#*modified to get past censorship

[karamell-sweetz]

my magnum opus

[p5x-theories]

hey ! sorry if this has been asked before , just generally curious

how do you normally get access to all of these files ? do you yourself somehow rip them from the beta or something or do you obtain them secondhand ?

sorry if this sounds weird , ive never been able to figure out how people rip files n im curious as someone really into programming n such

Haha, I actually learned how to datamine just for getting the files from this game! I was annoyed that it felt like none of the dataminers I was seeing on Twitter were posting as thoroughly as they could be, so I decided to start going through everything myself.

I've posted about my process before, but things changed a little with the open beta, so here's what I currently do. I don't know how universally applicable for other games this is, but it works for this one!

I download the latest version of the mainland China open beta. I could datamine the Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan one instead, since that's the one I actually play, but mainland gets the updates a week sooner, so even though it has more censorship that's the one I always grab files from. If you already have the game, you don't need to download it from the site again, you can just run the game and it'll update upon startup whenever there's an update available.

I close the game once the update's done, and check which files updated (if you're downloading the game for the first time, obviously they'll all be new, otherwise you can check the date the file was modified). There are two places that could be updated: /client/bin, and/or /client/OuterPackage. In the past /bin was for bigger updates (usually story updates) while /OuterPackage was for other updates, but they've been updating /bin more and more lately. /bin is ALL the game files (stored in vfiles), while /OuterPackage is just the latest update stuff (stored in /Bundles bundle files).

a. If I just need the /OuterPackage files, great! That's way easier and faster, both for decrypting and for sorting through, since it's just a small slice of the files (I think Version 2.3.2's OuterPackage bundles were about 6 GB). I use this tool, the original upload for which was deleted so I uploaded it to share, and just put it in the /OuterPackage/Bundles folder, then double click the file to run it. b. If I need the /bin files, ugh. That means wading through all the files in the game- and a longer decryption time. I use this tool for that, and end up with a huge pile of all the stuff in the game to sort through (right now the vfiles are about 41 GB).

Either way, once the files are decrypted, I can open them in AssetStudioMod to view them and export them into a usable format. For the sake of efficiency, rather than going through every single file manually, I have a list of a ton of file name keywords to search to quickly look for anything interesting and new. The files aren't really sorted, so I do still end up having to check all 200 folders (whether from /bin or /OuterPackage/Bundles) each time to find everything, even when I know what I'm looking for.

And now I have the image files, 3D models, and fonts! It's also possible to export other stuff, like rigging and animation, but I haven't figured out how to actually implement those, and it'd probably be more time-consuming than it's worth.

For audio files, it's way easier- I don't even need to decrypt them, I can just use foobar2000 to open them directly from the game files (/client/bin/Media and /client/OuterPackage/Media). They're compressed into groups that foobar2000 can split back into separate audio files, so it does still take a bit of digging to find anything new and interesting, but it's much faster than the bundles.

There's also the Lua files, in /client/OuterPackage/Lua, though I don't actually check them much since it tends to be the less interesting data about how the game works. You can use this tool to decrypt them, though!

The more interesting stuff (like mainline quest text) is hidden in the Config files (for instance, those in /client/OuterPackage/Config), but I don't know how to decrypt those, and the people that do are very protective of it since that's the kind of serious information that the developers would probably tighten security on if they knew people were getting into it at all.

I hope that's the answer you were looking for, heh! Possibly I went a bit more in-depth than you wanted, but oh well. I try to be open about how I do all this, since it was a bit of a pain figuring some of it out on my own for the first time, when I was only seeing others post tidbits of the process at most.

[childofaura]

The localization/censorship debate and why people need to do their damn job

… I know I’ve been making too many posts for someone who’s supposed to be on break. I may have to modify it to “I won’t be engaging with anyone right now and I may just pop in once in a while to talk about issues going on”.

Because right now, this issue is pretty important and as you all know, I hate censorship or dishonest localizations. That was my big issue with Fire Emblem Engage, and you can find my post with the video from Censored Gaming here: https://childofaura.tumblr.com/post/711372254663131136/so-as-ive-been-playing-engage-with-the-japanese

ANYWHO, there has been a MASSIVE shitstorm in the anime/localization community happening the past week or two. This has actually been brewing over several years but it’s now been gaining traction. And right now I’m here to divulge it to Tumblr so people understand what’s going on. Putting a Read More because this could get lengthy.

So as far as I can reach back to see where this recent maelstrom of drama has started, it began with this recent announcement:

(Sorry, had to post the IMDB article, the official tweet doesn’t mention AI)

Now personally, I still stand firm by my AI stance, but I don’t defend official localizers. If I can make the decision, I’d go with fansubs; I’ve watched Ginga Densetsu Weed and currently am watching the OG Urusei Yatsura anime with fansubs (fansubs are charming and I appreciate the context they provide with translator notes. Yeah we all clown on the “According to keikaku” meme but it’s harmless to the overall sub).

Personal note aside, this has caused many localizers to start flipping their shit on Twitter, and somehow infamous “localizer” Jamie Marchi, the one who was responsible for the cringy and insecure “pesky patriarchal societal demands” and the infamous rewrite from “But we’re girls” to “But I don’t like girls” (which from general consensus comes off as a homophobic rewrite), catches wind of this. And she goes apeshit over people calling out her horrible line rewrites:

Constantly ignoring better suggestions, the story’s own canon, and just generally throwing a huge hissy fit over the fact that people (like me) don’t fucking like their product being tampered with.

All of this was sent to a Youtuber named Asmongold TV. I don’t know who he is, I’m not familiar with him, but apparently he’s got a pretty big following, and a big Japanese following too. Thus, this video was made:

And this caused a HUGE outreach; even people in Japan are taking notice and this is spreading like wildfire:

So now it looks like people are REALLY taking notice of this issue that’s been underlying the anime/manga community.

