nacho's recent activity
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Comment on Looking for help scraping and deleting a Reddit account in ~comp
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Comment on US House approves $95 billion aid bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan (gifted link) in ~news
nacho Link ParentI'm open to an argument that the Republicans played chicken, and in the end were the first to look away as Ukraine so desperately needs the aid. I think part of their thinking has to be how losing...I'm open to an argument that the Republicans played chicken, and in the end were the first to look away as Ukraine so desperately needs the aid. I think part of their thinking has to be how losing an issue it is if they're the ones who cause Ukraine to lose the war.
The politicking is happening behind closed doors, so we don't know what the calculus is, but I think you're totally right that the Republicans have egg on their face, irrespective of the exact reasons.
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Comment on Indiana now has a religious right to abortion in ~health
nacho Link ParentWe'll see how that goes with the Arizona case, where the state supreme court upheld the "only to save a pregnant woman's life" abortion law from the 1860s. Then there's the Idaho case, where the...We'll see how that goes with the Arizona case, where the state supreme court upheld the "only to save a pregnant woman's life" abortion law from the 1860s.
Then there's the Idaho case, where the Supreme Court has a law where the only exceptions are life of the mother, molar or ectopic pregnancies, rape or incest.
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Comment on NPR suspends veteran editor as it grapples with his public criticism in ~news
nacho Link ParentNo. This is not about the paradox of tolerance or allowing those with junk views to have those views reach through in product to readers. News organizations are not and should not be microphone...No. This is not about the paradox of tolerance or allowing those with junk views to have those views reach through in product to readers. News organizations are not and should not be microphone stands for others, or to magnify the views of their journalists.
This is about involving people of certain views in ways in the news room so the editorial decision-makers manage to reach a huge portion of their audience effectively with real, substantive reporting that takes facts into account.
It's about having devil's advocates, about picking up trends that need to be debunked, ways in which the good arguments need to be framed to effectively reach those who need to hear those things the most.
And so on.
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Comment on NPR suspends veteran editor as it grapples with his public criticism in ~news
nacho Link ParentHolding that view, I'd be extremely worried if people of that party weren't represented in a newsroom. I'd view that as extremely, extremely dangerous. How else would I have any shot reaching all...one of them is a group of fascists actively trying to install a dictator
Holding that view, I'd be extremely worried if people of that party weren't represented in a newsroom. I'd view that as extremely, extremely dangerous.
How else would I have any shot reaching all those people with messed up political views, who're the ones that need to be reached by real journalism and news, than without people who share those views to speak up about the issues and the ways we should be writing to reach those people who hold debunked, junk political views and are willing to put force behind misplaced convictions?
Who can write stuff in a way that those of junk political views might actually listen to, to change minds, to hold their attention so it isn't spent on more dangerous reading/listening, or just propaganda rather than news?
Where are those people with bad views going to be edited and not get their material out without a layer of editing and control so the unfiltered garbage doesn't just get out?
How are you going to have the important conversations where opinions differ and are weighted against each other inside the newsroom without people with different views and experiences represented in that newsrooom?
Writing people off and just not wanting to deal with them is not a solution. It's irresponsibly feeding the problem so it festers, grows and these people become even more entrenched.
We need people who're preparing the time when these junk views are passé. We can't just murder these people, or shun them or lock them out of society for the rest of society to move on. The people of silly views now need to be rehabilitated. For society's sake.
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Comment on NPR suspends veteran editor as it grapples with his public criticism in ~news
nacho Link ParentYou make an extremely important point: When you have a huge group of employees/ selected people who all share the same characteristic, whatever that may be, you'd almost certainly want your next...You make an extremely important point:
When you have a huge group of employees/ selected people who all share the same characteristic, whatever that may be, you'd almost certainly want your next person to add to that group to have a characteristic they don't.
Examples:
- A board contains 18 women and 0 men. You'd almost certainly want a man for your 19th person.
- No-one in your political reporting unit leans politically far left. You'd want someone with far-left views. You'd want them in every single discussion about politics in your political reporting unit for their political perspective.
