LukeZaz's recent activity
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Comment on LinkedIn is illegally searching your computer [for browser extensions] in ~tech
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LinkedIn is illegally searching your computer [for browser extensions]
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Comment on US Supreme Court rules against Colorado ban on ‘conversion therapy’ for LGBTQ+ kids in ~lgbt
LukeZaz Link ParentThe first thing I'd like to say to this is that it is very insulting. Implying that I don't care for trans people is one hell of a choice when I am actively arguing against a ruling that directly...Also, I think it's extremely naive to think that legislatures in red states would not pass laws to ban trans-affirming therapy in the near future. Given other legislation targeting trans people in red states, this is an extremely present risk. And if you don't believe they wouldn't do this, then it's throwing trans people in red states under the bus to say that the risk of that is irrelevant to this ruling.
The first thing I'd like to say to this is that it is very insulting. Implying that I don't care for trans people is one hell of a choice when I am actively arguing against a ruling that directly harms them.
More to the point though, no, I don't think there's no risk. Red states can, have, and almost certainly will continue to pass legislation against gender-affirming care, and I wouldn't be surprised if they started trying to target talk therapy too.
But the fact of that matter is that that isn't happening right now, nor has it anytime in the recent past that I've been able to find. Red states have had plenty of time to try, and have clearly preferred pursuing other avenues of harm. So we're left with a risk that, while not deeply unlikely, is still a "maybe" at best. In exchange, good protective law that we know was helping people has been damaged. That's not progress.
As for the degree to which it will affect other states' laws: While I can find it believable that not all 23 states will be affected to a significant degree, I think it'd be naïve to think it's unlikely or that it won't be to a notable degree. Suffice to say you must have more faith in the Supreme Court than I do; certainly, you've more faith in the more liberal justices. Liberal politicians have disappointed me more than enough for me not to give them the benefit of the doubt.
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Comment on US Supreme Court rules against Colorado ban on ‘conversion therapy’ for LGBTQ+ kids in ~lgbt
LukeZaz (edited )Link ParentSo it should be noted that this isn't actually the neutrality it looks like at all. I've seen this rhetorical trick1 before, though I can't say for sure if or how many judges made their ruling...The court specifically noted that a state also could not ban talk therapy designed to affirm a minor's sexual orientation or gender identity.
So it should be noted that this isn't actually the neutrality it looks like at all. I've seen this rhetorical trick1 before, though I can't say for sure if or how many judges made their ruling with the intent of performing such a trick.2
Banning something helpful that is actually happening and saying it's alright because it also bans a theoretical bad thing that isn't happening is not a justification, because it's pretending that hypothetical future damage is just as important as non-hypothetical, real, present good. This ruling affects states that ban conversion therapy, of which there are about 23. As far as I'm aware, no other state is affected, because there is no state that bans gender-affirming talk therapy.
Whether it may happen in the future or not is irrelevant at time of writing, because this ruling endangers good law that exists right now, and things that exist matter more than things that don't.
1. I could swear this has a name, but can't recall one. If it does and anyone's got a link, please post!
2. Given the political bent of the SCOTUS, my expectations are quite low. -
Comment on Israel passes death penalty [as default] law for Palestinians convincted [in military court] of lethal attacks in ~society
LukeZaz Link ParentFrom the article: So, looks like it could theoretically apply more broadly. But given the officials behind it, their attitude about the whole thing, and just context in general I find it very...From the article:
The law would only apply to Israelis convicted of murder whose attacks aimed at "ending Israel's existence", meaning it would mete out the death penalty for Palestinians but not for Jewish Israelis who committed similar crimes, critics say.
So, looks like it could theoretically apply more broadly. But given the officials behind it, their attitude about the whole thing, and just context in general I find it very unlikely that it would be applied to anyone besides Palestinians or those supporting them, regardless of the crime.
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Comment on Israel passes death penalty [as default] law for Palestinians convincted [in military court] of lethal attacks in ~society
LukeZaz (edited )Link ParentYeah, it's not ideal. I was trying to keep it succinct and keep changes to a minimum, and I wasn't sure of a better way to bring it up in the title with those restrictions. @smores' reply above is...Yeah, it's not ideal. I was trying to keep it succinct and keep changes to a minimum, and I wasn't sure of a better way to bring it up in the title with those restrictions.
