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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: July 8th, 2023

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  • Probably because most people don’t lie, it’s useful to have records of legit businesses, and (hopefully, but IANAL) it’s one more thing that someone could be charged on for fraud.

    It also probably has a panopticon effect. If people didn’t need to register, then there’s low monitoring of what people do and so those with more grey ethics are more likely to cheat the system. But because there’s a process, one assumes someone is watching, and therefore most people will stay in line; only the most scummy people will actually lie.



  • Ah, interesting callout; I can totally understand why that is a turn-off. My sister recommended the book to me so I didn’t give the title any thought.

    The story is definitely about that trope, and mostly turning it on its head. The story is definitely about the women, with the underlying theme that they are what they are because of men but they own who they are and their future.

    I hope if you give it a shot that you enjoy it as much as I do!



  • Oh, I may have a book (series) for you! The Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss. It starts with Mary Jekyll, the daughter of Dr. Jekyll, and expands to find a daughter of Hyde, Sherlock and Watson, Justine—the woman made to be Adam Frankenstein’s bride, and other women left in the path of various men who tested the limits of humanity. It even talks about Shelley’s book and why she might have written it as she did. The second book expands into the wife and daughter of Van Helsing.

    I’m about 75% of the way through the second book and have been loving them. They’re very post-modern though, with the characters somewhat frequently interrupting the narrator to discuss the way the story is written. I love that sort of thing but know it’s not for everyone!






  • Yeah, it’s pedantic but I can respect the nuance. Endorsement may feel like condoning things you don’t approve of, while saying you’re voting for them acknowledges it’s the best of bad options. It’ll most likely have the same effect, but it makes sense to me why someone wouldn’t want to put their name behind someone they don’t feel totally aligned with.

    Silly comparison that comes to mind, but in my family we have the concept of a “tout” vs a “recommendation.” If I recommend something, it’s because I like it and you might too. A tout is a serious thing though; that is putting our reputation on the line to say, “I believe you will love this thing,” and if someone touts something, you’re pretty much obligated to check it out. If a tout was wrong, you don’t have to take their word for things again. We recommend plenty, but the use of a tout comes with weight.

    So in this case, this person recommends Harris, but doesn’t tout her. Harris is good enough to deserve her vote, but she doesn’t want her reputation aligned with anything Harris may eventually do.