Drewbahr's recent activity

  1. Comment on Larry Ellison wants to put all US data in one big AI system in ~tech

    Drewbahr
    Link Parent
    I'm going to have to disagree. On paper this sounds like a dystopic nightmare. Like, literal books (science fiction and otherwise) have been written about how this is a bad, bad idea.

    On paper, this sounds like a great idea.

    I'm going to have to disagree. On paper this sounds like a dystopic nightmare. Like, literal books (science fiction and otherwise) have been written about how this is a bad, bad idea.

    31 votes
  2. Comment on What are some traditional internet forums that you still use? in ~tech

    Drewbahr
    Link
    GameFAQs is still alive and kicking, as is FARK.

    GameFAQs is still alive and kicking, as is FARK.

    15 votes
  3. Comment on Establishment of the White House Faith Office in ~society

    Drewbahr
    Link Parent
    Even beyond the obvious forthcoming discrimination, this is among the many, many things that go against The Constitution.

    Even beyond the obvious forthcoming discrimination, this is among the many, many things that go against The Constitution.

    19 votes
  4. Comment on Using ChatGPT consumes a 500 ml bottle of water; so what? in ~tech

    Drewbahr
    Link Parent
    What do you mean by "enable humanity to degrow its population"?

    What do you mean by "enable humanity to degrow its population"?

    4 votes
  5. Comment on You can’t post your way out of fascism in ~society

    Drewbahr
    Link Parent
    Right, but the topic we (you and I) addressed here is trust. I've had plenty of good/great conversations online with complete strangers - but I would never say I "trust" them, not without actually...

    Yeah this is all true, but sometimes reply chains stretch on until I come around one way or another. u/definitelynotafae and I have plenty of discussions which really do help my opinions change and evolve. There are plenty of people on Tildes I disagree with, yet I can engage with them here and learn something valuable from our interactions.

    Right, but the topic we (you and I) addressed here is trust. I've had plenty of good/great conversations online with complete strangers - but I would never say I "trust" them, not without actually knowing the person. And knowing the person involves more than message board posts, imo.

    I guess we're discussing the difference between making broad gestures and pronouncements on the internet versus directly talking to the people behind the screen. It's much harder to trust a username on a forum, but people still build up virtual reputations and trust with each other. While it might be slightly easier in-person, I've found any kind of shared interests or values or simply being open minded can create opportunities for good dialogue. You can see this in fandoms where passionate fans sometimes persuade others through something like an effortpost on a character's true motivations.

    When we're discussing "trust" here, I'm looking at it in terms of the topic of the article at hand (fascism and activism). Through that lens, I have almost zero trust with an absolute stranger on the internet. It's one thing if it's a place like Bluesky, where you have a reasonable expectation that if someone claims to be a certain celebrity, activist, etc ... that they are who they say they are. But without verification you cannot really know for sure. This becomes doubly difficult if it's just a name on a screen of anyone that isn't a part of public consciousness; in particular, we're seeing social media sites (Facebook, Linkedin, and others) creating virtual/AI users that pretend to be people.

    People can, and deservedly do, develop online reputations in one form or another. But I wouldn't personally jump to considering passionate fans in fandoms as comparable to antifascist activism. An effortpost on a fandom page doesn't require the same level of trust as, say, someone organizing a march on a state capitol.

    I dunno, I'm kind of getting out in the weeds because I think we're looking at "trust" in different ways here.

    4 votes
  6. Comment on You can’t post your way out of fascism in ~society

    Drewbahr
    Link Parent
    I would argue that social media, in general, is antithetical to creating a trust network - at least, "large scale" social media, of which I would consider Tildes a member. Anytime that one's...

    Creating a trust network is basically Tildes, but it's less accessible to the average person (at least for now).

    I would argue that social media, in general, is antithetical to creating a trust network - at least, "large scale" social media, of which I would consider Tildes a member.

    Anytime that one's interactions are gamified - upvotes, likes, reskeets, "Exemplary" labels, etc - it turns from interaction for interactions' sake to an attempt to get that rush of endorphins from having other people like your views. Alternatively, there's the trolls who try to do the opposite and get downvoted/etc to oblivion, for the same rush.

