TransFemmeWarmachine's recent activity
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Comment on How's everyone doing? in ~talk
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Comment on peopleWatching S03E01 - "Almost..." in ~tv
TransFemmeWarmachine LinkI'm just going to slightly pile on here, People Watching is a pretty amazing series. My wife got me turned onto it a long while back, and it's absolutely a rich, deep, exploration of contemporary...I'm just going to slightly pile on here, People Watching is a pretty amazing series. My wife got me turned onto it a long while back, and it's absolutely a rich, deep, exploration of contemporary life and feelings. Seriously, add it to your watch list if you need a decent feel good show!
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Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (March 2026) in ~health.mental
TransFemmeWarmachine LinkPoor. My existence has always felt Kafka-esque, but it's felt worse than usual. My city was(is?) being occupied by a Gestapo. At bare minimum, it's been a negative drag on everyone's mental...Poor. My existence has always felt Kafka-esque, but it's felt worse than usual.
My city was(is?) being occupied by a Gestapo. At bare minimum, it's been a negative drag on everyone's mental health, but it's absolutely terrifying to experience. I keep counting my lucky stars that no one knocked on my door, and that no one that I know got taken, but there's just such a sense of looming doom here. Medicare dollars are also now being held up for my state, probably to be released after another series of lawsuits.
Speaking of Healthcare, I've been rationing medications since October, when I lost my job at an awful medium sized nonprofit. My Welbutrin was the first to run out, so I just went cold turkey on it. No side effects at least. I found out on Friday that my health care doesn't kick in until May 1st. I should have just enough remaining in my other 4 meds to make it to then, but honestly, I haven't started counting what I've got left for pills. Additionally, I need to go to a doctor for an ENT thing that's causing some discomfort, but it'll have to wait 2 months I guess.
The American attacks on Iran have sat with me all weekend. I'm terrified at the prospect of the conflict snowballing, but also I find myself grieving for the people of Iran.
I made an effort to go to Church on Sunday specifically because of the war in Iran, and I wanted to find some solace. Usually, my church is pretty good about addressing the ills of the present. Unfortunately, the sermon was a guest rector who had some prewritten sermon. Specifically, it was for women's history month, outlining the genderless nature of God, and highlighting Biblical women - all of things I support in liturgy, mind you, but it didn't meet the moment of having a rapist president deploying war machines on populaces following his campaign of sending the Gestapo to my city. Anyways, the hymn that followed was titled "God the Father" or something, and I found myself skipping coffee hour.
My best friend had trauma bubble up last week, and she started having really bad flashbacks. I ended up taking care of her two nights last week. I'm expecting to need to do more for her this week. I'm in a delicate balance between keeping my mental health together, and doing my best for a dear friend.
I also find myself at the mercy of a banking system. My wife and I pay the mortgage out of our joint account, and sending my pay from my personal account to the joint account apparently needs to take 4 days and potentially mean my mortgage doesn't get get drafted out of autopay correctly. This could easily be rectified if say, I was able to modify autopay agreements when I'm waiting for funds to transfer, but that seems beyond the abilities of the modern banking system. Or at the very least, I'd love it if I didn't find my savings nibbled away at by student loans and medical debt.
So yeah, Fascism is here, and my coping strategy has been to self medicate with cannabis.
I have a decent life. I have own house, an amazing partner, great friends, and a fulfilling career. In so many ways, I find myself blessed, privileged and fortunate. However, I am frequently find myself doing my damnedest to not be crushed by the unreasonableness of this world. There is an insidious, dark venom that has seeped into the world, poisoning reality. I don't see it leaving anytime soon, and if it does, it will likely be some gradual unwinding that never actually corrects the ills that were dumped onto my generation.
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Comment on California’s new bill requires Department of Justice-approved 3D printers that report on themselves in ~hobbies
TransFemmeWarmachine Link ParentIn this political era, I'm a little hesitant to rule out incompetence, but it being an example of Hanlon's Razor honestly wouldn't surprise me. I've said this elsewhere, but until we acknowledge...In this political era, I'm a little hesitant to rule out incompetence, but it being an example of Hanlon's Razor honestly wouldn't surprise me.
I've said this elsewhere, but until we acknowledge the rest of the issues immediately surrounding gun violence in America, we're not really tackling the problem. I say that as a Leftist who's very pro 2nd Amendment.
