Japeth's recent activity
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Comment on The man who killed Google Search in ~tech
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Comment on NPR suspends veteran editor as it grapples with his public criticism in ~news
Japeth (edited )Link ParentHe wasn't suspended for the content he published, he was suspended for not getting approval to publish with another organization. In fact, they specifically did allow him to discuss the same...He wasn't suspended for the content he published, he was suspended for not getting approval to publish with another organization.
In presenting Berliner's suspension Thursday afternoon, the organization told the editor he had failed to secure its approval for outside work for other news outlets, as is required of NPR journalists.
In fact, they specifically did allow him to discuss the same content in other places when he sought approval for those appearances.
In its formal rebuke, NPR did not cite Berliner's appearance on Chris Cuomo's NewsNation program last Tuesday night, for which NPR gave him the green light. (NPR's chief communications officer told Berliner to focus on his own experience and not share proprietary information.)
Obviously NPR could be being less-than-truthful about its reasoning, but Berliner broke an office rule that long pre-dated this controversy. It would be strange if NPR didn't reprimand him in some way.
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Comment on NPR suspends veteran editor as it grapples with his public criticism in ~news
Japeth (edited )Link ParentIs that really his criticism? I mean, putting aside the very real implications of the bill chilling educator's ability to discuss sexuality in the classroom regardless of if the bills says "gay",...On March 10, 2022, I wrote to a top news executive about the numerous times we described the controversial education bill in Florida as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill when it didn’t even use the word gay.
Is that really his criticism? I mean, putting aside the very real implications of the bill chilling educator's ability to discuss sexuality in the classroom regardless of if the bills says "gay", that's also just a common way the public refers to that bill. It's like calling the Affordable Care Act "Obamacare", definitely originally inspired by a political agenda but at this point common parlance. That doesn't seem like a particularly damning piece of evidence for political bias.
(I do agree with him about the use of "Latinx" though.)(Edit: see below)I admit I'm as biased as anyone towards my own beliefs, but I actually think NPR does a commendable job maintaining journalistic neutrality. They don't shy away from claiming Trump "lied" about the election, and they also don't sugarcoat any of Biden's gaffes. For example, I recall when the Robert Hur report first came out, they covered Biden's defending himself but specifically pointed out how in the same press briefing Biden mixed up the names of the presidents of Egypt and Mexico undermining Biden's claims about his own mental acuity. They could've brushed over that gaffe if they wanted to, but I think it says a lot about their impartiality that they brought it up anyway.
I am a prominent member of the newsroom in Washington. If Uri told the truth, then I could only be a registered Democrat. I held up a screenshot of my voter registration showing I am registered with “no party.” Some in the crowd gasped. Uri had misled them. [...] When I asked Uri, he said he “couldn’t care less” that I am not a Democrat. He said the important thing was the “aggregate”—exactly what his 87-0 misrepresented by leaving out people like me.
He writes of a dismaying experience with his managers: “I asked why we keep using that word that many Hispanics hate—Latinx.” Why indeed? It’s true that many Latinos don’t like this ungendered term, including some who work at NPR. That may be why NPR does not generally use the term. I did a search at npr.org for the previous 90 days. I found: 197 uses of Latino. 201 uses of Latina. And just nine uses of “Latinx,” usually by a guest on NPR who certainly has the right to say it. Like Uri, I often have opinions about NPR’s coverage. Sometimes I am right; and sometimes I check the easily searchable archives and discover I am wrong. I wish he’d done the same.
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Comment on ‘Heroes’ reboot in the works from series creator Tim Kring in ~tv
Japeth Link ParentIf you listen closely you can hear the sound of a finger on a monkey's paw curling: That show actually was rebooted just recently... by the CW.If you listen closely you can hear the sound of a finger on a monkey's paw curling: That show actually was rebooted just recently... by the CW.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~games
Japeth Link ParentTargeted harassment campaigns go far beyond game lobby insults. You can log out of counter strike, you can't do the same when a few dozen people have doxxed you and spend all their free time...Targeted harassment campaigns go far beyond game lobby insults. You can log out of counter strike, you can't do the same when a few dozen people have doxxed you and spend all their free time trying to ruin your life for no reason whatsoever. Being dismissive of that harassment is dangerously close to saying the harassers are doing nothing wrong.
