Technology Connections
Real talk time:
"Just asking questions" is a weapon. We know full-well that some people exploit it to feign innocence when deliberately throwing noise into discussions. And it works in large part because it encourages otherwise earnest discussions which then contribute to the noise.
So be careful.
Technology Connections
This is a reality which sucks. And I know that full-well.
But it's one of the central ways we get held back from making important changes. The status quo preys on people believing we can't do things - so if you believe we need to change? Be careful that you're not playing into that hand.
Rob Bos
@TechConnectify You've probably seen it, and I don't want to imply that you haven't, but some people reading this might not have - the Alt-Right Playbook is a good reference for this kind of strategy.
A good starting point that touches on the JAQ thing -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaPgDQkmqqM
Lars Marowsky-Brée 😷
@TechConnectify "Sealioning". It is so well abused, it's been given a name.
Technology Connections
@larsmb I am not talking about sealioning. That person knows what they're doing and doesn't need anyone to tell them to be careful.
I'm talking about people engaging in conversations about things which are technically true but don't actually matter. We need to get better at recognizing when things are irrelevant and let them drop out of the conversation, because earnest people who don't do this unwittingly bring fodder to the disinformers of the world.
Let me give you an example:
Technology Connections
@larsmb This post was spurred by a convo on a different platform.
It is true that to electrify everything as we need to do, we will face challenges. But if all you can do is ask "will the power grid be able to keep up with demand?" without realizing that A) yes, it always has B) it must if we are to meet the goal anyway and C) given A and B this question doesn't actually need to be asked, then you're giving credit to the opposition & also worsening the doom spiral which makes us feel powerless.
Technology Connections
@glyph @larsmb Right, but I think the real challenge here is that honest people who genuinely want the world to get better also do this! They often don't realize they're doing it, but they're doing it.
That's what I mean by "be careful" - you have to have some awareness of what you're stepping in and what the words you leave behind will contribute.
Ryan Clough :scremcat:
@TechConnectify I like this take. "Don't think it's easy, or that you'll have all the answers out of the gate, but don't let the ambiguity of the problem stop you from having meaningful conversations and making meaningful change."
Which is really just "Don't let perfect be the enemy of good" dressed up a bit, I suppose. 😆
Glyph
@TechConnectify @larsmb It's an insidious form of cherry-picking. Even if the malefactor here eventually *technically* includes all the counterpoints, but if their headline / lede graf is all about hand-wringing and challenges and they only get to potential ambiguous solutions later on, they can easily poison the discourse while still covering their ass about accusations of misdirection. (And sometimes they don't even bother to do that.)
Derrick
@TechConnectify @larsmb I like that "Hey I guess we'll have to spend some money to upgrade energy grids. Many of which are in desperate need of upgrades regardless of an increase in demand (see CA wildfires caused by aging grid infrastructure)" is supposed to sound like an impossible way to tackle climate change, but "Let's just create a sci-fi technology to solve all the problems" is supposed to be inspiring.
Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱
@TechConnectify there's a term in Dutch that's used to describe this: mierenneuken.
It literally means "ant fucking" but it's basically this; focusing on little nitpicking details that derail productive conversation. I appreciate how quickly Dutch people point this out when it happens, and that usually puts a stop to it.
We need less ant fuckery in online discussions.
clacke
@filsinger @notjustbikes @TechConnectify More specifically, bikeshedding is about directing discussion toward something you feel capable of discussing, rather than what's important.
The discussion is about budgeting for a nuclear power plant, and you know nothing about nuclear power plants, so you just assume that 4 billion USD is reasonable, but you do know that you think yellow is a better color than blue for the bikeshed the power plant workers will be using and you are willing to die on that hill.
Jason Filsinger
@notjustbikes @TechConnectify Reminds me of a term sometimes used in software engineering, “bike-shedding”. People will waste time arguing or obsessing over things like what colour a bike shed should be rather than spending time actually building the bike shed.
Technology Connections
@mikej @VATVSLPR @larsmb As Mr. Rogers said: look for the helpers.
Roger Moore
@TechConnectify @larsmb
One of the things I've learned to look for is whether someone is searching for problems or solutions. People who are focused exclusively on problems are usually looking for an excuse for inaction. People who are focused on solutions want the project to succeed. They may still see obstacles, but they'll at least try to find solutions. If they can't find one, they'll be happy to hear someone else has.
Mike J👹🐀 🤘🏻
@VATVSLPR @TechConnectify @larsmb I was trying to write this post and couldn't explain what I meant but you did and now I don't have to.
Konrad :amogus:
@TechConnectify I'm sorry, but I can't agree with that. If someone is looking for a slip-up, it will happen sooner or later. I couldn't keep up with checking if some questions are good- or bad-faith. It's a siege mentality.
Dismissing questions as bad-faith is (was) often done on Polish DIY board elektroda.pl. That culture was so popular with the older generation of tech-folks it permeated through the whole scene, that I've had a college lecturer that behaved in the same way IRL.
Technology Connections
@konradmb OK, well now - specifically to you in the situation of you being asked a question - I would advise that you use caution. Much of this is audience- and setting-specific, and I think in some contexts it's safe to assume that questions are being asked in good faith.
But it's not always. And if you think a certain response might be what someone's looking for, you probably shouldn't engage.
Technology Connections
@konradmb I kind of hate saying this but the fact of the matter is we are in an information war and we are all soldiers.
The world would be a much happier place if I could reasonably assume everyone merely seeks the truth. But that ain't the world we're living in.
Technology Connections
@konradmb Yes, because this is directed to the question-askers. Not the answer-providers.
But, if you believe someone is in fact asking questions in bad-faith, I don't believe you're under any obligation to engage. Because that's what they want.
Konrad :amogus:
@TechConnectify Meh, it's easy to think "it's a bad-faith question", but you can't really prove that. I mean - it's not a falsifiable hypothesis, so it's unable to be proven. So to err on the side of caution I'd give a proper response.
Technology Connections
@konradmb And sealioning isn't at all what I'm talking about, here.
Frankly I'm kind of stunned at how many people are interpreting me to mean what you've suggested. I'm not saying nobody should ask questions - I'm saying people need to give a little more thought into whether those questions are even relevant. Because weaponized questions are a thing, and some folks don't realize this or don't believe they could ever unwittingly do this.
Konrad :amogus:
@TechConnectify I don't know why, but I got the impression that you are proposing to dismiss those questions without proper response. I'm wrong, right?
Technology Connections
@konradmb Only an incredibly bad-faith interpretation of this does.
Konrad :amogus:
@TechConnectify I've seen a thread here (I mean on this platform), where a genuine, honest question (I'm convinced it was) has been group-dismissed as "sealioning".
Konrad :amogus:
@TechConnectify This leads to a culture where everyone is afraid to ask basic questions.
Kierkrampusgaanks regretfully
@TechConnectify just asking questions triggers my low grade ptsd from babysitting toddlers and if adults use that phrase they can go to hell
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