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Comment on California’s new bill requires Department of Justice-approved 3D printers that report on themselves in ~hobbies
TransFemmeWarmachine Link ParentMy theory is that this bill will be designed to do just this. It will be impossible to actually enforce, so it will selectively be applied where useful to the law enforcement. Want to search that...Otherwise it just gets used to selectively persecute people you don't like.
My theory is that this bill will be designed to do just this. It will be impossible to actually enforce, so it will selectively be applied where useful to the law enforcement.
Want to search that house but don't have a reason? Having "Person having 3D Printer means you can get a free warrant" is another tool in the box to skirt that pesky 4th Amendment.
Hopefully the bill will be dead on Arrival, or sued into oblivion, but it's still an ominous trend in my opinion.
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Comment on California’s new bill requires Department of Justice-approved 3D printers that report on themselves in ~hobbies
TransFemmeWarmachine Link ParentTo avoid dancing around the issue more than I already have, I'm just going to say it. This bill stinks of Something. I could come up with at least a dozen theories as to why the California...To avoid dancing around the issue more than I already have, I'm just going to say it. This bill stinks of Something.
I could come up with at least a dozen theories as to why the California Democrats think this is legislation is worth bringing, but essentially they all boil down to incompetence, political theater, or some sort of ulterior motive.
I don't know who this bill is for, but it's absolutely not in the interests of the people of California.
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Comment on California’s new bill requires Department of Justice-approved 3D printers that report on themselves in ~hobbies
TransFemmeWarmachine Link ParentI think the major takeaway here is how quickly the idea of "3D printers reporting themselves" falls apart under almost any scrutiny. From the scant statistics that are out there, it's pretty minor...I think the major takeaway here is how quickly the idea of "3D printers reporting themselves" falls apart under almost any scrutiny.
How big of a problem are ghost guns ACTUALLY... ?
From the scant statistics that are out there, it's pretty minor in terms of crimes committed with a firearm. There's been a lot more seized 3d printed guns as of late, but given the accessibility of firearms in the US, it's kind of a moot point. There's absolutely an argument to be made about how one could say... flood the zone with cheap and accessible firearms, or could arm a militia with them, but that's beyond the point.
So it's a minuscule problem that could absolutely become a bigger one, if say... political violence and instability becomes more widespread.
Politically, [this is a left wing movement that is currently in opposition to a right wing administration frequently criticized for authoritarian tendencies]
I mean, yeah. I think the California Democrats are putting forth legislation that assumes that the Federal Government will act lawfully and without overreach. I agree that legislation that increases surveillance in an environment where there are concerns about increased surveillance is, at minimum, contradictory to the political messaging of the California Democrats.
It's pretty strange to see this legislation be put forward at this moment. I could see an argument that "this is for when things go back to normal" being made. Or there could be some sort of theory of harm reduction being important regardless of political climate, but it's a pretty tone deaf argument to this moment, not even getting into the variety of other issues.
How is it that not a single person seems to have explained to any of these people how 3D Printing or CNC works?
I agree, this legislation seems to entirely misunderstand how a 3D printer works on a variety of different levels.
I don't want to suggest that the bill was put forward deliberately misunderstanding 3d printers, or that the politicians who created this bill are incompetent. Unfortunately, I find myself struggling to make an argument otherwise.
How do they expect to even enforce this when people can literally source their own parts to create 3D Printers from scratch?
Again, agreed. I would assume that the Bill would essentially make 'non-reporting' 3D printers illegal in California. Presumably, "California Legal" 3D printers would have to have a component that can send logs of 3D printed components to the government via wifi. (I'm not even going to pretend that a 3D printer could be given a component to know it's printing gun parts.)
Even with that though, people can still assemble 3D printers of their own volition, and I'm sure that it would just mean that people would find a way to prevent monitoring, if they were actually doing anything nefarious.
Additional Thoughts
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This sort of legislature is so blatantly unconstitutional under the 2nd, and 4th Amendments, and almost certainly the Commerce Clause as well. I genuinely only seeing it getting immediately voided by the Supreme Court, outside of any political shenanigans.
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I also think there's a risk of the Streisand Effect coming into play here. Seriously, most people don't use 3D printers, and those who do aren't mass producing firearms. As of now "3D printed gun" is more of a punchline than an actual threat. I actually think there is a much bigger risk of people realizing how easy it is to make 3D printed weapons and wanting to try it themselves.
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I think there's a separate issue here about 3D printing high capacity magazines, and then using them with a legal weapon.
