DefinitelyNotAFae's recent activity
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Comment on Tildes Book Club meta discussion - should we read nonfiction as well as fiction and with what frequency? in ~books
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Comment on At least thirty protesters arrested during pro-Palestinian protest at UT Austin in ~news
DefinitelyNotAFae Link ParentI understand that, I also think that protests lack the organization required to prevent bad actors from showing up - and may have no ability to actually remove them as they're also permitted to be...I understand that, I also think that protests lack the organization required to prevent bad actors from showing up - and may have no ability to actually remove them as they're also permitted to be present and protesting. Unlike a bar where it's the owner's prerogative. I cannot speak to any specific circumstances here - everything that is happening is going through so many layers of perspectives and second and third hand reporting, I know the students at Columbia agreed to prohibit off-campus participants at one point.
I do fully agree that those folks should be shouted down when possible, refused access to the protest proper by the protestors, etc.
I don't want hate speech to be present, and also in theory campuses can't actually distinguish as long as it doesn't cross from hate speech to illegal speech. Which scotus has made very narrow.
I want all my students (and these students) to be physically safe including Jewish students, some of whom are protesting too. I can't protect them from the discomfort though or even feeling unsafe, or we wouldn't have regular homophobic preachers too.
I just want you to know I get the complexity and I think campus admin could be actually addressing the hate speech better if they weren't using police to address the protest itself.
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Comment on At least thirty protesters arrested during pro-Palestinian protest at UT Austin in ~news
DefinitelyNotAFae Link ParentThis whole thing is ugly. I did have a slight laugh at the UT students asking DPS where they were during Uvalde in a chant. They have a point - unarmed college students are much safer to arrest...This whole thing is ugly. I did have a slight laugh at the UT students asking DPS where they were during Uvalde in a chant. They have a point - unarmed college students are much safer to arrest than an armed gunman.
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Comment on US Congress approves bill banning TikTok unless Chinese owner ByteDance sells platform in ~tech
DefinitelyNotAFae Link ParentBut if the UK is opposed to US actions, Americans might be influenced by their coverage. And since Russia absolutely did try to do this without RussiaTok shouldn't all social media be controlled...But if the UK is opposed to US actions, Americans might be influenced by their coverage. And since Russia absolutely did try to do this without RussiaTok shouldn't all social media be controlled too? I still don't see how blocking an app but not the website where you can view all the same videos as the app makes any sense, but if we want to be thorough you really have to block everything.
I'm not saying I don't think there is any possibility for harm in TikTok, on the contrary it's clear Facebook has facilitated harm and been a venue for propaganda daily, but I don't see anything that make me think "I shouldn't use this app, and it's existence is a danger to the US". I feel like first the argument was about the data of government officials, then the safety of our data is citizens, but the possibility of propaganda is really uncompelling to me. Especially after the past 8 years. (I'm not saying you're moving goalposts, but that the broader conversation keeps shifting)
And it feels like the conversation is shifting in part because those elected officials who even voted for the ban are still using the app. So now it can't be safety, it has to be hypothetical propaganda.
And it feels like most of it comes from people who've never used the app, and so it feels very much like old people talking about The YouTubes. If nothing else, this means that our government officials have done a really poor job of convincing their constituents that this makes sense. But people who disagree with this decision are accused of being teenagers. I actually really just think it's a ridiculous curtailing of freedom for very nebulous potential national security claims. And maybe I'm naive. But I also really don't want us to get into any sort of war with China. I'm pretty over wars in general. And it's very difficult to overcome individual experience without strong data.
I do suspect that much like Amazon directing you to purchase your Kindle books in a browser rather than in the app, all of a sudden Americans will find a very nice mobile web experience. Maybe not. I don't know how easy it is to upload from the web. Bytedance owns Capcut too, and that didn't get banned either afaik so they'll still have all that video data.
I'm sorry for rambling I just find the whole thing. Frustrating and truly. I'm unconvinced. I know that they theoretically would not be able to tell us everything. I don't feel like anyone's actually told us anything. Tildes should not be trying harder to argue for this law than the elected officials. And since it seems the strategy was intentional to avoid public backlash (if another post's claim was correct) then we should be mad about that.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club meta discussion - should we read nonfiction as well as fiction and with what frequency? in ~books
DefinitelyNotAFae Link ParentNo no, I meant two physical moves as well as everything. We close on our house on the 30th!No no, I meant two physical moves as well as everything. We close on our house on the 30th!
