What if the whole "2 day blackout" was engineered to allow admins to test some new features with a protest being a convenient excuse?

neovulcan · 2023-06-13T14:25:02+00:00

Swartz has been removed

You can say that again

neovulcan · 2023-06-13T12:30:06+00:00

I've started using wheat straw cups. Not sure they live up to their advertising, but I figure it's worth the shot. Can't afford to risk glass falling and breaking with dogs and kids knocking things around all the time.

neovulcan · 2023-06-13T12:09:39+00:00

I don't know, man, how many billion is your coming IPO going to make? I'll tell you what...my IPO...what does IPO stand for again?

...what if we launder the money?

neovulcan · 2023-06-13T12:07:42+00:00

reddit founders will move on to something else.

...like Aaron Swartz moved on?

neovulcan · 2023-06-13T01:59:04+00:00

The ones in charge are going to get a lot richer with the IPO, and this move will likely make them more money than they'll lose by alienating 3rd party apps.

Additionally, while we're focusing on the negative aspects off this, the most troublesome bots likely favor the API, and this will at least make the bot owners throw additional funds towards their cause. Probably wishful thinking on my part, as Reddit would probably advertise more if they cared to kill the troublesome bots.

neovulcan · 2023-06-12T16:30:03+00:00

Thanks to the sheer population of Reddit, there's anywhere from dozens to thousands in niche subreddits that might not even exist on alternative sites. For instance, /s/explainbothsides has an overmoderated Reddit counterpart but the Saidit side has had almost no activity in the past year with 10 subscribers. We have an /s/stargate, but there's literally nothing there compared to the Reddit counterpart that is actually a pretty positive place. Not every sub on Reddit has gone to shit, and I still hope the trend reverses itself.

neovulcan · 2023-06-12T14:54:26+00:00

I've been wanting to completely ditch Reddit for a while and this seems to be the best of the alternatives. Will at least be hanging here for the next couple days.

neovulcan · 2022-10-11T18:29:25+00:00

You've got as close to absolute free speech as you'll get, so long as you exercise it where no one will hear you (i.e. town square or middle of the forest).

A step away from that would probably be 4chan, but you might actually reach the same amount of people as the middle of the forest, since reading through all that noise is a huge pain.

A step away from that is probably Twitter since April 2022, when Elon Musk started shining a light. You either need followers or a well-placed comment, but if you're a real person, you can probably say what needs to be said.

A step away from that is probably the Alex Jones show. Just like 4chan, you've got to watch so many bad interviews before you get one worth entertaining, and even then there's doubts.

I guess it really depends on what you have to say and who you're trying to get to listen. Seems you can criticize any group of people here on Saidit, rightly or wrongly. What do you need to get off your chest?

neovulcan · 2022-09-15T13:29:38+00:00

I am a sun worshipper, but I don't pray to the sun. You know who I pray to? Joe Pesci.

neovulcan · 2022-09-14T03:10:39+00:00

Echo chambers are boring. Marry someone that you can disagree with respectfully and there's always something to talk about.

neovulcan · 2022-09-13T18:11:59+00:00

While it is generally declining as Huxley predicted in "A Brave New World", we do have a few outliers that show it's not categorically bad. My examples don't seem to hit mainstream media as hard as the garbage though.

Cobra Kai
Better Call Saul
Silicon Valley
The Expanse
Young Sheldon
Spartacus (starting with Blood and Sand, of course)

neovulcan · 2022-09-13T16:57:30+00:00

This is the kind of thing that just lowers one's opinion of women in general. If you don't like conservatives, don't date one, but begging others to join you? Sounds like she's trying to convince herself at the same time.

To OP's question, there's very few opinions that would get me to refuse a date, but the overall attitude on discussion is critical. If I have to listen to circular logic like "Trump is bad because he's Trump", there's little hope for the discussion to go forward.

Opinions that will find me looking elsewhere:

Allowing/encouraging transgender children. If you're not competent to drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, vote, enlist in the military, own a gun, or any other significant decisions, you're not competent to irreparably opt-in to drugs/surgery.
Allowing/encouraging transgender discussions in school-age children, especially the pre-pubescent. If you can't have that discussion amongst adults in the workplace, it certainly doesn't belong with the impressionable.
Mandating that I convert to their religion. Spent too much time on a couple thinking this was just a coy ploy. Even bought the catechism of the catholic church to give the full benefit of my consideration. Could've saved so much time/effort not being so considerate.