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Is this just some sort of industry ploy to make 3D printing less accessible / attractive, forcing people to buy non 3D printed goods? It's a really dumb conspiracy theory, so I don't want to get too into it, but yeah.
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Comment on Fix your hearts or die: The path to liberation for lonely men is feminism in ~life
TransFemmeWarmachine Link ParentI don't feel like you're acknowledging my point. My point is, there is a specific subset of men who have already embraced American Fascism, and articles like this are arguing as if that isn't the...I don't feel like you're acknowledging my point. My point is, there is a specific subset of men who have already embraced American Fascism, and articles like this are arguing as if that isn't the case.
Specifically, to me, this feels like an article for 2016, or 2023 at the latest. We're so far beyond the issue of male loneliness in our society, and pieces like this do not reflect the current reality we live in. Personally, I'd say we have transcended from an epidemic of male loneliness, to a situation where white nationalists are recruiting white men, and liberal institutions are struggling to meet the needs of anyone.
That is my issue with the piece, that it isn't ready to address and rectify the issue of Men's Loneliness with the myriad of issues surrounding it. Specifically, that Men's Loneliness is an exploitable commodity to grifters and right wing agitators.
We see what happens in MN when the populace refuses to deny their neighbors' personhood and buy into bullshit.
On a personal level, I live in Minnesota. I think that protests here aren't quite relevant to this discussion. While we absolutely are standing up to protect our neighbor's rights, there is a significant and nuanced history behind it. As a Minnesotan, there's a lot to be said about how the anti-ICE protests here can be seen as a continuation of / successor to the George Floyd Protests, or how there's a long history of leftist activism AND racism in the Twin Cities that continues to be reckoned with. Regardless of that, please slow your roll with assuming that Minneapolis was some sort of victory. Getting ICE to "draw down" was a lengthy and costly victory at best. Our current understanding is that ICE has begun targeting rural and suburban communities away from the Metro area. That's not even getting into the psychological and economic wounds that was left in my community.
Don't get me wrong, I am extraordinarily proud of people here for resisting, but it was not easy. Ultimately, we resisted because it was the right thing to do, regardless of the gender politics of the 21st century. While I would be tickled pink to find that Minnesota's model of gender politics is so egalitarian that it uniquely allowed us to resist, I think that is an extraordinary claim that is beyond the scope of this conversation.
I also agree that Racism and Xenophobia are an immediate and omnipresent component of Sexism. However, there is an unfortunate truth that Xenophobia and Racism can just as freely exist in Feminist spaces. I really, truly cannot empathize enough that the issue of Men's loneliness cannot solely be fixed via having them embrace Feminism.
But maybe I'm wrong. If I am I think it just confirms though that there's probably not a way for people like me to convey the message.
I think you are correct. Not everyone is the best messenger for every issue or perspective. The unfortunate answer is that Male Loneliness is a Complicated, Economic, and Social Problem that stems from a century of poor public policy and messaging. I appreciate you considering your role and perspective in the messaging, and I'd encourage you to not be disheartened.
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Comment on What are your architectural hot takes? in ~design
TransFemmeWarmachine LinkFrank LLoyd Wright was the death of American Architecture. His buildings are defined by cheap, flimsy materials and overly stylized nonsense, rather than creating enduring spaces that people like...Frank LLoyd Wright was the death of American Architecture.
His buildings are defined by cheap, flimsy materials and overly stylized nonsense, rather than creating enduring spaces that people like to be in.
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Comment on Fix your hearts or die: The path to liberation for lonely men is feminism in ~life
TransFemmeWarmachine LinkI think this article falls immediately into a series of neoliberal fallacies. Specifically, it misunderstands the patriarchy in purely social, not economic terms, in addition to not reflecting on...I think this article falls immediately into a series of neoliberal fallacies. Specifically, it misunderstands the patriarchy in purely social, not economic terms, in addition to not reflecting on broader societal trends as a whole, and assuming an 'end of history' viewpoint. To that extent, its another worthless think piece that provides a dangerous and self congratulatory misunderstanding of a deep-rooted issue.
On a surface level, I fundamentally agree that adhering to a dogma of egalitarian and feminist philosophies is absolutely something that betters the lives and outcomes of men. However, given the economic environment that the modern person lives in, it's just not realistic to assume that these ideas will magically make everything better.
In my experience, the issue of male loneliness is rooted in the shifting social and economic roles for men, in addition to broad spectrum economic and social shifts.
