#[ we let the mods take care of us ]

[wirt-and-wirt-by-products]

Yall,,,,,,,,,, im modding my pc copy of p4g to hell and back bc ive finished the game 3 times and homies,,,,,, some of the comments on these mods are sending me.

(On the gay romance mod) "this mod is incredibly creepy, this chara is a minor and we shouldnt be modding in dating options for them. Probably best to report this"

Bruh. One its cut content still in the game files, and just made active again. Two look me in the eyes and tell me word for word what the canon lovers romance flag is. Tell me exactly how the 16yr old protag starts dating rise. Ill wait.

[alpinelogy]

entering my villain arc fr (none of the controller mods i tried work for me)

[spiderwarden]

*looking at my fingernails* self care is not romancing anyone ever in BG3 so when mods put a body swap on Minthara and Tav, it's like a new romance scene for me.

[butch-with-a-deep-voice]

Long-Distance date/bonding ideas I've learned while making it work with my femme

Streamed Movie Night: Discord has a function that let's you stream video and gaming alike! I'd recommend Nitro because otherwise stream quality is gonna SUCK (and you need to do some weird fiddling to get services like Netflix to work) but you can enjoy movie night with your boo

Tabletop Simulator: If you both have about $20, and a computer with even a low budget graphics processor, this program is invaluable. The base games are neat but the real trove is in the Steam Workshop. Mod makers upload hundreds of boardgames from Catan to Azul to outright heavy ones like D&D and Warhammer. My femme and I now have a weekly boardgame night (she actively challenges me at strategy games and it makes me so happy to have a partner that does 🥰)

Coffee shop dates: Go to a place where the shop has wifi (or you have a really good data plan with your phone), pop your headphones in, and just video call. I promise you, there will be more people there who find it sweet than those who find it weird.

Spotify Jam Sessions: I don't know about other music apps, but we both have spotify and it now has a function that let's you invite others to a shared listening session. Music is really important to both my femme and myself, and the ability for us to literally listen at the same time and talk about the music is truly quite lovely.

Parallel crafting time: Admittedly, I'm Neurodivergent as hell, and parallel play baseline is big for me. But pop on a videocall and make some crafts together. Bonus points if you get similar materials and share what you've made together

Call every night: no seriously, even if you both are busy the entire day and can't talk, call for at least a half hour or so to round your day off. That lack of certain forms of intimacy means you need to be really on top of other forms. On top of affirming love for one another. If you're trying to make long distance work long term, calling to just. Be with eachother is so important.

Schedule Time: As an extension of the above, just because you're calling every day, doesn't mean ensuring you have dedicated time for eachother isn't important. I'm talking like. An afternoon/evening once a week type thing. Be together for a long period of time while you can't be physically together.

Technology has honestly made what I always thought impossible for myself feel possible. The advent of videocalling my femme every day helps so much of the potential pitfalls that could have happened, and the best part is its more or less free (I pay for discord nitro but I digress). Don't get me wrong I'm having my hard days still. The inability to hold her when I want to take care of her is particularly bad. I show care and love through things like physical touch and food so much. But getting creative, and being consistent have really made this feel possible and sustainable until we get to the "next stages" bridge.

If you have ideas you found fun/helpful please toss em in the replies, tags, etc. Always open to more date ideas with my girl 💕

[residentdeviant]

𝑺𝑶𝑭𝑻𝑾𝑨𝑹𝑬 𝑰𝑵𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑩𝑰𝑳𝑰𝑻𝒀

── .✦ summary

⟢ you’re a detective for the raccoon city police department and have recently been assigned a new partner and dozens of cases involving androids, including one of a missing woman and a ruined android. now it’s up to you two to solve them all. detroit: become human au.

── .✦ story notes !

⟢ written with re2r/re4r leon in mind ! also, i did my best to have this be a gender neutral reader, but if there’s anything that suggests otherwise, please let me know.

── .✦ word count

⟢ 3k !

── .✦ tags ! (warnings included)

⟢ d:bh au, android!leon, second-person, no use of y/n bc i’d rather get pistol slapped in the neck, “welcome leon” reference :’), angst, gore descriptions.

── .✦ a/n !

⟢ i wrote this during this past summer so if any of the upcoming parts seem disconnected, it’s because they lowkey are like i fr forgot what all i was writing help- also leon mod by fuazap (IG) and connor pic by clancyaep!

⟢ part two!

⟢ part three!

September 30th, 2038.

5:47pm.

This was it: it was Leon’s first day as the first android detective in Raccoon City. He was a prototype, of course, but it was still fascinating nonetheless. Those interested in progress and supportive of the creation of androids were excited for such an achievement. Androids were slowly becoming more prominent in day-to-day life, and to have an android detective joining the RPD? That was just proof that not only the human race was evolving, but so was nascar the android race as well.

The blond android opened one of the double-doors to the station, taking in the sight and scent of it all. His baby blue irises flickered around, observing anything and everything about his new workplace. The department used to be an art museum, with some of the artworks still lingering in both obvious and hidden spaces. Each and every piece is still in great condition, cleaned with care even years later. His eyes then moved towards the people inside the building, mostly officers and other seasoned people in the workforce, but a few citizens there for various reasons as well. It was rather lively, he noticed — full of different people with different stories. It was intriguing, and he was ready to start his first day.

Mere moments later, a man walked up to the android, ready to introduce himself. Leon, however, was already scanning the stranger’s face and using any and all information accessible to him to identify the man before him. “Lieutenant Branagh, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Leon, the android sent by CyberLife,” the blond introduced, reaching out his hand to give the Lieutenant a firm handshake. His synthetic skin was sort of pale, yet soft and cool — almost as if he was a real human.

But he wasn’t. Everything about him was artificial, and if he ever had any doubts, he would be harshly reminded before he was reset. Can’t risk having any deviants, after all.

“Leon. It’s good to have you on the team,” Branagh replied, shaking Leon’s hand before guiding him through the station. “We’ve had a few cases come up within the last couple of days, and we’re eager to get you started to see if you can help us out.”

The android nodded softly in response, following Branagh. “Whatever it takes to save the city, count me in.”

The pair made their way through the building, eventually walking into the west office. Immediately, Leon noticed the wooden desks in the middle of the room, lined out perfectly. A smaller office was in the back left corner, most likely for someone of higher ranking compared to the everyday officer. Shelves and lockers decorated the empty spaces, serving various purposes.

Above the desk in the front was a sign, yellow letters painted on dark blue circles that read “welcome Leon.” All around it were star decorations, hung up by twirling ribbons. How sweet.

“We weren’t sure if you would need a desk or not, but some of us felt as if it would be better safe than sorry,” the lieutenant explained. Leon just gave a simple nod, thanking him for the thought.

That’s where you came in. His light blue eyes met yours and he immediately began to scan you, unbeknownst to you of course. His LED shifted to yellow for a moment before returning to the usual blue, and he was done figuring out the basic details of your identity.

You rose from your desk, walking over to Leon and Lieutenant Branagh before politely introducing yourself. You were one of the few people in the RPD that actually supported the existence of androids, advocating for them and defending them when and if needed. Unfortunately, most people in the department despised androids, but you chalked it down to them just feeling insecure and scared of progress. That’s probably all it was. That, and one too many sci-fi movies.

“Detective, as you know, you’ll be paired with Leon until further notice. I’ve already sent you every file you need for your first mission together. Any questions?” Branagh asked, making sure you two had everything you needed.

You thought for a minute, doing your best to ensure that you had every piece of information needed for the day that lies ahead. Once you were sure, you gave your response. “No, sir. I believe we’re good to go.”

“Great. I’ll be in my office.” And with that, Branagh went off, leaving you and your new companion alone to talk about your next mission. You weren’t really sure about what to do, as this was your first time working alongside androids, but it couldn’t be that much different from working with humans… could it?

