eggpl4nt's recent activity
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Comment on Hey, monthly mystery commenters, what's up with the hit-and-runs? in ~tildes
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Comment on Hey, monthly mystery commenters, what's up with the hit-and-runs? in ~tildes
eggpl4nt Link ParentTo me, yes. Another user sent me a link explaining how the comment tags work. "Joke" scales ratings by 50%. "Noise" collapses comments and makes them the last in the list of comments. I didn't...- Exemplary
Is that the implication?
To me, yes. Another user sent me a link explaining how the comment tags work. "Joke" scales ratings by 50%. "Noise" collapses comments and makes them the last in the list of comments. I didn't know that labeling something a joke would scale down the rating by 50%, I think that's kind of sad. I feel bad now because I remember using the joke label on a comment that I found funny, thinking it was a friendly way to acknowledge the person was telling a joke. The fact that labeling something a joke actually decreases its value as a comment, implies that jokes are not encouraged, they are literally scored lower than serious comments by the website's own design. This means that serious comments are intended to be "worth" more on this website. As a result, users who want their comments to "matter" better not tell jokes. I find this very strange honestly, if I was part of a real life discussion group that thought humor and jokes were less "worthy" of being said than serious statements, I would no longer be interested in participating. I think humor is an important part of life.
Knowing these comment tag rules now, I feel like I understand why I probably get more fatigued browsing Tildes threads than other social media—there's no breaks. Due to the sorting nature of the joke and noise tags, I am more likely to see a long list of serious comments before I get to a "break" of some joke or "noise." There's no room to breathe, in a sense.
Again, if this is how Tildes users like it, then by all means keep it this way. I am just pointing out how I see this idea that Tildes is "reddit, but with just super long, serious commenting" comes to be, since it was implied by @JCPhoenix that there might be a desire to "fix" that perception.
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Comment on Hey, monthly mystery commenters, what's up with the hit-and-runs? in ~tildes
eggpl4nt Link ParentI'm actually surprised that Tildes doesn't want that perception, because it's definitely the "expected vibe" I've gotten from here. It's likely part of the reason I don't visit here much, I get...It looks like reddit, but with just super long, serious commenting.
Hmm. Maybe we do need to fix that perception.
I'm actually surprised that Tildes doesn't want that perception, because it's definitely the "expected vibe" I've gotten from here. It's likely part of the reason I don't visit here much, I get tired of the "novella posts". I kind of wrote about this in this comment from a while ago. If I want to be honest, most of the time, I just find myself repeatedly scrolling past many looong comments, uninterested in reading any of them, until I realize what I'm doing and then go browse another social media (or if the stars are aligned just right, I put down my phone and actually do work).
And I know some people might dismiss me, thinking "well, you've just got a short attention span," I don't think that's it — I am fully capable of reading long news articles, blogs, books, and even long Tumblr and (formerly) Reddit posts, because they are engaging for me to read, I suppose. (Unfortunately, that seems to suggest that most of the long comments I read here are not engaging for me. I don't know if this is true for others, but hey, I'm not saying there needs to be a change, especially if the active users like the content I'm not interested in. It just depends on what Tildes wants to be. Not everyone is going to find the same content engaging and that's okay. I'm not demanding Tildes change for me.)
One other reason I think Tildes might have this image, is it seems it is actually enforced in the UI? For example, pete_the_paper_boat's silly “Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick?” is collapsed, even though it had more upvotes than some non-collapsed comments in this particular comment thread. I can only assume that is because Tildes users marked it as "joke" or maybe "noise", which then auto-collapses it? The implication then, to a user (at least to me), is "jokes and silly small statements aren't encouraged here." This furthers the perception that Tildes is for "super long, serious commenting."
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Comment on Hey, monthly mystery commenters, what's up with the hit-and-runs? in ~tildes
eggpl4nt Link ParentYeah, I didn't realize that was a thing here, so when I replied to someone on an older thread and saw that "bump" happen I got a lil' spooked. Not like what I was saying was "bad" or anything,...However, I am very reluctant to do that on Tildes because the whole thread gets bumped and everyone sees it on their front page again.
Yeah, I didn't realize that was a thing here, so when I replied to someone on an older thread and saw that "bump" happen I got a lil' spooked. Not like what I was saying was "bad" or anything, it's just more like talking with one person in-depth and then suddenly realizing other people around are also now paying attention to you, I get a little self conscious like "okay what I was saying wasn't that important, I was just wanting to share with one other person." Overall, I know it's not a big deal, but it likely still has some impact on my hesitation to reply.
