kfwyre's recent activity
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Comment on What's a "sore thumb" for you? in ~talk
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What's a "sore thumb" for you?
You know: something that sticks out to you in a bad, unignorable way -- like a "sore thumb" -- every time you see/hear it. Maybe its apostrophe misuse, maybe it's using cliches like they're going...
You know: something that sticks out to you in a bad, unignorable way -- like a "sore thumb" -- every time you see/hear it.
Maybe its apostrophe misuse, maybe it's using cliches like they're going out of style, maybe it's b a d k e r n i n g, or a lack of parallelism perhaps bothers you.
Whatever it is (and it doesn't have to be writing related), let us know. Also, most importantly, why do you think it has such a profound effect on you?
12 votes -
Comment on What's a piece of media (show/movie/game/album/book/comic/etc.) that you passionately like, but never see anyone else mention? in ~talk
kfwyre Link ParentAww, this comment made my day! Based on your various postings around Tildes I have no doubt that we would get along IRL. I know the struggle of meeting adult friends well: I've moved a handful of...Aww, this comment made my day! Based on your various postings around Tildes I have no doubt that we would get along IRL. I know the struggle of meeting adult friends well: I've moved a handful of times in my adult life, so I've had to start fresh in a new place more than once. It's tough and takes time. Know that you've got a lot of great traits, and I hope you find people in your community who can appreciate your strengths. Until then, at the very least know that they're valued here!
1 vote -
Comment on It’s Not Enough to Be Right—You Also Have to Be Kind in ~life
kfwyre LinkThis is an interesting article, especially coming from Ryan Holiday. For those unfamiliar with him, his first book was called Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator. The book made...This is an interesting article, especially coming from Ryan Holiday. For those unfamiliar with him, his first book was called Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator.
The book made my end-of-year favorites list for the year that I read it, though it was a somewhat dubious honor. While I found the contents of the book to be substantial and important, I also outright hated Holiday -- not as an author, but as a person. I would probably conduct myself differently and change my wording were I to write about the book now, but I'll let my past self speak candidly from several years ago in my review to a friend:
I like to emphasize the good in people, and it’s rare that I refer to someone with a slur, but I’m just going to go ahead and get this out of the way: the author is a dick. I do not like him. His character comment is that he is a good friend of Tucker Max.
That said, it's nice to hear that someone is at least willing to admit to the openly dickish things they do. This book is about Holiday’s use of social media to spin, misinform, and otherwise manipulate people for the benefit of businesses. It was published in 2012 and has only grown in relevance as now you cannot step online without dozens of companies and individuals all trying to influence you with deliberate misinformation.
A lot of the information is pretty basic and common knowledge by now, but it was nice to get some of the inside info he had, as well as have some of my suspicions validated. For example, he talks about the efficacy of outrage and how he used this principle to drum up buzz for Tucker Max’s movie. He would put out deliberately inflammatory ads, and then he would call in (fake) complaints on behalf of concerned citizens and women’s groups. He played both sides of the outrage field as a publicity stunt--a technique that is now all too common. Consider how common it is to see someone getting outraged about something or, equally often, people getting outraged about the source of someone else’s outrage. It’s equal opportunity bait for both sides of the political spectrum. And it’s effective.
Despite Holiday’s candidness, he never reaches full awareness of his dickishness. He walks away from the book happy, wealthy, and almost pathologically uncaring. It’s this aspect that I think is actually the book’s most unintentionally powerful commentary. There are powerful people out there who have turned off their empathy, and they make their living off of exploiting others’ feelings. People like this have always existed, but with the internet they now wield enormous power. And many out there are taking that right to the bank.
I haven't really followed Holiday since reading this, other than that I'm mildly aware that he's published some modern philosophical stuff that I haven't looked into. He does walk back some of what he wrote (and how he wrote it) here, which is nice to see and helps me give him the benefit of the doubt, though I'm still hesitant to do so for fear of being taken for a sucker. Making a career of deliberate misinformation is a hard thing to turn around from, even when you're as allegedly honest about it as Holiday has been.
Regardless of how I feel about him, I actually agree with the main thrust of his argument. I think kindness is essential, and convincing others of anything requires reaching and teaching.
