TonesTones's recent activity
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - Future in ~books
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Comment on Online visual art communities without AI? in ~creative
TonesTones Link ParentAwesome! Thanks so much for the feed; I’m a bit fan of the chronological feed. I may check this out myself!Awesome! Thanks so much for the feed; I’m a bit fan of the chronological feed. I may check this out myself!
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Comment on A college girl was exploited on camera. A network of anonymous men got to work. in ~tech
TonesTones Link ParentI cannot speak for Australia, but while that’s true in principal for the United States, I’m speaking from a pragmatic standpoint. Considering the barriers of time and money involved in actually...I cannot speak for Australia, but while that’s true in principal for the United States, I’m speaking from a pragmatic standpoint.
Considering the barriers of time and money involved in actually suing someone, there’s quite a bit of “might makes right” here, where might is money. If it’s a criminal prosecution, which this situation might turn into given the active police investigation, then the federal, state, or county district attorney will take that on. But for civil court, that cost is typically borne by the victim of an alleged wrong.
Sometimes, that cost is too high to justify suing (since you only get the legal fees back if you win, and only sometimes). So, things like class action lawsuits exist to justify civil lawsuits when there’s a little harm being done to a large group of people.
Is there any way to facilitate suing a “network” of individuals that all helped orchestrate this campaign? Who would defend them? How would you determine who’s part of the network? These are all interesting questions to me.
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Comment on A college girl was exploited on camera. A network of anonymous men got to work. in ~tech
TonesTones LinkDisgusting and abhorrent. I could barely even finish the article. Though, there was something interesting from a legal perspective. While the family is trying to seek out the original poster of...Disgusting and abhorrent. I could barely even finish the article.
Though, there was something interesting from a legal perspective. While the family is trying to seek out the original poster of the images, it’s clear the damage is being inflicted by a network of people instead of just a couple individuals. This severely neuters the effectiveness of the traditional legal system.
There were also multiple accusations at hand, making it hard to focus. Should the family go after the men who had sex with a clearly intoxicated woman? Whoever shot the video? The people who’d shared it in private group chats? Or the burner accounts who made Kowalski’s humiliation a national news story? Real harm had been done to Kowalski, and her family, but identifying who was most culpable was nearly impossible.
It’s pretty interesting to try and brainstorm possible solutions to this issue. Typically, when there’s a network of bad actors (like at a company doing fraud), the blame falls on a few high-level, high-responsibility actors. That approach doesn’t work when the network is so decentralized, like in a case like this.
Could scholars brainstorm a way to distribute culpability, restitution, and punitive punishment easily across a network? Can this be done digitally in a privacy-protecting way? If possible, could such a framework be used to hold complicit actors accountable even when they aren’t the leader of one of these operations? These are all questions I’ve never thought about.
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Comment on Online visual art communities without AI? in ~creative
TonesTones Link ParentThank you! I saw Cara from searching online but it’s good to get an endorsement here.Thank you! I saw Cara from searching online but it’s good to get an endorsement here.
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Online visual art communities without AI?
Hi Tildeans, I am not an artist, but I know artists who are searching for online spaces where they can post / share / engage with artwork without the AI generated art being ever-present. I’m...
Hi Tildeans,
I am not an artist, but I know artists who are searching for online spaces where they can post / share / engage with artwork without the AI generated art being ever-present.
I’m wondering if anyone on Tildes is aware of platforms in the small web that are trying to accomplish this? I’m specifically looking for smaller platforms, since I think Tildes does a good job creating an online community where it feels like I’m engaging with real people. I appreciate anyone who has any suggestions!
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Comment on Be careful about what you want (gifted link) in ~life
TonesTones LinkIt’s hard for me to buy into this. The question that the author doesn’t really answer is: What takes priority when the altruistic desires are at odds with the egotistical desires? The author...Sad to say, my altruistic desires alone are not powerful enough to drive me through the hard labor required to do anything of note. If I’m going to get through the arduous work of, say, writing a book, I need to put my egotistic desires at the service of my loftier desires.
It’s hard for me to buy into this. The question that the author doesn’t really answer is: What takes priority when the altruistic desires are at odds with the egotistical desires?
The author frames his perspective through the lens of politics. Politicians have a pretty standard conflict of interest: what’s best for their constituents in the long-term and what’s best for re-election. The standard issue of political corruption comes from politicians consistently choosing to maintain their power (selfish interest) instead of sacrificing that power to actually do good (selfless interest).
In other words, if I’m going to be really driven, I need to harness both selfless and selfish motivations. I don’t scorn mixed motives; I live by them. I think a lot of us live this way.