While it hasn't been criteria historically, going forward I would insist on someone who is similarly categorically pro-life: no abortion, no suicide, no euthanasia, no death penalty. For all situations we have control of, imposing death is barbaric. Bonus points if she's pro-2A for those situations we don't have control of.

neovulcan · 2022-06-25T07:20:51+00:00

Seems to be everywhere. Most disappointing part for me is just how few will even entertain that the Supreme Court should never have heard a case like Roe v Wade. The Supreme Court exists to judge the constitutionality of cases, and there's nothing to base a judgment either way in the constitution or its amendments. Then factor in the 10th Amendment, and, yeah, they never should have set so many tenuous precedents.

neovulcan · 2022-06-02T14:49:48+00:00

I was initially annoyed that this was needlessly re-visualized, but there's a key verbiage clarification that makes it worth it.

Refutation - finding a mistake and supporting it by quoting the author

So many people I've shown the previous visualization to get hung up on "by using quotes", thinking they were supposed to quote other arguments.

neovulcan · 2022-06-02T14:44:21+00:00

I've had a couple minor glitches like this in Firefox for other sites too. Default browser is now Chrome, with Firefox for oddball cases.

neovulcan · 2022-05-24T19:57:40+00:00

That's a fair "should". What's the "should not"?

neovulcan · 2022-05-24T19:56:53+00:00

That sounds like an argument for "bad". What's the argument for "good"?

neovulcan · 2022-05-09T16:47:49+00:00

No: Every place that tries true free speech eventually finds the limits of what people will tolerate. 4chan is a great example. Users will lose faith in the system not for the lack of quality content, but for the ratio of quality to garbage. How much time sifting through garbage will people stand before finding good? Again, see 4chan.

Yes: "Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech; which is the right of every man as far as by it he does not hurt or control the right of another; and this is the only check it ought to suffer and the only bounds it ought to know.... Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech, a thing terrible to traitors. Benjamin Franklin" Twitter enjoys the protections of being a public forum and should be treated as such YouTube . Additionally, Twitter went too far in censoring political opponents, which sends the subtle message that the censored argument was so good, no counterargument could be made. Without naming names (which I'm sure will trigger some bot), I've reviewed many of the censored and find their arguments were neither so good as to have no counterargument, nor so bad that censorship would be necessary. Circling back to Ben Franklin: "Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech".

neovulcan · 2022-05-09T15:23:39+00:00

Climate alarmist: Google "climate change since 1900" and you'll find plenty of articles and studies based on the same dataset. If you follow the scientific method using this dataset, you're forced to draw alarming conclusions. Additionally, even if these conclusions are wrong, steps towards a greener Earth hurt no one, and provide varying benefits to everyone. Google "aqi map usa" for a taste of the subtle irritants we tolerate in many regions. It feeds our collective ego to believe we make a difference, and its good for society to see people looking to take responsibility.

Climate skeptic: Google "climate change since the beginning of time" and you'll find datasets that show us entering and exiting multiple ice ages without human intervention. If human intervention didn't pull us out of the previous ice ages, now probably has nothing to do with us as well. We still aren't as warm as the Roman period, and the climate alarmists need to show how a smaller population with no fossil fuels managed to have a larger impact on world climate. The planet is fine. Head on over to /r/climateskeptics for more.

A lot of climate alarmists are researchers or businesses that would not be profitable without climate alarmists in social media. This is generally the crowd of "science", so the "climate change deniers" are usually religious fundamentalists that don't trust science. This leads to the former group disregarding the ice core datasets because it conflicts with their politics, and the latter disregarding it because it conflicts with their religion. You'll find so many arguments low on the argument pyramid

neovulcan · 2022-05-09T15:03:56+00:00

In a work setting that makes sense. I'm referring to places like 4chan, as I just don't bother with it anymore. Most people aren't tasked with going to Twitter...

neovulcan · 2022-05-09T13:21:44+00:00

Inspired by this response (not mine) to the question "Who is based stick man?"