But, with that said, this article also has some curious blind spots. For someone who pioneered the use of internet outrage as a tool, he does little to address the idea that much of the political discourse he's chastizing as callous and insensitive is never meant to be convincing in the first place. That was the whole point of his book -- by drumming up outrage and spreading misinformation, you can monetize culture wars. So, when he cites that a meaningful Joe Rogan clip "undoubtedly has changed more minds [...] than the squabbles and fights on CNN, than the endless op-eds and think-tank reports", he seems strangely ignorant of the very tactics he himself has admitted to and utilized. How many of those squabbles, op-eds, and think-tank reports were done not as meaningful attempts at change but with ulterior motives, whether monetary or social?
His argument seems aimed at the idea that everyone's out there acting in good faith, trying to convince the other side to see things their way, when really it's quite the opposite. There are plenty of people who don't give a shit about the other side and who in fact revel in their hatred for them and the conflict it produces. There are plenty of people out there who deliberately stoke these fires because of some personal satisfaction or gain that it brings to them. And all of this happens on media platforms that benefit more from the worst outcomes (outrage) rather than the best ones (harmony).
Can we use more kindness and civility in the world? Absolutely. It's why I'm here on Tildes and why I believe in this place. I'll advocate for kindness over and over, again and again, because I think it's valuable and transformative. But I don't think kindness itself is enough. There are whole companies, arguably whole industries, that have a vested financial interest in sowing and spreading unkindness. There are people who use unkindness as their form of social connection and personal identification. And these people and companies exist in a toxic, symbiotic relationship. Someone who traffics in unkindness loves having a digital audience for it, and companies who traffic in digital audiences love the activity that unkindness brings.
Holiday is someone who knows all about this but, for some strange reason, leaves it out of his commentary. It makes his message ring hollow to me -- like getting a lecture on the ills of gambling from my blackjack dealer. Berate me all you want for how I'm spending my money irresponsibly -- and know that there's certainly some element of truth in it -- but also maybe give some thought to the casino that we're sitting in? The one you're working in and helped design?
14 votes -
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentYup. I grew up on The Incredible Machine, so I actually like what Bad Rats was trying to do, but the execution was just too clunky. A physics game with inconsistent physics? No thanks. As for the...Yup. I grew up on The Incredible Machine, so I actually like what Bad Rats was trying to do, but the execution was just too clunky. A physics game with inconsistent physics? No thanks.
As for the gifting, I think it was probably the first game that became a meme on Steam and no doubt sold several thousand extra copies thanks to that. I now look back and wonder if that was organic or if it was actually strategic guerrilla marketing.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
kfwyre Link Parent(cc: @ThyMrMan) The Psychedelic and Dark tag combo only yields 13 results across all ~37,000 games on Steam. Luckily, I own four of them! I've already played Bad Rats and Rise of Insanity, so...(cc: @ThyMrMan)
The
PsychedelicandDarktag combo only yields 13 results across all ~37,000 games on Steam. Luckily, I own four of them!I've already played Bad Rats and Rise of Insanity, so those are out of the running (and I'm guessing Bad Rats' tags are a joke anyway?). The remaining two are Layers of Fear and Agony. I have zero desire to play Agony and should never have even redeemed that key from Humble Bundle in the first place, so Layers of Fear it is! I'm a complete horror wimp, so there's a good chance I won't make it very far, but I'll give it my best.
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Comment on What piece of media had a profound emotional effect on you? in ~talk
kfwyre LinkIf you want a good, quality cry, then I highly recommend the film Short Term 12. It's about a group home, based off of writer and director Destin Daniel Cretton's own personal experiences in...If you want a good, quality cry, then I highly recommend the film Short Term 12. It's about a group home, based off of writer and director Destin Daniel Cretton's own personal experiences in working in one.
The film captures the complexity, emotional burden, and triumph of working with kids better than any other movie I've ever seen. Whereas most "teacher movies" tend to be Hollywoodized inspiration porn, Short Term 12 gives a more complex and nuanced portrayal of the influence and responsibility adults have in working with children/teens. Rather than feeling hackneyed or cliche, it feels real and lived. It tackles very serious issues (e.g. mental health, abuse) in valuable and honest ways. The supporting cast of kids in the movie are mostly unknown actors, and the reality with which they inhabit their roles makes it feel more like a documentary in places. Furthermore, lead actress Brie Larson delivers an incredible performance, displaying layers and subtlety that anchor the film's richness.
