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#1
Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic
Last post by Valmy - Today at 02:43:39 PMWell the whole bear-man thing didn't surprise me at all. Once you become a teenager as a guy you notice that people are suddenly low key afraid of you. Most concerningly: the police 
And you have to make a choice to either make an effort to assure people that no, you are a fluffy harmless bunny of a man or try to use this newfound power to your advantage. Or do one or the other depending on the situation.
Because we live in a patriarchal society where violence by men is both the cause and solution to all problems. And the assumption also is that we have no control over our sexual urges and without the iron grip of civilization will rape everything slightly resembling a human being. Those are just assumptions built into our culture. And what came first? The assumptions or the behaviors? I don't know. That is up to anthropologists to figure out I guess.
And this has a double edged sword if you are a man. Yes it makes you more respected and feared and sometimes seen heroically. However, it also is kind of dehumanizing and justifies locking us all up in prisons. I also think it is why men struggle socially and often feel alone and alienated.
But it also sucks for women because they are told to be paranoid about their physical safety and if they get sexually assaulted sometimes take the blame because hey men are subhuman monsters who can't be expected to control themselves so it is obviously the woman's fault. And the expectation that is somehow the job of a woman to civilize men (while also somehow being overly emotional and irrational...I don't know none of this makes any logical sense).
So yeah we all grew up in a society where men's violence and sexual predatory nature are an assumption. Of course women would choose a bear. I mean most people haven't experienced a bear and it is all very theoretical whereas having a violent or scary interaction with a man might be very visceral indeed. Now granted women who have had close encounters with bears might feel differently? I don't know. Most people live in cities today.
But I guess my main concern about this whole man-bear discourse is that it is mainly going to be used to attack transwomen, because that is the main purpose these days of bringing up the fear people have for men. These transwomen are just trying to get into a woman's bathroom to rape women. Because otherwise there some kind of invisible force field around women's bathrooms keeping rapists out otherwise. There is no other way to rape a woman than become a transwoman. But more seriously the notion that being violent and sexually predatory is so ingrained in being born a male that no hormone treatment or identity can wash it away, they still should be feared as a predator.
Also the online toxicity between men and women is kind of sad to see in general, as somebody who wants us all to be a community and team that makes me sad. Not surprised or anything, just sad.
And you have to make a choice to either make an effort to assure people that no, you are a fluffy harmless bunny of a man or try to use this newfound power to your advantage. Or do one or the other depending on the situation.
Because we live in a patriarchal society where violence by men is both the cause and solution to all problems. And the assumption also is that we have no control over our sexual urges and without the iron grip of civilization will rape everything slightly resembling a human being. Those are just assumptions built into our culture. And what came first? The assumptions or the behaviors? I don't know. That is up to anthropologists to figure out I guess.
And this has a double edged sword if you are a man. Yes it makes you more respected and feared and sometimes seen heroically. However, it also is kind of dehumanizing and justifies locking us all up in prisons. I also think it is why men struggle socially and often feel alone and alienated.
But it also sucks for women because they are told to be paranoid about their physical safety and if they get sexually assaulted sometimes take the blame because hey men are subhuman monsters who can't be expected to control themselves so it is obviously the woman's fault. And the expectation that is somehow the job of a woman to civilize men (while also somehow being overly emotional and irrational...I don't know none of this makes any logical sense).
So yeah we all grew up in a society where men's violence and sexual predatory nature are an assumption. Of course women would choose a bear. I mean most people haven't experienced a bear and it is all very theoretical whereas having a violent or scary interaction with a man might be very visceral indeed. Now granted women who have had close encounters with bears might feel differently? I don't know. Most people live in cities today.
But I guess my main concern about this whole man-bear discourse is that it is mainly going to be used to attack transwomen, because that is the main purpose these days of bringing up the fear people have for men. These transwomen are just trying to get into a woman's bathroom to rape women. Because otherwise there some kind of invisible force field around women's bathrooms keeping rapists out otherwise. There is no other way to rape a woman than become a transwoman. But more seriously the notion that being violent and sexually predatory is so ingrained in being born a male that no hormone treatment or identity can wash it away, they still should be feared as a predator.
