senatorskeletor's recent activity
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Comment on What is your go-to never-failing joke? in ~talk
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Comment on Daily Tildes discussion - how can we help people "acclimate" in a friendlier way? in ~tildes.official
senatorskeletor LinkTelling people their content isn't wanted is much more likely to drive them away. If they're not violating any rules, but just not fitting into the general vibe, I think we should tread very...Telling people their content isn't wanted is much more likely to drive them away. If they're not violating any rules, but just not fitting into the general vibe, I think we should tread very carefully.
If it's something clearly not in the Tildes spirit like a dumb meme, you can probably get away with removal, commenting to OP that that's not how the site works, and so on. But even then it should be done in a welcoming way that encourages them to keep posting and commenting, just not the specific way they were doing it.
If it's more of a "doesn't fit the vibe" thing, say someone made a low-effort text post, I don't know if taking action will do more good than harm. I know when I go onto subreddits and my first post gets removed for a dumb reason or, worse, a reason that's not clearly stated in the rules, then I don't feel like coming back. I personally haven't come on the site for a while, and I think it's because I can't post or comment anything without someone criticizing me and being kind of a dick about it. There's no "oh, that's interesting" here; it's all "that would never work." Especially when the site needs to broaden its base beyond the typical early-adopter set, discouraging new users at their entry point seems to me a bad idea.
I do really like the idea of "what types of things should I post?", maybe in the introductory message to new users. But even then, I don't think it should come across as an exhaustive list.
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Comment on Alert users if link already posted in last 7 days in ~tildes
senatorskeletor LinkReposts are fine, in general. People miss the content the first time, and the repost speaks discussion that many people find interesting. I’m a mod on a subreddit, and I am constantly amazed at...Reposts are fine, in general. People miss the content the first time, and the repost speaks discussion that many people find interesting. I’m a mod on a subreddit, and I am constantly amazed at what some people still don’t know yet. But they don’t, and they value that discussion.
Maybe there could be a different threshold, like an article being posted within the last 24 hours, or eight times this month. But we don’t want people to have to be on the site constantly, or even every day, to keep up with it.
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Comment on Daily Tildes discussion - nothing in particular in ~tildes.official
senatorskeletor Link ParentI think it’s a couple of things. First, it’s not like every article gets to the point quickly and gets out. Plenty of articles add details that, while interesting, aren’t necessary to understand...I think it’s a couple of things. First, it’s not like every article gets to the point quickly and gets out. Plenty of articles add details that, while interesting, aren’t necessary to understand the significant points and arguments being made. Granted, not every summary is well done, but if it provides the relevant information more succinctly, is there any harm?
Second, a summary can help readers decide if the article is worth their time. I love sinking my teeth into a really great article. But I’m not going to spend my time on a long article if I’m not that into the subject and it’s not that well written. Same goes for the point above, if I only need to know a little bit in the article to get the point, but it just keeps going on and on. In both these cases, a summary can let me know if diving in will be a good use of my time.
Finally, as a broad concept, I think tildes should stay away from the presumption that good discussion requires extensive prep work. It’s unnecessary (see above) and it’s terribly discouraging to the new users this site wants to draw.
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Comment on Daily Tildes discussion - nothing in particular in ~tildes.official
senatorskeletor Link ParentIs there a way to get notifications (say, for new comment replies) other than through an app?Is there a way to get notifications (say, for new comment replies) other than through an app?
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Comment on Terminator 6 to be direct Terminator 2 sequel in ~movies
senatorskeletor Link ParentI must be the only person who doesn’t mind when Hollywood recycles old ideas, whether that’s adaptations from other formats or revisiting old series. I just love adaptation, and even if a new...I must be the only person who doesn’t mind when Hollywood recycles old ideas, whether that’s adaptations from other formats or revisiting old series. I just love adaptation, and even if a new version isn’t very good, it doesn’t take anything away from the original work. If anything, the bigger risk is that the new version is good enough to displace the old version in the public consciousness. And that sucks if you loved the early-90s TMNT and all anyone knows now is the modern version, but that’s going to happen to you whether the product is remade or not. I only wish that as many people knew all the lines from classic-era Simpsons the way it felt like they did 15 years ago. But what can you do? Time marches on.
