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☖ Forums → Discussion Forum → Inauguration Day, Inauguration Hooooooraaay!
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Inauguration Day, Inauguration Hooooooraaay!
2017-12-19, 12:14 AM #6601
Originally posted by Reid:
Uh, yeah? The U.S. and Israel have long been isolated in their stance on this issue. You're thinking I'm making it an issue about Trump in particular?


If that's what you think, then yeah. But I was primarily complaining about the media.
former entrepreneur
2017-12-19, 2:18 AM #6602
Oh, look nativist thugs in 1992: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=143&v=5uU_fwRd5qY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3280&v=5uU_fwRd5qY
former entrepreneur
2017-12-19, 3:00 AM #6603
Wow... Gennifer Flowers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1705&v=5uU_fwRd5qY

Also, the barrage of wise-cracking ******* male reporters.
former entrepreneur
2017-12-19, 3:04 AM #6604
Is there anything bad you can say about Trump's sexual impropriety that isn't true about Bill Clinton's?
former entrepreneur
2017-12-19, 3:09 AM #6605
Okay but this is pretty funny:

INTERVIEWER: "Have you ever had an extra-marital affair, governor?"

CLINTON: "Well, If I had, I wouldn't tell you!"
former entrepreneur
2017-12-20, 1:12 AM #6606
The Clintons not only gave us Donald Trump, but also George W. Bush.

We might have avoided the Iraq war had only those two managed to keep their politically motivated but apparently open marriage better under control.
2017-12-20, 1:22 AM #6607
Then again, we might as lay the blame at the feet of the people who (supposedly) stole that election in 2000.
2017-12-20, 1:48 AM #6608
Originally posted by Eversor:
Is there anything bad you can say about Trump's sexual impropriety that isn't true about Bill Clinton's?


All I can think of is that I don't know of any specific allegations that Bill Clinton has raped a child.
If you think the waiters are rude, you should see the manager.
2017-12-20, 6:40 AM #6609
Hey M'Farlane why don't you post more ok?
2017-12-20, 11:12 AM #6610
sorry, sorry
If you think the waiters are rude, you should see the manager.
2017-12-21, 2:19 AM #6611
So Facebook is getting some flak for using its targeting algorithms for job postings. They made it only show up for younger people's feeds, in their 20's and 30's.

I am not sure how I feel about this. It's probably discriminatory, but doesn't a whole swath of human networking activity fall under the banner of targeted outreach? It would clearly be discriminatory if they rejected a candidate after interviewing them and accepted a less qualified one just because they were younger, but what about choosing which one can see the job ad in the first place? Does sending recruiters to universities also count as age discrimination?

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/business/facebook-job-ads.html
2017-12-21, 2:44 AM #6612
Originally posted by Reverend Jones:
So Facebook is getting some flak for using its targeting algorithms for job postings. They made it only show up for younger people's feeds, in their 20's and 30's.

I am not sure how I feel about this. It's probably discriminatory, but doesn't a whole swath of human networking activity fall under the banner of targeted outreach? It would clearly be discriminatory if they rejected a candidate after interviewing them and accepted a less qualified one just because they were younger, but what about choosing which one can see the job ad in the first place? Does sending recruiters to universities also count as age discrimination?

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/business/facebook-job-ads.html


I think I agree. As long as we accept that targeted advertising as such isn't morally wrong, it seems like we should accept that displaying an ad and targeting a certain age bracket is fair, as long as it's not the only way that people can become aware of the job's availability.

But maybe we should consider the possibility that targeted advertising is wrong. (By comparing these targeted ads to Russia's ads or to the fact that Facebook allowed people to target Jew-haters, the NYT clearly wants us to.)
former entrepreneur
2017-12-21, 3:03 AM #6613
I think we could all as a society use a good discussion about what the role of unaccountable corporations in selecting the things we can see ought to be.

We've had discussions here before here where it's been brought up that these algorithms have obviously gone awry, like Google classifying black people as gorillas. From a quick search I see plenty of other similar examples along the same lines as this targeting advertising example, but with housing ads, which seem to violate the Fair Housing Act.
2017-12-21, 8:21 AM #6614
All advertising is immoral.
2017-12-21, 3:46 PM #6615
What if the ads only reached the blacks?
TAKES HINTS JUST FINE, STILL DOESN'T CARE
2017-12-23, 7:26 AM #6616


Good lecture. The part about inevitably and eternity made me want to go back to Milan Kundera.
former entrepreneur
2017-12-24, 4:03 PM #6617
Originally posted by Jon`C:
All advertising is immoral.


