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PaperclipPerfector  2d ago (text post)   1264 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for October 2, 2026

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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IIRC, Zorba's plan was to eventually allow some community-based auto-modding to take place, but only once he feels it's properly calibrated (and I have no idea when or how that will be achieved). Right now, the community modding does give us some sense of how the community feels about a reported post, and while mods make the final decision, I personally am somewhat influenced by community consensus in borderline cases. That does not mean if enough people say "This is bad" it will overrule my opinion that a post did not break any rules, or vice versa. But it's useful feedback, even if lately a lot of that feedback is "I want my tribe to have no restrictions and I want the other tribe silenced."

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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.


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