- You don't have anyone who dropped out of college or never went to college in your cohort at work, even though you don't strictly need a university education to do the job we all do in the team. You'd almost certainly want to recruit someone without a college education next.
- You only have people who've grown up rurally in your farming business. You'd almost certainly want someone who's grown up in a city next on your team.
We're all products of a bunch of characteristics, beliefs and experiences. Many chosen, many not. We all bring a complete package. In recruitment and diversity, we want packages to cover all sorts of qualities we should have.
In a newsroom, you want varied folks, especially in just conveying whatever you like to all the people who don't share your points of reference, say a huge majority having certain political views. We cannot lay our biases at the door. Being aware of them is not enough.
Diversity is extremely diverse. It seems obvious NPR (and so many other organizations) are failing at diversity and that their products suffer in turn.
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Comment on Norway's health minister resigned Friday, the second Norwegian government member to step down this year amid allegations they plagiarized academic works in ~misc
nacho Link ParentIt's my opinion, and that of a person I know who's sat on a Norwegian university's committee for dealing with student cheating/plagiarism, that Norwegian universities have just caught up to the...The context for this latest scandal is that the government has been enforcing a very strict line on what they consider to be academic cheating
It's my opinion, and that of a person I know who's sat on a Norwegian university's committee for dealing with student cheating/plagiarism, that Norwegian universities have just caught up to the standards English-language universities have used since the turn of the millennium.
In the case against the health minister who resigned today, The poor, rudimentary plagiarism check run before accepting her master's degree, showed 19% copied material from elsewhere. That figure, 19%, led the university to not bother checking whether there was cheating, because it was "below 20%". That was the only reason given.
Nord University has been a joke. The community colleges that were merged and given university status as a combined university with decentralized campuses throughout a huge region clearly weren't up to basic standards of well, running a university.
The Norwegian academics speaking out about "harsh" treatment of plagiarism with students have been ridiculed by the scientists who publish in renowned journals, who've had their education at top universities (abroad, there are none in Norway), and scientists in highly competitive fields, like engineering, different types of health sciences and Law.
This last bit is the reason why it's been so obvious that the health minister had to get removed (she didn't have the decency to resign like the minister for higher education did). Kjerkol lost the trust of the doctors, nurses, researchers and health care workers because she clearly doesn't understand how higher education works and subsequently the policies needed to be the top politician in that field.
The rest of your comment is very on point.
As things stand now, with the current prime minister having to remove 7 ministers in a cabinet of around 20 during in three years is, well, unheard of.
Like which highly qualified person within the health field would want to take over the health portfolio in government? They have to have some very clear personal convictions to want to put themselves through it. Especially as there's a huge lack of people willing to work in health care compared to the huge demand that's going to increase with the aging population the next couple of years. The coalition government seem unwilling to prioritize the field in planning budgets. You'll essentially be a fall guy.
We'll see!
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Comment on How do you feel about student loan forgiveness? in ~life
nacho Link ParentI'd say a huge amount of STEM degrees really, really need philosophy if they are to use their skills in ways that don't advertently cause a lot of harm to society. Sure, there's some bloat in...I'd say a huge amount of STEM degrees really, really need philosophy if they are to use their skills in ways that don't advertently cause a lot of harm to society.
Sure, there's some bloat in degrees (there's a reason a lot of bachelor degrees in Europe are 3 and not 4 years), but we want people who take higher education to become slightly well-rounded.
In democracies, it's extra important that people have the knowledge that lets them realize their potential as productive members of society. More well-rounded vocational training or other ways so these types of courses aren't restricted to academics is also a big deal.
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Comment on Insurers use aerial photos to check out roofs or to spot yard debris and undeclared trampolines in ~finance
nacho Link ParentTo the contrary, in the EU this right is even more obvious than in the US. The right to freedom of expression includes the right to free access to information. This is a fundemental human right. I...To the contrary, in the EU this right is even more obvious than in the US.