My thoughts on it:

This is why people who inject Western culture, slang, or politics into subtitles should have just stuck to their fucking jobs. This isn’t a general statement to all localizers because I know there’s probably a few who actually care about preserving the context of the original media, but this is what happens. You have shitty players in this game who not only ruined it for themselves, but for EVERYONE. This was self-inflicted. And I’m glad that it’s starting to spread like wildfire, because accurate translations should be expected and the norm. We shouldn’t even be here in the first place.

[zelihatrifles]

1984

This was a read long long due. You cannot possibly criticise any totalitarian(ish) regime unless you're acquainted with Orwell's Big Brother. You'd feel chilled before you even get to the actual horrors. And just when you think it could not be any worse, Orwell worsens it by adding new levels of dictatorship, control and censorship, so much so that it almost makes you grateful for the reality you live in now.

The only way to survive in this 1984 is to be absolutely brainwashable. Here, books are genuine commodities, o Raymond Williams and o cultural studies! And here, love and sex are political in a way they've never been. In fact, Julia presents a very freudian understanding of libido and its role in party doctrine.

"If both the past and the external word exist only in the mind, and if the mind itself is controllable - what then?"

Actual erasure and reconstruction of the past is possible through doublethink because it not only resolves contradictions but also makes you forget that there ever were contradictions: "The past was alterable. The past never had been altered."

Reality is not textual as poststructuralists would say, and it's definitely not objective it "exists in the human mind", not in records and memories because both are modifiable and fallible.

"Power is not a means, it is an end."

In this unapologetic proclamation of tyranny, slavery is taught to be freedom because the human being alone is always defeated so if he can make complete utter submission, he can escape from his identity and merge himself in the party so that he is the party, and then he is all powerful and immortal. And for those who disappear, "Posterity will never hear of you... You will never have existed" because they would first have been broken in Room 101 which reminds you of that spell in Harry Potter about the boggart. Boggarts are a kind of spirits that realise what your greatest fear is, and morph into that shape, and the only way you can defeat them is by making them ridiculous and thus you end up conquering your greatest fears. But Room 101 is exposure therapy without the end result, it ends at complete and irreversible submission to Big Brother.

The novel, a true dystopian proposition, ends on a very dark note, but one sentence from the revolutionary Brotherhood's manifesto stays in your mind as a faint ray of light, as a possibility, however flickering, of change, in a distant future:

"There is no possibility that any perceptible change will happen within our own lifetime."

Hence, stays too the drive to steadily gnaw at the totalitarian machinery, the chance of it changing some day.

[howtodownloadavpnforpc]

can you use mega.nz without vpn

🔒🌍✨ Get 3 Months FREE VPN - Secure & Private Internet Access Worldwide! Click Here ✨🌍🔒

can you use mega.nz without vpn

Mega.nz security risks

Mega.nz, a popular cloud storage platform, offers users the convenience of storing and sharing files online. However, like any online service, it's essential to be aware of potential security risks associated with its use.

One primary concern with Mega.nz is its encryption method. While the platform boasts end-to-end encryption, which theoretically ensures that only the user can access their files, there have been past incidents where vulnerabilities were discovered. In 2018, for example, a security researcher found a flaw that could potentially allow attackers to intercept and modify encrypted messages, compromising the security of users' data.

Another issue is the reliance on the user's master encryption key. Mega.nz operates on a zero-knowledge principle, meaning the platform itself doesn't have access to users' encryption keys. However, if a user forgets their key, they may lose access to their files permanently, as Mega.nz cannot reset or recover forgotten keys. This places the responsibility of key management solely on the user, which can be a risk if the key is lost or compromised.

Furthermore, Mega.nz has faced criticism regarding its privacy policies and past encounters with law enforcement. Some users may be concerned about the platform's cooperation with authorities and the potential for their data to be accessed or monitored.

To mitigate these risks, users should take proactive measures to enhance their security on Mega.nz. This includes using strong, unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and regularly updating security settings. Additionally, users should exercise caution when sharing sensitive information and consider encrypting files before uploading them to the platform.

In conclusion, while Mega.nz offers convenient cloud storage services, users should be aware of the potential security risks involved. By staying informed and implementing best practices for security, users can minimize the likelihood of their data being compromised.

VPN necessity for Mega.nz

In the digital age, online privacy and security have become paramount concerns for internet users worldwide. As we increasingly rely on cloud storage services like Mega.nz to store and share our files, the need for a Virtual Private Network (VPN) has never been more crucial.

Mega.nz is a popular cloud storage platform known for its generous free storage space and robust encryption protocols. However, despite its security measures, Mega.nz users are still vulnerable to cyber threats such as hacking, data breaches, and surveillance. By using a VPN, Mega.nz users can add an extra layer of security to their online activities.

A VPN encrypts the user's internet connection, making it nearly impossible for hackers or third parties to intercept and decipher their data. This means that when a Mega.nz user accesses their files or shares them with others, the information remains private and protected.

Moreover, a VPN offers the added benefit of masking the user's IP address, making it difficult for websites, ISPs, or governments to track their online activities. This is particularly important for users in countries with strict internet censorship laws, as it allows them to bypass restrictions and access Mega.nz and other websites freely and securely.

In conclusion, while Mega.nz provides a secure platform for storing and sharing files, adding a VPN to the mix enhances the user's privacy and security. By investing in a VPN service, Mega.nz users can enjoy peace of mind knowing that their data is safe from prying eyes and cyber threats.

