jdw

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jdw
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  • Apple Maps shows users the Gulf of Mexico when searching for 'Gulf of America'

    Xed said:
    As of this comment I have 3 Dislikes for saying that I refuse to use the Dislike button. You can't please everyone. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 
    Yet another example of what I was desperately trying to say.  Very, very sad.  And while it is true we cannot "please everyone," I don't think we need to advertise that displeasure or encourage it by way of a Dislike button.  

    Anyway, I clicked Like on your post.  And I am more than happy to join you in boycotting the Dislike button by refusing to ever use it.  I stand firmly against it.  Whenever we truly dislike something, let's talk about those gripes.  That way we know who is disliking something and can read precisely what they dislike and why.  Because smashing a dislike button is done in secret and motives are hidden, it doesn't promote good conversation or good will at all.

    But for now, that is all I will say on the subject.

    Best wishes to all of you who stay positive by clicking only Like or Informative!
    muthuk_vanalingam
  • Apple Maps shows users the Gulf of Mexico when searching for 'Gulf of America'

    The like and dislike button are easy ways out, but they also foster a way for users to get the point across that the statement doesn’t align with the users in the forum. Sometimes the best way to get people to stop posting such things is to show them we as a community don’t want it.
    Thank you for expressing concern. We’re trying to make this a fun place to chat and debate tech. If you encounter something you don’t like, feel free to say so.
    Regardless, don’t be afraid to post here.
    Thank you for saying that and explaining the matter in detail.  I appreciate it very much, Wesley.

    But so far, after my not having said anything "salty" at all, I've already racked up 3 Dislikes vs. 2 Likes on my earlier post.  

    I couldn't care less about the Hit-and-Run types who go around smashing Dislike with reckless abandon, but it seems rather clear that I will certainly be racking up the Dislikes over time by doing little more than engaging people in normal conversation.  This is another example of what I said in my previous post about human nature.  Human beings get a thrill from embracing the Negative.  

    Compounding that core problem is the fact there are a lot of Americans in this forum and the USA is pretty much 50-50 divided on a lot of topics, not just politics.  I think that plays a role in convincing some to play the Negative Card and smash the Dislike button.  So far, I've avoided going that route, choosing only to click Like or Informative on the posts by my fellow forum members.  To me, smashing Dislike is akin to slapping somebody across the face, digitally.

    Someone who types something that perfectly aligns with your beliefs will either garner no response or a Like (possibly an Informative), while someone who say the least little thing you don't like OR someone who has become (regardless of reason) a "target of hate" will be the recipient of the Dislike button. Saying that another way... If Person X has said a few things in the past Person A didn't like, Person X will likely remain The Bad Guy in the mind of Person A. And even when Person X types something that is really quite neutral and unbiased, bam! there goes the Dislike button again by Person A.  The existence of a Dislike button enables targeted retribution to flourish.

    FaceBook uses a different approach that is rather interesting.  There is no Dislike button per se, but when you smash the Like, you get presented with a few Emoticons to choose from, one of which is the Angry Face (basically "Dislike").  However, the key differences between FaceBook and this forum with regard to Likes and Dislikes are these:

    1. On FaceBook, your real name is used. In the AI forums, most people use fake names.  (For the records, JDW are my initials.)
    2. On FaceBook, anyone can see the names of people who put a particular emoticon on a given post. In the AI forums, names people who click Dislike are hidden.

    I think those two differences make people on FaceBook think a tad bit more before going full board Negative with the Angry faces on FaceBook. I actually see more Mocking Face Emoticons on FaceBook than Angry Faces.  Regardless, people who hate too much on FaceBook can be identified.  You can even Block those people too.  But here in the AI forums, people who smash Dislike get to remain anonymous, and they are unblockable.

    Sorry to have belabored this point, but I still feel like a Negative Cloud is now hovering over us with regard to the Dislike button.  I'm afraid I just don't see it as a prudent technique to keep otherwise good (and occasionally salty) forum members "in check."  I know you said you have debated it at AI, but I believe it could stand ongoing debate, especially by folks at AI who make have an emotional stake in having made this decision.  We are all creatures of emotion, to be sure.  But even Spock had emotions. (Yes, I do believe fictional characters can make for helpful illustrations.) The question is, will we choose to suppress those emotions, or allow emotions to dictate and drive our policy decisions?

    As to the Gulf of Whatever, I am on the one hand inclined to not be a fan of major name-changes of geographical locations I learned in school.  But on the other hand, what I learned in school is that things change.  I learned the name Burma, for example, and now it's called Myanmar.  Burma is burned into my brain!  I learned the Sea of Japan in school (and even live in Japan now), but Korean people prefer "East Sea" instead.  And while some would try to argue East Sea is better than Sea of Japan or Gulf of America, others would point out that the Gulf of Mexico, now in dispute, has a country name in it.  It's not a country neutral name.  In the case of Sea of Japan, the nation with the traditionally stronger economy and military (Japan) seems to have won over the map makers.  However, Mexico is not a superpower like the USA, so in light of that, Gulf of Mexico is not a name based on national power as much as tradition.  And when we seek to change a traditionally accepted name, people wonder why and major debate ensues.  