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Comment on Venting doesn't reduce anger, but doing calming activities does, study finds in ~science
eggpl4nt LinkThis is interesting and makes sense to me. Like others have mentioned, venting can cause one to "relive" the experience they are venting about. The anger that comes with venting, usually expressed...It's really a battle because angry people want to vent, but our research shows that any good feeling we get from venting actually reinforces aggression.
This is interesting and makes sense to me. Like others have mentioned, venting can cause one to "relive" the experience they are venting about. The anger that comes with venting, usually expressed in the form of yelling/shouting/loud talking/etc. might feel good when combined with the act of someone listening to the person venting, and then maybe the mind links the aggressive behaviors displayed during the vent session as "good."
This is good to keep in mind. I tend to want to vent, though I try to avoid it because I kind of figured it wasn't healthy anyway (mainly because of the fact another person is having to be subjected to venting). It also seems like the issue is rumination that can occur with venting, as opposed to reflection (which is healthy). I wonder, does writing about the situation in a personal journal count as "venting"? Or is that a calming activity?
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Comment on Hey, monthly mystery commenters, what's up with the hit-and-runs? in ~tildes
eggpl4nt Link ParentThat's hilarious. I enjoy HN comments. Though I haven't looked at my HN feed for years at this point, so I don't know if the commenter culture has changed since then, but I always found the...Dan is a good moderator, but HN comments on any remotely contentious issue wind up dimethylmercury toxic despite that.
That's hilarious. I enjoy HN comments. Though I haven't looked at my HN feed for years at this point, so I don't know if the commenter culture has changed since then, but I always found the discussions interesting. I don't know if I just haven't stumbled upon these "toxic" topics or if I am actually an unaware toxic demon and comment toxicity feeds my soul. 😈
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Comment on Hey, monthly mystery commenters, what's up with the hit-and-runs? in ~tildes
eggpl4nt Link ParentYoooooo. I feel you. Let's lower the bar together, comrade. lolYoooooo. I feel you. Let's lower the bar together, comrade. 🫡 lol
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Comment on Idaho needs doctors: But many don't want to come in ~health
eggpl4nt LinkI'm absolutely not surprised that doctors are refusing to work in Idaho based on how much the state's laws choose to disrespect women's rights to bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom. 85% of...I'm absolutely not surprised that doctors are refusing to work in Idaho based on how much the state's laws choose to disrespect women's rights to bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom. 85% of OBGYNs are women. Why does Idaho think female doctors, women, want to live and work in a state that disrespects them so much?
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Comment on Mundane Musings Monday in ~talk
eggpl4nt Link ParentOne clever tip I've seen recently is to add before:2023 to a Google search. It'll get rid of a lot of AI generated SEO junk. Of course, SEO garbage has been around longer than 2023, but it'll help...And yes, Google search is largely ruined at this point. Quotation marks don't work, boolean operators neither. The only thing that marginally still works is "thing you are looking for site:reddit.com". But most of the results are still SEO garbage.
One clever tip I've seen recently is to add
before:2023to a Google search. It'll get rid of a lot of AI generated SEO junk. Of course, SEO garbage has been around longer than 2023, but it'll help some. -
Comment on American politics is undergoing a racial realignment – Democrats are rapidly losing non-white voters as the forces that ensured their support weaken in ~misc
eggpl4nt Link ParentAll races have women... Women make up half of the population, half of all races. This is the point of intersectional feminism. A Hispanic woman is a Hispanic woman; one cannot remove the woman...All races have women... Women make up half of the population, half of all races. This is the point of intersectional feminism. A Hispanic woman is a Hispanic woman; one cannot remove the woman from her and only focus on the Hispanic, and likewise one cannot remove the Hispanic from her and only focus on the woman. Race and sex are intertwined, people are multifaceted in their identities. I think that choosing to ignore sex when discussing race is going to cause blindspots in political analysis.
The state I commented on was:
the underlying "whites only" attitude of the republicans is probably why they haven't been sweeping the elections for the past 20 years.
Because I disagree with this one-sided analysis of why Republicans don't sweep elections. It's more than just racism. It's not just "whites only." The Republican party's sexism matters, because women matter. I think the Republican party's blatant sexism does increasingly impact their chances with every new generation of woman voters.
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Comment on American politics is undergoing a racial realignment – Democrats are rapidly losing non-white voters as the forces that ensured their support weaken in ~misc
eggpl4nt Link ParentPlease don't forget "men only." It seems like Tildes skews heavily male and as such women's issues are sometimes forgotten. Republicans are a "white men" party. Hence why the slogan "make America...Oddly, the underlying "whites only" attitude of the republicans is probably why they haven't been sweeping the elections for the past 20 years.