The film is intimate, human, and powerful in just about every possible way. It's one of the few movies I've watched multiple times, as I don't feel that its resonance is diminished even when you know its plot.
Rather than link the trailer, I'll instead offer up this five minute clip as a small slice of the movie. I've linked it here before, as I think it does a particularly good job of capturing the intensity of an adolescent emotional breakdown, and it gets particular props from me (speaking as a crisis-trained teacher) for featuring a well-executed example of a team restraint following proper protocol and form. All told, this five minutes captures the film's pacing and attention to detail, as well as the humanity of its storytelling. The clip does have encoding issues so there are some visual artifacts as it goes, but it's still watchable. If you find it compelling, I highly recommend watching the whole movie.
3 votes -
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentWhaaaaaaat?! This is news to me too! Spyro 1 wasn't too bad for me since I've played it so many times that I mostly knew where things were, but I definitely spent a good amount of time in Spyro 2...You can press the left stick down and the dragonfly will point towards un-collected treasure in the level!
Whaaaaaaat?! This is news to me too!
Spyro 1 wasn't too bad for me since I've played it so many times that I mostly knew where things were, but I definitely spent a good amount of time in Spyro 2 tracking down all those last few missing gems. I wonder if they added that feature to the remaster, or if it was in the originals?
I'm still taking a break before diving into more Spyro (and Crash), so that tip, as well as the one about the Sparx levels, will be very useful once I start Spyro 3 in a few weeks. Thanks for sharing the knowledge!
1 vote -
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
kfwyre (edited )LinkI finished with Yoku's Island Express. I didn't 100% the game, as I think that would have killed my enjoyment of it. Instead, I got to the ending, did a couple extra tasks afterwards to satisfy my...I finished with Yoku's Island Express.
I didn't 100% the game, as I think that would have killed my enjoyment of it. Instead, I got to the ending, did a couple extra tasks afterwards to satisfy my own curiosity, and then stopped when my feelings toward it were still fresh and positive. It was a delight, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone who is at all interested in the idea of a pinball metroidvania.
Outside of that, I've been dipping in and out of GRIP: Combat Racing.
I can't play the game for extended periods of time -- I get a sort of visual/mental fatigue. The detailed textures and graphics, combined with the speed of the game and the cluttered/complex tracks, yield a visual demand that is more than I'm used to. The screen is just fundamentally hard to read. I compare it to something like Distance, which is similarly fast and complex, but which has a much more straightforward graphic style and much more "readable" tracks. Distance doesn't fatigue me quite like Grip does.
Outside of that, however, I'm enjoying the game. I have to remind myself that the chaos is part of the fun and that it's basically a very serious-looking Mario Kart, otherwise I start to get frustrated when a missile takes me down just before the finish line.
Also, because I now need a new game after finishing Yoku, I'm going to bring back my...
...Game Selection Gimmick!
Choose a non-genre Steam tag for me!
(e.g. "atmospheric" or "replay value" but not "racing" or "turn-based strategy")Based on everyone's responses here, I'll pull a game from my backlog that fits all/most of the chosen tags and go with that.
2 votes -
Comment on Timasomo Post #2: Reflection for Week One of Four in ~creative
kfwyre LinkSo, I've officially got the basics of Ren'Py under my belt. I can write dialogue, allow user choices, trip flags and branch my story based on them, and include graphics. I've officially written...So, I've officially got the basics of Ren'Py under my belt. I can write dialogue, allow user choices, trip flags and branch my story based on them, and include graphics. I've officially written the first scene of my story, which made me realize that I need to take a step back to the drawing board, as I never made an official "story map". I think that's going to be essential for doing this right, as including even a few choices makes things quite complicated, especially if they're going to have meaning later on rather than just immediately branching and then rejoining the main trunk.
I initially framed my goal as wanting to just write a kinetic story, with choices as a bit of a stretch. I also wanted to include artwork by default. At this point, having played around with things, I'm going to revise my scope a bit: I want my story to have at least a few choices that are meaningful to the player, and I don't think I'll have full graphics.