“Your vital signs indicate that you are stressed… would you like to talk about it?” Leon inquired, his bright blue eyes searching your face as he awaited your response. Yeah… that’s what makes it different. He could tell if there was a change in your mood, your heart rate, anything. In one way, it was useful! It made missions and working with him a lot easier. But on the other hand, he knew basically everything that you were feeling, and that was terrifying.

“Uhhh… no, thank you,” you managed to reply, yet it grew more and more awkward with every fleeting moment. “I’m sure I’ll feel better when the case is solved.”

“Understandable. Now, we must move forward with our mission. Could you explain the details to me?” Leon requested, his brows furrowing slightly as he spoke. Everything about him seemed so… real. So human. But it was all just synthetic fibers and extensive coding in the end. Anyone with a brain could and would tell you that.

You nodded lightly in response, moving over to your desk to lift the files off of the stained wood before you. Gently flipping through the pages, you refreshed your memory before handing them over to your new partner to give him the chance to commit every detail to memory. “In summary, there’s been some people going missing a little further up north in the city. It stopped about three weeks ago, but… a Frankenstein-like android was spotted on Auburn a week ago and that raised suspicion. The cases may be connected and journalists are on us about it,” you explained, digging through your desk for something. Finally, you found it, handing it over to Leon.

It was a photo of the android, some parts missing, some parts replaced, but there was thirium and dirt all over it. It appeared to be taken by a surveillance camera, most likely the corner store right off of Auburn (you could tell because you could see the sign for that Chinese food buffet you and your best friend visit often).

Leon scanned the image, the LED on his temple flickering yellow for a moment before dissipating back into the normal bright blue hue. He’d likely need more information before determining the model of the runaway android. He then lifted his head from the photo to meet your gaze. “Do we know of the whereabouts of the android?”

“He was brought into questioning this morning after our team looked for him for several days. He doesn’t seem like a suspect, but I do think he could give us more intel,” you replied, adding the photo to the small, neat pile of files.

Your android partner gave you a small nod, gesturing for you to lead the way — and that you did. You carried the files within your arms, guiding Leon to the interrogation room where the damaged android sat. He was quiet, his eyes focused on the table before him. His dark hair was disheveled, his pale synthetic skin torn and covered in blue blood and grime. His clothes were dark, and didn’t fit him properly. Whatever happened, it must’ve been awful.

Most assumed that androids had little to no emotion whatsoever, and that theory was being tested as you glanced at Leon — his features were neutral as if nothing was happening. You, on the other hand, felt pity for the artificial human in front of you. He seemed traumatized, broken by whatever events had taken place to bring him here. It was heartbreaking, really.

You motioned for Leon to wait outside of the room, wanting to start the process yourself. You didn’t know what your new partner was capable of yet, and you just wanted to try to see if you could get anything out of the broken being in front of you before letting Leon step in.

Once the android detective stepped out of the room, waiting behind the two-way mirror. You sat down in the metal chair across from the possible victim, sifting through the files one last time before pressing him for any information.

You started with introducing yourself politely, giving your name and ranking, as well as stating why you were here before him. His gaze never shifted, but you could tell that he was listening to you — even if he seemed like he was mentally elsewhere. “Would you like to tell me your name? So I know how to address you?”

He didn’t respond. It was the same silence that filled the room upon your arrival. But once you waited for a few moments, the android softly sighed, yet still focused on the old metal table. “Samuel,” he replied in a quiet yet firm tone, possibly hiding whatever was going through his circuitry.

A small smile formed on your lips as you heard his response, feeling as if you made some progress with him. “Samuel… It's nice to meet you. I promise that you’re not in any trouble, I just need to ask you a few questions, is that okay?”

Another silence fell upon the room, but you hoped that you could move on and get some answers. And if you couldn’t, then maybe Leon could. “Several people have gone missing around Auburn Avenue within the last month or so. Just to be clear, we don’t suspect you, but we feel as if you may have some information for us since some security cameras spotted you in the area and you seem rather… distant, like you may know something that could help us.” You didn’t really have confirmed information at the time, but you hoped that your gut feelings were right about Samuel. Maybe he did know more than he was letting on.

“I didn’t- I didn’t do anything… I just wanted out of there…” Samuel stated, his tone rather emotional as he spoke. Androids weren’t supposed to feel emotion at all, especially not as strongly as humans do, right? He must’ve deviated at some point.

“I know, I know you didn’t,” you replied softly, trying to keep it easy on him for now. “Could you tell me more about the place you found yourself in? What happened there that scared you so badly?” After that question, you could tell that he was really starting to break down. Whatever he experienced must’ve been a nightmare that manifested into reality because you had never seen such heartbreak within an android’s face before.

You decided to have Leon join you, hoping the two of you could ease Samuel’s mind and get more information out of him to not only help your case, but to help this poor android as well.

Moments later, you and Leon sat across from Samuel, silence filling the room as Leon scanned the android. His systems determined that the model was an AP700, a type of CyberLife androids designed to be household assistants. Maybe he knew the suspect or one of the people that had gone missing?

“Could you tell us about what happened? Right from the start,” Leon requested as he watched Samuel’s every move, scanning the android’s heartbeat. He’s in distress, and rightfully so. They just needed to figure out why.

The broken droid before you remained silent, seemingly processing the events that brought him here in the first place. He took a few moments to answer, but he was slowly readying himself. He lifted his head, gaze meeting yours. The model originally had bright blue irises, practically an ice cold color. But now, all you could see was a black that seemed as if it was an empty void. How could so much emotion show within such empty eyes?

“Martha… Martha asked me to walk with her to and from work that night. Her car was in the shop, and she was too scared to be alone at night,” Samuel explained, his eyes flickering around the room as he tried to focus, doing anything in his power to calm himself down. Leon sat in silence, allowing Samuel to explain, and you decided to follow his lead for now.

“She was more than just the person I served… she was my friend. I could never deny her. So… I said yes. I waited in parking during her shift, and walked with her to her house. But on our route, a man shot at me, impairing my vision and then dragged her into an alleyway.” Samuel’s voice faltered as he spoke, every recollection of the past events just feeling like pure agony. You could tell that he was telling the truth based on his body language, and Leon detected the android’s heart rate had elevated significantly. Regardless, you wrote everything down on a notepad as your partner committed it to memory, leaving no details out.

The damaged droid sighed, his emotional distress growing significantly more apparent with every passing moment. You could dig through his memory and spare him the pain of remembering the events, sure, but that just felt plain wrong. Sure, he wasn’t alive, but he might as well have been. He didn’t deserve that. So, you let him speak, listening closely to every word he uttered.

“Naturally, I followed the man and tried to free Martha, but… I failed. Not without a fight, of course, but… I couldn’t save her. I continued my chase after him, which led me to a seemingly abandoned warehouse of some sort. When I got inside, Martha— Martha was strapped to a table, bleeding out and straining against the confinements. I didn’t see the man, so I tried to help her escape, but instead, he grabbed me and shot me more times than I can count.” His eyes began to fill with tears, but he quickly wiped them away and cleaned his grimy, skinless hands on his dark coat — trying to move on with his story. But it was difficult, as he often got choked up when trying to explain.

Even so, he did his best. He trusted you, and he understood that all you two wanted was to help him.

“But you woke up afterwards, so… what happened then?” you questioned, being gentle with him for now. If either of you were to be too harsh… he may stop answering or do something much worse.

“When I awoke, I was in a junkyard, but I found my way back to the warehouse after hours of searching for it. I knew it wasn’t smart to return, but I couldn’t help it… they had Martha. I couldn’t let her down like that. So I went inside, and after looking for about ten minutes, I found the man’s makeshift lab. There Martha was… skin battered and littered with open wounds. She had- she had died from her injuries.”

