Lynndolynn's recent activity
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Comment on A layperson's introduction to quantum oscillations in ~science
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Comment on How to study abusers: Should reading lists come with a content warning? in ~humanities
Lynndolynn Link ParentI bring up my personal experiences for two reasons: They provide context to my opinions and arguments, and Concrete examples are easier to grok emotionally than abstract, hypothetical situations....I bring up my personal experiences for two reasons:
- They provide context to my opinions and arguments, and
- Concrete examples are easier to grok emotionally than abstract, hypothetical situations.
It's a little hard to have these kinds of discussions without bringing in personal experiences or examples.
how can I express my disagreements and not feel like an asshole?
I'm not sure, to be honest, because I don't know you very well or what your disagreements are, and I don't want to be presumptuous. But consider why it is that your argument makes you feel like an asshole. Is it lacking in compassion? I've found that a lot of the times when I feel like an asshole, it's because I'm ignoring or disregarding someone else's emotions and experiences.
Again, I don't want to be presumptuous, but it's really hard to guess what's wrong or difficult to present about your disagreements without knowing what they are in the first place. Other than the standard "maybe that's because you're an asshole" blanket statement, I don't know what to say.
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Comment on How to study abusers: Should reading lists come with a content warning? in ~humanities
Lynndolynn Link ParentPersonal experiences are actually especially useful and important here, because we're talking about individual accommodations. What accommodations may be reasonable and sufficient for one student...Everybody has their own personal experiences, bringing them into a conversation about university education is not really useful.
Personal experiences are actually especially useful and important here, because we're talking about individual accommodations. What accommodations may be reasonable and sufficient for one student may not be for another student.
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Comment on How to study abusers: Should reading lists come with a content warning? in ~humanities
Lynndolynn Link ParentJust to be clear, do you mean "censure" or "censor?" It's a common misspelling, and it makes all the difference here. versus It is my opinion that we should censure artists who commit acts of...censuring certain authors and intellectuals
Just to be clear, do you mean "censure" or "censor?" It's a common misspelling, and it makes all the difference here.
censure: (The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, via Wordnik)
n. An expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism.
v. To criticize severely; blame.versus
censor: (Merriam-Webster)
v. To examine in order to suppress or delete anything considered objectionable
v. To suppress or delete as objectionableIt is my opinion that we should censure artists who commit acts of serious depravity, like the artists listed in the article, but that we should not censor their art.
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Comment on How to study abusers: Should reading lists come with a content warning? in ~humanities
Lynndolynn Link ParentI believe that this is the comment they're referring to. Specific quotes: To be honest, I'm having difficulty reading this as "we should ban these authors." It reads more like a recognition of the...I believe that this is the comment they're referring to. Specific quotes:
The allegations made discussion of the writers a minefield. To analyse their work with any critical distance so soon after the news felt impossible. Instead the seminars would frequently become an open forum on sexual assault, an exhausting and often upsetting ordeal for many women in the room.
Of course, this isn’t just a problem of 2018; it pervades literary history – and curriculums. Hemingway, a writer we romanticise today, verbally and physically abused women. JD Salinger had multiple affairs with women 30 years his junior, and subjected his wife to such emotional cruelty that she became physically ill. Many a lecture is devoted to the life of Louis Althusser and his contributions to critical theory, yet the fact that he murdered his wife is glossed over.
Several students raised the issue at my university, Sheffield, which offers a literature module on Woody Allen. As welfare officer on the women’s committee, I received several complaints that this sends a message to students that their abusers can get away with what they did, thrive in their careers and be honoured by the academy.
We know that more than 60% of students and graduates have experienced sexual violence. We know that one in 10 women students are raped while at university. And we know that, when they seek help, time and time again, their universities are failing them. What’s the message to these women when their curriculums are peppered with abusers’ names?
To be honest, I'm having difficulty reading this as "we should ban these authors." It reads more like a recognition of the standard problem of separating the art from the artist and a request for recognition of the awful things some of these artists did, rather than glossing over them to glorify their work and, implicitly, them.
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Comment on How to study abusers: Should reading lists come with a content warning? in ~humanities
Lynndolynn Link ParentThis idea that providing reasonable accommodations to people suffering from trauma is somehow coddling them, and that these people just need to "stand strong" instead, is incredibly frustrating...- Exemplary
- It promotes a culture of excessive safety based on exaggerated vulnerability.
I'm totally against this exaltation and exaggeration of victimhood. Instead of teaching people how to stand strong and not give into sorrow and suffering, people push victims to identify with their past and their victimhood, and live with it whole their life.