Encrypted file sharing on Mega.nz

Title: Exploring Secure File Sharing: Mega.nz's Encrypted Platform

In today's digital age, privacy and security are paramount concerns, especially when it comes to sharing sensitive files online. Mega.nz stands out as a leading platform offering encrypted file sharing services, ensuring users' data remains secure throughout the transfer process.

Mega.nz employs state-of-the-art encryption technology to safeguard users' files. The platform utilizes end-to-end encryption, which means that only the sender and the intended recipient can decrypt and access the shared files. This ensures that even Mega.nz itself cannot access the contents of the files, enhancing confidentiality.

One of the key features of Mega.nz is its robust encryption protocol. It utilizes the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm with a key length of 128 bits, providing strong protection against unauthorized access. Additionally, Mega.nz employs Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption during file transfer, further enhancing the security of data in transit.

Moreover, Mega.nz offers a secure sharing mechanism through password protection and link encryption. Users can set passwords for shared files, adding an extra layer of security. Additionally, links to shared files are encrypted, preventing unauthorized parties from intercepting and accessing them.

Furthermore, Mega.nz provides users with control over their shared files through customizable permissions. Users can specify who has access to their files and can revoke access at any time. This ensures that sensitive information remains protected and only accessible to authorized individuals.

In conclusion, Mega.nz offers a comprehensive solution for secure file sharing, combining robust encryption, password protection, link encryption, and customizable permissions. Whether it's personal documents, business files, or multimedia content, users can trust Mega.nz to keep their data safe and confidential throughout the sharing process.

Mega.nz privacy concerns

Understanding Mega.nz Privacy Concerns

Mega.nz, a cloud storage and file hosting service, has garnered both praise and criticism since its inception. While it boasts robust encryption and generous storage options, privacy concerns have often shadowed its reputation.

One of the primary concerns revolves around Mega's encryption model. While the platform encrypts user files using AES encryption before they are uploaded, the keys are held by the user, not Mega.nz itself. While this theoretically ensures user privacy, it also means that if users lose their encryption keys, they lose access to their files permanently. Moreover, this decentralized key management system has raised doubts among some security experts about its effectiveness in safeguarding user data.

Another issue that has raised eyebrows is Mega's past run-ins with law enforcement and copyright infringement allegations. The platform was founded by Kim Dotcom, who faced legal battles related to copyright infringement through his previous venture, Megaupload. Although Mega.nz claims to comply with copyright laws and swiftly responds to takedown requests, its association with Dotcom's controversial past has led some users to question its commitment to user privacy and data protection.

Additionally, Mega.nz's New Zealand jurisdiction has sparked concerns among users regarding government surveillance and data retention laws. While New Zealand generally has strong privacy laws, the country is a member of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, raising apprehensions about potential government access to user data stored on Mega's servers.

Despite these concerns, Mega.nz continues to attract users with its generous free storage offerings and user-controlled encryption. However, individuals must weigh the benefits of the service against the potential privacy risks and exercise caution when storing sensitive information on the platform. As with any cloud service, it's essential for users to stay informed about privacy policies, encryption practices, and any legal issues that may impact their data security.

Accessing Mega.nz safely

Accessing Mega.nz Safely

Mega.nz is a popular cloud storage platform that allows users to store and share large files securely. However, like any online service, there are potential risks associated with using Mega.nz. To ensure that you can access Mega.nz safely and protect your data, it is important to follow some best practices.

First and foremost, when creating an account on Mega.nz, make sure to use a strong and unique password. Avoid using easily guessable passwords or reusing passwords from other accounts to prevent unauthorized access to your Mega.nz account. Additionally, enabling two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring a verification code in addition to your password.

When uploading files to Mega.nz, be cautious about the content you are sharing. Avoid uploading or sharing copyrighted material, sensitive personal information, or any illegal content to prevent any legal issues or breaches of privacy.

Furthermore, be mindful of the links you click on while using Mega.nz. Avoid clicking on suspicious links or pop-ups that may lead to phishing sites or malware downloads. It is recommended to access Mega.nz directly by typing the URL in your browser rather than clicking on links from unknown sources.

Lastly, regularly update your browser and operating system to ensure that you have the latest security patches installed. By keeping your software up to date, you can protect yourself against potential vulnerabilities that cybercriminals may exploit to access your data on Mega.nz.

By following these safety tips, you can enjoy the convenience of using Mega.nz for storing and sharing files while minimizing the risks associated with cloud storage platforms.

[notfebruary]

I sure have all sorts of nuanced opinions on the current state of media literacy among humanity's population that I'm just... way too tired to even try to talk about at length.

It's such a complicated problem that has roots in so many different topics which might not even appear related at first glance.

I wouldn't even know where to begin trying to explain all of my thoughts on the current "media literacy crisis" to anyone, and I'm definitely not an expert in any one of the topics involved.

And I'm definitely not enough of an expert to even try to tell other people what they should or should not think about it.

So instead, I'll ask some questions. Questions about arbitrary things that I still haven't quite found the answer to yet which spring to mind when the words 'media literacy crisis' cross my mind.

Why not look consider the way that technology is evolving faster than underfunded and gutted school systems can keep up teaching people about them, and how these systems are structured around a lifestyle from more than half a century ago which has changed drastically since then?

Just look at how many people in recent generations don't know how to perform basic tasks like cooking, cleaning, or doing basic taxes because they were just... never taught how to do them or why they're important.

Remember when there used to be a whole mandatory class that taught that stuff to people in high school called Home Economics? I sure don't, because it was long gone by the time I was even old enough to take the class!

There is an alarmingly small number of people in society who actually know how to competently use anything other than a smart device, and fewer who can actually repair and modify them(if they're even allowed to by law).

