NaraVara's recent activity
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Comment on Bluesky melts down over Jesse Singal in ~tech
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Comment on Bluesky melts down over Jesse Singal in ~tech
NaraVara Link ParentThis is just a basic bit of internet hygiene I think people need to have. Don’t rely on the platform to tell you what to read/watch! Follow people you like and listen to them. If you don’t see...This is just a basic bit of internet hygiene I think people need to have. Don’t rely on the platform to tell you what to read/watch! Follow people you like and listen to them. If you don’t see anything worth reading then go touch grass instead of refreshing.
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Comment on Bluesky melts down over Jesse Singal in ~tech
NaraVara (edited )Link ParentOldhead shibboleths like that are fine IMO. I figured it was a meme or inside joke sort of thing I was out of the loop on and was fairly confident that if it signified something important a...Oldhead shibboleths like that are fine IMO. I figured it was a meme or inside joke sort of thing I was out of the loop on and was fairly confident that if it signified something important a certain contingent of people would never shut up about it and I’d find out that way.
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Comment on Bluesky melts down over Jesse Singal in ~tech
NaraVara Link ParentUnfortunately BlueSky doesn’t actually have any way to find moderation lists. As far as I know the only way is to get linked to them. One secondary moderation service is Skywatch Blue which has a...Unfortunately BlueSky doesn’t actually have any way to find moderation lists. As far as I know the only way is to get linked to them.
One secondary moderation service is
Skywatch Blue which has a bunch of lists you can subscribe to and opt to either hide or block the ones on it.I follow a couple of other one off ones too but I don’t think they’re actively being maintained.
Gender Trolls -
Comment on Bluesky melts down over Jesse Singal in ~tech
NaraVara Link ParentThose are Tumblr, Reddit, and (pre-Elon) Twitter people more than Facebook people I think. All of those platforms took measures to excise them from the communities and, in most cases, it’s been an...Those are Tumblr, Reddit, and (pre-Elon) Twitter people more than Facebook people I think. All of those platforms took measures to excise them from the communities and, in most cases, it’s been an improvement as long as they didn’t go Nazi in the process.
I briefly delved into the Fediverse platforms that ended up as landing zones for them and every time I peek in the scene seems to be getting more unhinged, more divorced from any sort of tangible reality, with darker and more nihilistic and violent rhetoric.
That said there actually aren’t THAT many of them they just post a lot on everything all day. Simply subscribing to a community managed moderation list, like Skywatch Blue/Anti-ALF Aktion, scrubs almost all of that nonsense off your feed and the way blocks on BlueSky work it means those accounts functionally don’t exist for you unless someone you follow is engaging with them.
I have it supplemented with a couple of lists I maintain called whinge mongers, and angry anime avatars (you can probably guess who goes in each) and I’ve barely needed to touch them after the first couple of weeks of adding accounts. As I said, there really aren’t that many of these people and they all network with each other to coordinate dogpiles so even if the odd one isn’t in your net they can’t get critical mass of users to come after you because, being blocked, they will never see any of your content to get mad or attack you over.
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Comment on Bluesky melts down over Jesse Singal in ~tech
NaraVara Link ParentI’m subscribed to a couple of moderation lists and I see almost none of this. The decentralized moderation tools work very well if people are willing to use them, and I think it’s a better system...I’m subscribed to a couple of moderation lists and I see almost none of this. The decentralized moderation tools work very well if people are willing to use them, and I think it’s a better system for managing an open protocol than requiring super active moderation at the administrator level.
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Comment on White House in a bind as soybean sales to China plummet to zero in ~society
NaraVara Link ParentGetting rid of Trump might help, but nobody has any faith that America won’t renege on its promises 4 or 8 years later. It’s basically impossible to trust us as a good faith negotiating partner...Getting rid of Trump might help, but nobody has any faith that America won’t renege on its promises 4 or 8 years later. It’s basically impossible to trust us as a good faith negotiating partner even if we happen to be enjoying a bout of lucidity at the moment. Nobody knows when we’ll revert to Mr. Hyde.
