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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Senate QAnon Casualties

Discussion in 'Community' started by Bacon164, Sep 21, 2020.

  1. Darth Punk

    Darth Punk JCC Manager star 7 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Nov 25, 2013
    @CairnsTony Have you watched The Social Dilemma on Netflix? It’s a bunch of former Silicon Valley developers who speak out about the ethics of social media’s business models. Unfortunately the general message of the documentary leans towards @Lordban ’s argument. Definitely worth a watch though.
     
  2. CairnsTony

    CairnsTony Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    May 7, 2014
    There's a whole other side to that argument; one that suggests that the role of social media is not as cut and dried as is sometimes made out:

    https://www.theverge.com/interface/...w-orlowski-sarah-zhang-memo-facebook-buzzfeed

    https://www.theguardian.com/comment...-a-wake-up-call-for-a-world-drunk-on-dopamine

    In particular, pay attention to what the first article says about where certain well-known extremists went for their kicks. I'll give you a clue: it wasn't Twitter. But it wasn't FB either.

    Also, both articles mention FB, a website that is very different in key ways from Twitter, and which I have been deeply critical of on here before now. There is also a mention of Google and how it reinforces bias, to 'taylor' hits to your preferences. Again, I have been hugely critical of this on here too. Ironically, one of my favourite follows on Twitter is Carole Cadwalladr, who actively investigates FB for precisely those reasons.

    Also, it's sort of irrelevant for the vast majority of people anyway, re: Twitter. If I was in any way significantly influenced in a dubious way by Twitter, I think I would have noticed by now. I have repeatedly made the point that I am aware of the platform's issues, but I categorically reject the idea that it cannot be a useful resource for the reasons I have repeatedly given. But if you're still not convinced I'm not a moron, I'm going to conduct a little experiment. I'm going to drag the first six articles, in the exact order they come up, from Twitter from my own Twitter feed so that we can break down their usefulness, entertainment value or uselessness accordingly:

    Prof Stavrakopoulou is a Biblical Scolar and fellow atheist. She is well worth a follow, especially for her hilarious portrayals of mediaeval art:


    Prof Alice Roberts is a biologist and TV presenter who is also quite political, as she is here:


    No idea what this award is about without looking into it, but it looks interesting:


    Chris Broad is a highly entertaining content creator on YT on life in Japan. He has a dry, sarcastic sense of humour, which suits me just fine:


    Ciara Ní É posts in the Irish language (and occasionally English, like here) on a variety of contemporary issues:


    Something a bit more meaty and political. I don't really know much about it, but I wouldn't accept it on face value, even if I did. I'd want to read more about it.
    https://twitter.com/RedPenofLex/status/1308741884253265920

    In other words, where's the fire? These posts are informative, interesting (for me) for the most part- and if not, I ignore them- and absolutely fine in this format.

    I find the website very useful as it functions as a one-stop shop for the things that interest me. I'd like to think this sort of content isn't doing me active harm, and therefore I will continue to use it, unless something better comes along.

    EDIT: I've no idea why the last one won't show.
     
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2020
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  3. Darth Punk

    Darth Punk JCC Manager star 7 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Nov 25, 2013
    The first article’s whistleblower would not look out of place alongside the talking heads on the documentary. The article cites WhatsApp as a fertile ground for false narratives, and I don’t disagree. My WhatsApp messages, are an awful mixed bag of sexism, racism, jingoism, and flat out porn - and that’s just from my mother.
     
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  4. CairnsTony

    CairnsTony Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    May 7, 2014
    Indeed. I mean, all of these platforms work in different ways and are, to differing degrees helpful/harmful or whatever. But then one could say that potentially about any social media platform, including this one. As I said up the page, time was, not that long ago, that I felt about as welcome in the community section of the Boards as a fart in a spacesuit.

    In all the time I've used Twitter, it has mostly been a more enjoyable experience than any other social media platform; even if I'm superficial enough to admit that I've socially interacted on there (received likes and comments) from dozens of different celebs. Maybe I'm just shallow.
     
