mizmoose

Thank you.

I know what it's like to try to build up something good only to have trolls try to take it over. It's nice to think that kindness and guidance can make everything shiny and happy, but the reality is that sometimes you just have to shut the door to bad actors and lock it behind them.

Some people have a need to try to ruin things for others. There's no reason to give them a platform. Actions have consequences.

This is such a common attitude, and it's nonsense. Non-moderators think moderators are "power hungry" when they ban people. While there are some few exceptions, moderators don't ban people because they like power. Moderators ban people because they're disruptive and causing trouble.

What moderating is really like, part 1

What moderating is really like, part 2

99% of the people I've banned who were not obvious spammers or bots are one kind of troll or another. Usually they fall into three categories: Concern Trolls ("But I'm only saying this for your own good!"), Factoid Trolls ("I'm here to tell you the TRUTH!"), or Disruptive Trolls (dick picks, offensive memes, slurs and racism, etc.).

Roughly 1% of the people I ban apologize for their mistake, remove their rule-breaking content, and either follow the rules or quietly leave.

I regularly get called a power-hungry mod by the crybabies who get angry when they aren't allowed to break the very clearly stated rules, and repeat their offenses after getting first, sometimes second warnings. They run to other places and go try to stir up other crybabies to come and cause the same kind of trouble.

Moderating is tireless and endless. Jerks don't get banned for saying "Dur the mods suck! Free Speech!" Jerks get banned because they think the rules are for other people, or because they think that the rules are wrong so that means they don't have to follow them.

Thank you for coming to my Moose Talk. (Ted is taking a nap right now.)

Redditinc.com's fact(oid)s about the API changes.

Includes such BS as

100,000+ active communities

Technically true. But it's estimated that between 1/3 and 1/2 are NSFW. That is, the subs they don't want shown at their (mythical) IPO.

Supporting these apps is not free for Reddit; they incur both infrastructure and significant opportunity costs.

Technically true. But so does the official app, and web browsers. API calls are not some sort of special magic that causes extra wear on the systems. If the users never had the third party apps they'd be using something else, causing the same traffic and usage - or using nothing at all.

Reddit needs to be a self-sustaining business and to do that, we can no longer subsidize commercial entities that require large-scale data use from our API.

Again, third party apps are no more of a drain on data use than anything else. It's been proven, but Spez keeps pushing this lie.

Many other platforms have chosen to stop supporting apps like these altogether.

Objection! Facts not in evidence.

more than 98% of apps do not pay and will continue to access the Data API for free so long as apps are not monetized [...].

Emphasis mine. This is the real story.

Our pricing is based on usage levels comparable to our own costs

Either this is an outright lie or Spez is admitting that the official Reddit app is an inefficient, data monching, piece of garbage.

We're working to improve the mobile mod experience

Spez has been promising rainbows for years but all we ever get is poop. Or just the smell of poop. That the mobile apps were released without proper moderator tools tells you what he thinks of moderators.

We have a unique system of checks and balances, and we respect the communities right to protest.

Clearly a lie, given that Spez is going to change the rules to force out moderators who choose to follow their sub's wishes to protest.

r/nottheonion is asking users to vote, including a fun option that encourages people to take Tuesdays off

The "fun option" is an official means of joining the protest. Can he stop lying for 10 seconds?

We conducted an accessibility audit with an external consultant and have been working on improving accessibility on the site and in our apps.

Yes, much smarter than actually TALKING TO YOUR OWN USERS AND SEEING WHAT THEY WANT. Oh, they want what you refuse to do? Gee, what a surprise!

Nothing says ableism more than telling people with disabilities that they have no agency in how or if they get accommodations. (Sadly, the ADA does not apply to Reddit as a website.)

In summary, Spez needs to be fired. Preferably out of a cannon, into the sun.

Voat became such a garbage site. It was (barely) tolerable in its early days but with the influx of the reddit refugees from the FPH and "Chimpire" subs, it started down the path to trash fire. My favorite (sarcasm) part was how the racists even attacked the Voat creator & original boss because he was Muslim. Yet the owner was such a tool that he shrugged it off with "Free Speech."