There's also a huge amount of people who inhabit online spaces that don't know how to protect themselves from those who might seek to harm them. Even if they don't readily give out their personal information(as many actually do), corporations have been allowed to gleefully scrape information about them from posts by their unwitting parents or even themselves - all for the purpose of getting them to spend money.

Why aren't these kinds of things being taught in an accessible manner? Is it a deliberate effort to make people less learned and more reliant on corporate products, or is it a mere side effect of individual cases of nepotism or wanting to spend more money on other things like military funding?

Why is military might considered so much more important to fund than public knowledge?

What about the slippery slope of censorship? Particularly, the kind which is ostensibly in place to protect certain groups of people(often children) but in practice is actually used as an excuse to silence and scrub the existence of minority groups from public exposure?

Pretending that someone doesn't exist doesn't make them go away.

It may, in fact, make it easier for people who are actually abusing others to get away with it by pointing at a scapegoat.

If no one knows enough about the scapegoat in question to object to the accuser's claims, then why wouldn't they choose to believe that this other group of people they know so little about will do these atrocious things?

It's much easier to think of abusers and exploiters as an unknowable and inherently immoral 'outsider' than it is to think of them as the family members, friends, and community members that they so often end up being.

How about the notable lack of standardized learning available for topics related to emotional intelligence?

Like, why do so many people not know how to treat other people like human beings and manage their own emotional problems until they have the money to go talk to a therapist or counselor? That kind of information should be way more widespread than it is.

We're getting there, but frankly... we still ain't there yet as a whole.

How do you know who you should trust, and when you should forgive someone who's wronged you or screwed up in the past? When do you stop handing out second chances, and to who?

If someone's had a storied and well-known history as a liar and a con man, and they say they're turning over a new leaf and mean well, at what point is it reasonable to take them at their word? How do you tell?

How can you tell if someone you've been told terrible things about your whole life is actually as terrible as you've been told? Should you trust what other people have said about them, or judge them based on your own experiences? At what point is it reasonable to put yourself at risk out of compassion, and at what point is it cruel to shut someone out for making genuine mistakes and wanting to do better?

And at what point should a mistake never be forgiven by others? What do you do if someone never actually made that mistake, but because someone else said they did, they suffer for it?

There's just... so much to think about.

There are so many things which just can't be adequately solved by an easy answer. Not without approaching dangerous levels of ignorance - the kind of ignorance that allow someone to commit atrocities against other human beings, because they don't see them as other human beings at all.

At what point do you draw the line?

Who deserves to exist and who doesn't?

What kind of content should be allowed to exist and what shouldn't?

How do you stop that kind of thing you don't think should exist from existing at all without impacting other groups unintentionally in the process?

If something bad exists, does pretending it isn't there and removing it from the public eye actually do anything to reduce it from causing harm?

Or will it just reduce victims of abhorrent crimes to suffering in silence as everyone around them pretends the people hurting them don't even exist?

I wish there was a simple answer to all of these complicated things. But then again, people are not simple creatures.

[potteresque-ire]

Not sure if this has circulated before, but here’s a link to Henry Jenkin’s reactions to 227, largely as responses to an interview he did with Sanlian Lifeweek magazine (三聯生活周刊), a publication modelled after TIME magazine and published under China Press Publishing group (中國出版集團), the largest and state-owned publisher in China. The magazine asked for Jenkin’s opinions on the fandom-related aspects of 227 back in March, 2020. Henry Jenkins, as many may already know, is among the most renowned scholars of (Western) fan culture ... if not the most renowned.

Personally, I find this article to be quite limited in perspective, because 227 had a significant non-fandom-oriented, sociopolitical component ~ and hence its scope, its chaos, its damage. IMO, 227 stopped being a fan war, stopped being about solos, cpfs, and even Gg the moment AO3 was shut down ~ the powerful Chinese state had intervened, and the incident necessarily became a political incident. That One Fic on AO3, the conflict between solos and cpfs about whether and where That Fic should exist was at most a lighter left at the scene of what would become the blaze; it wasn’t even responsible for igniting the first fire. Most i-turtles (i-fruits?) are probably aware too at this point: if fan wars are sufficient to start 227, then there wouldn’t have been a 227 ~ because 227 would have been every date of the year.

Fan culture is fundamentally transgressive, and what that means can only be defined in the context of the subculture’s “mainstream” sociopolitical and cultural environment. I therefore find the article’s attempt to transplant Western fan culture’s observations / theories / analysis / conclusions to the incident without explicitly comparing, addressing in depth the differences of the pre- and post-transplant environment to be ... prone to rejections (as organs are after transplantations!)—exclusion from being useful or valid. And this article was very short on such comparisons or address. Jenkins being a fandom expert aside (and he was careful about not treading outside his area of expertise), early “antis” of 227 presented themselves as crusaders for the freedom of speech and, by late March when this article was published, the heated debates surrounding the incident on Chinese social media had already led to embarrassment for multiple powerful state publications. It was probably a wise choice to not make another dive into the political aspects of the incident.

Being a new(-ish) turtle who joined the fandom a full half-year after 227, I’ve been backtracking, trying to really understand the incident, which remains very much beyond comprehension in many aspects. The discussions I’ve dug up that have most fascinated me have been those in non-fandom spaces, by non-fandomers / politics enthusiasts who barely knew who Gg was, who didn’t know That One Fic involved more than one idol and had zero knowledge about solos vs cpfs. In these discussions, “antis” are not referred to as “antis” because while the action of the so-called “227 coalition” was to kill Gg’s career, that wasn’t considered its ultimate goal ~ its ultimate goal was to warn whoever tried to clamp down the freedom of expression that their opposition was strong enough, populous to fight back and take away whatever, whoever those who attempted the clamp-down care the most about. In this case, “Gg fans”—I put this in quotes because eventually, no one would know who would lurk behind those pro-Gg Weibo IDs (and the anti-Gg ones as well)—were the perceived enemies of creative freedom. Gg, assumed to be the one, the symbol of what “GG fans” cared about the most, naturally became the target of the coalition.

