ianonavy

I don’t entirely agree. TikTok isn’t just silly dances, thirst traps, and trends—it has played a significant role in community organizing and coalition-building across social movements. Consider the university Pro-Palestine encampments or mainstream news reporting on social media reaction to the United Healthcare CEO’s killing. Neither is solely attributable to TikTok, but the scale and nature of discussion on the platform have demonstrably influenced real-world conversation and activism. Another example is Keith Lee’s viral restaurant reviews transforming the viability of small mom and pop businesses overnight.

What sets TikTok apart isn’t just its massive reach (150 million monthly active users, nearly half the US population) but also its algorithm and features that enable collaborative, asynchronous discussion. Unlike YouTube Shorts or Instagram Reels, where content is mostly one-off entertainment with fleeting comment sections, TikTok fosters actual conversations. Features like stitching allow users to directly respond to others, creating an evolving discourse where users can trace context. At times, entire feeds become dominated by discussion of a single topic—sometimes celebrity gossip, but often major events like October 7 or the United Healthcare CEO killing. This level of organic, large-scale discourse doesn’t happen the same way on other platforms. A great example of this dynamic was when TikTok users collectively decided to migrate to the actually Chinese app XiaoHongShu specifically to spite the US government. That didn’t just happen—it was discussed and coordinated.

In my view, TikTok is a national security threat not because of unproven claims about data leaks or state-authored propaganda, but because it provides an already restless and dissatisfied population with a real platform to discuss issues and organize. If a decentralized, open-source alternative existed at scale, TikTok itself wouldn’t be necessary. I acknowledge that TikTok—like any centralized platform—has real issues, particularly around privacy and censorship. But until such a decentralized alternative gains traction, TikTok remains important. And even then, I doubt the US government would be any more comfortable with a decentralized version, since it still wouldn’t give them control over what discussions take place.

Generally agree, although worth noting that which side you pass on depends on which side of the road people use to drive in your country. In the US, driving on the right means overtaking on the left. One could say that generally the advice is to drive in outermost lanes (closer to the road shoulder) unless overtaking in lanes further from the shoulder.

94% AI generated per zerogpt.com

I lurk in my city’s subreddit. It briefly closed as part of the protests, but the Lemmy community that was created at the time is inactive.

Sure, but that’s just Starlink. G60 was just launched at 1200 km, which will take thousands of years. OneWeb is at a similar altitude. Both are currently much smaller in scale, of course, but still potential problems. Not to mention the impact all three systems are having on astronomy.

For Starlink, I’m much more concerned about the aluminum oxide pollution. I linked the study in my earlier comment, but this magazine article does a better lay explanation: https://universemagazine.com/en/starlink-destroys-the-ozone-layer-that-would-recover-by-2066/ The worst part for me is that we might not actually see the bulk of the effects until 30 years from now when the aluminum from hundreds of tons of burnt up satellites descends into the stratosphere where 90% of our ozone is.

I agree, but at what cost? When the satellites burn up, they are likely worsening the hole in the ozone layer. And even if they don’t, they are probably contributing to Kessler syndrome, which could ruin low earth orbit for generations.

Sources:

1. https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024GL109280
2. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-89909-7

Edit: formatting

Not exactly the same, but I find “plug” and “socket” or “jack” to be generally more useful terms since the definitions are based on function rather than similarity to genitalia. Plugs are usually male, but always. For example, computer power supplies typically have a male jack and a female plug. In those situations, I find it more meaningful to describe the part by whether it is fixed or moves rather than which way the prongs go.

It’s the right to bear arms, not the right to bare arms!

I usually say “semiweekly” to mean twice per week. I also say “semimonthly” to mean twice per month (24 times per year) as opposed to “biweekly” (26 times per year).

While "sociopathy" isn't a scientific term, claiming that all autistic people are sociopaths is a harmful false equivalence. Associating autism with the stigma of sociopathy based on your own definition doesn't hold up. Your sources confirm that "sociopathy" isn't scientific but don't support your claim about autism.

ASD and ASPD are distinct conditions, and the colloquial use of "sociopath" generally refers to traits associated with ASPD, not autism. Language evolves over time—consider how "literally" now also means "figuratively" due to ironic use, or how "antisemitism" specifically refers to discrimination against Jews, despite its broader etymological roots. Similarly, "sociopath" today typically refers to ASPD-related traits, not just any "social illness."

The person you're responding to provided reputable sources disputing your definition, while your own sources lack expertise in psychology or linguistics. In fact, your third source even contradicts your argument; the article cites a contemporary psychologist who directly contrasts psychopaths with autistic children, highlighting the differences between the two conditions. If you're calling others "pseudoscientists," it's important to evaluate your sources more carefully.

People aren't downvoting the idea that "sociopathy is nothing to be ashamed of"—that's a valid point. But instead of playing word games, you could focus on that truth directly.

I am curious how either unit would earn revenue as an independent company.

Will Android get to keep the Play Store? Does that include media? Do they charge Google to distribute the Maps app?

Will Google pay Chrome to stay the default search engine? Maybe Chrome can charge schools and libraries for ChromeOS updates?

Would be great if we could just take off all of August like Europe does.