@smores' reply above is correct insofar as I'm aware; it's death penalty as the default, with an option for life imprisonment instead if the court should so choose.
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Comment on Israel passes death penalty [as default] law for Palestinians convincted [in military court] of lethal attacks in ~society
LukeZaz LinkNote: I know it's not a big standard here to include adjustments to headlines like this, but I felt the context was too important to leave out, especially given how even with these adjustments the...Note: I know it's not a big standard here to include adjustments to headlines like this, but I felt the context was too important to leave out, especially given how even with these adjustments the headline makes this sound significantly more tame than it actually is due to the "lethal attacks" bit.1 So long as the grave seriousness of this law is maintained, I'm perfectly fine with title changes; that same seriousness might warrant discussion first, but the folks here who change titles are good people who I trust the judgement of, so I'm not worried.
Anyways, speaking of context, here's some snippets from the article:
JERUSALEM, March 30 (Reuters) - Israel's parliament passed a law on Monday making the death penalty a default sentence for Palestinians convicted in military courts of deadly attacks, fulfilling a pledge by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right allies.
The legislation has drawn international criticism of Israel, which is already under scrutiny for increasing violence by Jewish settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
The measure includes provisions requiring an execution by hanging within 90 days of sentencing, with some allowance for a delay but no right to clemency and the option of imposing a life imprisonment sentence instead of capital punishment.
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Military courts in the West Bank can already impose a death sentence on Palestinian convicts but have never done so.
The measure was promoted by Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right national security minister who has worn noose-shaped lapel pins in the run-up to the vote.
[...]
The original bill had mandated the death sentence for non-Israeli citizens convicted in West Bank military courts of deadly terrorist acts. The revised legislation includes the option of life imprisonment.
In Israel's civilian courts, the new legislation mandates either life imprisonment or the death penalty for anyone convicted of "deliberately causing the death of a person with the intent of ending Israel's existence."
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Israeli rights group B'Tselem says that military courts in the West Bank, where Palestinians are tried for alleged crimes, have a 96% conviction rate and have a history of extracting confessions through torture.
Ben-Gvir, who was convicted in 2007 of racist incitement against Arabs and support for the Kach group on the Israeli and U.S. terrorism blacklists, has overseen an overhaul of prisons that has led to allegations of abuse of Palestinian prisoners.
He made capital punishment for Palestinian militants a main pledge in his 2022 election campaign and since taking office has publicly backed some Israeli soldiers being probed for suspected excessive force against Palestinians. The next national election is due in October 2026.
1. Specifically, the "lethal attacks" part makes it sound less unreasonable, since it makes it sound like it'd only be meted out for severe crimes. But when you add the context above of a 96% conviction rate, plus a military court, plus allegations of confessions obtained via torture... it's, er, not so great.
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Israel passes death penalty [as default] law for Palestinians convincted [in military court] of lethal attacks
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Comment on I think Tildes moderators and admins may need to make a decision regarding how to handle Harry Potter related posts in ~tildes
LukeZaz Link ParentI'm seeing you describe this again and again throughout here despite the thread that precipitated this having – to my knowledge – no instance of this occurring, which makes this feel kinda...I'm seeing you describe this again and again throughout here despite the thread that precipitated this having – to my knowledge – no instance of this occurring, which makes this feel kinda disingenuous. It's one thing if it's a hypothetical you're worried about, but you're not making it sound like one, and you're bringing it up an awful lot for something that didn't actually happen.
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Comment on I think Tildes moderators and admins may need to make a decision regarding how to handle Harry Potter related posts in ~tildes
LukeZaz Link ParentBoth. The key is in having an audience. If you've got an audience, so too does the person you're hoping to convince — this is a kind of platforming, and platforming harmful views is a terrible...Both. The key is in having an audience. If you've got an audience, so too does the person you're hoping to convince — this is a kind of platforming, and platforming harmful views is a terrible idea.
Not to mention that it's harder for someone to genuinely listen to you and reconsider their views when they've got a bunch of eyes on them. If those eyes agree with them, they'll be overconfident, if the eyes disagree, they'll get defensive. It's just not helpful.
