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We already live in social credit, we just don't call it that

thenexus.media

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Re: We already live in social credit, we just don't call it that

#101

Post by graemep »

Bukhmanizer wrote: post #92

The issue is that American media/discourse paints a very distorted view of what life under authoritarian rule is like. The truth is in many countries, unless you’re some kind of minority, politically active, or in legal trouble, day-to-day life is mostly similar to life in the west. But people don’t want to hear that, because we want to feel better than them. Like we wouldn’t tolerate that kind of life. Of course the…

Not entirely true. People living authoritarian worry about what they say, they self-censor out of fear, they defer to those in power (even at a local level), they accept a hierarchy of power rather than rights.

I do not entirely disagree without, but lack of freedom does intrude into day to day life to some extent.

Re: We already live in social credit, we just don't call it that

#102

Post by 2OEH8eoCRo0 »

gruez wrote: post #29

There was a comment that appeared for a few minutes before getting deleted, that vaguely lined up with what I wanted to say. It didn't reappear, so I'll just repost it: >real life also has social credit. were you an asshole to the bartender last week? that goes to your reputation at that bar. did you volunteer with a local non-profit? that goes to your reputation with that organization. even without an algorithm, peo…

I wish this type of social credit existed online.

Re: We already live in social credit, we just don't call it that

#103

Post by entropicdrifter »

otterley wrote: post #74
Majestic121 wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are surely not the only one to have make mistakes in their life. It's literally a lesson from the Bible: "Let him who is without sin among you, cast the first stone at her." I'm telling on myself too, yeah.

Of course people should learn from their mistakes and constantly improve. But if you respond like an asshole to a comment, it means you haven't learned the lessons you should have. IOW, the commenter is proving my point.

>But if you respond like an asshole to a comment, it means you haven't learned the lessons you should have. IOW, the commenter is proving my point.

The irony here is palpable. Buy a mirror.

Re: We already live in social credit, we just don't call it that

#104

Post by argomo »

otterley wrote: post #74
Majestic121 wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are surely not the only one to have make mistakes in their life. It's literally a lesson from the Bible: "Let him who is without sin among you, cast the first stone at her." I'm telling on myself too, yeah.

Of course people should learn from their mistakes and constantly improve. But if you respond like an asshole to a comment, it means you haven't learned the lessons you should have. IOW, the commenter is proving my point.

If we're assessing the assholeyness of comments, yours aren't coming across all that favorably IMO, but perhaps this conversation is victim to the loss of context and inflection that other commenters have lamented.

Re: We already live in social credit, we just don't call it that

#105

Post by al_borland »

2OEH8eoCRo0 wrote: post #102
gruez wrote: post #29

There was a comment that appeared for a few minutes before getting deleted, that vaguely lined up with what I wanted to say. It didn't reappear, so I'll just repost it: >real life also has social credit. were you an asshole to the bartender last week? that goes to your reputation at that bar. did you volunteer with a local non-profit? that goes to your reputation with that organization. even without an algorithm, peo…

I wish this type of social credit existed online.

This is what karma scores on site like this or Reddit try to replicate.

Re: We already live in social credit, we just don't call it that

#106

Post by corimaith »

everdrive wrote: post #61
wvenable wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can always move to new town and start again. The problem with all these social credit systems is that they're designed to follow you wherever you go forever. There is also zero recourse if a mistake was made; at least you can try and smooth things over with a bartender.

That's modern technology; the worst of both worlds. The moralistic tyranny of the small town, but the crowded, violent, and lonely social environment of a major city.

That's what the mainstream chose, not what technology was by itself.

Re: We already live in social credit, we just don't call it that

#107

Post by ecshafer »

janalsncm wrote: post #73

> Citizens are tracked for every jaywalking incident, points are deducted for buying too much alcohol The first time I visited China I was under 21 but I had heard the drinking age was 18 so I went to a convenience store to buy a beer. Person running the till was probably 12 and didn’t say a word or ask for ID. Unbelievably lax compared to the US sometimes. I generally think it’s easier and more effective to track th…

I am not Chinese, my wife is though.

I think, at least from my interpretation of it from being in China and having Chinese family, that something like underage drinking is seen more as a family issue, than a legal issue. What stops the 16 year old from drinking? The fact that their friends / family will see them being drunk, and think less of the person and their family. A 16 year old being drunk in public is family issue. Sure, the cops will intervene at some point, but China has very little drunken / raucous public behavior than the west does.

Re: We already live in social credit, we just don't call it that

#108

Post by Dylan16807 »

otterley wrote: post #74
Majestic121 wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are surely not the only one to have make mistakes in their life. It's literally a lesson from the Bible: "Let him who is without sin among you, cast the first stone at her." I'm telling on myself too, yeah.

Of course people should learn from their mistakes and constantly improve. But if you respond like an asshole to a comment, it means you haven't learned the lessons you should have. IOW, the commenter is proving my point.

Their comment was fine. Also, nothing says they were talking about themselves, so no they didn't prove your point.

Re: We already live in social credit, we just don't call it that

#109

Post by card_zero »

lovich wrote: post #55
card_zero wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the other hand, the government staying out of it makes it better, because if you're banned by the main taxi firm or housing market or [insert rhetorical third thing], there remains the chance of using some sketchy unpopular alternative service, and you're not in violation of the law if you find such a option.

The sketchiness of those alternative services frequently means you are in violation of the law by using them. IP law on its own for film and tv is a series of monopolies granted to pieces of content and if the owner doesn’t want to sell it to you, Pirate Bay is not a legal alternative. Regardless these arguments about whether it’s bad based on if the government is involved or not is ridiculous given how interwoven ou…

The clear delineation is the police and prisons, and courts. If the government is a corporation that happens to control the police, despite having that power it still isn't supposed to have everything all sewn up, because laws and courts and institutional resistance prevent it from doing anything it likes. This system is theoretical and supported mostly by wishing, but used to work for quite a long time. Meanwhile the actual corporations don't even have proper police forces and would struggle to get you put in actual prison for violating their rules.

Re: We already live in social credit, we just don't call it that

#110

Post by gruez »

al_borland wrote: post #105
2OEH8eoCRo0 wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish this type of social credit existed online.

This is what karma scores on site like this or Reddit try to replicate.

Not really, because such sites really only use upvotes/downvotes as a ranking mechanism. There's theoretically a lifetime upvote/downvote counter (ie. your karma), but other than a number that shows up on your profile, it doesn't have any real impact. You don't really develop a "reputation", for instance your comments get more or less visibility based on your previous commenting history.
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