qob's recent activity
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Comment on How much of an echo chamber is Reddit/the internet, really? in ~tech
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Comment on How much of an echo chamber is Reddit/the internet, really? in ~tech
qob LinkI think it all comes down to the fact that 99% of one's life is not political. You go to work, you eat, you socialize, you take care of your home and your loved ones, and that's it for the vast...I think it all comes down to the fact that 99% of one's life is not political. You go to work, you eat, you socialize, you take care of your home and your loved ones, and that's it for the vast majority, even for those with strong political opinions. It doesn't matter if you live in the USA or in North Korea. Is it a lot harder for North Koreans to have a good day and maneuver around political oppressors than in Finland? You bet it is. But that doesn't mean it's obvious if you visit.
On the internet, many people brandish their views like a sword, but unless you're a politician or an influencer, you don't do that at all in everyday life. You don't know if the cashier you just bought a snack from wants to bring back slavery, because even people like that are usually civilized and know how to behave to get through their day with a minimum amount of fuss. That doesn't mean there are no societal issues, not at all. But civilization means societies can still function when they are breaking apart.
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Comment on Proton sponsors far-right French YouTuber, claims lack of awareness in response to backlash in ~society
qob Link ParentI don't need a detailed report of every fraction of a penny to know that a $2 T-shirt made in Bangladesh is supporting exploitative working conditions and destroying natural resources. Maybe I'm...I don't need a detailed report of every fraction of a penny to know that a $2 T-shirt made in Bangladesh is supporting exploitative working conditions and destroying natural resources.
Maybe I'm weird because I like to imagine what my money might do upstream? I usually feel either good, bad or a mixture of both when I buy something. Not because of the product itself (that, too, of course, but that's unrelated), but because of the impact my actions have on other people.
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Comment on Proton sponsors far-right French YouTuber, claims lack of awareness in response to backlash in ~society
qob Link ParentNo idea. The world is way too complex to keep track of that. It seems you think I'm saying people are guilty for consuming things? I'm not. I'm saying you can't spend money without making a...No idea. The world is way too complex to keep track of that.
It seems you think I'm saying people are guilty for consuming things? I'm not. I'm saying you can't spend money without making a political statement. If I buy a computer that contains raw materials that were mined by slaves, and I use that computer for any-slavery activism, I'm not contradicting myself, I'm compromising, which is the basis of politics.
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Comment on Proton sponsors far-right French YouTuber, claims lack of awareness in response to backlash in ~society
qob Link ParentBuying land mines or investing in a company that makes land mines is certainly the most direct way of supporting land mines. But you could also donate to a party that wants to legalize land mines...Buying land mines or investing in a company that makes land mines is certainly the most direct way of supporting land mines. But you could also donate to a party that wants to legalize land mines or buy completely unrelated products from a company that uses the revenue from those unrelated products to subsidize land mine production in one of their subsidiaries.
And it can get a lot more complex, of course. Let's assume Peter Thiel bought some Freedom Land in South America and covered the borders in land mines. If I do business with some company that does business with one of Peter Thiel's companies, I'm effectively supporting land mines. There are so many steps between me and the land mines that it's very hard to blame me for the land mines. But still, if nobody would do business with Peter Thiel because of his land mining, he wouldn't have any land mine money.
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Comment on Proton sponsors far-right French YouTuber, claims lack of awareness in response to backlash in ~society
qob Link ParentI'm not saying you have to track down every dollar you spend to make sure it doesn't end up in land mine production. But if that dollar does pay for a land mine, you are effectively supporting...I'm not saying you have to track down every dollar you spend to make sure it doesn't end up in land mine production. But if that dollar does pay for a land mine, you are effectively supporting land mines.
That doesn't mean you are to blame for that land mine, it just means the land mine wouldn't have been produced without that dollar.
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Comment on Proton sponsors far-right French YouTuber, claims lack of awareness in response to backlash in ~society
qob Link ParentThat's not fair enough, that's bullshit. You can't give someone money without supporting them and what they stand for. I know this kind of view resonates with a lot of consumers who hate Amazon...An affiliate or sponsorship arrangement is a transactional placement for awareness, not an endorsement of a creator's views.
That's not fair enough, that's bullshit. You can't give someone money without supporting them and what they stand for.
I know this kind of view resonates with a lot of consumers who hate Amazon and other companies who reap billions from exploiting workers and buy from them anyway, but it doesn't make any sense. If I sponsor a hate speech channel, I'm sponsoring hate speech. You simply can't spend or invest money without making a political statement.