He readjusted in his seat, visibly uncomfortable. As he spoke, Leon was scanning him, his LED flickering yellow, noticing how the other android’s heart rate elevated and his distress levels increased. So far, things seemed pretty factual. Now you would just need to ask a couple more questions and leave the broken droid alone to process things.

“I guess he was done with her because I was next. And… that’s why I look like this. He made me… a monster. I’m surprised I escaped,” Samuel concluded, sighing afterwards as he looked back down towards the table. He was weakened, both mentally and physically. Some would say that there was an error in his software— that he needed to be reset. But you, on the other hand, believed that he deserved a happy ending after everything he’s been through. His owner, and seemingly the woman he loved, had been experimented on and killed, with him suffering nearly the same fate.

How could someone even do something like that?

You were speechless, of course. Anyone with a heart would be. But Leon was made of codes and machinery, he didn’t think the way you did. He thought it would be best to get answers now and move on to the next case. “Could you explain to us what the man looked like?”

Samuel shrugged softly, “athletic, brown hair and green eyes. His left arm looked strange, like… like it wasn’t his arm.”

You wrote down every answer and every little detail, committing anything and everything to memory as Leon pressed Samuel for more answers. And finally, after what felt like hours of questioning, you had every answer you needed to proceed with the case. “We should head to the warehouse he described. We may find everything else we need there,” Leon suggested as he walked with you throughout the department. As the later hours approached, various staff members switched shifts with their coworkers, ready to get home. And as much as you would like to do the same, you’ve got quite the case on your hands and you severely doubted that you’d be sleeping anytime soon.

“You seem tired, Detective,” the blond stated as his gaze shifted to meet you. Yeah, he definitely scanned you again. That’s part of his job, of course, to check in on you, but it was still kind of unsettling. It would definitely take some time in order to get used to such a thing.

You opened the door to the west office, walking to your desk to put every case-related file together. “You’re right, which is why I’m gonna grab some coffee before we go. I have a feeling that this is going to be a pretty long night.”

[grub-hut]

I don't use Tiktok, never will, In my opinion I think the app should shut down. [ But that will never happen... So I will cope.] But god are ya'll are insufferable on there. The fact you have this strong par asocial attachment to Sebastian and claim that Zerum is ""ruining the character"" is just blasphemy and shows you guys know nothing to zero about writing and do not play the game whats so ever. I've talked to Zerum; Ive talked to the devs and mods ; and all the false claims and misinformation that's being spread like a wildfire IS CRAZY. Everyone's so exhausted. It takes just a couple of minutes to prove it's false but that would actually require these people to literally sit down and fucking read. Zerum never banned anybody. Zerum doesn't handle the bans in the server. If you got banned or muted, it was most likely the automod in the server that they have implemented to avoid people saying anything weird or sexual... [ A friend of mine got muted because they sent a gif that had a weird name to it; nothing related to the gif, the gif was fine and they filed a ticket and got unmuted. Its just the bot doing its job.] and even then the mods probably banned you for something completely unrelated...

and even then, can we STOP normalizing this??

Like this GRINDS my gears, it fucking rusts, it makes me want to break down and combust into flames- Stop. Stop. YOU ARE THE ISSUE. Creators want to create. Either for ourselves or for others, whatever it maybe people enjoy letting their creativity flow because ITS FUN. IT SHOULD BE--- FUN!!! We are giving you literally something free and something to ENJOY because we enjoy it just as much! This stupid fucking mindset being so normalized makes me SO SICK. " whatever is put on the internet is free reign!" you guys have ZERO respect for any creator; even yourselves and its so BLATANTLY OBVIOUS. You guys preach about "respecting artists/creators" till it doesnt fit with your agenda, because we should just "expect" our works to be disrespected and used. Like our feelings never mattered. Are we going to ignore the discussion of AI art too? Or copyright, or literally anything of that sort here? Yes, its the internet, there WILL be people who are so drastically cruel and do something you will not like. I do agree its best to ignore those kinds of people but that does not mean we should just LET it happen. It does not mean we should suck it up and take the blows. This is how people stop creating, youre killing artists, youre shunning them away because "its the internet, lol, dont get mad if ppl -" Stop it, you're teaching younger generations that it does not matter if you have boundaries or not and that your voice doesnt mean anything. I mean fuck, you put your oc here I can use it however I want then! Because you shouldve expected the moment you click post for other people to use it! Who cares right?! its OUR oc now >:)!!! No matter what the character is from, by a indie game, a comic, a book, yadda yadda. If youre gonna be scum, you are gonna BE scum. Artists should be respected and be listened to. If Zerum ships her oc to her oc, so fucking what? She created him. YES. SHE CREATED HIM. Just because she is a """co-owner" You forget she wrote and designed him. You forget its STILL HER CHARACTER. WHICH BTW, HE WOULDNT EXIST IF IT WASNT FOR ZERUM!! ITS HER CHARACTER- Not yours, and if your first thing that comes to mind " oh but shes ruining her character" then so what, its not MADE for you. Hell, Sebastian is only like 1% of the whole entire game! ENJOY THE GAME, ENJOY THE ACTUAL LORE. MAKE YOUR OWN OCS, GO WACKY WOOHOO AND ENJOY IT WITH OTHERS. If you make headcanons for Sebastian or any other characters! Great! As long as you are respectful who literally cares. HAVE FUN! Stop harassing and bullying and literally spreading misinfo; I am so sick of people with this mindset! This is why the internet is such a shit place to begin with because we just let this stuff happen. Grow up! Like PAInter said.." YOURE NO FUN AT ALL!"

[jewish-vents]

A note from the mods about mental health

This is a difficult time for all of us, and has had particular impacts on those of us who struggle with our mental health. Worse, issues of antisemitism from mental health professionals create significant barriers to receiving the help we need. Many organizations which serve the Jewish community do offer mental health services, and it is worth asking your rabbi if they know of any such groups.

Additionally, the Association of Jewish Psychologists, while primarily focused on advocacy and education, offers free and virtual support groups for the Jewish Community.

If you are looking for individual therapy, Relief Help is an international network of Jewish mental health professionals, and offer a free referral service to help clients find professionals who can meet their individual needs.

Remember that you matter, and your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourselves, and let your community take care of you.

Am Yisrael Chai-🐞

[a-student-out-of-time]

An Important Reminder In Trying Times

Hey everyone, Mod Bubbles here.

I know that I've said over and over that I don't like talking about politics on here, but I really feel the need to say this:

This Is Not The End.

I understand things probably seem really bleak right now. A lot of people are going to be hurt by this, and the sheer amount of fearmongering and worst case scenarios are inescapable. But the country and the world are not going to change overnight. To be honest, it may not change very much at all in the next four years. I'm not a political scientist, so I can't tell you that for sure. There's a lot to be concerned about.

What I can tell you, as a student of history, is this: not only have we survived this once, we have survived this every time.

Think about it this way: every single tyrant, every single right-wing representative, every single emperor and colonial power, every corporate scumbag and power-hungry lunatic. No matter how many of them have ever come to power, held onto power, and tried to make themselves seem invincible, not a single one has ever held back humanity's progress and not a single one has proven to be invincible.

There were countries throughout history, especially in the 20th century, that fell under brutal dictatorships and saw countless lives lost. Did the people just give up and accept it? Fuck no they didn't. They fought back. Many of them lived to see democracy restored to their lands in their lifetimes, or fought to see it restored in their children's.

From Europe to Latin America, while many countries still have their issues, they endured and their people have survived. Their governments were not invincible, just as none ever have been.

Regardless of the outcome of this election, the world will go on. People will not just roll over and accept whatever horrible things happen, the fight will continue and we will do everything in our power to carry on as we always have. We'll carry on to achieve bigger and better things.