This. It's all become an attempt to subvert your subconscious motives to encourage spending. Which usually means targetting vulnerabilities. It's disgusting and the free market cannot fix it.
2017-12-24, 4:30 PM #6618
What's the alternative to advertising (besides forcing people to think for themselves).
2017-12-24, 5:04 PM #6619
Originally posted by Reverend Jones:
What's the alternative to advertising (besides forcing people to think for themselves).


At this point probably extinction, either through everyone dying or voluntarily speciating to become the ads ourselves. Know your enemy.
Epstein didn't kill himself.
2017-12-24, 5:23 PM #6620
Originally posted by Spook:
voluntarily speciating to become the ads ourselves.


Is there any sign that virtual reality goggles won't be used to animate cute little characters that follow us around the house and tell us to buy ****?

I suppose an affiliate program in which people volunteer to script the characters might be a close approximation of becoming the ads ourselves.
2017-12-24, 6:04 PM #6621
Originally posted by Reid:
This. It's all become an attempt to subvert your subconscious motives to encourage spending. Which usually means targetting vulnerabilities. It's disgusting and the free market cannot fix it.
Emphasis on attempt, because it doesn’t work the way brokers have implemented it. The entire industry borders on fraud. I think it might actually be less immoral if it worked.

Originally posted by Reverend Jones:
What's the alternative to advertising (besides forcing people to think for themselves).


I don’t understand this question. Alternative to advertising for what purpose? Product awareness, revenue model for bad companies,...? Can you be more specific?
2017-12-24, 6:11 PM #6622
Originally posted by Reverend Jones:
Is there any sign that virtual reality goggles won't be used to animate cute little characters that follow us around the house and tell us to buy ****?


Yes. Before they can subject people to AR advertisements, someone would need to think of a reason a functioning adult would ever wear an AR headset when not actively using it for a specific application. That hasn’t happened yet. Given that Google spent a fortune unsuccessfully brainstorming this problem (back when they at least pretended to be effective) it will probably never happen.

Nobody wants to wear **** on their face, especially not some heavy, hot, battery-powered useless ****.
2017-12-24, 6:11 PM #6623
Yes, making people buy things they don't need in order to meet quarterly earnings.
2017-12-24, 6:15 PM #6624
Originally posted by Reverend Jones:
Yes, making people buy things they don't need in order to meet quarterly earnings.


That’s not how advertising works.
2017-12-24, 6:30 PM #6625
Originally posted by Jon`C:

Nobody wants to wear **** on their face, especially not some heavy, hot, battery-powered useless ****.


I am actually getting PRK soon so that there is one less risk factory of having advertising integrated into my regular life via the tech apocalyse, in the unlikely event that cheap unlimited energy is discovered. I can imagine a world of blockchain connected glasses that turn off your prescription if you don't view ads, and a series of laws and sensors to detect analog eyewear preventing anyone from grinding their own lenses.

I would love to be a black market spectacles maker though, that would be a great cyberpunk type occupation.
Epstein didn't kill himself.
2017-12-24, 6:32 PM #6626
How broadly are you defining advertising? Does it include, let's say, a startup electric contracting company advertising in a trade publication?
2017-12-24, 7:07 PM #6627
Originally posted by saberopus:
How broadly are you defining advertising? Does it include, let's say, a startup electric contracting company advertising in a trade publication?
Compensated promotion in media.

Advertisements don’t stimulate demand that doesn’t already exist, and they don’t trump existing relationships or recommendations from trusted sources. What they’ll do is let customers know about new markets, and may possibly give you an edge over competitors when your customers need your product but don’t really care where they get it.

Basically, that kind of ad will work if people aren’t already aware that kind of company exists... or if people get really, really jazzed while reading trade magazines, and that feeling gets associated with your company before the first time they need to hire someone (and you otherwise satisfy their requirements). That’s about it, though.
2017-12-24, 9:50 PM #6628
Originally posted by Jon`C:
That’s not how advertising works.


I was told that advertising helps society by making people realize that they wanted things they didn't know they wanted.
2017-12-25, 1:26 AM #6629
Originally posted by Jon`C:
Compensated promotion in media.