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Comment on A Max password-sharing crackdown is coming in ~tv
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Comment on Fallout | Official trailer in ~tv
Japeth Link ParentI don't mind the weekly/slow release, but I think it only works to a point. If a show is airing for longer than ~1.5 months, it falls off in the zeitgeist pretty hard before its finale. I think...I don't mind the weekly/slow release, but I think it only works to a point. If a show is airing for longer than ~1.5 months, it falls off in the zeitgeist pretty hard before its finale. I think the sweet spot is, regardless of number of episodes, have all of them out within a month of the first episode airing. Whether that's 2/3 episodes once a week, an episode every three days, or the Stranger Things method of putting 80% of the season out on day 1 and the finale a month later, that seems to be the best pace for premiering in my experience.
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Comment on How to subtitle your book so people will read it: Tajja Isen on balancing the demands of marketing with artistic vision in ~creative
Japeth LinkI've thought the "meta" of subtitles has been pretty ridiculous for a while. It seems like the actual title of most works these days is irrelevant, and the subtitle actually tells you what the...I've thought the "meta" of subtitles has been pretty ridiculous for a while. It seems like the actual title of most works these days is irrelevant, and the subtitle actually tells you what the piece is about. It seems like with the trajectory we're on, eventually we could just cut titles entirely.
But this article is a very interesting perspective, the subtitle as an elevator pitch. I hadn't thought about it that way before but it really rings true. I wonder if, as the salesmanship of the title/subtitle continues to increase over time, if English language works well eventually get to the level of the overly long Japanese book that have small paragraphs for titles?
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Comment on Joe Biden’s chances of US re-election are better than they appear in ~misc
Japeth LinkNo matter how many articles I read about Biden doing this or that, doing well or poorly, I just can't shake the notion that they are all ignoring the elephant in the room. I don't see how this...No matter how many articles I read about Biden doing this or that, doing well or poorly, I just can't shake the notion that they are all ignoring the elephant in the room. I don't see how this election will be anything other than a referendum on abortion rights. I think barring a historical-level news story between now and November, something along the lines of 9/11 or COVID-19, the election will be framed by the repeal of Roe. It's an easy drum for the left to beat, Trump is as directly responsible for the repeal as any president could've been, and most Americans haven't gotten the chance to vote in a consequential election since the repeal happened.
Maybe this part is overly optimistic of me, but I'm willing to bet there are a lot of voters out there who aren't fans of Biden but will absolutely turn out to defend abortion rights. I mean, if abortion can win in Ohio and Kansas, surely it can get a couple percentage points in Wisconsin and Arizona.
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Comment on The US right’s underestimated brain in ~misc
Japeth Link ParentGrounded in reality? 70% of them believe the lie that the 2020 election was stolen. They live in a fantasy world.I would credit the right-wing as overall being more pragmatic, where they accept the world at it is and working within those confines - they are more likely to be grounded in reality.
Grounded in reality? 70% of them believe the lie that the 2020 election was stolen. They live in a fantasy world.
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Comment on The US right’s underestimated brain in ~misc
Japeth Link ParentYeah the OP here makes valid points overall, but passing the ACA was maybe one of the most effective uses of American political power in the 21st century. It was the most expansive policy that...Yeah the OP here makes valid points overall, but passing the ACA was maybe one of the most effective uses of American political power in the 21st century. It was the most expansive policy that stood a chance of passing, it would've even had a public option except for the hold out of Lieberman. And it proved so effective and popular, that even when the Republicans controlled all three chambers in 2017 after having campaigned on repealing Obamacare, the votes to repeal it weren't there.
It's shitty that we Americans have to fight for these absolute scraps of a decent livelihood, but until we learn the secret to deprogramming the conservative cult, this is the reality we have to navigate. I'm sure I'll keep being disappointed that Democrats are not more progressive, but it's night and day when the other party just dismantled Roe and are smacking their lips at the prospect of stripping away even more of our rights.
