Just sharing something I learned a bit ago
I think everybody knows the “Bliss” wallpaper from Windows XP.
The original photo was taken by Charles O’Rear on medium format color reversal (slide) film, specifically Fujifilm Velvia 50. He shot it on a Mamiya RZ67.
The first image is the original. The second is the version that shipped with Windows XP.
If you need some joy in your day, this is my gift to you. Jon Batiste is a gem of a human being. He is also massively talented.
In this interview from 2023 with Chris Wallace, Jon talks about the limitations genres put on music. And THEN he genre hops through part of a Beethoven piece on the fly.
It’s so good. And Chris’ face is priceless. He’s almost giddy.
#JonBatiste #Music #Genres #Piano #Genius #ChrisWallace #Joy #GoodNews
when an account criticizes you on a topic, consider their possible motivations. if the motivations seem genuine, engage. if they don't, mock or block
many trolls with an agenda put signals in their profiles to cosplay as certain nationalities or political backgrounds- fake bona fides
so it can be hard to see where they are really coming from
this is purposeful obfuscation
therefore, allow yourself mistakes
and don't get too emotional or invested, it might be all for naught
my block list is tiny
only stalkers
(people who follow you around seeking insincere conflict)
when i encounter a big fat juicy troll, i smile
and i mock
1. either they block me (which i enjoy)
2. or they reveal enough about where i think they are coming from that i can generate a suspend or limitation on their account. much better than a mere block
if you ask why i would devote so much effort
i simply enjoy it
*especially* vatniks (kremlin disinfo peddlers)
it's not patience. i'm not engaging in a tedious chore
it's mirth. pleasure. it's like getting surprise ice cream
it's simple clean fun to hunt trolls
nail them down on who and what they are (painfully obvious), and let the consequences play out. potentially exulting in ridding mastodon of a twitter type douchebag
you merely feed them rope, and they figuratively hang themselves in their own words
racists, MAGA, vatniks, etc
(only the very obvious assholes)
I think @benroyce 's approach has considerable merit. For various reasons, I do not think I should attempt it. But I heartily encourage others to consider it.
@MaryAustinBooks @EthicalProfessor
only do this against the painfully obvious
consider it an extended, twisty exercise in calling them out on their bullshit
vacillate between outright mocking and fake friendliness- you're setting the emotional tone rather than following theirs. this is important
lead the convo to the heart of where you think they are coming from
then they put their foot in their mouth
then you report them
often they fall silent or block you
but it does work at times
@benroyce @EthicalProfessor
I used to do this kind of thing pre-Trump. I was actually pretty good with it and de-trollified a number of blogs run by my friends and my favorite journalists.
These days, besides not having the energy sometimes, I feel like everybody is already showing exactly who they are.
Maybe I need to abuse caffeine more, a lot of wild stuff happened under the influence of Monster Zero Ultra.
@MaryAustinBooks @EthicalProfessor
i did this on twitter. but then musk took over so it didn't work anymore. rather than honing in on one target, suddenly it was zombies everywhere, rather fruitless. twitter moderation died
it only works in the right forum
on mastodon, it works
but i've been noticing less of the very obvious types here. moderation works. you'll be doing it a lot less. the crappy instances out there are hidden from us. so now it's going to be the 2 day old accounts
@MaryAustinBooks @EthicalProfessor
although one time another person and i got in a long back and forth, tag team mocking a 2 year old vatnik account with a good number of followers
we didn't even report them (we were enjoying ourselves too much). but the admin of their instance showed up of their own accord and nuked the account on the spot
i apologized for wasting their bandwidth and that was that
@MaryAustinBooks @EthicalProfessor
one other tip: switch from public to quiet public when you do this
don't pollute your public timeline with this kind of interaction, most of your followers don't want to see this nonsense, and you shouldn't expose them to it
I really appreciate the moderators: they are making our Mastodon experience so much better.
The mods and the ones running the servers are often motivated and devoted.
It's important to realise Mastodon is OURS.
So, if we can afford it, a little financial help goes a long way. This is not the big tech bro situation with so much money they can pull anything out of their asses, this is ours, and we need to protect and help it help us.
@benroyce @skeletor I had to grow up a bit before "consider their motivations" became my default.
I'm still working on it.
My brain gets stuck on, "I can't consider what I don't know. Are these mental gymnastics of whether or not a stranger means well really a productive use of my time?" The answer is usually no.
The worst is people chiming in unprompted, telling me what I "should" do, how I "should" react or what "should" say. According to who? Their motivations are to give themselves a pat on the back for doing a good deed. They don't want to help (if they did, they would ask), they want to feel like they've helped.
(It took me a while to work that one out, too.)
concern trolls
the tone police
adequacy trolls
these type of trolls are especially fun, they can get emotional quick
you fake accepting their criticism in maudlin gratitude
then concern troll right back. be as patronizing as they are
the higher order the contrived "concern" you generate on them, the better. very dry, high minded intrusion onto other people's behavior is supposed to be their domain. as if they are authority
that tends to enrage them
then it's popcorn time
@benroyce @skeletor "concern trolling" was the term i was looking for. The others are good too!
The autism-fuelled instant dislike of anyone whose motivations appear less than genuine. Some of us are very good lie detectors! It comes with age, I think.
I don't think of toying with them right back. I just think "well I already don't like them, I can't just put that aside".
They deserve no less, but I usually don't have the spoons for that. So I leave that for those who do.
oh no, i don't preach my behavior as something everyone should do. most consider what i'm talking about a complete waste of time, and they are right, it's a waste of time. a block is the smart quick thing to do
it's just that i enjoy it so damn much. and really, all social media is is a waste of time, people just blowing off steam
so why not hunt some trolls?
but again, that's just my chosen burden to bear, as most would describe it, while i, perhaps perversely, see it as fun
i am an asshole
i wear the label with pride
the behavior is not the problem
who you point the behavior at is
and how you go about it
not getting emotional, and not getting abusive. merely mocking
if you point it only at racists, transphobes, misogynists, homophobes, xenophobes, religion bigots, ethnicity supremacists, fascists, climate change deniers, antivaxx morons, MAGA zombies, vatniks, etc...
all the malicious intent out there
it's a balm on this fucked up world
Another home run! ⚾️
AMEN. If you really feel like you need critique, then go to someone whose advice and character you trust. They will give you better and more productive feedback than anyone else in your life!
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