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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 12th, 2023

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  • I'm sympathetic to the view that artists should be paid for their work. Collectively, artists have produced so much, and these tech companies are funnelling all their work into a machine and recycling it into new works, and profiting off that, without any compensation for the people partially responsible for this new reality. I'm also not interested in people who argue "but actually it's not copying that's not how the technology works it's actually a really complic-" yeah I don't care. Without the artists you would have nothing.

    BUT

    Don't confuse the business practices that make this technology a reality with the technology itself. These tools are incredible, and will result in things that could have never existed previously. I just believe we need to have serious conversations about what they mean for our future.




  • Maybe you've read it before and you want to skip to the good parts. Maybe it's non-fiction and you're only interested in something specific. Maybe there are parts of the story that make you uncomfortable, but you're enjoying it overall. Maybe a page is missing. Maybe it's an abridged version and it's not up to you, that's just what was available.

    And to the original point, what of translations? Maybe the original author is dead, and somebody translated their book. Are you 'circumventing' the author's original intent to 'gain an advantage'? I mean, yes. Does that mean you're 'cheating'?

    What about audio books? Was the book intended to be read on a page? Are you cheating by having the book read to you?

    Calling these things 'cheating' is silly and unnecessarily loaded, and they assume that the goal of a work is completion. That the only reason you would start a thing is to finish it. I don't believe that's the case for any art. One might say that the challenge in a game is the point, but that's only sometimes true, and challenge is relative. If something comes naturally easier to you, is it 'cheating' to use mods to make the game more difficult, because you're gaining the advantage of improving your experience, against the original intent of the game? I don't think so, so I don't see why it is any different the other way around.

    To think about it another way: if you subtract that paragraph from that book, does it cease to be a book? No, it's just a different book, and that can still have value to people. You're not 'cheating', you are making a new experience for yourself.

    I could go on and on so I'm gonna stop myself here.





  • I have two podcasts in my rotation currently:

    • Remap Radio; previously Waypoint Radio, sometimes their politics feel overly dogmatic, perhaps as a reflection of the audience and culture they have cultivated, but the vibes are good and they have insightful things to say. I'd say they are currently in a transition period so they're still finding their rhythm.
    • 8-4 Play; Started by a localization company based in Tokyo, you'll get a unique perspective of life in Japan, Japanese games, and industry connections that you can't really get anywhere else, at least not in English.

    Used to listen to the Bombcast, but none of the splinters from what it was appeal to me much. New Bombcast, Nextlander, solo Gerstmann, are all flawed in different ways imo.


  • Personally, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Use what you think is appropriate. If you're unsure, use they/them; if they correct you, adjust accordingly. If you want to be most accommodating, default to they/them for everyone you meet unless they correct you or you learn otherwise. If you'd like others to feel more comfortable providing pronouns, providing your own - even if you believe it is obvious - can be a way to help normalize it for others.