M templates/thoughts.html → templates/thoughts.html

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ <p><i>ever wanted to peer into the head of a MANIAC?</p></i>
 <h4>2023</h4>
 <li><a href="/thought/vore-a-new-rss-feed-reader.html">vore: a new rss feed reader</a></li>
 <li><a href="/thought/write-posix-shell.html">write posix shell</a></li>
+<li><a href="/thought/i-will-never-participate-in-weird-internet-caste-systems.html">i will never participate in weird internet caste systems</a></li>
 <h4>2022</h4>
 <li><a href="/thought/.io-domains-considered-harmful.html">.io domains considered harmful</a></li>
 <li><a href="/thought/drones-run-linux-free-software-isnt-enough.html">drones run linux: free software isn't enough</a></li>

A thought/i-will-never-participate-in-weird-internet-caste-systems.html

@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@ 
+    i will never participate in weird internet caste systems
+                         2023-06-06
+
+i was stumbling around discord today and had a pretty
+sudden & severe realization about discord nitro.
+
+i'll get to that later.
+
+
+
+        what is discord nitro?
+
+discord nitro is a paid subscription service that
+discord offers to generate revenue. nitro provides
+a few functional perks - larger upload sizes, better
+voice quality, etc; and a few aesthetic perks - animated
+avatars, cross-server emoji usage, and "super reactions"
+
+this post is mostly about the aesthetic perks. the
+things that cost discord exactly nothing and operate
+psychologically to make users desire nitro. the arbitrary
+boundaries that discord chooses to draw.
+
+
+
+        sharing === good
+
+i believe that sharing knowledge & objects helps people
+feel meaning, and that the people committed to sharing
+openly and honestly are uniquely beautiful.
+
+i believe in this principle. i cry about this principle.
+i will die believing in the power of open sharing.
+
+    my knowledge & output will _never_ be
+    arbitrarily caged!
+
+    everything that i ever create or produce
+    will be shared for free, to the best of my
+    ability!
+
+    my time will be spent giving gifts to this world
+    that has given me so much!
+
+    i will die smiling! and i will die having loved
+    with my whole heart!
+
+i think about my own life, and scheme to share even more.
+
+what discord is doing is the opposite of sharing.
+it's taking. it's hoarding. it's almost like lying.
+
+discord has intentionally created a caste system.
+
+and in case it's not clear: caste systems make me furious.
+
+
+
+             caste upon the world
+
+caste systems must restrict sharing of particular
+resources to the "underclass." They also tend to
+incorporate aesthetic privilege to highlight the
+privilege of the upper-class.
+
+from the perspective of users who do _not_ have discord
+nitro, nitro users have _aesthetics_ that the underclass
+are not capable of having. they have _resources_ that
+the underclass does not have access to.
+
+this is a design decision. people sat in a room and
+thought this through. here's a historically inaccurate
+representation of how that conversation may have gone:
+
+person A: how can we make discord nitro (tm) more desirable?
+person B: we could make nitro subscribers look sexy!
+person A: but then our other class of users might feel ugly :(
+person B: exactly, which will make them want to give us money!
+person A: OH SHIT, MONEY? DID YOU SAY MONEY? I LOOOOVE MONEY!
+person B: ME TOO! LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
+both, in chorus: PEOPLE ARE GONNA LOVE THIS!
+
+here are the specific aesthetic perks this post is about:
+
+  nitro users can:
+    $ post custom emoji on any discord instance
+    $ use "super reactions", which are fun little things
+    $ upload animated avatars, banners, and profile themes
+
+this fosters two feelings in the basic user:
+  - a sense of envy
+    (i wish i could do that. i want to look like that.)
+  - a sense of self consciousness
+    (why can't i do that? why can't i look like that?)
+
+finally, discord ties these perverse feelings directly to profit:
+  - if i purchase discord nitro, i can stop feeling bad!
+    (if i give a business money, that's good for me!)
+
+this system is psychologically predatory.
+
+it is a system that _intentionally_ makes people feel longing
+& worthlessness to sell them something. it's selfish.
+
+
+no. i will never participate in a system like that.
+
+
+fuck off with your weird internet caste system.
+
+
+
+love
+ jes