123 votes

Tildes Demographics Survey, year… uh, it’s 2024?

161 comments

  1. [28]
    TheMeerkat
    (edited )
    Link
    Hello, beautiful humanoids! I am the user formally known as @Kat, if you were around and remember me from forever ago. I was the original Tildes power user, according to some people who shall not...
    • Exemplary

    Hello, beautiful humanoids! I am the user formally known as @Kat, if you were around and remember me from forever ago. I was the original Tildes power user, according to some people who shall not be named here (largely because they are now a dear friend of mine; funny how things work).

    During my original tenure, my best contribution to Tildes was, IMO, my regular demographics surveys to check on how the community was progressing. Neither I nor anyone else seems to have done one for years now, and Tildes has been through quite a lot in that time, so I thought we were long overdue for another one!

    The form will automatically close on the 1st of 2025 at midnight. You have an entire two-ish weeks to get your answers in, and your answers are even editable if something changes in that time. Soon thereafter, I will create a results topic highlighting anything fascinating, along with aggregate answers. I look forward to seeing everything y’all have to say. 😸

    ETA: it’s hosted by OpnForm, and you can review their privacy policy here.

    ETA2: Despite my best efforts, there is already one person who is addressing me as though I created and own Tildes. I think this legally means that @Deimos has to transfer the domain to me.

    63 votes
    1. [2]
      nic
      Link Parent
      Welcome back! :)

      Welcome back!

      :)

      14 votes
      1. TheMeerkat
        Link Parent
        Thanks, @nic! I remember you. 😸

        Thanks, @nic! I remember you. 😸

        7 votes
    2. [12]
      kfwyre
      Link Parent
      🎵 The Kat came back 🎵 🎵 The very next decade? 🎵 Better late than never! Welcome back!

      🎵 The Kat came back 🎵
      🎵 The very next day year decade? 🎵

      Better late than never! Welcome back!

      13 votes
      1. [10]
        cfabbro
        Link Parent
        Apparently a 5 year period is called a lustrum. TIL.

        🎵 The very next day year decade? 🎵

        Apparently a 5 year period is called a lustrum. TIL.

        17 votes
        1. [9]
          TheMeerkat
          Link Parent
          I love that word, actually. I wish it stuck around as well as fortnight has. I feel like we need something between "year" and "decade".

          A lūstrum (IPA: [ˈluːs̠t̪rʊ̃ˑ], plural lūstra) was a term for a five-year period in Ancient Rome.

          "lust" + "rum" is the most Roman Empire word ever

          I love that word, actually. I wish it stuck around as well as fortnight has. I feel like we need something between "year" and "decade".

          6 votes
          1. [8]
            cfabbro
            Link Parent
            Since I couldn't resist (and love etymology): https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lustrum#Latin

            Since I couldn't resist (and love etymology):
            https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lustrum#Latin

            Etymology 1

            Per De Vaan (2008), from Proto-Indo-European *l(H)u-(s)tro- (“dirty place”), from Proto-Indo-European *le(H)w- (the same root as lutum (“mud, dirt, clay”)). Valpy (1828) proposed instead a borrowing, with change of *d to /l/, from Ancient Greek *δύστρον (*dústron), from δύω (dúō, “to plunge”).

            Etymology 2

            From Old Latin *loustrom, of uncertain origin, with multiple theories proposed:

            • from Proto-Indo-European *lewkstrom, from *lewk- (“to make bright”) (whence lūceō),
            • or from Proto-Indo-European *lewh₃strom, from *lewh₃- (“to wash”) (whence lavō),
            • or from Proto-Indo-European *lewHstrom, from *lewH- (“to expiate, set free”) (whence luō).
            6 votes
            1. [7]
              chocobean
              Link Parent
              Question 1: so how did any of these meanings turn in 5 years? :/ Question 2: I always forget which is which, etymology vs entomology. Can you help me find an easy way to remember? @..@

              Question 1: so how did any of these meanings turn in 5 years? :/

              Question 2: I always forget which is which, etymology vs entomology. Can you help me find an easy way to remember? @..@

              1 vote
              1. ICN
                Link Parent
                How I remember them is as follows: Ent sounds like Ant, antomology is the bug one. I learned the vowels as a e i o u and sometimes y. EtYmology deals with the sometimes y, so it's the word one.

                How I remember them is as follows:

                Ent sounds like Ant, antomology is the bug one.

                I learned the vowels as a e i o u and sometimes y. EtYmology deals with the sometimes y, so it's the word one.

                8 votes
              2. DefinitelyNotAFae
                Link Parent
                The N is in Entomology, you might say it's "in-sect" the word?

                The N is in Entomology, you might say it's "in-sect" the word?

                6 votes
              3. [2]
                cfabbro
                (edited )
                Link Parent
                The Wikipedia article I linked in my first comment explains the connection: p.s. Ants live on Ents, who study them using Entymology. ;)

                The Wikipedia article I linked in my first comment explains the connection:

                The lustration was originally a sacrifice for expiation and purification offered by one of the censors in the name of the Roman people at the close of the taking of the census. The sacrifice was often in the form of an animal sacrifice, known as a suovetaurilia.

                These censuses were taken at five-year intervals, thus a lūstrum came to refer to the five-year inter-census period. Lustrum (from luo, Ancient Greek: λούω) is a lustration or purification of the whole Roman people performed by one of the censors in the Campus Martius, after the taking of the census was over. As this purification took place only once in five years, the word lūstrum was also used to designate the time between two lustra.

                p.s. Ants live on Ents, who study them using Entymology. ;)

                6 votes
                1. chocobean
                  Link Parent
                  Ooh I like this one the best, might finally sort it out :D thanks for answers to both

                  Ooh I like this one the best, might finally sort it out :D thanks for answers to both

                  1 vote
              4. [2]
                CptBluebear
                Link Parent
                Don't! It's much funnier to remember incorrectly.

                Don't! It's much funnier to remember incorrectly.

                4 votes
                1. chocobean
                  Link Parent
                  From explain XKCD. Yes it would be much funnier, but more tragic when Im about to die from the giant ant invasion and @cfabbro shows up

                  In the title text, we find out the scientists accidentally call another superhero focused on Adam in the Biblical book of Genesis. This is probably Adam-ology-Man, a pun on Etymology-Man, but might be Etiology-Man (the study of causation and attribution), Ontology-Man (the study of being and existence), Ethology-Man (the study of human character, with a focus on its formation and evolution). Or perhaps Anthropology-Man or Anthropogeny-Man.

                  From explain XKCD.

                  Yes it would be much funnier, but more tragic when Im about to die from the giant ant invasion and @cfabbro shows up

                  3 votes
      2. TheMeerkat
        Link Parent
        Thank you so much! 💖

        Thank you so much! 💖

        3 votes
    3. [2]
      eve
      Link Parent
      Omg Kat hiiiiii! Super looking forward to the results of the survey! Thank you for setting this up, it was always a highlight imo.

      Omg Kat hiiiiii! Super looking forward to the results of the survey! Thank you for setting this up, it was always a highlight imo.

      10 votes
    4. [5]
      AnthonyB
      Link Parent
      Am I the only one who thought you died? Is this the first tildes Mandela effect?

      Am I the only one who thought you died? Is this the first tildes Mandela effect?

      10 votes
      1. [4]
        TheMeerkat
        Link Parent
        Weirdly, not the first time I've gotten this. Not a Mandela effect—just a decent memory of what actually happened somewhat degraded by time. :) I was dying from atlantoaxial instability, and I...

        Weirdly, not the first time I've gotten this.

        Not a Mandela effect—just a decent memory of what actually happened somewhat degraded by time. :) I was dying from atlantoaxial instability, and I talked pretty candidly about that on Tildes at the time. Luckily, I had life-saving surgery before it actually killed me—but after I deleted my Tildes account.