I quickly learned that assembling together art from different sources makes everything come across as patchwork in a bad way, with different art styles clashing visually. This is particularly noticeable with the characters, as I couldn't find one artist that had character designs I could use and was thus cobbling together whatever was available from several different sources. Furthermore, because I'm using freely available art, the character designs didn't really match the characters in my story. I found including graphics for them jarring. If this ever became more than just a hobbyist project, I'd have to collaborate/commission an artist to do character work for me. All told, I think I'll simply use backgrounds for different scenes without including character art.
The last bit that remains to be seen is whether my story will actually come together. Instead of going for something simple or light, I instead opted to go all in on a serious, heavy story. While it has the potential to be good, I think it also has the potential to be overbearing, anvilicious, or just outright unappealing. Time and effort will tell. I plan to spend the coming week trying to write out scenes that are both meaningful and accessible.
As for making time, that's far from a strength of mine. I'm an incredibly efficient worker when it comes to discrete and straightforward tasks, but something like this, where I don't know how much time to allot to any given session, throws me for a loop a bit. I also had a busy week last week as there was a lot to take care of given that I missed an entire week of life due to severe illness. So, this past week included a lot of catch up, some of which has spilled over to this week. I'm hoping to get in some good writing time this weekend, as my husband and pretty much everyone I know will be busy with the new Pokemon game.
3 votes -
Comment on What's a piece of media (show/movie/game/album/book/comic/etc.) that you passionately like, but never see anyone else mention? in ~talk
kfwyre Link ParentLook Around You is sublime. You would fit in well with me and my husband, as we still quote that "what ARE birds?" line to each other occasionally -- one of the many memes of our marriage (also on...Look Around You is sublime.
You would fit in well with me and my husband, as we still quote that "what ARE birds?" line to each other occasionally -- one of the many memes of our marriage (also on the list: "The new albumen -- it's out now!" and "Thants/Blants.")
4 votes -
Comment on Korean Education: A View from the Trenches in ~humanities
kfwyre Link ParentYeah, that was an oddly definitive statement. The author's follow-up with is equally baffling. I'm an American teacher, and even I'm not sure what they are getting at. In their defense, the status...Yeah, that was an oddly definitive statement. The author's follow-up with
Why not is left as an exercise for the reader.
is equally baffling. I'm an American teacher, and even I'm not sure what they are getting at.
In their defense, the status of gifted education in the US varies from state to state. Some states, like Iowa, have mandatory identification of and funding for gifted education. Some states, like Connecticut, have neither. The author's perception of gifted schools (or a lack thereof) is possibly influenced by the particular state(s) they're familiar with.
They also might be referring more in general to the idea of "tracking" students, or grouping them by ability level. This has come under serious fire in the past ~20 years of American education, with many considering it to be unjust and with many schools adjusting their scheduling accordingly.
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Comment on Added a page showing details of Tildes's financials, as well as a monthly donation goal in ~tildes.official
kfwyre Link ParentAnother example for the pile: the podcast Chapo Trap House makes an astounding $143,000 per month on Patreon.Another example for the pile: the podcast Chapo Trap House makes an astounding $143,000 per month on Patreon.
5 votes -
Comment on Instagram "Personals" account relaunches as Lex, a dating and social app targeted for people who are lesbian, bisexual, asexual, womxn, trans, genderqueer, intersex, two-spirit and non-binary in ~lgbt
kfwyre Link ParentHere's a quick rundown as I understand them. I'm not an authority by any means, but I'm active in LGBT communities. I'm also doing this from the top of my head, rather than searching these up, as...Here's a quick rundown as I understand them. I'm not an authority by any means, but I'm active in LGBT communities. I'm also doing this from the top of my head, rather than searching these up, as a way of giving a sort of "on the ground" view rather than a more formalized/academic view that might come from looking up stuff. For anyone reading this with a better knowledge/understanding than me, if I'm off the mark, let me know!
Lesbian
You probably don't need this one spelled out, but it refers to a woman who is primarily interested in other women romantically and/or sexually.
Bisexual
Again, this is fairly common but there's some nuance to it. For some this refers to someone who's interested in men and women romantically and/or sexually, though for many it means an attraction regardless of gender identity. Some people identify as "pansexual" rather than "bisexual" as a way of affirming this, which removes some of the ambiguity of "bisexual" as a term. "Pansexual" is also explicitly inclusive of trans and non-binary people, whereas "bisexual" isn't fundamentally inclusive though it certainly can be and often is.
