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PaperclipPerfector  5mo ago (text post)   3795 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for June 2, 2024

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.

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People who hide posting history in profile, why? This is anyway visible to google, can be crawled etc.

I have a lot of enemies.

I like being more open about my life when posting but don't want to make it too easy to connect enough breadcrumbs to dox me. I was extremely hesitant to share personal stories in /r/themotte because of my profile's ties to my location.

I'm pretty dox-able by people who know me and don't want to make that easier.

I know someone personally who reads some of the online personalities that get discussed here. I don’t think it’s likely, but one day he could show up here, maybe read one of my comments in, say, the wellness thread, and think, “Hey that sounds like a guy I know.”

He could then click on my profile, confirm other details I’ve mentioned in other comments, conclude it’s me, and then further be treated to various flavors of my crimethink that I’ve never shared with him.

If he wants to do some nerdy computer stuff to sniff out a potential irl acquaintance, I guess he can, but he would be much more likely to determine that it wasn’t worth it.

I think it’s to new users’ detriment that they can’t use this feature. It’s a completely unnecessary risk, even if you don’t think it’s very risk.

If you’re SecureSignals, how easy do you want it to be for one HR grunt to see everything you’ve written on here?

Because in internet forum culture there is a long tradition of looking up one’s interlocutor’s posting history and throwing some personal insults in. Nobody is under the impression that hiding it deletes it from the internet, but it does make it harder for someone you’re discussing something with to dig up another post they disagree with from 8 months ago and criticize you based on that, or decide to dislike you because of it.

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.


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