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Comment on US Congress approves bill banning TikTok unless Chinese owner ByteDance sells platform in ~tech
DefinitelyNotAFae Link ParentThis is an argument for cutting the US from all external media though ultimately I also think all of this presupposes that being on Tiktok gets you propaganda AND that we're in a hot war with...This is an argument for cutting the US from all external media though ultimately
I also think all of this presupposes that being on Tiktok gets you propaganda AND that we're in a hot war with China. Sure if that last bit happens (which, absolutely no thank you) there are wartime arguments to be made. But the hypothetical isn't compelling.
But personally I'd rather us act morally as a country as well. I know better but it'd be nice.
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Comment on San Francisco office sells for a stunning 90% discount from 2016 price in ~finance
DefinitelyNotAFae Link ParentMan that would be so accessible for a wheelchair user I think.Man that would be so accessible for a wheelchair user I think.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club meta discussion - should we read nonfiction as well as fiction and with what frequency? in ~books
DefinitelyNotAFae Link ParentI specifically nominated diverse SFF authors because it's who and what I read and who I wanted to share with others. But all it takes is nominating the books to change the options for what we read.I specifically nominated diverse SFF authors because it's who and what I read and who I wanted to share with others. But all it takes is nominating the books to change the options for what we read.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of April 22 in ~news
DefinitelyNotAFae LinkPolitico Article peeks behind NYT curtainPolitico Article peeks behind NYT curtain
On its face, a new story in Politico about tensions between the Biden White House and the New York Times by White House correspondent Eli Stokols has little to do with trans issues. [...]
However, as many astute people have pointed out on Twitter (h/t to Sydney Bauer, specifically), deep in the body of the longform article lurk hints about how things really function at the paper. These hints may not allow us to conclude anything definitively about the NYT coverage of the trans community, but they are, shall we say, highly suggestive. -
Comment on Instagram's Nudify [non-consensual fake nude photo generator] ads in ~tech
DefinitelyNotAFae Link ParentMy intent is not to be condescending and I'm sorry if it came across that way, and I'm not angry with you. I wanted to make it clear you didn't need to convince me you were disgusted with...My intent is not to be condescending and I'm sorry if it came across that way, and I'm not angry with you. I wanted to make it clear you didn't need to convince me you were disgusted with pedophilia or child abuse, at the same time I personally avoid dehumanizing language like "pedo" because offenders aren't some "other" they are people making choices and we have to deal with them as people for it.
Emotion is however part of having these conversations because it is the emotional impact that is so incredibly visceral. The emotional impact of having your privacy violated in this way, having some of your autonomy stripped from you and not knowing who has seen the pics, whether everyone is talking about you, and when it will happen again is immense. It leads to some people taking their own life, to years of PTSD for others, to people moving, dropping out of school etc.
It would be amazing to reduce that stigma and put the blame on perpetrators, but enabling them and even granting permission to them is not the way to do that. I understand you were postulating a world where it didn't matter if a nude picture was made of you without your consent because everyone has had it happen. I think that is not a "better" world and not one I want to work towards. It's better if no one shames victims of sexual assault either, but letting assaults continue and just stopping the shaming wouldn't be the correct answer.
I also cannot truly imagine the near future being that world given our current society, so no, I don't think it's even a realistic option. Hence "dream world"
I don't think it's too late to address this technology if there's a will to do it. And IMO the lack of a societal will is the tacit acceptance of (primarily) men being granted access to, authority over and permission to violate (primarily) women's bodies and even their images. Of course men are harmed by all of this too, hence the article about young men dying by suicide over threatened nude photo exposure. I'd rather work towards a world of people respecting the consent and boundaries of each other, regardless of gender and regardless of whether they make consensual nude photos.
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Comment on Instagram's Nudify [non-consensual fake nude photo generator] ads in ~tech
DefinitelyNotAFae (edited )Link ParentI read a lot of sci-fi so yeah I can imagine this, in a sex positive or sex neutral society where we don't shame people for their perceived sexuality and accuse children of seducing adults. But...I guess my question is, do you think those situations stop happening when AI nudes become so ubiquitous that they are essentially worthless? In your examples, you're using our current situation, which is one where people can still be humiliated and fired for these types of photos. I'm imagining a world in which they have essentially no value because everyone sees them as probably fake. One where nobody can be scammed or humiliated because nobody gives a shit about yet another fake photo. Who doesn't have several out there? Who even cares to see them when anyone could make anything at any time?