Here's two answers I can come up with. In keeping with the time-honored internet tradition of only reading things that conform to our established world view, please read either Paragraph A (if you voted Democrat) or Paragraph B (if you voted Republican). Please do not attempt to seek out and understand the point of view of anyone you may disagree with.

Paragraph A: Kyle Chapman is a far-right Trump supporter who attended the March Berkley "March for Trump" protest ready for a fight. He came dressed in riot gear, including helmet, goggles, a homemade wooden shield, and a homemade baseball bat. When violence erupted at the Pro-Trump rally, he eagerly joined in. He was rightly arrested for attacking anti-trump protesters and is now being heralded as a hero by the racist alt-right. They describe him as "based stick man" and "The Alt-Knight".

Paragraph B: Kyle Chapman, aka "based stick man" is a Trump supporter who attended the March Berkley "March for Trump". Because of many recent attacks by so called "anti-fascist" left wing extremists, Chapman came dressed in protective clothing, including a plywood shield and wooden stick to protect himself and others against radical leftist violence. When the "anti-fascist" anarchists started attacking innocent people, Chapman used his stick to defend his fellow Trump supporters. In the video, you can see the radical leftists attacking innocent protesters- attacking people on the ground, grabbing peaceful people to pull them into the crowd of "anti-fascist" thugs, and spraying innocent people with pepper spray. Chapman was unjustly singled out by police for defending himself and other innocent people. He is currently free, but is awaiting for trial.

Here's the most impartial video I could find: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKN7XDs2E58

neovulcan · 2022-05-09T13:14:04+00:00

Friendly reminder that top level comments in this sub are supposed to present both sides. I'm not removing this, though, as you've at least got one side down, and this sub is brand new.

neovulcan · 2022-05-09T05:08:09+00:00

Pro-choice: as you've stated, the pro-choice side doesn't consider the unborn to be life, and I think it's probably a lot more than that. I think pro-choice is rooted in the brutal animalistic caveman side, where the average life expectancy was 25, not because many died around 25, but because it's a statistical average, with so many dying young. I think, if you really dig into the pro-choice movement, they wouldn't really care about a death until adult years, probably somewhere in the teens. Children to support when you're struggling? Children who might never pull their own weight due to genetic deficiencies? When your family is barely scraping by, this is the pragmatic mindset that survives caveman years, and is arguably viable in the worst parts of the world today.

Pro-life: the worst parts of the world today aren't anywhere this discussion is being held. Hell, if you own a flushy toilet, you're living at a higher standard of living than medieval kings. When you look at who to respect in a society, and thereby infer a society's values, do you not instantly respect those who would add years to a person they don't know? Consider a random person collapsing on the street - do you respect the bystander filming for internet karma or the random stranger attempting CPR? Which, btw, has an incredibly low success rate, which makes it an even more noble attempt in my eyes. If you could add years to a stranger's life for a statistically minor inconvenience in your life, could you see the value in that act of compassion? Imagine that stranger shares 50% of your DNA, and would learn from your example. Regardless of where you are on the nature/nurture spectrum, the odds of creating a force for good are overwhelmingly in your favor, even for victims of rape. Consider Dr. Ron Paul who has delivered over 4000 babies and never found need for an abortion. It's almost never medically necessary, it's grotesque, and it fundamentally defines whether we are a self-centered or self-less society. Furthermore, on recent events, SCOTUS should release the draft either as is or in a more strengthened form, as this issue is clearly not so one-sided as to override the 10th amendment.

neovulcan · 2022-05-09T04:16:36+00:00

I'd be down to grab a beer. Living on the VA side a little ways out.

neovulcan · 2022-05-09T04:13:13+00:00

There is also heavy moderation here, but perhaps not as bad as Reddit. This place leans a little further right, so you can say anti-Semitic things, but you can't post porn. I don't particularly need to say/post either thing, and am hoping moderation doesn't clamp down on issues that need free speech, like taxes, abortion, gun control, drug policy, foreign policy, etc.

neovulcan · 2022-05-09T03:57:19+00:00

On the political side: leadership doesn't change hands, similar to how the Nazis grabbed power in the 20s and didn't need to let go. This was completely legal, as that's how previous regimes had taken power, and I suspect what's happened in Russia is also completely legal.

