Elliottb's recent activity
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Comment on What stops some US states from providing universal healthcare on their own? in ~health
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Comment on Is the Democratic Party progressive enough for Muslims? in ~society
Elliottb LinkOf course Muslims aren't some monolithic block, but it's a two-party system - and Trump's presidency has sufficiently alienated Muslim voters to secure them to the Democratic Party, even if the...Of course Muslims aren't some monolithic block, but it's a two-party system - and Trump's presidency has sufficiently alienated Muslim voters to secure them to the Democratic Party, even if the Democrats aren't progressive enough for their ideals.
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Comment on Facebook is rating the trustworthiness of its users on a scale from zero to 1 in ~tech
Elliottb LinkFrom the article: This has been developed over the past year, and it's unclear what determines one's score. The system is supposedly used to stem both fake news and improper reporting of truthful...From the article: This has been developed over the past year, and it's unclear what determines one's score. The system is supposedly used to stem both fake news and improper reporting of truthful news. Since, ultimately, the users of facebook haven't been reliable in policing itself.
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Comment on Scientists say ‘not face’ is universal part of language in ~humanities.languages
Elliottb LinkTagline is more indicative. And later onTagline is more indicative.
A team of scientists... has identified a universal facial expression that is interpreted across many cultures as the embodiment of negative emotion.
And later on
the look consists of a furrowed brow, pressed lips and raised chin, and because we make it when we convey negative sentiments, such as ‘I do not agree,” researchers are calling it the ‘not face.’
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Comment on Is there a space for the extremes of "alt right" on Tildes? in ~tildes
Elliottb Link ParentThe ideal is appealing. The John Stuart Mills arguments sound compelling. The only counterargument that I've found compelling is that there are certain assumptions in the "arena of ideas" that...The ideal is appealing. The John Stuart Mills arguments sound compelling. The only counterargument that I've found compelling is that there are certain assumptions in the "arena of ideas" that don't always hold up.
Life looked so much neater from a dogmatic lens.
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Comment on The scam industry: How the hip-hop boom sets hopefuls up for failure in ~music
Elliottb LinkOverview: There is a rising scam of "pay-to-play" schemes (led by industry gatekeepers—promoters, bookers, touring acts). Reportedly it's present in all forms of music, but most common in rap. In...Overview: There is a rising scam of "pay-to-play" schemes (led by industry gatekeepers—promoters, bookers, touring acts). Reportedly it's present in all forms of music, but most common in rap. In the article's example, an artist paid $1000 and never even got to perform. The main factors in this are saturation of artists & scarcity of performance places. It's comparable to the practice of making artists responsible for selling the tickets - and footing the bill for unfilled seats.
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Comment on The Aral Sea is bringing new wealth to fishing villages in Kazakhstan, but their neighbours on the opposite shore in Uzbekistan are suffering a very different fate in ~enviro
Elliottb LinkOverview: The Aral sea is diminishing. It's 10% of what it once was. On the northern half, the World Bank financed a $87 million project that raised water levels & revitalized fisheries. But for...Overview: The Aral sea is diminishing. It's 10% of what it once was. On the northern half, the World Bank financed a $87 million project that raised water levels & revitalized fisheries. But for the South Aral Sea, the same project won't work because the rivers that feed the sea are heavily used by upstream farmers, particularly cotton. While some are hopeful that the decreased sea level will allow opportunities such as natural gas under the desiccated ground, others are fearful that the desiccated ground will contribute to dust storms filled with salt and concentrated chemicals.
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Comment on The 'great divide' in women's friendships in ~life
Elliottb LinkIt's more anecdotal than empirical, but my overview: There's a stark difference between women's social circles before & after ~25, the period where the members diverge in marriage and children....It's more anecdotal than empirical, but my overview: There's a stark difference between women's social circles before & after ~25, the period where the members diverge in marriage and children. The associated change in time constraints, priorities, and interests causes friction, increasingly rarity of meeting, and a sense of distance. The article ends with the author being able to call up and rely on an old friend, whom the author had not contacted in a decade, because "the love had never left". This encouraged the author to put in the work to maintain her friendships amidst difficulty.
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Comment on Is there a space for the extremes of "alt right" on Tildes? in ~tildes
Elliottb LinkI used to advocate in favor of having such spaces, under the reasoning that it's better to have space to engage in discussion to allow the arena of ideas to work. But now I think that "spaces"...I used to advocate in favor of having such spaces, under the reasoning that it's better to have space to engage in discussion to allow the arena of ideas to work. But now I think that "spaces" tend towards echo chambers that ultimately spread, reinforce, and amplify disinformation. The topics worth discussing - like empirical outcomes of specific policies - don't need an "alt right" space, and an "alt right" space provides a vague umbrella to shelter repugnant, nonconstructive echoing.
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Comment on Is there a space for the extremes of "alt right" on Tildes? in ~tildes
Elliottb Link ParentI'm under the impression that most Tilde users were invited from Reddit, particularly from a small subreddit with a focus on intellectual quality > social quantity. IE we're drawing from a...I'm under the impression that most Tilde users were invited from Reddit, particularly from a small subreddit with a focus on intellectual quality > social quantity. IE we're drawing from a primarily male audience, and (aggregates) women prioritize social networks more than men.
Long story short, the bigger Tilde gets without getting toxic, it's easier to attract a non-homogenous populace, and it'll have more appeal to those that would be turned away by a sparsely populated site.
Until then, the only solution I can imagine is personally inviting women that you know would appreciate the site
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Comment on Reality check: Does name-blind hiring help improve diversity? in ~life
Elliottb Link ParentPremise for anyone who hasn't clicked: Interactive game/demonstration. In a society of triangles & squares, you get to play with a variable (an individual's minimum happy percentage of same-shape...Premise for anyone who hasn't clicked:
Interactive game/demonstration. In a society of triangles & squares, you get to play with a variable (an individual's minimum happy percentage of same-shape neighbors) to see the macroscopic outcomes.
Neat demonstration
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Comment on Israel in turmoil over bill allowing Jews and Arabs to be segregated in ~society
Elliottb LinkExcerpts from the article:Excerpts from the article:
The proposed legislation would allow the state to “authorise a community composed of people having the same faith and nationality to maintain the exclusive character of that community”. In its current state, the draft would also permit Jewish religious law to be implemented in certain cases and remove Arabic as an official language.
A vote on the bill is expected next week, although a final draft has yet to be agreed on.
[One critic has said] The purpose of the bill... was “to change the balance, to make us more of a nation state, more of a Jewish state, and less of a democracy. There is no other way to put it. And this is the biggest problem.”
Politics is a thing on state-level just as it is nationally. Some states do have comparable systems - most notably Massachusetts
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_health_care_reform