Trin's recent activity
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Comment on We are all public figures now in ~tech
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Comment on Daily Tildes discussion - banning for bad-faith/trolling behavior in ~tildes.official
Trin Link ParentActually, you know what. I agree with you 100%. I was still in the 'have to please the user at all costs' mentality that mod group was fostering. However, how do you solve the gossips flying...Actually, you know what. I agree with you 100%. I was still in the 'have to please the user at all costs' mentality that mod group was fostering.
However, how do you solve the gossips flying problem then? We'd have users opening new meta threads, posting in unrelated but popular threads, and once those were done, opening threads on other subreddits and then sending PMs with links to active users on the main sub. I personally believe that a swift enough ban would help with this a lot, but I can't really know.
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Comment on You can now set a (global) default sort/period for topic listings + initial default changed to "activity, last 24 hours" in ~tildes.official
Trin LinkI agree with the person suggesting the default to be 3 days instead of 24 hours. I think there is a lot to be said for keeping old topics alive, and restricting to 24 hours feels very reddit - not...I agree with the person suggesting the default to be 3 days instead of 24 hours. I think there is a lot to be said for keeping old topics alive, and restricting to 24 hours feels very reddit - not that this is bad in itself, but I thought the plan was to move at least slightly away from ephemeral content. I think this is especially relevant currently as some smaller subtildes don't have a lot of content day-to-day.
By the way, we seriously need a search button or the like. I've noticed several identical topics popping up over the course of the past week - for example, https://tildes.net/~talk/1x9/whats_something_youre_passionate_about and https://tildes.net/~talk/1gb/what_are_you_passionate_about.
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Comment on Daily Tildes discussion - banning for bad-faith/trolling behavior in ~tildes.official
Trin Link ParentSorry, I meant the info on bans and why they happened - I agree that the warnings should be private! Yeah, I think our problem was in part that we had a dedicated troll group who were more...Sorry, I meant the info on bans and why they happened - I agree that the warnings should be private!
Yeah, I think our problem was in part that we had a dedicated troll group who were more interested in being contrary than actually participating in the subreddit. They were rude to new users, kept posting 'announcements' that were supposedly shedding a light on how we mods were hypocritical and targeting them in particular (because we were actually being too lenient and subsequently inconsistent with the rules), and just straight up harassed mods. I don't mod there anymore, but it was a very good lesson on why it's better to be strict than lenient when modding an online community.
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Suggestion: a 'my discussions' page (or similar)
So I've been really excited about this page, but lately I keep coming here, glancing at the front page, and then leaving. I think it's in part the minimalist design and the way the colour of the...
So I've been really excited about this page, but lately I keep coming here, glancing at the front page, and then leaving. I think it's in part the minimalist design and the way the colour of the clicked links is very similar to the colour of the unclicked ones, making it unclear at a first glance which threads one has visited already.
Since the pace of debate is moving much slower than on Reddit here (which I think is a good thing), it would be very useful to have some kind of a 'my discussions' page that you could save threads to - either threads you are participating in or just threads you are excited to see the responses to. This would make it much easier for users to return to interesting discussions without having to browse around ~ for ages trying to find that one interesting topic.
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Comment on Daily Tildes discussion - banning for bad-faith/trolling behavior in ~tildes.official
Trin Link ParentI used to mod on reddit and we used this approach, in theory. The problem was that the first two steps were used by trolls to cry about oppression and censorship ('they gave me a warning?? it was...I used to mod on reddit and we used this approach, in theory. The problem was that the first two steps were used by trolls to cry about oppression and censorship ('they gave me a warning?? it was a joke! you fascists!') and as a justification for even more bad behaviour. Then, when they inevitably got banned very shortly after, other trolls in their troll group (who maybe weren't as bad before but were watching from the sidelines) took this as a sign that we actually wanted to ban that user all along because we were biased against them. Didn't matter if you showed them exactly what you banned them for, they would downplay it and complain that the mods were trying to remove users who disagreed with us. It was all bullshit, but it took over the community for a good while, eroded other users' trust in the mods, and was a really hard time for the mod team (which consistent of very friendly and lenient people who were not used to being perceived as fascists all of a sudden).
So honestly, I would go for either a warning and then a permaban, or just a permaban, based on the situation. But I do agree that it all needs to be out in the open.
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Comment on Solving gifs as a preference over videos. in ~tildes
Trin LinkSo I personally never watch videos, because I usually browse the Internet in situations where playing sound is not an option. I think your problem is not something that should be solved on the ~...So I personally never watch videos, because I usually browse the Internet in situations where playing sound is not an option.
I think your problem is not something that should be solved on the ~ side of this. As long as ~ encourages video sharing (with source) and discussion, they have done their job in my book. Other aspects of this problem are better solved by content creators. For example, I have no problem with videos that are subtitled, and they will get my views.