On the economic side: we've seen Russia's GDP decline since 1970 and I've got to wonder if they were to the "zero fucks point" before 2014, much like the Germans in the 1930s following the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles.

neovulcan · 2022-05-09T03:55:48+00:00

Bad: Every place that tries true free speech eventually finds the limits of what people will tolerate. 4chan is a great example. Additionally, open algorithms, as Musk intends, will allow those who craft spam bots to consistently evade the system. Users will lose faith in the system not for the lack of quality content, but for the ratio of quality to garbage. How much time sifting through garbage will people stand before finding good? Again, see 4chan.

Good: "Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech; which is the right of every man as far as by it he does not hurt or control the right of another; and this is the only check it ought to suffer and the only bounds it ought to know.... Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech, a thing terrible to traitors. Benjamin Franklin" Twitter enjoys the protections of being a public forum and should be treated as such. Additionally, Twitter went too far in censoring political opponents, which sends the subtle message that the censored argument was so good, no counterargument could be made. Without naming names (which I'm sure will trigger some bot), I've reviewed many of the censored and find their arguments were neither so good as to have no counterargument, nor so bad that censorship would be necessary. Circling back to Ben Franklin: "Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech".

neovulcan · 2022-05-09T03:54:44+00:00

Yes: The value of college is largely in separating yourself from the rest of society. For graduates of 1970ish and before, graduating alone was enough to separate yourself from "the lower class". Modern day, that distinction only belongs to a handful of institutions, as the push to subsidize student loans has significantly decreased the value of college graduation. If you don't graduate from an institution that places graduates in the elite positions, you might as well not go to college.

No: College is a crutch that too many accept. There are washouts from Ivy League schools and there are winners with no college whatsoever. Attitude is what's most critical, and a college education in the modern environment might suppress that, given the gatekeeping standards of certain institutions. Don't accept admission to a college you don't believe in, regardless of what your parents think. Trade school, the military, or carving your own path are much more viable options than mediocrity in college.

neovulcan · 2022-05-09T03:54:07+00:00

For tax: in theory, we tax the things we don't want people to do. (Don't get me started on income and corporate tax). Is the thing we don't want people to do "hide from tax in cryptocurrency" or "hide from inflation in cryptocurrency"? For the powers that seek to impose a tax, the answer is probably both, as they benefit from tax directly, and those that craft inflation get to pick the winners while the rest suffer. Additionally, this crowd will also attract those who believe all things should be taxed, as a strong government provides the things they care about most. This crowd will further expand to those who worry about the next rash of cyber attacks wiping out entire families who essentially abandoned their bank in favor of crypto. When you consider that standard cybersecurity practice is "when not if", allowing a proliferation of cryptocurrency might lead to a lack of faith in the internet altogether, which has cascading effects. Chasing out crypto investors with an excessive tax might be the way to save the internet.

Against tax: this crowd starts with those opposed to all taxes, as the government either does not provide the things they care about, or does so inefficiently as to be wasteful. In addition to the simple principle of avoiding tax, this crowd might expand a bit in the middle class, as it seems only the middle class actually pays taxes. The rich have lawyers to find loopholes, and the poor have government to find loopholes. Taxing the middle class keeps the classes separate, as the middle class never attains enough wealth to do too much more than survive. This crowd should expand further to include those disappointed with excessive inflation. Zero inflation benefits the rich, as they can postpone purchases until the price is to their liking, but the poor and middle class don't have enough savings to see a benefit. High inflation only benefits those in power, as they're funneling it to their pet projects in a rush to claim success. Low inflation seems to be the key, as the rich get progressively less return waiting for the perfect investment, but the poor still have purchasing power with a strong currency. Due to mathematical limits in Bitcoin, this inflation is nearly locked at a low rate, one which might be ideal for society.

neovulcan · 2022-05-07T03:35:39+00:00

Regarding SCOTUS, I'm supremely confident the issue isn't so one-sided as to override the 10th amendment. Let the states decide and stop resting on Roe v Wade.

Regarding abortion writ large, I think you see that I feel it's fucking evil. I am, however, willing to temper my opinion and see how things pan out between states. Surely some data will emerge to support my position...or change my mind?

Regarding the soul, I believe it grows with the individual, beginning with the fusion of DNA. While that may not be perfect, it's enough to craft policy, and bestows a certain respect on elders who have grown their souls.