    You can still be "the kind of person you want to see more of" by simply not engaging with bad faith actors. It is not your job, nor your responsibility, to correct other peoples' views; if the person with whom you're chatting shows signs that they are open to having their mind changed, then perhaps you have an opportunity to do so. But it's not your job to force that mindset on people, much less seek out opportunities to change minds.

    Now, how to determine who is arguing in "bad faith"? That's a great question, and I think a variation of Poe's Law is applicable. If you can't easily tell if someone is arguing in good faith, it's probably best to assume they aren't. What's more, it's worth considering whether getting into an argument with them is productive in the first place; I would wager the vast, vast majority of arguments online are simply not productive at all, and are just people getting their opinions off their chest in the hopes that others agree with them.

    EDIT TO ADD:
    In terms of creating trust networks, I think that happens in-person. Online, you simply do not know anyone with whom you are interacting, unless you know them personally - that usually comes from face-to-face interactions, but can also happen via phone calls or some other form of direct communication. If you're trying to create a trust network by simply finding random people on social media ... well, where's the trust?

    Just my opinion, two cents, grains of salt, etc.

    15 votes
  7. Comment on Are we witnessing the takeover of a country right now? in ~society

  8. Comment on Donald Trump won’t rule out deploying US troops to support rebuilding Gaza, sees ‘long-term’ US ownership in ~society

    Drewbahr
    Link Parent
    Do you really believe that?

    Do you really believe that?

    1 vote
  9. Comment on Are we witnessing the takeover of a country right now? in ~society

  10. Comment on US President Donald Trump directs Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security to prepare migrant housing at Guantánamo Bay in ~society

    Drewbahr
    Link Parent
    Given this country's history with race and racism, you may be underestimating just how many "proud Americans" would support genocide. The country is, after all, founded on it, and continues to...

    Given this country's history with race and racism, you may be underestimating just how many "proud Americans" would support genocide. The country is, after all, founded on it, and continues to enact it to this day.

    12 votes
  11. Comment on I was Kamala Harris' videographer. I wish I could show you what I've seen. She empowered and encouraged many, including me. in ~society

    Drewbahr
    Link Parent
    I did read the story. It was moving and wonderful! I've also seen some of Kamala's videos, although being someone who isn't on social media apart from here and Bluesky, who also doesn't have cable...

    I did read the story. It was moving and wonderful! I've also seen some of Kamala's videos, although being someone who isn't on social media apart from here and Bluesky, who also doesn't have cable TV ... I do miss out on a lot of stuff that gets put out into the world.

    And yes, while my initial post was largely in response to the preface - it still stands to wonder why, if there was all of this incredible stuff that we never got - and will never get - to see ... why is that? Because again, the videographer posted that statement - and in so doing, it acknowledges that there was a lot that we did see! They even state as much throughout the article.

    4 votes
  12. Comment on I was Kamala Harris' videographer. I wish I could show you what I've seen. She empowered and encouraged many, including me. in ~society

    Drewbahr
    Link Parent
    I'm not trying to state that anyone "failed" here. We are where we are for a wide, wide variety of reasons, and a videographer is definitely not one of them. However, the article is literally...

    I'm not trying to state that anyone "failed" here. We are where we are for a wide, wide variety of reasons, and a videographer is definitely not one of them.

    However, the article is literally prefaced with

    I Was Kamala Harris’ Videographer. I Wish I Could Show You What I’ve Seen.

    The videographer, it seems to me, is literally the person who gets to decide what they get to show; so when they say "I wish I could show you this", it makes me wonder why they didn't - when it was in their capacity to do so in the first place.

    4 votes
  13. Comment on I was Kamala Harris' videographer. I wish I could show you what I've seen. She empowered and encouraged many, including me. in ~society

    Drewbahr
    Link
    So, why didn't they?

    So, why didn't they?