This idea that providing reasonable accommodations to people suffering from trauma is somehow coddling them, and that these people just need to "stand strong" instead, is incredibly frustrating and harmful. It's used just about every time we talk about accommodations regardless of to whom, and it's a bad faith argument that doesn't actually help anyone. It approaches "Wow thanks I'm cured" levels of unhelpfulness.
We're not banning books or authors - the article and the people it quotes are strongly against that - we're just trying to discuss what we can do for students who are struggling with trauma in their lives so that they can continue to learn effectively. We're not telling students that they don't ever need to face their traumas, we're just trying to provide compassion and reasonable accommodations. Trauma is something to be faced and overcome with a therapist or a psychiatrist on the victim's own timeline, not in a classroom with fellow students.
I say all of this as someone who needs classroom accommodations herself. Let me give you two examples from my life to illustrate where I'm coming from. Pardon the wall of text.
First, regarding accommodations: I suffer depression and ADD, which can affect my ability to complete coursework and timed assignments like exams. My university helps me coordinate with professors to grant me reasonable accommodations, such as extended deadlines, extra time on exams, a low-distraction exam area if I need it, and flexibility on lecture and discussion attendance. I don't necessarily get all of these if they aren't appropriate or are too difficult to provide, and the implementation details are up to my professor and me to decide together. It's not about avoiding issues or not being stronger; it's about helping me to continue learning while still grappling with my mental health issues.
Second, regarding triggers: Because of depression I have a history of suicidal thoughts and have seriously considered suicide at multiple points in the last few years. I also suffer from OCD, which manifests for me in intrusive, unwanted thoughts regarding harming things or others and causes me extreme emotional distress.
A few days ago here on Tildes someone gave a two sentence summary of a disturbing suicide video posted on /r/WatchPeopleDie. It wasn't especially graphic and the details were high level - and hell, I didn't even watch the video - but it was enough to trigger unwanted thoughts and cause me serious distress. For the next few hours I couldn't stop fixating on the description and my mental image of the event. I could hardly focus on grocery shopping and I definitely couldn't do anything remotely intellectual. I'm dealing with it better now, but I'm also in a much better head space than I was when I read the description the first time.
If that had been an in-class discussion and I had classes afterwards, I wouldn't have gotten anything out of my later classes. This is the level of distress we're talking about here. It's something I need to get stronger about and overcome, yes, but that's something I need to work on with a therapist, not with my professor and my classmates.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~misc
Lynndolynn Link ParentThat's a little... disturbing? I don't know, it looks a lot like the kind of thing you'd see on aol.com before logging into your email. It feels really weird to see that next to the Reddit logo.That's a little... disturbing? I don't know, it looks a lot like the kind of thing you'd see on aol.com before logging into your email. It feels really weird to see that next to the Reddit logo.
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Comment on Desire paths: The illicit trails that defy the urban planners in ~design
Lynndolynn Link ParentThe article mentions it in passing:The article mentions it in passing:
Reddit has desire path threads, tens of thousands of people strong, delighting in the more mysterious or illogical-seeming of them.
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Comment on Reddit and the Struggle to Detoxify the Internet in ~tech
Lynndolynn Link ParentYeah, I definitely could have used a content warning before reading that. I probably should have seen it coming considering the topic, but... 😵Yeah, I definitely could have used a content warning before reading that. I probably should have seen it coming considering the topic, but... 😵
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Comment on User flair for personal pronouns in ~tildes
Lynndolynn Link ParentWe were talking about trans experiences and hate speech, and I related that I was a trans woman, so that's probably where you first picked it up. It makes me happy to hear I made a positive...We were talking about trans experiences and hate speech, and I related that I was a trans woman, so that's probably where you first picked it up. It makes me happy to hear I made a positive impression with you!
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Comment on User flair for personal pronouns in ~tildes
Lynndolynn Link ParentIt's not about using 'they', but about using 'they' when someone has requested you use something else for them. I think I've beat the horse enough in this thread, though, so we'll have to agree to...It's not about using 'they', but about using 'they' when someone has requested you use something else for them. I think I've beat the horse enough in this thread, though, so we'll have to agree to disagree.
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Comment on User flair for personal pronouns in ~tildes
Lynndolynn Link ParentFor those of us to whom this issue is important, i.e. binary-leaning trans people, that's not any better. Refusing to gender me is not a compromise because it's still a refusal to accept or see me...All I will say is that if a user does disagree, they should use neutral pronouns instead of flat out referring to you by something that you obviously are opposed to.