        So yeah, pretty reasonable assumption to make.

        21 votes
        1. [3]
          V17
          Link Parent
          Damn, do you have any links to a post or a blog where you talk about that? I have a friend with craniocervical instability that is fortunately not bad enough to warrant surgery (spinal fusion I...

          Damn, do you have any links to a post or a blog where you talk about that? I have a friend with craniocervical instability that is fortunately not bad enough to warrant surgery (spinal fusion I assume?), but might be interested to read about it nevertheless.

          7 votes
          1. [2]
            TheMeerkat
            Link Parent
            I don't yet! I've wanted to plenty of times, but just never had the... ability, I guess? I am still considering it, though. You're free to give my contact information to your friend, though! :)...

            I don't yet! I've wanted to plenty of times, but just never had the... ability, I guess? I am still considering it, though.

            You're free to give my contact information to your friend, though! :) You can PM me to ask for it.

            7 votes
            1. V17
              Link Parent
              People who get properly diagnosed and successfully treated with these issues seem to still be so uncommon that I'm sure it would be valuable to many other patients. No pressure, just saying that...

              People who get properly diagnosed and successfully treated with these issues seem to still be so uncommon that I'm sure it would be valuable to many other patients. No pressure, just saying that some interest exists, I would certainly read it as well. Regarding contact information, I'll ask if she's interested - I think she's currently in a phase where pretty much all of her energy is occupied by just trying to live a semi-normal life and there's no energy left for things that feel like actively doing something, I assume you might know what that's like.

              8 votes
    5. [2]
      patience_limited
      Link Parent
      Delighted to see you here again, /u/TheMeerkat! Merci beaucoup for another year's survey, I'm curious who all is here.

      Delighted to see you here again, /u/TheMeerkat! Merci beaucoup for another year's survey, I'm curious who all is here.

      7 votes
    6. [2]
      Thales
      Link Parent
      Welcome back! Hope you are feeling healthy and well :)

      Welcome back! Hope you are feeling healthy and well :)

      3 votes
    7. zod000
      Link Parent
      I just wanted to let you know that the survey form is failing when submitting for me. I don't imagine there is much you can do about it since you are not the one hosting it, just making you aware....

      I just wanted to let you know that the survey form is failing when submitting for me. I don't imagine there is much you can do about it since you are not the one hosting it, just making you aware.

      Edit: it looks like someone else figured out the issue, the captcha was being blocked.

      2 votes
    8. Bonooru
      Link Parent
      Following up on this. How's the survey compilation going?

      Following up on this. How's the survey compilation going?

  2. [7]
    cfabbro
    (edited )
    Link
    I, uh, may have just rendered your demographic survey a bit inaccurate, @TheMeerkat. I am currently in the process of inviting a fair amount of Canadian redditors who have expressed a desire to...
    • Exemplary

    I, uh, may have just rendered your demographic survey a bit inaccurate, @TheMeerkat. I am currently in the process of inviting a fair amount of Canadian redditors who have expressed a desire to abandon the site as part of the US product boycott effort in response to the US tariffs threat against Canada. ;)

    22 votes
    1. [2]
      fefellama
      Link Parent
      That's one hell of a sales pitch. If I wasn't already here I'd definitely join after reading that.

      Just fair warning though, Tildes is a reddit alternative but not a total reddit replacement, since there are no user created subgroups, no meme posts allowed, low-effort posts are strongly discouraged, and assholish behavior (especially hatespeech of any kind) isn't tolerated. So think of it more like an 'old reddit from 10+ years ago' replacement rather than a modern reddit replacement.

      That's one hell of a sales pitch. If I wasn't already here I'd definitely join after reading that.

      10 votes
    2. [3]
      TheMeerkat
      Link Parent
      LOL—see, that just makes me feel even worse. I'm now taking so long to get the results out that some people are moving countries before the thread comes out. :P

      LOL—see, that just makes me feel even worse. I'm now taking so long to get the results out that some people are moving countries before the thread comes out. :P

      6 votes
      1. cfabbro
        Link Parent
        Heh, nah. No worries. This wasn't meant as a dig against you. And as NotAFae said, this isn't about people moving countries from the US to Canada either (although I am sure that is also...

        Heh, nah. No worries. This wasn't meant as a dig against you. And as NotAFae said, this isn't about people moving countries from the US to Canada either (although I am sure that is also happening). It's just Canadians furious at the US right now over its tariff threats against us doing significant harm to our economy, so Canadians are boycotting all US products/services in response, and looking for Canadian owned alternatives.

        5 votes
      2. DefinitelyNotAFae
        Link Parent
        No no, just the Canadians are dipping on the American product for Tildes ... Mostly. I think at least one person moved countries. But that's statistical noise.

        No no, just the Canadians are dipping on the American product for Tildes ... Mostly. I think at least one person moved countries. But that's statistical noise.

        4 votes
  3. [8]
    cfabbro
    (edited )
    Link
    Uh oh. My ssssssecret is out! Also, welcome back Kat. We missed you! :)

    As always, this is completely unofficial and not approved or run by @Deimos or his shadowy council of lizardpeople. (I know what you truly are, @cfabbro.)

    Uh oh. My ssssssecret is out!

    Also, welcome back Kat. We missed you! :)

    29 votes
    1. TheMeerkat
      Link Parent
      👥🔍🌾🪓🔱🐍 I missed you too, @cfabbro!

      👥🔍🌾🪓🔱🐍

      I missed you too, @cfabbro!

      15 votes
    2. [6]
      Promonk
      Link Parent
      I've always wondered this about the cabal of lizardpeople who secretly rule the world, so perhaps you can elucidate: When you shed your skin, does it come off in one big sheet, or does it come...

      I've always wondered this about the cabal of lizardpeople who secretly rule the world, so perhaps you can elucidate:

      When you shed your skin, does it come off in one big sheet, or does it come away piecemeal like? Also, are you folks true ectotherms? How does that affect the number of orphan hearts you need to eat to survive?

      Merry Fnordsmass to you and your clutchbrood!

      10 votes
      1. [5]
        cfabbro
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        Bah, how primitive do you think we are to just let our skin slough off like that!? Our dead scales are atomized during our daily laser showers! And as for orphan hearts, those are unfortunately...

        Bah, how primitive do you think we are to just let our skin slough off like that!? Our dead scales are atomized during our daily laser showers! And as for orphan hearts, those are unfortunately only a rare delicacy these days. Charles Dickens really ruined that for us by making all you humans start to care about what happens to the little morsels! Nowadays we have to get by on lab grown orphan organs. :(

        10 votes
        1. Promonk
          Link Parent
          The world is in a sorry state indeed if our reptilian overlords have been brought so low as to sustain themselves through ethical means. Here's hoping some brash up-and-comer runs on a platform of...

          The world is in a sorry state indeed if our reptilian overlords have been brought so low as to sustain themselves through ethical means.

          Here's hoping some brash up-and-comer runs on a platform of MLPEA: "Make Lizard People Evil Again."

          6 votes
        2. [3]
          AugustusFerdinand
          Link Parent
          Does that make it vegan?

          Nowadays we have to get by on lab grown orphan organs. :(

          Does that make it vegan?

          3 votes
          1. cfabbro
            Link Parent
            The way we acquire the cell cultures is most definitely not "cruelty free", so I think not. 😈

            The way we acquire the cell cultures is most definitely not "cruelty free", so I think not. 😈

            7 votes
          2. DefinitelyNotAFae
            Link Parent
            I think depends on if the lab is growing the orphans who themselves grow the organs. Or if the lab is growing the organs directly from orphans' cells.

            I think depends on if the lab is growing the orphans who themselves grow the organs. Or if the lab is growing the organs directly from orphans' cells.