Policy-wise, I'll agree that a straight up ban is counterproductive. People will find more dangerous and destructive means to the same end. However, we can defund the public endorsement that is Planned Parenthood, which would encourage those who were skeptical but uncommitted to complete the ethical course of action.

Lastly, I'll agree we need to address financial distress. We can start by eliminating the income tax, thereby placing more money in every working person's pockets, and incentivizing them to work more. We can solidify the value of the dollar by locking inflation at a low but predictable percentage. Printing money the way the current administration has done should be blocked by a constitutional amendment. Furthermore, we could extend a certain amount of UBI to each dependent, most appropriately a combination of a fixed amount plus a percentage of exported GDP. That much should negate financial distress to those considering abortion.

neovulcan · 2022-03-07T19:45:05+00:00

I have The Witcher 3 and CyberPunk 2077 but haven't got far in either. I like both worlds but the combat/movement is less than intuitive so far.

neovulcan · 2022-03-07T03:02:09+00:00

Haven't seen Blankman and had to google it. Could be good.

For me to call something a superhero movie, there needs to be some kind of moral correlation, exaggerated through the superhero lens. I didn't really see that in Robin Hood men in tights, as good of a movie as it was otherwise.

I wouldn't exclude comedy though. Kick-Ass was a fantastic movie that maybe belongs on this list. It mocked Batman's traditional tactics the same way BvS did subtly.

neovulcan · 2022-03-07T02:27:25+00:00

To be fair, this is much more significant for several reasons.

First, this is Russia, a nuclear power and only 30 years ago one of the big two in the Cold War. They have the potential to bring World War III, unlike any of the aforementioned countries.

Second, Ukraine might be the largest country to voluntarily give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for peace. If Ukraine doesn't come out on top after this, its distinctly possible no one will ever disarm again, and many more might seek their own.

Third, Ukraines political and economic situation has been nothing like the aforementioned countries, several of which have never really known peace or prosperity. A "new" conflict there is practically the status quo. If war can come to one place at relative peace and prosperity, others in a similar situation better take note.

neovulcan · 2022-03-06T22:45:33+00:00

I didn't put it higher because the other characters weren't on the same level. Bale was the best when he had the seat, but I'm rather partial to Affleck. He's at least as good of a Batman, and a much better Bruce Wayne.

For as much as I like Affleck and Cavill, BvS sat lower for not really developing the villains at all.

neovulcan · 2022-03-06T22:41:09+00:00

Most weeks it's been Kessler for me at about $20 per handle, just showing appreciation for the others. For the longest time I'd only step out of that every month or two, but these past four weeks I've grabbed a different experiment each time.

Oddly enough I'm actually drinking your Evan Williams White Label now, I just didn't get the same price. Think I dropped about $20 on a fifth and it's not bad, just with that 100 proof I was expecting something closer to Wild Turkey 101.

neovulcan · 2022-03-06T21:12:31+00:00

Haven't tried George Dickel yet, at that price it's definitely worth the try!

neovulcan · 2022-03-06T20:40:51+00:00

Honorable mentions? Neither are bad, but I've never thought they were underpriced either. Same with Japanese whiskey. Haven't had a bad one yet, but they know what they got and aren't looking to cut you a deal either.

neovulcan · 2021-06-10T17:40:04+00:00

I'm a little surprised. Not that I doubt the numbers, but there just weren't that many great games for the PS2. Saying that because I sold mine last year without looking at a single game the way I would Goldeneye or FF7.

Mobile sales make plenty of sense though. Great way to keep your kids occupied and happy, without any real feedback from the actual users.

neovulcan · 2021-04-12T18:02:37+00:00

Your friend is a fool

Yeah, maybe. He refuses to get a 9-5 job, which I think would solve a lot of his problems here. It'd simultaneously demonstrate stability as well as allow him to afford a lawyer. If he worked a 40 hour week like the rest of us and still couldn't afford a lawyer, I'd be more inclined to chip in on fees. Otherwise a very good, principled man.

against a skilled attorney.

Not so sure on this one. I don't know enough specifics, but I know she can't afford an expensive attorney either. What they're getting away with is precedent and it being a "mother state", as opposed to Texas (where he grew up) where it's 50/50 pretty much no matter what.

