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Kevin Rose’s idea for a new blogging platform called Tiny

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Re: Kevin Rose’s idea for a new blogging platform called Tiny

#51
post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stop being such a girl! No, wait, you see, it now means something entirely different! It doesn't mean anything to do with gender, it means you should have a thicker skin. So it's not actually offensive, right?

I think that was a poor example, especially since it was phrasal rather than lexical. Let's take the word "bitch". It is deemed "offensive" but it's original connotation was just simply "female dog". However it evolved into the meaning it has today.

You just miss the point. "Retard" "evolved" by being used as an insult, because mentally handicapped people were looked down upon. Because being likened to was an insult (just like "bitch" [1]). For those affected, and those who caring more for them than for those who can't be arsed to expand their vocabulary into other directions, it still means "mentally retarded", and it being used to mean something else, something derogatory, is still hurtful and thoughtless. Exactly like saying "being a girl" when meaning being squeamish etc. Whoever downvoted that either didn't get the sarcasm or the point.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitch_(insult)

Re: Kevin Rose’s idea for a new blogging platform called Tiny

#53
post #24

This is not new. When doing literary analysis, it's often key to take into account information about the author and their setting, particularly to abstract subtle meaning from the text. It would be really compelling if there was a streamlined way to provide the text in context of the author and their world, therefore giving the text greater meaning. What Kevin Rose has presented grossly falls short of this idea, unle…

These are the types of brainstorms that sharing such a nascent idea can create. There are a lot of potential new contexts and emotions that we can still bring to plain text bc of the digital medium and data.

You should def have some form of contact info in your profile btw!

Re: Kevin Rose’s idea for a new blogging platform called Tiny

#55
post #46
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Come on, folks. I feel like it's pretty well accepted that using "retarded" to describe something you don't like—or don't think highly of—is offensive.

This is a pretty tiring argument. "Retarded" to me doesn't mean what you may think it means to me. When you call something "dumb" do you realize that the word was originally used to refer to mute people? No? Well, neither does anyone else. Words evolve, and I'm sure that no one uses "retarded" because they want to make fun of people with real medical issues. They use it because it evolved to mean something completely…

Regardless of how you feel about the word, or how you use any word, there are a few facts to understand.

1) Some people are legitimately hurt by the use of the word retarded in a derogatory manner (eg. http://www.r-word.org/r-word-effects-of-the-word.aspx).

2) You are choosing to use it and offending them.

Argue all you want, but the fact remains, you have no doubt offended someone. Is using whatever word _you_ want (ie. being a bit selfish) worth hurting someone else? Would it be that much trouble if you used another word, was still able to make your point, and not hurt someone's feelings?

It's one thing to accidentally stumble upon something that might offend someone, but it's quite another when you ignore the fact that your actions hurt someone and continue to engage in that activity willingly.

I don't mean to single you out as others below have used similar language, but it's something to think about.

Re: Kevin Rose’s idea for a new blogging platform called Tiny

#56
post #55
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a pretty tiring argument. "Retarded" to me doesn't mean what you may think it means to me. When you call something "dumb" do you realize that the word was originally used to refer to mute people? No? Well, neither does anyone else. Words evolve, and I'm sure that no one uses "retarded" because they want to make fun of people with real medical issues. They use it because it evolved to mean something completely…

Regardless of how you feel about the word, or how you use any word, there are a few facts to understand. 1) Some people are legitimately hurt by the use of the word retarded in a derogatory manner (eg. http://www.r-word.org/r-word-effects-of-the-word.aspx ). 2) You are choosing to use it and offending them. Argue all you want, but the fact remains, you have no doubt offended someone. Is using whatever word _you_ want…

where can i state that i am _offended_ -- extremely! -- by people who _choose_ to "be offended" unnecessarily, when absolutely no intention to offend is even apparent?

did you really, truly, honestly believe that that comment was a roundabout drive-by on mentally-challenged people?

because frankly, that kind of uncomplimentary inference impugning someone else with unsavory motives is repugnant.

i came here to say a dirt-simple "no thanks" to the idea, without commenting on it, because its stupidity was simply too obvious to require any statement. but that doesn't mean i believe kevin rose is "stupid", because i certainly don't.

i can separate the idea from the person who suggested it.

and if somebody else calls it a "retarded" idea, which is simply another way of saying that it is a _stupid_ idea, then i don't think they're criticizing kevin rose either, let alone a class as _remote_ as the mentally-challenged.

retarded people can use lots of help. so give them some, instead of engaging other people in pointless semantics.

because you're _not_ helping, or making anyone "think"...

-bowerbird

Re: Kevin Rose’s idea for a new blogging platform called Tiny

#57
post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Regardless of how you feel about the word, or how you use any word, there are a few facts to understand. 1) Some people are legitimately hurt by the use of the word retarded in a derogatory manner (eg. http://www.r-word.org/r-word-effects-of-the-word.aspx ). 2) You are choosing to use it and offending them. Argue all you want, but the fact remains, you have no doubt offended someone. Is using whatever word _you_ want…

where can i state that i am _offended_ -- extremely! -- by people who _choose_ to "be offended" unnecessarily, when absolutely no intention to offend is even apparent? did you really, truly, honestly believe that that comment was a roundabout drive-by on mentally-challenged people? because frankly, that kind of uncomplimentary inference impugning someone else with unsavory motives is repugnant. i came here to say a d…

5 minutes to the first downvote. why you so slow today?

-bowerbird

Re: Kevin Rose’s idea for a new blogging platform called Tiny

#58
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would probably work better if it only played a replay of the video captured while they were actually writing their post. The only way I would find this interesting is for authors who blog on mobile devices — seeing them blog as they move through the world would be kind of unique (and then probably get boring once the novelty wore off).

>and then probably get boring once the novelty wore off You might need something to augment that novelty. Maybe instead of a blogging platform, some kind of PostSecret like app where people post anonymously with video backdrops instead of cards. This would be better than a blogging platform as well because it would encourage (or perhaps even limit) small blocks of text which would fit into a small space without needi…

But anonymously posting secrets in the form of videos with a small caption would make the videos look rather 'not like secrets'. I would rather prefer it as a microblogging platform than a secret sharing platform with video snippet captured while the text was being written, in the background...

Re: Kevin Rose’s idea for a new blogging platform called Tiny

#59

If you guys want an unorthodox approach to blogging, check out my friends' platform - http://newhive.com - they are like MySpace meets Tumblr meets MS Paint :) There's been some cool, albeit very "unique" content published on their site.

I loaded the page and scrolled for half a second, and noticed it was slow. Developer Tools shows 109 requests, 23,023kb, 46.13 seconds. Perhaps I could offer your friends some unsolicited advice that in order for their website to scale, they should focus on reducing the number of HTTP requests and increase image compression, as a start. =)

Fair point. I will let him know.
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