- Economically, real wages have been down for decades. Courtship (and making new friends) requires at least some form disposable income and time commitment. With less disposable income and time, people can't afford to forge new relationships.
- Third Spaces are also in shorter supply. Between the Pandemic, and the 2007 recession, there are just fewer cheap places that young adults can exist in. Where are people supposed to meet people?
- Online spaces are increasingly dominated by influencers and bots, making it harder for people to meet online.
- Shifts in social dynamics, especially post Me-To lead people to avoid intimate relationships with people they work with. Previously, work and school was a common place people met their partners at. Between jobs being harder to get, people working from home, and an overzealous commitment to "safe working environment" has decreased people's accessibility for meeting other people in employment and school.
In this environment of drought, grifters and snake oil salesmen have built an entire industry on isolated men. The Manosphere is essentially a large scale grift engine built to farm off the desperation of men who have been economically and socially left behind in the digital revolution. They are sold a lie about Feminism ruining western culture, in order to get them to buy supplements and vote for right candidates.
Feminism by itself will not solve the problems of our day and age, because it simply isn't designed to. Feminism is designed to facilitate a more egalitarian world where men and women are treated equally. This is a wonderful thing, but fundamentally it can leave men and women to 'equally' suffer under hardship. The patriarchy is a tool of capital, and this article cannot be bothered to address that.
Additionally, this article is inherently problematic by assuming a sweeping, uninformed, universalist revision of gender dynamics. The article's feminist understanding casts women as victims pre-20th century feminism. This is entirely an uninformed position, for a variety of reasons. Culturally, and historically, there have been a wide array of gender dynamics, with Victorian gender dynamics being assumed to have been a cultural default. (i.e. the patriarchal structure 20th century feminism railed against.)
Most disturbingly, "Fix your Heart or Die" is uncomfortably on the nose when dealing with the uncomfortable pivot towards fascism in the United States. As Umberto Eco observes in Ur-Fascism, a cult of death is inherently part of a Fascist's belief structure. We seem to be getting to the point where people are queuing up to die for 'traditional values.'
The Manosphere has already made their decision: "Harden your heart and die." If we want to win hearts and minds, we'll have to try better than this.
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Comment on Living wage calculator in ~finance
TransFemmeWarmachine Link ParentFor Central Minnesota, I think that this tool is unrealistic. My area is known for it's low cost of living, and I think that this tool doesn't quite reflect that. At bare minimum, the wage...do you think their numbers for expenses are realistic for where you live?
For Central Minnesota, I think that this tool is unrealistic. My area is known for it's low cost of living, and I think that this tool doesn't quite reflect that.
At bare minimum, the wage calculations really aren't useful at all. The city minimum wage in Minneapolis and St. Paul is both ~16 USD /hour, well above the federal and state minimum wage. Since its sorted by county, technically these wouldn't apply to areas outside of city limits, but there is a significant spillover effect.
Additionally, housing and transport costs seem inflated. I think that there's a big difference between the luxury and non-luxury housing here, and it skews the mean pretty hard. For transportation, it really depends on if someone has a car payment. Since the metro has fairly reliable public transit, someone's transportation costs could be as low as 1k yearly for an unlimited transit pass.
Don't get me wrong, there's absolutely an affordability crisis, but in my experience, it's due to lack of opportunity and underemployment. There's definitely been an increased cost of living in my region, but the real issue is that wages haven't kept up, and jobs are hard to find. Maybe I'm just more privileged than most, and my experience is one of a DINK, so take my perspective with a grain of salt.
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Comment on What is your 'Subway Take'? in ~talk
TransFemmeWarmachine LinkContemporary Gun violence in America is actually caused by a series of messy cultural factors, rather than gun access itself. Specifically: The aggressive dehumanization that festers in suburban...Contemporary Gun violence in America is actually caused by a series of messy cultural factors, rather than gun access itself.
Specifically:
- The aggressive dehumanization that festers in suburban America, due to the spread out nature culling human interaction. i.e. there might be far more tragedies prevented in areas where people feel safe talking about mental health.
- Lack of meaningful community, mostly due to capitalism.
- Lack of meaningful discussion of emotions and trauma in our society. Especially in relation to anger.
- Looming existential threats our political systems want to address.
- Lack of funding for mental health / health resources.
- Exploitative expectations from contemporary culture.
- Universal cultures of exploitation, greed and despair.