Gg wasn’t special in that sense ~ and that was perhaps, the saddest thing I found about this incident as a Gg fan (without quotation marks); Gg could be any idol who achieved top fame at the moment, who had enough fans to make the point known. The coalition was therefore not “anti-Gg” in its ideological sense. It was anti the fan circle culture that had cemented Gg’s popularity, that had already been known to deal extremely poorly with dissent—complaints had been abound that c-ent was no longer fun for bystanders because the latter could issue no critique, not even doubt, about an idol without the fear of being reported, torn down by fans. The coalition eventually grew to include anti the many happenings, the many censorships and imprisonments in the past few years that had silenced the creative crowd in China, happenings people dared not speak about beyond a loud grumbling ...

The coalition tried to take down Gg, because they couldn’t take down the force that had shut down AO3, that was truly responsible for the silencing. They played the Hunger Games in the Weibo arena instead of challenging Who The Real Enemy Was, because some might not have given much thought about  The Enemy; some might have thought the Enemy too invincible to be worth the effort; some might have got too carried away by their blood thirst, the cruel schadenfreude of shredding a beautiful, successful young man into pieces, and forgot why they were there in the first place ... 

And that was only the political side of 227. 227 was also widely suspected to have a commercial component, which added another layer to the symbolism behind Gg the Idol ~ pretty much as soon as 227 happened, netizens investigated, tried to uncover the chain of capital behind Gg. With the scent of money was the memory of filth associated with it, in a country not exactly  unknown for its corrupt business practices. Much like in The Book of Exodus in the Bible, the Idol is believed to be forged with gold; it is ungodly, tainted. Whether Gg the Person was identical to Gg the Idol, Gg the Symbol mattered to few. That Gg *was* a person seemed lost to many ... 

I’ll have to dive into the non-fandom aspects of 227 with more rigour. As much as I'd love to leave 227 behind, every time I see Gg, I see its legacy on his face, in his smile, and perhaps, I’m not the only one ~ ADLAD cast him as Patient #5 because of 227′s effect on him. Put it another way, 227 is already modifying, writing Gg’s career trajectory ~ a trajectory that is undoubtedly under scrutiny by many who wish to duplicate his success but circumvent his pain. And every time I see a young idol—Gg, Dd, and anyone else—I wonder if the hurt of 227 can happen to them (again) because the crux of the incident has never been resolved; the oppression and silencing have remained strong as ever. 

Anyway (sorry for the rant) ... what I found noteworthy about this article was the quotes the magazine highlighted in its published form (in Chinese), which weren’t highlighted by Jenkins on his own website. They reflected what the magazine would like to be the take-home messages of the interview. I’ve listed them below; all of which had Jenkins as the speaker:

[Pie Note: About Real Person Fiction (RPF) in Western fandoms]

“American fans often do have some shared norms about what is and is not appropriate to write, mostly having to do with protecting the privacy of other people in the star’s life. Writing about the star is seen as fair game; writing about their family members is not.”

---

[Pie Note: About GG being “cast” as a transgender woman in The One Fic that started the incident; gender in fandom]

“We write fan fiction as a form of speculation and exploration. For some people, it may be one of the few spaces in the culture where they can express who they are, what they are feeling, what they are desiring. And for others, it is a place of “what if” where they explore in fantasy things they would not necessarily desire in reality.” 

---

[Pie Note: Whether GG should be held responsible for his fans’ behaviour]

“Under these circumstances, I would not hold a performer responsible for his fans’ behaviors but the performer is responsible for their own behavior and fans may respond negatively to performers who over-react to the existence of alternative fantasies and insult or hector their audiences.”    

---

[Pie Note: About AO3 and why fans were so upset about its closure] “Keep in mind that AO3 is a particular kind of platform. Alongside Wikipedia, AO3 is one of the greatest accomplishments of participatory culture in the digital era.”

---

[Pie Note: About the “problematic” content on AO3]

“Among my findings were that fan fiction sites can be a valuable space for young people to acquire skills (and receive feedback) on their writing from more experienced writers who share these same passions ... That said, while teens have participated in fandom, a large part of those on AO3 are adults, engaging in adult conversations on adult topics.”

---

[Pie Note: About media text in the new media era]

“First, I would stress the proliferation of media texts at the current moment ... We have access to a much broader range of media content than ever before and in this context, fans play a constructive role in curating that content, helping some shows get greater visibility ...  Second, these texts have become more malleable”

---

[Pie Note: About idols not producing “good” media texts]

“Rather, the question should be what are fans finding meaningful about these performers and the texts they generate. I start from the premise that human beings do not engage in meaningless activities. I may not immediately recognize why something is meaningful but my job as a scholar is to understand why cultural materials are meaningful to the people who cherish them.”

---

My understanding of this selection of quotes is this: this state publication (as others) was quite ready to forgive Gg, to put this incident behind. It could choose to not publish this interview; it could choose to leave out certain quotes, or not do the highlighting that cast both AO3 and Gg in a positive / innocent light. But it did all these things. This article furthers my impression that the state never intended 227 to blow up the way it did, and that it did—enough for stories about it to be found in non-China websites, and in English—was what I’m still trying to comprehend. 227 was, admittedly, how I was first introduced to Gg beyond Wei Wuxian. And as I got to know Gg, like Gg, my want to understand 227 only becomes stronger, perhaps because only through comprehension I feel I can find peace for the GG fan (again, without quotation marks) in me.

Maybe I should email Dr Jenkins and ask if he’s looking for a PhD candidate. 5 years of research and thinking ... maybe that’s what it’ll take. 