For those of us to whom this issue is important, i.e. binary-leaning trans people, that's not any better. Refusing to gender me is not a compromise because it's still a refusal to accept or see me as the person I say I am.
I am not going to debate whether or not it is okay within the rules of Tildes to openly disagree with another user's chosen pronouns.
@Deimos, can you clarify this? I would generally consider this transphobic, and I'm under the impression that you discourage transphobic behavior here.
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Comment on User flair for personal pronouns in ~tildes
Lynndolynn Link ParentWell shucks, and here I thought you remembered me. :PWell shucks, and here I thought you remembered me. :P
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Comment on User flair for personal pronouns in ~tildes
Lynndolynn Link ParentIf I were to ask that you use 'she' to refer to me, since I'm a woman, would you insist on using 'they' to refer to me anyway? Using 'they' as the default is a good choice, and mistakes will...I personally will not use anything other than the singular they to refer to any tildes user no matter what the consensus wil be in this thread.
If I were to ask that you use 'she' to refer to me, since I'm a woman, would you insist on using 'they' to refer to me anyway? Using 'they' as the default is a good choice, and mistakes will happen and be forgiven, but it's disrespectful to disregard someone's pronouns simply for your own convenience.
Furthermore, this is impractical and prone to lots of useless confusion and flame given mistakes will happen and it'll quickly become a serious burden when one has to look up the pronoun of someone before referring to them.
That's really not as big a burden as you're making it out to be. It will be listed next to their username, or on their bio one click away, or you'll just assume 'they'. I'm not sure I see how there will be significant confusion here, either, and flaming is already very explicitly discouraged and punished here.
Mistakes will happen, but we should be encouraging giving people the benefit of the doubt and using Hanlon's Razor in all areas of the site. As long as people correct and take corrections gracefully and don't intentionally misgender others, this shouldn't be cause for strife.
I mean, hell, even without this feature we'd have these problems. An asshole can decide I'm not a woman and gender me male even without this feature just because my username is pretty gendered and I'm open about being trans. We'd handle these situations the same way whether we have this feature or not; the only possible difference is in volume.
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Comment on User flair for personal pronouns in ~tildes
Lynndolynn Link ParentIs it really? I suppose I haven't been keeping a finger to the pulse here, but I'm a little disappointed if that's true. I expected better of us. :/Currently a large one held by the majority of users is that posters/commenters are male.
Is it really? I suppose I haven't been keeping a finger to the pulse here, but I'm a little disappointed if that's true. I expected better of us. :/
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Comment on User flair for personal pronouns in ~tildes
Lynndolynn Link ParentWhat is so polarizing about telling people what pronouns to use? I understand arguments about clutter or irrelevancy, but I don't understand how saying "please use 'she' to refer to me" should...What is so polarizing about telling people what pronouns to use? I understand arguments about clutter or irrelevancy, but I don't understand how saying "please use 'she' to refer to me" should cause any kind of fight.
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Comment on User flair for personal pronouns in ~tildes
Lynndolynn Link ParentI have to draw a hard line on this. Unless someone is being absurdly unreasonable (my pronouns are "your majesty"/"fucktard"), it's not okay to intentionally refuse to use a person's preferred...I am of the opinion that, unless obviously done out of malice (and how do we identify that?), not complying with another users' preferred pronouns should not carry a penalty so long as relatively neutral language is used, ...
I have to draw a hard line on this. Unless someone is being absurdly unreasonable (my pronouns are "your majesty"/"fucktard"), it's not okay to intentionally refuse to use a person's preferred pronouns. If I say "please use 'she' to refer to me" and another user says "no, I'm sorry, I can't do that," their words are by nature not neutral. They very explicitly reject a fundamental part of my identity in a transphobic way that is difficult to attribute to anything other than malice or intentional ignorance.
Transphobia, especially intentional disrespect of other's pronouns, is not something we should tolerate here.
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Comment on User flair for personal pronouns in ~tildes
Lynndolynn Link ParentWhen referring to specific people in a discussion, it's essential that you know which pronouns to use for them. If I wanted to refer to @Algernon_Asimov, it's cumbersome to refer to...When referring to specific people in a discussion, it's essential that you know which pronouns to use for them. If I wanted to refer to @Algernon_Asimov, it's cumbersome to refer to @Algernon_Asimov by @Algernon_Asimov's name every time I want to refer to @Algernon_Asimov. It's a lot easier to use his pronouns (and I sincerely hope I remembered them correctly). In practice, I use 'they' until I'm shown (and can remember) otherwise.