By the time it failed -- and yes, I know that there's a version of Voat still around but it's like 300 white supremacists all doing a giant circle jerk -- there wasn't a place on Voat that wasn't a toxic cesspool.

I recently told this tale but I'll tell it again: There was a short lived Reddit alternative that closed down for, as best as I can tell, mostly trying to run at just the wrong time. They sounded a lot like Beehaw: Open communication but no hate speech allowed.

They started growing around the time that Reddit was cracking down on the alt-reich subs that were doxxing people and making actual threats of violence, like the_dondon (You know what I mean) and its ilk, plus stomping out the incels. Both groups went crying to Voat. Voat, amusingly, called them all poseurs and downvoted them off the site. So they - especially the alt-reich kids - went to the new site.

The new site handled them with such grace it still boggles my mind. They told them all, basically, "Thanks for coming! It's so nice you want to be here, but, sorry, you're breaking our rules. Here's your hat. So sorry you can't stay with us! We wish you all the best. Bye bye, now!" and deleted all their accounts and the communities they created, and that was that.

It was a cute site and it could have been something nice, but it just didn't fully get off the ground. I feel bad that I cannot remember the name of it.

I'm not sure they understand Reddit.

Did you know they also silently censor users?

Reddit has been shadowbanning users (making it so their accounts don't publicly hold data or karma, but allowing them to continue making comments) without telling them they're shadowbanned for many years now. The idea that Reddit is silently going and removing the content from some users is really not a surprise.

Yeah, there's nothing special about an API. It's just a shortcut for the app to use to get specific info from the server.

Yep. This is Huffman having a tantrum because he found out someone is making enough money to live on with their coding, and his company isn't getting a slice.

RES is used by some significant percentage of Redditors and they take donations to fund their work. I'm willing to bet they're next on the chopping block of his tantrum.

You keep repeating that. Just how many times have you been banned on Reddit? I'm guessing a lot.

Officially? Yes, it's all against the rules. It's against the rules to harass moderators. It's against the rules to go attempt to rile up others to cause problems. It's against the rules to have subreddits dedicated to trying to convince people to go to other subs and harass moderators.

In reality? It has to be very persistent for the admins to take real action. There have been cases where subreddits have been cautioned or (rarely) sanctioned for allowing or encouraging their users to go visit other subs to harass. There have been cases where harassers eventually get their accounts banned, but not before Reddit has smacked them on the hand and said, "No, no! Bad Redditor!" 3-4 times first. More likely, reporting this kind of crap gets you the response, "We don't see a problem."

Part of that problem is that a lot of report responses are automated, and you have to know how to appeal and get the attention of humans to even have a sliver of hope that one of them might take action.

It's a case of too many problem children, not enough human staff to deal with it.

It's against the rules to create account after account to follow and harass a moderator for over four years but 8? 9? of his alt accounts later, they still haven't been able to stop this one nutbag from Australia who gets his jollies by following me around Reddit to disagree with everything I say.

I see it as Reddits obligation to educate the community about moderators and what they do on the daily.

Reddit thinks moderators are as disposable as napkins.

First: Good. Everyone deserves good and safe working conditions (and reasonable pay).

I have the same mixed feelings about Amazon as I do about Walmart. They underpay and overwork their employees, and treat them as replaceable cogs. They often gouge the companies that supply their stock. Their customer service ranges from "OK" to "forget it."

But as someone living with a low income, I often don't have a choice. Amazon's "subscribe and save" program can save me significant money on bulk products, and sometimes Walmart's prices are the best when I don't have much money for the rest of what I need.

If you have the choice, I encourage you to choose to avoid these companies. But for those of us struggling to make ends meet, we're stuck having to give business to companies that not only help create people like me, but depend on our need for them. Please remember that when there are calls that everyone has to stop using them.

The audacity. The bullshit. The outright lies.

Spez is an embarrassment and I have no idea why the Reddit BoD hasn't asked for his resignation.

