Questionable Content 14: "I Deserve A Fancy Butt Emblem."

[Max_Killjoy]

I remember reading, on the BBC I think, about some bloke having unprotected sex with at least a dozen women, some of them in parallel times after he knew (or had been told, he was possibly refusing to believe it) that he was infected with HIV. He got sued, and denied it, but was found guilty.

What he did wrong there wasn't about privacy or lack of privacy.

I don't see sex as something wrong, so I don't understand why people want that it happened to be secret if there's nobody else involved.

Again, it's not about whether it's wrong, it's about whether it's anyone else's business.

Plenty of things I do that no one thinks are wrong, that still aren't anyone else's business.

[Radar]

I don't see sex as something wrong, so I don't understand why people want that it happened to be secret if there's nobody else involved. There is a case perhaps that May is taking something that Momo might want, so there might be issues with that, but otherwise, what's the problem?

The problem is, that people have the right to keep private matters to themselves: whether it is sex, embroidery or D&D theorycrafting. Sharing any detials about it is a personal decision. When you said:

What's private about May? she's on parole.

you denied her that right, which is never the case with people on parole. There are limits in such situations, they probably need to visit probation officer and talk about how work is going etc. but her private life is still nobody's buisness.

As for what is good about keeping things private:

While it might be a bit of a cultural thing, but in general whatever relation you have with other people (coworkers, roomates, family, friends) there are things you talk about with given people or not depending on the type of relationship yo have with them. With quite a lot of people you are on a "need to know" basis (most of coworkers, some people you only meet in the gym or something, very often roomates), so neither they are interested in knowing more about you, nor they are willing to listen. So do not bring those things up.

On the other hand, there are people, who are interested in your wellbeing, but you still might not want to share some parts of your life with them. From obvious examples, you probably would not discuss your sex life with your parents. Mostly (and this might be the case here) it is because those people would start commenting, give unsolicited advice and so on (all in good faith). Sometimes one would keep a thing a secret, because they are unsure themselves about it and want to sort a given situation out before sharing it with anyone. And with a one time fling one probably wants to make as few waves as possible - hook up, have fun, say goodbye and put it all in history, the end. Especially if it is something new for May (which would make it a big thing) and additionally so considering that Sven is connected to her social circle.

Another example: we are here discussing things, but do we share details about our own lives? Not really or at least it does not change anything, whether anyone wants to stay anonymous or not. Since it does not hinder the thing we do together, there is no point in bringing private life up. It makes us all equal regardless of age, social position etc. which in my opinion is a good thing.

[halfeye]

And you don't see the difference between "people he sleeps with having a right to know" and "everyone else that he doesn't"?

He wasn't telling anyone. The people who had a right to know didn't, because no one did.

Some people are liars and/or keep secrets, both of those activities can be serious problems for the rest of society.

There are concerns that privacy has been destroyed in our societies by the advertising industry in search of more money, and I'm generally in favour of limiting the spread of that. If you think that eg Google doesn't know who you were last intimate with, you are most probably mistaken.

[Radar]

He wasn't telling anyone. The people who had a right to know didn't, because no one did.

Some people are liars and/or keep secrets, both of those activities can be serious problems for the rest of society.

There is a difference between witholding vital information (or lying) and not sharing details that are neutral to the wellbeing of others. Some random one-night-stand for example stops being a private matter of the participants, when one of them is otherwise in a relationship with someone else. Then that someone else has the right to know, since it affects them. Still, any outsider has no reason to know about any of this unless the participants decide otherwise.

There are concerns that privacy has been destroyed in our societies by the advertising industry in search of more money, and I'm generally in favour of limiting the spread of that. If you think that eg Google doesn't know who you were last intimate with, you are most probably mistaken.

Privacy was destroyed not just by advertising industry - people share willingly their private lives through social media. If they want to, they can.

Also, I think you overestimate Google or I underestimate how openly people spread information about themselves.

[Maryring]

Google's ad algorithm thinks I'm twice as old as I actually am, that I'm very interested in cars, and that I am some kind of hermaphrodite who need both male and female hygiene products. The algorithms are good, but they aren't as omnipotent as they're made out to be.

[Rodin]

Google's ad algorithm thinks I'm twice as old as I actually am, that I'm very interested in cars, and that I am some kind of hermaphrodite who need both male and female hygiene products. The algorithms are good, but they aren't as omnipotent as they're made out to be.

On the other hand, it can get really creepy sometimes. I watched an episode of Boruto yesterday where one of the characters uses a lighter to set off an explosion, and retrieves said lighter afterwards with it being all charred. I then close out of the Crunchyroll app and open Youtube...which has as a recommended video the restoration of a rusty lighter identical to the one in the show.

Now: I do not smoke. I do not do antiquing. I do not watch anything related to either on Youtube. For that to be a recommended video, the Youtube app had to be watching my screen surreptitiously and gathering data.

That sort of thing creeps me the hell out.

[The Glyphstone]

On the other hand, it can get really creepy sometimes. I watched an episode of Boruto yesterday where one of the characters uses a lighter to set off an explosion, and retrieves said lighter afterwards with it being all charred. I then close out of the Crunchyroll app and open Youtube...which has as a recommended video the restoration of a rusty lighter identical to the one in the show.

Now: I do not smoke. I do not do antiquing. I do not watch anything related to either on Youtube. For that to be a recommended video, the Youtube app had to be watching my screen surreptitiously and gathering data.