It's also important to some of us. As a trans person who is commonly misgendered or not gendered in face-to-face or voice conversations, it makes me incredibly happy when, out of the blue, I see someone on the Internet use feminine pronouns to refer to me. There was actually a thread a few days back where @Algernon_Asimov mentioned me and said 'she' and I literally couldn't stop smiling for a few hours, because a relative stranger in the Internet remembered me and my pronouns! That or he just guessed correctly. Either way, I was over the moon! :P
Personal pronouns are both convenient and, for some of us at least, emotionally significant. I like the idea in principle at least.
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Comment on Anti-transgender legislation devastates trans children — even when it fails in ~lgbt
Lynndolynn LinkThis one's a bit of a read, so get some coffee (or other beverage of choice). This piece goes beyond trans children to address how anti-trans legislation affects trans adults, as well. The...This one's a bit of a read, so get some coffee (or other beverage of choice). This piece goes beyond trans children to address how anti-trans legislation affects trans adults, as well. The anti-trans and trans-skeptic attitudes these legislation attempts promote in the public cause all of us significant mental harm.
Here are some quotes I thought were particularly poignant:
“It’s about the fear, and the emboldened nature of some of the folks who have recognized that it’s safe to be a bigot,” said Dr. Angello. “In the sixth months after the presidential election, I had more young people in particular hospitalized for mental health issues, suicidality, or just having a difficult psychiatric time than I have in my entire 20-year career with trans people.”
For [one trans girl], the prospect of using the men’s room was so uncomfortable and dispiriting that she simply stopped using the school bathroom at all. She would force herself to hold it during the long daytime hours rather than subject herself to a worse misery. In order to make it through the day, she stopped drinking anything until she got home.
[One 55-yo trans person] felt as though his legislature and even his ministers were telling the cisgender population that trans people shouldn’t be out in public, and he was afraid that somebody would attack him.
“Every time I see news about a new anti-trans measure,” [one trans high school teacher in North Carolina] said, “[...] I get this nauseous feeling. My brain starts thinking, ‘this is the start.’ [...] It’s a feeling I’ve had since Trump was elected, this concern that any day now there’s going to be legislation that criminalizes me just existing out in the world.”
To the teenager who attempts suicide, or is committed to a hospital, it is little consolation if the discriminatory bill eventually fails[...]. To a large extent, especially for children, the damage has been done.
The last [U.S. Trans Survey], in 2015, reached almost 28,000 trans people, and the mental health findings were harrowing — almost 40 percent will attempt suicide in their lives, roughly nine times the rate of the U.S. population.
The child felt bullied by the church [after transphobic messages from the pulpit], and had a pressing question on the next visit to Dr. Angello’s office: “If God doesn’t even love me, what’s the point?”
And here are a few other important quotes:
[One negative psychological factor] is fear — the idea that even if things aren’t bad now, they could get really bad. [...] Third, there’s the sense that any progress has been reversed, taking with it the hope for a comfortable life free from constant hyper-vigilance.
“These adolescents, they see the political culture,” she said. “It is so hard being anybody in the world right now, but being a child who is different, when society is telling them to be ashamed of themselves, is just so hard.”
[...] in the current political climate [Dr. Angello has] noticed a re-emergence of what she calls the “skeptic parents” who are influenced by hate groups and pseudoscientific gender concepts. These people believe their child needs to be repaired in some way.
She pointed specifically to Jeff Sessions withdrawing the Title IX guidance, which [...] fundamentally broadcasts the message that administrators and teachers do not have to treat trans students with respect.
Some [attempts at legislation] are particularly cruel, as in the Ohio bill that would require teachers, guidance counselors, or health care professionals — under penalty of a fourth-degree felony — to notify parents if their child so much as questioned his or her gender identity. Not only would this law “out” transgender children against their will, but it could also legally deprive them of a sympathetic ear in a time of great struggle. (The bill is currently in committee in the Ohio House.)
“Knowing that there are kids out there who have to keep themselves hidden or the people they trust are legally obliged to tell on them, it’s terrifying,”
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Anti-transgender legislation devastates trans children — even when it fails
9 votes
I'm not sure I understand the interference part. We have low energy and high energy electrons, but only low energy electrons are affected by the magnet? How do the low energy electrons line up with the high energy electrons to interfere with them? Is this anything to do with wave-particle duality and constructive/destructive wave interference?
Thank you for the post, by the way! This is a really interesting topic. :)