I feel I’ve already started anyway. 

[murfeelee]

CQL/MDZS INSP - Gusu Arc Pt2c: The Gift

CAPTIONS AS TEXT

- - - Wei WuXian: Lan Zhan, I’m back! Did you miss me? Without me copying texts for these past few days? Lan WangJi: .... - WWX: Don’t be so scary! I’m here to apologize, by giving you a present! LWJ: No. WWX: Are you sure~~~? LWJ: ??? - WWX: Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan! How do you like my gift? I found one last night. Today, I caught another to keep it company! - WWX: What do you think? Am I sincere enough? I spent half a day catching it. Do you want them or not? LWJ: ... - WWX: Fine, I'll give them to someone else then. LWJ: To whom? WWX: Whoever is good at roasting rabbits! My food hasn't had much flavor lately. LWJ: Killing is forbidden in Cloud Recesses. It is the third rule on the Wall of Rules. - WWX: Fine, I’ll go down the mountain, kill it outside, and then bring it back to roast it. You don't want them anyway, why do you care? - LWJ: .... I'll take them. - WWX: NOW you want them?! Look at you—you’re always like this. Never speaking from your heart!

-- Mo Dao Zu Shi: Novel, Chapter 18 | Dongua/anime S01E05

MY THOUGHTS (rant alert)

IMO, CQL/The Untamed tv show adaptation ruined the whole significance of Lan WangJi’s rabbits and his later obsession with them.

I’ve already talked about the cultural significance of rabbits in ancient China, as a symbol of homosexual love. In MDZS, there are several scenes where the interactions between the 2 rabbits (who are both male) directly represent the relationship between WangXian.

In the original MDZS novel, Wei WuXian gave LWJ the rabbits as a peace offering, which marked the transition to a gradual ceasefire and ending of hostilities between WangXian as rival classmates/disciples.

The rabbits fight, but eventually end up horsing around and dry-humping each other, which scandalizes sheltered/repressed LWJ. He calls them obscene/filthy (depending on translations), but still decides to keep them--despite it breaking the rule that no pets are allowed in Cloud Recesses.

WWX only gave LWJ 2 male rabbits, but 16 years later, LWJ has an entire colony, all descended from the first 2--and we learn that Lan Xichen and Lan Sizhui have been helping him collect, breed & care for them all these years.

With the bunnies, we finally see the chronically stoic LWJ openly express interest/fondness for something, AND it’s directly related to WWX, and something WWX GAVE him, as an apology for being such a menace  LWJ not only accepted the rabbits, but he accepted WWX’s APOLOGY, AND accepted WWX as a person: obscene and filthy and a rule breaker, but one LWJ not-so-secretly liked anyway.

It’s been well-documented how much The Untamed had to modify aspects of WangXian in order to slip past China’s anti-LGBT+ censorship bans, but IMO there was ZERO reason to get rid of the scene where WWX gifted the bunnies to LWJ. The donghua/anime is also under censorship, and THEY included it--though admittedly, they snuck the scene in the post-credits, so it’s missable, unless you watch the very end of S01E05.

However, what The Untamed did instead was completely unnecessary!

I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought the random AF rabbits wearing the GusuLan headbands and living in the Ice Cave for hundreds of years was EFFING DUMB, and that the exposition dump Lan Yi gave was convoluted AF.

Where did these Ice Rabbits even come from? (Are they divine? Lan Yi’s are clearly ice-proof and immortal-ish and don’t need food, but we see Lan WangJi’s munching on grass, so....? I assume these are the same ones LWJ raises 16 years later, but...how????)

Yes, the rabbits wearing the Lan headbands gave WangXian the idea to share LWJ’s headband to get past the magic barrier, which gave the fandom its iconic “WangXian wedding scene Pt1,“ cuz the headband is sacred to family & S/Os, but come the heck on.

None of that in the Ice Cave was canonical to the MDZS source material, it was just made up for the show. They integrated it fairly well, but IMO they could’ve easily had WWX go back in the cave and steal the rabbits and give them to LWJ, but we never see the cave again, or get any explanation for LWJ’s colony 16 years later (IIRC). Rather than LWJ liking rabbits as a not-so-subtle clue to him being gay and them being a present FOR him from the guy he was developing feelings for, The Untamed merely used rabbits to represent what WangXian experienced in the Ice Cave.

I’m sorry, but as popular as the headband-sharing scene is in the fandom, IMO I don’t think the Ice Cave as a whole was that big a deal, especially not compared to the way more impactful cave WangXian was in later--Xuanwu’s.

By the show’s logic, why weren’t tortoises used as a symbol for them? They were in the Ice Cave together for a few hours tops. But they were trapped alone together in Xuanwu’s Tortoise’s Cave for a WEEK, and had to rely on each other to LITERALLY survive.

Eff those random AF bunnies--it was because of the tortoise that WWX found the Yin Iron and that LWJ sang his secret WangXian song to WWX and opened up to WWX and openly wept in front of him! That was HUGE! So The Untamed’s effort to push the rabbits as the symbol of WangXian’s love IMO lost a bit of its effectiveness, when they removed the original context & didn’t adequately supplement it.

TL;DR, The Untamed did the symbolism of the rabbits a disservice, and the Ice Cave was not that impactful of an addition to the story. The real resonance they had with LWJ is lost in the tv show, in favor of the rabbits barely driving contrived plot exposition with Lan Yi and the Yin Iron/Stygian Tiger Seal, which The Untamed also effed around with in ways I didn’t like--

Listen, I’ve said before that I think the donghua/anime is a much better adaptation of MDZS. I like The Untamed for its aesthetics, and for all the lovely things it gave us, but it took serious liberties with the source material. (And don’t get me started on that ending! U_U)

[fatesdeepdive]

Entry 8: Rinkah’s Burning Loins

My Castle

After fully dedicating ourselves to Hoshido, the game finally really begins. We’re given access to a customizable castle in the Astral Plane where our army waits between battles. We can talk to our units, giving them minor stat boosts or new weapons. Right off the bat, we have a farm and spring to give us resources, rooms for Corrin and Lilith, and a Hall of Records.