The right to freedom of expression includes the right to free access to information. This is a fundemental human right.
I have a right to gather information in public, with some limitations, but generally, as much as I want. You have no expectation of privacy when in public. Publication of content is a separate issue.
Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights reads as follows:
- Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. This Article shall not prevent States from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises.
- The exercise of these freedoms, since it carries with it duties and responsibilities, may be subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary.
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Comment on Insurers use aerial photos to check out roofs or to spot yard debris and undeclared trampolines in ~finance
nacho Link ParentLike speech, like personal property, right to weaponry and all the other rights, rights to privacy are necessarily limited. We have expectations of privacy in many areas. In other areas, we have...Like speech, like personal property, right to weaponry and all the other rights, rights to privacy are necessarily limited.
We have expectations of privacy in many areas. In other areas, we have no such reasonable expectation. A number of actions we make are legally defined as doing something public, where there is no expectation of privacy.
Many property-related decisions are by definition public.
I'm happy that my local government updates public maps of buildings, roads and other items based on building applications. That lets me, a neighbor, know whether the guy across he road is building an illegal or potentially unsafe pool by the main road. And that I may want to report that to authorities as there is no permit.
Likewise, my local government uses satellite imagery to update new roads, buildings, areas that are deforested, where they have diverted a small stream etc. These matters become public record. Transforming the landscape is not a private act. That's why we have public registries, application processes etc. I cannot do whatever I want on my land. I am a part of society.
Now similarly, I'm fully in my right to view the neighbor's property in the resolutions on can take legally.
In my area, as long as I stand on a public road/property and have permits in order, don't fly within distance restrictions close buildings etc, to that resolution is however strong a camera I can mount on a drone of a legal size I can fly.
Further, this is not simply a case of "I have nothing to hide, so I don't care". Insurance premiums are based on collective, calculated average costs. If a bunch of people have issues covered by insurance, that they aim to hide from their insurer, my personal premiums go up as my insurer will necessarily assume that risks are higher than they should be.
It is in my personal interest that people pay their fair share on insurance. So my fully declared items get a lower premium.
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Comment on Insurers use aerial photos to check out roofs or to spot yard debris and undeclared trampolines in ~finance
nacho Link ParentI disagree. Taking pictures of private property from public space should obviously be legal. That's what you're essentially doing with satellite imagery, high altitude balloons etc. There are laws...I disagree.
Taking pictures of private property from public space should obviously be legal. That's what you're essentially doing with satellite imagery, high altitude balloons etc.
There are laws and regulations for flying drones at low altitudes legally. Those rules should obviously be followed, and updated where states haven't made updated regulations that take into account how pervasive drones are, and modern photography technology.
Beyond that principle, it seems silly to warn people ahead of time, so they can take measures to hide their insurance fraud.
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Comment on Hey, monthly mystery commenters, what's up with the hit-and-runs? in ~tildes
nacho LinkI think for many of us, we've given up commenting online in general. Each comment made is an exception to the rule of votes/reactions only. I expect many of the comments you're pointing to in the...I think for many of us, we've given up commenting online in general. Each comment made is an exception to the rule of votes/reactions only.
I expect many of the comments you're pointing to in the OP are substantive, either in length or content.
I try to make the points I want to make once. Many online conversations just deteriorate because people aren't there for an interactive thing, the input never seems to come n and lead to something worthwhile in the follow-up.
Tildes expects people to do better in their participation. On some topics, that really works. On other topics/issues, I still don't ever bother commenting because those already in the threads clearly aren't willing to listen.
We're essentially distrustful of all online discourse because it's broken on other sites, so we assume/act as though it'll be the same thing here.
All too regularly, I regret making comment two and/or three in a thread. It just wasn't worth it, for whatever reason.