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Comment on What's wrong with fluff? in ~tildes
Trin Link ParentI've noticed this as well. It makes sense - we all have expectations from this site, and it would be really odd for all of us to expect the same things. I honestly don't see anything wrong with...I've noticed this as well. It makes sense - we all have expectations from this site, and it would be really odd for all of us to expect the same things.
I honestly don't see anything wrong with fluff being contained in one subtilde.
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Comment on Constructive critiques - a question on tone in ~creative
Trin (edited )LinkWow, I'm so happy to see my critique resulted in so much discussion! (Also extremely flattered, you guys are making me blush!) I can't overstate how much I agree with the point everyone made about...Wow, I'm so happy to see my critique resulted in so much discussion! (Also extremely flattered, you guys are making me blush!)
I can't overstate how much I agree with the point everyone made about context. The critique I wrote was made under the impression that this is someone creating art because they want to become better at it, not for a school project as it was later revealed - had I known that, my tone would probably have been different, if not the content. I always try to give an honest critique that focuses on positives as well as the negatives, and I don't want to scare anyone away from writing. But as a proofreader/editor, I'm pretty much used to going over a text with a pen and doing whatever it needs to make it shine, thus the disclaimer at the beginning. So for all writers looking for feedback: please, please, include a lot of context. Let me know how experienced you are, what the text is, and how you feel about it. As a writer myself, I know how annoying it is to receive comments on something you already know needs to be improved, and this can be prevented by telling us about it.
It takes a LOT of time and energy to give this sort of feedback. Some people search and pay money for feedback like this, and still can't find someone good enough to give it.
Thank you so much for acknowledging this. I used to do a lot of critiques back when I started on Reddit, but I stopped because I realised so many would-be writers put less effort into their story than I did into my feedback (this is also why the first thing I pointed out in that particular post was the lack of proofreading). Asking people to critique your work for free, while you couldn't even be bothered to run a spellchecker over it, feels almost insulting. It often felt like I spent more time on the feedback than OP did writing the text! The only reason I even wrote this particular critique was because ~ is not Reddit, and the text itself was really short. (By the way, I do edit/proofread/critique longer texts professionally - so if anyone is looking for this kind of thing, feel free to contact me.)
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Comment on Overmoderation? in ~talk
Trin Link ParentI have to agree on this one. I used to be a mod for a niche but fast-growing subreddit on the other site for a while, and big part of the reason why I quit was because we couldn't even stick to...I have to agree on this one. I used to be a mod for a niche but fast-growing subreddit on the other site for a while, and big part of the reason why I quit was because we couldn't even stick to our own rules out of a constant fear that we would be perceived as too strict and overbearing. Whenever I called for actually enforcing our rules, other mods would go 'well but...'. Meanwhile we had trolls running around the sub, spreading some weird conspiracy theories about mods, calling people names, and crying about censorship whenever one of their posts got deleted.
I don't know, maybe I'm too old school, but in every other online community I was a part of (forums, MMO guilds, etc.), if a person couldn't respectfully (not unquestioningly - constructive criticism is fine) participate in a community, they were banned and the community was better for it. Now everyone seems to think this is way too harsh.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~creative
Trin LinkDisclaimer: I do editing/proofreading professionally (not fiction, sadly, even though I'd love to), so this might seem harsh, but I promise you, it's not meant that way. So first of all, when you...Disclaimer: I do editing/proofreading professionally (not fiction, sadly, even though I'd love to), so this might seem harsh, but I promise you, it's not meant that way.
So first of all, when you write short fiction, give it a day or so of rest and come back to it again later. This is to catch possible typos and just having the opportunity to polish it a bit. This text has a lot of mistakes in it for such a short piece of prose, which makes it seem like you don't even care if your audience reads a very rough and unfinished piece of writing.
Second, the text itself spend a lot of time building up this dystopian cityscape, but has some inconsistencies (if the gaps between the monoliths are so narrow a drone flying by will obscure all moonlight, what use is a helicopter?? once the street became all bloody, did all the lights suddenly turn off, because that's what the text is implying? etc.) The plot itself, if you can call it plot, is really vague in comparison, and it honestly comes across as needlessly melodramatic. We know nothing of the fanatic or anything else - there is zero reason for us to be invested in what's going on.
Third, I see what you were going for with the language, but you're overdoing it. Ironically, despite most of this text being descriptive, you're doing a lot of tell and not a whole lot of show. Why is the cloud ominous? Why do we know the man is a fanatic? Why is the society without meaning or purpose? This is all super heavy-handed, on the nose kind of writing. You tell the reader how to feel about and see things, instead of letting them come to this decision themselves.
I did like some of the things:
Monoliths rose from the ground like trees once used to, towering high above the city below, illuminating it with a cold neon, glow.
Cars, streaked in red and blue, blocked the barricaded the roads; people, normally absorbed in their own lives, were held back by officers, as they tried to steal a peek of the disturbance.
If we forget the grammar and other mistakes (seriously, proofread your texts, especially if they're this short) and the weird dip into very casual phrasing ('steal a peek'), these bits give the reader a really good window into the moment of the story. They make the scene seem more dynamic and real.
