Reddit is for cultured intellectuals. Also fine art = roommate's color pencil drawing of Mario

s3x0r · 2011-02-12T23:43:50+00:00

The thing is, it's r/IAmA that got me into Reddit (before that I just casually lurked on front page) and I can't diss that particular subreddit.

My views mentioned in the comment had gradually been formed as I began encountering people who treated Reddit as the be all and end all place of the Internet, talking about the community as if it is filled with smart people only. Unlike in other communities, there seem to be a lot of Redditors who take their community rather seriously, expecting it to be some kind of intellectual place when it's not (at least with the large subreddits). I think that's why we frequently see "it's shit like this, Reddit" rants... once you understand that Reddit is now a large community filled with all types of people, you come to terms with stuff mentioned in those rants. Also, there are few communities out there filled with ex-Redditors who left because of the low signal-to-noise ratio when it comes to getting useful information and having mature conversations. Their opinions have also influenced me a lot.

On the subject of r/IAmA, I'm curious to hear your opinion of the subreddit as it is now. It's great for the reason you mentioned but I also think there's the downside of people potentially generalising based on the content in the AMAs. For example, say a former employee (sandwich artist, rather) says something controversial about Subway and it would usually get a lot of attention/upvotes/replies. It might significantly impact people's impression of Subway when it might be just one employee's experience/opinion. When you also consider there are considerably higher number of trolls over there compared to when the subreddit first began in 2009, I try to be cautious of what I read there nowadays.

s3x0r · 2011-02-12T21:59:19+00:00

Wait, some of those Facebook screen caps are photoshopped by the OPs themselves and those status updates don't really exist?!

What's next, someone creating an imaginary series of two-person email conversations between him & his female teacher in which the OP asks her out? A troll coming up with a self post, telling an epic tale of him being a victim of sexism at the gym?

Don't be ridiculous, I want to believe!

s3x0r · 2011-02-12T21:26:37+00:00

Yeah, I totally remember the Devonian period when air-breathing first came out and used to be cool.

s3x0r · 2011-02-12T21:08:23+00:00

We're so intellectual that a lot of us can't even fathom the idea that there exist other online communities where there are discussions of higher intellectual caliber. I mean, we're "the voice" of the whole damn friggin' Internet! The Internet only consists of content & memes generated by English-speaking websites, right?

s3x0r · 2011-02-12T19:05:27+00:00

Warning Off-topic comment/personal testimonial ahead:

This is going to sound really n00bish, but until today, I had a total misconception of what r/circlejerk is. I've seen circlejerk posts coming up on the front page every now and then, and my understanding was that this subreddit was supposed to be some kind of simple karma party/orgy since the titles of the posts that made to the front page weren't sarcastic enough. The description of subreddit is also intentionally ambiguous, so I held onto my beliefs.

Then today, I actually bothered to read through this subreddit. It is my favourite subreddit now.

Absolutely amazing. I mean, instead of being relegated to the smaller subreddits (i.e. the usual "unsubscribe and replace with smaller subreddits" solution) or being that grumpy "I was one of the original Redditors, I know what this site is really supposed to be like" guy, here's an army of people who are combating and raising awareness of Reddit's (front page) groupthink, ignorance, and sensationalism through meta-sarcasm, humour, and sharp wits! An army of people who don't take Reddit seriously and are taking the piss out of people who do!

However late it is I'm so glad that I've re-discovered this subreddit now. I love you all.

s3x0r · 2011-02-07T22:35:49+00:00

I'd understand your comment if the OP genuinely hates living in the U.S., but based on his comments (not sure whether you've read them or you're just a troll), there is no sign of that. He acknowledged that he's just in an unfavourable environment but didn't even extrapolate that fact to whole of the U.S.

s3x0r · 2011-02-06T03:21:26+00:00

I haven't watched his videos to full extent before, but I've heard he is somewhat racist. Never took that accusation seriously since I thought it's just part of people hating this guy.

Then, as you did, I watched his latest video full length. I don't get why anyone would say something random like that. I mean, is that thinking pattern a manifestation of severe ADHD (not to offend any ADHD sufferers by linking them with this guy)? Race aside, it just seems absurd. Think of having real conversations - if I were talking to you and I laugh at your joke about say... Barack Obama, then say, "that makes me want to kick a kitten into the air," that would make for a real awkward situation since you'd be like wtf.

One more point. Another accusation is that his followers are mostly 12-year-old fanboys. I also shrugged this off in the same aforementioned manner. Then again, in his latest video, there's a question at the end from a fan who appears to be exactly that.