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Comment on Terminator 6 to be direct Terminator 2 sequel in ~movies
senatorskeletor Link ParentLikewise! I’m surprised I’m just hearing about it now when it’s barely a year off. Great stuff.Likewise! I’m surprised I’m just hearing about it now when it’s barely a year off. Great stuff.
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Comment on Any predictions for The Winds of Winter? in ~books
senatorskeletor Link ParentMy problem is that I keep trying to figure out what the point of Arya’s story is. She’s an original character, so GRRM must have had some sort of plot in mind for her beyond “she becomes an...My problem is that I keep trying to figure out what the point of Arya’s story is. She’s an original character, so GRRM must have had some sort of plot in mind for her beyond “she becomes an assassin and we see how it goes.” The Stoneheart thing is at least somewhat narratively fulfilling, as sad as it may be.
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Comment on Any predictions for The Winds of Winter? in ~books
senatorskeletor Link ParentThere’s a fan theory that Tyrion’s real father is the Mad King Aerys, Dany’s father. (So I guess they’re half-siblings, not aunt and nephew... I must have been thinking of Dany being Jon’s aunt.)...There’s a fan theory that Tyrion’s real father is the Mad King Aerys, Dany’s father. (So I guess they’re half-siblings, not aunt and nephew... I must have been thinking of Dany being Jon’s aunt.) The World book says that part of the falling-out between Tywin and Aerys was that Aerys was taking unspecified liberties with Joanna, Tywin’s wife (and cousin) and Tyrion’s mother. The timing works out so that he might be Tyrion’s father.
Most people hear that and recoil because the father/son dynamic between Tywin and Tyrion is so well drawn. I personally think it’s okay either way, as there are some lines that take on added significance if Tywin is not Tyrion’s father. (In AFFC, Tywin’s sister Gemma tells Jaime that “Tyrion is your father’s son, not you”, although she means it more metaphorically. And at one point Tywin tells Tyrion expressly that “you’re my son because I can’t prove that you’re not.”) Also, I think there’s a metatextual argument for it: if you assume Tyrion is Aerys’ son, then the POVs for AGOT (reflecting GRRM’s initial vision) are (1) the Stark family; and (2) the three Targaryens.
I recognize there’s plenty of evidence going in the other direction, and I mostly meant it as a joke (which I screwed up anyway). But I still think it’s interesting.
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Any predictions for The Winds of Winter?
Not the release date (last intel: not in 2018, that's all we know), but the content. What's going to happen? Who's going to die? Here are my brief guesses for some of the main characters: Jon:...
Not the release date (last intel: not in 2018, that's all we know), but the content. What's going to happen? Who's going to die? Here are my brief guesses for some of the main characters:
Jon: Inhabits Ghost for a while after his human body's death (like Varamyr in the ADWD prologue), then gets resurrected by Melisandre. GRRM has said he always found it cheap that Gandalf returned hardly the worse for wear in LOTR, so I'm interested to see how Jon's different. In the show he seems slightly more carpe-diem, but it also seems like the show has mostly forgotten about it.
Stannis: Takes Winterfell (look up the Night Lamp theory if you're not familiar with it) from the Freys and Boltons, and holds onto it against an eventual siege by the Others.
Bran: The show has probably disproven this, but I still think he becomes a prisoner of the Others next to his uncle Benjen, because the Others can't kill a Stark for some reason.
Sansa: I think Harry the Heir turns out to be a nightmare, but Sansa learns to deal with him and use the power of the Vale to help the Starks in their fight to retake Winterfell.
Arya: I think she comes back to Winterfell and gives the gift of mercy to her mother, after seeing what she's become.
Daenerys: I think she'll have a longer experience taking over the Dothraki than in the show, and she'll fly west across Essos, laying waste to the free cities and setting the slaves free. In Westeros it will be completely unclear to everyone whether she's mad or not.
Tyrion: I think he will continue to fall into moral decay and after becoming a close advisor to Dany will encourage her "fire and blood" side. (Especially since she's his aunt!)