That sort of thing creeps me the hell out.

More likely its correlation. That Crunchyroll page has a specific URL, which can be noted and logged. Other people have visited that URL, and if enough of them have gone on to watch lighter restoration videos, the algorithm will link those two URLs as associated and suggest them to you.

[Wraith]

Now: I do not smoke. I do not do antiquing. I do not watch anything related to either on Youtube. For that to be a recommended video, the Youtube app had to be watching my screen surreptitiously and gathering data.

Or it's a promoted video which everyone within a specific gender/age range will get. I'm pretty sure that I have the same video that you're describing offered on my home page, despite having not visited crunchyroll in... I'll say months, when I probably mean well over a year, and even then I didn't have a subscription or watch anything like the scene you're describing.

It's called Hanlon's Razor: "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." In this case, the 'stupidity' is the incompetence of YouTube's ability to understand our watching habits

[AvatarVecna]

I've legit had ads for stuff I've just thought about, just a few hours after I thought about it for the first time as a "I should buy that" concept, and not talked to anybody about or put in any computer including my phone. I also get lots of ads for stuff that just plain doesn't apply to me though.

[Cikomyr]

I don't watch any of the stuff you mentioned, and I just had the same Old Ligbter Restoration video pop as a suggestion.

I think a lot of geeks just clicked on the vid and The Algorithm has decided anyone with the geek profile would have a higher chance of being interested.

[halfeye]

I don't watch any of the stuff you mentioned, and I just had the same Old Ligbter Restoration video pop as a suggestion.

I think a lot of geeks just clicked on the vid and The Algorithm has decided anyone with the geek profile would have a higher chance of being interested.

Yeah, at the moment they're sometimes not very good at using the data they have, but they do have the data, and if anyone thinks privacy is worth anything at all, having the data is what matters.

[Keltest]

Personally my "favorite" ones are when you do something like buy a new mouse for your computer, and for the next month you see nothing but ads for computer mice which you very definitely don't need more of now that you bought your new one.

Like, come on google, at least try and sell me something that I might actually have a use for now.

[Max_Killjoy]

Whereas I've managed to set things up so that I never get personalized ads and rarely get any adds. Google doesn't know squat about me.

[Kato]

So... How long until these two get engaged?
Or at least have their 'totally the last time' second effing?

(also, should I make a joke about the length of May's name and the possible implication? But then it's coming from Sven, so...)

[mucat]

You can go to sleep, I'll let myself out. I promise not to steal anything.

That's not a very impressive promise, May. Sven doesn't even have any fighter jets.

[Wraith]

"Don't make it weird." is a decent candidate for the next thread's title

That's not a very impressive promise, May. Sven doesn't even have any fighter jets.

Suspiciously specific, if you ask me. "I promise I won't steal anything... Definitely gonna draw a big ol' **** on your face while you're asleep though...." kinda thing

[Traab]

Personally my "favorite" ones are when you do something like buy a new mouse for your computer, and for the next month you see nothing but ads for computer mice which you very definitely don't need more of now that you bought your new one.

Like, come on google, at least try and sell me something that I might actually have a use for now.

Yeah this is annoying. Had to look up how to repair a lawn mower issue and for the next month every web page is bracketed by craftsman lawnmower ads. Thank god for adblock programs. They dont stop everything but they really help keep it under control. It lets me keep my illusion that google isnt currently more aware of what I want or need than I am.

[Vinyadan]

I'm more unhappy about push notification of ads (YOU MAY LIKE THIS TRAILER!) and stuff that belongs to the personal sphere (HI! THIS IS GOOGLE! WE WANT YOU TO VOTE! btw, if you vote, we will know, because we'll see you bring the phone to the polls.)

[otakuryoga]

well down pg 49..i think it be time to start voting

put me down for

Questionable Content 15: "Please Don't Harpoon My Girlfriend"

[The Glyphstone]

I'll throw in a vote for 'Don't Make It Weird'.

Alternatively, "I Told You This Comic Was Weird".

[jwhouk]

I vote for "I Told You This Comic Was Weird".

[Max_Killjoy]

It's generally impolite to harpoon someone else's girlfriend.


But I'd be fine with either "Please Don't Harpoon My Girlfriend." or "Don't Make it Weird."

[Kato]

I don't have a strong opinion but I guess the weird comic is my favorite.

It seems like getting laid did May a lot of good.

[Yana]

What in the name of sanity has the art done to Momo?!

[John Cribati]

Given her a new hairstyle I suppose

[mythmonster2]

Do we have a potential new title with "Secret All-Night Petting Zoo"?

[otakuryoga]

Do we have a potential new title with "Secret All-Night Petting Zoo"?

if so it should be "shhhh, we are NOT a Secret All-Night Petting Zoo"

[Kato]

Am I the only one disturbed by the idea Jeph might be fetishizing alpaca butts now? I mean, I like human butts and I guess ro-butts are fine, too, but animals?

Also, it's not my jam but I'd know a load of people who would be into all-night petting zoos... Business idea acquired?

[Cikomyr]

if so it should be "shhhh, we are NOT a Secret All-Night Petting Zoo"

Questionable Content 15: NOT a Secret All-Night Petting Zoo

[Mith]

What in the name of sanity has the art done to Momo?!

Didn't she get that hairstyle from her hair repair arc?