            3 votes
  4. [6]
    DefinitelyNotAFae
    (edited )
    Link
    ಠ︵ಠ I have a complaint. . . . ⚡ (@_@) ⚡︎ I have no complaints Thanks for the survey!

    ಠ⁠︵⁠ಠ
    I have a complaint.
    .
    .
    .

    ⚡ (⁠@⁠_⁠@⁠) ⚡︎

    I have no complaints

    Thanks for the survey!

    23 votes
    1. TheMeerkat
      Link Parent
      💪⚡️🔨 Of course. :)

      💪⚡️🔨

      Of course. :)

      10 votes
    2. [4]
      smoontjes
      Link Parent
      o no

      ⚡︎⚡︎

      o no

      10 votes
      1. [3]
        DefinitelyNotAFae
        Link Parent
        I'm gonna just go down to one to avoid any uncomfortable comparisons. It looks better on my phone.

        I'm gonna just go down to one to avoid any uncomfortable comparisons. It looks better on my phone.

        6 votes
        1. [2]
          smoontjes
          Link Parent
          Yeah I think it's a Windows 10 thing. A ton of emojis either display just a square or the emoticon version (if that's what it's called)

          Yeah I think it's a Windows 10 thing. A ton of emojis either display just a square or the emoticon version (if that's what it's called)

          5 votes
          1. DefinitelyNotAFae
            Link Parent
            There were two "emoticon" style lightning bolts and I did pic the one that looked the least like.. a rune. But unfortunately fonts gonna font.

            There were two "emoticon" style lightning bolts and I did pic the one that looked the least like.. a rune. But unfortunately fonts gonna font.

            5 votes
  5. [15]
    CannibalisticApple
    Link
    Filled out the survey! We've never met and I am now curious about your history on Tildes (the original power user??), but the survey was fun to fill out. Got a little laugh at some of the small...

    Filled out the survey! We've never met and I am now curious about your history on Tildes (the original power user??), but the survey was fun to fill out. Got a little laugh at some of the small text.

    Looking forward to the results!

    23 votes
    1. [14]
      TheMeerkat
      Link Parent
      Thanks so much for filling it out! There was a point in time where I had the most comments in every sub-community except ~sports, ~comics, and ~anime (at least for the ones that existed back...

      Thanks so much for filling it out!

      We've never met and I am now curious about your history on Tildes (the original power user??)

      There was a point in time where I had the most comments in every sub-community except ~sports, ~comics, and ~anime (at least for the ones that existed back then), and the most topics in a solid chunk of them. This displeased some people, and the resulting tension and Discourse™ is why my original account was vaporized.

      21 votes
      1. [2]
        Evie
        Link Parent
        Girlbossed too close to the sun 😔

        Girlbossed too close to the sun 😔

        24 votes
        1. TheMeerkat
          Link Parent
          90% of Icaruses quit just before they reach the sun.

          90% of Icaruses quit just before they reach the sun.

          26 votes
      2. [11]
        nic
        Link Parent
        All I remember, is someone trying to steal the vote for what tildes users should be called. I am glad we aren't going to see a repeat of the great Tilderino scandal of 2018.

        All I remember, is someone trying to steal the vote for what tildes users should be called.

        I am glad we aren't going to see a repeat of the great Tilderino scandal of 2018.

        15 votes
        1. [10]
          TheMeerkat
          Link Parent
          oh my god that is such a throwback. I am astonished anyone remembers that (in a positive way). I still strongly maintain it should've been waves, but I am gracious enough to admit when the...

          oh my god that is such a throwback. I am astonished anyone remembers that (in a positive way).

          I still strongly maintain it should've been waves, but I am gracious enough to admit when the ignorant masses vote incorrectly in numbers greater than my own.

          17 votes
          1. [4]
            cfabbro
            Link Parent
            Tildoes heh, sounds like dildos unite!

            Tildoes heh, sounds like dildos unite!

            12 votes
            1. [3]
              TheMeerkat
              Link Parent
              Hey, @cfabbro, you're basically an admin. Totally unrelated question: how do I mark something as Malice more than once?

              Hey, @cfabbro, you're basically an admin. Totally unrelated question: how do I mark something as Malice more than once?

              14 votes
              1. [2]
                cfabbro
                Link Parent
                PM Deimos repeatedly. I'm sure he'll appreciate it. ;) (and suddenly there was one less user on the site opposed to Tildoes! mwahahah)

                PM Deimos repeatedly. I'm sure he'll appreciate it. ;)
                (and suddenly there was one less user on the site opposed to Tildoes! mwahahah)

                11 votes
                1. chocobean
                  Link Parent
                  I'm new here but someone told me if I waited past midnight and then @ Deimos 6 times I'd get banned right,?

                  I'm new here but someone told me if I waited past midnight and then @ Deimos 6 times I'd get banned right,?

                  5 votes
          2. [4]
            patience_limited
            Link Parent
            We Tilders salute you!

            We Tilders salute you!

            9 votes
            1. [4]
              Comment removed by site admin
              Link Parent
              1. [3]
                patience_limited
                Link Parent
                Ask and you shall receive. Also.
                5 votes
                1. chocobean
                  Link Parent
                  At a quick glance I giggled at Tilbros , maybe only because of how much I don't like bro as a salutations

                  At a quick glance I giggled at Tilbros , maybe only because of how much I don't like bro as a salutations

                  3 votes
                2. nic
                  Link Parent
                  The official 2018 vote. @cfabbro I forgot that Tildoes got zero votes. Honestly. <shakes head>

                  The official 2018 vote.

                  @cfabbro I forgot that Tildoes got zero votes. Honestly. <shakes head>

                  3 votes
          3. boxer_dogs_dance
            Link Parent
            Nice to meet you 😊. Thanks for the survey. I didn't know what controversy would result when I asked people's preferences for a name for users. Many people replied 'users' thanks but about half had...

            Nice to meet you 😊.

            Thanks for the survey.

            I didn't know what controversy would result when I asked people's preferences for a name for users. Many people replied 'users' thanks but about half had suggestions.

            7 votes
  6. [2]
    Pavouk106
    Link
    I don't know who you are, but I see you are SOMEBODY for a lot of people that I recognize. Just for this very reason it was my pleasure to fill out the form for you. If you mean so much for those...

    I don't know who you are, but I see you are SOMEBODY for a lot of people that I recognize. Just for this very reason it was my pleasure to fill out the form for you. If you mean so much for those people, you mean so much for me as well.

    (and also because I'm quite curious what will come out of it)

    15 votes
    1. TheMeerkat
      Link Parent
      It's just because I've been here longer than almost anyone. 👵🏻 Thanks so much for the kind words! I truly appreciate it. 💖

      It's just because I've been here longer than almost anyone. 👵🏻

      Thanks so much for the kind words! I truly appreciate it. 💖

      12 votes
  7. [2]
    TheMeerkat
    (edited )
    Link
    I’ll ask now: any long-running, upstanding members of the community with strong data visualization skills? The opportunity to have someone make some fancy graphs (beyond what I can whip up in...

    I’ll ask now: any long-running, upstanding members of the community with strong data visualization skills? The opportunity to have someone make some fancy graphs (beyond what I can whip up in office software) is the entire reason for that part of the disclaimer. 😸

    You will receive a .csv copy of the data, after the survey has closed and contents have been altered according to user request from the final freeform text box. You will be asked to guarantee that you won't share those contents. You will be paid in, uh, my begging the other waves to give you Exemplary labels. 💸

    PM me if you wish to take me up on this fabulous offer.

    ETA: No definitive volunteers yet.

    15 votes
    1. Kind_of_Ben
      Link Parent
      I'm very rusty, but my master's in data science included dataviz with Python, R, and Tableau. If you don't get any takers, I can take a crack at it!

      I'm very rusty, but my master's in data science included dataviz with Python, R, and Tableau. If you don't get any takers, I can take a crack at it!