I don’t really care about measuring drive. It appears to me that as long as those selfish interests are prioritized over the selfless ones, there’s a significant risk of more harm being done than good.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club discussion - August 2026 - Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki in ~books
TonesTones Link ParentI really appreciated how the story acknowledges those topics, and the real hardships that the protagonist has been through, but doesn’t let the past events dominate the story. Katrina does show...I really appreciated how the story acknowledges those topics, and the real hardships that the protagonist has been through, but doesn’t let the past events dominate the story. Katrina does show symptoms of her trauma, and that evoked sadness and shock for me. Still, she shows strength by not dwelling on that trauma as she moves forward. It’s a healthy relationship to have with a difficult past.
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Comment on EU packaging regulations land another blow to an already precarious tabletop industry in ~games.tabletop
TonesTones LinkI don’t think this policy is that poorly thought out? Seems like people agree that universal packaging is beneficial for everyone involved. Naturally, countries also want to retain their right to...I don’t think this policy is that poorly thought out? Seems like people agree that universal packaging is beneficial for everyone involved. Naturally, countries also want to retain their right to have their own laws around importing goods.
Therefore, this law puts the standard forward and establishes it. Then, while there’s initial pullback from vendors, that pullback will incentivize countries to make their individual requirements quite close to the EUs. There’s economic pressure without being forceful. If there are legitimate reasons for countries to impose more stringent requirements, they still can.
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Comment on How to find a new calling in life? in ~life
TonesTones Link ParentIn my experience, how important the people vs. task of a job depends on the person. I’m fully on board with your perspective, where the people are far more important than the job (and it...I'm in the minority on this opinion
In my experience, how important the people vs. task of a job depends on the person. I’m fully on board with your perspective, where the people are far more important than the job (and it definitely applies to my life).
However, I’ve also met people that seem like could work anywhere so long as they were doing what they loved. That being said, those people usually know what they love pretty quickly.
For @Sheep,
it still all feels very nebulous, like nothing fully clicks.
The less you feel confident about the “what”, the more I’d advise focusing on the “who”. So I’m going to underscore that advice.
If you take that approach, the next step can really suck. You have to talk to people. There’s no world in which you find the people you click with by online research or independent study or anything else.
Every career counseling book I’ve read gets around at some point to the “informational interview” or the “conversation”. For someone with anxiety around meeting new people, it’s so hard, but I haven’t found an alternative. Go talk to software engineers or robotics engineers about their workday. You might need to reach out coldly to people on social media. Find conferences you can attend (once you are a student, they often start to be more budget-friendly). Use your existing network of people to find friends-of-friends.
You can also just go back to school to try and meet people, but (for you) the success of that approach depends strongly on whether your program caters to adult students or not. I think the intentional approach would be more fruitful.
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Comment on What theme do you use with Tildes? in ~tildes
TonesTones Link ParentLove light for me as well, but because I am a huge fan of purple! My phone background is black-and-white and I use Apple’s icon customization to make all my apps transparent with a purple tint as...Love light for me as well, but because I am a huge fan of purple! My phone background is black-and-white and I use Apple’s icon customization to make all my apps transparent with a purple tint as well. It makes Tildes feel like a continuation of my home screen.
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Comment on Jet Lag Season 19: Japanorama | Trailer in ~hobbies
TonesTones (edited )Link ParentFeels like Tom and Adam are dialed into being quite competitive this season. I prefer watching Ben and Sam, at least right now. This show is at its best when it’s a mix of appreciating the...Feels like Tom and Adam are dialed into being quite competitive this season. I prefer watching Ben and Sam, at least right now. This show is at its best when it’s a mix of appreciating the experiences and engaging with the game. I guess the race does change the dynamics, though.
Edit with Spoilers
Oh no, I just got to the Medical Production Pause! That’s tragic; I feel quite bad that Tom was pushing himself so. I’m hoping that their adventures are a bit more relaxed here on out, for their sake! -
Comment on <deleted topic> in ~food
TonesTones Link ParentI want to say that “misalignment means there exists an optimal strategy that isn’t aligned with the underlying goals of the system”. I think what you’re describing (exploitation of mechanics...I want to say that “misalignment means there exists an optimal strategy that isn’t aligned with the underlying goals of the system”. I think what you’re describing (exploitation of mechanics providing negligible advantage) I would consider an aligned system. I think we’re debating semantics? Please correct me if I’m misunderstanding.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~food
TonesTones Link ParentIs it not? Incentives are a nasty beast. In any power structure that exists today (politics, business, academia), there’s a tradeoff between ‘playing the game’ and sticking to values....It’s not a natural law that allows sociopaths to win
Is it not? Incentives are a nasty beast.