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Comment on What is your favourite episode of a podcast? in ~talk
Japeth LinkI've been listening to My Brother, My Brother and Me for a decade now, but my favorite episode of theirs was very outside their usual fare. For the uninitiated, it's a comedy show hosted by three...I've been listening to My Brother, My Brother and Me for a decade now, but my favorite episode of theirs was very outside their usual fare. For the uninitiated, it's a comedy show hosted by three brothers with the pretense of an advice show, but really every question they answer is treated as a prompt for them to give terrible advice in an improvised fashion. One recurring theme in their jokes over the years was Jimmy Buffet's music, and somehow Jimmy Buffet actually got introduced to these three and even came on the podcast as a guest once or twice. This context is necessary to explain my favorite episode, #400, wherein Jimmy Buffet, either through genuine good will or as a brilliantly cruel prank, invited the three brothers to act as press at the red carpet premiere of his then-new Broadway play: Escape to Margaritaville. Now please note, none of the hosts have ever done something like red carpet press before, and there's nothing about their podcast that relates to Broadway plays, celebrity news, or current events at all. But how could they pass up such a unique opportunity?
What ensues is an hour and change of the three brothers just completely over their heads and unable to function as they desperately try to get the random celebrities walking down the red carpet to participate in their podcast. Their weird brand of humor is constantly flying over the heads of these passersby, and some of the celebrities outright roast them for it. It's the comedy equivalent of self flagellation, they continuously try to get their act together only to have to laugh at themselves for how badly their plans are falling apart.
All that being said, I don't think that episode is a good introduction to the show. The main appeal of that episode is just how much it subverts the charm of their usual antics and gags, and completely ego-checks the hosts of a show where ego is employed ironically on a constant basis. I'm sure a lot of episode #400's charm would fall flat for someone unacquainted with what their usual episodes are like, but I still think it's an all-timer.
If anyone is interested in seeing what the show is more typically like, this episode is my favorite from the last couple years. In this one, they come back from the mid-show ad break as usual, but quickly just go off the deep end riffing on a single question for the rest of the show, making their invented premise more and more absurd with each passing minute.
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Comment on Largest dataset powering AI images removed after discovery of Child Sexual Abuse Materials in ~tech
Japeth Link ParentHas there ever been a time under capitalism where the people with means were not trying to move as fast and break as many things as the available technology allowed?Has there ever been a time under capitalism where the people with means were not trying to move as fast and break as many things as the available technology allowed?
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Comment on Marketing company claims that it actually is listening to your phone and smart speakers to target ads in ~tech
Japeth LinkMaybe someone can enlighten me but I've always been a huge doubter of this "conspiracy" theory. I really don't think discussing a product with friends, etc makes it more likely that you get ads...Maybe someone can enlighten me but I've always been a huge doubter of this "conspiracy" theory. I really don't think discussing a product with friends, etc makes it more likely that you get ads for that product afterward. Partly because voice recognition technology just doesn't seem good enough that the average phone could overhear you from your pocket? But also it seems like a giant case of confirmation bias, and even more than that, people don't want to admit how predictable they are.
Like you hear someone say they were talking about getting a new sound system and all of a sudden got ads for subwoofers. Well no shit given your search history that you're into music and you're the right market demographic to make a bigger purchase like that. Oh you were complaining to your friend about your back pain and now you're getting ads for chairs with lumbar support? Was your phone listening to you or does Google just know you're 30+ years old?
That being said I know shit-all about the actual capabilities of voice recognition and am open to being told I'm wrong. But even articles like this don't really convince me, this article especially since it's not like marketing agencies are known for their measured and humble claims about their own capabilities.
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Comment on The Boys | Season 4 official teaser trailer in ~tv
Japeth Link ParentI don't know if I agree that Homelander "as-written" would be that decisive. I think they've done a good job writing him as a human-with-superpowers as opposed to just a superhuman. He was...I don't know if I agree that Homelander "as-written" would be that decisive. I think they've done a good job writing him as a human-with-superpowers as opposed to just a superhuman. He was traumatized throughout his childhood and now has a crippling fear of abandonment, and no matter how powerful he is he's been unwilling to risk his public, lovable image to get more of what he wants. Obviously they mentality is changing over the course of the show, though.