- Societal unwillingness to ever facilitate accountability.
- Societies attempts at facilitating accountability being co-opted into smear campaigns and witch hunts.
- Lack of access to pharmaceuticals / mental healthcare.
- Lack of opportunity for the average human being.
Don't get me wrong, guns are certainly part of the problem, but I see a fundamental unwillingness to confront the full picture.
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Comment on What is your 'Subway Take'? in ~talk
TransFemmeWarmachine Link ParentThat's a really hot take, but I love it. I feel like there's definitely a happy medium, but as we live in a world where everything must drive value, and it forces maximum advertising for extra...That's a really hot take, but I love it.
I feel like there's definitely a happy medium, but as we live in a world where everything must drive value, and it forces maximum advertising for extra revenue, I'd happily exist in a world without ads.
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Comment on As Bari Weiss arrives at CBS News, staffers hold their breath for what comes next in ~tv
TransFemmeWarmachine Link ParentI'd disagree. I think a certain amount of nihilism has sunk in, in our culture. In a business sense, I don't think that there are immediate major consequences for embracing pushover centrist...I'd put it in an even simpler way. "Both sides suck" is true, but if someone is using that as an excuse instead of an indictment, then they don't actually think both sides suck.
I'd disagree. I think a certain amount of nihilism has sunk in, in our culture. In a business sense, I don't think that there are immediate major consequences for embracing pushover centrist policies. Presently, one can opine 'both sides can suck,' and then can still turn out a profit without believing it being to be true or false.
Thus, it doesn't matter what people actually think. Everyone has the sense that the two party system doesn't serve their needs, but the oligarchical powers that be work to keep that framework. The system is breaking down, and any attempts to rationalize just sanewashes the collapse.
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Comment on Will an AI actress really become ‘the next Scarlett Johansson’? in ~movies
TransFemmeWarmachine LinkI feel crazy that I need to even say this, but I am sincerely hoping we don't see AI actors becoming mainstream in film productions. I think that there are some inherent innate human desires that...I feel crazy that I need to even say this, but I am sincerely hoping we don't see AI actors becoming mainstream in film productions.
I think that there are some inherent innate human desires that will cause pushback on this. Under a framework of Feminist Aesthetics, I think the human desire for a modicum of reality in mimesis is stronger than AI companies realize. In any other era, this would be super cynical, but I think most people are unable to fully detach the parasocial feelings that come with any public figure, especially movie stars. There are entire industries dedicated to feed off of celebrity parasocial relationships. I think that the entire concept that makes a "a famous actress/actor" needs the additional feelings that exist off of the silver screen. It's what adds interest and intrigue to them. Quite humanly, I don't think that can't exist for a famous celebrity. Even if it's as minor as "oh, I liked them in film XYZ, so I'm going to see them in ABC," there's a human element there. This isn't even getting into tabloids, celebrity culture (i.e. online fan groups for actresses), caring about the opinions that they post online, conventions, signed photos, etc. etc.
I think that ultimately, people want their celebrities to be someone they could theoretically interact with in the real world. I think that human beings are too inherently wired for this to accept an AI generated replacement.
But also, one can weigh the economic 'weight' of a certain star appearing in a movie. Given that movies take time and effort to shoot, there's a certain 'quantity' of an actor/actress that can exist in movie releases for a set time. Not everyone is Nicholas Cage in the 2000s. The limited quantity drives up value.
Then there's the issue of a character who's a digital model, that can/will almost immediately be used in the most depraved content imaginable. I don't think any company would want their actor or actress participating in certain types of content. Not only is there the risk of brand damage, but also the secondary immediate issue of a character being shown in content so horrifying it becomes associated with the character. (I am just imagining the potential Streisand Effect of a Snuff Film, staring Tilly Norwood as both victim(s) and perpetrator(s))
I think there's a risk for commercials and other minor unimportant acting to be done with AI, and that's definitely another messed up thing to add to the pile, but I don't think the fame of celebrity can be achieved with AI.
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Comment on I tried to protect my kids from the internet. Here’s what happened. in ~tech
TransFemmeWarmachine LinkEvery time I see an article like this, I feel like it's in complete denial of the fact that minors actively will find ways to circumvent things, and that no solution is, or could be, perfect. In...Every time I see an article like this, I feel like it's in complete denial of the fact that minors actively will find ways to circumvent things, and that no solution is, or could be, perfect. In contemporary times, children routinely have had access to plenty of NSFW material and social media online for the last 20 years, if not the last 30. What I see here is another fearful, controlling parent seeking to preemptively police their child.