In any power structure that exists today (politics, business, academia), there’s a tradeoff between ‘playing the game’ and sticking to values. Intentionally or not, people place themselves along the spectrum of “How much am I willing to sacrifice my morals/values/intrinsic motivators to get extrinsic rewards like money?”. This happens on a tiny scale, like lying on a resume or cheating in school to land a well-paying job, to committing widespread fraud or exploitation as a leader.
Sociopaths, generally, are some of the most willing to do anything for extrinsic rewards. We’d expect those with fewer obstacles to maximizing success to do so.
In a system that has any misalignment between the reward system and the intended behaviors that get rewarded, one can expect that those most willing to ‘play the game’ will get furthest ahead. Some systems are more aligned than others, and some (finance) often have little to no intrinsic motivators. It’s genuinely quite difficult to build systems with good alignment (though they exist! I think of libraries and mutual aid groups). Power corrupts.
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Comment on Honey gets terminated as lawsuits proceed in ~tech
TonesTones Link ParentI apologize, I was pulling information from an ad that I had gotten for it without reading the fine print. It’s 3% on the Apple Card with Apple Pay for select merchants; 2% everywhere else. Which...I apologize, I was pulling information from an ad that I had gotten for it without reading the fine print. It’s 3% on the Apple Card with Apple Pay for select merchants; 2% everywhere else. Which is pretty typical, like you say.
Thank you for the correction.
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Comment on Honey gets terminated as lawsuits proceed in ~tech
TonesTones (edited )Link ParentI hate cash back for this reason and wish it was regulated in the US like it is in the EU (or specifically, payment processing fees being regulated). In my frustration, I was completely wrong. I...I hate cash back for this reason and wish it was regulated in the US like it is in the EU (or specifically, payment processing fees being regulated).
Apple Pay now has 3% cash back on all purchases, which surely comes from increased processing fees (along with controlling the processing mechanism). Eventually, other cards will need to compete and raise their fees accordingly to provide consumers with that 3%.In my frustration, I was completely wrong. I stand by the rest of my comment.The costs are always passed on to consumers, and typically all consumers, not just the ones using reward CCs. Business have no means to negotiate (turning away specifically customers using XY and Z cards?) and consumers have no incentive to negotiate. So these programs are just an inflation accelerant with no actual value add to the economy.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
TonesTones Link ParentI’ll validate that reaction. For me, it was a fun book to read without thinking too much. I think many Sanderson fans, like D&D players, enjoy the story for the world and the big, flashy moments....In modern terms, I felt like I was reading something written by LLM, with lots of D&D session transcripts in the training set.
I’ll validate that reaction. For me, it was a fun book to read without thinking too much. I think many Sanderson fans, like D&D players, enjoy the story for the world and the big, flashy moments. The prose and storytelling nuance isn’t the pull.
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Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative
TonesTones Link ParentThat’s super fun! It adds quite a bit of character. I must admit I cracked up when I clicked on the photos and realized there was also an intentional hole in the overalls (justifying the...That’s super fun! It adds quite a bit of character.
I must admit I cracked up when I clicked on the photos and realized there was also an intentional hole in the overalls (justifying the clarification in the first sentence). Thanks for posting!
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
TonesTones Link ParentWas this your experience of all the books? I really enjoyed The Way of Kings, struggled through the second, and never finished the third. I haven’t read any part of the fourth. I’m wondering if...It might have been one of the worst reading experiences I have ever had. The prose was horrible, the pacing was horrible, none of the characters nor the world was interesting. It's like I was reading a description of an average D&D session but over 3000 pages.
Was this your experience of all the books? I really enjoyed The Way of Kings, struggled through the second, and never finished the third. I haven’t read any part of the fourth. I’m wondering if your experience was similar or if you just didn’t click with it at all.
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Comment on Offpunk manifesto in ~humanities
TonesTones Link ParentI absolutely agree. In discussions of technology, the devil is in the details. Building healthy relationships with technology can be quite rewarding, and there are lots of tools to do that. The...I absolutely agree. In discussions of technology, the devil is in the details. Building healthy relationships with technology can be quite rewarding, and there are lots of tools to do that. The Big Tech companies end up facilitating (intentionally or not, dependinding on your perspective) unhealthy relationships with technology, but many communities, developers, and builders find ways to improve those relationships. Tildes wouldn’t exist without tech.
Though, I still appreciate this manifesto. I think it’s useful. One of the benefits of the various “punk” subcultures is that, by rejecting some set of societal norms, they can help everyone else be more critical of pieces of their life that are taken for granted.
I will say that the book club motivated me to get back into reading. Now, I have drifted away from reading the book club books into a long backlog that I personally have.
That being said, I feel positively about hosting for a year. Mostly since I likely wouldn’t have started reading again without this club, and now I have. Based on other sentiment here, I would lean towards a less frequent cadence of novels, since I only finish the official book every other month or so. But that’s really up to the club as a whole.