with non-empathetic behavior toward more normative behavior, which is a good impulse in a...

    The answer is complex. Part of this is a virtue-signaling impulse that some people have to "correct" those with non-empathetic behavior toward more normative behavior, which is a good impulse in a direct confrontation scenario where that lack of empathy has a negative impact toward them, but is a bit repulsive as a reaction to "secondhand" sociopathic behavior. Sometimes, especially in situations where a utilitarian approach is advantageous, we need sociopaths, and there will always be sociopaths among us. People trying to "correct" them will not make that go away. That being said, there are situations where we need people with empathy to step in to prevent human harm, so it's important to react situationally to this kind of thinking.

    4 votes

  12. Comment on It’s me, hi, I’m the problem. I’m 33. (gifted link) in ~finance

    BroiledBraniac
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    I am a "peak millenial" and growing up especially, it felt like a generation within a generation. But I feel like this author suffers from "main character" syndrome, and might be cherry picking...

    I am a "peak millenial" and growing up especially, it felt like a generation within a generation. But I feel like this author suffers from "main character" syndrome, and might be cherry picking statistics to tell a cohesive narrative. I did not fall within the mean for buying a house or getting married either. Even if the stats are valid, this feels like a nothing-burger.

    10 votes

  13. Comment on The world is awful. The world is much better. The world can be much better. in ~health

    BroiledBraniac
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    I'd love to see more examples in this piece, but I generally agree with the sentiment.

    I'd love to see more examples in this piece, but I generally agree with the sentiment.

    7 votes

  14. Comment on “Both-sides” and when is nuance acceptable discourse? in ~talk

  15. Comment on “Both-sides” and when is nuance acceptable discourse? in ~talk

    BroiledBraniac
    Link Parent
    This answers my question and raises another. Because this line depends on the opinion that one side is “bad faith,” how do you determine that the accuser of “both sides” isn’t acting in bad faith...

    This answers my question and raises another. Because this line depends on the opinion that one side is “bad faith,” how do you determine that the accuser of “both sides” isn’t acting in bad faith to shut the other down?

    5 votes

  16. Comment on “Both-sides” and when is nuance acceptable discourse? in ~talk

    BroiledBraniac
    Link Parent
    IRL, I mostly tend to avoid these conversations just like you do, but this is great advice. I think in order to “unfuck” discourse these are steps that have to be taken collectively as a society.

    IRL, I mostly tend to avoid these conversations just like you do, but this is great advice. I think in order to “unfuck” discourse these are steps that have to be taken collectively as a society.

    7 votes

  17. Comment on “Both-sides” and when is nuance acceptable discourse? in ~talk

    BroiledBraniac
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Let’s be honest though, every time someone tries to build one of these “safe spaces” it overcorrects and nazis flock to it. Not to mention the place I want would not be an echo chamber. I think...

    Let’s be honest though, every time someone tries to build one of these “safe spaces” it overcorrects and nazis flock to it.

    Not to mention the place I want would not be an echo chamber. I think Tildes for example presents a good opportunity to prevent dismissive discourse.

    10 votes

  18. Comment on “Both-sides” and when is nuance acceptable discourse? in ~talk

    BroiledBraniac
    Link Parent
    The world keeps becoming more and more polarized, and I do believe there’s a way to have reasoned discussion, but people have to drop these “shaming” tactics in order to get there. The only way I...

    The world keeps becoming more and more polarized, and I do believe there’s a way to have reasoned discussion, but people have to drop these “shaming” tactics in order to get there. The only way I could see this happening is by fighting fire with fire in these situations and calling it out.

    17 votes

  19. “Both-sides” and when is nuance acceptable discourse?

    ~talk Ask
    I feel like some sort of alien asking this question but there is this negative connotation I keep seeing towards acknowledging “both sides” of an argument. Now, I know that things that have...

    I feel like some sort of alien asking this question but there is this negative connotation I keep seeing towards acknowledging “both sides” of an argument. Now, I know that things that have racism, sexism, and violence on one side and do not have such abhorrent views on the other clearly have a “good” side, but I also get the sneaking suspicion that calling something “both-sidesy” in a context where there are not such clear boundaries is a potential manipulation tactic to dismiss nuanced arguments. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Is my dividing line correct or are there other things to consider?

    39 votes

  20. Comment on Long Term Refactors in ~comp

    BroiledBraniac
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    Significantly better than the stuck-up architect who refactors on a whim and breaks functionality because their approach is “better.” These things can, and should, take time.

    Significantly better than the stuck-up architect who refactors on a whim and breaks functionality because their approach is “better.” These things can, and should, take time.

    6 votes