#Social solidarity

[troythecatfish]

Continue Escalating

[akaashmaharaj]

Reddit's Public Content Policy and a New Subreddit for Researchers

There is nothing genuinely intelligent about artificial intelligence. Yet, its positive promise to extract meaning from information, and its negative risks to privacy and social cohesion, are all very real.

I volunteered on a Reddit effort to create platform policies to protect an open internet, while restraining the abuse of user information, especially by firms harvesting online data to glut the maw of AI beasts.

It may be a David versus Goliath struggle. But David slew Goliath.

🤖 http://via.maharaj.org/rd-cntnt

[omegaphilosophia]

The Positive Side of Free Riders: Efficiency, Redundancy, and Social Welfare

While free riders are often viewed negatively in economic theory, there are some potential positive aspects to their existence, especially in highly efficient systems. These benefits can include reducing waste, providing redundancy in labor, and even promoting social welfare in certain contexts. Here’s a breakdown of some positives associated with free riders:

1. Prevention of Resource Waste

Maximizing the Use of Public Goods: Free riders ensure that public goods, which are non-excludable and non-rivalrous, are fully utilized. In systems where resources are already provided regardless of individual contribution, free riding can prevent underuse or waste of these resources.

For example, a public transportation system operates whether or not every citizen pays for its upkeep. Free riders may fill empty seats on buses or trains, ensuring these resources are used efficiently and do not go to waste.

Efficient Distribution of Surplus Goods: In some cases, systems that overproduce resources (due to hyper-efficiency or overabundance) may benefit from free riders, who consume surplus goods that would otherwise go unused. This can prevent the waste of excess production.

2. Redundancy in Labor and Services

Backups in Labor: In certain labor markets or sectors, free riders may act as a reserve or backup labor force when others cannot perform their duties. They may not contribute actively all the time but can step in when needed, reducing the burden on others in emergencies or during peak demand.

For example, in collaborative work environments, some team members may contribute less consistently, but their occasional involvement can prevent burnout for others or provide support during unexpected surges in workload.

Social Safety Net: Free riders may also function as a form of informal safety net. In systems that depend on voluntary contributions or cooperation, people who temporarily benefit from the system without contributing can still support it indirectly through their future contributions when their circumstances improve.

3. Incentivizing Higher Efficiency and Innovation

Pressure to Improve Systems: The presence of free riders may push organizations or systems to become even more efficient and innovate ways to optimize operations. Since free riders expose inefficiencies or gaps in contribution systems, they can incentivize managers and policymakers to find solutions that are more resilient, ensuring the system works well even with some level of non-participation.

For example, in open-source software development, many users benefit from the work of a few developers without contributing code. This dynamic can drive innovation, as developers often strive to make their software more accessible, scalable, and self-sustaining, benefiting all users.

4. Encouraging Social Solidarity and Welfare

Shared Benefit for Society: In some cases, allowing certain individuals or groups to "free ride" promotes broader social welfare. Welfare programs, public education, or healthcare often allow individuals to benefit without direct contribution, especially when they are economically disadvantaged. This can strengthen social solidarity and create a more equitable society by ensuring that everyone, regardless of their ability to contribute financially, has access to essential services.

This also ensures social stability, as widespread exclusion from public goods and services could lead to inequality and social unrest.

Cultural and Knowledge Sharing: In areas like education and culture, free riders can help disseminate knowledge or art without directly contributing to their creation. For example, free access to educational materials, artistic performances, or research can promote cultural enrichment and knowledge sharing, benefiting society as a whole.

5. Reduced Barriers to Entry

Access to Systems with High Entry Costs: In systems that have high initial entry costs (e.g., research institutions, expensive healthcare systems, or technology platforms), free riders can lower the barriers to participation for people who might otherwise be excluded. Over time, these individuals may transition from free riders to contributors, especially as they benefit from their inclusion.

This dynamic can create a virtuous cycle, where people who initially use a system without contributing may later become active participants or even innovators within that system.

6. Spurring Volunteerism and Altruism

Balancing Contribution Levels: Free riders can indirectly motivate others to take on a volunteer or altruistic role. For example, when some people free ride on public goods or services, others may step up out of a sense of responsibility or altruism, thus creating opportunities for personal growth and community engagement.

This balance between free riders and contributors can foster a sense of community duty or social obligation, where contributors feel they are doing their part for the greater good.