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Comment on Folks in those $100k+ jobs, corporate types, office workers... What would you say you actually do? in ~life
nacho LinkI completely agree that teachers are underpaid almost everywhere, the occupation doesn't get the credit it should in society and consequently too few of the brilliant people we want to work as...I completely agree that teachers are underpaid almost everywhere, the occupation doesn't get the credit it should in society and consequently too few of the brilliant people we want to work as teachers do. Society loses out, both in terms of democracy and having an educated populace vote, and in terms of "value created" because educated people can do more to benefit society, but also in terms of letting people make the best decisions for themselves as the pilots in their own lives.
Sorry for a long post that's about me in mostly flattering terms. It's not my favorite thing to share, but hopefully that's more of a direct answer to the good and important question asked in the OP.
That said, I'm not bragging when I say that I'm worth the silly salary I'm paid to do the job I do.
Both in terms of bringing jobs and value to the company I work for and the area I work in, and compared to if you'd hire someone with a fraction of my salary, who could do the job, but wouldn't perform as well.
Say I'm paid a million a year more than you could hire someone else for. I bring in more than a million in pure profit (not revenue) to the company than any replacement who'd take the job for the million less a year. You could not hire three people for 300.000 each a year and get the same response.
I ran a one-person network company. "We" got bought by a huge multinational with the agreement that I would have to work for the new mother company for some years. The mandatory years have passed.
My skills and attributes are worth the salary I make, because coming in second place means someone else wins the entire contract/bid for a customer, we're out of work, don't profit and someone else, maybe in India, do instead.
A manager's worth isn't measured in hours worked, but getting and edge and making the very right decision under pressure in the situations where making the right call is all or nothing. My value comes in strategy, planning and the execution of those plans over time.
I manage several employees, develop strategy, have ideas, pitch solutions to problems, or plans to meet customer demand specs.
The most important task I do at work is sit, or run, or walk or swim, or play a computer game, read random stuff online, browse tildes or whatever, and have the best idea I possibly can to solve a task. Then we need to operationalize that idea after ensuring that the thinking is sound.
Sometimes I sit in my office and stare at the wall for a couple hours, simply thinking. Most of the time my best work comes when I'm just living my life, and I pull out my phone and write down these thoughts immediately so we can capitalize on them later
Other days, I have a bunch of meetings, internally with the employees I personally manage, with other managers or c-suite folks. Some days I waste travelling because customers want to meet physically. Other days I have efficient meetings with clients to assess their needs and ensure that we can supply the best solution to their needs, not the solutions they think they need.
Previously, I actually networked, or "did work" rather than talk to people. I still have a technical skill set that my company leverages regularly.
Now I mostly deal with emergency issues for our largest clients when they're in the "what do we do with this immediate problem" phase. I work in a field where you can't just throw more people at a problem to solve it faster. To solve things faster, you need to have the best few people work on things in parallel. Sometimes digital systems work so that only a single person can work solving the issue at the same time.
When I do this "actual work", rather than just be a corporate type in an office, more and more I'm especially in demand when the issue the client has identified isn't actually on our end, or even with our systems in any way, but I can work the rest of their infrastructure due to past work.
If I make a bad call, tens of people can be out of work. I get paid for living and managing that responsibility. In just the same way, teachers should be paid more for managing the responsibility of educating our children for the future, to the betterment of them individually, and for society.
People can say "no-one's skillset is worth 10x someone else" or "no-one can do the work of 20 people, so they shouldn't be paid 20 times more" or "someone else can do the same job for less".
Often those sentiments are simply wrong. If you have the second fastest runner, you don't win gold. If there's only one prize in the contest, you go home with nothing for second place.
I'm in no circumstances saying that I'm worth more than a teacher. Our salaries do in no way reflect our worth as humans, people.
Garbage-collectors and those who take care of the elderly, those who deliver food to stores and all sorts of other functions are necessary for society to function. Many people are vastly underpaid for their time. Society is organized in ways that are unfair, that vastly underpay some of those who add most value to society, like good teachers. The difference between having an adult in a classroom and a great teacher cannot be overstated.
But there most certainly are situations where someone's skillset in some way or another can be worth 4, 10, 50 or 100 times more than someone else in that same role.