Please don't forget "men only." It seems like Tildes skews heavily male and as such women's issues are sometimes forgotten. Republicans are a "white men" party. Hence why the slogan "make America great again" is nonsensical to many. Great again for who, exactly?
As long as Republicans continue to deny women their right to bodily autonomy, by denying abortions and birth control and even starting to attack no-fault marriage now apparently, they are losing a huge chunk of voters—women.
So not only does the Republican party need to stop being so racist, they also need to stop being so sexist.
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Comment on NEXT Life Sciences announces successful clinical evaluation of the delivery method for Plan A contraception for men in ~life.men
eggpl4nt LinkFor those who don't know, Plan A used to be known as Vasalgel, which is a long-term non-hormonal male birth control method. I've been following it for years. It's been used in India, where it's...For those who don't know, Plan A used to be known as Vasalgel, which is a long-term non-hormonal male birth control method. I've been following it for years. It's been used in India, where it's known as RISUG. It works mechanically by blocking sperm, and this contraceptive treatment lasts around seven or so years. It is also reversible earlier, if desired. I really look forward to continued progress in this contraceptive method. I've been following Vasalgel since before they did trials in rabbits and monkeys. I am really excited that it's finally going through human trials.
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NEXT Life Sciences announces successful clinical evaluation of the delivery method for Plan A contraception for men
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Comment on Why do so many mental illnesses overlap? A concept called the “p factor” attempts to explain why psychiatric disorders cannot be clearly separated in ~health.mental
eggpl4nt Link ParentWoah, that sounds really cool. How would I learn more about this?Woah, that sounds really cool. How would I learn more about this?
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Comment on Notes on conciseness in ~life
eggpl4nt (edited )Link ParentAgreed. Sometimes I start reading a long post or comment, and I keep reading... and reading... and reading... until I finally wonder "What is your point?" It's usually buried under mountains of...However, it feels that many folks who write long-form do so without putting in the ever increasing editorial effort to make it of high quality. [...] Sometimes a long comment just feels like a steamroller of text, and gets in the way of communicating ideas. Not every thought needs full elaboration.
Agreed. Sometimes I start reading a long post or comment, and I keep reading... and reading... and reading... until I finally wonder "What is your point?" It's usually buried under mountains of fluffy text and I have to expend effort piecing it together. And a few times after reading something long, I look through the whole text multiple times, confused and wondering "Was there even a point at all..? What did I just read?" (Luckily this has been a rare occurrence, though surprising to experience nonetheless.)
I recently read On Writing Well and conciseness is something the author emphasized early on in his book. He talked about how when he goes over his student's papers, he would put brackets around unnecessary sentences and words. A majority of their first drafts would have unnecessary filler. The students clung on to their precious words and "elegant" (self-indulgent) sentences for as long as possible, in the beginning of the class. Eventually, the students started being concise and intentional with their text, taking care with each word. In the end, they were appreciative of the teacher's scrutiny. Being concise is a useful skill, people don't want their time wasted.
It's like asking oneself "am I saying something or am I just talking?"
"Long" doesn't mean "good." Heh.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of March 4 in ~news
eggpl4nt Link ParentThe so-called "most progressive president ever" still doesn't support women having a right to their own bodily autonomy. The bar is in hell.The so-called "most progressive president ever" still doesn't support women having a right to their own bodily autonomy. The bar is in hell.
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Comment on One in four school-starters in England and Wales not toilet-trained, say teachers in ~life
eggpl4nt Link ParentI used to draw a lot digitally, for many years. When I switched to drawing traditionally, I remember doing a brush stroke wrong and thinking "Ctrl Z," haha.I used to draw a lot digitally, for many years. When I switched to drawing traditionally, I remember doing a brush stroke wrong and thinking "Ctrl Z," haha.
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Comment on Notes on conciseness in ~life
eggpl4nt LinkAh, this is what I have been looking for, informal logic. That is what I have been wanting to read and learn more about. Do you have any favorite books on informal logic? I understand this notion...I bought my first book of informal logic 25 years ago.
Ah, this is what I have been looking for, informal logic. That is what I have been wanting to read and learn more about. Do you have any favorite books on informal logic?
If a man named George says “I enjoy strawberry ice cream the most”, a reasonable person would take it as a harmless preference. In online discussions, however, the same phrase might lead to an implication that butter pecan ice cream is inherently immoral.
