In stark contrast to Europe, which enjoyed an abundance of high-quality iron, Japan’s geographical limitations meant that the availability of good iron ore was scarce. Japanese bladesmiths had to work with whatever they could find, which was often of inferior quality. Despite these challenges, the Japanese developed a process...
The Indian rice export ban, the war in Ukraine and El Niño are combining to create a "doom loop" for the world's poorest people, as staple food prices soar.
Its acquirer (Bending Spoons) has taken over operations. They’ve also hiked subscriptions prices and told customers they intend to use new revenues to pay for new features. How they intend to do that without any staff is something I would like to know about....
I am aware that upvoted posts make it to https://kbin.social/fav however that just doesn't work well as I already have 1,000+ pages in there. Moreover, that only registers upvoted posts and not comments. A workaround would be to just use boost, and only upvote when you want to "save" but that is just not conventional imho. The...
Link to the NCD mod's post about the matter via teddit (aka, reddit doesn't get any value from your visit): https://teddit.adminforge.de/r/NonCredibleDefense/comments/14s8l4g/re_the_nastygram_that_umodcodeofconduct_just_sent/...
A new misinformation quiz shows that, despite the stereotype, younger Americans have a harder time discerning fake headlines, compared with older generations
But I wouldn’t believe or reject any of them based on the headline alone, the true answer for most of them is “I don’t know / can’t know”. They all sound equally plausible to someone with no knowledge of the topic.
I've been pondering the concept of Reddit "karma," and I believe it's time for a serious discussion about its true nature and the impact it has on our communities. I've written multiple posts about this previously here on kbin (https://kbin.social/m/RedditMigration/t/95140/Dearest-developers-Stop-reinventing-the-wheel) with very mixed results in the engagement. Though I am still working on refining the argument.
While the idea behind karma is to provide users with a reputation score or social credit, I've noticed that it doesn't necessarily align with those intentions. Instead, it often serves as a reinforcement for users to stay within their comfort zones and echo chambers, stifling diverse perspectives and constructive dialogue.
One of the main issues I've observed is the tendency for downvoting to occur when a user expresses an opinion that goes against the prevailing sentiment within a particular community. Even if the opinion is well-thought-out, respectful, and contributes to meaningful conversations, it becomes a target for downvotes. This behavior discourages users from engaging or expressing differing viewpoints.
It's disheartening to witness how users can manipulate the system out of spite. Some individuals go as far as visiting other users' profiles and downvoting their past posts to deliberately lower their karma score. This kind of behavior further emphasizes how the current karma system is more of a reflection of how often a user participates in echo chambers that align with their views, rather than an accurate measure of their quality engagement or contribution to the community.
With that in mind, I propose that we reconsider the name of the point system to better reflect its actual usage. Here are a few alternative names that encapsulate the behavior we often see:
Echo Chamber Score: Highlighting the tendency to reward users who stick to echo chambers and discourage exploration of different perspectives.
Bias Points: The system measures a user's inclination to conform to specific biases or ideological groups.
Conformity Score: The score reflects a user's adherence to the prevailing opinions within specific communities, rather than their engagement.
I believe a change in the name would serve as a wake-up call for the community, highlighting the importance of open-mindedness and respectful discourse. It would encourage users to think beyond their echo chambers and engage in meaningful conversations, even if they hold different opinions.
I've previously discussed how it would be more beneficial to leave the rep system in place, but keep the scores hidden to everyone besides the user of that profile. Another thing to think about is the way Steam has a rep system regarding VAC Bans. Instead of banning a profile completely, just some big red text on their profile noting which game or community there were banned from and how often.
I'm eager to hear your thoughts on this matter. What are your suggestions for improving the system to foster more open and constructive dialogue?
So I just saw the YouTube video someone posted that showed nuclear reactors starting up, and the first thing I noticed was that they all glowed a very bright, pretty blue. I'm probably an idiot, but I was honestly expecting green, because of many years of dramatized depictions in popular media....
I always used to follow the war on Reddit but I am trying to stay away as much as possible. So how can I follow it without Reddit or Twitter? Does anybody have a good alternative? Thanks in advance....
I would recommend any of the Neil Gaiman books, very readable and fascinating. For shorter reads go with Good Omens, Coraline, Neverwhere, Stardust and for a longer read American Gods (my fav).
If you like horror Stephen King is incredibly easy to get into.