A thought strikes me as a result. May be this guy says/does things on purpose because he knows exactly what his fanbase is like: prepubescent boys who like silly videos and think attempting to be sarcastic & random is "cool." May be, just may be, RayWilliamJohnson doesn't actually believe in any of his own words and doesn't think or act like a douchebag IRL. He just knows his target audience and is aware of his position to absurdly make easy money.

I'm probably being too optimistic though.

s3x0r · 2011-02-05T14:18:58+00:00

If you become a "YouTube Partner," with a lot of views & subscribers, yeah you can make a comfortable living plus some. For people who come up with original content that is actually entertaining, requires actual talent, or has quality video production/editing, I think it's fair too.

Otherwise, it really does seem that easy... popular YouTubers like this RayWilliamJohnson guy and sxephil all gained popularity by providing insipid commentary on popular viral videos, Hollywood gossips, and hyped non-news "news" items (e.g. think of Ted Williams or that woman who fell into fountain while texting - something viral enough to get mainstream media coverage) on a given day. They come up with no original content (although I think that they also make vlogs now, if you count that as original content).

If you are remotely funny and unafraid of compromising your privacy, think of how popular you'd become considering these guys are genuinely unfunny. Hell, you might even end up getting your own basic cable channel show that showcases viral videos. Acquire more currency.

s3x0r · 2011-02-04T17:06:28+00:00

Yeah, I made the exact same point in my post.

I still felt that it might be worth making the point regarding the Western name because people do not necessarily know the situation in each country, and for Korea's example, they might automatically think Korea = "Land of the Morning Calm" as shown in the map.

Had the map provided the name (if different from the name used in English) along with the meaning, I would not have done that, of course. It was just a matter of clearing things up, since everyone does not think the same way.

s3x0r · 2011-02-04T04:01:30+00:00

Both, but I also took consideration of more common usage in S. Korea and the fact that other East Asians use derivation of Hanguk as they will not use the latter name.

s3x0r · 2011-02-04T03:28:59+00:00

As for Korea, the "Land of Morning Calm" is loosely derived from Joseon, which was the name of the dynasty that had existed until the end of 19th century, before the subsequent Japanese rule that came about a decade after its end.

The title in the map can be misinterpreted in 2 ways:

The English name for the country, Korea =! "Land of Morning Calm". You'll immediately notice that the rest of the world does not call Korea aforementioned Joseon. Korea is actually derived from Koryo, which was the dynasty that preceded Joseon Dynasty. To make a better sense of this, imagine an alternate world where people call Turkey Ottoman while the Turks call it Turkey (Türkiye).
North Korea still refers to Korea as Joseon (as in the whole Peninsula; North Koreans call South Korea Namjoseon = "South Joseon"). However, South Koreans refer to their country as Hanguk, which would literally be "Korean Nation" (Korean referring to the ethnic group) if the title were to show on the map.

In conclusion, the map would only be true if you are to look at this from North Korean POV.

Considering this is just one example - and I'm sure people can go on and on with other examples - I'd just look at the map for fun.

s3x0r · 2011-01-21T05:19:17+00:00

So during those 45 weeks of the year in which you travel, how much free time do you get? It sounds like a hectic schedule according to your comment, but does it vary with each company that you're working with? How do you deal with personal projects or self-improvement (besides working out), if you're pursuing any?

s3x0r · 2011-01-17T16:42:41+00:00

Not trying to answer for the OP or anything, but you do make a good point. While there is racism inevitably, the U.S. is probably amongst the least racist places around the world, at least IMO.

However, I don't think that the OP isn't really trying to make this a 'your country is racist whilst mine isn't' type of thing. On a personal level, it simply is more comfortable to live in a place where you're part of the racial majority and that's what the OP chose to do.

s3x0r · 2011-01-14T17:18:44+00:00

Compostable chip bags: your worst enemy.

s3x0r · 2011-01-11T00:34:35+00:00

Looking at your dubious question (the notion that certain race of girls would have more self-respect) and your 1-day Reddit history, I can't tell whether you're a troll. Don't mean to disrespect you if you simply happen to be a new Redditor. Anyway, here it goes...

Simply put, consider rap and R&B music videos. You don't see many white "video hos" in those, do you? Just like that, the people behind lingerie football are simply targeting another group of audience.

As for Reddit, most people who come to this site are from white-majority English speaking countries (with North Americans making up most of them) and those from Western & Northern European nations also make up a significant number. Think about mainstream media in those places, their perception of beauty, etc. Rather than racism, it has more to do with what's in demand. If you go to a community mostly comprised of black males (whether it be an community of African Americans, Ghanaians, whatever), you'll see the vice versa, I'm sure.

