sparksbet's recent activity
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Comment on The beautiful dissociation of the Japanese language in ~humanities.languages
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Comment on The beautiful dissociation of the Japanese language in ~humanities.languages
sparksbet Link ParentA high school education is absolutely not a baseline for literacy. High school literature classes aren't teaching people how to read to the extent that anyone who hasn't taken one is "barely...A high school education is absolutely not a baseline for literacy. High school literature classes aren't teaching people how to read to the extent that anyone who hasn't taken one is "barely literate". The average 6th grader is able to read well enough that it's an insult to call them "barely literate".
It is cool that Chinese characters can allow for meaning to be gleaned from a text despite it being written in a different language -- sometimes even over large timespans (if you modernize texts written in older forms of the characters, but that's a separate issue). I don't dispute that. But claiming that a literate Chinese person with no education on how to read Classical Chinese could pick up a text in Classical Chinese and easily understand it is wrong. It's almost as wrong as claiming they could do the same with a text written in Japanese.
I majored in Chinese in college, and we had a separate class on Classical Chinese because it is sufficiently different that what we learned in our normal Chinese reading classes that it basically requires learning from scratch. Perhaps a well-educated Chinese speaker who knew lots of formal vocabulary in modern Mandarin that's more similar to the Classical forms would have a slightly easier time, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a text written with the same script in a different language. Hanzi definitely makes it more recognizable to a modern Chinese person than a phonetic representation would, but it does not make reading such a text easy because the grammar and semantics are still sufficiently different.
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Comment on Reddit, AI spam bots explore new ways to show ads in your feed in ~tech
sparksbet Link ParentI arranged the contract with my movers (as well as a separate contract with a painter/cleaner for the place I was moving out of) via Whatsapp. I think people really underestimate how embedded it is.I arranged the contract with my movers (as well as a separate contract with a painter/cleaner for the place I was moving out of) via Whatsapp. I think people really underestimate how embedded it is.
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Comment on The beautiful dissociation of the Japanese language in ~humanities.languages
sparksbet Link ParentHigh school literature classes are what we call "education" -- the guidance of a teacher is exactly the sort of thing that's needed to understand these texts. We actually read Sir Gawain and the...High school literature classes are what we call "education" -- the guidance of a teacher is exactly the sort of thing that's needed to understand these texts. We actually read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in my high school lit class too! The point is that if you hand one of these texts to a literate but not well-read modern English speaker, they will absolutely not fully understand the text. They'll be able to glean a lot from the vocab they recognize along with some educated guesses, but they'll also miss a lot. Even an above-average high schooler absolutely needs guidance from their teacher and/or footnotes to glean huge portions of the meaning of even something as modern as Shakespeare. One's ability to understand these texts as a modern English speaker relies on knowing, at minimum, a lot of higher-level vocab, and that's something that's generally only acquired through formal education or very avid reading of English literature.
For the record, I guarantee you Chinese high schoolers are also reading works written in Classical Chinese in their literature courses. So I stand by the comparison.
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Comment on The beautiful dissociation of the Japanese language in ~humanities.languages
sparksbet Link ParentTo be fair, the vast majority of Chinese characters with multiple pronunciations are much smaller differences than you'll see between Japanese readings. Most of them iirc are just tone changes.To be fair, the vast majority of Chinese characters with multiple pronunciations are much smaller differences than you'll see between Japanese readings. Most of them iirc are just tone changes.
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Comment on The beautiful dissociation of the Japanese language in ~humanities.languages
sparksbet Link ParentYou are correct in what you say about Beowulf in this comment. I thought the original comment made it seem too much like Classical Chinese is easily intelligible by anyone who can read hanzi,...You are correct in what you say about Beowulf in this comment. I thought the original comment made it seem too much like Classical Chinese is easily intelligible by anyone who can read hanzi, which is not accurate. As a result, I decided to make a comparison that I think better reflected the amount of intelligibility Classical Chinese has for someone who speaks modern Mandarin, and thus I brought up Chaucer.
You absolutely underestimate how hard it is for a modern English speaker to read Chaucer without training and/or extensive footnotes -- they absolutely can't just "read things phonetically" to get the gist. Yes, there's plenty of words that you'll recognize, but changes in grammar and semantics since then will inevitably leave a speaker of modern English unable to understand large portions of the text unless accompanied by extensive footnotes or education in how to read texts like this. Modern English speakers generally need education and/or footnotes to understand even Shakespeare's work, and his work is written in language far closer to what we speak and write today than Chaucer.
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Comment on The beautiful dissociation of the Japanese language in ~humanities.languages
sparksbet Link ParentYeah, I don't want to act like the hanzi don't contribute anything to readability, I can recognize characters in Japanese text that help me out and my Chinese isn't even that good. But there's a...Yeah, I don't want to act like the hanzi don't contribute anything to readability, I can recognize characters in Japanese text that help me out and my Chinese isn't even that good. But there's a reason there was a huge push to write vernacular Chinese at the turn of the century -- writing in Classical Chinese is extremely different from written or especially spoken Mandarin! It's something that has to be taught.
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Comment on The beautiful dissociation of the Japanese language in ~humanities.languages
sparksbet Link ParentI think you're downplaying the differences between Classical/Literary Chinese and modern Mandarin -- there are pretty big grammar differences and semantics there! Someone who's fluent in modern...I think you're downplaying the differences between Classical/Literary Chinese and modern Mandarin -- there are pretty big grammar differences and semantics there! Someone who's fluent in modern Mandarin but has had zero education on how to read Classical Chinese is not going to understand as much as you imply. The use of hanzi does make it easier for the characters whose meanings have not changed, but it doesn't make reading it trivial -- it's more similar to a modern English speaker reading Chaucer.
