MimicSquid's recent activity

  1. Comment on Why Gen Z is quietly giving up in ~life

    MimicSquid
    Link Parent
    Is your premise here that the majority is inherently correct because they're the majority?

    Is your premise here that the majority is inherently correct because they're the majority?

    18 votes

  2. Comment on Russia's meat grinder soldiers - 50,000 confirmed dead in ~news

    MimicSquid
    Link Parent
    To my understanding, it's exactly because present day weapons are so damaging that the losses are as low as they are. Any significant grouping of troops or materiel on either side gets pasted...

    To my understanding, it's exactly because present day weapons are so damaging that the losses are as low as they are. Any significant grouping of troops or materiel on either side gets pasted pretty quickly. So you have groups of soldiers small enough it's not worth hitting them with the big weapons doing most of the fighting.

    14 votes

  3. Comment on NPR suspends veteran editor as it grapples with his public criticism in ~news

    MimicSquid
    Link Parent
    If he's complaining about a pattern of behavior, perhaps he would be better served by an example that doesn't counteract his point?

    If he's complaining about a pattern of behavior, perhaps he would be better served by an example that doesn't counteract his point?

    3 votes

  4. Comment on NPR suspends veteran editor as it grapples with his public criticism in ~news

    MimicSquid
    Link Parent
    Ok, so then his complaint was resolved, right? He's complaining about what they used to do.

    Ok, so then his complaint was resolved, right? He's complaining about what they used to do.

    5 votes

  5. Comment on Keanu Reeves joins 'Sonic 3' as Shadow in ~movies

    MimicSquid
    Link Parent
    I think that you and I think about Sonic differently. Sonic as a franchise is a story of the successes and failures of a team trying to do as much as they can with as little as they have, for...

    I think that you and I think about Sonic differently. Sonic as a franchise is a story of the successes and failures of a team trying to do as much as they can with as little as they have, for better or for worse. Their integrity is in the attempt, not in the successes.

    3 votes

  6. Comment on Two years to save the planet, says UN climate chief in ~enviro

    MimicSquid
    Link Parent
    And then the second act where he trains his team of multicultural teenagers: "The power is yours!"

    And then the second act where he trains his team of multicultural teenagers: "The power is yours!"

    1 vote

  7. Comment on Two years to save the planet, says UN climate chief in ~enviro

    MimicSquid
    Link Parent
    It's totally sensible to not worry about it. I'm in a similar place, where I'm doing my best with what I actually have power over, but that's not very much. But I'm not going to tell the people...

    It's totally sensible to not worry about it. I'm in a similar place, where I'm doing my best with what I actually have power over, but that's not very much. But I'm not going to tell the people who are worried or who might make bigger changes that it's not worth worrying about. It absolutely is, it's just so big, and you've got to know your personal limits.

    1 vote

  8. Comment on Swedish company Scout Park has launched a mobile app where you can tip off wrongly parked cars to traffic wardens to earn money in ~transport

    MimicSquid
    Link Parent
    I'm not "shutting down the conversation because of my pain." I was here continuing the conversation with you. While I did start this thread by showing the ways in which I have personally...

    I'm not "shutting down the conversation because of my pain." I was here continuing the conversation with you. While I did start this thread by showing the ways in which I have personally experienced this issue and pointed out the ways that what seems like a minor inconvenience on the part of the lawbreaker is actually a significant health and safety risk, I haven't been arguing that people should "take my pain seriously." I've been happy to debate the issue on its facts, but not when you're trying to say that I'm too emotional about it. Heck yes I have emotions about it, I've been nearly hit by a car in this exact situation. But I haven't been arguing based on that experience, but on theories of distributed law enforcement and incentive structures. For you to turn it around and cast aspersions that I'm just "asking people to take my pain seriously" is a cheap shot, and one that I'm not interested in taking. I'm done with this. You have a good day now.

    4 votes

  9. Comment on Two years to save the planet, says UN climate chief in ~enviro

    MimicSquid
    Link Parent
    Now that would be an interesting thing to buy a share and go on a shareholder's call to ask about. Someone could definitely milk that for some news.

    Now that would be an interesting thing to buy a share and go on a shareholder's call to ask about. Someone could definitely milk that for some news.

    2 votes

  10. Comment on Swedish company Scout Park has launched a mobile app where you can tip off wrongly parked cars to traffic wardens to earn money in ~transport

    MimicSquid
    Link Parent
    Ok, I understand. I'm still entirely unconvinced regarding that whole "evils" thing, though. But we're talking over that point in a different subthread, so I don't feel the need to reiterate it here.

    Ok, I understand. I'm still entirely unconvinced regarding that whole "evils" thing, though. But we're talking over that point in a different subthread, so I don't feel the need to reiterate it here.

    2 votes

  11. Comment on Swedish company Scout Park has launched a mobile app where you can tip off wrongly parked cars to traffic wardens to earn money in ~transport

    MimicSquid
    Link Parent
    I'm sorry, I don't see it. Untrained random citizens report crimes all the time. That's generally how that works. And in the situations where there are rewards for information that leads to the...

    I'm sorry, I don't see it. Untrained random citizens report crimes all the time. That's generally how that works. And in the situations where there are rewards for information that leads to the conviction of a criminal, that report is reviewed and followed up upon by law enforcement. What is there to be afraid of here? There are certainly more ambiguous crimes where I would be far more concerned about citizen reporting. But traffic crimes are generally pretty unambiguous. Their car was where it wasn't supposed to be, or moving in a way it shouldn't. If someone is worried about being fined for that, it's not the hardest thing in the world to follow the traffic laws.