I'm not saying they supported him knowingly. Maybe it was an honest mistake and they feel bad about it, and I'm OK with giving them the benefit of the doubt. But that kind of reasoning is still bullshit.
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Comment on Code is cheap(er) in ~comp
qob LinkSide note: Like most Disney stories, The Sorcerer's Apprentice is not a Disney creation. I assume most readers already knew this, but it had to be said.Side note: Like most Disney stories, The Sorcerer's Apprentice is not a Disney creation. I assume most readers already knew this, but it had to be said.
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Comment on Samsung chip workers to get $340,000 average bonus in AI boom in ~tech
qob Link ParentOK, I looked it up and Meta actually has different kinds of shares: "While Zuckerberg owns just 13 percent of Meta’s stock, he controls 61.1 percent of the vote because of the company’s voting...OK, I looked it up and Meta actually has different kinds of shares:
"While Zuckerberg owns just 13 percent of Meta’s stock, he controls 61.1 percent of the vote because of the company’s voting structure. Meta has a two-tiered stock system that gives Class A stock one vote per share and Class B stock 10 votes per share. Zuckerberg owns 99.8 percent of the Class B stock available, according to the company’s proxy statement."
"Google has a similar model to Meta, in which its Class B shares hold ten times the power of Class A stock. Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin control 51.3 percent of the vote due to their ownership of Class B stock, according to SEC files."
Want to make a large purchase? Better quit while things are good.
If you're going to sacrifice your job to buy a boat, you either hate your job or you really want that boat. In both cases, you definitely should get out of that company and enjoy your boat.
Economy down/company recovering from a difficult situation? Enjoy being stuck or taking a huge loss.
People have always been stuck in shitty and harmful jobs. I would say it's an improvement if you can profit from quitting a job that you hate.
what person is going to sacrifice the health of their loved ones for a company?
Well, yeah, the US should catch up with the rest of the world and fix their health care system. But they should do that anyway, because putting anyone in a position where they have to chose between helping their loved ones or harming others is just pure idiocy. Would you shoot randomly into a crowd of strangers if that would cure your kid's cancer? What a terrible, terrible question!
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Comment on Samsung chip workers to get $340,000 average bonus in AI boom in ~tech
qob Link ParentI've heard that big companies have different kinds of stock. Some kinds give you actual control and other kinds are just to profit from. I don't know how that works, but I highly doubt the average...I've heard that big companies have different kinds of stock. Some kinds give you actual control and other kinds are just to profit from. I don't know how that works, but I highly doubt the average keyboard monkey at Meta when it comes to business decisions.
And even if they had a vote, their shares are so small that they couldn't make a difference. There should be a law that gradually transfers ownership of the company to its employees as it grows bigger. When you leave the company, you have to sell your shares.
And if the employees think their personal profit is more important than whatever it is their company is doing, the company shouldn't exist.
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Comment on Did wokeness leave us worse off? (gifted link) in ~society
qob Link ParentI don't really disagree. But we if we know many people are like that, is it smart to just ignore that and insist on the most advanced ethical goals we can think of? Wouldn't it be smarter to reach...But to them I say, no, and fuck you. The people who voted for Trump because they wanted to use slurs and whine about the “war on Christmas” were always fucking assholes who were just making excuses for being stupid and voting against their own interests.
I don't really disagree. But we if we know many people are like that, is it smart to just ignore that and insist on the most advanced ethical goals we can think of? Wouldn't it be smarter to reach for lower hanging fruit? The assholes aren't going to say: "Oh, I didn't know you guys were serious. I guess you are right. Let's ignore my feelings and have it your way." They will double down, and so will we, and it will end in violence.
We usually understand this instinctively in everyday life. If a customer is sort of a dick, maybe we tell them to seek business elsewhere, but we don't tell them they are literally worse than Hitler and should go die in a ditch with a cactus up their arse. But in political discussions, we forget that for some reason. We throw diplomacy overboard and anyone who suggests compromise is a traitor. I don't see how this is supposed to do more good than harm.
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Comment on How US doctors cashed in on the No Surprises Act in ~health
qob Link ParentSure, but they (like everyone else) get their money from the little guy. Every party directly involved may be swimming in money, but they won't get poor from robbing each other. They will just...Both parties can absolutely afford to make proper legal arguments.
Sure, but they (like everyone else) get their money from the little guy. Every party directly involved may be swimming in money, but they won't get poor from robbing each other. They will just increase their income and maybe become even richer because they have an excuse. I'll be surprised if big oil isn't making billions in additional profits because of the ongoing crisis.
Societies will always find ways to make the little guy pay.