Do I feel like an imposter sitting in an office all day, making seven figures, sometimes just sitting around drinking hot chocolate? Who in their right mind wouldn't. But some days, the triage I do for 40 minutes for a customer who's having serious issues can be worth millions to them in getting their factory running again, or millions to our company because we win a large contract, or millions to society where we live in jobs and tax revenue that would otherwise go to a company in a different country.
I could have five times my salary, and I'd still be a good deal for my employer; I'd still add more value to the company than the extra amount I'd be paid compared to someone else in the same role.
I'd gladly pay more tax than I do to contribute my fair share. I volunteer in many capacities to try to make up the difference. I hope some of my skills, mostly gained at work, can contribute in small ways to good causes that way too.
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Comment on Reddit pops as much as 70% in NYSE debut after selling shares at top of range in ~tech
nacho Link ParentYou made money. Stocks aren't about buying at the exact bottom and selling perfectly at the mega-peak, but making good decisions.You made money. Stocks aren't about buying at the exact bottom and selling perfectly at the mega-peak, but making good decisions.
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Comment on Swedish land owner wins legal battle to keep 14kg meteorite – appeals court ruled that such rocks should be considered “immovable property” and part of the land where they are found in ~space
nacho LinkWhat this article doesn't say, which is a major point in the Swedish-language ones, is that the landowner thinks of this as such an important win because this makes exhibiting the meteorite...What this article doesn't say, which is a major point in the Swedish-language ones, is that the landowner thinks of this as such an important win because this makes exhibiting the meteorite publicly in a museum so much closer to a reality.
The implication is that the "finders" want to keep/sell it, and that he just wants this important artifact to be publicly available to Swedes and therefore needs them not to own the meteorite.
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Comment on Has anyone here received any benefit as a consumer from algorithmic ad targeting? in ~tech
nacho LinkA lot of the time I think we just don't notice relevant ads targeting us specifically, because they're not something you notice. What we do notice is every time it goes wrong, and we get ads for...A lot of the time I think we just don't notice relevant ads targeting us specifically, because they're not something you notice.
What we do notice is every time it goes wrong, and we get ads for hot tubs, or beds or whatever high-profit item for a decade or more, everywhere.
Examples og good algorithmic targeted ads:
- Ads for a new flavor of my favorite beverage brand being launched.
- Ad for the book I can't remember the name of, but had recommended to me
- Ad for a title I was thinking about buying, but forgot
- Ads about all sorts of relevant events in placed I'm going to be at different points in time. There are concerts I'd totally miss if it weren't for these ads because I wouldn't think to search for that artist in that city while I was there.
- Relevant health-related ads from the government based on searching for travel destinations
- Relevant music/related video ads on youtube all the time.
- relevant ads for different travel destinations I would consider, but hadn't thought about.
To me what really sucks are getting the same ads in huge volumes for things that aren't at all relevant to me. No, I'm not buying a car. No, I'm definitely not buying a car because I bought one previously. No, I'm never going to McDonalds or Burger King and I'm not going to buy soda just because I get ads for a specific brand everywhere.
Sure, relevant ads may lead some to buy more of things than they had planned or should, but many people make bad choices when they go to the store, or just going shopping based on their financial needs too.
Yes, there's too much pressure to buy stuff. I think the worst kind of ads are related to food and servings and expectations relating to diet. The food advertising and trends are killing us on a societal level, one obesity/overnutrition death at a time.
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Comment on Best foreign films and TV shows? in ~tv
nacho LinkAs you've liked some Korean content already, there's an absolute ton of great stuff. If you've got Netflix, I'd just start there to try to narrow down what genres you like or not. Some rely...As you've liked some Korean content already, there's an absolute ton of great stuff.
If you've got Netflix, I'd just start there to try to narrow down what genres you like or not. Some rely heavily on tropes and clichés, which some like and some hate.
There are genres like:
- Memory loss
- Woman living the life of a man in the Joseon (historical) period.