7. Cost-Effective Public Goods

Reduces Cost for Contributors: In some cases, allowing free riders helps distribute the cost of maintaining public goods more efficiently. In highly efficient economies, systems are designed to function with or without full participation from all users. Since free riders don’t significantly increase the marginal cost of public goods, they can enjoy these services without placing a large burden on the economy or contributors.

For example, Wikipedia relies on a small number of active contributors, yet millions of people benefit from the platform. The system functions with high efficiency, making it cost-effective even when most users don’t contribute directly.

While free riders are often seen as a problem in economic systems, they can have positive effects, especially in hyper-efficient economies. Free riders can prevent the waste of public goods, serve as backup labor, reduce barriers to entry, promote social welfare, and even drive innovation. They can indirectly support systems by making them more resilient, incentivizing efficiency, and fostering social cohesion. While not ideal in all contexts, free riders can play a role in maintaining the balance between individual contributions and collective benefit.

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

main take aways from Halloween (1978) rewatch:

michael myers is canonically 21??? this bitch should be at the club

*sees tiddies* ***MURDEROUS RAMPAGE NOISES***

that's it that's the movie

outside of the fact that everyone who has sex is murdered by the narrative, this is a surprisingly chill portrayal of female sexuality? these teen girls are horny and actively enjoying Getting It On with their boytoys. no pushy boyfriends sneaking in through their bedroom windows--these ladies are taking the initiative to sneak out and GET SOME. one of them gets laid and then immediately orders her boyfriend to get her a beer. (yes she gets Slashered soon afterward, but so does the boyfriend so honestly, gender equality.) yes the Final Girl is the only one not having sex, but she's not bullied for that, nor are her friends slut shamed except possibly by being murdered by the narrative

actually the only character who is shown being morally condemned on-screen is michael myers. specifically FOR his violent overreaction to other people's sex lives. (people he is spying on). metaphorically, the villain is American Puritanism sticking its judgy nose into other people's business.

aka Michael Myers Is A Republican

but actually the real villain is the doctor. guy's a judgemental, shaming, pathologizing asshole. and he's been in charge of michael's care since he was SIX YEARS OLD? kid never had a chance. i'd go on a killing spree too

also the parents. where are the parents? it's halloween night and all the teenage girls are home babysitting their younger siblings? come to think of it, michael's first victim was his own older sister, whom he killed while she was babysitting him. teen girls are really shouldering a labour burden here. maybe parentification is the true villain

side note: mike commits his first murder wearing a clown costume...which is never referenced again? his 'iconic' costume is a generic mask and wig and jumpsuit, when we coulda had a Killer Clown Michael Myers??? travesty

i like how the Final Girl and her friend casually smoke weed in her car. yeah she's an honor student and her friend is the sheriff's daughter. yeah they smoke weed. so what it's 1978

(to reiterate, mike is 21 and should be at the club. im not saying he shouldn't be rampaging, im saying it's sad that he broke out, tasted freedom for the first time in his life, and immediately snuck back into his childhood home to go rampaging. let's have a remake where he goes to a nightclub and has a few beers. maybe some slutty dancing. then rampage)

oh no he's hot

[liberaljane]

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

The Beijing court supported Ms. Gao on two counts and ruled that Dangdang should continue to honour her original contract of employment. In addition, the court said Dangdang should pay her salary from the date she applied for sick leave to the date of arbitration

The Beijing No 2 Intermediate People’s Court went on to state that “social tolerance is a blessing of the rule of law” and highlighted the need to “respect diverse ways of living and protect the dignity of transgender people.”

[kosher-salt]

I'm sorry but if Sami people can be understood as other-than-white and lighter featured First Nations people can be understood as other-than-white and individuals of our sisters the Romani when similarly afflicted by melanin deficiency can be understood as other-than-white....

Your classification of Jews, who span the whole gamut of color but share the racialization and experience of being othered among any majority, including whiteness in the north/west, is only further evidence of your racism. Because in doing so you continue to perpetuate double standards for Jewish people, which is dangerous when merged with perspectives that view whiteness as a merit signifier. Not that our identity isn't a fair bit older than this pretty reductive view, but

Regardless, I'll remind that the minority indigenous groups I mentioned are in the context of a white majority, but white people do not have a monopoly on colonialism. Plenty of people don't want to be called Arab in MENA and plenty of people aren't sure that they'd classify themselves as Chinese or Russian in the sense that the West views national identity. But that kind of nuance probably isn't something I should bother with if we haven't made it past point 1.