      4 votes
  8. [9]
    TheMeerkat
    Link
    Attention, person who lamented being a lurker because they've never been invited to Tildes: contact me and I'll shoot one your way, if you'd like.

    Attention, person who lamented being a lurker because they've never been invited to Tildes: contact me and I'll shoot one your way, if you'd like.

    14 votes
    1. [6]
      zestier
      Link Parent
      Thank you! I've been a lurker for quite a while and this comment was the push to finally change that. The normal path seems to be to request an invite from within another platform, such as Reddit,...

      Thank you! I've been a lurker for quite a while and this comment was the push to finally change that.

      The normal path seems to be to request an invite from within another platform, such as Reddit, but as someone that doesn't use those platforms it can be difficult to find invites.

      16 votes
      1. TheMeerkat
        Link Parent
        No problem! Happy to help, and welcome. 💖

        No problem! Happy to help, and welcome. 💖

        5 votes
      2. [3]
        tauon
        Link Parent
        Welcome to the land of the speaking, (up)voting and post-submitting! Just to clarify, as per the docs, and as far as I understand it, you do not need to use another platform for an invite. Unless...

        Thank you! I've been a lurker for quite a while and this comment was the push to finally change that.

        Welcome to the land of the speaking, (up)voting and post-submitting!

        The normal path seems to be to request an invite from within another platform, such as Reddit, but as someone that doesn't use those platforms it can be difficult to find invites.

        Just to clarify, as per the docs, and as far as I understand it, you do not need to use another platform for an invite. Unless email counts as a platform. :P

        5 votes
        1. [2]
          zestier
          Link Parent
          I actually did try an email to the invites address back in November. I'd previously heard that those do take a few days to get replies, but it's been a few weeks without success. Maybe I'd...

          I actually did try an email to the invites address back in November. I'd previously heard that those do take a few days to get replies, but it's been a few weeks without success. Maybe I'd eventually get a reply, but I also didn't want to harass the invites inbox about it by sending multiple requests. So from that experience I got the impression that a DM to someone on r/tildes was likely a more reliable path.

          6 votes
          1. boxer_dogs_dance
            Link Parent
            I got my invitation from the email address, but Deimos is the single point of contact. The justification is privacy but it leads to long delays. The reddit interaction is much faster. I'm glad you...

            I got my invitation from the email address, but Deimos is the single point of contact. The justification is privacy but it leads to long delays. The reddit interaction is much faster.

            I'm glad you are here.

            5 votes
      3. karim
        Link Parent
        You can join without an invite by shooting an email at someone or something, it's how I joined.

        You can join without an invite by shooting an email at someone or something, it's how I joined.

        1 vote
    2. cfabbro
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      The Official Invite rounds on /r/tildes are always an option too. I still check /r/tildes every day and send out invites to nearly* everyone who requests one there. I posted the latest one 13 days...

      The Official Invite rounds on /r/tildes are always an option too. I still check /r/tildes every day and send out invites to nearly* everyone who requests one there. I posted the latest one 13 days ago:
      https://old.reddit.com/r/tildes/comments/1h2n5wc/official_invite_requests_round_35_leave_a_reply/

      * Excluding obvious spammer accounts.

      12 votes
    3. chocobean
      Link Parent
      I have extra Tildes invites as well if you need more :3

      I have extra Tildes invites as well if you need more :3

      2 votes
  9. [30]
    TheMeerkat
    (edited )
    Link
    A few days in, and it's going quite well! I thought I would update every now and then by replying to some freeform comments that are directed more at me than at giving opinions re: Tildes. I'll...

    A few days in, and it's going quite well! I thought I would update every now and then by replying to some freeform comments that are directed more at me than at giving opinions re: Tildes. I'll reply to this comment whenever I do. Also, I just published a short psychological horror story.

    Please note: all freeform comments have been rewritten, whilst maintaining the core intent/message, to help disconnect comments from writing style and heighten privacy.

    14 votes
    1. [19]
      TheMeerkat
      Link Parent
      Up to 426 responses. 🎉 I am particularly fascinated at the sheer number of people who replied that they don't actually have an account, yet. Remember that you can contact me if you want an invite....

      Up to 426 responses. 🎉 I am particularly fascinated at the sheer number of people who replied that they don't actually have an account, yet. Remember that you can contact me if you want an invite. 😺

      I would have answered "varies" to the question about how many days you check Tildes, but it appears to have some sort of sanitization that keeps me from typing more than one character.

      Indeed; it would be quite difficult to analyze later if it was a series of unquantifiable descriptions. The explanatory text below clarifies it's more an average based on "feel" than anything else.

      I have never before had a text box ask for my race and ethnicity, just checkboxes; I usually fall into a few different categories, so this forced me to think more about it than I'm used to. I spent some time staring at the backs of my hands just to answer. I'm not sure whether my response is really accurate, but it's how I feel, so... I suppose I'm grateful.

      This is my favourite comment so far. Like I mentioned in the explanatory text: healthcare makes it quite clear that this is not a super useful thing to reduce to checkmarks. In contrast to the previous question, I'm willing to deal with it being much harder to quantify in order to actually reflect how people see themselves.

      ... There's a difference between "sexual orientation" and "romantic orientation"?

      Indeed! They align for the grand majority of people, but not everyone. Inclusivity, yo.

      The sexuality question feels a bit incoherent outside of the gender binary. As a non-binary person, I always struggle defining my orientation when it's just a series of options.

      And yet another contradiction to my previous statement, as this was also intentional. 😅 This is why designing surveys is so hard!

      There are a few different avenues to approach this, and previous Tildes surveys have tried using the Kinsey scale in years I wasn't running them. The thing is... I don't actually think this improves their inclusivity at all. You're still, ultimately, defining your sexuality on a scale of "same gender" to "opposite gender," and the range of non-binary identities makes this almost equally incoherent.

      I don't know of a perfect solution, other than providing a space for you to clarify in freeform text why you answered (or didn't answer) the way you did (as was the case here!). Thanks to this comment, I know to modify how I quantify and report on the data, and I think that's as best as we can get at the moment.

      It's ironic that I have to help train hCaptcha's AI after writing a long statement about why I hate AI.

      I agree. OpnForm doesn't yet let you change CAPTCHA providers, sorry. :( I would have chosen a better alternative if I could have. Ultimately, I decided to favor privacy (hCaptcha is much better than reCAPTCHA) over... well, that particular issue.

      I wish there was a question that let me state I was polyamorous.

      I don't get why you're asking for my sexual orientation. How is that relevant?

      I really appreciate the question about being a plurality! I've never seen a survey that includes my partner, so thank you.

      Tildes's leftism is absurd when it gets to the point where you felt the need to include a question for fake DID self-diagnosers.

      😵💀 help me squirtle i'm dying--

      I hope you get exactly what you wanted for Christmas.

      😸💖

      Of all the surveys I've ever taken, this is by far the most recent.

      Okay, that's enough updating for now. I feel like I'm losing it.

      24 votes
      1. [3]
        Sapholia
        Link Parent
        I'm simply marveling at the people who complained about the inclusion of questions that they didn't have to answer. It was right there in bold at the top: all questions are optional. Also do...

        I'm simply marveling at the people who complained about the inclusion of questions that they didn't have to answer. It was right there in bold at the top: all questions are optional. Also do people even know what demographics are?

        It gives off real "I'm reminded that different types of people exist and I don't like it, even though they're over there not bothering me" energy.

        I hope you got more pleasant/neutral responses than critical ones.

        24 votes
        1. [2]
          smoontjes
          Link Parent
          "I'm not homophobic/transphobic/racist/xenophobic but why do I have to hear about them"

          It gives off real "I'm reminded that different types of people exist and I don't like it, even though they're over there not bothering me" energy.

