OpenStars

Counterpoint: this is from the NYT so... ofc that's what they'd say, especially resulting from their own polling audience.

I AM pulling UP, but this is a Boeing, and every time I aim UP we somehow end up going DOWN!?!?

Ironically, blue shirt here is showing that off in reverse: refusing to do due diligence, simply ghosting red shirt with no explanation whatsoever, against the explicit advice of green shirt. Anyone who ghosts may even be doing other people a favor to warn them to stay away from their own toxicity.

Irl caveats may apply ofc - e.g. definitely get far away from an abusive relationship and if need be enter witness protection type of scenarios, but here we are talking more casual circumstances.

should be, ftfy :-(

I am not the person you replied to but I wanted to echo and extend their statement: you may need to come to terms with the fact that you might not have the capability to help your friend, and it's even possible that nobody does, unless and until they become receptive to that kind of aid.

I am not saying to do nothing, but do be aware of that, e.g. if you give them money and they gamble it away, will you just keep giving them money until neither of you has any at all? And then repeat for every single one of your friends as well?

Decide what you can do and what you cannot. In any case you may not be able to "save" him - that is something that as an adult he needs to do for himself, and may resent you for even trying?

Yeah, along with the tiny soft semi-permeable bags that swim in it and wiggle and breathe, that's some other robot's problem.

You are fortunate that it takes "only" 30 minutes.

It is to their advantage to ~~be~~ act surprised, therefore they are "surprised", see? This was your "opportunity" to show how dedicated you are the company, having worked all weekend long...

I mean, that's how they want to be, so whatever, they can enjoy it.

But that's not how *I* want to be - and I resented having it thrust upon me without consent, in the form of being able to make an informed choice. They do not clearly state how they are, yet they are that way, hence the disconnect.

Like any authoritarian regime, they have drunk their own cool-aid and they seem to both not acknowledge it whilst simultaneously also flaunting it proudly - i.e. how they are looks to be by design, not ignorance or whatever.

And ofc the obligatory caveat that not all people on those servers are that way - e.g. you were there, until you weren't anymore:-P. But it does form a trend. And I for one would rather that people be able to make an informed choice. Like someone go there if they want, but don't you come here and tell me how to be.

Yes an echo chamber provides value to them in terms of an emotional reinforcement, though it's dangerous b/c what gets reinforced becomes thereby divorced from logic. i.e., "might makes right", which works so long as you ignore the alternative that "the pen (Reason) is mightier than the sword (Might)" - i.e. the value is purely local amongst themselves, who choose to refuse to see outside.

Even so, the code for the Fediverse came from the guy who started lemmygrad.ml iirc, and it was freely offered to the world not in spite of but b/c of that belief in communistic philosophical principles. In contrast, Reddit and most other alternatives started here in the USA - like squabbles to name one (looks to now be renamed to squabblr or something?) - did not offer their sourcecode freely, and instead tried to monetize their user base, and this too not in spite of but b/c of their own beliefs in capitalistic principles.

As long as they are honest about it though, I'm fine with them. The problem is that they are not, nor are they respectful to others... so I ban them and move on with my life. I am not kidding: if I could not have banned them, I would have left the Fediverse entirely - they are that annoying. So being able to easily improve my Fediverse experience by 95% with 1-2 instance blocks (lemmygrad.ml is often blocked by default, and many others though seemingly fewer likewise also block hexbear.net) is wonderful!:-)

Oh THAT Betty! Thank you for sharing. But uh... did she uh... smash the Hulk? :-P