Let me also be clear: if you feel the need to cry, please cry. If you're afraid, don't pretend you're not. If you're angry, allow yourself to feel that anger. But if you're seriously contemplating giving up or hurting yourself, please don't.

You may hear all this news and ask yourself, "Bubbles, what's the point? What can I do about all this?" I've felt that way too, I have for a long time. I understand completely. It's scary and overwhelming, but I'll tell you exactly what you can do to fight against that: you can be kind.

Do you want to know where the most tangible change in the world begins? It's never at the top. It begins with people like us on a communal level, where we reach out to help others. Whether that means we help our neighbors, our friends, or any strangers we can.

Going out of your way to start fights, looking for someone to blame based on the flimsiest justifications, and just being cruel because you're angry, those aren't how you change anything. Those just add to the problem.

Here's just some ideas on what you can do instead:

Get away from the news, stop doomscrolling, mute doomers, and turn the TV and news apps off. This will get you out of a negative feedback loop that'll make you feel worse and more powerless, which is what they're designed to do in order to maximize traffic.

Remember to eat, sleep, brush your teeth, take a shower, take your meds, and do everything else you need to do to stay healthy.

If you or someone else really feel like leaving the country for your own safety is best, you can still work do so. But please don't convince yourself that if you can't, it's over.

Give back to people as much as you can. Show the people in your life who support you that you care, and that all that they do for you matters.

Donate to good causes you believe in.

Stand up to bullshit whenever you see it.

Do not give up on your dreams and ambitions. One bad leader does not mean your future automatically ends. Stop worrying about any potential apocalypse in the future, because you can do that even on the best days, and instead work toward a future that you CAN achieve.

There's this pervasive and very inaccurate idea that it's only the president who gets to enforce policies on the country. This ignores governors, the House of Representatives, Congress, mayors, and the countless other leaders involved. And it ignores you.

You do not have to spend the next 3 years and 364 days doing nothing but feeling miserable. In fact, that's the last thing you should do. Fear and despair are the weapons they wield, and they only have as much power as you allow them to have over you.

If your view of politics is that you just have to vote for the "right one" and then everything will be utopian, or that if people vote for the wrong one" then we're headed for a terrible dystopian nightmare, I have to tell you that that is incredibly reductionist and also very dumb. I can also tell you from personal experience that it's not them who make the real changes where it's needed.

A friend sent me a video that really opened my eyes on this situation: Adam Conover, the guy behind Adam Ruins Everything, said he's not worried about all this. Why? Because he and some friends were able, through their own power, to make real positive changes in their community. They were able to bring homelessness down in their district by over 38% through their own efforts.

And he's right that, as a silver lining to all this, it made more Americans than ever take a stand against all the horrible shit they were seeing and get involved with solutions.

Speaking from my own experiences as well, when Hurricane Helene devastated my area, it wasn't the politicians who came and repaired roads and power lines, it wasn't them who brought in food and supplies to everyone, and it wasn't them who worked tirelessly to save people still in need. It was everyone in our local communities.

The people at the top have never really cared about anything more than your money and your vote, but the people around you care more than you may believe they would. Hell, even strangers on the internet care more than you'd believe.

Now, even if you've made it this far, you may be wondering "What about when he starts outlawing and banning things?" To that, I say look at Prohibition and see how well that went. Politicians have only ever operated under the idea that banning something will make it go away, and it always does the exact opposite. And if you're still worried, you can get involved with organizations that fight to support these things being available and regulated.

But by now, you may also be wondering "What if I can't get involved? What if I'm too young or I don't have the money, or my parents won't let me?"

Then just be kind.

Stop looking for enemies to blame. Don't martyr yourself for some nebulous cause or the idea that your suffering increasing means the rest of the suffering in the world will go down. Don't torture yourself by telling yourself that you didn't do enough.

Show compassion, show support, show love and genuine care toward people who need it, including yourself.

"But there's so many shitty people in this country and the world, why should I-" Stop thinking that way. This isn't about them, this is about you and how you can make a difference. There will probably always be shitheads and power-hungry morons, but that does not negate the fact that you can choose to be different. You can choose to be kind.

Kindness is a sword that you have to learn how to wield. Wield it responsibly and use it to help others. No matter how small or insignificant it may be, YOU DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

I say all this as a 29-year-old who spent most of his life feeling scared and miserable about so many current events, convincing myself I'm useless and selfish because I was worried about so much and I hated myself for all of it. And I've decide I'm not going to do that anymore.

During the last right-wing era, I managed to help build a whole community out of my love for Danganronpa. I created friendships, relationships, and there are people alive right now because I chose to do so. Because I chose to use that community for kindness. I want to keep building from there by going into streaming and reaching out to more people.

I won't lie to you and say that I'm not scared, because I am. But I'm also not going to let fear change who I am. I want us all to be better to ourselves and others, because that is how you defeat hate. It starts with you.

And if you're still concerned, let me share with you a quote from The Great Dictator, a movie made in 1940, when World War II wasn't even at its height yet:

To those who can hear me, I say - do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed - the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish…

Please take care of yourselves out there, everyone. We'll get through this, just as we always have.

[nyancrimew]

You do a lot of really cool stuff and you do it As You. How do you overcome the fear of being Perceived and Known? Especially when the stuff you're raising awareness about is controversial or big? I have anxiety and while the "fuck it we ball" mindset has gotten me fairly far, I still find myself regretting putting myself out there or regressing back into a shut in.

i feel like what helped me kinda deal with getting pretty well known is probably not really applicable to many other people, because most of it really was that ive just been slowly more and more exposed to a bigger and bigger level of fame since i was like 16 or so. long before i was at the point i am now i was a really well known person in the android modding community and then the broader and broader tech community, i definitely didn't deal super well with some of my first minutes of fame and there's lots of stuff i regret (i def let it get to my head for a while and because i was also slowly burning out at the time i was quite an asshole to a lot of people). i don't think that was necessarily the best for me at the time, but i learned some lessons especially about community building and i did a lot of media work already at the time so ive been honing my communications skills for almost 10 years at this point.

i first started blowing up with hacktivism related stuff around 2019, and then everytime i did again it was bigger and bigger, making massive international headlines for the first time in 2021 (with the verkada story). i still fucked up a lot and got very stressed at that time, especially with my mental health being extremely abysmal and paranoia growing as state repression became inevitable.

after the indictment in 2021 i did more and more press work again (there are lots of portraits of me from that era) but still wasn't like A Celebrity except for those brief moments, which (as i took a break from hacktivism) gave me some more time to grow and learn. by the time the no fly list hack happened in 2023 i had been spending a few months already doing various smaller cyber security related work and working with many of my journalist friends in the industry. in a lot of ways the no fly list leak and the media reaction to it was just routine work for me already at that point, which i think allowed me to take in all the social fame way better as well. it still all felt quite surreal, but i was already mostly media trained, had quite a bit of experience with working with an audience already so it was just kind of a matter of adapting to my new environment.

this isn't to say i was like specifically working towards fame (especially this level) but ive always cared about community/audience building and media communication. i don't think im like "fake" or whatever, but you do have to consider that despite my laid back style im still someone with an autistic special interest in personal branding and media communications. i just don't wanna do that for corporations or for profit and instead use it for my activist and journalist self advocacy to give things a platform.

[sorcerous-caress]

So fun fact about me irl I work with children but often my teacher language slips out like telling my friends to say “bye bye bus”, telling another person in my lecture writing to “be nice to the pencil, it’s your friend.” And greeting a roomful of grown as adults with good morning boys and girls. It’s mortifying but How do you think the companions would react to having a teacher!tav slip up like that.