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Comment on Framework reveals 13 Pro laptop with 20-hour battery in ~tech
qob Link ParentI would bet a hefty sum that every company with more than, say, 100 employees has someone attached to it (as an investor, shareholder, employee, etc) who did something most people would consider...I would bet a hefty sum that every company with more than, say, 100 employees has someone attached to it (as an investor, shareholder, employee, etc) who did something most people would consider an asshole move.
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Comment on How worried should I be about plastic water bottles? in ~talk
qob LinkPossibly relevant: https://tildes.net/~enviro/1oxu/glass_bottles_found_to_contain_more_microplastics_than_plastic_bottles -
Comment on I love you all in ~talk
qob Link ParentAnd if Tor doesn't work, does Snowflake work? To anyone who wants to help but doesn't know how, you can run Snowflake on your computer and be a VPN-like entry point for users in need. You don't...And if Tor doesn't work, does Snowflake work?
To anyone who wants to help but doesn't know how, you can run Snowflake on your computer and be a VPN-like entry point for users in need. You don't have to worry about someone using your connection for nefarious purposes because Snowflake routes through at least one more node before reentering the normal internet. Your IP won't show up in any logs.
I've been running Snowflake for years without issues.
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Comment on Boomer hate in ~society
qob LinkRich people have been fucking things up since the dawn of time and we refuse to really hold them accountable. Blaming immigrants, jews, boomers and millennials is easier because we love...Rich people have been fucking things up since the dawn of time and we refuse to really hold them accountable. Blaming immigrants, jews, boomers and millennials is easier because we love celebrities. Even if we pretend we're outraged because one of them said something incredibly vile, I think in some weird way we like them even more for it because it's gossip material. Look at how many headlines Elon Musk and other tech bros get for statements that are even stupider than you can imagine. But we still need to have someone to blame for their shit, so we need scapegoats.
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Comment on Possible first European rocket launch to reach orbit taking place in ~20minutes, livesteam here! in ~space
qob Link ParentIt was aborted. :( No reason was given. Doesn't sound like it was related to the boat. When the countdown was almost at zero, it was put on hold and a few minutes later they said it wouldn't...It was aborted. :(
No reason was given. Doesn't sound like it was related to the boat. When the countdown was almost at zero, it was put on hold and a few minutes later they said it wouldn't launch today.
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Comment on Commonly misspelled words quiz in ~humanities.languages
qob Link ParentI believe it's best to give up and assume that there is no connection between spelling and pronunciation in the English language. It's spelled "Luxury-Yacht", but it's pronounced...I believe it's best to give up and assume that there is no connection between spelling and pronunciation in the English language.
It's spelled "Luxury-Yacht", but it's pronounced "Throatwobbler-Mangrove".
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Comment on The 49MB web page in ~comp
qob Link ParentPeople have been telling me that it's not viable to disable Javascript in <current year> for decades. Probably since Javascript was introduced. And yet, many websites, especially articles, only...People have been telling me that it's not viable to disable Javascript in <current year> for decades. Probably since Javascript was introduced. And yet, many websites, especially articles, only become usable once you turn JS off. Yes, the functionality is often severely reduced, but if you only want to read the article and not login, share on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter, that's not an issue.
And for shopping, banking, Tildes, etc, I can enable Javascript selectively with uBlock Origin or NoScript to enable only the features I need.
Some website load code from so many domains that this is approach is too tedious, but in my experience, those websites are garbage with or without JS, so I just don't use them.
(BTW, I'm actually mostly vegan and I rarely eat beans.)
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Comment on The 49MB web page in ~comp
qob LinkIt's always fascinating to me to read these horror stories about modern websites because I've disbabled JS and see almost none of this crap. I don't understand how these website still get...It's always fascinating to me to read these horror stories about modern websites because I've disbabled JS and see almost none of this crap. I don't understand how these website still get visitors. If a barkeeper would punch everyone in the face if they orders a drink, he would be out of a job very quickly, even if the drinks were free. But somehow websites can do whatever they want and users are ok with it.
It's funny because I recently had a discussion in another Tildes thread because I said "You can't spend money without making a political statement" and now I seem to contradict myself.
But not really. I agree with you. Many of the things we do have some political aspect to them. But we don't do them for political reasons. If I laugh when my boss makes racist jokes, I might feel like throwing up but laugh anyway because he always supported me when nobody else would, and because I have a kid and I need that job.
So yeah, whether I laugh or speak up, my reaction is always political. But my reasons are probably apolitical because 0% of my life is about reorganizing society. It's about paying bills, getting food on the table and, every once in a while, if I have some money and energy left over, I will probably spend it on something that makes me happy so I don't fall apart.