IntenseDebate - Josh Zytkiewicz

5 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - Corporate America\'s S... · 1 reply · +3 points

I get what you're saying about music and such but changing actual beliefs has got to be a good thing. The benefit of mainstreaming is that these beliefs are considered normal if you're growing up around them because they're being talked about in society. Look at the societal changes we've seen around gays and lesbians since they began to be featured in more positive lights since the mid 90's. People who were born in the 80's and later have much more inclusive views than those born earlier. The way I see it mainstreaming isn't to change people's minds, it's to grow the next generation.
This is different than music. Studies have shown that people generally become fixed on the music they heard as teens and early adults. Using older songs is appealing to nostalgia, to a specific group of people. It really has nothing to do with the song itself.

5 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - The Algorithms are Broken · 2 replies · +3 points

I think part of the problem is that these algorithms are self-learning. No one is really programing them in the traditional sense so no one really understands why they do the things they do. From your experience I would guess that Google is trusting the algorithm, at least on the first line customer service level, more than their humans.

6 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - Obsessed with Heritage · 0 replies · +4 points

Personally I find a great deal of satisfaction in knowing the history behind things and why they are that way. Knowing where people before me came from plays into this. I think it's very fun that I can point to a specific ancestor who played a part, however small, in significant events in world history.

On the other hand, having taken one of those DNA tests, the fact that I'm able to assign percentages to specific regions has not changed how I feel about those regions or myself. Perhaps this comes from knowing a little bit about genetics and that the DNA segments they're matching could just as easily been very different.

Or maybe it's because I've been able to discover such a diverse background that no one particular region stands out. I have ancestors that I can identify who came from Scotland, England, Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, and Native American. Seems a little weird to identify more closely as one of those when they all had something to do with me.

10 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - Game of Thrones and Pa... · 0 replies · +3 points

I have two examples of old gods and new gods from history.

The Romans allowed conquered people to worship their old gods, as long as they also worshipped Roman gods. This is why the Jews had such a hard time under Roman rule, the Jews refused to worship any gods but their own.

The Mongols also had a fairly open policy on other gods. It was similar to Pascals Wager, in that having more gods on their side would not be a bad thing.

I learned about both of these from the excellent "Hardcore History" podcast.

11 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - Keep the Faith, Lose t... · 0 replies · +2 points

I think this is a positive step, if not for the individual, then for that individuals children.

If a child has less exposure (and indoctrination) to religion I think they're less likely to be religious themselves. A parent who no longer attends church services themselves is probably less likely to require (or allow) their children to attend.

Honestly I think the major religions know this, that's why they so often require attendance.

11 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - How the Democratic Par... · 0 replies · +2 points

While there are certainly advantages to a large political party with many different parts, more variety in political parties would not be a bad thing.

12 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - Two Different Response... · 0 replies · +1 points

While it may not be of the same type as Origin of Species or Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica, it is a type of knowledge. It is a work of human creation. At the very least it deserves the same protection one would give Moby Dick or Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone.

12 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - Two Different Response... · 3 replies · +2 points

I lean more towards the second reason.

But I also feel very strongly that no one should be burning any books. It's not just a destruction of property, it's an attack against knowledge. (Also, burning anything is not exactly good for the environment.)

12 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - Idiot of the Week: Ric... · 0 replies · +2 points

The guy is almost 68 years old, do you honestly expect more from him?

Personally I refuse to vote for anyone who is or will be past retirement age at any point in their term.

A. They're generally out of touch with the way the world is.
B. Being retired they don't need the job. Even if they piss everyone off and are not reelected they still have a source of income.
C. They already had a chance to run things.

Some people have called me ageist. But if we're willing to require minimum ages, why not maximum?

12 years ago @ Atheist Revolution - Misogyny in the Blogos... · 0 replies · -4 points

The whole point of free speech is to protect speech that the majority disagrees with.

If you pick and choose what is allowed it's not really free speech.

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