Asexual
Asexual refers to someone who experiences either no or relatively low amounts of sexual attraction to others. Asexuals can experience romantic attraction and will often identify not only as asexual (or "ace") but as a sub-type based on their romantic orientation -- heteroromantic, homoromantic, bi/panromantic, or aromantic (denoting someone who doesn't experience romantic attraction).
There's also demisexual, which usually falls under the ace umbrella and refers to a person who does experience sexual attraction, but only after strongly connecting with a particular individual.
There's also the label of "gray" asexuals, which are asexuals who do experience sexual attraction but not enough to define a sexual identity around it. This could be someone with a very low sex drive or someone who has only experienced sexual attraction a very few times in their lives.
Womxn
I am not super familiar with this term, and I could be VERY off the mark with this. Based entirely on seeing it only a few times in context and making assumptions based off of those limited moments (I'll admit I've never actually looked it up directly), my understanding of it is that it is similar to "pansexual" in that it is openly and explicitly inclusive of trans individuals.
For trans women, there's often a question of whether they'll be welcome in women's spaces or whether their needs or experiences will be considered or respected. Using "womxn" in place of "women" explicitly affirms this, much in the same way that a rainbow flag lets LGBT people know they're welcome somewhere.
Trans
Refers to someone who has a gender identity that is different from the body they were born with. Historically the focus has been on people who fully transition from one end of the gender spectrum to the other (male-to-female and female-to-male used to be preferred terminology). Recently the term has opened up a lot and includes more than just people with male or female gender identity. It also used to be focused primarily on transition (e.g. living and presenting as one's identified gender), but is now more focused on the identity itself. As such, a male-presenting person who identifies as female for example would still be considered trans regardless of whether or not they've transitioned to present as female.
Genderqueer
This is used by people who don't identify as explicitly male or female. It could be someone who identifies as somewhere in-between, someone who identifies as both, someone who identifies with neither, or someone whose gender identity is fluid and can change over time. As of late the term "non-binary" has taken the reigns for this idea. I don't see "genderqueer" nearly as much as I used to.
Intersex
This refers to someone who is born with properties of both male and female bodies, or with certain elements missing. Historically many intersex people underwent surgeries or hormonal treatments as infants or children to "correct" their sex and make it align with explicitly male or female expectations. This is, thankfully, less common than it used to be but can still be an issue.
Two-spirit
This is one I'm not intimately familiar with and I've never actually met someone who (to my knowledge) identifies as two-spirit, but my understanding is that it's a Native American term for people who do not fit the gender binary -- a culturally specific form of "non-binary."
Non-binary
See "genderqueer." As far as I know there's not really a difference between these, though I could definitely be wrong on that.
If I've made any errors or missed the mark, please let me know! Also if anyone reading this has any questions, please ask! I love to talk about this stuff and don't mind answering questions, even ones that might be difficult or tense.
6 votes -
Timasomo Post #2: Reflection for Week One of Four
Timasomo FAQ What is Timasomo? Timasomo is "Tildes' Make Something Month," a creative community challenge that takes place in the month of November. It was inspired by NaNoWriMo, the National...
Timasomo FAQ
What is Timasomo?
Timasomo is "Tildes' Make Something Month," a creative community challenge that takes place in the month of November. It was inspired by NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month.
What are the rules?
Timasomo is self-driven and its goals are self-selected. On November 1st, participants will commit to a creative project (or projects) that they plan to complete within the month of November. There is no restriction on the methods/products of creativity: writing, painting, code, food, photos, crafts, songs -- if it's creative expression for you, it works for Timasomo!
Though most will be participating individually, collaborations are welcome too!
What is the schedule?
Timasomo begins November 1st and ends November 30th. All creative output towards your goal(s) should be confined to this time. This week prior to the start of November is for planning, and there will be a few days at the beginning of December given to "finishing touches" before we have our final thread, which will be a showcase of all the completed works. The showcase date is TBD and will be decided by the participants toward the end of the month, once we have a better idea of what we'll need to do wrap up our projects.
Can I participate?
