Not sure why everyone is talking about Hennry Kissinger moving to a new host body today.
Joshua Vaughan
- 21 Followers
- 75 Following
- 117 Posts
A games/tech guy who spends a lot of time thinking about things that aren’t games or tech.
DavidB 🍥Dear American people,
This is your semi-regular reminder that #Americans are not the only people using the internet and that the #UnitedStates - as lovely as it is - is not the only country. Actually, for the first time in the history of #socialmedia, you're not even the majority here, on the #Fediverse. This is a great learning opportunity.
So, a few tips:
- Beginner level: Normalize using "Americans" instead of "we," using "the #US" instead of "here" (it's "there" for us), the name of the place you're talking about instead of "there" (it could be "here" for us), and the name of the people you're talking about instead of "they" (which sometimes sounds a bit derogatory, as if you didn't really care about other people... you care, right?) It really makes a difference.
- Intermediate level: When you talk about something happening in the US, do not assume and express yourself as if the United States was the default country and as if everyone understands the context of what's happening. Background information helps. Contextualization is gold. Once again, just adding "in the US" when you talk about something makes a world of a difference.
- Advanced level: Try to talk about other things than just American things. Open yourself to the rest of the world, and learn about it. It's an awesome place, really. And, in my opinion, the Fediverse is the perfect tool to interact with people from many other countries (you also could do that on your previous social media of choice, but I understand that it was easier to stay in your cultural bubble back then).
- Expert level: Try to use the metric system... No, I'm joking here. I know you can't. You get a free pass for this one. You can still keep on measuring in refrigerators, or watermelons, depending on the scale.
Well, maybe, just maybe, when you talk about temperatures, adding an "F" (or a "C" if you can) would help a bit. Yesterday, someone was talking about the crazy temperature of 46 degrees and I still don't know if they meant 46°F or 46°C as they're both pretty crazy temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere this time of the year.
Oh yes, my Australian friends also told me to remind you all (not just Americans this time) to be mindful of people in the Southern Hemisphere when you talk about seasons (but they also added that they're used to it when you don't... still, that'd be nice...)
Thank you for your understanding and your efforts. If you have any questions, we're here to help.
Love,
The Fediverse and the World, and me, your friend, DavidB.
Edit/Update/PS: Some people are commenting that "Americans" are not just people from the US. It's true. However, it is also the official English name of the citizens of the United States. Polysemy exists and is not a rare thing. It's not an issue when there is context. I think there is plenty of context here. 🙂
Edit 2: Wow, I'm floored by the number of likes and boosts. I don't think it ever happened to me before (and they say that thing can't go viral on the Fediverse).
The number of positive reactions makes me think that I touched on something that matters here. Good.
And if I counted correctly, I think I only offended three Americans, which is much less than my average post. Nice.
Back in the day, on Twitter, people used to link to their SoundCloud when one of their posts became unexpectedly popular, or rather joke about it, mentioning that they don't have one.
Well, I don't have one either, so instead, just check out my profile and follow some or all of the links on it (as well as this account if you want?)
Thanks.
I'm gonna have to mute this post now, I'd like to regain some clarity in my notification tab. 😊
This is your semi-regular reminder that #Americans are not the only people using the internet and that the #UnitedStates - as lovely as it is - is not the only country. Actually, for the first time in the history of #socialmedia, you're not even the majority here, on the #Fediverse. This is a great learning opportunity.
So, a few tips:
- Beginner level: Normalize using "Americans" instead of "we," using "the #US" instead of "here" (it's "there" for us), the name of the place you're talking about instead of "there" (it could be "here" for us), and the name of the people you're talking about instead of "they" (which sometimes sounds a bit derogatory, as if you didn't really care about other people... you care, right?) It really makes a difference.
- Intermediate level: When you talk about something happening in the US, do not assume and express yourself as if the United States was the default country and as if everyone understands the context of what's happening. Background information helps. Contextualization is gold. Once again, just adding "in the US" when you talk about something makes a world of a difference.