I read a lot of sci-fi so yeah I can imagine this, in a sex positive or sex neutral society where we don't shame people for their perceived sexuality and accuse children of seducing adults. But that world hasn't happened yet and doesn't seem likely any time soon. And it's not the world we live in.
I don't think these tools are able to be banned either. Will be about as useful as banning alcohol or marijuana or pirated music. Never going to happen. With alcohol, marijuana, and free music, the solution was to make them easily available. That was the least damaging way to deal with them.
Banning the software is easy, you can't get rid of it but you can ban it. Criminalizing the posting non-consensual AI pictures in the same way that non-consensual photos are already criminalized is also fairly easy. Neither infringe particularly on anyone's right - they are usually violating copyright anyway. I agree that our current society seems to lack the will to do that. But that's once again why this isn't "no big deal". A society willing to allow women, teens, young adults and children be victimized isn't one that's gonna be sex-positive. It's going to tell women to stop feeling so victimized.
By the way, I used to make my living working in a facility that housed pedos. I will never get over my disgust toward them but I am over my knee-jerk "kill them all" instinct. I am a person who wants to prevent them from offending at all costs rather than punish them after they've already offended and caused damage. I would love to see studies done on whether fake CSAM gives them an outlet and stops them from offending. If it does... well, I guess let them have the fake stuff. Yes, it makes me want to gag, but it may be better than what we're doing now, which isn't working.
I worked with juvenile offenders and victims for a short while. Most offenders aren't oriented pedophiles they're heterosexual men or boys (I loathe "pedos" as a shorthand) This sort of app however is not victimless crime, as real people's photos are being used. If fake CSAM was a viable option, this wouldn't be it. There are studies on child sex abusers, I don't keep up with them as I don't do the work but you can look them up. You also don't need to convince me of your opposition to this with a visceral response. My work didn't make me gag. That doesn't change that CSA is horrible.
Anyway, using a real photo of a child should make it covered by CSAM laws just as a real photo doesn't have to be nude to count, it's about the intent of the image.
Anyway, I do see your point and I value your perspective. I hope you understand I'm not an advocate for AI porn. I don't like it. But I don't think it's going anywhere no matter what I think and I'm just wondering if it won't be as much of a disaster as we worry about.
It's a nice dream world hypothetical to imagine we will all get over our shit as a society. But how many suicides in the meantime? The answer is always far too many. And I'd rather address what makes people think it's ok to violate others' consent as a society first. Because that'll actually make change and if we're living in a dream world one where people respect each other is better than one where everyone has non-consensual porn made of them.
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Comment on Instagram's Nudify [non-consensual fake nude photo generator] ads in ~tech
DefinitelyNotAFae Link ParentWe just had an article about how the threatened exposure of explicit images is leading to suicide in young men targeted by scammers. So when that scammer just needs a public picture of you off...We just had an article about how the threatened exposure of explicit images is leading to suicide in young men targeted by scammers. So when that scammer just needs a public picture of you off social media instead of conning an 18 year old into sending dick pics...
There is no world where this doesn't make that worse among every gender. And "shitty transition period" is a horrible understatement.
Maybe, if women were in control of the AI tools, and the media coverage of non-consensual use of them, and the churches which would call them whores and the family units that would beat someone or kick someone out for it, and the prosecutors that will say it isn't a big deal, maybe it could be empowering. But there's nothing empowering about other people making you more vulnerable for their pleasure.
And the AI tools were not trained by women to make empowering fantasies for themselves. It's bullshit to pretend that fake nude photos trained, probably on porn, are what women would find empowering themselves.
My "womanly" opinion is to ban this software and prosecute every person that shares a photo of someone else edited to be nude non-consensually under revenge porn laws. And every picture of a minor under CSAM laws. We can absolutely say this isn't ok as a society. Until that happens, there is no world this is empowering to anyone except those willing to exploit others. I'd prefer my college students not to try to kill themselves.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of April 22 in ~news
DefinitelyNotAFae Link ParentAs that was from October, an update Appeals court rules the ex-wife does not have to provide her texts and other potentially incriminating material However, in October 2023, a trial court said she...As that was from October, an update
Appeals court rules the ex-wife does not have to provide her texts and other potentially incriminating materialMarcus Silva made seven requests for evidence from his ex-wife, including a copy of all communications she had with anyone—including the defendants—about efforts to acquire abortion-inducing drugs. He also sought all abortion-inducing drugs in her possession. Brittni Silva refused to turn over any evidence, citing concerns with potential prosecution.
However, in October 2023, a trial court said she must turn them over, giving her 30 days to comply. She appealed.
