Maybe someday

CodexArcanum

Very very skilled idiots.

On that--and as a highly skilled idiot myself--we fully agree!

The adage "social problems don't have purely technological solutions" is something I've known for years yet must continuously remind myself of and reintegrate it for new issues.

It's a shame the old vision of computer specialists integrated into empowered teams building bespoke solutions never really came to pass. Not enough profit in that model, when mass market slop is so lucrative.

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You should try this new messenger app.

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I think that it was less: let's find alternatives, than it was _fuck you government TikTok isn't Chinese enough _. It was a direct answer to the government telling us which social media apps we were allowed to use. Also, 100% avoidable if they'd passed data protection instead. It really felt like the government enforcing private interests on its citizens.

Americans typically don't like the government telling us what to do. It's all fine if Facebook buys all the competition, but it's another thing when the government makes the competition illegal because they won't sell to zuck or musk.

Honestly, Redbook was sort of neat. I doubt it has much staying power as it was really just a protest, but it was sort of a historical feeling moment.

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power users/businesses: "you can't go VIRAL on mastodon"

Regular Users: "yOu HaVe To PiCk A sErVeR?????"

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Sadly, yes

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Great point

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That's some lacking imagination you've got there, then.

To me 'normie' has always been a little bit of an insult on top of just describing the 'average person'.

When is this insult useful, though? In this post's context, talking about users one wishes would join their platform, insulting them isn't the most inviting of ideas. Can't help but laugh every time I see a fedi user say stuff like, "Why aren't normies coming to Mastodon? You gotta be stupid to think Bluesky is any better than Twitter."

"Normie" is for when you're describing people that clutch their pearls and their bible when a goth walks past.

I doubt your definition is the common interpretation. For any particular context, there are probably countless better ways to (insultingly) refer to people. Fascist fucks? Folks have been workshopping names since the 30s. Religious nuts? Ask an atheism community, they'll give you lists bigger than the goddamn bible.

Doesn't have the same vibes though.

It might be subjective, but I agree with OP: those vibes reek of 4chan.

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I'd love to see the list of communities followed by each of the people who downvoted me. I have some pretty strong suspicions about what they'd look like.

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Yeah honestly it's not that serious for me. Personally I've never I've visited the front page of 4chan. It's a word that's been around since long before social media too, as far as I know. One other place I've seen it used is autism communities when someone is describing their feelings about fitting in, or not.

I feel like 4chan is a US-centric thing. And a niche one at that. So it's a very US-centric thing to assume about random strangers on the world wide web. And a niche one at that. For a word that a lot of people probably use differently.

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what y'all don't seem to get is it's a way to other someone who othering you. to describe a person who hasnt been through it and lacks the experience and context to understand a joke or perspective or struggle.

you sit here and say it "reeks of 4chan" like everyone who uses 4chan should be ashamed of it. You are othering an entire community. assuming that someone lacks imagination for using a word you don't like is you othering them.

it's no wonder you don't like the word.

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what y'all don't seem to get is it's a way to other someone who othering you. to describe a person who hasnt been through it and lacks the experience and context to understand a joke or perspective or struggle.

Wow, I have so many questions. Who othered you, why must you other them, and why is that relevant here?

you sit here and say it "reeks of 4chan" like everyone who uses 4chan should be ashamed of it. You are othering an entire community.

I'm sorry, I didn't realize othering a group known for its toxicity and harmful effects on users and society was bad. Truly, those who've been shunned by all deserve a place to gather, and I'm glad 4chan is there to offer a home to the innocent racist/incel/transphobe and co.

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didn't even take a second to think about what I said huh

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One other place I've seen it used is autism communities when someone is describing their feelings about fitting in, or not.

I'd hope they're not using your version of it, then.

I feel like that terminology could be updated, over time. First alternative that comes to mind is neurotypical, which I last saw in a blog post about the struggles of an autist dealing with office politics and implicit expectations. Very relatable. Conveniently, it doesn't define a side as normal.

I feel like 4chan is a US-centric thing. And a niche one at that. So it's a very niche US-centric thing to assume about random strangers on the world wide web.

"Reeks of 4chan" doesn't mean I think you use it. Sorry if that's how it came across, as I don't think charitably of the site. To make a crappy analogy, if Mom and friends used a term that is also used by an infamous group, I wouldn't think, "Everyone uses it differently." I'd tell her, "Gee, ma, that's not the bestest word, how 'bout this one instead?"

And if she's like you,

Yeah honestly it's not that serious for me.

That's probably where the story would end, eh.

So it's a vague term, often used as an insult, shared with uncool people, that has alternatives... Sounds like more reason to drop it? I've said too much already, so I'm dropping the thread, thanks for the talk.

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known platforms

I seriously doubt that people 'knew' about some random app that isn't even translated all the way.

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I hope I'm reading this wrong and I truly apologize if I am but I'm getting pretty strong 'asshole' vibes here, much stronger than I would from anyone using the word "normie", personally.

But either way, it's actually good to know when words I previously felt were overall harmless can cause this kind of response. I may not be from the USA, or have come from a background where it's such a charged word, but I'm on a platform that's likely mostly American (based on the news and politics that come through 'All'), so I will refrain from using it unless I find it absolutely necessary.

Which should be fairly easy to do, considering that I barely ever use it anyway and thought that this would be an amusing conversation.

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No, but you have access to the protocol so you write your own algorithm.

Then it is your algorithm, using the common protocol, that goes out and retrieves search results for your feed.

Likewise, 3rd party corporations can write their own algorithms on the protocol and everyone can choose which algorithms fill their personal feed with search results - turning them on or off on a whim, at a personalized level.

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No need to apologize, I've been getting worse as of late.

Re: being from the US, it feels like maybe you think I am, or I implied you were. I'm not seeing the latter, so I'll use this comment to mention I'm not from there either.

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You should be like me. I've just disabled the "vote" counter, and it feels amazing! Screw those people, they're probably neckbeards or something, anyway.

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No, it just shows a lack of understanding and is very unwelcoming.

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(some oss projects outright decline help from actual designers by the way)