          "I'm not homophobic/transphobic/racist/xenophobic but why do I have to hear about them"

          19 votes
          1. em-dash
            Link Parent
            Indeed! I'm not a bigot, why do I have to hear about bigots? D:

            Indeed! I'm not a bigot, why do I have to hear about bigots? D:

            2 votes
      2. [5]
        granfdad
        Link Parent
        Firstly, LMAO Secondly, this is one thing I did think about when I saw that question; does including questions about topics that certain political ideologies (in this case, questions about gender...

        Tildes's leftism is absurd when it gets to the point where you felt the need to include a question for fake DID self-diagnosers.

        Firstly, LMAO

        Secondly, this is one thing I did think about when I saw that question; does including questions about topics that certain political ideologies (in this case, questions about gender identity, romantic orientation, etc.) vehemently disagree with skew the responses in the opposite direction, because those people simply refuse to answer the survey? I can imagine someone with right wing politics thinking “what is this lefty bullshit?” and closing the tab, thus not counting them in the politics questions.

        I don’t know how you solve this problem, you can’t say “well we don’t want them to answer” because it’s a demographics survey, but appeasing that group of people by omitting those questions also makes the survey incomplete/uninteresting…

        14 votes
        1. [4]
          Bonooru
          Link Parent
          I'm going to strongly disagree about gender identity and romantic orientation being political orientations. Just because some people have spent more time questioning their internal experience than...

          I'm going to strongly disagree about gender identity and romantic orientation being political orientations. Just because some people have spent more time questioning their internal experience than others doesn't make it a political statement. It'd be similarly weird to assert that knowing if you were right or left handed was a political idea. It isn't. It's just a thing that you've learned about yourself and can put a label on to more easily talk about

          6 votes
          1. [3]
            DefinitelyNotAFae
            Link Parent
            They were saying that those are several things that certain political ideologies disagree with vehemently. I don't see them calling those identities political, just that rightwing folks may...

            They were saying that those are several things that certain political ideologies disagree with vehemently. I don't see them calling those identities political, just that rightwing folks may perceive them as such due to their ideology.

            11 votes
            1. granfdad
              Link Parent
              This is correct - the general connection between right-wing politics and homo/trans/etc. phobia is independent (or more likely, deliberately ignorant) of the fact that everyone does have a...

              This is correct - the general connection between right-wing politics and homo/trans/etc. phobia is independent (or more likely, deliberately ignorant) of the fact that everyone does have a gender/sexual/romantic identity. I'm not making the claim that those things are political, but certainly that the hatred of groups related to them is.

              8 votes
            2. Bonooru
              Link Parent
              I misunderstood then.

              I misunderstood then.

              5 votes
      3. Zorind
        Link Parent
        My wife does research, and has had multiple projects she’s been on where she has looked at her research partners and had to say something like “I don’t actually have an option on the...

        My wife does research, and has had multiple projects she’s been on where she has looked at her research partners and had to say something like “I don’t actually have an option on the race/ethnicity question that I could accurately answer”.

        So thank you, for having the open textbox.

        12 votes
      4. [8]
        smoontjes
        Link Parent
        Huh? I took the survey the day you posted it and I don't remember that question at all? Also, Tildes is very leftist so I'm note sure why this person is surprised. Also also, what the hell does...

        Tildes's leftism is absurd when it gets to the point where you felt the need to include a question for fake DID self-diagnosers.

        Huh? I took the survey the day you posted it and I don't remember that question at all?

        Also, Tildes is very leftist so I'm note sure why this person is surprised.

        Also also, what the hell does leftism have to do with psychiatric diagnoses lol

        7 votes
        1. TheMeerkat
          Link Parent
          They're referring to: Please check this box if you identify as a “plurality” or a “system.” The right loves to just call anything they don't like "left" or "woke." IDK.

          Huh? I took the survey the day you posted it and I don't remember that question at all?

          They're referring to: Please check this box if you identify as a “plurality” or a “system.”

          Also also, what the hell does leftism have to do with psychiatric diagnoses lol

          The right loves to just call anything they don't like "left" or "woke." IDK.

          11 votes
        2. [6]
          Minori
          (edited )
          Link Parent
          DID in its most popular form in the English-speaking world was popularized on Tumblr. It's not exactly fake, but psychological disorders are rooted in cultural context. As an example, what...

          Also also, what the hell does leftism have to do with psychiatric diagnoses lol

          DID in its most popular form in the English-speaking world was popularized on Tumblr. It's not exactly fake, but psychological disorders are rooted in cultural context. As an example, what behaviours are considered problematic varies significantly by country (see also: fetishes). The idea of alters and systems as some people describe DID is also pretty distinct from its classical form in the DSM.

          (Also also, self-identifying with a mental illness and discussions around whether someone is "neurotypical" is leftist coded for better or worse.)

          Edit: Clarified DID is in the DSM.

          7 votes
          1. [2]
            sparksbet
            Link Parent
            Fwiw, DID is a DSM diagnosis. Plurality, which is what the survey actually asked about, is not, and it as a category includes people who would not (or at least should not) be diagnosed with DID,...

            Fwiw, DID is a DSM diagnosis. Plurality, which is what the survey actually asked about, is not, and it as a category includes people who would not (or at least should not) be diagnosed with DID, but it does also include people who have been diagnosed with DID by qualified psych professionals according to the DSM guidelines. The way your post was phrased implied you think DID itself is something Tumblr made up and not the DSM diagnosis it is.

            6 votes
            1. Minori
              Link Parent
              Yeah my bad, I fixed the phrasing a bit to clarify that DID is a real DSM diagnosis.

              Yeah my bad, I fixed the phrasing a bit to clarify that DID is a real DSM diagnosis.

              2 votes
          2. [3]
            boxer_dogs_dance
            Link Parent
            I learned about it through the widely read memoir When Rabbit Howls in the 80s. That was not the first best selling book about it. Sensationalism sells.

            I learned about it through the widely read memoir When Rabbit Howls in the 80s. That was not the first best selling book about it.

            Sensationalism sells.

            4 votes
            1. [2]
              sparksbet
              Link Parent
              In my experience plural people are some of the most critical of sensationalist representations of DID in media, which, especially under the older/inaccurate name "Multiple Personality Disorder",...

              In my experience plural people are some of the most critical of sensationalist representations of DID in media, which, especially under the older/inaccurate name "Multiple Personality Disorder", are by far the dominant source of cultural awareness and stereotypes of DID than any number of Tumblr blogs.

              5 votes
              1. boxer_dogs_dance
                Link Parent
                I believe you. I was 18 or 19 when I read that book which I found in a university book store popular reading section.

                I believe you. I was 18 or 19 when I read that book which I found in a university book store popular reading section.

                3 votes
      5. zatamzzar
        Link Parent
        Honestly, as a bit of a closet case, I like being asked this in a semi-anonymous fashion... It feels validating for me, I guess?

        I don't get why you're asking for my sexual orientation. How is that relevant?

        Honestly, as a bit of a closet case, I like being asked this in a semi-anonymous fashion... It feels validating for me, I guess?

        7 votes
    2. [4]
      TheMeerkat
      Link Parent
      To be perfectly honest, I didn't even know Three Cheers existed when I started writing the survey. That totally would've been a question if I had. Not a mistake in construction, but maybe a...

      I wish you had a question about how many people use Three Cheers; I'd be curious to see how many of us there are.

      To be perfectly honest, I didn't even know Three Cheers existed when I started writing the survey. That totally would've been a question if I had.

      Why do the OS questions ask for desktop but then follow up with a more detailed question about mobile OSes? It feels like you make a mistake when constructing the survey.

      Not a mistake in construction, but maybe a mistake in clarity. It feels like people typically own more mobile devices these days than they do "real computers," and so I decided to structure them slightly differently. I apologize for the confusion!