Holding that the trial court abused its discretion, the Houston-based appeals court said evidence Silva might have produced could be used to prosecute her under three separate federal statutes.
Of note, Marcus Silva is represented by a current state Rep and a former state solicitor general.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of April 22 in ~news
DefinitelyNotAFae Link ParentFucking hell. It is the least surprising thing that one of these cases is from an abuser who threatens revenge porn and is using this to abuse his ex-wife further rather than some true believer...Fucking hell. It is the least surprising thing that one of these cases is from an abuser who threatens revenge porn and is using this to abuse his ex-wife further rather than some true believer pro-lifer
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Comment on US Congress approves bill banning TikTok unless Chinese owner ByteDance sells platform in ~tech
DefinitelyNotAFae Link ParentBingo. I'd maybe believe the data concern if the elected officials voting to ban it weren't literally on the app. But it's almost as if they're being hypocritical.Bingo. I'd maybe believe the data concern if the elected officials voting to ban it weren't literally on the app. But it's almost as if they're being hypocritical.
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Comment on US Congress approves bill banning TikTok unless Chinese owner ByteDance sells platform in ~tech
DefinitelyNotAFae Link ParentYeah I get that. Facebook is a place I am mostly because most of my family and friends are there. And it's easier to stay in touch there than anywhere else. And local neighborhood/city groups with...Yeah I get that. Facebook is a place I am mostly because most of my family and friends are there. And it's easier to stay in touch there than anywhere else. And local neighborhood/city groups with (surprisingly) less racism than Nextdoor.
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Comment on US Congress approves bill banning TikTok unless Chinese owner ByteDance sells platform in ~tech
DefinitelyNotAFae Link ParentIt was not clear to me that this was just your opinion and not what the podcast said. I understand your opinion on what you'd like to be the case but I thought you were stating authoritatively...It was not clear to me that this was just your opinion and not what the podcast said.
I understand your opinion on what you'd like to be the case but I thought you were stating authoritatively that Tiktok was covered by the above provisions. But if Tiktok were covered, AFAICT Tildes would have to be covered too. The FCC covers radio stations of all sizes.
I think that's not what we want broadly on the internet, and while I don't agree that the clock app should be banned (and I think the US is about to get a nice mobile website experience) my only point in this thread was that the quoted original statement was not an accurate description of the current facts.
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Comment on At least thirty protesters arrested during pro-Palestinian protest at UT Austin in ~news
DefinitelyNotAFae Link ParentAgreed. I admittedly feel anxious about not acknowledging some of the "both sides" of things. But advocating for the Guard is irresponsible and dooms this whole thing to end in even more violence...Agreed. I admittedly feel anxious about not acknowledging some of the "both sides" of things.
But advocating for the Guard is irresponsible and dooms this whole thing to end in even more violence I fear.
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Comment on US Congress approves bill banning TikTok unless Chinese owner ByteDance sells platform in ~tech
DefinitelyNotAFae Link ParentIf all of your media is essentially propaganda for one side, getting foreign propaganda feels like a breath of fresh air. And that is just proof of the garbage odor of the current media moment I...If all of your media is essentially propaganda for one side, getting foreign propaganda feels like a breath of fresh air. And that is just proof of the garbage odor of the current media moment I suppose but it does feel like slamming the window shut on the breeze is fixing the wrong problem first.
Might have gotten lost in that metaphor.
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Comment on At least thirty protesters arrested during pro-Palestinian protest at UT Austin in ~news
DefinitelyNotAFae Link ParentI'm very glad for our institutions' pre-planning (although the slightest mention of SJP which we do not have a chapter of puts people on high alert) and I do actually think we would handle it...I'm very glad for our institutions' pre-planning (although the slightest mention of SJP which we do not have a chapter of puts people on high alert) and I do actually think we would handle it well, we handled BLM well, but we don't have a heavy student protest tradition nor the interest generally.
But I'm so frustrated to watch institutions fail to do anything new. I cannot speak to the good behavior of all protestors, but never have all protestors toes the line. And if things turn into vandalism, property damage, or true threats to anyone, ok sure address those things but don't toss civil rights out the window.
It is times like this that I remember being told that DEI and other reforms in higher education are harm reduction because the institutions are built on white supremacy, classism, racism (sometimes literally built by slaves), sexism, etc. I already feel like I do so much harm reduction work.
I am worried about the fall and election season and the continued escalation of violence.
Oh I'm definitely in the "oh god why would someone loan me this much money how can I spend this much money" stage.
But also "must make wheelchair accessible ASAP"