    3 votes
  14. Comment on Supreme Court seems ready to back Texas law limiting access to pornography (gifted link) in ~tech

    Drewbahr
    Link Parent
    I'm sure you know this, but the current SCOTUS has already been overturning other Supreme Court rulings to fit their own personal agendas - and women and folks requiring OB/GYN care, abortion...

    I'm sure you know this, but the current SCOTUS has already been overturning other Supreme Court rulings to fit their own personal agendas - and women and folks requiring OB/GYN care, abortion access, and the like are dying because of it.

    21 votes
  15. Comment on After almost a century, the bike valve is finally getting an update in ~engineering

    Drewbahr
    Link Parent
    But it's not a source. That's my issue with it. It's spewing what is hopefully accurate information based on actual sources.

    But it's not a source. That's my issue with it.

    It's spewing what is hopefully accurate information based on actual sources.

    6 votes
  16. Comment on Nintendo Switch release reactions in ~games

    Drewbahr
    Link Parent
    The Switch can have multiple profiles, but one Switch cannot have more than one island for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. You can have at least four different players on the same island, but...

    The Switch can have multiple profiles, but one Switch cannot have more than one island for Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

    You can have at least four different players on the same island, but that's it - it's the same island, the same village, the same villagers, etc.

    12 votes
  17. Comment on It's time to abandon the cargo cult metaphor in ~science

    Drewbahr
    Link Parent
    I'm not ignoring anything, thanks. But I'm bowing out of this conversation.

    I'm not ignoring anything, thanks. But I'm bowing out of this conversation.

    5 votes
  18. Comment on It's time to abandon the cargo cult metaphor in ~science

    Drewbahr
    Link Parent
    People are capable of addressing multiple issues at once. It's not a zero sum game. I'm not sure that claiming efforts to modify how we think of our fellow people is just "a cool thing to do". I...

    People are capable of addressing multiple issues at once. It's not a zero sum game.

    I'm not sure that claiming efforts to modify how we think of our fellow people is just "a cool thing to do". I feel that stating as much does damage to the efforts to change our society.

    Changing language in coding isn't going to move the needle as much as, say, a world-wide anti-racism protest... But it does have its place in the mix. It is important, in my opinion.

    5 votes
  19. Comment on It's time to abandon the cargo cult metaphor in ~science

    Drewbahr
    Link Parent
    Changing the ways we talk about people and how we interact with them is part of the real work, though. As I said in response elsewhere, I'm not saying we dispose of all instances of the word...

    Given all the real work that needs to be done, in coding and in improving society, I find crusades like this utterly pointless and a waste of everyone's time.

    Changing the ways we talk about people and how we interact with them is part of the real work, though. As I said in response elsewhere, I'm not saying we dispose of all instances of the word "master" - only that, perhaps, thought ought to be given to how we use language and in what context. The master/slave dichotomy is one obvious example of this.

    To you, a change in nomenclature may mean wasted billable hours with no tangible benefits. To others, it may mean a recognition of their humanity. I don't know your complexion, your history, or where you live, but I'd simply ask that you consider those factors for others.

    I may not be a coder, but I work in an industry that is similarly made up primarily of white men, and one part of changing my workplace to be more inclusive of everyone involves changing the way we talk. I think that's true of most places.

    8 votes
  20. Comment on It's time to abandon the cargo cult metaphor in ~science

    Drewbahr
    Link Parent
    I'm not saying that terminology is the reason that the industry is mostly made up of white (and now Asian) men. I'm saying it is likely a contributing factor, insofar as it is a relic of the...

    The terminology is not why computer science and software engineering is a White, Asian, and male dominated field. You have to remember the original computer programmers were mostly women. Some of the most important programmers at NASA were even black women.

    I'm not saying that terminology is the reason that the industry is mostly made up of white (and now Asian) men. I'm saying it is likely a contributing factor, insofar as it is a relic of the industry being so steeped in white patriarchy.

    I'm not even suggesting that the term "master" needs to be thrown out! Just that in certain contexts it comes with different meanings, with the master/slave dichotomy being the most notable.

    5 votes