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Comment on White House in a bind as soybean sales to China plummet to zero in ~society
NaraVara Link ParentShe raises a good point, after a year of other countries developing capacity to pick up the slack China will have no reason to buy back from us. It’s not like Brazil will stop undercutting us if...She raises a good point, after a year of other countries developing capacity to pick up the slack China will have no reason to buy back from us. It’s not like Brazil will stop undercutting us if things go back to normal. And why on Earth would China, or anyone really, trust us as a good faith trading partner again?
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Comment on US President Donald Trump’s National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 labels common beliefs as terrorism “indicators” in ~society
NaraVara Link ParentWe were there the moment Congress stuck its head in the sand as DOGE illegally impounded Congressionally appropriated funds and unilaterally dissolved federal agencies and the Supreme Court made...We were there the moment Congress stuck its head in the sand as DOGE illegally impounded Congressionally appropriated funds and unilaterally dissolved federal agencies and the Supreme Court made shadow docket decisions declaring the President immune to legal constraints, but only this specific President not to be extended as precedent to any other presidents.
Whatever thing we had is dead. We’re not fixing the republic anymore we’re rebuilding one. It’s not going away with just this administration, even if they allow it to peacefully transition.
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Comment on US President Donald Trump’s National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 labels common beliefs as terrorism “indicators” in ~society
NaraVara Link ParentI’ve basically stopped humoring or entertaining these people as seriously worth engaging with. Contrary to what Ezra Klein says we do not have to learn to “live with each other.” We CAN, in fact,...I’ve basically stopped humoring or entertaining these people as seriously worth engaging with. Contrary to what Ezra Klein says we do not have to learn to “live with each other.” We CAN, in fact, just shun them until they’re able to stop being overtly aggressive and hateful. And we can and should simply shove them in a locker when they’re refuse to get along. So I don’t associate with them anymore. I don’t patronize their businesses, I don’t hire contractors who give a whiff of being with them, I don’t exchange pleasantries with them socially or at work. They do all this out of desperation for validation of their noxious worldview and I will never let them have it.
The question recurs, what will satisfy them? Simply this: We must not only let them alone, but we must somehow, convince them that we do let them alone. This, we know by experience, is no easy task. We have been so trying to convince them from the very beginning of our organization, but with no success. In all our platforms and speeches we have constantly protested our purpose to let them alone; but this has had no tendency to convince them. Alike unavailing to convince them, is the fact that they have never detected a man of us in any attempt to disturb them.
These natural, and apparently adequate means all failing, what will convince them? This, and this only: cease to call slavery wrong, and join them in calling it right. And this must be done thoroughly - done in acts as well as in words. Silence will not be tolerated - we must place ourselves avowedly with them. Senator Douglas' new sedition law must be enacted and enforced, suppressing all declarations that slavery is wrong, whether made in politics, in presses, in pulpits, or in private. We must arrest and return their fugitive slaves with greedy pleasure. We must pull down our Free State constitutions. The whole atmosphere must be disinfected from all taint of opposition to slavery, before they will cease to believe that all their troubles proceed from us.
I am quite aware they do not state their case precisely in this way. Most of them would probably say to us, "Let us alone, do nothing to us, and say what you please about slavery." But we do let them alone - have never disturbed them - so that, after all, it is what we say, which dissatisfies them. They will continue to accuse us of doing, until we cease saying.
~ Abraham Lincoln, Cooper Union address 1860 -
Comment on Marvel’s Wolverine | Gameplay trailer in ~games
NaraVara Link ParentYeah here’s what I know about the gameplay from this trailer: 1.) There is fighting 2.) Game will be gory Okay? I was mostly curious as to whether it was going to be open worldy or hub worldy or...Yeah here’s what I know about the gameplay from this trailer:
1.) There is fighting
2.) Game will be goryOkay? I was mostly curious as to whether it was going to be open worldy or hub worldy or more sequences of levels and set-pieces like “Uncharted.” But there’s no detail on what kind of game it is.