Yes! Timasomo is open to anyone on Tildes! If you would like to join, post your goal here. The greater Tildes community is also encouraged to participate in discussion threads even if you are not actively working towards a creative goal. This is meant to be an inclusive community event -- all are welcome! If you are interested in participating but do not have a Tildes login, please e-mail the invite request address here for an invite to the community.
Thread #2: Reflection for Week One of Four
One week down, three to go! Why does it feel like we just started but also like there's not a whole lot of time left?!
Give a Progress Update
How's it been going? Tell us where you're currently at!
Breakdowns and Breakthroughs?
With any creative process, there'll always be unexpected flashes of brilliance or unexpected fizzles for what seemed like good ideas. Have you encountered anything that didn't go like you wanted it to, or something that up and surprised you out of nowhere?
What's Coming Up This Week?
With seven days down already, what do the next seven look like for you? Let us know where you're headed.
Discussion Topic of the Week: Making Time
How do you make time in a busy schedule for creativity? Do you find it hard to balance your creativity with other life demands? Do you have any tips or tricks that enable you to put more time and effort into your output?
As before: best of luck to ALL participants! Let's go MAKE SOMETHING.
Meta
Suggestions
If anyone has anything they want me to add to this post or suggestions for the next one, let me know either here or by PM!
15 votes -
Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
kfwyre LinkI just finished with The Trauma Cleaner by Sarah Krasnostein, and I loved it. It completely blew me away. One of the best books that I've read in a good long while. The author details the life of...I just finished with The Trauma Cleaner by Sarah Krasnostein, and I loved it. It completely blew me away. One of the best books that I've read in a good long while.
The author details the life of Sandra Pankhurst, an Australian woman who runs a business specializing in the extreme cleaning of houses -- for example, the homes of hoarders living in piles and mold, or homes of suicide victims who are, sadly, often left to decompose for days or weeks. She has a knack for the job, as well as a particular skill with the clients, working hard to put mentally ill and emotionally broken people at ease while she uproots, for their own good, much of their comfort and sense of place.
The book jumps back and forth between recaps of present day cleanings and the backstory of Sandra's life which is, quite surprisingly, where the true heft of the book lies. Though the tales of the cleanings are compelling in their own right, it's Sandra's life that fully absorbed my attention. Sandra's story is unusual, arresting, and thoroughly (and repeatedly) heartbreaking. I cried at multiple points.
What makes the book so interesting is that it is very much an intimate portrait of Sandra, who is a fascinating, admirable, and frustrating subject all at the same time. The author doesn't try to have any sort of narrative distance and is instead openly mesmerized by and affectionate for Sandra. The author spends time with her, asking her questions and involving herself in her life. The book isn't an attempt at an objective documentary but instead a snapshot of the time they spent together, but it reveals a truth that objective reporting simply couldn't tell. Sandra is absolutely magnetic as a person, and the author transfers this for us, reproducing it in her writing so that we as readers feel it as well. The book has a personal intimacy unlike nearly all other non-fiction.
It's also buttressed by the author's rich, beautiful descriptions. At times it's too much, as the book can sometimes dip into a mode akin to literary fiction, which makes the author's insights feel artificial rather than lived. But, when it's right, it's right, and her prose and analysis absolutely soar off the page and into your heart.
It's a thoroughly, deeply human book -- a wonderful exercise in empathy and understanding. When I first picked it up I was admittedly doing so because of its promise of lurid tales of human squalor. I wanted to satisfy a base curiosity through tales of decay and destitution. This is not a book for that. It instead focuses on the human amidst all the mess to find a much more noteworthy and hopeful story, which is exactly how Sandra approaches her own work.
It's not quite a biography and not quite a memoir, despite having elements of both, but I highly recommend it if you're looking for something along those lines.
1 vote -
How's VR gaming these days?
For those of you that have setups, how's it going? What have been your favorite games/experiences so far? What are those of us without VR missing out on? In what was does VR still need to grow? Do...
For those of you that have setups, how's it going?
- What have been your favorite games/experiences so far?
- What are those of us without VR missing out on?
- In what was does VR still need to grow?
- Do you think it will eventually catch on more than it has?