I'd second all the recommendations here, but I'd also want to know what reading level you'd be interested in, and also why you haven't ever read a book for fun before? It would be helpful to know to be able to point to books that would avoid whatever your sticking points may have been. As far as introductory fun books I'd recommend:
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien (Not too long, it's a classic and is one I've read multiple times over the years)
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (While it's a YA novel, it was very formative for me as I read it in like 3-4th grade, is basically something that could have happened in reality but is a fictional account.)
Cradle series by Will Wight (A bit off the path from traditional fantasy, it's more properly in the subgenre of progression fantasy, which is basically what the genre of Dragon Ball Z would be, the unifying premise of these stories is that the MC starts fairly weak and then gets stronger over the course of the series, with generally an unlimited upper cap to how powerful characters can get through various kinds of training/levelling up/finding new gear/items/spells etc)
18+ Russians came running straight into an ambush. (streamable.com)
Mirror: files.catbox.moe/z7ogf8.mp4...
Gift From the Lotus Umbra Forma 24h Alert (dormi.zone)
But it takes 69 years to make one! (lemmy.world)
In stark contrast to Europe, which enjoyed an abundance of high-quality iron, Japan’s geographical limitations meant that the availability of good iron ore was scarce. Japanese bladesmiths had to work with whatever they could find, which was often of inferior quality. Despite these challenges, the Japanese developed a process...
This community lately (feddit.nl)
The time has come. (lemmy.ml)
The price of rice is skyrocketing, and it's pushing millions more people towards starvation (www.abc.net.au)
The Indian rice export ban, the war in Ukraine and El Niño are combining to create a "doom loop" for the world's poorest people, as staple food prices soar.
Everyone, please start using this mag for it's intended purpose: "to ask and answer thought-provoking questions across the fediverse!" Not about bugs on Kbin.
Notice people are using this mag as a support desk when it's purpose is like what AskReddit was. In the bio here it says:...
'Great' empire is a strong word...
Next up, Anon asks about a cope periscope (sh.itjust.works)
Tell HN: Nearly all of Evernote’s remaining staff has been laid off | Hacker News (news.ycombinator.com)
Its acquirer (Bending Spoons) has taken over operations. They’ve also hiked subscriptions prices and told customers they intend to use new revenues to pay for new features. How they intend to do that without any staff is something I would like to know about....
OC Really missing a true "save" ability for posts and comments on kbin
I am aware that upvoted posts make it to https://kbin.social/fav however that just doesn't work well as I already have 1,000+ pages in there. Moreover, that only registers upvoted posts and not comments. A workaround would be to just use boost, and only upvote when you want to "save" but that is just not conventional imho. The...
Is there any kbin instance that is seriously considering defederating Meta/Threads?
I've checked the fedipact signatories, but they all seem to be lemmy instances.
OC /r/NonCredibleDefense recieves automated notice from the admins to remove its NSFW designation, or else. Mods respond by messaging the admins a bunch of death and porn.
Link to the NCD mod's post about the matter via teddit (aka, reddit doesn't get any value from your visit): https://teddit.adminforge.de/r/NonCredibleDefense/comments/14s8l4g/re_the_nastygram_that_umodcodeofconduct_just_sent/...
How Susceptible Are You to Misinformation? There’s a Test You Can Take (www.scientificamerican.com)
A new misinformation quiz shows that, despite the stereotype, younger Americans have a harder time discerning fake headlines, compared with older generations
Oh dear (lemmy.ca)
Why do we associate nuclear radiation with a green glow?
So I just saw the YouTube video someone posted that showed nuclear reactors starting up, and the first thing I noticed was that they all glowed a very bright, pretty blue. I'm probably an idiot, but I was honestly expecting green, because of many years of dramatized depictions in popular media....
Best way the follow the Ukraine - Russia War without Reddit ?
I always used to follow the war on Reddit but I am trying to stay away as much as possible. So how can I follow it without Reddit or Twitter? Does anybody have a good alternative? Thanks in advance....
You get to play one videogame for the first time again. What you picking?
Okay. If you could play any videogame again for the first time, what would it be?
r/Anime_titties is now about actual Anime titties. No more worldpolitics. I would like to see reddit explain removing them as mods. It's even in the title of the sub
I have never read a book recreationally and I love fiction.
Which book would you recommend me as my first ever book?
‘All pregnant women are in danger’: protests in Poland after expectant mother dies in hospital (www.theguardian.com)