25+ yr Java/JS dev
Linux novice - running Ubuntu (no windows/mac)

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Joined 2 years ago
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Cake day: October 14th, 2024

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  • The mainstream right is primarily center-leaning folks who believe in traditional Republican talking points and don’t really examine the underlying racism. For example, they believe welfare moms are a problem. They consider spending money on the arts wasteful and regulations to be anti-business. They believe in aggressive America-first foreign policy.

    Many of them just want to exist in a world where they can do what they want and most everyone is basically like them.

    Overtly anti-queer conservatives are the evangelicals, the “moral majority”, and are a significant but niche faction. And then obviously you have white supremacists who are even more niche. But the mainstream tolerates both because a world where they don’t ever have to feel uncomfortable around people whose speech they can’t understand or men kissing is fine with them. They don’t hate minorities, but they just don’t really care about them either. Mostly they think themselves good people and everyone should strive to be just like them.

    That all being said, I think the growing rift between the left and the right is radicalizing some of the mainstream, due to vocal extremists driving the conversation and politicians trying to stay relevant in online discussions. To the point where it wouldn’t surprise me if mainstream right isn’t the minority.

    And I say all this knowing the question is probably rhetorical.








  • Most of us don’t want to live in cities or put our mobility in the hands of others. People who want it for everyone are primarily city folks who are used to that lifestyle. Those ideas are less popular with the people who would be most affected.

    I know eventually the world will go that way and it’ll be a good thing, but I’m also glad I won’t live to see it because I have no desire whatsoever to live that way. The change will be generational. If folks try to impose it, there is going to be a lot of resistance and pushback. You have to get folks to want it.



  • I don’t know about things being worse had Hillary won. I do know that was the worst election I’ve seen in my life in terms of candidate quality. Hillary was the ultimate insider running for self-aggrandizement and Trump was a political outsider running for his brand out of cynical greed and sheer ego. Hillary had already lost to an outsider when she lost the 2008 primary to Obama—that was a sign of things to come.

    Hillary would’ve been a far better stateswoman, no doubt. And obviously Trump’s policies were and are detestable. But I understand why Trump won. It shocked me at the time, but it makes sense seeing the past ten years.

    Populist candidates are what everyone is looking for. Not the party elite. Look at the backlash against Schumer for treating politics as normal. And the backlash against Israel when we’ve traditionally been a staunch ally regardless of party. And against older politicians in general. We want the old guard out. Republicans listened to the people. Dems didn’t. Still aren’t, based on the reaction to Mamdani winning the primary.

    Want to see a woman win the presidency? Run AOC. I don’t know if this is the election for it. Are we “ready” for her? I don’t know. But she’s the kind of woman candidate who could win.


  • I’ve been doing this for thirty years. I don’t see any reason to be pessimistic about software development. Right now I think we’re going through a rough patch. About to get tougher, I think, because we’re on the cusp of a big downturn in the economy, right on the heels of an industry downturn caused by Trump’s first term.

    Long-term, though, there will continue to be a need for good software developers. And their best efforts will continue to be hobbled by unrealistic timelines and pressure to get things done over getting them done well, thus ensuring we will continue to need ever more developers to continue developing the same things over and over.