Advertisements don’t stimulate demand that doesn’t already exist, and they don’t trump existing relationships or recommendations from trusted sources. What they’ll do is let customers know about new markets, and may possibly give you an edge over competitors when your customers need your product but don’t really care where they get it.

Basically, that kind of ad will work if people aren’t already aware that kind of company exists... or if people get really, really jazzed while reading trade magazines, and that feeling gets associated with your company before the first time they need to hire someone (and you otherwise satisfy their requirements). That’s about it, though.


Why are ads immoral if they're so ineffective?
former entrepreneur
2017-12-25, 2:11 AM #6630
Originally posted by Eversor:
Why are ads immoral if they're so ineffective?


If someone mocks a person's weight to sell them diet pills, but the person doesn't buy any, is it not still immoral?

Also it's immoral since the advertisers are basically selling a scam product to businesses.
2017-12-25, 2:16 AM #6631
I mean, you have watched commercials, think about the messaging:

Dorky high schooler with no self confidence? Axe body spray.

Lower middle class people trying to live the American dream? Car commercials.

Ever see the amount of sexuality sold in alcohol commercials?

Every advertisement tries to basically tell a person they aren't good by virtue of not owning the right thing. It's all **** and we need to end it. Maximum Lenin.
2017-12-25, 2:54 AM #6632
Originally posted by Reid:
I mean, you have watched commercials, think about the messaging:

Dorky high schooler with no self confidence? Axe body spray.

Lower middle class people trying to live the American dream? Car commercials.

Ever see the amount of sexuality sold in alcohol commercials?

Every advertisement tries to basically tell a person they aren't good by virtue of not owning the right thing. It's all **** and we need to end it. Maximum Lenin.


Yeah, ok, thanks Lacan.
former entrepreneur
2017-12-25, 12:20 PM #6633
Originally posted by Eversor:


Good lecture. The part about inevitably and eternity made me want to go back to Milan Kundera.


I listened to this on my commute a few days ago. I liked his premises and meta-discussion about the role of history in politics, and competing anti-historical accounts.

However I wish he went into more depth giving examples. He needed to discuss the similarities between the Ukraine and the U.S. more deeply for me to believe his stance more.

And yes, he's not wrong that the 1930's are a drastic example of reactions to liberal globalization, but again I'm not sure he did enough to justify his views with what he actually put out there.

Another 30 minutes of lecture bringing up examples would have been good.
2017-12-25, 8:30 PM #6634
2017-12-25, 8:39 PM #6635
Me but unironically.
2017-12-25, 8:41 PM #6636
Not two or three jobs for low skill bull**** like coal mining and tire burning, or whatever the key industry of Wookieville is though.
2017-12-25, 9:48 PM #6637
God I can't ****ing stand American news.

I just want news about what's going on in the executive branch. How the investigation is going, etc.

No matter what combo of words I put in, I can't seem to escape articles like "Trump says Merry Christmas!", "You won't believe what Melania said to Brzenzski", "Trump farted today".

Who gives a goddamn **** **** what dumb **** these people do that's not politically salient. Trump could come out as gay and it wouldn't ****ing matter to politics.
2017-12-26, 4:10 PM #6638
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4133884-bitcoin-additional-suspicious-developments
2017-12-26, 8:09 PM #6639
Originally posted by Reid:
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4133884-bitcoin-additional-suspicious-developments


So, basically there's this platform called "Tether", which is the promise of cryptocurrency "tethered" to the USD. There's currently nearly a billion of Tether in existence, which doesn't have to be mined, and has shady connections with Bitfinex, the largest bitcoin exchange. It's possible that Tether simply doesn't hold the reserves they claim to, and are using spoofed Tethers to buy bitcoin, driving much of the craziness we see going on.

Or, as Bloomberg said:

Quote:
While cryptocurrencies appeal to people who lack faith in governments and banks, the digital assets often require a blind trust in companies about which few facts are available.
2017-12-26, 8:13 PM #6640
Or it could be that some unnamed investor(s) is dumping hundreds of millions into Tethers for some reason. While they also are bringing in so much, both Bitfinex and Tether have or are taking steps to freeze customer funds, so, yeah.

IDK, which seems plausible? That a useless cryptocurrency black box magic show actually has brought in millions of savvy investors, or that the markets renowned for some ballsy frauds has another ballsy fraud?
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