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  5. Darth Punk

    Darth Punk JCC Manager star 7 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Nov 25, 2013
    None of it is bad if used correctly. I use WhatsApp because my daughter lives in a place with terrible cellphone reception, and I phone her through the app.

    Twitter is not bad, it’s just misused by the great unwashed.
     
  6. DarkGingerJedi

    DarkGingerJedi Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 21, 2012
    My mom was so into the whole D&D being satanic in the 80s/90s. I was not allowed to play, or have friends who did that 'stuff' lol. (She was also very against Ouija boards too) But that's not the same as what I was talking/joking about.

    When the internet really got going in the late 90s, people didn't trust it yet. It was seen as a confusing distrustful place where people were out to get you, scam you, and trick you into sending money to a Nigerian prince. Most people at that time, still got their information from nightly/cable news, and newspapers. Those were the 'trusted sources' for information, even while people also knew that can't trust everything you see on tv. It took a few more years (early aughts) to get people to even feel safe shopping online with credit cards, or making profiles, or pfff, emailing. And then came social media, google search, crazy tv people reinforcing crazy things online. It all became a hive of misinformation.

    Yes, there were people into crazy conspiracy long before the internet. The same mom who told me never to play D&D because it was satanic, told me to be careful online and don't give away ANY information. She's now a full on Trumper who thinks he's Jesus' literal Emissary and most likely believes in QAnon, among other crazy things all because she accepted and trusted the sources she found online. The initial distrust went right out the window. That was my point.
     
  7. Darth Punk

    Darth Punk JCC Manager star 7 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Nov 25, 2013
    I might be getting way off point here, but back in the day kids used to play out. I mean, the roam I was allowed in the 80’s from the age of 10 onwards was ridiculous by today’s standards. I wouldn’t dream of letting Punk Jr have as much freedom as I had - such is the fear that I feel in today’s society.

    I often wonder if there’s more paedophiles today, or just more internet?
     
  8. Lordban

    Lordban Isildur's Bane star 7

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2000
    I don't know the specifics about your neck of the woods, but here it's as many pedophiles, more Internet, and two and a half times as much violence as there was 25 years ago. The last is why I wouldn't let a child of mine roam as much as I used to.
     
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2020
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  9. SuperWatto

    SuperWatto Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Sep 19, 2000
    @DarkGingerJedi, your point was that whenever you write 'people', you mean your mom?
     
  10. Darth Punk

    Darth Punk JCC Manager star 7 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Nov 25, 2013
    I grew up in London, but now I live in Leeds. I guess it’s more violent now. There’s definitely more stabbings in the capital. That said, everyone carried knives growing up.

    I guess now it’s also easy to let a kid spend more free time on a PC/tablet/Console. Punk Jr has none of the soft skills you pick up from being a Dickensian urchin.
     
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  11. DarkGingerJedi

    DarkGingerJedi Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 21, 2012
    Mom, is that you?

    I meant people. As in a generality, and in part of a jokey comment that you didn't agree with. Jesus.
     
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  12. Darth Punk

    Darth Punk JCC Manager star 7 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Nov 25, 2013
    Let’s get off mums
    This is not the punchline you were looking for
     
  13. SuperWatto

    SuperWatto Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Sep 19, 2000
    Obviously, DGJ. I was just trying to make you see that your sweeping statements are circumstantial. I guess I failed.
     
  14. Bacon164

    Bacon164 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 22, 2005
    My sister has started me sending me clips about how Fox News is trying to cover up for George Soros. She was apparently into the Soros stuff when he was (apparently) paying people to immigrate to the U.S. in 2018 or something, but this year is the first I've heard of it.
     
  15. anakinfansince1983

    anakinfansince1983 Skywalker Saga/LFL/YJCC Manager star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2011
    I’m still waiting for my protest checks from him.
     
  16. Bacon164

    Bacon164 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 22, 2005
    Literally just told her that on FB Messenger.
     
  17. Lordban

    Lordban Isildur's Bane star 7

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2000
    Good grief, the man has enough of a résumé (an ordinary billionnaire's résumé...) without throwing in utter BS.
     