Dealing with a Teacher Tav

[Bg3, fluff, platonic kinda, nb!reader]

[Gale, Shadowheart, Laezel, Wyll, Karlach, Astarion, Halsin, Minthara, Jaheira, Minsc]

Gale

He delightfully plays along whenever you tell him to thank a stranger or say goodbye to an inanimate object. He thinks it's very silly and joyous.

Teachers have always been a big part of his life, it doesn't phase him in the slightest when you unawarly awake the deep memories of being in wizards pre-school for him.

Says good morning to you back, adding a teacher honorific at the end for the sake of being playful while asking if you've finally graded the homework he handed in.

He gives you an apple occasionally. He thinks he is very hilarious.

Shadowheart

She freezes in awkwardness whenever it happens, not sure if you’re being serious or just playing around. Sometimes, you don't even register slipping up as go on with your day, leaving her wondering if she's imagining things.

She has zero experience with the school system, completely confused by the need to say thank you for carriage after it arrived. It's just a carriage, why should she?

One time while her and Laezel were arguing, you used the same call you'd use in the classroom to get the kids to quiet down and it completely caught them both off guard. They just stood there baffled, forgetting their original argument.

Laezel

Why, yes, she is very familiar with teachers. In fact, she was the best out of her class, ask any githyanki teacher, and they'd tell you endless praise about her throat cutting techniques and sword welding stances.

You, whoever, use very unusual teaching techniques. How would learning a song about washing your hand and brushing your teeth help her in slaying her enemies?

Intriguing, so you take advantage of the brain's tendency to latch on to phrases that rhyme, which makes them easier to remember? And you encode your melodies with instructions to embed them into the impressionable youth?

Huh. She actually is impressed. She made her decision, you will lend your teaching skills to help her embed the most effect way of fracturing someone's spine into a melody to spread to the githyanki children.

Wyll

As someone who has been an unofficial teacher for so many kids throughout his years, he can relate to your struggle a lot. He slips up more than he cares to admit.

The both of you meeting early in the morning while still groggy and tired, your brains working on automatic mods as you greet each other with the same high pitched enthusiastic voice you use to greet a toddler.

Then just stare at each other, complete understanding between the two of you. Like two people accidentally using their customer service voice in front of the other.

You struggle to tie your boots once, and he unconsciously bends down to tie them for you while using the rabbit loop euphemism, only to stop in his tracks as he realises what he's doing.

He uses a curse word once, and you immediately use your teachers voice and say, "we don't speak like that here, that's wasn't very nice."

You're both tired, you both need a nap and neither of you brings it up when the other slips.

Karlach

Much like Gale, she finds it extremely amusing. Top tier comedy to her. Unlike Gale, she hasn't been to any proper schooling system, so she doesn't exactly know what most of these phrases mean or imply.

In a way, it lets her pretend she was a part of something like a school in her youth, like she could've had a normal childhood like everyone else.

She'd indulge you, saying goodbye and thank you to the pigeon that delivered her a letter, or overhearing Wyll's rabbit loop ryhme and whispering it under her breath as she ties her own boots. Who knew this could've been so easy?

Astarion

You remind him of how Leon was with his daughter back in Cazador's manor. Astarion never was close with any of them, but still, he sometimes overheard him attempting to give his daughter a semblance of a normal childhood and growth.

It's endearing when you accidentally use your teaching ways while dealing with the owlbear cub, but he'll never admit it.

Doesn't indulge you with it, he has appearance to keep. Well, unless he has a chance to twist your innocent meaning words into a sex or gorey joke like the 12y old humour that he has.

Ah, the scrowl on your face is the exact same one Leon had around him, such fond memories.

Halsin

Ah, you bring him back to his old days of having to deal with the children at the grove. Although his methods focused more on showing them that nature is a friend rather than inanimate objects.

But who is he to judge your ways? If anything he could learn a thing or two from you to add to his skillset.

Tells you about the fables that were passed down from elf to elf throughout the generations, animal stories have always done a great part in teaching him morality.

Do you happen to have any? Maybe you could tell it to the children of the grove, they are good kids.

Minthara

As a noble, she was only given the best and most prestigious of teachers while growing up. Even the ones that weren't a drow would still be considered the best of the best, crème de la crème.

Yet not a single one of them applied such...childish methods. etiquette and discipline were taught by the lash and threat of punishment, not lullabies and gentle guidance.

....it's not as bad as she imagined.

She doesn't get why some of your companions find it amusing. She doesn't bother indulging either.

But sometimes, sometimes, when it's just the two of you, and she is sure not a single soul is around, she will reply with a pun with the most deadpan face expression you've seen.

Jaheira

Despite what most would think, she actually integrated the same methods into her teachings back when her kids were little, it just happened to be weaved with her more dangerous lifestyle ascept.

Here comes the plane, with the airplane usual holding a good dosage amount of poison to build resistance.

A short rhyme about what to check before leaving the house, except the list has a suspicious amount of daggers and trap disarm kits in it.

If it works, it works, so what if she had to alter a kid's book about a honey loving yellow bear into one with decipherable texts to teach them Harpers' secret communication language.

Minsc

Ah! Boo does use the same method on him sometimes, the two of you have a lot in common. Although Boo's methods do involve a bit of biting every now and then.

Say, how about he teaches you some fables from Rashemen, a lot of them are about a rabbit who got lost after not listening to his witch frog companion.

You could use it in your teachings later! Show the youth the importance of good teamwork. Yes, he is aware of the fact he didn't listen to Jaheira and got captured by the cult. No, he doesn't see why this is relevant? Why is Boo suddenly agreeing with you? He is supposed to be on his side.

[idalynsskyrimdiaries]

They should have let us spare Miraak. I am genuinely so hung up about this, it feels like a breakup. This man had us chasing him throughout the whole main DLC questline. This would have made a killer complex enemies-to-lovers or just friends dynamic. But no, the rancid tentacle monster that probably smells like expired ranch dressing and stale water just had to play us all like a fiddle and play puppet master. I don't care that he's the Daedric Prince of Knowledge and Fate, Herm's a two timing cigarette cud that came to life.

Yes, our pookie wanted to take over the world, but like what that Miraak follower mod had done, we could have become his new jailor of some sort with the "Bend Will" shout or possibly had an alternative route... I guess some things are just not meant to be, even though it would be nice to have one person in this universe who knows exactly what the LDB is going through. And no, the dragons do not count in the way I'm referring to.

I'm very thankful for the AO3 writers for giving me the copium I need

[marichatmay]

We're back! And stronger than ever <3 We know the wait is excruciating every year, so no beating around the bush: Let's make 2024 the year where we show canon what it fumbled!!

Rules:

Be sure to put #marichatmay2024 in the tags and to tag us @marichatmay so we can be sure to see your post and reblog it.

Don't forget to add the prompt title in the tags so mods can sort all posts.

Reminder that we will not be reblogging anything age-restricted/nsfw, though you are welcome to make any type of content you feel inspired to create!

S5 and the Special are no longer considered spoilers, there is no need to worry about spoiler tagging. However, leaks such as those from s6 and the upcoming special are NOT ALLOWED, tagged or not. Please respect those of us who do not want to be spoiled.

Please don't spam DMs or Asks with reminders to reblog your post unless it has been more than 48hrs since your post goes unnoticed. We aren't ignoring you, remember that mods aren't constantly online and this is for fun, not a full-time job.

You are, however, welcome to add your post to submissions if you want to share your art/fic/edit that way.

Most importantly, enjoy yourself! Don't stress over this fun event! If you fall behind, no worries, post it whenever. Marichat runs all year in our hearts, so why not post it whenever you complete it at your own pace? Take care of your health <3

Calendar in text:

First Sight

Balcony

Protective Marinette

Rescue

Secrets

Trust

Cheek Kiss

Oblivion

Movie Night

Sleepover

Hide Place

Promises

Roses

Letters

Snow in May

Lies

Deal

Secret Relationship

Anniversary

Dancing

Catnap

Lullaby

Waffles

Ice Cream

Makeover

Vintage Clothes

Poison

Dress-Up

Angelic/Demonic

Prince

Soulmates

[channel4sims-cc]

TS4: Baby Bath Seat override

Sul sul ^^

We finally got the infants! They're so cute, right? ^^

I'm sure a lot of creators are working on beautiful cc for them.