      I appreciate the survey. For whatever reason, I love filling out things that ask for personal information (yes, really). Maybe it's just because I'm lonely.

      Just for you, next year's survey will ask for your credit card numbers and home addresses. 💖

      Thanks for the survey! Always love learning about my fellow Tilderinoes. ;)

      And just for you, I'm going to print out your answers and then shred them into a fireplace.

      20 votes
      1. [3]
        kfwyre
        Link Parent
        Data about app usage would be really compelling. I was a diehard “the site is fine in a mobile browser” user for years (and it genuinely is!), but I more often access it through Three Cheers these...

        Data about app usage would be really compelling. I was a diehard “the site is fine in a mobile browser” user for years (and it genuinely is!), but I more often access it through Three Cheers these days. I’m curious what the breakdown looks like for the wider Tildes population.

        Just for you, next year's survey will ask for your credit card numbers and home addresses. 💖

        Don’t forget any government ID numbers, Mothers’ maiden names, and the street(s) we grew up on.

        16 votes
        1. [2]
          TheMeerkat
          Link Parent
          The app truly is stunning. I use it now, myself. I only wish it had notifications (though yes, I do know the philosophical reason it does not). I donated some money to the developer, and you...

          Data about app usage would be really compelling. I was a diehard “the site is fine in a mobile browser” user for years (and it genuinely is!), but I more often access it through Three Cheers these days.

          The app truly is stunning. I use it now, myself. I only wish it had notifications (though yes, I do know the philosophical reason it does not). I donated some money to the developer, and you (general you, not @kfwyre) should consider doing so as well!

          8 votes
          1. kfwyre
            Link Parent
            No no, I can use the callout directly! 😁 I have donated money to the app, but with how much I use it, I should definitely give more.

            No no, I can use the callout directly! 😁 I have donated money to the app, but with how much I use it, I should definitely give more.

            7 votes
    3. [2]
      TheMeerkat
      Link Parent
      Final call for a data visualization expert. :) You know, my sense of humour has been called many things over the years, but never before has it been called "garbage data." 😔 Likewise to you, and...

      Final call for a data visualization expert. :)

      It's important to reflect on how your sarcastic demeanor might influence your replies. Although the lighthearted approach is valued, especially considering the monotonous task of providing responses, it could lead to unexpected complications in the data. If you feed in garbage data, expect poor results.

      You know, my sense of humour has been called many things over the years, but never before has it been called "garbage data." 😔

      Thank you for sharing this survey, 'Meerkat. Wishing you a joyful Christmas (if it's something you observe) and all the best for 2025. Here’s to us, and our community, holding onto our positivity as we navigate the potential challenges of the upcoming four years in politics and society. May we emerge from it all unscathed, filled with hope, and ready for transformation.

      ❤️❤️❤️

      Likewise to you, and to anyone reading this. 💖

      I'd like more questions dealing with hobbies, current events, income brackets, and general political leanings.

      I may consider that next survey. At this point, between all of the conflicting opinions on what should or should not be included, I feel like I need to make a pre-survey survey surveying which survey questions should be on the survey.

      16 votes
      1. DefinitelyNotAFae
        Link Parent
        If other people have such strong survey opinions they could be running a survey. If another random opinion matters, I don't think it's important to reflect on your sarcastic demeanor, and the...

        If other people have such strong survey opinions they could be running a survey.

        If another random opinion matters, I don't think it's important to reflect on your sarcastic demeanor, and the "garbage in" of GIGO is referring to garbage from the user ಠಿ⁠_⁠ಠ

        I'm disappointed in how many people shared things because they're anonymous.

        10 votes
    4. [4]
      TheMeerkat
      Link Parent
      In response to a lot of comments asking for a third option for the generative AI question: the lack thereof was intentional, as it's all too easy (in my experience) to have people tend to...

      In response to a lot of comments asking for a third option for the generative AI question: the lack thereof was intentional, as it's all too easy (in my experience) to have people tend to "default" to the easy option of not having to pick a side. If you're truly 50/50 ambivalent, that's why the questions are optional. :)

      I'm not sure how a master's degree ranks in your question about education. The instructions seem very American to me.

      I specifically tried to un-Americanize it as much as possible by using terms like "secondary education" and "undergraduate/postgraduate." Are those not terms other places use? They're certainly not terms we usually tend to use. I apologize if that's the case! For reference: Masters would be postgraduate but not doctorate.

      This survey is quite well done. However, I’m unsure how my gender and romantic orientation are relevant to the topic at hand, especially concerning Tildes.

      It's a demographics survey, to help get a feel for who's using Tildes! The survey would look very different if it were more aimed at... just gathering opinions.

      Yo mama is so fat, she has smaller fat mamas orbiting her.

      :(

      I don't actually know why I filled out this survey.

      Neither do I, my friend, though I am glad you did.

      12 votes
      1. nic
        Link Parent
        You misunderstood my Gen AI comment. It makes perfect sense that you forced everyone else on here to pick a binary yes/no option. I'm just a tad miffed that I had to pick a binary option also.

        You misunderstood my Gen AI comment.

        It makes perfect sense that you forced everyone else on here to pick a binary yes/no option.

        I'm just a tad miffed that I had to pick a binary option also.

        8 votes
      2. [2]
        DefinitelyNotAFae
        Link Parent
        It seemed fine to me, some surveys will distinguish between post graduate and "terminal degrees" but my Masters is a terminal degree in its field and that's just another level of confusion. But...

        I specifically tried to un-Americanize it as much as possible by using terms like "secondary education" and "undergraduate/postgraduate." Are those not terms other places use? They're certainly not terms we usually tend to use. I apologize if that's the case! For reference: Masters would be postgraduate but not doctorate.

        It seemed fine to me, some surveys will distinguish between post graduate and "terminal degrees" but my Masters is a terminal degree in its field and that's just another level of confusion. But that's the only other "odd" way of asking I've seen. /Higher ed

        7 votes
        1. sparksbet
          Link Parent
          Yeah, the educational options seemed pretty standard for surveys with a more international intent. If anything "master's" would feel more American to me (though I think they're pretty...

          Yeah, the educational options seemed pretty standard for surveys with a more international intent. If anything "master's" would feel more American to me (though I think they're pretty international by now).

          8 votes
  10. Kind_of_Ben
    Link
    Thanks for doing this! I love these sorts of things. Excited to see the results.

    Thanks for doing this! I love these sorts of things. Excited to see the results.

    8 votes
  11. [2]
    Dragonfruit
    Link
    Hey, thanks for including a question for people with dissociative disorders. It's the first time I've ever seen a question like that. It meant a lot for my partner and was very validating.

    Hey, thanks for including a question for people with dissociative disorders. It's the first time I've ever seen a question like that. It meant a lot for my partner and was very validating.

    8 votes
  12. [8]
    pseudolobster
    (edited )
    Link
    Anyone else complete the survey only to get a clipart pic of a potted plant and a link to "go home" with 404 in the title of the page? I should have screenshotted it but instead went back to the...

    Anyone else complete the survey only to get a clipart pic of a potted plant and a link to "go home" with 404 in the title of the page?

    I should have screenshotted it but instead went back to the thread to see if that was normal, now I can't get it back without compromising the scientific validity of your survey.

    Oh well, I'm the [edit] same [/edit] user as the past 4 surveys so just add my results from them onto this one thx.

    PS: Great to see you back! :)

    7 votes
    1. [2]
      cfabbro
      Link Parent
      I got a CAPTCHA at the end asking me to identify all the images that matched the example... which appropriately enough was of a cat, since this was made by Kat. :P It sounds like the CAPTCHA...