I wrote a frikkin' essay. I wish I'd saved a copy because I was sure they were going to read it and file it under "whackadoodle: do not admit."

They COULD have simply put ads into the API, or made it a requirement. They didn’t.

OH, THIS THIS A BILLION TIMES THIS.

They shot themselves in the foot and are now angry about it.

This is disturbing by itself, but the article putting sexual assault in quotes makes it all that much worse.

No one is ever ready for the Reddit Inqui-- er, Invasion.

Thank you.

Like I said previously, sometimes you have to shut the doors on bad actors. But doors can be reopened if things become better.

Due to being disabled I do most of my cooking in the microwave. I'd love to get an air fryer but I have no counter space for it where I currently live.

I often do actual cooking - you can cook almost anything in the microwave, except most baking and anything that needs to be browned like a hamburger or a pot sticker - but sometimes it's just, feh, let's just do this.

I'll take a packet of the Knorr's "fried rice" (which is rice, thin pasta, freeze dried peas & carrots, and spices) and extend it out. I always use plain olive oil for the fat, and slightly reduce the water it wants if I use frozen vegetables. Then, chop up whatever vegetables you need to get rid of and/or feel like throwing in with the mix, oil, and water into a bigass bowl. I tend to use broccoli, snap peas, string beans, and/or asparagus, but sometimes I'll use a pre-mixed package of "mixed stir fry vegetables." Whatever I've bought that's on sale. If you want to add any kind of meat or tofu, add it in the last 5-6 minutes of cooking time, less if it's pre-cooked. You can also stir in an egg or two at that point if you'd like. You'll get thin threads of egg throughout. I set my microwave to cook the whole thing for about 15 minutes; all the additions makes it need more. Adjust as you need.

One thing I do that's less lazy but more "lasts for a while" is a tuna pasta salad. Boil up half or a whole box of pasta - I use shells or bowties, but any pasta will do. Wrap a head of broccoli in moist paper towels and nuke briefly until it's just starting to soften. Cool it down, then chop it up. Chop up some tomatoes (I usually use 2-4 Romas). Drain 1-2 cans of tuna fish [depending on how much pasta you have. Toss this all together. Pour over it a good vinaigrette. I make my own with red wine vinegar, olive oil, black pepper, garlic powder, and because I use a lot of vinegar, a pinch of sugar or a drop of sucralose, to offset the bitterness. Let it sit for at least an hour, toss again, then consume. The best thing about this recipe is what goes into it is up to you. You can completely change the vegetables. You could use shredded or chopped chicken instead of tuna. Or finely diced extra firm tofu and make it vegan.

The easiest snack of all is popcorn. Don't buy the microwave packets. Buy the raw kernels. Get yourself a silicone popcorn popper for the microwave; they're about $10 online. It's a silicone tub/bowl with measuring markers at the bottom and a lid that goes way down at the start but rises as the kernels pop. Some people put butter in the bottom but I'm afraid it will burn and haven't tried that; I melt and add butter afterwards. Some people claim you can do this with a paper bag, but I've also heard others say the bag can catch on fire. A couple of handfuls of kernels and 2-3 minutes in the microwave and you have a big bowl of fresh popcorn. Yum.

It's not just the fat, it's also the heat. Know what you're cooking and how. Some things will burn no matter what if the heat is too high, and some will get greasy if the heat isn't high enough.

You can also get soggy/greasy food if there's too much food in the pan, or if it's a very wet food like mushrooms or a protein that wasn't pat dry first. Liquid is your enemy; it will generate steam which will make everything go wrong.

If you're using a small amount of oil and the food burns, your heat is likely too high. Very high heat is usually used for quick cooks like a stir fry, or to finish off a sauce. Try lowering your heat.

It'd help to know more about what you're cooking and what your results have been. Then we can nitpick at you. :-)

Most of what he's been saying about this whole mess has been either outright lies or half-truths with facts conveniently not mentioned.

I was nearly 40 when RCT2 came out. :-)

My biggest wish for RCT3 has always been that you could store modified shops like you can store coasters. That's the one thing about it that drives me further bonkers.

