3 ms·
> I guess I feel that improving our world, ending war, making our society more just and fair, these are meaningful, useful, and beautiful things to do. They mig
by prepend 5y ago
> I guess I feel that improving our world, ending war, making our society more just and fair, these are meaningful, useful, and beautiful things to do. They might be some of the most meaningful things actually.
I feel that way too. I want all those things. Adding “FreeUkraine” or “BLM” doesn’t do that. I don’t think virtue signaling is that big of a problem, but adding these phrases does nothing more than signal.
I don’t think it’s productive to call out virtual signaling in that I would never submit a PR to complain or remove. But I definitely notice it and it seems stupid. I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it but a second or two while reading docs doesn’t make me think more highly of someone.
I think cynically it just seems like people say this instead of doing meaningful things.
- kennywinker 5y agoOne thing you might be coloring your perception, is the lack of visibility into other actions. Just because a person posts #blm and it’s largely a symbolic gesture and doesn’t have a big impact, doesn’t mean they didn’t take other more tangible steps - donations, calling their representatives, boycotts, etc. but you wouldn’t know about those. So every time you see the gesture you see inaction, when sometimes the gesture is just the tip of an iceberg of dedicated action.