Anyway, I plan on sending a book or two, and he's already said he's been to the library, so maybe I can rest with a clear conscience. Really good kid. Deserves more time with his Dad.

neovulcan · 2021-04-11T13:22:37+00:00

Its the highest legal standard i know of, so it seems like an appropriate metric.

Also, I have a relative preparing for a custody battle. Since he had a bad experience with an affordable lawyer, he's determined to self represent. I figure anything that might impress the court would work in his favor.

neovulcan · 2021-03-31T20:18:25+00:00

IP2 was kicked out so fast I had to figure out what it stood for from somewhere else

neovulcan · 2021-03-25T02:58:47+00:00

it's one of few subs that haven't gone to shit on Reddit...really hope the community doesn't get fractured

neovulcan · 2021-03-22T12:05:43+00:00

Why Essence over anything else?

neovulcan · 2021-03-19T13:03:46+00:00

Oh man, it's no wonder these got restricted on YouTube. The Democrats couldn't sue because they'd lose in court, but it's always possible to get facts restricted. So far loving "Why I Left The Left" and "The Inconvenient Truth About The Democratic Party"

neovulcan · 2021-03-18T03:40:33+00:00

misinformation and disinformation.

Can you please link me to a couple? I haven't watched even half of the videos but none of the ones I've seen came remotely close to misinformation or disinformation.

neovulcan · 2021-03-17T22:23:24+00:00

Well, from an ethical perspective there are positive rights and negative rights. Positive rights are freedoms while negative rights require effort to maintain. Taking the effort to limit what I consider harmless content implies that considerable measures are in place to keep the site free of certain content, which is indeed the case.

neovulcan · 2020-08-17T17:58:01+00:00

Am I the only one with no clue what IP2 even is?

neovulcan · 2020-08-14T02:07:14+00:00

I have family in east Texas. I know finding you will be like finding a needle in a stack of needles, but hey, I'll remember to shoot a note if we're heading that way.

neovulcan · 2020-08-13T18:23:23+00:00

Per u/lilith_fair suggestion, I will buy you a beer if I'm in your location. PM is fine if you care to share. Also did Patreon so you can buy your own beer in the meantime.

neovulcan · 2020-07-29T14:32:16+00:00

start digging and maybe you'll find the entrance to Castle Greyskull

neovulcan · 2020-07-29T03:30:07+00:00

that first one is going to help a lot. I reactivated my imgur account and fiddled through the link gathering process - pretty sure I screwed it up on one submission. Still feel guilty I hotlinked to some hosted by reddit through a similar process.

neovulcan · 2020-07-16T15:04:31+00:00

I know. Was just trying to parrot the article title appropriately, albeit ignoring the subtitle.

neovulcan · 2020-07-16T14:22:56+00:00

It's not always, it's just on the internet. I've met plenty of black people that follow these 'white' traits, so much to the point that I can't seriously accept them as white traits.

neovulcan · 2020-07-16T14:18:06+00:00

If the country wanted to restructure society

I doubt there's any grand central planners. At least not with enough influence to pull this off on their own.

killing off people with a bioweapon.

This is also unlikely. The shifts I'm describing should have happened a decade or two ago, so it's not like the timing of this disease is ideal. We finally had an event that had this effect, but it could easily have been earlier or later. If swine flu, avian flu, SARS, etc had been more infectious, we might've seen these steps then. Or maybe we could've ignored COVID, herd immunity would've taken hold, and we still would have so many people in the wrong jobs.

Since you're renting a room, you probably don't have a whole lot of stuff, and could hypothetically move anywhere. Have you considered other career fields or locations? Have you explored any kinds of grants, scholarships or other programs to jumpstart a new career? I believe many can learn and/or work from home, but if it's already giving you anxiety, you're not likely one of those people.

neovulcan · 2020-07-14T19:44:38+00:00

I had to explain it to my wife for our son. Glad we got ahead on that discussion, as it took her many weeks to accept the facts, and our son is not circumcised. My folks were genuinely remorseful at having circumcised me, but I don't hold it against them. They tried to make the best decision they could at the time, didn't know, and sought the advice of someone who should have known but didn't. It's not like they didn't care, it's just that the weight of popular appeal can just be so overwhelming.

neovulcan · 2020-07-14T14:07:37+00:00

As one who identifies more libertarian than anything else, this makes sense. Always thought PragerU was a more right-leaning platform, but I identify more with the right than the left anyway, so this is acceptable.

