the's recent activity

  1. Comment on Tildes constitution in ~tildes

    the
    Link
    Well I seem to have lost any sort of consensus here. One quote: "I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is...

    Well I seem to have lost any sort of consensus here. One quote:

    "I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts."

    Let's try to at least agree this site will deal in the facts.

    3 votes

  2. Comment on Tildes constitution in ~tildes

    the
    Link Parent
    Ok, I may have to give up on Tildes then. Your summation of: "partisan redistricting is a more powerful tool now than it was in the Founders' time. They, perhaps, couldn't have predicted this. Nor...

    Ok, I may have to give up on Tildes then. Your summation of:

    "partisan redistricting is a more powerful tool now than it was in the Founders' time. They, perhaps, couldn't have predicted this. Nor could they gave predicted how powerful guns would become"

    That was exactly what I was trying to state. I honestly don't understand how this can be an exemplary comment.

    1 vote

  3. Comment on Tildes constitution in ~tildes

    the
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Certainly, I'm fine with that and actually that's the way I lean as well. I think benevolent dictatorship is the best form of government by far. Doesn't hurt raising the question though. The only...

    Certainly, I'm fine with that and actually that's the way I lean as well. I think benevolent dictatorship is the best form of government by far. Doesn't hurt raising the question though.

    The only time benevolent dictatorship fails though is when they die, and leave the land to some idiot benefactor. But in terms of internet websites, that's not really such a big deal!

    Edit: Also, you did technically answer #2 there :)

    2 votes

  4. Comment on Tildes constitution in ~tildes

    the
    Link Parent
    Very valid. It's hard to differentiate between what can be interpreted as the letter vs the spirit. In my original post, as with the 'customer is always our main priority'. The reason I like this,...

    Very valid. It's hard to differentiate between what can be interpreted as the letter vs the spirit.

    In my original post, as with the 'customer is always our main priority'. The reason I like this, is it's typically always in the spirit. It's not saying 'the customer is always right'. Sometimes our customers are very, very wrong, but we always try to do what is in their best interest. However, it is always easy to interpret as law as well.

    1 vote

  5. Comment on Tildes constitution in ~tildes

    the
    Link Parent
    Perfectly reasonable opinion, I think that's also what I lean towards.

    Perfectly reasonable opinion, I think that's also what I lean towards.

    3 votes

  6. Comment on Tildes constitution in ~tildes

    the
    Link Parent
    Well the UK has the Magna Carta, which I would argue is the first iteration of a constitution but in name. It literally put limits on royal power, putting the rule of law first. That is certainly...

    Well the UK has the Magna Carta, which I would argue is the first iteration of a constitution but in name. It literally put limits on royal power, putting the rule of law first. That is certainly codified.

    Whatever you want to call it, I believe setting up such a 'system' is the best thing to discuss first, over anything else. For example:

    • Is it a direct democracy? (many challenges)
    • Does it operate as an autocracy?
    • Is it a fiefdom à la Reddit

    I don't think these are trivial questions.

    2 votes

  7. Comment on Tildes constitution in ~tildes

    the
    Link Parent
    Maybe not currently well functioning, but look at the sheer amount of effort is has taken to subvert that democracy. Look at gerrymandering for example, how on earth could you expect the...

    Maybe not currently well functioning, but look at the sheer amount of effort is has taken to subvert that democracy. Look at gerrymandering for example, how on earth could you expect the forefathers of the USA to predict such a thing?

    1 vote

  8. Comment on Tildes constitution in ~tildes

    the
    Link Parent
    That is exactly why I termed it as a constitution, I was thinking of the "don't be evil" slogan - these things don't matter if they're just company philosophies. The constitution should be created...

    That is exactly why I termed it as a constitution, I was thinking of the "don't be evil" slogan - these things don't matter if they're just company philosophies. The constitution should be created through and on behalf of the represented.

  9. Comment on Tildes constitution in ~tildes

    the
    Link Parent
    No because that doesn't really help with questions such as this that I linked to. I do love the philosophy, but it is just a philosophy by Deimos. The question he poses above I believe would be...

    No because that doesn't really help with questions such as this that I linked to.

    I do love the philosophy, but it is just a philosophy by Deimos. The question he poses above I believe would be better served first by forming a constitution, rather than diving straight into the democracy of it. What are we asking here, direct democracy seemingly in the question posed? That has its own issues, how do we go about making Tildes more independent? These are large questions that could do with solid foundations.

    As an example; the top two posts on that thread are:

    1. Show everything to logged out users
    2. Just a list of links to individual groups

    If those two receive 50/50 votes, how does one go about deciding these things?

    The reason I posit this is because it's important to lay out how the whole things functions before you delve headlong into a question like this. The reason it is important is because in 10 years time there may be another 50/50 question, but this time its 5 million people vs. another 5 million people and there is chaos.

    I've dealt with a lot of slippery slopes in my lifetime, and this is often how they start.

    2 votes

  10. Tildes constitution

    ~tildes Ask
    Looking at the current top thread in ~talk, it seems many of us were forged in the fires of Mount Digg, and now suffer again through the great Reddit diaspora. Perhaps it is here our journey ends?...

    Looking at the current top thread in ~talk, it seems many of us were forged in the fires of Mount Digg, and now suffer again through the great Reddit diaspora. Perhaps it is here our journey ends?

    I am not from the US of A, but one thing I have always found fascinating about that country is the concept of the constitution. I believe it was so incredibly well conceived, the three legged stool, with all the thought that went into how it might be attacked and edge cases, that the founding fathers would have made excellent software testers. The fact American democracy has stood this long is some feat.