I think the reality is, static pornography and social media are certainly not an excessive threat to children. Or, at the very least, not as threatening as Dr. Twenge feels. I think that anyone born since roughly 1995 has statistically had the ability to view these materials, and the vast majority of people who consumed these materials has not been negatively affected to a substantial amount.
I think the taboo nature of pornographic material, motivates unnecessary levels of concern from parents. In the past, these materials were simply obtained/consumed through other means. Adult content is still available on news racks across the country, and was more readily available in the past. It used to be common that it was 'found in the woods' or was lifted from an older family member. Since the advent of the availability of mass printed media, pornographic material is has always been far more commonly available than any parent wants to consider.
I will concede that there are arguments to be made about how specific media can create the wrong ideas of how the world works for young people. However, there's an entire slew of topics related to the birds and the bees that probably need to be explained to children that aren't, and issues often arise from society leaving young people to simply search out adult material to learn it themselves.
Simultaneously, "pornographic" is often thrown around to denigrate transgender and other queer people. I don't trust that parental controls aren't going to be immediately used to closet and restrict access to media that could help trans kids learn to understand themselves.
Additionally, while I do think that social media is an awful, dangerous thing to our society, I also think that social media is uniquely incorrectly framed when discussing children. Genuinely, I can't determine if the author has an issue with social media, or with the ability to send images via digital device. These are fundamentally two separate issues, and the author would rather fume about the matter, than elaborate.
Is SnapChat social media? Yes, for some people, but it's also an app where people can send messages back and forth. The entire 'self deleting' aspect is just an automatic version of manually erasing conversation messages via SMS. While I can see the issue private messaging raises, it's still disingenuous to lump children having age inappropriate conversations via encrypted messaging in with participating in online social media.
While having social media is absolutely a thing parents should restrict for their children, one really shouldn't expect to their kids to naturally understand why it's being restricted. Simply blocking the content leads to efforts to circumvent it.
Another time, I noticed Instagram had appeared on the list of allowed websites. I blocked it again and asked my daughter about this mysterious development. She eventually admitted that she’d sneaked into my home office, pulled up the Qustodio website and changed the control settings.
I feel like the author, a person with a doctorate, is embarrassed that their child figured out how to 'hack' the parental controls. I digress.
Finally, children are regularly groomed on roblox, which is explicitly for kids. Most CSA cases involve a trusted family member / adult. Most child abductions are custodial.
I think that there's a lot more to be said about what's dangerous for kids online. Elsagate comes to mind, as does AI slop created for a child audience, or mobile games that kids can spend money on. However, these are fundamentally different issues than the ones the author brings up.
Unfortunately, the fact is, while some online content is really dangerous for kids, it's probably more the fact that it exists at all, rather than specific, controllable aspects of the web. Maybe parents should just not let their children have unfettered access to devices until it's age appropriate? Or just log what they consume, and be ready to discuss some really, really uncomfortable things.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech
TransFemmeWarmachine LinkThere's a lot I appreciate about this article, but I think it's ignoring multiple elephants in the room. Because of that, I can't say that it's much other than a valiant overview of the social...There's a lot I appreciate about this article, but I think it's ignoring multiple elephants in the room. Because of that, I can't say that it's much other than a valiant overview of the social media sphere as is, with a desperate plea for a future that certainly not come.
In particular, I think it avoided discussing the management decisions of social media companies. It conveniently skips going into details of why Social Media is in this state, i.e. decisions made with the intent to increase ad revenue via user engagement. We really shouldn't ignore that, as it absolves the companies by offering that this change was an inevitable outcome.
Additionally, while I do think that government regulation could potentially fix this problem, realistically this won't happen. With the venerable ages of lawmakers, an aggressive and active lobbying sector, and the ability to conduct psy-ops on users, democratic states are fighting an uphill battle to reign in these companies. People today are lonely, isolated, and frequently terrified of interacting with strangers. I don't think the answer will come from a combined sociological and technological solution. I don't think new web protocols or more transparency can fix this, and the general masses of users are not organized or collected enough to really make an effort to change.Video Essay Examples
Personally, I think that inevitably the ad revenue will dry up in the face of a looming economic downturn, and climate change disasters will force new paradigms, given the issues with the electrical grid.