  18. Healer_Leona

    Healer_Leona Squirrel Wrangler of Fun & Games star 9 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jul 7, 2000
    Well ****. Just talked to my daughter who had gotten off the home with her dad. Seems he spends most of his time on youtube and is now a trump supporter and apparently believes everything he hears in those videos.

    Part of me isn't surprised as he'd become a very paranoid individual who believed he was always being followed and watched. It was bad enough the last couple years I was with him that he would confront people at the store about following him, put little tabs of masking tape over every little hole he found in the house to block the camera behind it, pick up the landline and angrily shout at the dial tone cause he knew someone was there.

    Anyway, what's weird is that he's a black man who's also Muslim, and he bascially told our daughter when she converted to Chistianity that he disowned her... and now he likes Trump? What the everloving ****!
     
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  19. SuperWatto

    SuperWatto Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Sep 19, 2000
    Should go well with the mother of my daughter!
     
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  20. vncredleader

    vncredleader Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 28, 2016
    I totally understand the paranoia with that last paragraph. I have no idea when that behavior started, but it is sympathetic for any Muslim to be afraid and worry about monitoring post 9/11. People do what they think they need to to assimilate or find an "other" if they are otherwise exactly who will be othered. Of course it varies so this is either broad or anecdotal on my part [face_dunno]
     
  21. Lowbacca_1977

    Lowbacca_1977 Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jun 28, 2006
    In the US, compared to 25 years ago, violent crime is about half of what it was.
     
  22. anakincol

    anakincol Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 28, 2009
    Heck, from the time I was 8 till I was till I was 17(so 1992-2003), if I was inside the house and it was not raining after I finished my homework and before dinner my mom would be looking in the medicine cabinet for a thermometer

    Video games where for when the weather was bad or it was dark out.

    We played pick up baseball, street hockey(including the whole game.on, game off thing made famous in the first Wayne's world movie), touch football, had practice for sports played, skateboarder(and ran frombthe cops when the stores owners at local strip malls called them on us),played manhunt at night in a condo complex, and did tons of other stuff. Hell when I was 5-8 all my parents had to do to keep us occupied outside from late may till September was turn a sprinkler on in the yard. My younger brother and I would run back and forth through the water for hours. Dad loved it because we watered the lawn will doing it. I mean we used to wash my parents cars because we thought it was fun as something to do when it wss hot out.

    In the summer we went to the beach,I am from the NJ shore area, locals are nothing like the people you see on tv, who where all from Northern NJ, NY, or even Rhode Island, locals also avoid seaside unless you are.taking you kids to go on the rides on the boardwalkx we stick to nicer less ridiculous beaches like Avon by the Sea, Asbury Park, Ocean Township(and neighboring Deal and Loch Arbor) Ocean Grove, Belmar, Sandy Hook, Sea Bright or Long Branch

    Contrast that to my nephews, one plays little league but the other two basically play video games most there free time.


    Sorry for continuing a off topic aside, but the fact that kids today cannot or do not get chances to do this bugs me.
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2020
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  23. Bacon164

    Bacon164 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 22, 2005
    I feel like I’m on here and 13 again and other posters are telling me to go outside but I lived off a major road and had no one to play with

    we had lots of forest land tho
     
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  24. anakincol

    anakincol Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 28, 2009
    Sorry.

    The more I look back the more I feel was very lucky to have a "normal" almost 1950's-1960's suburban or even rural childhood(my town still has farms) I'm the 1990's early 2000's.

    Would walk to the school yard (alone at age 8) and play on the jungle gym. I guess I was lucky there where alot of kids in the neighborhood and lived less than a half mile from the school. Everyone in the neighborhood knew each other and watched out for each others kids, even if they were not friendly otherwise. My neighborhood was safe enough that most grade school kids walked to school(usually in small groups) without their parents or whomever watched them before going to school.
     
  25. vncredleader

    vncredleader Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 28, 2016
    hey random thought, the title should be "QAnon QAusualties"

    that is all, continue