Also the online toxicity between men and women is kind of sad to see in general, as somebody who wants us all to be a community and team that makes me sad. Not surprised or anything, just sad.
#2
Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic
Last post by Josquius - Today at 02:38:50 PMQuote from: Jacob on Today at 01:50:49 PMQuote from: Josquius on Today at 12:08:20 PMThe version I've heard has you transported to a isolated forest with a bear or a man. Not just seeing a bear in a normal situation on a hiking trail.
The odds of the bear being freaked out and attacking are pretty high.
Also I'm assuming brown or polar bear here. I understand black bears are cowards.
In Svalbard it's literally illegal to leave town without a gun the bears are just that dangerous.
So your assumption is that the random man appearing is someone like their uncle or brother or yourself - so harmless; while the random bear appearing is a highly aggressive grizzly or polar bear.
Perhaps the women are making the assumption that the man appearing is strong and has violent inclinations, while the bear is a well fed black bear on its way to a nice blackberry patch.
I'm assuming a roll of the dice. It could be any man. Though playing that game the odds are good they're not going to attack a random woman. Too many men do think some very bad stuff is OK. But they're still a minority overall.
Thinking about it I'd even say get rid of men overall and you're just talking about the domestic prison population - you'd still be talking more likely than not they're not going to attack.
We don't have black bears in Europe so I would imagine they're not what comes to mind at the mention of bears. Though if that is how they were parsing things it would make the claim less mad.
#3
Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic
Last post by Jacob - Today at 01:50:49 PMQuote from: Josquius on Today at 12:08:20 PMThe version I've heard has you transported to a isolated forest with a bear or a man. Not just seeing a bear in a normal situation on a hiking trail.
The odds of the bear being freaked out and attacking are pretty high.
Also I'm assuming brown or polar bear here. I understand black bears are cowards.
In Svalbard it's literally illegal to leave town without a gun the bears are just that dangerous.
So your assumption is that the random man appearing is someone like their uncle or brother or yourself - so harmless; while the random bear appearing is a highly aggressive grizzly or polar bear.
Perhaps the women are making the assumption that the man appearing is strong and has violent inclinations, while the bear is a well fed black bear on its way to a nice blackberry patch.
#4
Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic
Last post by Grey Fox - Today at 01:24:58 PMMen will believe a women that says it's been attacked by a bear, almost instantly.
It isn't the universal the other way around and it seems a lot of women feel betrayed by that.
It isn't the universal the other way around and it seems a lot of women feel betrayed by that.
#5
Gaming HQ / Re: The Miscellaneous PC & vid...
Last post by The Minsky Moment - Today at 01:24:34 PMSony is in a weird place; they don't seem to know what to do.
Nintendo has a clear strategy; they have built high walls around their core IP and run a purely closed system. They churn out iterations of the same game over and over, but get away with it because the IP is well loved and because their design people do a solid job and produce quality product. But if you want to play Mario, Zelda, etc. you are stuck doing it on Nintendo hardware, which at present is a big phone screen layered over 2015 era Nvidia Shield surplus parts. The closed system means high sales of the hardware at great margins, but it limits their reach. And if emulation ever goes mainstream, they could face problems, which is why they are the only major policing that ecosystem with lawsuits.
Microsoft has gone completely in other direction, pushing openness and interoperability, and centering their strategy around gamepass for subscription-based distribution with bring your own device. Accordingly, "Series" X Box sales have stalled and XBox is firmly mired in the #3 position in the console wars, but does MSFT really care that much? They see that Steam has become such a powerful player in the gaming market, that developers have to develop or port to PC or forgo a big chunk of potential sales. And once a game is playable on PC it can played on virtually any platform - again Valve has helped demonstrate that. I think MSFT is looking into a future where consoles became obsolete or just one of many interchangeable "boxes" that can be used to stream content.
