site banner
PaperclipPerfector  3d ago (text post)   2437 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for March 9, 2025

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.

Microsoft can't just stop being an absolute PITA.

I recently read the news online that they were graciously doling out access to OpenAI's o3 mini high model (don't ask) through their own Copilot app, even for free users.

I install said app, and log in with a burner account. No option to use a reasoning model in sight. I didn't bother using the different Bing app, which also has Copilot integrated.

I switch to my NHS account, managed by Microsoft, and it kicks me off to the Microsoft 365 app, where there isn't even a visible option to use Copilot that I can see.

I finally open Copilot on the web, login with my burner, and tada, the option is right there.

You'd think they'd have learned to manage the absolute bare minimum in feature consistency and nomenclature by now.

While we're complaining about software, Mozilla made the most absurdly bad change to Firefox's UI a week or so ago.

They started hiding the https:// in the address bar until you click on it...then everything jumps half an inch to the right so the part of the URL you selected isn't under your mouse anymore. I have a recommendation for those designers.

Huh, my Mozilla address bar still displays 'https://' in the beginning, and I updated Mozilla a few days ago. Maybe I have specified some setting long ago.

here is its announcement for Nightly:

  • HTTP As the Exception: For a more secure web experience, we'll now display the HTTP protocol prominently, so you know when you're on a non-secure site, while HTTPS will be hidden to reduce clutter.

You can disable it with about:preferences -> browser.urlbar.trimURLs = false

Chrome also has an annoying habit of hiding the exact url of a link I copied, until I press a button to reveal it. Like dawg, I get that you cater to the LCD, but I can handle that.

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