    I personally think renaming the Gulf of Mexico is an unnecessary distraction, but Trump most likely views it as being a part of his legacy, assuming he makes the change and finds that it sticks.  He seems to be the type of person who loves to proclaim, "I did that!"  And I say that in a rather neutral way without expressing excessive love or hate toward the man.  Ditto for Greenland.  He wants to make a name for himself and claim it is also for the USA too.  Even Canada.  If it became a US state, can it would be a "monumental" and "disruptive" change.  Trump likes such things. 

    Anyway, my having said all that will probably garner Dislike smashes by the haters, but so be it.  Haters do what they do best — smash Dislike buttons.
    Wesley Hilliardappleinsiderusermuthuk_vanalingam
  • Apple Maps shows users the Gulf of Mexico when searching for 'Gulf of America'


    They should change United States to “The Stolen Lands of the Natives”. For accuracy. 
    As you know, it's not about "accuracy."  It's about whoever is in power at the point in time when the name changes.

    eriamjh said:
    I'm old.  I don't like it when the names of things change for no real reason.   
    I'll be 54 next month. But I don't feel that old just yet.  I'm still at the stage where we expect changes to occur in our lifetime.  And sometimes those name/word changes are oddball changes that pertain to political correctness.  Funny, but even when I was back in college, and good friend of mine gifted me this book:
    https://www.amazon.com/Politically-Correct-Bedtime-Stories-Garner/dp/1561003913

    Far too many people seek to "better society" by altering words and names.  But the funny part is, you tend to side with the name changes when the person or people enacting the changes by and large fit your political ideology.

    Xed said:
    I, for one, acknowledge that I use salty language on this forum and will try to keep it to curtail it going forward.
    I've sometimes taken issue with your writing, but it's never resorted to name-calling. Nor am I offended by your "salty language." Diversity of thought and words make the world go 'round. People today are overly sensitive. But let's face it. The more interesting forum discussions are the saltier ones. The forum experience is also a big part of why people get there news here versus MacRumors or countless other Apple related news sites. Salt has many good uses.  Don't lose your saltiness.

    ...we're going to attempt to set some kind of limit on political speech here. 
    AI has already added the Dislike button, an action which I personally think will only exacerbate negativity.  But of course, deleting posts is one way to achieve the aforementioned "limit."

    (Edit: That was sarcasm in case there was any confusion.)
    Here's a prime example, Wesley.  That "Edit" indicates to me some are fearful about misinterpretation so we now need to tack disclaimers onto our posts to make sure they won't face the chopping block.

    Alex1N said:
    I think that we need a ‘laugh’ button instead of the new ‘dislike’ button. I’m serious.
    I am serious too about the matter when I say that adding a Dislike button will definitely lead to negativity and retribution among forum members.  I've already spotted a number of posts getting a large number of Dislikes, typically from people who take the opposite political ideology of the post they Dislike!  So rather than engage in thoughtful debate, people smash the Dislike button instead, and nobody can find out who smashed the Dislike button.  It's hit & run!

    Upper management at YouTube were not a band of fools when they eliminated Dislike on YouTube.  Human nature gravitates toward negativity.  I disagree with the "fight fire with fire" approach that Dislike buttons promote.  When I see a fire, it's time for water to quench the fire, not a fiery Dislike button.

    it's a bad move if you don't want to be called a fascist.
    I've heard both sides launch the silly "fascist" word-bomb toward each other.  It happens so often the word has really lost much of its meaning.  In the USA these days, whoever you feel is fascist is basically the person who is exercising power in the political party you disagree with.

    The rise of authoritarianism in the USA is merely a symptom of the disease called DIVISION.  A house divided cannot stand.  That doesn't mean it will fall in a day.  It's a slow erosion over time.  The only cure is for people to pleasantly agree to disagree, and if they cannot do that, the house must be divided at some point.
    muthuk_vanalingamtiredskillsapple4thewinGraeme000watto_cobraAlex1Nappleinsideruser
  • Apple CEO Tim Cook attending Trump inauguration after $1 million donation

    ...shareholders are proposing otherwise.

    Where "proposing otherwise" seems to suggest that AAPL shareholders might be trying to get Apple into a political mess. But an AAPL shareholder voting against Apple's DEI hiring practices would argue it is a way to get Apple out.

    DEI hiring seeks to increase the share of "underrepresented" employees.  That can mean fewer opportunities for those who traditionally filled those roles prior to DEI hiring. DEI proponents would argue "that is a necessary trade-off in addressing systemic inequalities." But opponents would question if that trade-off is justifiable, especially when it risks brewing a political firestorm at the workplace.
    davSmittyWblastdoorjibwatto_cobrabyronlRobJenk
  • Apple CEO Tim Cook personally invested $1 million in Trump's inauguration

    jSnively said:
    Crazy how the dislike button just came back like that. 
    YouTube removed its Dislike button quite some time ago.  Some contend it was to create a more positive environment.  Others say it was to combat targeted Dislike (retribution) campaigns.  

    Human beings unfortunately have the tendency toward being negative, vindictive and complainers, so it will be interesting to see how this change pans out.  Most likely, it will be "majority rule" where the majority will seek out those they dislike and disagree with, smashing Dislike rather than engage in meaningful debate or discussion.  Some may debate and smash Dislike as a sanctioned form of "direct attacks on each other."
    muthuk_vanalingamapple4thewinRobJenk