Theon: Something about "what is dead may never die, but rises again harder and stronger" makes me think he's coming back as a wight.
Victarion: Blows the horn and dies from it.
Cersei: I think Jaime will kill her, and fairly early on. I think Aegon will have the role she had in the most recent seasons of the show.
Jaime: I think he survives the confrontation with Lady Stoneheart and, disillusioned with both her and Cersei, leaves high society to lead the Brotherhood Without Banners.
Brienne: Someone has to die with Lady Stoneheart, right?
Aegon: I think he successfully conquers King's Landing. He'll eventually die by foolhardiness, but probably not for a while.
What do you all think? Anyone I'm forgetting?
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How do you keep up with new music?
I no longer listen to the radio, nor do I discuss music much with friends. My favorite hometown station even switched to Christian rock. So now I'm no longer discovering any new music, and I have...
I no longer listen to the radio, nor do I discuss music much with friends. My favorite hometown station even switched to Christian rock. So now I'm no longer discovering any new music, and I have no idea what's good. What do you do to keep up with what's good these days?
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Comment on What are some interesting hobbies you can start for free and without leaving your home? in ~hobbies
senatorskeletor Link Parent“'A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies,' said Jojen. 'The man who never reads lives only one.'” ― George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons“'A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies,' said Jojen. 'The man who never reads lives only one.'”
― George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons
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Comment on On making a fresh start in ~tildes
senatorskeletor Link ParentI think we're talking past each other here a bit. It sounds like you're saying that restrictions on speech rights definitionally transfer authority to other, usually unaccountable people who will...I think we're talking past each other here a bit. It sounds like you're saying that restrictions on speech rights definitionally transfer authority to other, usually unaccountable people who will inevitably misuse them. I appreciate that risk. I'm saying real-world considerations suggest we should have some tolerance for that risk.
Let's look at the example you used. Are there people out there who think calling a self-identified woman "miss" on a day when she feels more like a boy is hate speech? I've never heard anything like that, but sure, let's assume some people do. Is that common? I doubt it. More to the point, is it as common as the toxic sludge you see from the racists/fascists/Russian trolls who we know for a fact are polluting our society? Of course not.
To me, a simple risk analysis shows that we face bigger risks by declining to exercise any judgment about appropriate speech. It's like how the United States is awash in guns because of a speculative fear that individual gun owners will someday be the last bulwark against a tyrannical government. Is that a nonzero possibility? Sure. But when you weigh that against the actual people who are actually dying in our frequent mass shootings, it's clear that we have a greater cost from gun violence than we have a benefit from individual gun ownership. Responsible leaders have to do that kind of analysis and go where the results lead them.
Using Antifa in the same breath is exactly what I'm talking about. Here's the conservative National Review talking about how the right-wing labels of Antifa are overblown: https://www.nationalreview.com/2017/09/antifa-terrorism-designation-not-accurate/ In contrast, at least several recent mass shootings have been perpetrated by right-wing zealots. Unite the Right killed someone last year! The KKK has been killing people for over a century! But because private individuals aren't willing to step up enough and say that they're not going to tolerate hate speech, you hear "the KKK is a violent group" and "Antifa is a violent group" and you think they're similar.
That leads into my last, and maybe most important point. This is a private site. It is not possible for a private site to restrict someone's right to free speech. Those who traffic in hate speech can and should go elsewhere. If Tildes wants to have standards, and my understanding is that's the whole idea, then you can't have standards without saying that some forms of speech aren't welcome here. Keeping hate speech off Tildes is the right thing to do.
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Comment on Daily Tildes discussion - let's start gathering some thoughts for commenting guidelines in ~tildes.official
senatorskeletor Link ParentCould you walk me through how this is done without attacking the user? I feel like you'd have to refer back to their previous actions to demonstrate their bad faith. Am I missing something?Point out that the post is in bad faith, by exposing its flaws.
Could you walk me through how this is done without attacking the user? I feel like you'd have to refer back to their previous actions to demonstrate their bad faith. Am I missing something?