Sometimes I think that going back creating a mailing list for a zine is the actual best solution. But more realistically, I think that communities like Tildes can exist and thrive without the need for the grandeur of the Web 2.0 Gold rush. After all, online social media essentially developed by rushing to build vast centralized online communities while slowly crowding out smaller, more individual forums. In one sense, no one asked for this, as much as money was poured in to build these spaces and the original platforms were quite novel and enjoyable. I don't think there was even a realization of changes until years after the fact, despite it essentially just being a new epoch, if not a second Eternal September. Heck, it took until 2022 to coin the term enshittification.
My point is, I don't think we can build our way out of this. I think realistically we're in a mania before the come down. I think that inevitable changes in the outside world will be more consequential than any coordinated effort trying to fix a broken system. I think that we might just need to focus on our individual efforts to connect with our local communities, and the people in it. While I wish there was some coordinated, organized response that could be done, I don't think one can emerge the way that the author imagines.
The last days of social media might be the first days of something more human: a web that remembers why we came online in the first place — not to be harvested but to be heard, not to go viral but to find our people, not to scroll but to connect. We built these systems, and we can certainly build better ones. The question is whether we will do this or whether we will continue to drown.
After all, we can only take responsibility for our own actions and behaviors. It's a hard lesson to learn.
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Comment on What are some “sore thumb” lyrics for you? in ~music
TransFemmeWarmachine LinkFlorence + the Machine - "South London Forever" from "High As Hope" I love of Florence + the Machine in general, and her lyrics are usually super moving and emotional. But then there's this...Florence + the Machine - "South London Forever" from "High As Hope"
I love of Florence + the Machine in general, and her lyrics are usually super moving and emotional. But then there's this singularly bizarrely unpoignant line in the middle of "South London Forever"
And we're just children wanting children of our own
I want a space to watch things grow
But did I dream too big? Do I have to let it go?
And what if one day there is no such thing as snow?
Oh God, what do I know?While it matches the theme of the song and album, I've just always felt like the line clashes so much with the rest of the song. It also forms a weird slant rhyme with 'own,' and it brings me out of the song really hard.
I am just baffled that they couldn't find a better line to replace it. You could even remove it from the song and it would flow just the same. It feels like a first draft remnant that they didn't replace.
I really appreciate this topic, it's been something that I've thought about on every road trip where I've played the album!
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Trapped in an AI spiral
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Comment on The vast majority ~90% of us only consume, never post and never comment. So come on in, leave a tildes-worthy comment, and join the 10% my dear lurker in ~talk
TransFemmeWarmachine LinkI think you're coming at this from a poor reference point. The article you've referenced is originally from 2006, barely into the heyday of Web 2.0, and long before the existing 'place' that is...I think you're coming at this from a poor reference point. The article you've referenced is originally from 2006, barely into the heyday of Web 2.0, and long before the existing 'place' that is the modern web environment. Jakob Nielsen might be an accomplished Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 guru, but the ideas he caters to are a relic of a previous era, long before the wide spread of social media in the late 2010s, and LLMs in the early 2020s.
But even with Tildes working to create some of the online community and simplicity of earlier web generations, I don't think this material is applicable. In all honesty, I don't trust the source that you cite here to apply to Tildes for multiple reasons. For one:
- Tildes is an invite only community
- The content on Tildes has a fairly broad spectrum appeal, i.e. a significant amount of the content here isn't for everyone. (For example, I as a non-dog owner don't feel the need to comment on a post about dog walking I saw on the feed today.)
- The people invited to Tildes are often coming from platforms that have experienced platform decay, often caused by drives for more 'user engagement.'
- Tildes encourages users to post quality posts and comments, not quantity - the metric described in the source.
- This is not commenting on hard data of the posting / habits of Tildes users. While Tildes may reflect this breakdown, it also might not. I don't think that data is publicly available, and I'm not sure I'd want it to be.
We shouldn't feel the need to comment or post more, we should comment on things that we feel comfortable giving quality comments to. Sometimes, there's a lot we can speak on. Other times, it's better to sit back and watch quality debates happen as lurkers.
In the end though, it's up to the individual user to decide their participation level. It's ultimately a personal question.
Honestly? Not Great. I've been sick since last week, and it's really dragging me down.
I think I'm going to leave it at that. Being ill has really cast a shadow over the last week for me.
Seriously, stay healthy y'all! Whatever strain I got was absolutely nasty.