As to the spirit of the lawsuit, I figured the predominant goal was reduced censorship, with actual government intervention being the thing neither party really wanted - with PragerU betting YouTube/Google would want government intervention even less.

Whether you agree with their views or not, they appear to fall well short of anything worth censoring (rationalizing racism, sexism, violence, etc), and they consistently present towards the top of the argument pyramid. For example, they posted this video claiming slavery was the cause of the US Civil War, which inspired this rebuttal. I'm not endorsing either video, but this kind of discussion is one of the reasons I come to the internet in the first place.

neovulcan · 2020-07-14T11:47:23+00:00

Libertarians learning their first lesson about the terrible power of private property.

This statement has me a bit confused. Is PragerU a libertarian platform? Do libertarians not respect private property? I didn't think either was the case.

neovulcan · 2020-07-13T22:18:05+00:00

Well, that's the worst case scenario. I'm sure they'd settle for their conservative videos getting unblocked. Most of their videos are reasonable from what I can tell, but they put them out so much faster than I can watch them.

neovulcan · 2020-07-13T20:22:29+00:00

Basically, they outline that you can't be both a public forum and an independent platform, but YouTube is managing both. If PragerU's case prevails, YouTube should be forced to choose between censorship and their enhanced status as a public forum. Currently they're having their cake and eating it too.

neovulcan · 2020-07-12T10:51:53+00:00

How is this a conspiracy? I figure this belongs more in /s/technology

neovulcan · 2020-07-11T18:00:56+00:00

"The last bastion of free speech on the internet" - while not literally true, it might inspire others to watch the censorship movement more closely

neovulcan · 2020-07-11T01:17:51+00:00

I figured it's appropriate for this sub :-/

neovulcan · 2020-07-10T23:32:47+00:00

I'd love to believe that those upvotes were all purchased by some leftist shill, but then I think about all the megachurch attendees and realize that's actually a lowball estimate for the number of morons we have to deal with.

neovulcan · 2020-07-10T18:25:45+00:00

Over a minute into it, and I can't say I've found anything wrong, but it's all pretty low on the argument pyramid :-/

When I say I'm an Einstein skeptic, I don't mean that he wasn't original, I'm saying the speed of light is just a speed (not a maximum), and the usefulness of his equations is probably incidental. I don't have the math to prove that last part, but after all these years, I'd think it'd be more widespread knowledge at the lower tiers of education.

neovulcan · 2020-07-09T09:13:32+00:00

So, Disney's never really been 'woke' until recently. If anything, the 'woke' line is damage control for their cartoons against blacks, jews, indians, asians, and pretty much anything you can think of. Here's the first link I found googling but I'm sure there's plenty of better examples. Now, I disagree with the 'woke' stance, even for Disney, but I'm highlighting them as having an actual reason, as it appears the rest of your list is just virtue-signaling for what I can only assume are marketing reasons.

Cartoons by their very nature are an exaggeration of reality. All features are exaggerated, not just the racist ones. If we replaced all the characters with stick figures, we'd still get some woke SJW complaining that stick figures are fat-shaming.

in the case of, say, Netflix, their product isn't categorically woke, so there's wiggle room to choose titles appropriately. If people aren't making it through an entire woke series, Netflix's algorithm should start sorting these garbage narratives to the bottom. If it isn't already, I'll submit Star Trek: Discovery as a prime example. That show is objectively bad even if you're of the woke mindset, and completely abysmal if you're not.

Nike is an easy boycott, even if it weren't for the woke narrative. The company was founded by a coach who crafted special shoes for his athletes, yet it's been taken over by people who make capitalism look evil. Exploitation of cheap labor in foreign countries, passive-aggressive judging for not having the same foot as your favorite athlete, high margins compared with craftsmanship...all without addressing the woke narrative. That's an easy boycott.

Even before COVID, professional sports were a bubble just waiting to be popped. Sure, an NFL game is better than your local high school game, but is it really hundreds of dollars better for that seat in the stadium? It wouldn't surprise me if the number of people realizing they're overpaying for things related to professional is increasing, and the woke narrative is just a hail mary to save the industry.

neovulcan · 2020-07-08T11:34:16+00:00

Lego Knights of the Round Table

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