[nicecrumbart]

I like the way you draw Scott, may I beg you to draw happy empires season one flower husbands?

…i don’t know how to tell you this but this (what was meant to be a 30 min doodle) got INCREDIBLY away from me i don’t even know how this happened 😭

they are having a picnic :D

[lotus-pear]

free will is drawing ur two favorite characters together and making them gay

[bonesashesglass]

Protestor waves Palestine and Sudan flag during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance

NFL didn’t air it on TV, but people at the game caught it on video:

https://en.as.com/nfl/the-controversy-about-the-palestinian-flag-at-kendrick-lamars-super-bowl-halftime-heres-what-happened-n/

[dredgesnails]

in theory gem and joel being the only faction with full lives is gonna put a huge target on their backs next session, but also they've done a pretty good job at allying themselves with most of the server (a path to renwood, the tuff guys hate each other but they all like gem and joel, skizz said theyre his favourite faction and according to mumbo theyre "aligned like the stars", the bamboozlers still have the flower gem gave them though that hasnt stopped jimmy from attempting to murder joel) and also turning people against the final girls (mostly impulse) AND on top of that they have formidable reputations and everyone is afraid to engage in pvp with them (as demonstrated by mumbo), so i really think next session we're more likely to see the other dark greens get targeted by everyone else. except maybe jimmy and scar, who seem intent on joel dying

[troythecatfish]

Irish MEP Clare Daly calls for tangible action against Israel

Pointing out that formal Irish recognition of Palestine is already decades late, the Independent MEP proposed that more needs to be done. She suggested an arms embargo and the suspension of Irish trade with Israel.

Source: Mintpress

[unveilandresist]

by January 10th 1 in 3 people will have had this wave of covid. covid causes long term damage with each infection and wears down your immunity. you do not want this. there is no cure for long covid or me/cfs and there is a significant chance (last I checked I think it was 1/5 infections) of getting long covid that increases with each infection. please protect yourself and your loved ones by wearing a mask. variants have become more transmissible so a n95 or kn95 is the minimum protection to keep yourself reasonably safe(r) from getting covid.

it is important to understand often viruses do not simply clear up and go away. like chicken pox and shingles or what we now think of as polio that is actually post polio syndrome. polio symptoms were mild and 75% of cases are asymptomatic. we do not yet see the full scope of what this virus will do over our lifetimes. as someone who had my entire life derailed by me/cfs after having mono, (almost 10 years ago! it hasn't gotten better!) we have to take pathogens more seriously if we care about ourselves and our communities.

I'm willing and open to talk with people who want to understand better what covid does to our bodies and how we can best practice community care and also harm reduction if we're stuck in unsafe situations at home or work (certain mouthwashes and nasal sprays can help).

if you're watching what's happening in Palestine and live in the US, the government doesn't care about your life either. They lied about palestine and they lied about covid too. It is not just a cold.

[trans-ylvania]

everything is awful right now so im making a 4 year survival plan, put in the tags any ideas you have

my ideas so far:

trust self & focus on values

get new copies of govt. papers

medical history binder

avoid self censorship

get high quality masks

research where my data is being shared

care for body as if theres already no healthcare

buy condoms

make sure vaxxes are up to date

self defense classes

renew passport

reblogs for a bigger idea pool would be very appreciated

don't kill yrself im so serious that is exactly what the government wants you to do stay alive out of spite even if yr miserable (& you will be) (joy exists in and amongst grief)

[kropotkindersurprise]

August 22, 1989 - Huey P. Newton, revolutionary socialist and leader of the Black Panther Party, was assassinated on this day in 1989. The Black Panther Party rose to prominence in the 1960s and 70s for raising the revolutionary consciousness of the oppressed Black communities in the United States. Newton’s writings and leadership have left a permanent mark on the Black liberation movement and the socialist movement broadly. Newton elevated the Panthers to the role of internationalist revolutionary socialists who sought to fight US imperialism in order to liberate the most oppressed communities within the country. Newton, like many others in the Black liberation movement, was a target of the FBI’s COINTELPRO, which sought to sow division between revolutionary leaders and organizations. [link]

[comrade-onion]

Some more advice to the students ❤️🇵🇸