      I got a CAPTCHA at the end asking me to identify all the images that matched the example... which appropriately enough was of a cat, since this was made by Kat. :P

      It sounds like the CAPTCHA failed to load for you though, unfortunately. :(

      8 votes
      1. pseudolobster
        Link Parent
        Ah, that makes sense. I use uMatrix to disable 3rd party js, so I always have problems with captchas on sites I've never been to before.

        Ah, that makes sense. I use uMatrix to disable 3rd party js, so I always have problems with captchas on sites I've never been to before.

        8 votes
    2. [3]
      TheMeerkat
      Link Parent
      Thanks so much! Uh... that should most definitely not happen. This is what the submission page looks like. If you PM me an example answer you would have made that I could use to identify your...

      PS: Great to see you back! :)

      Thanks so much!

      Anyone else complete the survey only to get a clipart pic of a potted plant and a link to "go home" with 404 in the title of the page?

      Uh... that should most definitely not happen. This is what the submission page looks like. If you PM me an example answer you would have made that I could use to identify your response, I could verify that it actually went through, if you'd like?

      5 votes
      1. [2]
        pseudolobster
        Link Parent
        Sure, though if cfabbro's guess is right it wouldn't have gone through. I responded "IT Generalist" to occupation, which should narrow the results a fair bit.

        Sure, though if cfabbro's guess is right it wouldn't have gone through.

        I responded "IT Generalist" to occupation, which should narrow the results a fair bit.

        5 votes
        1. TheMeerkat
          Link Parent
          I can confirm that there's no entry with that as the occupation. :( I apologize for the error. If you so desire, you're welcome to try submitting your answers again.

          I can confirm that there's no entry with that as the occupation. :(

          I apologize for the error. If you so desire, you're welcome to try submitting your answers again.

          4 votes
    3. [2]
      zod000
      Link Parent
      Yes, I also got that.

      Yes, I also got that.

      1. TheMeerkat
        Link Parent
        hCaptcha is being blocked in some way; you're free to take the survey again, but please ensure anything that might block hCaptcha is off.

        hCaptcha is being blocked in some way; you're free to take the survey again, but please ensure anything that might block hCaptcha is off.

        1 vote
  13. goose
    Link
    Survey completed, but I would like to complain about the lack of packaging options on the lightening, I'd prefer mine in a bottle please

    Survey completed, but I would like to complain about the lack of packaging options on the lightening, I'd prefer mine in a bottle please

    6 votes
  14. entitled-entilde
    Link
    I tried my best to fill it out honestly, hope it helps. The exception was the “are you human” question at the end, it seemed like I had to lie to finish the survey.

    I tried my best to fill it out honestly, hope it helps. The exception was the “are you human” question at the end, it seemed like I had to lie to finish the survey.

    6 votes
  15. [8]
    Moonchild
    Link
    buh—time is continuous so the tie cases have zero measure! i protest this redundancy!

    Use banker’s rounding to the nearest whole number

    buh—time is continuous so the tie cases have zero measure! i protest this redundancy!

    5 votes
    1. [7]
      TheMeerkat
      Link Parent
      You can tell how I made that error by the fact that I genuinely don't understand what those words mean or where the problem lies.

      You can tell how I made that error by the fact that I genuinely don't understand what those words mean or where the problem lies.

      9 votes
      1. [6]
        Moonchild
        Link Parent
        banker's rounding means round to nearest, and if you have a tie, then you round to the nearest even number. so 1.49 -> 1; 1.5 -> 2; 2.5 -> 2; 3.5 -> 4. so the difference between round to nearest...

        banker's rounding means round to nearest, and if you have a tie, then you round to the nearest even number. so 1.49 -> 1; 1.5 -> 2; 2.5 -> 2; 3.5 -> 4. so the difference between round to nearest (with unspecified tiebreaker) and banker's rounding only matters if you've been on tildes for exactly x.5 years, but it is impossible for anything in the real world to be exactly x.5 years, so there's no need to specify how ties should be broken, so specifying it is redundant

        5 votes
        1. [5]
          em-dash
          Link Parent
          Distance is also continuous, but it's possible for something to be exactly half a meter long. If you find yourself in this situation, just think about kittens for a moment. The kittens are...

          Distance is also continuous, but it's possible for something to be exactly half a meter long.

          If you find yourself in this situation, just think about kittens for a moment. The kittens are irrelevant, but they're cute, and then you can round up, taking comfort in the knowledge that the moment you paused took you over the halfway point.

          5 votes
          1. [2]
            ThrowdoBaggins
            Link Parent
            “Exactly” — to how many significant figures?

            Distance is also continuous, but it's possible for something to be exactly half a meter long.

            “Exactly” — to how many significant figures?

            6 votes
            1. tauon
              Link Parent
              Infinitely many zeroes, of course. Exactly half a meter after all, duh! :P

              Infinitely many zeroes, of course. Exactly half a meter after all, duh! :P

              3 votes
          2. [2]
            Moonchild
            Link Parent
            there is uncertainty to spatial measurements though. and supposing there weren't, there would be particular lengths with a nonzero probability of being measured, indicating discontinuity. (time...

            there is uncertainty to spatial measurements though. and supposing there weren't, there would be particular lengths with a nonzero probability of being measured, indicating discontinuity. (time measurements/distributions tend to be discretised but with uncertainty too; that also suffices)

            4 votes
            1. Moonchild
              Link Parent
              to clarify—by continuous/discontinuous i mean the distributions, not the actual ranges. so it's not relevant that a length measurement could be any real number (if we assume that's actually true)

              to clarify—by continuous/discontinuous i mean the distributions, not the actual ranges. so it's not relevant that a length measurement could be any real number (if we assume that's actually true)

              1 vote
  16. jmpavlec
    Link
    Thanks for the survey! I haven't been here long enough to remember you but I enjoyed reading through your website after the survey (clever self promotion at the end 😉) I love your writing style....

    Thanks for the survey! I haven't been here long enough to remember you but I enjoyed reading through your website after the survey (clever self promotion at the end 😉) I love your writing style. The "repeat after me" poem was great. Definitely enjoyed the non-standard text effects while reading it.

    5 votes
  17. [9]
    elcuello
    Link
    btw if anyone wonders what Meerkat looks like just google Kat Suricata like I did...

    btw if anyone wonders what Meerkat looks like just google Kat Suricata like I did...

    5 votes
    1. [6]
      TheMeerkat
      Link Parent
      You have found my horrible secret! Meerkats are known scientifically as Suricata suricatta.

      You have found my horrible secret! Meerkats are known scientifically as Suricata suricatta.

      6 votes
      1. [5]
        em-dash
        Link Parent
        ... that is probably why your name seemed oddly familiar but I couldn't place it.

        ... that is probably why your name seemed oddly familiar but I couldn't place it.

        3 votes
        1. [4]
          TheMeerkat
          Link Parent
          It's actually my legal name. Whether you find that more or less pathetic than it simply being an internet pseudonym, however, is entirely up to you.

          It's actually my legal name. Whether you find that more or less pathetic than it simply being an internet pseudonym, however, is entirely up to you.

          6 votes
          1. [3]
            GenuinelyCrooked
            Link Parent
            Is that the name your parents gave you, or did you change it, and if you changed it, was that before or after it was your internet identity? My husband's internet identity is his real first name...

            Is that the name your parents gave you, or did you change it, and if you changed it, was that before or after it was your internet identity?

            My husband's internet identity is his real first name with a fake last name, and when we got married we both wanted to take a new name but couldn't agree on one. His internet last name sounds great with both of our first names, but he doesn't want to reverse doxx himself.

            My full legal name also sounds like a character someone didn't put that much thought into. Think Summer O'Seasons.

            6 votes
            1. [2]
              TheMeerkat
              Link Parent
              I changed it--I'm trans, and it's what I went for when I legally changed my name and gender. The idea of reverse doxxing is hilarious. I will say that I have yet to run into any negative effects...

              I changed it--I'm trans, and it's what I went for when I legally changed my name and gender.