In Lilith’s spring, we can feed her to make her level up. Different foods affect her stats in different ways. Note that, although Lilith now has stats, she isn’t usable in battle. Other players can invade our Castle through spotpass, which I’ll discuss in a later entry, and Lilith is only usable in those battles.

Lilith

Lilith is a weird squirrel dragon thing that floats around clutching a random ball. She used to be our stable girl and is now our pet. I think she has a crush on Corrin. Her design is unique and cute, I like it. Gameplay wise, she can only use a modified Physic staff. I don’t dislike her personality, but she feels like a throwaway character added at the last minute. She raises a ton of questions that I doubt will ever be answered.

In the Hall of Records, we can see descriptions of all the units we’ll ever recruit, rewatch cutscenes, read unreadable poems, and play around with a relationship tester. The relationship tester is randomized, by the way, which kinda makes it pointless. That said, it told me that Corrin expects betrayal from Rinkah, while Rinkah’s loins are set afire by Corrin. This is now canon, I have decided.

In Corrin’s room, we can change their hairstyle and invite an ally over to chill. I chose Kaze. He complimented Corrin’s piano skills, which she apparently has, then stared at us, blushing, while thanking us for saving him from Garon.

So, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. In the Japanese version you get to rub units while in close up mode. Like Pokemon Amie except...with people. This was removed in the English version. A lot of Fire Emblem fans were pissed, crying about censorship because Nintendo of America had the gall to remove the minigame where you rub Camila’s tiddies while she moans. And I’m going to say a hot take right now: they made the right call. That stuff was weird and indulgent. It was the living embodiment of the fanservice focussed design that plagues modern Fire Emblem games. Good riddance.

Inviting allies to Corrin’s cool sex treehouse boosts our support levels. I suppose it's time I mentioned that. In Fire Emblem games, units form bonds from fighting next to each other, unlocking short conversations that flesh them out as characters. Units also fight together better when they have high supports. Now, here’s the fun thing about supports:

There are more than 600 supports in this game. Not support conversations, support lines, each of which is made up of three or four conversations. And, because God has cursed me for my hubris and my work is never finished, I’m going to read all of them.

Admittedly, I’m not going to unlock all of them. S-Rank conversations result in marriages and each unit only gets one. It’d take a few dozen playthroughs to get all of Corrin’s S-Rank conversations and I don’t hate myself that much, so I’m reading the transcripts from the wiki. I think I’m going to do four supports per Entry; that’ll leave me with a few extra by the time we reach the end, but I’ll just do a support grab bag entry or something.

Before we do supports, let’s finish up improving the castle. I built a weapon shop and a statue of Corrin that boosts her max speed. We are limited on the number of buildings we can build, but that isn’t a big deal yet because the only other option was to build a stave shop.

Support: Corrin/Rinkah

C: Corrin attempts to discuss battle tactics with Rinkah, but Rinkah blows her off and tells her to stop trying to be friends. Rinkah does acknowledge that Corrin’s authority and that Corrin saved her life, but tells the princess leave her alone.

B: Corrin pesters Rinkah until she explains why she’s so aloof. Rinkah explains that, the Flame Tribe keeps a great flame burning in the center of the village to honor the God of Fire. In the past, outsiders have extinguished the fire. One such instance was followed by a volcanic eruption that decimated the tribe. As a rule, the people of the Flame Tribe are wary of outsiders. Rinkah also explains that she’s working for Hoshido because her father commanded her to, much to her chagrin.

A: Rinkah explains that she would have preferred to die an honorable warrior’s death than be captured and resents Corrin for sparing her. Corrin says that she’s glad Rinkah is still alive, because it means Rinkah and her can be friends. Corrin also says that, despite the chaos of war, she believes in fate and its ability to bring people together. Corrin encourages Rinkah to use this opportunity to learn more about the outside world and bring that knowledge home with her. Rinkah begrudgingly agrees.

This is how the conversation will end on my playthrough, but if Corrin has a penis, you can get an S-Rank proposal conversation. I’ll be listing all of these off along with the normal conversations.

S: Rinkah comes to Corrin, blushing, and tells him that he has been a constant reminder of her shame and regret over being captured. But, over time, these feelings were replaced with love. Love that she hated, because Corrin is an outsider. Corrin says that he’s loved Rinkah since the day they met and only told her to be friendly to other people as an excuse to spend time with her. Rinkah states that, from now on, she will remember her capture as the happiest day of her life and the two get married.

Review: I really like this support line. It expands Rinkah’s backstory and culture, ties it into Corrin’s own isolation and belief in fate, and deals with the tumultuous meeting they had in Chapter 2. The confession comes out of nowhere, admittedly, but I do like Rinkah grappling with her mixed feelings of hate and love. Solid support.

Support: Corrin/Jakob

C: Corrin comes to Jakob to ask for a favor. Jakob interrupts her by humorously listing off the things he would do for Corrin. Things like slay dragons for her, which is actually kinda offensive now that I think about it. Corrin begs Jakob to allow her to be independent and Jakob refuses. Corrin explains that she’s his boss and he tells her that servitude is his reason for living. Jakob explains that, when he started working for Corrin, he was incompetent, and her kindness towards him made him indebted to her. The two compromise on the agreement that Jakob will teach Corrin how to make tea. After Corrin leaves, Jakob mumbles to himself that things might get apocalyptic.