I really really really want to like Planet Coaster but dang, trying to put paths down and the like is a nightmare for me. I have bad arthritis in my hands and having to do minute and detailed movements can be incredibly difficult. So I wind up with things where they don't belong and lose money and ARGH.

I've heard Parkitect is better but I'm gun shy after PC and afraid I'll waste even more money on a game I can't play.

I still play Dungeon Keeper (the original) sometimes, too. It's such a classic, and every "new reboot" of the game seems to just fail in all the wrong ways for me.

Hard to know for certain without how much of what you used and for how long. Cauliflower, like broccoli, needs a heap of stuff and time to get through the "woodiness" (? if that's the right term? It's a tough vegetable). One of the reasons I often cook with frozen broccoli instead of fresh is that the thawing makes it more likely to latch on to whatever I've tossed it in.

Also, along with Mike's idea of roasting it, you might also blanch it, or give it a very quick stir fry or nuke. Just a minute or so to take the edge off it's rawness might help it grab the brine more.

Same thing I play every week. Coral Island and RCT3.

Coral Island is in Steam Early Access and is as yet unfinished, but is making steady progress and the devs are doing great at keeping everyone up to date on progress. Coral Island is frequently compared to Stardew Valley. Frankly, I don't enjoy SDV. I've tried and tried and it just doesn't do it for me. Coral Island is everything I was hoping SDV would be. It's game play is similar, but I find the whole thing much more enjoyable.

I've been playing RCT3 off and on since I first bought it on CD a million years ago.

I'm not talking about Muslim countries. I'm talking about the US, where Hamtramck, Michigaan is. Where Christianity is the force that pushes the laws, while they whine that the other religions are the ones making the laws.

Talking about other countries is disingenuous and irrelevant to the conversation. When I talk about what Judaism does I'm talking about Jews in the US (and Canada, and the UK, and other non-Jewish majority countries), not what Jews in Israel do.

For a brief period of time I was on a place on Reddit where new users could get help finding their way around the site.

Someone shows up there and says, "I'm not sure why I'm even on this libt++d communist site, nobody here will respect the way any good conservative American thinks."

I'm thinking, OK, snowflake, don't melt so hard from being a victim, but I responded with, "You might try /r/Conservative, and I can ask their moderators if they have any other suggestions."

I did so: I sent the moderators of /r/Conservative a message explaining what I was looking for and asking for any advice they might have for this new user. The response I got back was, "LOL, F+++ off."

Lovely, lovely people there.

(100% that good conservative American was on the libt++d communist site for the free porn.)

The US is not a Muslim country. I'm not talking about Muslims in a Muslim country or Jews in Israel. I'm talking about the US, which this article is about.

Two words: "race condition."

One of my favorite server-crashing bugs was from the mid-'90s, before the web existed. Worked on a project to build, well, a mini-Web (though we didn't really know that), a browser-like tool that ran on X-windows. It would let you search through an online library catalog. Everyone on the project sat down together to stress test the search engine. My student employee ran a search that began with a question mark, and it took out the search engine server.

Get your butt to an urgent care. They can best do a basic evaluation to see if it's something serious, especially because it's getting worse. You don't want to wait until you're unable to move. The worst thing that happens is they say it's a strain and give you some muscle relaxants to tide you over for a while. (Actually, the real worst thing that happens is that they dismiss you because women's pain is more likely to be dismissed. Ugh.)

Good luck and take care.

I read somewhere that ADHD & ASD is not understanding or recognizing that a rule needs to be followed, then getting furious when you realize that other people aren't following the rule.

One of the things I've learned is that both ADHD and ASD are highly aligned with anxiety. It can show up when something that may seem small and insignificant to others become very very important. I often express to my therapist how I envy those who can see a small slight and shrug it off, while for me it will ping-pong around my brain until I want justice and I cannot let it go.