Where does that leave Sony - seemingly stuck between two stools. The PlayStation is their core platform, but it doesn't look like this gen will match PS4 sales, much less the heights of PS2. That means hard decisions to be made on the publishing side - do they go exclusive to the console to try to flog more PS5 sales, or dual distribute on Steam for the revenue boost. Helldivers 2 seemed to the poster child for the second strategy, but it also appears Sony is understandably scared for the long-term implications for their console if that becomes the new model.
Nintendo has a clear strategy; they have built high walls around their core IP and run a purely closed system. They churn out iterations of the same game over and over, but get away with it because the IP is well loved and because their design people do a solid job and produce quality product. But if you want to play Mario, Zelda, etc. you are stuck doing it on Nintendo hardware, which at present is a big phone screen layered over 2015 era Nvidia Shield surplus parts. The closed system means high sales of the hardware at great margins, but it limits their reach. And if emulation ever goes mainstream, they could face problems, which is why they are the only major policing that ecosystem with lawsuits.
Microsoft has gone completely in other direction, pushing openness and interoperability, and centering their strategy around gamepass for subscription-based distribution with bring your own device. Accordingly, "Series" X Box sales have stalled and XBox is firmly mired in the #3 position in the console wars, but does MSFT really care that much? They see that Steam has become such a powerful player in the gaming market, that developers have to develop or port to PC or forgo a big chunk of potential sales. And once a game is playable on PC it can played on virtually any platform - again Valve has helped demonstrate that. I think MSFT is looking into a future where consoles became obsolete or just one of many interchangeable "boxes" that can be used to stream content.
Where does that leave Sony - seemingly stuck between two stools. The PlayStation is their core platform, but it doesn't look like this gen will match PS4 sales, much less the heights of PS2. That means hard decisions to be made on the publishing side - do they go exclusive to the console to try to flog more PS5 sales, or dual distribute on Steam for the revenue boost. Helldivers 2 seemed to the poster child for the second strategy, but it also appears Sony is understandably scared for the long-term implications for their console if that becomes the new model.
#6
Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...
Last post by Gups - Today at 01:15:54 PMMatthew Syed was pushing a land tax in the Sunday Times replacing income and corporation. Annoyingly he doesn't provide any details.
#7
Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic
Last post by Sheilbh - Today at 12:10:04 PMThe point I meant about every woman has had a story wasn't that because of their experience they have a "phobia" (these mainly straight women with male partners etc etc), but that every woman I've spoken to about this has a story.
Similarly it's not about distrust or fear of the majority of men or whatever but about a random guy and, sadly, that's again because most women have a story. It is, to nick a phrase, lived experience for many, many women that men can be very dangerous to them.
It's something men should try to think about and be mindful of - not least because we're not mind readers so women have no way of knowing which one is going to be the bad guy.
Similarly it's not about distrust or fear of the majority of men or whatever but about a random guy and, sadly, that's again because most women have a story. It is, to nick a phrase, lived experience for many, many women that men can be very dangerous to them.
It's something men should try to think about and be mindful of - not least because we're not mind readers so women have no way of knowing which one is going to be the bad guy.
#8
Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic
Last post by Josquius - Today at 12:08:20 PMQuote from: Jacob on Today at 12:05:48 PMJosq, encountering a bear on a trail is not "almost certain death" and the possibility of being eaten alive is quite small. In Canada, on average 3 people are killed annually by bears; people encounter bears significantly more frequently than that.The version I've heard has you transported to a isolated forest with a bear or a man. Not just seeing a bear in a normal situation on a hiking trail.
The odds of the bear being freaked out and attacking are pretty high.
Also I'm assuming brown or polar bear here. I understand black bears are cowards.
In Svalbard it's literally illegal to leave town without a gun the bears are just that dangerous.
#9
Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic
Last post by Jacob - Today at 12:05:48 PMJosq, encountering a bear on a trail is not "almost certain death" and the possibility of being eaten alive is quite small. In Canada, on average 3 people are killed annually by bears; people encounter bears significantly more frequently than that.
#10
Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic
Last post by Sophie Scholl - Today at 11:57:34 AMSome of you just... 