I understand this notion and it is frustrating. I feel like we live in a time where society interacts with each other in a state of heightened anxiety, especially in online discussion forums. I wish we could take things plainly at "face value" instead of conjuring every single possible other intention behind someone's post. Sometimes I wish we could "assume good faith" out of others, and even in the worst case scenario when we really feel someone is being a "bad actor," we could just ask "what do you mean?" and see how they clarify their thoughts. I wish people didn't feel like they have to write a comment with a list of disclaimers the length of a medication side effect pamphlet in order to be assumed to be in good faith. I would rather just try to assume good faith.
I don't know why, but this reminded me of during COVID times, when governments were encouraging people to get the free COVID vaccinations. There was a lot of people online talking about how it's dangerous and to not get it for health reasons, using arguments like "why would the government be offering to inject you with something for free?" and such. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit scared about getting a COVID vaccination after seeing so many posts like this online and some friends of friends refusing to get it. Fear mongering is very effective on humans, especially as an anxious person. I decided to ask myself "what if the worst case was true and the vaccine I get is dangerous?" And I decided that in that case, at least I chose to trust in others and do something that I thought would help humanity. I chose to assume good faith.
I think in many situations, especially in online discourse, it is hard to assume good faith. Assuming good faith involves some degree of trust and vulnerability, especially due to the underlying fear of a "bad actor" taking advantage of people. But I do not believe that assuming good faith means being naive. We can always ask clarifying questions to deduce whether somebody is truly posting in good faith, and is being misunderstood, over someone who is attempting to be malicious.
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Comment on Reddit is letting power users in on its IPO in ~tech
eggpl4nt Link ParentI have just been spending this past week cleaning up a flood onlyfans spammers from a subreddit I used to moderate (I made sure to add another mod when I left Reddit for Tildes). I just happened...The site's quality is at an all time low, that doesn't raise my confidence as a "prospective investor"
I have just been spending this past week cleaning up a flood onlyfans spammers from a subreddit I used to moderate (I made sure to add another mod when I left Reddit for Tildes). I just happened to realize it was happening when I clicked on a reddit search result on my laptop where I'm still logged into my reddit account and I was greeted with 80+ reports, 10+ modmails, and comments/username pings about the state of the subreddit. I was so shocked and embarrassed because many subreddit members were obviously upset over the degradation of the subreddit. And while I was cleaning I saw some users mentioning that the onlyfans spam was happening to other subreddits too.
When I got the IPO email from Reddit I was like "Are you serious?" They're clearly scrambling. It's pathetic.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of February 19 in ~news
eggpl4nt Link ParentI thought the other (and more realistic) option would be voting for Dean Phillips in the primary. He's in my primary presidential election voter guide. It says he supports ranked choice voting,...I thought the other (and more realistic) option would be voting for Dean Phillips in the primary. He's in my primary presidential election voter guide. It says he supports ranked choice voting, which is neat.
That's funny, because that's not what I think at all. I was actually going to write something in my previous post about how I feel like there is a decent amount of "slippery slope" and "all-or-nothing" thinking in this thread in regards to people saying "I'm not here for 'updoots to the left' and 'narwhal bacon' type comments" when people talk about possibly fixing the perception that "Tildes has a perspective of being for long, serious comments."
I really have no idea what subreddits people here had been browsing, but I find a decent amount of normal conversations on Reddit. Yeah, there are jokes and noise, but they're easy to skip past, and sometimes maybe I want some low-hanging-fruit of a joke or "noise." Again, it gives room to breathe.
Sure, by "Tildes users" I should have meant "Tildes regulars," because yes, I suppose I am a "Tildes user," but I am not a "Tildes regular." I find the accusation that I am not being "nuanced" is strange, the fact that I am being viewed as "framing it as one or the other" is particularly ironic since that goes back to the "all-or-nothing" thinking I mentioned noticing in this thread earlier, and the serious and accusatory tone of this discussion is a good revelation to me of why I don't really like frequenting Tildes much in the first place. I seriously feel like I'm just on "reddit but with long, serious commenting." That's what I'm doing right now, long serious commenting. (And then the whole topic this discussion is happening under, the topic of "hit and run mystery commenters"—which I might fall under—make this even more funny to me, since I assume if I didn't reply to this comment, I would possibly reinforce the trope of a "hit and run commenter." Not that I should care about whether or not I fit into such a trope.)
All I have been saying in this particular comment thread is why I think Tildes has this image, from my perspective. The reason I emphasize "if Tildes users (by that I meant regulars) like it the way it is, then keep it" is because I just am stating my opinion and observations as someone who is not a regular, that no one has to agree with or accommodate, since my opinion isn't really worth that much here. 🤷♀️