Interesting Links for 27-07-2018

[andrewducker]

The free speech panic: how the right concocted a crisis

(tags: freespeech uk media )

On Preparing for Brexipocalypse

(tags: UK Europe doom apocalypse )

Hate delivering negative feedback at work? 19 phrases to help make giving difficult feedback easier

(tags: work conversation advice )

Dota 2 players in the Netherlands can now see what's in loot boxes before they buy

Clearly still gambling though
(tags: gambling games viaSwampers )

Medicinal cannabis products to be legalised

(tags: medicine marijuana uk )

Independent petition calling for referendum on final Brexit deal breaks 200,000 in just 24 hours

(tags: referendum petition uk europe )

Are Things Getting Better or Worse?

(tags: thefuture statistics history happiness )

Vote Leave's targeted Brexit ads released by Facebook

(tags: UK Europe advertising facebook )

Brexit: Barnier rules out key UK customs proposal

(tags: UK europe )

Virtual reality therapy trial to be rolled out across UK

(tags: VirtualReality therapy )

The Road to QUIC (a replacement for TCP and HTTP)

(tags: technology networking web )

Who Are the Highest-Paid Musicians? Top 50 Money Makers 2018. (Fascinating asking the differences in streaming vs album sales)

(tags: music money streaming )

On right-wing acceptance of useful minorities

(tags: nazis lgbt history )

Public opinion is moving towards supporting a Brexit referendum deal

(tags: UK Europe referendum )

Clever study shows how two minds interact to create the spooky sense that an Ouija board is moving by itself

(tags: psychology supernatural )

Brexiteer Labour MP Kate Hoey suffers vote of no confidence from her constituency members

(tags: uk europe labour )

Comments

Loot Boxes

[birguslatro]

I heard someone from our gambling authority say they wouldn't consider loot boxes to be gambling since the player isn't being offered the chance of making more (real) money than they're spending. Can you exchange anything in Dota for real money?

Re: Loot Boxes

[andrewducker]

You can sell items on the steam store. And then use that money to buy games for yourself - or as gifts for others. Which you could, if you had a channel for doubt so, extract a payment for.

So: kinda.

[channelpenguin]

Sadly, my cynicism and the general course of all things Brexit so far lead me to think that any "People's Vote" on the Brexit deal would likely be used to reject any of the "softer" Brexit set up by the government. Particularly once the media stick their oar in and inflame the "Brexit means Brexit" hard-crash-Brexit crowd.

Because I doubt enough people believe how bad the "hard" / "no deal" options are, and never will. They will always dismiss it all as "Project Fear" and then, when Brexit happens, of whichever sort, and their problems are not all magically solved, will blame either the EU for not letting us away with cakeism, or Theresa May for not being tough enough to successfully get the cakeist agenda through.

And if a soft Brexit deaa is done it is the *unreasonable* people who will be upset. And the billionaire press owners. Now that is a combination that makes me shudder all over again. *Then* you might get the riots. (as I actually feared for if the original vote had gone for Remain).

[coth]

Nice New Yorker article on whether or not things are getting better. Thanks.