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Comment on What is the weirdest pet you even saw? in ~talk
Trin LinkA pet mallard (male) walking to the store with his owner. It waited for him outside of the store too.A pet mallard (male) walking to the store with his owner. It waited for him outside of the store too.
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Comment on What is your favourite book and why? in ~books
Trin LinkI don't have a favourite, but my most recommended book is probably Nick Harkaway's The Gone-Away World. It's such an enjoyable read with a really imaginative story and well-crafted characters.I don't have a favourite, but my most recommended book is probably Nick Harkaway's The Gone-Away World. It's such an enjoyable read with a really imaginative story and well-crafted characters.
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Comment on Two of our chickens have died in the last week in ~life.pets
Trin LinkOh no, I'm so sorry to hear that :( My mum used to keep Pekin bantams but she stopped because they too just kept dying. They were lovely pets but they are so accident prone. With ours, a mink got...Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that :( My mum used to keep Pekin bantams but she stopped because they too just kept dying. They were lovely pets but they are so accident prone. With ours, a mink got two of them, one chick drowned in a bucket, another got stuck in a hedge and strangled itself, one was snached by a bird of prey, and finally a broody hen died because she would sit on her eggs all day and refused to eat or drink. I'm honestly not surprised it was too much for my mum.
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Comment on Anyone else here into yarn craft? in ~hobbies
Trin Link ParentI did, but it's honestly just way too hot! But I love knitting during winter anyway - when it's cold outside and/or the weather is bad, I am cosy inside, watching TV and knitting.I did, but it's honestly just way too hot! But I love knitting during winter anyway - when it's cold outside and/or the weather is bad, I am cosy inside, watching TV and knitting.
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Comment on I was Jordan Peterson’s strongest supporter. Now I think he’s dangerous in ~humanities
Trin Link ParentI had to look this up. It sounds insane, honestly. Even if you somehow accept the absolutely ridiculous idea that academics yearn for classical Marxism (... why??? it's especially not applicable...I had to look this up. It sounds insane, honestly. Even if you somehow accept the absolutely ridiculous idea that academics yearn for classical Marxism (... why??? it's especially not applicable for academics), our average academic is way too busy with so many work-related things to bother indoctrinating students into some kind of wacko cult. Academics, especially in humanities, are overworked and underpaid; people are always shocked to hear how little people with PhDs earn. Plus, the idea that this is a multinational coordinated effort is ridiculous to anyone who's ever tried to organise anything involving academics.
What you have there is a guy who is salty that his personal values are not aligned with the direction in which the world is moving, confusing soft sciences with opinions. He's a middle aged white guy in a tenured position at a good university, something a lot of younger academics can only dream of, and he feels like because he is smart in some ways, he obviously is smart in every way (I vaguely remember an article about this fallacy). The thing is, his rules for life are not even bad ones - I checked them out and they are pretty much what I aspire to follow. It's just that he can't give advice without also broadcasting his (irrelevant and outdated) opinions.
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Comment on Pets! in ~talk
Trin Link ParentWow, these photos are great! Mr. Debs is sooo cute, and he has a pig buddy as well?! You are one lucky dog owner :)Wow, these photos are great! Mr. Debs is sooo cute, and he has a pig buddy as well?! You are one lucky dog owner :)
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Comment on Suggestion: distinguishing users in ~tildes
Trin Link ParentI think there are quite a lot of options between a cult of egos and having plaintext usernames that don't really stand out from the rest of the text though!I think there are quite a lot of options between a cult of egos and having plaintext usernames that don't really stand out from the rest of the text though!
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Comment on Are there any scientists on Tildes? in ~science
Trin LinkI'm a PhD student in digital humanities. Not sure if 'proper' scientist but let me have this :DI'm a PhD student in digital humanities. Not sure if 'proper' scientist but let me have this :D
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Comment on Are there any scientists on Tildes? in ~science
Trin Link ParentOh god, this is so true. I'm stealing this to tell the next person who makes googly eyes at me for being a PhD student.Oh god, this is so true. I'm stealing this to tell the next person who makes googly eyes at me for being a PhD student.
His wording was polite, but he was pretty rude by acting like an authority when he isn't, and in a conversation with an actual authority, no less. And after she called him out (not rudely, either - her first post was really tame), he acted indignant and was very much like 'I just wanted a discussion omg'. Even his later tweets about not wanting any part of it were dodgy, he goes to a lot of trouble to absolve himself of any wrongdoing with a very 'I would never' tone but that's pretty much it. Maybe it's just me, but being reasonable and not wanting trouble usually manifests a bit differently.
And it's 'spun' as gg2 because there is a woman who was shat on by keyboard warriors and fired from her job (along with a male coworker who basically just said that women indeed get way more condescending/mansplaining comments than he and other guys do) because she called people out for mansplaining on her personal twitter account.