    Which brings me to my question. Should Tildes create some form of constitution? A set of principles that binds and guides it? I believe something like that would make questions like this easier to answer. A founding set of ideals from which everything else should derive.

    We have something akin to this at my company, where the founding principle is the customer is always our main priority. This has served our business well for decades; is everything we do in service of the customer and their needs. You would honestly be amazed at the loyalty and trust this builds over time.

    Anyway just some food for thought. I think I will be calling this my new home for now - it feels very much like the Reddit of old right now, a feeling I haven't felt for a great age.

    17 votes

  11. Comment on I, like many of you came from Reddit. But what brought you to Reddit? in ~tech

    the
    Link Parent
    Same, 12+ years on Reddit. For the same reasons, have migrated over here. It honestly feels really refreshing at the moment, like the Reddit of old. Hopefully it will stay that way, I'll give it...

    Same, 12+ years on Reddit. For the same reasons, have migrated over here.

    It honestly feels really refreshing at the moment, like the Reddit of old. Hopefully it will stay that way, I'll give it 12 years!

    1 vote

  12. Comment on Gen Zers are turning to ‘radical rest,’ delusional thinking, and self-indulgence as they struggle to cope with late-stage capitalism in ~life

    the
    Link Parent
    I just don't understand how this works, what reality is this based in? Similarly, you mention lowering the retirement age, again not based in reality. You actually mention pensions, which I've...

    And you've ignored most of my points about making up the differences by trimming the waste in the workforce. If we're in dire straits the workforce will shift or the problem will solve itself.

    I just don't understand how this works, what reality is this based in?

    Similarly, you mention lowering the retirement age, again not based in reality. You actually mention pensions, which I've already mentioned as a perfect example in France. They are being forced to increase pension age because of the aging population. In what fantasy land do you live that you think you can lower pension age, and still give people pensions? Where is this money coming from?

    1 vote

  13. Comment on Gen Zers are turning to ‘radical rest,’ delusional thinking, and self-indulgence as they struggle to cope with late-stage capitalism in ~life

    the
    Link Parent
    This just isn't true. The global birth rate is 2.3 and falling. 2.1 is needed just to keep a stable population. The only thing really keeping it even this high is primarily Africa. US is 1.8, UK...

    In absence of birth control, disease, and famine, the human population will not stabilize, it will grow indefinitely

    This just isn't true. The global birth rate is 2.3 and falling. 2.1 is needed just to keep a stable population.

    The only thing really keeping it even this high is primarily Africa. US is 1.8, UK 1.7, China 1.7, Japan 1.34, and South Korea 0.84.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_and_dependencies_by_total_fertility_rate

    The reasons appear to be that as countries develop, people stop having as many children. This makes sense as when the child mortality rate drops, which is has been globally for a long time, families don't need to have as many children to ensure some of them survive infancy. Indeed it seems most people prefer either 1 or 2 children - not a sustainable level.

    A lot of what keeps the excess propped up is immigration. Most countries seem to be currently de-globalising and becoming more insular, which will only make the problem far worse. Look at South Korea or Japan for great examples of this.

    https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/

    Clearly, downwards trend on growth. Global population is clearly stabilising towards a plateau. Clearly the population will not grow indefinitely.

    You make the comment of this process happening over decades, which is true, but we need to start solving the problem now before it's too late. Once population decline starts happening, it quickly becomes a death spiral. For example if the fertility rate is 1, the next generation is half the size of the previous. They would need to have 4 children each family to get back to their parents' population size.

    I think you vastly underestimate how much of a problem this is likely to cause globally. As one small recent example, look at France. There were riots because the government wanted to raise the pension age, because of an aging population. There's no way to get around this.

    https://www.aarp.org/ppi/info-2020/caregiving-in-the-united-states.html

    41 million caregivers in the United States of recipients aged 50+. 16% of the population, and trend getting worse.

    I guess the conclusion here is the vast majority of these people I see online banging the unsustainable drum are ultimately going to get their wish, we are literally already heading towards population decrease so I don't know why they're constantly banging on about it. The point I'm trying to make from the start is lets not start heading the other way! People need to start having more children now to prevent massive population decline later, which has a whole host of other problems related to it.

    If you truly don't want children, then fine that's personal choice. I just feel so horribly bad that there might be people out there who want children, and don't because of this stupid idea I see bandied around online. If you want children, please have children and don't feel bad about it!

    2 votes

  14. Comment on Gen Zers are turning to ‘radical rest,’ delusional thinking, and self-indulgence as they struggle to cope with late-stage capitalism in ~life

    the
    Link Parent
    The idea of my comment being 'fearmongering' given the fact I'm trying to counter, what I consider, one of the most insane fearmongering points I see bandied about made me chortle. The fact people...

    The idea of my comment being 'fearmongering' given the fact I'm trying to counter, what I consider, one of the most insane fearmongering points I see bandied about made me chortle. The fact people have been fearmongered about overpopulation (a lie), into going against probably the most base human instinct of having children, I find abhorrent.

    Anyway, to your point, this isn't a tech issue, it's a social issue. Who's physically looking after all these old people if there's no new people?

    1 vote

  15. Comment on Gen Zers are turning to ‘radical rest,’ delusional thinking, and self-indulgence as they struggle to cope with late-stage capitalism in ~life

    the
    Link Parent
    People need to have more kids, not less. The global fertility rate is going down, and it will cause huge problems when there's an ever aging population. If you want to be able to retire, you need...

    People need to have more kids, not less. The global fertility rate is going down, and it will cause huge problems when there's an ever aging population. If you want to be able to retire, you need a younger population able to support that.

    2 votes

  16. Comment on Where are you from? in ~talk

    the
    Link
    UK here.

    UK here.

    2 votes