I decided to create an override version for their bath seat.

I kept the same style, but made an alpha version. It's a mix of my mesh with EA's.

There are 12 versions for you to choose which one you want to use :)

DOWNLOAD & INSTALL INSTRUCTIONS:

* The 12 package files are inside the zip/folder below. After you download and extract it, keep only the package file of the color you want and delete the other files.

* On the picture (link here) it  you can see all the different swatches. Let's just say that you want the "Yellow", for example. Then you'll only keep the "channel4sims - baby bath seat override - yellow" file and delete the other ones.

* You can only use 1 override at a time.

* Don't put the file inside more than 2 folders, or it may not work.

Example 1: Mods/Overrides/ (your file here). I Two folders, it'll work✔️

Example 2: Mods/Overrides/Infants/ (your file here) I Three folders, it may nor work  ❌

I hope you'll enjoy it a lot! :)

Have fun taking care of your little ones ^^

Happy Simming ^^

*-* DOWNLOAD (free/no adfly) *-*

[humanoid-life-form]

Heated (Part 1)

Alpha Claggor x Omega Reader, rated E (explicit)

Part 2

Part 3

-- -- --

Full work on AO3 ❤️

Let me know if you want to be tagged for Part 2!

I know Claggor senses it from the way his body goes rigid. I feel the heat rolling off me in waves, my scent suffusing the air around us. But Powder and Mylo, both betas, don't have the receptors to pick up on it. Really, they're lucky.

I slide into the booth beside Claggor, already involving myself in the conversation at the table.

“They keep wanting add-ons,” Powder is saying, resting her chin in one hand as she stirs her drink with the other. The metal straw clinks rhythmically against the glass. “I told Gert there's only so much I can do.” She puffs her cheeks out, ignoring the way Mylo perks up at the name. “We maxed everything out.”

“What sorts of mods do they want?” I ask. “Maybe I could figure something out.” It's only half true right now because I can feel the daze creeping in from the corners of my mind. I slip my hand into Claggor's, squeezing meaningfully. I see his head turn in my peripheral vision, and I can feel his eyes on me.

“Oh, Shay wants chem amps for her drumset,” Powder says flippantly. “I told her the stuff's loud enough already, but she said she wants the drummer equivalent of a drive pedal.”

“You sure she doesn't just want, like… the glowing lights?” I suggest. Chem mods not only changed the sound but also the aesthetic of the instruments. “Cuz it's not like—”

I stop mid-sentence, hit with a wave of vertigo. I have to close my eyes against my swimming vision.

“Whoa, Y/N, are you good?” Mylo's voice reaches me through the haze. I keep my eyes shut tight, feeling the world spin. I grip Claggor’s hand tighter as I feel a fluttering in my lower belly.

Then I’m being pulled in against him, tucked under his chin. I almost whine aloud at the contact, nuzzling my face into his neck and chest, taking in deep lungfuls of his scent. Cinnamon, flowers, earth, alpha.

My alpha.

“Claggor,” I whisper, feeling feverish. He’s nuzzling me in return, scenting me.

“Uhh….” Mylo sounds confused across the table. Not that I care. “Seriously, are you okay?”

“She’s fine,” says Claggor, his deep voice vibrating in his chest. “Just… not feeling well.”

I don’t have the energy to respond. I can barely pay attention to my surroundings.

“You should take her home,” Powder says, and I can tell she understands. “She’s…. She needs rest.”

I hum in agreement, squirming against Claggor as the heat threatens to bring a flush to my face. It only started thirty minutes ago! And I'm already losing my senses to my heat. Dimly, I realize he must be triggering it somehow—or at least exacerbating it. Or maybe I'm making it worse by being so close to him, breathing in his scent. But I don't care. He's intoxicating.

Claggor gently nudges me, so I reluctantly pull away from him to get out of the booth. My knees feel weak, but at least I can stand and walk. He places one hand on my back as we leave the bar and head out into the street.

On the walk to my place, we’re constantly touching, whether it’s his hand on my back or my arm around his waist. In a few minutes, we’re in my apartment building. As we climb the stairs to my floor, his scent sharpens into something hotter. Almost entirely cinnamon, no fresh flowers or earth. My fangs descend, and when I meet his burning gaze, his grey irises are thin rings around his dilated pupils.

I nearly drop my keys in my rush to get inside. He’s holding me from behind as I unlock the door, scenting me right here in the hallway. I’m sure everyone on my floor can smell us right now, but I don’t care. The pheromones will be blocked by my door and carried away by the specialty vents once we get inside.

Speaking of: the door finally unlocks. I sigh in relief, and we’ve barely made it over the threshold before I slam the door and press Claggor up against it. He has the presence of mind to turn the deadbolt, and then he’s kissing me.

It’s as though he’s a drowning man and I’m his last hope of oxygen. The kiss is hot and messy and wonderful. I pull his lower lip between my teeth, biting gently, and he groans into my mouth. The air is clouded with cinnamon, sugar, and sex—our scents mixing together into a rich aphrodisiac.

Somehow, we end up in my bedroom, and we’re stripping off each other’s clothes between kisses. My wetness is obvious now as he teases one finger against my underwear, and he huffs out a breath. “Fuck.”

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The moral injury of having your work enshittified

This Monday (November 27), I'm appearing at the Toronto Metro Reference Library with Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen.

On November 29, I'm at NYC's Strand Books with my novel The Lost Cause, a solarpunk tale of hope and danger that Rebecca Solnit called "completely delightful."

This week, I wrote about how the Great Enshittening – in which all the digital services we rely on become unusable, extractive piles of shit – did not result from the decay of the morals of tech company leadership, but rather, from the collapse of the forces that discipline corporate wrongdoing:

https://locusmag.com/2023/11/commentary-by-cory-doctorow-dont-be-evil/

The failure to enforce competition law allowed a few companies to buy out their rivals, or sell goods below cost until their rivals collapsed, or bribe key parts of their supply chain not to allow rivals to participate:

https://www.engadget.com/google-reportedly-pays-apple-36-percent-of-ad-search-revenues-from-safari-191730783.html

The resulting concentration of the tech sector meant that the surviving firms were stupendously wealthy, and cozy enough that they could agree on a common legislative agenda. That regulatory capture has allowed tech companies to violate labor, privacy and consumer protection laws by arguing that the law doesn't apply when you use an app to violate it:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

But the regulatory capture isn't just about preventing regulation: it's also about creating regulation – laws that make it illegal to reverse-engineer, scrape, and otherwise mod, hack or reconfigure existing services to claw back value that has been taken away from users and business customers. This gives rise to Jay Freeman's perfectly named doctrine of "felony contempt of business-model," in which it is illegal to use your own property in ways that anger the shareholders of the company that sold it to you:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/09/lead-me-not-into-temptation/#chamberlain

Undisciplined by the threat of competition, regulation, or unilateral modification by users, companies are free to enshittify their products. But what does that actually look like? I say that enshittification is always precipitated by a lost argument.

It starts when someone around a board-room table proposes doing something that's bad for users but good for the company. If the company faces the discipline of competition, regulation or self-help measures, then the workers who are disgusted by this course of action can say, "I think doing this would be gross, and what's more, it's going to make the company poorer," and so they win the argument.

But when you take away that discipline, the argument gets reduced to, "Don't do this because it would make me ashamed to work here, even though it will make the company richer." Money talks, bullshit walks. Let the enshittification begin!