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Comment on I think Tildes moderators and admins may need to make a decision regarding how to handle Harry Potter related posts in ~tildes
LukeZaz Link ParentI wasn't aware of Daryl Davis, so thank you for letting me know about him! In this case, I should clarify that when I say things shouldn't be debated, I was speaking in the context of a public...I wasn't aware of Daryl Davis, so thank you for letting me know about him!
In this case, I should clarify that when I say things shouldn't be debated, I was speaking in the context of a public forum such as this. In private, engaging peacefully can have very real and very useful results, as Davis proves.
In public, though? Even if it does work, it will serve to have two damaging effects: First, if one of the participants is a terrible person, it will provide publicity for them; and second, it helps drag approval for the given horrible thing closer towards the Overton window of acceptable discourse. Neither of these things are okay.
If you want to convince someone with awful beliefs to let them go, and you feel strongly you're capable enough to do so, I won't tell you to stop. But that's hard, risky, and needs the right time. Any situation with an audience is not that time.
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Comment on I think Tildes moderators and admins may need to make a decision regarding how to handle Harry Potter related posts in ~tildes
LukeZaz Link ParentThat depends on with whom I am coexisting. Are we talking about people who do their best to avoid the harms of the franchise even as they consume it, i.e. donating to charities to offset it, or...I think the two sides presented here can coexist.
That depends on with whom I am coexisting. Are we talking about people who do their best to avoid the harms of the franchise even as they consume it, i.e. donating to charities to offset it, or ensuring they don't financially support the media in question? Or are we talking people who're willing to write off the suffering of trans people as "not enough for me to care" just for the sake of media they like?
I want to believe we're talking about the former, but part of the problem is that responsible consumption of media like this requires at least some degree of awareness to be spread when discussing it,1 lest that awareness be lost among those who know it, or never learned for those who don't. And yet complaints about that very thing seem to have been what caused this hubbub. That worries me.
I have no problem with people who enjoy Harry Potter but take necessary steps to ensure that their enjoyment does not hurt trans people. But if it should turn out that what we're considering is the latter group, who'd prefer an easy carelessness — well, that's not really a group I'm keen on sharing a space with.
1. Or at least, this is necessary while the author is still alive, profiting, and actively using said profits to hurt people. For say, H.P. Lovecraft, this knowledge is useful and good, but I wouldn't think it required.
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Comment on I think Tildes moderators and admins may need to make a decision regarding how to handle Harry Potter related posts in ~tildes
LukeZaz Link ParentI suppose I meant "shouldn't," then, because that's disgusting. Folks here can get really hung up on deeply unnecessary steelmanning, I think.I suppose I meant "shouldn't," then, because that's disgusting.
Folks here can get really hung up on deeply unnecessary steelmanning, I think.
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Comment on I think Tildes moderators and admins may need to make a decision regarding how to handle Harry Potter related posts in ~tildes
LukeZaz Link ParentJust because people's posts about JKR are all you're seeing doesn't make that all that they worry about. People have a lot to their lives, and you're only seeing a very small part of it.Just because people's posts about JKR are all you're seeing doesn't make that all that they worry about. People have a lot to their lives, and you're only seeing a very small part of it.
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Comment on I think Tildes moderators and admins may need to make a decision regarding how to handle Harry Potter related posts in ~tildes
LukeZaz LinkI'm assuming that you're making this post in good faith, so it should probably be explained at some point that this thinking is something of a trap — wanting a dialogue does not make things just...- Exemplary
To be clear, I am not advocating suppressing either side as I prefer to have dialogue rather than censor it.
I'm assuming that you're making this post in good faith, so it should probably be explained at some point that this thinking is something of a trap — wanting a dialogue does not make things just or fair, as sometimes something simply shouldn't be debated. Forgive me a logical extreme to illustrate my point when I say: We don't debate the pros or cons of eugenics, for example, because making that a debate implies that there are points in favor that deserve consideration.1
Similarly, I don't think this is necessarily something that has to be debated. It's pretty well established at this point that Harry Potter works tend to support the author, and that the author in turn is a horrid bigot with entirely too much money already. I don't think it's fair to want these concerns obfuscated by extended back-and-forth. I understand that people who just want to enjoy a funny wizard show2 might feel attacked, or that they may wish for calmer discussions about this.