21 votes -
Comment on How will Tildes users be able to visualize trust? in ~tildes
kfwyre LinkI think, for me, "trust" can most succinctly be distilled down into a heuristic through the idea of uncertainty. A new user, making their first post, carries with them maximal uncertainty. Are...I think, for me, "trust" can most succinctly be distilled down into a heuristic through the idea of uncertainty. A new user, making their first post, carries with them maximal uncertainty. Are they here to be part of this community? Are they a spammer? Are they a troll? Are they here to start fights? Are they here to shitpost? None of this is known, because we don't have past behaviors that yield meaningful insight. High uncertainty; low trust.
On the flipside, a user who has been here for a long time and consistently posts things that are in line with the community norms is someone for whom there's a lot of certainty. Their intentions and methods are known because they've demonstrated over and over again, through their actions, enough for us to infer their purpose here (which is to be a contributing member of the community). Low uncertainty; high trust.
A middle case could be a user who has been around a long time but posts infrequently, a user who has been around a short time but posts quite frequently, or a user who has demonstrated many positive AND negative contributions to the community. Maybe they regularly make comments that are tagged as
Exemplarybut they also regularly make comments tagged asMalicetoo. A middling trust score, for whatever reason, says "we're fairly certain they can meet community standards, but we're not giving a total green light just yet." Middling uncertainty; middling trust.So, with this idea in mind, I think we can most easily codify "trust" as the accumulation of certainty through repeated actions. I think this is important because I don't want "trust" to become a proxy for "power user" or create a hierarchy on the site. Furthermore, I don't think trust should be linked to things like ideological position or even knowledge level. To me trust is about meeting the expectations of the community. This, I think, can be incredibly valuable, because if I want to engage someone I disagree with, I'm much more likely to do so if I see that they have a high trust score. That means I know that, even if we're on opposite sides of a very divisive issue, they're likely to uphold the norms of the site because they've demonstrated a consistent ability to do so in the past. As such, we're far more likely to have a productive exchange than an inflammatory one, all because both of us can be trusted to abide by a shared set of values in the form of the social contract here.
25 votes -
Comment on Timasomo Post #0: Roll Call and Planning in ~creative
kfwyre Link ParentAwesome! I think poetry is among the least "forcible" of creative endeavors, so I think your decision to not use rigid or strict requirements and instead focus more on motivation is a smart one. I...Awesome!
I think poetry is among the least "forcible" of creative endeavors, so I think your decision to not use rigid or strict requirements and instead focus more on motivation is a smart one. I look forward to seeing what you come up with!
2 votes -
Comment on Holy Shit, Contra Said a Thing! Well, Guess I Better Singlehandedly Solve BreadTube - Mo Black in ~talk
kfwyre (edited )LinkAs someone with no background info or exposure to pretty much any of this, the TL;DR in the article and linked video given as explanation were quite opaque. In my search to make sense of them, I...As someone with no background info or exposure to pretty much any of this, the TL;DR in the article and linked video given as explanation were quite opaque.
In my search to make sense of them, I found this article which I think does a good job of explaining the controversy in detail, for those of us that are out of the loop. It helped me much better understand all the meta-discourse surrounding this.
EDIT: There's still a missing piece for me. The linked article says the following:
In ["Opulence"], she implies that part of the reason some non-binary people seem to dislike her so much is that they’re envious: that, through her focus on her “glow-up game” (as she puts it) and her hyper-feminine presentation as a trans woman, she sets a standard that others no longer want to feel pressured in emulating.
The article I found didn't address this at all, and it's been too long since I watched "Opulence" to remember specifically what it's referencing (nor do I have time to sit down for 45 minutes to suss it out). As written, it sounds like Natalie's typical humor, tossing out a clearly self-aggrandizing statement as a sort of reverse self-deprecation, though it's hard to tell since I'm going at this off of a second-hand summary of an implication. That's quite shaky ground. Can anyone shed light on this particular element for me?
9 votes
I feel very attacked right now! Also I left all that deliberate bait and you instead critiqued the one thing I was actually using earnestly! How DARE you!
Only kidding. :)
Believe it or not, I actually prefer that myself too, I just don't have an easy way to type an em-dash on my phone. I also think the double hyphen looks weird without spaces--like this--so I always add them in. If I'm writing in a word processor, however, it's a closed em-dash every time!