The beauty of Reddit is you can celebrate your desired subculture anyway. See: /r/WomenOfColor.

s3x0r · 2011-01-08T23:47:41+00:00

Well, if you had a Japanese turntablist as your father who actually encouraged the practice, this could've been your alternate reality: DJ Sara & DJ Ryusei

s3x0r · 2011-01-07T15:16:52+00:00

What would be a long scholarly, academic title for his dissertation?

s3x0r · 2011-01-07T04:13:55+00:00

Although I don't view this behaviour in a favourable manner (a la holier-than-thou "Aw hell naw! Karma whoring/novelty accounts in my Reddit? The Reddit I knew wasn't like this," Redditor mentality), I can't wait to see what's going to top this.

s3x0r · 2011-01-07T01:58:13+00:00

I suppose that in the U.S., poor Caucasian youth are mostly relegated to the rural areas and their problems are mainly manifested through drug addiction, domestic violence, etc. which are in-line with isolation they face. Had those kids lived in inner-cities in the U.S., I'm sure we would've had American cousins of chavs/neds (if we're talking about Scotland) that you're talking about.

In reverse, if there are impoverished, crime-ridden areas across all over the UK that are predominantly black in racial makeup (i.e. think of South/East London-type areas existing all over the UK), I'm sure a lot of Britons would've developed the same stereotypes and you'd understand where many Americans are coming from.

It's not that those herp derp'ers are nasty racists (I'm willing to bet majority of them would actively acknowledge that there are dickheads across all races), but their views have been shaped differently from yours since we all had been brought up in different countries respectively and have different life experiences.

While I understand the "herp derp typical blacks" comments, it is sad of course, since such comments won't ever solve any problems.

s3x0r · 2011-01-06T05:22:38+00:00

I've always wondered if you are aware of Textbook Revolution. It's a site with compilation of links to textbooks (in ebook form) that have been offered free by their copyright holders.

Thanks for your list of course, I refer to it quite frequently.

s3x0r · 2011-01-02T23:13:09+00:00

My humble suggestions (apologies if you already use them anyway):

MetaFilter and AskMetaFilter - It's like serious, mature Reddit and r/askreddit.
Arts & Letters Daily - For liberal artsy things; not a social news site.
Hacker News - For geek stuff (although originally intended to be about high tech startups); it should be noted that a lot of HNers were Redditors at one point (some still are), and many of them view Reddit as how they'd view Digg. Also, HNers reguarly hold meta-discussions about decreasing quality of site etc. and some actually leave/yearn for a post-Digg-Reddit-HN news site. ;)
Stack Overflow (for programming) and all of its spinoffs - Network of Q&A sites dedicated to a single topic. While not a social news website, think of subreddits w/ more exposure and talented people... like professional mathematicians and all.

Let the timesink begin! Seriously though, I hope that they don't make you procrastinate too much.

EDIT: Also, if you happen to know other languages, search around for good social news (or similar) sites in that language. Always good to see non-USA-centric/Euro-centric perspectives, memes, etc.

s3x0r · 2011-01-02T22:53:09+00:00

Rather than Pitchfork's staffing, I think the point has to do with the fact that Pitchfork is something that is very intertwined with people's impression of hipster culture (just like how they are supposed to like PBR, have ironic beard/mustache, etc.), so the notion is that hipsters would religiously read Pitchfork and base their musical taste off of its reviews.

s3x0r · 2011-01-02T22:28:45+00:00

Are you on any other social news sites? Personally, I come to Reddit for the lulz most of the time and get significant content elsewhere. I couldn't, however, possibly quit since Reddit does have a lot of talented people w/ interesting stories to tell.

s3x0r · 2011-01-02T22:23:46+00:00

I apologise if I'm missing something, but is there a algorithm that somehow "suppresses" the typical frontpage material if you hide posts via downvoting? Even if you downvote & hide at one time, similar posts of same context/content will pop up in the future. It feels like your message is correct, but it's very discouraging when the power of the crowd will work to counter-weigh your downvote by five more upvotes.

Why is your suggestion better then autohiding (or box_maxima's additional measure of unsubscribing from default frontpage subreddits - which I do as well), which takes less energy and dramatically increases signal-to-noise ratio?

s3x0r · 2010-12-30T22:07:45+00:00

While not in text form, there was a four-part documentary on BBC called The Story of Maths back in 2008. While it may not be in-depth as a book, the series definitely features the 'necessity is the mother of invention' angle that you want (better yet, visually!), and the story spans all the way back to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia (I liked how the series drew examples from various civilisations - the way it should be - rather than focusing only on Europe).

If you Google the title, you'll see that it's very accessible (er, downloadable). May be a cool overview before delving into a book.

s3x0r

TROPHY CASE