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Comment on Ensuring users read documentation in ~tildes
senatorskeletor Link ParentIf other people are replying and discussing it, doesn't that mean it's worth discussing and/or new users are still learning about it? That has value to me.If other people are replying and discussing it, doesn't that mean it's worth discussing and/or new users are still learning about it? That has value to me.
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Comment on On making a fresh start in ~tildes
senatorskeletor Link ParentIs that worth it though? You can see how far hate speech is going, just by looking at a newspaper, because people treat freedom of speech as an absolute. Is that really so much better than the...Is that worth it though? You can see how far hate speech is going, just by looking at a newspaper, because people treat freedom of speech as an absolute. Is that really so much better than the long-term abuses you worry about?
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Comment on Has anyone played any of the Legend of Zelda Randomizer games? in ~games
senatorskeletor Link ParentIt does take that into account. I think it's possible to get into a room where you have to save and quit, but you'll never just get stuck needing an item you can't get. That said, their definition...It does take that into account. I think it's possible to get into a room where you have to save and quit, but you'll never just get stuck needing an item you can't get.
That said, their definition of "accessible" can be a pain. On the game I'm playing now, I got the hammer as my initial weapon (they make sure you get some kind of offensive weapon early). For a while it was fun to see how far I could get using the hammer as a weapon. But then it turns out in northeast Hyrule there's a portal to the Dark World that's blocked by only a few spikes you can smush with the hammer. So now any treasure chest accessible through that area of the Dark World is considered fair game.
Basically, I feel like I'm going to explore most of the map in the Light and Dark Worlds before I can finish a single dungeon. It's a little disorienting and feels like nit-picking, but it does feel like a completely new challenge.
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What drama is currently going down in the world of your hobby that the rest of us probably haven't heard about?
This was a great thread elsewhere, so I'm curious to see how it'd go with the ~~ crew.
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Comment on Ensuring users read documentation in ~tildes
senatorskeletor Link ParentAgreed. I think a lot of early adopters on here forget that this site will never achieve a critical mass unless people are allowed to participate casually. Maybe it’ll always be a small forum if...Agreed. I think a lot of early adopters on here forget that this site will never achieve a critical mass unless people are allowed to participate casually. Maybe it’ll always be a small forum if that’s what people want, but if not we’ll have to loosen up.
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Comment on Ensuring users read documentation in ~tildes
senatorskeletor Link ParentI would caution against removing posts from new users unless they’re flagrantly inappropriate, especially at a time when we’re trying to encourage people to contribute.I would caution against removing posts from new users unless they’re flagrantly inappropriate, especially at a time when we’re trying to encourage people to contribute.
Not age-appropriate:
A devoutly Catholic guy gets onto an airplane and sees an empty seat in front of him. He looks out the window while idly wondering who might sit next to him. Lo and behold, a few minutes later, it's the actual Pope! Too shocked and amazed to even think straight, the man makes his introductions and pays the Pope a few compliments, without thinking to ask why the head of the Roman Catholic Church is flying commercial. They both settle into the flight.
About a half hour in, the Pope takes out a crossword puzzle. The man's mind starts to race. What if the Pope asks him for help? What if he can't come up with something and sounds like an idiot? He starts to get excited and nervous at the same time.
Soon enough, it happens: the Pope turns over to him. "Excuse me sir," he says, as the man prepares to tell the Pope what an inspiration he's been, "Could I ask your help on one of these clues?" The man, nearly blubbering, says "Sure, what is it?"
The Pope frowns. "It's 'A word to describe a woman.' Four letters, _UNT."
The man is horrified. How on earth is he going to say that to the Pope? Could he try using some sort of euphemism? No, that would defeat the whole purpose of trying to give him the exact word. Should he just pretend he doesn't know, and look like an idiot? What could he do? Eventually he decides to just tell the Pope the answer to this clue. He wondered if this was a damnable offense.
Then it comes to him. A wave of relief washes over him. "AUNT, Your Holiness," he says. "The answer is AUNT. A word to describe a woman: AUNT."
The Pope pauses, and frowns again. "Hmmmm," he says. "Do you happen to have an eraser?"