    6 votes

  12. Comment on Swedish company Scout Park has launched a mobile app where you can tip off wrongly parked cars to traffic wardens to earn money in ~transport

    MimicSquid
    Link Parent
    So then cleaning up the small difficulties keeps a lid on broader dissatisfaction with, in this instance, car-centric infrastructure, which keeps people from making bigger changes that would...

    So then cleaning up the small difficulties keeps a lid on broader dissatisfaction with, in this instance, car-centric infrastructure, which keeps people from making bigger changes that would overall improve the situation? I can see that. I think that it's better to make small changes that head in the right direction rather than waiting for the cultural shifts to fully turn my way, but I can see it. Thank you, that makes sense.

    3 votes

  13. Comment on Swedish company Scout Park has launched a mobile app where you can tip off wrongly parked cars to traffic wardens to earn money in ~transport

    MimicSquid
    Link Parent
    It's not "fueling a culture of paranoia" if it makes people be concerned they're going to be punished for committing an actual crime that they're choosing to commit in public. Do parking tickets...

    It's not "fueling a culture of paranoia" if it makes people be concerned they're going to be punished for committing an actual crime that they're choosing to commit in public. Do parking tickets fuel a culture of paranoia? What about fines for littering?

    4 votes

  14. Comment on Swedish company Scout Park has launched a mobile app where you can tip off wrongly parked cars to traffic wardens to earn money in ~transport

    MimicSquid
    Link Parent
    I'm honestly trying to understand your argument here. I'm not being snarky. You're arguing that people would be encouraged not solve the core reason why people park blocking bike lanes because...

    I'm honestly trying to understand your argument here. I'm not being snarky. You're arguing that people would be encouraged not solve the core reason why people park blocking bike lanes because some people would profit from reporting it, and that reporting people blocking bike lanes if there's a financial reward for the reporting is a moral failure?

    4 votes

  15. Comment on Two years to save the planet, says UN climate chief in ~enviro

    MimicSquid
    Link Parent
    To be clear, I'm not the OP, I just don't like people making claims with data that I think the data doesn't support. But yeah, COVID was a thing. You cutting off the data before it doesn't make it...

    To be clear, I'm not the OP, I just don't like people making claims with data that I think the data doesn't support.

    But yeah, COVID was a thing. You cutting off the data before it doesn't make it less of a thing, and we already know that shifting climates can lead to greater cross-species transfer of disease due to new pools of disease coming into contact.

    And we're already seeing coastal cities like Miami and San Francisco have clear skies coastal flooding. You're right that the costs aren't significant enough yet to make people change, but do you really think that saying that everything is fine and that historical life expectancy gains show that the future will be fine?

    8 votes

  16. Comment on Two years to save the planet, says UN climate chief in ~enviro

    MimicSquid
    Link Parent
    Have you ever heard the phrase "Past performance does not guarantee future results?" Looking into the past and saying that the future is going to be just like it is definitely a thing that lots of...

    Have you ever heard the phrase "Past performance does not guarantee future results?" Looking into the past and saying that the future is going to be just like it is definitely a thing that lots of people do, but it's predicated on the future having the same fundamental characteristics as the past, and that's already not the case. Also, your data stops in 2011, which matters.

    9 votes

  17. Comment on Two years to save the planet, says UN climate chief in ~enviro

  18. Comment on Swedish company Scout Park has launched a mobile app where you can tip off wrongly parked cars to traffic wardens to earn money in ~transport

    MimicSquid
    Link Parent
    They do help a good bit, as do setups where the cycle path is between the parking spaces and the sidewalk rather than between the traffic lanes and the parking.

    They do help a good bit, as do setups where the cycle path is between the parking spaces and the sidewalk rather than between the traffic lanes and the parking.

    2 votes

  19. Comment on Swedish company Scout Park has launched a mobile app where you can tip off wrongly parked cars to traffic wardens to earn money in ~transport

    MimicSquid
    Link Parent
    I'd categorize them more broadly as "crimes that have individual benefit and broader social costs", which illegal dumping and parking both qualify as. As far as "police do the policing", are you...

    I'd categorize them more broadly as "crimes that have individual benefit and broader social costs", which illegal dumping and parking both qualify as.

    As far as "police do the policing", are you against red light cameras as well? What about parking enforcement people who aren't cops? Social workers who aren't cops dealing with non-violent social issues? I don't personally like the idea of armed officers being the be all end all of law enforcement. Better to have different tools for different situations.

    5 votes

  20. Comment on Swedish company Scout Park has launched a mobile app where you can tip off wrongly parked cars to traffic wardens to earn money in ~transport

    MimicSquid
    Link Parent
    You think that drivers are so brainless that they can't learn in the face of fines that a behavior is unacceptable? I think I have more faith in people than that. I agree that the standards of...

    You think that drivers are so brainless that they can't learn in the face of fines that a behavior is unacceptable? I think I have more faith in people than that. I agree that the standards of interpersonal trust being so low is an issue more broadly in the US, but that seems to me to be an issue of there being such a wide variety of people working under such a variety of priorities that you just can't assume that someone is working to the same ends as you. It's an issue we need to acknowledge but then work with, as that's a much larger question of cultural direction.

    As far as whistleblower rewards, there's tons, though not all of the ones on that list are for misdemeanor crimes. Not on that list but one I know about locally, there's rewards for people who report illegal dumping with information leading to the prosecution of the person dumping trash.

    6 votes