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/22/who-wins-the-argument/#corporations-are-people-my-friend

But why do workers care at all? That's where phrases like "don't be evil" come into the picture. Until very recently, tech workers participated in one of history's tightest labor markets, in which multiple companies with gigantic war-chests bid on their labor. Even low-level employees routinely fielded calls from recruiters who dangled offers of higher salaries and larger stock grants if they would jump ship for a company's rival.

Employers built "campuses" filled with lavish perks: massages, sports facilities, daycare, gourmet cafeterias. They offered workers generous benefit packages, including exotic health benefits like having your eggs frozen so you could delay fertility while offsetting the risks normally associated with conceiving at a later age.

But all of this was a transparent ruse: the business-case for free meals, gyms, dry-cleaning, catering and massages was to keep workers at their laptops for 10, 12, or even 16 hours per day. That egg-freezing perk wasn't about helping workers plan their families: it was about thumbing the scales in favor of working through your entire twenties and thirties without taking any parental leave.

In other words, tech employers valued their employees as a means to an end: they wanted to get the best geeks on the payroll and then work them like government mules. The perks and pay weren't the result of comradeship between management and labor: they were the result of the discipline of competition for labor.

This wasn't really a secret, of course. Big Tech workers are split into two camps: blue badges (salaried employees) and green badges (contractors). Whenever there is a slack labor market for a specific job or skill, it is converted from a blue badge job to a green badge job. Green badges don't get the food or the massages or the kombucha. They don't get stock or daycare. They don't get to freeze their eggs. They also work long hours, but they are incentivized by the fear of poverty.

Tech giants went to great lengths to shield blue badges from green badges – at some Google campuses, these workforces actually used different entrances and worked in different facilities or on different floors. Sometimes, green badge working hours would be staggered so that the armies of ragged clickworkers would not be lined up to badge in when their social betters swanned off the luxury bus and into their airy adult kindergartens.

But Big Tech worked hard to convince those blue badges that they were truly valued. Companies hosted regular town halls where employees could ask impertinent questions of their CEOs. They maintained freewheeling internal social media sites where techies could rail against corporate foolishness and make Dilbert references.

And they came up with mottoes.

Apple told its employees it was a sound environmental steward that cared about privacy. Apple also deliberately turned old devices into e-waste by shredding them to ensure that they wouldn't be repaired and compete with new devices:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/22/vin-locking/#thought-differently

And even as they were blocking Facebook's surveillance tools, they quietly built their own nonconsensual mass surveillance program and lied to customers about it:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar

Facebook told employees they were on a "mission to connect every person in the world," but instead deliberately sowed discontent among its users and trapped them in silos that meant that anyone who left Facebook lost all their friends:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/facebooks-secret-war-switching-costs

And Google promised its employees that they would not "be evil" if they worked at Google. For many googlers, that mattered. They wanted to do something good with their lives, and they had a choice about who they would work for. What's more, they did make things that were good. At their high points, Google Maps, Google Mail, and of course, Google Search were incredible.

My own life was totally transformed by Maps: I have very poor spatial sense, need to actually stop and think to tell my right from my left, and I spent more of my life at least a little lost and often very lost. Google Maps is the cognitive prosthesis I needed to become someone who can go anywhere. I'm profoundly grateful to the people who built that service.

There's a name for phenomenon in which you care so much about your job that you endure poor conditions and abuse: it's called "vocational awe," as coined by Fobazi Ettarh:

https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2018/vocational-awe/

Ettarh uses the term to apply to traditionally low-waged workers like librarians, teachers and nurses. In our book Chokepoint Capitalism, Rebecca Giblin and I talked about how it applies to artists and other creative workers, too:

https://chokepointcapitalism.com/

But vocational awe is also omnipresent in tech. The grandiose claims to be on a mission to make the world a better place are not just puffery – they're a vital means of motivating workers who can easily quit their jobs and find a new one to put in 16-hour days. The massages and kombucha and egg-freezing are not framed as perks, but as logistical supports, provided so that techies on an important mission can pursue a shared social goal without being distracted by their balky, inconvenient meatsuits.

Steve Jobs was a master of instilling vocational awe. He was full of aphorisms like "we're here to make a dent in the universe, otherwise why even be here?" Or his infamous line to John Sculley, whom he lured away from Pepsi: "Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life or come with me and change the world?"

Vocational awe cuts both ways. If your workforce actually believes in all that high-minded stuff, if they actually sacrifice their health, family lives and self-care to further the mission, they will defend it. That brings me back to enshittification, and the argument: "If we do this bad thing to the product I work on, it will make me hate myself."

The decline in market discipline for large tech companies has been accompanied by a decline in labor discipline, as the market for technical work grew less and less competitive. Since the dotcom collapse, the ability of tech giants to starve new entrants of market oxygen has shrunk techies' dreams.

Tech workers once dreamed of working for a big, unwieldy firm for a few years before setting out on their own to topple it with a startup. Then, the dream shrank: work for that big, clumsy firm for a few years, then do a fake startup that makes a fake product that is acquihired by your old employer, as an incredibly inefficient and roundabout way to get a raise and a bonus.

Then the dream shrank again: work for a big, ugly firm for life, but get those perks, the massages and the kombucha and the stock options and the gourmet cafeteria and the egg-freezing. Then it shrank again: work for Google for a while, but then get laid off along with 12,000 co-workers, just months after the company does a stock buyback that would cover all those salaries for the next 27 years:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/10/the-proletarianization-of-tech-workers/

Tech workers' power was fundamentally individual. In a tight labor market, tech workers could personally stand up to their bosses. They got "workplace democracy" by mouthing off at town hall meetings. They didn't have a union, and they thought they didn't need one. Of course, they did need one, because there were limits to individual power, even for the most in-demand workers, especially when it came to ghastly, long-running sexual abuse from high-ranking executives:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/25/technology/google-sexual-harassment-andy-rubin.html

Today, atomized tech workers who are ordered to enshittify the products they take pride in are losing the argument. Workers who put in long hours, missed funerals and school plays and little league games and anniversaries and family vacations are being ordered to flush that sacrifice down the toilet to grind out a few basis points towards a KPI.

It's a form of moral injury, and it's palpable in the first-person accounts of former workers who've exited these large firms or the entire field. The viral "Reflecting on 18 years at Google," written by Ian Hixie, vibrates with it:

https://ln.hixie.ch/?start=1700627373

Hixie describes the sense of mission he brought to his job, the workplace democracy he experienced as employees' views were both solicited and heeded. He describes the positive contributions he was able to make to a commons of technical standards that rippled out beyond Google – and then, he says, "Google's culture eroded":

Decisions went from being made for the benefit of users, to the benefit of Google, to the benefit of whoever was making the decision.

In other words, techies started losing the argument. Layoffs weakened worker power – not just to defend their own interest, but to defend the users interests. Worker power is always about more than workers – think of how the 2019 LA teachers' strike won greenspace for every school, a ban on immigration sweeps of students' parents at the school gates and other community benefits:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/23/a-collective-bargain/

Hixie attributes the changes to a change in leadership, but I respectfully disagree. Hixie points to the original shareholder letter from the Google founders, in which they informed investors contemplating their IPO that they were retaining a controlling interest in the company's governance so that they could ignore their shareholders' priorities in favor of a vision of Google as a positive force in the world:

https://abc.xyz/investor/founders-letters/ipo-letter/

Hixie says that the leadership that succeeded the founders lost sight of this vision – but the whole point of that letter is that the founders never fully ceded control to subsequent executive teams. Yes, those executive teams were accountable to the shareholders, but the largest block of voting shares were retained by the founders.