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Comment on The video-game industry has a problem: there are too many games (gifted link) in ~games
NaraVara Link ParentI had an app a while ago I can no longer find called “Gemini” and it’s main thing was it just used some ML to identify photos in your photo library that are good candidates for deletion. It just...I had an app a while ago I can no longer find called “Gemini” and it’s main thing was it just used some ML to identify photos in your photo library that are good candidates for deletion. It just goes through and gave you a Tinder like interface to keep or lose photos that were either very similar to other photos you have or where one or more people on them are making a derpy face.
I feel like we need more anti-fomo tools like this. You don’t NEED to keep everything. We don’t need stuff staying in our wishlists from 7 years ago that we realistically will never play. Just let some AI show up to declutter.
Apple can reliably identify pictures from the past that will make me cry, they need to do the opposite too and identify pictures I don’t care about and will never care about.
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Comment on Looking forward to Apple Container/Containerization tool in macOS 26, an alternative to Docker in ~comp
NaraVara Link ParentThis is what I’m naming my new coding bootcamp where all the instructors are OnlyFans models.This is what I’m naming my new coding bootcamp where all the instructors are OnlyFans models.
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Comment on Disney decides it hasn’t angered people enough, announces Disney+ price hikes in ~tv
NaraVara Link ParentI’m not speaking in favor of against an ideal here really. I’m speaking more anthropologically to point out that I think we’ve just shifted over to being a much lower trust society where people...I’m not speaking in favor of against an ideal here really. I’m speaking more anthropologically to point out that I think we’ve just shifted over to being a much lower trust society where people genuinely don’t feel any obligation to support or maintain these kinds of collective norms. I think that suggests people no longer see these norms as being part of a collective project they are bought into.
Even what you point out about it being classless is another example of this. Being classy is a matter of social norms and customs and people really just don’t give a shit anymore. And it’s not just the internet, it’s society in general. I’m generally a norms and institutions defender but I genuinely have a hard time convincing anyone to care or wanting to care myself about these big monopolistic slop factories. I can barely convince people to care about aspects of shared society I value.
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Comment on Disney decides it hasn’t angered people enough, announces Disney+ price hikes in ~tv
NaraVara (edited )Link ParentYeah they’ll try to value it but honestly I don’t think they really can. There’s too much that’s just up to vibes over the long term. Like losing the Disney+ subscriptions by themselves are...Yeah they’ll try to value it but honestly I don’t think they really can. There’s too much that’s just up to vibes over the long term. Like losing the Disney+ subscriptions by themselves are probably not a huge deal, but I think what actually spooks them is eroding the brand affinity. Disney’s whole business model is based on building love for its characters and brands through its movies and shows and then using that affinity to sell merch and park vacations which deepen affinity for the movies and such that encourage people to watch more and try to pass on the loyalty to their kids. . .
If the sorts of rich parents with disposable income no longer feel like showing their kids whatever Mickey Mouse show on Disney+ and have them watch Daniel Tiger instead, then that’s a generation’s worth of money being spent on non-Disney vacations, buying non-Disney toys, etc. just because the kids don’t care about meeting Mickey Mouse as much. It can have a deep impact on the company’s bottom line over the long term.
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Comment on Disney decides it hasn’t angered people enough, announces Disney+ price hikes in ~tv
NaraVara Link ParentI’ve only seen the first season and liked it, but haven’t had the chance to catch up. Figuring out what happened to the Empire based on the scant clues you pick up from the Foundation folks was...I’ve only seen the first season and liked it, but haven’t had the chance to catch up. Figuring out what happened to the Empire based on the scant clues you pick up from the Foundation folks was always more interesting to me than anything happening in the Foundation itself. It’s almost a shame they’ve tied the books to the show because it sounds like they went in a sufficiently different direction with it that they might as well not bother having to shoehorn Hari Seldon or anything else but the concept of “Psychohistory” to make it work.