              The idea of reverse doxxing is hilarious. I will say that I have yet to run into any negative effects from people online knowing my actual name, for whatever it's worth.

              10 votes
              1. GenuinelyCrooked
                Link Parent
                That's a pretty cool name to pick! He works at a video game design studio and he's worried about disgruntled players, but also I'm pretty sure it would take 4 seconds on Google to find his real...

                That's a pretty cool name to pick!

                He works at a video game design studio and he's worried about disgruntled players, but also I'm pretty sure it would take 4 seconds on Google to find his real name, so he's almost certainly just being silly.

                2 votes
    2. [2]
      jredd23
      Link Parent
      Not sure what that is, and afraid to ask.

      Not sure what that is, and afraid to ask.

      1 vote
      1. elcuello
        Link Parent
        I assure you that it's very SFW

        I assure you that it's very SFW

        3 votes
  18. [2]
    Arthur
    Link
    Welcome back @TheMeerkat ! I've missed these surveys! I mentioned that we hadn't had one in quite a long time to another user a while back and thought that we might get another one, but it never...

    Welcome back @TheMeerkat !

    I've missed these surveys! I mentioned that we hadn't had one in quite a long time to another user a while back and thought that we might get another one, but it never happened.

    I would have done it myself but... Let's be real, I don't have those skills- and you always did a great job of it back in the day. Glad to have you back (and not just because I missed the surveys)!

    4 votes
  19. Bonooru
    Link
    Looking forward to seeing the results in a month or so

    Looking forward to seeing the results in a month or so

    4 votes
  20. [20]
    llehsadam
    Link
    Thanks for doing this! I'm curious how many non-'Muricans there are on here and where they're all from. (I reside in Berlin for example.)

    Thanks for doing this! I'm curious how many non-'Muricans there are on here and where they're all from. (I reside in Berlin for example.)

    4 votes
    1. [8]
      TheMeerkat
      Link Parent
      About 43.13% of total respondents, so far, are from anywhere outside the US. There's not a particularly large number in any one country (I'll be more specific about that when the survey closes),...

      About 43.13% of total respondents, so far, are from anywhere outside the US. There's not a particularly large number in any one country (I'll be more specific about that when the survey closes), though.

      10 votes
      1. [3]
        GenuinelyCrooked
        Link Parent
        The survey doesn't ask where we're from, only where we live.

        The survey doesn't ask where we're from, only where we live.

        6 votes
        1. [2]
          TheMeerkat
          Link Parent
          This was intentional, to help gather less personally identifiable information. :)

          This was intentional, to help gather less personally identifiable information. :)

          10 votes
      2. [2]
        Tardigrade
        Link Parent
        I'm looking forward to comparisons of this data and the older data. Has it become more or less US centric over time? (I know it's not comparable til it's done :shrug:)

        I'm looking forward to comparisons of this data and the older data. Has it become more or less US centric over time? (I know it's not comparable til it's done :shrug:)

        4 votes
        1. TheMeerkat
          Link Parent
          Thus far, actually slightly less.

          Thus far, actually slightly less.

          4 votes
      3. [2]
        zatamzzar
        Link Parent
        I wish there was a way to differentiate between one's nationality and where one resides. Although, the number of people that are expats/emigrees is probably pretty small.

        I wish there was a way to differentiate between one's nationality and where one resides. Although, the number of people that are expats/emigrees is probably pretty small.

        4 votes
        1. sparksbet
          Link Parent
          Hard to say without including it! I wouldn't be surprised if there was a much higher rate of immigrants and expats here on Tildes than in the general population. Though ofc my perspective is...

          Hard to say without including it! I wouldn't be surprised if there was a much higher rate of immigrants and expats here on Tildes than in the general population. Though ofc my perspective is definitely affected by me being one lol.

          7 votes
    2. tauon
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      More than you might think. Off the top of my head, I already count four account names whose owners are residing in a radius under ≈500km from Berlin (myself included) across three countries. :P...

      More than you might think. Off the top of my head, I already count four account names whose owners are residing in a radius under ≈500km from Berlin (myself included) across three countries. :P

      And just FYI: those are people of which I know the very approximate location (like, the country) through public comments on Tildes and remembered them by chance. There’s bound to be more.

      But we can just wait for the survey results to come in and we’ll be wiser!

      Edit: Canada isn’t the US either, presumably. So I could add some more names to that list, haha.

      3 votes
    3. [8]
      sparksbet
      Link Parent
      I also live in Berlin, but I'm an American soooo

      I also live in Berlin, but I'm an American soooo

      3 votes
      1. [7]
        llehsadam
        Link Parent
        Me too, but I’m also an EU-citizen. Maybe we could at some point organize a Tildes meetup in Berlin. Like ten years ago I used to go to the reddit ones and they were chill. I’d probably organize...

        Me too, but I’m also an EU-citizen.

        Maybe we could at some point organize a Tildes meetup in Berlin. Like ten years ago I used to go to the reddit ones and they were chill.

        I’d probably organize it slightly differently though, we could all just go play billiard.

        4 votes
        1. [3]
          TaylorSwiftsPickles
          Link Parent
          This is, funnily, pretty much the same idea @creesch dropped on the tildes minecraft server a few days ago. I guess, if someone actually wants to invest time and effort into organising a Tildes...

          This is, funnily, pretty much the same idea @creesch dropped on the tildes minecraft server a few days ago. I guess, if someone actually wants to invest time and effort into organising a Tildes meetup in Germany, there is already some interest for it.

          4 votes
          1. [2]
            creesch
            Link Parent
            Yup, I'd be down to meet up. Though, it takes me 6 hours to get there by either car or train assuming no traffic jams or DB strikes ;) So some planning would be required as it is at least a day...

            Yup, I'd be down to meet up. Though, it takes me 6 hours to get there by either car or train assuming no traffic jams or DB strikes ;) So some planning would be required as it is at least a day trip and more likely a two-day trip.

            4 votes
            1. teaearlgraycold
              Link Parent
              I’m down to go to Europe or North America. I think a poll with approximate locations would help to narrow down where to go.

              I’m down to go to Europe or North America. I think a poll with approximate locations would help to narrow down where to go.

        2. Raspcoffee
          Link Parent
          Ngl, despite being in NL I could see staying a weekend in Berlin for a meetup. Sounds pretty awesome all things considered.

          Ngl, despite being in NL I could see staying a weekend in Berlin for a meetup. Sounds pretty awesome all things considered.

          2 votes
        3. sparksbet
          Link Parent
          I've met up with someone else from Tildes in person (albeit not in Berlin) and it was a great time! I'd totally be down to do some kind of hangout (though I will warn you I've never played...

          I've met up with someone else from Tildes in person (albeit not in Berlin) and it was a great time! I'd totally be down to do some kind of hangout (though I will warn you I've never played billiards lol)

          2 votes
        4. Toric
          Link Parent
          I just moved to the Frankfurt area 3 months ago (from Minnesota/North Dakota area), and I will have to travel to Berlin once a month or so for work, any excuse to go at a specific time and have...

          I just moved to the Frankfurt area 3 months ago (from Minnesota/North Dakota area), and I will have to travel to Berlin once a month or so for work, any excuse to go at a specific time and have something to do outside of work would be welcome!

          2 votes
    4. [2]
      GenuinelyCrooked
      Link Parent
      The survey doesn't actually ask! I'm an American citizen but that survey doesn't know that. It only knows that I live in Sweden now.

      The survey doesn't actually ask! I'm an American citizen but that survey doesn't know that. It only knows that I live in Sweden now.

      2 votes
      1. nic
        Link Parent
        Luckily there are those of us who moved to America, so perhaps it all averages out in the wash?

        Luckily there are those of us who moved to America, so perhaps it all averages out in the wash?

        2 votes