But the reality in turn is that if we do that – if we let ourselves get hung up on civility as the be-all-end-all – then we're implying that peace is more important than justice. This show hurts people in very real ways, and choosing to watch it regardless is exactly the kind of passivity that so enables those harms. Nobody wants to be tense, but for the sake of marginalized groups, this is very much a situation that calls for it.
1. For a related topic, see Wikipedia's policy on undue weight.
2. Not that it's a very fun show when you dig into its issues, though. -
Comment on OpenAI shuts down Sora AI video, Disney drops planned $1B investment in ~tech
LukeZaz Link ParentCompletely agree. I know I've said several times in the past that this technology could've been a boon in the right circumstances, but the way it happened and the society it happened in prevented...Completely agree. I know I've said several times in the past that this technology could've been a boon in the right circumstances, but the way it happened and the society it happened in prevented that. Things like Cleverbot and 15.ai and Markov chains and so much else were fun and interesting. Sure, things like the ELIZA effect were still a thing, but they weren't so bad an issue with those as they are now. We got so many cool things out of it, without so many of the downsides.
If it helps any, I do still think that world is possible, eventually. That's part of why I'm so happy to see the bubble start to burst; once that's over with, things can start to heal. Many of the problems it causes today are born from extreme overuse and high overconfidence in the tech — strip that away, and I feel safe in saying we'll be able to gravitate towards significantly more toned-down & reasonable applications for it.
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Comment on OpenAI shuts down Sora AI video, Disney drops planned $1B investment in ~tech
LukeZaz LinkCan't figure out what I'm happier about: The news itself, or the fact that it's got such a positive reception here. I'd felt for the last while like I'd be arguing myself blue in the face dealing...Can't figure out what I'm happier about: The news itself, or the fact that it's got such a positive reception here.
I'd felt for the last while like I'd be arguing myself blue in the face dealing with thread after thread seemingly filled with people crawling out of the woodwork to defend AI. Usually with regard to coding, but more generally as well. It got bad enough for my health that I filtered the tag and stopped reading Tildes logged out as I sometimes used to. I'm only here because I already heard the news elsewhere, and so temporarily skipped past my filter.
Needless to say, both this news and this thread are much-needed breaths of fresh air.
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Comment on OpenAI shuts down Sora AI video, Disney drops planned $1B investment in ~tech
LukeZaz Link ParentHere's to hoping that's exactly what happens. God knows it's been far too long since some good news hit. Not that a bubble popping is likely to be all good; it'll bring a lot of economic damage...Here's to hoping that's exactly what happens. God knows it's been far too long since some good news hit.
Not that a bubble popping is likely to be all good; it'll bring a lot of economic damage with it, and the current U.S. admin is likely to respond in terrifyingly awful ways. But since a pop is inevitable, that'll happen regardless. The sooner the bubble bursts, the less collateral it'll inflict.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of March 16 in ~society
LukeZaz Link ParentI'd be more sympathetic to those affected if not for the fact that the agency they're working for is responsible for a great deal of discrimination, bigotry and wasted time, all for the sake of...I'd be more sympathetic to those affected if not for the fact that the agency they're working for is responsible for a great deal of discrimination, bigotry and wasted time, all for the sake of security theater. Working for the TSA is an awful choice to make for everyone involved.
That said, best wishes to anyone who is choosing to stop working there.
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Comment on Robert Mueller, who investigated allegations of Russian election meddling, dies at 81 in ~society
LukeZaz Link ParentIf I recall correctly, it very much did. Not likely to be enough to have swung the election, but Russia absolutely tried to interfere.If I recall correctly, it very much did. Not likely to be enough to have swung the election, but Russia absolutely tried to interfere.
For those curious, here's a direct link to the evidence page.
From the site:
It should be noted that this appears to happen on Chrome specifically, though I'm unsure if Firefox wouldn't also be vulnerable. Additionally, the jurisdictions in which this is said to be illegal are European ones; namely the EU itself, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the U.K. and Switzerland. Not the United States, unsurpisingly. Though I wonder if the CCPA would have an issue with this too.
Anyway, this is a time where I'm particularly happy to post to Tildes specifically: This page is very dramatic, and while the provided details do make some sense to me, the language surrounding it makes me suspicious and unsure if this is really so big of a deal as it's made out to be. I trust folks here more than other places not to fall for it if it is overselling itself, so I figured it might be worth posting here but wait before sharing elsewhere.