- Advanced level: Try to talk about other things than just American things. Open yourself to the rest of the world, and learn about it. It's an awesome place, really. And, in my opinion, the Fediverse is the perfect tool to interact with people from many other countries (you also could do that on your previous social media of choice, but I understand that it was easier to stay in your cultural bubble back then).
- Expert level: Try to use the metric system... No, I'm joking here. I know you can't. You get a free pass for this one. You can still keep on measuring in refrigerators, or watermelons, depending on the scale.
Well, maybe, just maybe, when you talk about temperatures, adding an "F" (or a "C" if you can) would help a bit. Yesterday, someone was talking about the crazy temperature of 46 degrees and I still don't know if they meant 46°F or 46°C as they're both pretty crazy temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere this time of the year.
Oh yes, my Australian friends also told me to remind you all (not just Americans this time) to be mindful of people in the Southern Hemisphere when you talk about seasons (but they also added that they're used to it when you don't... still, that'd be nice...)
Thank you for your understanding and your efforts. If you have any questions, we're here to help.
Love,
The Fediverse and the World, and me, your friend, DavidB.
Edit/Update/PS: Some people are commenting that "Americans" are not just people from the US. It's true. However, it is also the official English name of the citizens of the United States. Polysemy exists and is not a rare thing. It's not an issue when there is context. I think there is plenty of context here. 🙂
Edit 2: Wow, I'm floored by the number of likes and boosts. I don't think it ever happened to me before (and they say that thing can't go viral on the Fediverse).
The number of positive reactions makes me think that I touched on something that matters here. Good.
And if I counted correctly, I think I only offended three Americans, which is much less than my average post. Nice.
Back in the day, on Twitter, people used to link to their SoundCloud when one of their posts became unexpectedly popular, or rather joke about it, mentioning that they don't have one.
Well, I don't have one either, so instead, just check out my profile and follow some or all of the links on it (as well as this account if you want?)
Thanks.
I'm gonna have to mute this post now, I'd like to regain some clarity in my notification tab. 😊
With all of the buzz around the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop... as if it has a truly specific birthday in some Bronx or Ft. Greene hangout in the summer of 73', I think this is essential reading: https://defector.com/50-years-later-is-there-anything-left-of-hip-hop
50 Years Later, Is There Anything Left Of Hip Hop? | Defector
I went to hip hop’s 50th birthday party, and all I got was a collection of insipid lists. And a new Sprite commercial. To be fair, there were also the usual puff pieces. The New York Times detailed “How Hip Hop Conquered the World.” But I’ve been with it almost every step of the way, […]
Ol’ DJT finally got indicted for J6. The wheels of justice turn slow, but they are moving. I sincerely hope this one does him.
I wonder if we'll end up in a place where we actually decide that Generative AI can *only* create derivative work, that must simultaneously be watermarked as AI as well being immune from copyright protection completely as a class of a work. Any work generated by AI automatically is a part of an AI commons (separate from typical creative commons), and no copyright or registration is allowable.
The 'Anthropocene' is probably going to end up the briefest geological era in the history of the biosphere, but tail is going to long as hell.
https://e360.yale.edu/features/plant-de-extinctions-herbariums More de-extinction please. Will love to live in a U.S. with a fungus resilient Chestnut Tree.
Back from the Dead: New Hope for Resurrecting Extinct Plants
Armed with new technology, botanists are proposing what was once thought impractical: reviving long-lost plant species by using seeds from dried specimens in collections. The challenges remain daunting, but researchers are now searching for the best de-extinction candidates.
https://youtu.be/x6X8jHH-weE Becoming X was a much better idea in 1996...
Becoming X
ScalziOn Whatever I'm talking about the name change of Twitter to X, what it means to me and others, and why I'm going to be on that site much less from now on.
(Also it means Mastodon will be a beneficiary, as probably a lot of things that would previously had been tweets will now become toots. Although I will have to remember to put a hashtag on the political stuff, I sometimes forget that)
Missing The PointBreaking: The porn industry complains that Twitter changing its name to X sullies the industry’s brand.