site banner
PaperclipPerfector  2d ago (text post)   1267 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for March 15, 2026

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

2
Top Bottom Old Controversial Comments
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

Ok, I'll write that essay.

Can I ask you why you're asking, btw? So that I can somewhat tailor my response to be relevant to anything specific you want to know. And where should I post the effort post? Here, the culture war thread, somewhere else?

Can you give me some topics you'd say you're knowledgable enough about that I might want to ask you about for your exchange? These could be as broad or specific as needed, just as an idea.

Great!

I'm asking because I am somewhat of a business nerd. I've asked a few other commenters about their line of employ when they've shown they have some real insight into it. Lawyers, for one, endlessly fascinate me (not in the legaleese or arguments, but in the day in the life of the job. There's a AAQC somewhere in the archives about the reality of being a DUI lawyer that was phenomenal).

I look at people who understand their businesses well as very applied, high value systems thinkers. An "academic" style systems thinker might be able to talk a good game, but an actual practitioner has insights that are completely missed by those academic approaches. The classic Back To School business seminar scene is this, canonically.

Mostly, I'd say I am interested in how e-commerce actually works outside of scammy YouTube influencer takes on it. Your comment about the pareto law of your products hints at this. I'd love to understand how you go about designing a new product, testing for demand etc. Perhaps also what the elements of success in ecomm are and what "pros" do versus what "chumps" do. I think this is enough of a framework to get started?

Trade topics:

I can tell you a lot about:

  • Ivy League (and other selective school) admissions
  • Real deal data science in both FAANG settings and research lab settings
  • Strippers, bars, hookers, nightlife industry in general
  • "HickHop" or the blended sludge of traditional Redneck culture smashing into Hip Hop / urban / black culture.

And again, if there's simply a topic you've had on your mind that isn't in my list, I'll put in some real effort to research and write it up - zero AI, all human.

What is this place?

This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.

The weekly Culture War threads host the most controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy; if in doubt, post!

Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts. You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.


Why are you called The Motte?

A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.


New post guidelines

If you're posting something that isn't related to the culture war, we encourage you to post a thread for it. A submission statement is highly appreciated, but isn't necessary for text posts or links to largely-text posts such as blogs or news articles; if we're unsure of the value of your post, we might remove it until you add a submission statement. A submission statement is required for non-text sources (videos, podcasts, images).

Culture war posts go in the culture war thread; all links must either include a submission statement or significant commentary. Bare links without those will be removed.

If in doubt, please post it!


Rules


Recommended Posts And Communities

Recommended Realtime Chats