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Comment on My take on Apple's Liquid Glass in ~tech
NaraVara Link ParentAs long as you only ever interact with iTunes as a music player for playing a library tracks on your device that’s true. But they sort of throw everything from downloaded tracks from the streaming...As long as you only ever interact with iTunes as a music player for playing a library tracks on your device that’s true. But they sort of throw everything from downloaded tracks from the streaming service to iTunes Match tracks from other devices that are synced through the cloud to albums being directly streamed off of Apple Music all into the same UI in a way that is extremely confusing. It’s basically impossible to keep track of where the music playing off your device right now lives, which consequently makes it really hard to manage a personal library of music files if you also stream or use iTunes Match at all.
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Comment on Disney decides it hasn’t angered people enough, announces Disney+ price hikes in ~tv
NaraVara (edited )Link ParentNo it’s a community consisting of lots of independent entities of various kinds that occupy various niches in a broader unit/industry, not unlike the many variegated lifeforms and non-living...No it’s a community consisting of lots of independent entities of various kinds that occupy various niches in a broader unit/industry, not unlike the many variegated lifeforms and non-living processes that create an ecology. It’s not designed with any design intention, as a system would be, it emerges organically (I hope I don’t have to specify that this doesn’t mean everything in it is from a family of carbon-based molecules) through different independent agents trying to get fed (by which I mean ‘get paid,’ another metaphor since companies and legal entities don’t have to digest food).
It detracts from discussions and understanding of actual ecosystems, and I absolutely despise the use of it as a marketing term.
I don’t know if it’s worth getting this worked up over a metaphor, especially since, as far as metaphors go, this is a fairly obvious and straightforward one. If I wanted to get equally nitpicky I might dispute your use of the term “marketing” in the context of a discussion that has nothing to do with the corporate function known as “marketing” since we aren’t publicizing a good or service for sale or trying to create demand to drive purchasing behavior. But it’d be pointless since it’s pretty obvious that you’re just reaching for a pejorative term that vaguely gestures in the direction of “business and corporate stuff with the implication of it being disingenuous and phony” and I can interpret that intended usage just fine.
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Comment on Disney decides it hasn’t angered people enough, announces Disney+ price hikes in ~tv
NaraVara Link ParentYou can probably guess. It’s the whole world if associated businesses that operate around it. Law firms that negotiate contracts, rights holders and production companies that raise money, actors...You can probably guess. It’s the whole world if associated businesses that operate around it. Law firms that negotiate contracts, rights holders and production companies that raise money, actors and other creatives that produce the media, craft services and all of the other various services.
Like I can’t tell if you’re being facetious because the metaphor seems extremely obvious to me.
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Comment on Disney decides it hasn’t angered people enough, announces Disney+ price hikes in ~tv
NaraVara Link ParentAs some who has priced some of these things it is fairly arbitrary when you’re dealing with managing risks of black swan type events like this. You need historic reference points to actually have...As some who has priced some of these things it is fairly arbitrary when you’re dealing with managing risks of black swan type events like this. You need historic reference points to actually have data. Trying to model things in a context full of sui generis events is mostly vibes.
Also these sorts of pricing and strategy decisions are mostly being made by corporate strategists, MBAs, and accounting types. There’s not that much data science/modeling going on like you’d see in dedicated data practices. That Target anecdote is impressive (I actually wrote a case study on it when I was a management consultant), but when you dig into it it’s pretty intuitive. They have a pharmacy, they can see if you’ve stopped ordering birth control, they can see when you’re ordering pregnancy tests, they can identify that you’re shopping for baby and maternity things. It’s not a huge leap to know you have a very high chance of being pregnant or getting pregnant soon.
Jay is female FYI.