I do think many parts of The Boys world are more cynical than is realistic, but that world is meant to parody reality, not reflect it perfectly. Exaggeration is expected. And it makes sense that the main cast are the only (mostly) good natured people because the conceit of the story is it's a David vs Goliath tale of the small team against the evil organization. That's just how the story is framed. This isn't a narrative where the good guys go around recruiting people to their cause to charge the evil army; they pursue subterfuge. So logically it makes sense that most of the minor characters they meet are evil in some way. I'm not saying it's executed perfectly or beyond criticism, I just think there is a reasonable narrative justification for most characters being shitty.
I generally like the show even though I agree that sometimes it's too much. But I also think it's one of the most fun to discuss shows in recent years.
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Comment on Sandra Day O’Connor, first woman US Supreme Court justice, dies at 93 in ~news
Japeth LinkObviously O'Connor was a lot more palatable than some of the conservatives on the bench now, but people really don't make a big enough deal about her affect on Bush v. Gore. One of the most purely...Obviously O'Connor was a lot more palatable than some of the conservatives on the bench now, but people really don't make a big enough deal about her affect on Bush v. Gore. One of the most purely political decisions ever issued, and O'Connor was clearly biased.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech
Japeth Link ParentI largely agree with you, but I don't think he's burning it down intentionally. It's clear he suffers from at least some kind of narcissism, and I think he's just incapable of admitting his ideas...I largely agree with you, but I don't think he's burning it down intentionally. It's clear he suffers from at least some kind of narcissism, and I think he's just incapable of admitting his ideas are bad. He'll latch on to some random plan, like unbanning all the trolls or changing the blue checkmark to a subscription service, and then no matter how poorly it goes he'll never change his mind.
He's not being destructive on purpose, he's just delusional and stubborn to a fault.
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Comment on Doctor Who Special “The Star Beast” - Discussion Thread in ~tv
Japeth Link ParentAlright, a little contrived but not outside the scope of what I'd expect from what is essentially Space Magic. Thank you!Alright, a little contrived but not outside the scope of what I'd expect from what is essentially Space Magic. Thank you!
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Comment on Doctor Who Special “The Star Beast” - Discussion Thread in ~tv
Japeth LinkI fell off Doctor Who a while back, but for those more up to date can I ask, how did they justify in-universe additional regenerations of the Doctor after the thirteenth? Wasn't that supposed to...I fell off Doctor Who a while back, but for those more up to date can I ask, how did they justify in-universe additional regenerations of the Doctor after the thirteenth? Wasn't that supposed to be the limit?
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Comment on What 2023 Black Friday deals are you looking into? in ~talk
Japeth Link ParentHow does it make sense that the Black Friday deal is $1/month or $29 for one year? I'd assume they would want people to go annual but it's over double the monthly price with this deal.How does it make sense that the Black Friday deal is $1/month or $29 for one year? I'd assume they would want people to go annual but it's over double the monthly price with this deal.
The editorializing in this article was excessive. I do believe the author successfully identified one of the main engineers of Google Search's fall from grace (which despite what Google says is clear to anyone with eyes), but the myopic focus on Raghavan, and the lionizing of Gomes, make the piece read as more of a personal vendetta than an investigatory exposé in my opinion.
I'm surprised by the lack of blame directed at Raghavan's superiors, namely Pichai but really leadership as a whole. The strategy of promoting growth at all costs was not adopted through a one-man campaign on the part of Raghavan. The entire executive structure endorsed it, even if there may have been holdouts like Gomes. People like Raghavan who monkey-bar from failure to failure while still somehow climbing the corporate ladder are dime-a-dozen, and I don't need to read what amounts to a derisive profile of him to know that there was someone just like him at Google trying to trade positive user experience for ad dollars. The same thing is happening at every major website.
What this article does make me wish for is an actual case study of how Google's executive culture was converted from "Don't Be Evil" to the growth-at-all-costs mandate that was apparently already fully in force by the time this article raises the curtain in 2019. Was it turnover of the early No-Evil engineers? Was it the rush to compete with the emerging social media goliaths? Is this just the inevitable arc of all publicly-traded companies in the post-Jack Welch world? I mean, I remember 10+ years ago being excited every time Google launched a new project. Now they've killed so many unique projects it's practically a joke to imply any Google project other than Search has any longevity. Though based on the last few years it seems they're doing their best to kill Search, too.