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Comment on US Federal Trade Commission bans new noncompete agreements in ~life
sparksbet Link ParentA friend of mine in college had a non-compete when he worked for Teavana (before they closed down -- tea place owned by Starbucks). I promise you he was not making enough above minimum wage for it...A friend of mine in college had a non-compete when he worked for Teavana (before they closed down -- tea place owned by Starbucks). I promise you he was not making enough above minimum wage for it to matter.
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Comment on Steam refund policy update - "Advanced Access" now counts towards refund window in ~games
sparksbet Link Parentimo the existing 2 hour limit is good enough for this sort of thing. Longer than that tends to be more of a "buyer's remorse" thing, and the 2 hour limit is already long enough to penalize indie...I suppose it gives more flexibility with testing a game that's unfinished and perhaps prone to crashes..
imo the existing 2 hour limit is good enough for this sort of thing. Longer than that tends to be more of a "buyer's remorse" thing, and the 2 hour limit is already long enough to penalize indie devs who make short games, since users will finish those games within 2 hours, enjoy them, but refund them anyway just because they can.
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Comment on Clothes shopping as a short & fat (trans) guy with narrow shoulders in ~life.style
sparksbet Link ParentOoh I've been thinking of getting a Carhardt jacket since I've heard good things about them, I'll look into that!Ooh I've been thinking of getting a Carhardt jacket since I've heard good things about them, I'll look into that!
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Comment on Rooftop solar panels are flooding California’s grid. That’s a problem. in ~enviro
sparksbet Link Parent...I don't really understand what you're saying. The idea is that it may be better (more efficient and such) to have wind farms in areas that are suitable as part of a larger macrogrid rather than......I don't really understand what you're saying. The idea is that it may be better (more efficient and such) to have wind farms in areas that are suitable as part of a larger macrogrid rather than relying on less efficient urban wind power as part of a local microgrid.
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Comment on Clothes shopping as a short & fat (trans) guy with narrow shoulders in ~life.style
sparksbet Link ParentYeah I'm not far enough along that I'm allowed to lift heavy stuff, but I do want to get into lifting a little to get a more masculine silhouette once I can. I'm also looking into starting T soon,...Yeah I'm not far enough along that I'm allowed to lift heavy stuff, but I do want to get into lifting a little to get a more masculine silhouette once I can. I'm also looking into starting T soon, which I'm hoping will help with that side of things.
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Comment on Clothes shopping as a short & fat (trans) guy with narrow shoulders in ~life.style
sparksbet Link ParentAw that's sweet! Unfortunately it's been a little while since I was 36" though lolAw that's sweet! Unfortunately it's been a little while since I was 36" though lol
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Comment on Rooftop solar panels are flooding California’s grid. That’s a problem. in ~enviro
sparksbet Link ParentMore effective is good, but is it ever going to match having dedicated wind farms in the most suitable places?More effective is good, but is it ever going to match having dedicated wind farms in the most suitable places?
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Comment on Ronald Reagan-era emergency health care law is the next abortion flashpoint at the US Supreme Court in ~health
sparksbet Link ParentWhat you describe as "a compromise" is basically how it worked in most of the US until Roe v. Wade was overturned. Only a small number of states ever allowed abortion at any stage of pregnancy.What you describe as "a compromise" is basically how it worked in most of the US until Roe v. Wade was overturned. Only a small number of states ever allowed abortion at any stage of pregnancy.
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Comment on The startup offering free toilets and coffee for delivery workers — in exchange for their data in ~tech
sparksbet Link ParentIt actually benefits people who aren't participating in the "gig economy", like the homeless, as well.All that policy does is force business owners to subsidies the “gig economy”
It actually benefits people who aren't participating in the "gig economy", like the homeless, as well.
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Comment on The startup offering free toilets and coffee for delivery workers — in exchange for their data in ~tech
sparksbet Link Parentimo they're nicer, but not nicer enough that I wouldn't outlaw pay toilets in a heartbeat if given the choice.imo they're nicer, but not nicer enough that I wouldn't outlaw pay toilets in a heartbeat if given the choice.
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Comment on Rooftop solar panels are flooding California’s grid. That’s a problem. in ~enviro
sparksbet Link ParentIt's also worth noting that you can't just set up wind power anywhere either, so I'm skeptical that even when wind can help compensate for poor conditions for solar, it won't be suitable for at...It's also worth noting that you can't just set up wind power anywhere either, so I'm skeptical that even when wind can help compensate for poor conditions for solar, it won't be suitable for at least a large fraction of such microgrids.
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Comment on Clothes shopping as a short & fat (trans) guy with narrow shoulders in ~life.style
sparksbet Link ParentI honestly didn't know jeans made to measure was a thing! I'll look into whether there are any reasonably-priced options here in Germany. Let me know if you have any options you specifically...I honestly didn't know jeans made to measure was a thing! I'll look into whether there are any reasonably-priced options here in Germany. Let me know if you have any options you specifically recommend!
This is a common misconception about Mandarin tbh. It's true that when you start learning it's a huge relief to not have to deal with tense or case or other conjugation. But it has lots of complexity and difficult grammar; it's just stuff that's less obvious when you're starting out. Learning to speak Mandarin well enough to make sentences that sound natural is hard, and often the reasons it sounds unnatural are harder to explain to you than using the wrong conjugation would be in a language that has those. There are massive books just on how the sentence-final particle 了 is used.
Also trust me measure words are not quite as easy as they seem from the outside. There are a lot of them and they're not all as sensible and predictable as the ones based on an object's shape, unfortunately.