Like you, I also stand up for issues that are still unpopular (though tides are turning) in the mainstream. Sometimes I have to back off for my own mental health, but overall I still stand up for them when I can. And it helps to find others who follow my same beliefs to at least some degree. Not everyone has to agree 100% but the baseline consensus matches.

I have heard people tell of using the seasoning packets that come with ramen noodles.

I'm a purest. I generally just use butter and salt, but sometimes sprinkle on that fake-ish grated parmesan & romano cheese that you shake out of a canister.

There are a bunch of places in SE Michigan that has a large Muslim population. Michigan has more Arabic-language speaking people in it than any other US state.

Yet it's only the Christians who freak out about this. For a while there was a bizarre rumor being spread by Christian bigots that Dearborn, MI, which (last I knew) has even more Muslim people than Hamtramck, was run by a Muslim mayor with everyone forced to live under "Sharia Law." The mayor was Protestant and there is no place in Michigan where Muslim religious law is part of the area's laws.

Another for Ublock Origin

Youtube Enhancer

Imagus [enlarges images, great for my old tired eyeballs]

Ad Observer (run by Cybersecurity for Democracy project at New York University, it examines any ads you DO get to look for patterns in how advertising is being used to influence people on social media.)

To Google Translate (Highlight something and send it straight to a Translate page)

It might be different where you live, but my experience is that pain clinics are unlikely to take a walk-in patient. Because of the risk of painkiller abuse [insert an eyeroll here], almost all pain clinics require a referral from another doctor with a diagnosis for whatever is causing the pain.

FYI: urgent cares should take Obamacare insurance. If you're worried about cost you can call and ask if they take your insurance and how much their co-pay is, if any.

Oh, that looks lovely. I miss baking so much. :)

When I was a kid, maybe 11 or 12? I was at the birthday party of some kid. Mind you, this was the 1970s. The parents dumped us all in the "playroom" (a big basement room, finished and with furniture) with some toys and games and a table full of food and they had their own little party upstairs. Meanwhile, we had a table full of candy and chips and cupcakes and bread and sandwich stuff and whatever to drink.

For whatever kid reason, we started making the Weirdest Sandwiches We Could Think Of. Mine, I will never forget. One slice of bread slathered with peanut butter, upon which went M&Ms, chocolate Twizzlers, potato chips, and Fritos, folded in half like a taco.

How did it taste? Well, I made a second one. But I was 11 or 12 and had the food palate of a caveman.

The ADA only requires accessibility in websites if it's a government site, or if it's the site of a company providing a "public service," such as a bank or a hotel.

Here's the ada.gov page about it: https://www.ada.gov/resources/web-guidance/

Oh, this sounds lovely.

Sorry. RollerCoaster Tycoon 3.

I know most people love 2 the most, but 3 is the one I like best. I like the 3D way you can move around and I like the whole way the mechanisms work.

I use NewsBlur. It's sometimes clunky adding an RSS feed but the way you can organize things and do 101 settings is terrific. It's for-pay though (around $30/year? I think) so that may not interest you. But I find it does far more than the free stuff that I tried.

A few years back, there was a short-lived site that attempted to be a better site like Reddit. Unfortunately, they started up around the time that The_Dipsht and alt-reich subreddits were starting to get quarantined. Amusingly, many of them tried to move to Voat, who by then had become so toxic that they were called poseurs and told to go away.

So they showed up at the door of the new site - who handled them very gracefully. There were suddenly a pile of alt-reich white supremacy communities on the site. The admins basically told them and their creators, "Gee, thanks for stopping by. We're so glad you thought of us. Here's your hat. Sorry you can't stay longer. Bye now, have a nice day!" and deleted all the communities, the people who created them, and those who had subscribed. And that was that.

Unfortunately, people weren't yet fed up enough with Reddit and the new site didn't get enough people to stick around. It was a lovely little place, not unlike what Beehaw is trying to do.

If given half a chance, I'd probably still put potato chips on anything I could.

Heck, to use the non-American definition of the word "chips," I spent most of my life in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a city known for many things but gastronomically for putting french fries (the other kind of "chips") on sandwiches and salads!