- Work romance
- generational business family drama
- School dramas
- Medical dramas
- Action dramas
- Law dramas
- Horror/Thriller shows
- People in special careers-dramas (weather forecasting, badminton-players, all sorts of weird stuff)
- Supernatural/people with magical powers-shows
The list goes on and on. I'd just try experimenting with the first 5-10 minutes or episode of stuff you've got available to you to narrow down what you like and what you don't like.
Right now Hulu/FX are releasing Shogun, an episode a week. It's a historical drama set in Japan where a Brit has come with his ship as the first European who isn't Portuguese.
I've only seen the first two episodes, but so far it's been excellent, but clearly R-rated for a reason.
This is only the tip of the iceberg on foreign productions. I've thoroughly enjoyed South American shows on Netflix, and stuff from all over the world with high production value.
If you become invested, there are other streaming services where you get subtitled foreign stuff, but they're much more specific to one region.
One thing from foreign stuff is just that it's high quality entertainment that's based on a different culture/values and production. You get the second layer of a lens into different modern psychologies and the issues that matter to those societies where these shows are initially broadcast.
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Comment on Indian government to impose ban on import, sale, and cross-breeding of twenty-three ferocious dog breeds in ~life.pets
nacho Link ParentWeren't terriers bred to attack wild animals during hunts? I believe they were specifically selected to be aggressive and attack animals that are also many times their size so they'd be easier to...Weren't terriers bred to attack wild animals during hunts?
I believe they were specifically selected to be aggressive and attack animals that are also many times their size so they'd be easier to hunt.
That is probably part of the reason. There could also be local reasons, I'm sure.
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Comment on What a bunch of A-list celebs taught me about how to use my phone in ~tech
nacho Link ParentI have calls, texts, can take pictures or videos and sync with cloud services later. No emails, no messenger apps, no alerts, no news, no tracking. No music, no podcasts, no streaming, no videos....I have calls, texts, can take pictures or videos and sync with cloud services later.
No emails, no messenger apps, no alerts, no news, no tracking. No music, no podcasts, no streaming, no videos. No news, no social media scrolling, no tracking no recommendations.
You can choose to have offline alerts from your calendar or not. I have those off. I can always choose to go to a computer, or go online to check email, news, whatever actively. Then go about my day later.
The greatest effect is that you are off when you're not working. That you are in the moment, and not constantly thinking about the vibrations in your pocket. Kids, people, if you watch a movie, you're right then and there.
If whatever I'm watching can't keep my interest enough to put the phone away, maybe I shouldn't be wasting my time on watching it?
I can have automated messages on email to text me if something requires a prompt response. Customers and colleagues alike know not to misuse it, and aren't scared of sending me a message if something should be done soon.
I can time outgoing emails to always be sent within office hours in a lame attempt to let others escape the terrorization of alerts from me at least.
I have free time that's my own time. My employer pays me for my time and doesn't get hours and hours for free, just checking stuff.
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Comment on What a bunch of A-list celebs taught me about how to use my phone in ~tech
nacho LinkI turn wifi and 5G off on my phone when I leave work and am not on call. I turn it back on when I get to work. Everyone knows they can call or text me if needed, and that I'd much rather they call...I turn wifi and 5G off on my phone when I leave work and am not on call. I turn it back on when I get to work.
Everyone knows they can call or text me if needed, and that I'd much rather they call to have a chat than get an impersonal message.
I don't live with beeps and boops drawing my attention away from those around me, or my own personal space all the time.
It's absolutely amazing. I highly recommend this.
A lot of old online content has been indexed by many different public "archive"-services of various kinds.
The way to ensure that people don't find the actual pieces of content you don't want online is to make un-indexing requests to online search engines, not to have the content scrubbed from the original site submitted to.
My experience with search engines is that they often remove the content from results, irrespective of source. Therefore the indexes don't appear in search results either. If someone were to go to an index site directly, they might find stuff, but their searches are often poor, and a lot fewer people will check those places as compared to just googling someone as part of due diligence for whatever they're trying to ever-so-slightly background check me for.
That's often quite a bit of work, so you'll have to be selective about what things you actually want to rid yourself of.