I don't think the enshittification of Google was due to a change in leadership – I think it was due to a change in discipline, the discipline imposed by competition, regulation and the threat of self-help measures. Take ads: when Google had to contend with one-click adblocker installation, it had to constantly balance the risk of making users so fed up that they googled "how do I block ads?" and then never saw another ad ever again.

But once Google seized the majority of the mobile market, it was able to funnel users into apps, and reverse-engineering an app is a felony (felony contempt of business-model) under Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. An app is just a web-page wrapped in enough IP to make it a crime to install an ad-blocker.

And as Google acquired control over the browser market, it was likewise able to reduce the self-help measures available to browser users who found ads sufficiently obnoxious to trigger googling "how do I block ads?" The apotheosis of this is the yearslong campaign to block adblockers in Chrome, which the company has sworn it will finally do this coming June:

https://www.tumblr.com/tevruden/734352367416410112/you-have-until-june-to-dump-chrome

My contention here is not that Google's enshittification was precipitated by a change in personnel via the promotion of managers who have shitty ideas. Google's enshittification was precipitated by a change in discipline, as the negative consequences of heeding those shitty ideas were abolished thanks to monopoly.

This is bad news for people like me, who rely on services like Google Maps as cognitive prostheses. Elizabeth Laraki, one of the original Google Maps designers, has published a scorching critique of the latest GMaps design:

https://twitter.com/elizlaraki/status/1727351922254852182

Laraki calls out numerous enshittificatory design-choices that have left Maps screens covered in "crud" – multiple revenue-maximizing elements that come at the expense of usability, shifting value from users to Google.

What Laraki doesn't say is that these UI elements are auctioned off to merchants, which means that the business that gives Google the most money gets the greatest prominence in Maps, even if it's not the best merchant. That's a recurring motif in enshittified tech platforms, most notoriously Amazon, which makes $31b/year auctioning off top search placement to companies whose products aren't relevant enough to your query to command that position on their own:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/25/greedflation/#commissar-bezos

Enshittification begets enshittification. To succeed on Amazon, you must divert funds from product quality to auction placement, which means that the top results are the worst products:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/06/attention-rents/#consumer-welfare-queens

The exception is searches for Apple products: Apple and Amazon have a cozy arrangement that means that searches for Apple products are a timewarp back to the pre-enshittification Amazon, when the company worried enough about losing your business to heed the employees who objected to sacrificing search quality as part of a merchant extortion racket:

https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-gives-apple-special-treatment-while-others-suffer-junk-ads-2023-11

Not every tech worker is a tech bro, in other words. Many workers care deeply about making your life better. But the microeconomics of the boardroom in a monopolized tech sector rewards the worst people and continuously promotes them. Forget the Peter Principle: tech is ruled by the Sam Principle.

As OpenAI went through four CEOs in a single week, lots of commentators remarked on Sam Altman's rise and fall and rise, but I only found one commentator who really had Altman's number. Writing in Today in Tabs, Rusty Foster nailed Altman to the wall:

https://www.todayintabs.com/p/defective-accelerationism

Altman's history goes like this: first, he founded a useless startup that raised $30m, only to be acquired and shuttered. Then Altman got a job running Y Combinator, where he somehow failed at taking huge tranches of equity from "every Stanford dropout with an idea for software to replace something Mommy used to do." After that, he founded OpenAI, a company that he claims to believe presents an existential risk to the entire human risk – which he structured so incompetently that he was then forced out of it.

His reward for this string of farcical, mounting failures? He was put back in charge of the company he mis-structured despite his claimed belief that it will destroy the human race if not properly managed.

Altman's been around for a long time. He founded his startup in 2005. There've always been Sams – of both the Bankman-Fried varietal and the Altman genus – in tech. But they didn't get to run amok. They were disciplined by their competitors, regulators, users and workers. The collapse of competition led to an across-the-board collapse in all of those forms of discipline, revealing the executives for the mediocre sociopaths they always were, and exposing tech workers' vocational awe for the shabby trick it was from the start.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/25/moral-injury/#enshittification

[cookiescribble]

Flufftober Day 26: "I can't find it"

(gif source)

A/N: i had a different idea for this fic but then it got lost in the ether so uhhh have this instead. Happy almost halloween everybody! thank you for being so patient with us omg. These are gonna be a little out of order as we play catch up- mod ghost

Ship: Gale Dekarios x GN!Reader

Summary: The only reason Gale’s tower in waterdeep was even semi organized was because of you, but that didn’t stop him from misplacing even the smallest of things.

“Where is it, where is it!” Gale groaned, shuffling through his mess of a desk in the morning light shining down on him from the open curtains leading out to the balcony. It was early morning, much earlier than when you usually awoke, but the warmth of Gale slowly fading to the cooler room temperature shook you from sleep. So now, you padded out to find him scrambling like a mad man and muttering to himself. 

“What in the hells are you looking for?” You whispered with your voice rough from sleep, gently resting your hand on his shoulder now that you were close enough to touch him. It had apparently startled him, though, since he was so entranced by his search that he didn’t hear you approach. “By Mystra’s eyelashes, when did you get over here?” He exclaimed, clutching his chest like a grandmother with her pearls which made you giggle uncontrollably.

You shook your head at him, gently brushing a strand of hair away that had fallen into his eyes. “I’ll answer your question when you answer mine.”

“Oh—I was looking for one of the grimoires that I needed to take to the academy with me. I’m not…entirely sure where it may have run off to.” Gale scratched at his head while he spoke, looking past you and around the room until you cupped his cheeks which made him stop entirely. 

“Alright, take a deep breath, and then describe the book and then we can look for it together, yeah?” You suggested, to which he nodded while taking a slow and deep inhale. For a moment, he let himself savor the feeling of your touch on his face and the gentle silence of the room. Sometimes, he desperately needed a second or two to just breathe, especially when he’d gotten himself worked into a frenzy. You knew that about him, as well as the fact that he wouldn’t be the one to do it himself, so this was a simple way to sort of reset him, for lack of a better term. Gently forcing him to slow down and think. 

Gale’s dark brown eyes slowly opened again as he sighed just before speaking again. “This…may come as quite the surprise to you, but the book is leather bound.” Before you could comment on just how many leather bound books the wizard owned, a smirk cracked his face and made you realize he wasn’t quite finished talking yet. 

“Right, go on,” You playfully rolled your eyes at him, turning around in his hold to set your sights on the room before you as you felt his hands slide across your waist. His arms then settled around your waist as his chin came to rest upon your shoulder while he continued to speak.

“The front cover also has an engraving of a rose on the front, with ancient runes scrawled underneath.” You could almost picture the book in your mind as he described it, as it was one he carried with him most days. 

After a moment of careful consideration and a thorough glance at the room, you put your hand over his arm that was around your waist before speaking, “…My love, have you checked your study? You usually take it in there after a full day of teaching at Blackstaff.” You asked, turning your head just enough to look at him. 

Without another word, his face scrunched in concentration as he whisked off to the study a few feet away. A few moments later, though, he emerged once more with a wide grin on his face as he held the book over his head, clearly victorious. 

“Have I told you how much I love you?” Gale gave a wistful sigh as he approached, his arms once again looping around you. 

“Once or twice, but I wouldn’t mind hearing it again,” you chuckled, your own arms encircling his neck to pull him ever closer as he kissed you. 

Gale let out a laugh of his own as he pulled away, “I love you.” The way he said it always felt like he was falling for you all over again, like you hadn’t been married for over a year. 

“I love you, too, you goofy wizard you.” You teased him lightly, leaning your forehead against his. 

“Goofy?? You make your husband sound like some sort of loon!” He sounded incredulous, but the smile on his face told you all you needed to know about how he felt when you said that. 

“Yes, but you’re my loon, which is why I’m allowed to say such things.” You grinned mischievously, though quickly distracted as he gave you another short yet sweet kiss before rushing off toward the academy with a promise of returning home later.