B: Corrin repeatedly tries and fails to make a decent cup of tea. Both of them get some funny lines in, with Corrin telling Jakob that she can’t hear him because she’s ignoring him and Jakob saying that, saying that they’ll run out of leaves before Corrin makes decent tea. They meaning the nation in this case. Corrin eventually makes a passable cup, after Jakob secretly adds in sugar.

A: Jakob admits to Corrin that he messed with her tea and she laughs it off, admitting that she knew all along. She apologizes for being stubborn and accepts that she still needs Jakob’s help sometimes. Jakob says that he falls apart without Corrin. Corrin says that the two of them are alike in that way and Jakob literally faints from joy.

S: Jakob is acting more distant than normal. When Corrin asks him about this, he admits that he’s fallen for her and resigns from his duties as butler, because it is improper for him to have feelings for his mistress. Corrin begs him to say because she needs him and admits that she loves him too. The two of them get embarrassed and Corrin fires Jakob, giving him the new job of husband.

Review: This was a hilarious support that really made me appreciate Jakob’s snarky yet loyal personality. He is the perfect butler. The conflict of Corrin wanting to be independent and Jakob wanting to take care of her is a good dynamic that made me appreciate the relationship between these two characters. I do like them more as a platonic couple than a romantic one, but Jakob quitting his job because falling in love with Corrin is improper is a nice character moment.

Support: Corrin/Kaze

C: A villager gives Kaze a bunch of radishes because he’s super hot. And I mean, he is. Kaze apparently doesn’t realize that he’s hot until Corrin explains it to him. Kaze mentions that he dislikes the attention because he isn’t a good person before running off.

B: Corrin asks Kaze to follow her around so she can figure out what’s bothering him. Kaze says no, so Corrin annoys him until he agrees to hang out with him. Then he runs away again.

A: Kaze admits to Corrin that it was his fault that Garon kidnapped her, because when he was a child, he noticed the Nohrian soldiers that killed Sumeragi were in the city but said nothing about it. I don’t know how that makes Corrin’s kidnapping his fault, you’d expect there to be soldiers guarding a king. And the fact that Kaze was there means that there were also Hoshido soldiers, which means there was no reason to be suspicious of the Nohrians. Also, Kaze was a teenager at the oldest, so he should probably get some leeway. Whatever. Kaze apologizes to Corrin and Corrin, in turn, apologizes for making him live with guilt for fifteen years. Corrin also points out that Kaze led her home, meaning that they’re even now. Kaze compares Corrin to Mikoto because of her kindness and pledges to serve Corrin as her loyal retainer.

S: Corrin and Kaze joke around about Corrin’s kidnapping. It’s cute. Corrin mentions that, now that she’s spent so much time offscreen with Kaze, she likes him even more. Kaze blurts out that he loves Corrin, despite being her bodyguard, and the two propose.

Review: I found this chain a bit lacking, to be honest. The first two conversations were filler and the origin for Kaze’s guilt complex is kinda dumb. Kaze’s relationship with Corrin defines him as a character. He is so guilt ridden over her kidnapping that he would betray his country and his family to protect her. Later parts of the game hinge on this relationship. But, three of their four conversations are dull. I do like Kaze’s guilt complex as a concept, and think becoming Corrin’s retainer alongside Jakob and/or Felicia and a way to repent, but it isn’t enough to save this support line.

Support: Kaze/Rinkah

C: Kaze gets a bunch of candy for being hot and shares it with Rinkah, who secretly loves candy.

B: Kaze continues to give Rinkah candy.

A: Kaze continues to give Rinkah candy.

S: Kaze reveals that he’s been giving Rinkah candy because he’s in love with her.

Review: This one was a big let down. The fact that Kaze and Rinkah are introduced together made me think it would be about their capture, but no. It’s just Kaze giving Rinkah candy for four conversations straight. And it’s cute fluff, but it’s nothing more than that. There is something interesting below the surface with Rinkah hiding her love of candy to protect her image, but it’s never really explored.

So, off to a mixed start with the support conversations.

Birthright Chapter 7: A Vow Upheld

Team Corrin heads to a Hoshidan fort where Sakura is tending to wounded soldiers. We are introduced to Sakura’s retainers, Subaki and Hana. Suddenly, the fort is attacked by Nohrian forces. Corrin and Azura point out the ridiculousness of them attacking immediately after they arrived. Sakura freaks out because the fort is being used as a hospital and has no military value. So apparently Nohr is now being evil just to be evil.

Subaki and Hana agree to help Corrin defend the fort and argue over who’s more important to Sakura, much to her annoyance. Subaki and Hana give me a good opportunity to discuss a few interesting things about classes in this game. First off, unlike in most Fire Emblem games, classes are NOT gender-specific, as demonstrated by Subaki being the first male Pegasus Knight in the series. Secondly, the classic Fire Emblem classes were divided between the two nations. Nohr got Mercenaries, Hoshido got Myrmidons. Nohr got Wyvern Riders, Hoshido got Pegasus Knights. Etc. I really like this, it gives the two countries different feels in combat both aesthetically and mechanically. Finally, a lot of Hoshidan classes were renamed to be more Eastern, shown by Hana being a Samurai instead of a Myrmidon, or by Sakura being a Shrine Maiden instead of a Cleric.

Subaki

Subaki is a Sky Knight, this game’s equivalent of a Pegasus Knight. He can fly over terrain and has good speed and resistance, but is decimated by arrows. His personal skill buffs his hit and avoid when he has full health. Design wise, I like how ridiculously smug he looks. Personality wise, he seems over-competitive yet fiercely loyal to Sakura.

Hana

Hana is a Samurai with high speed and skill. Her personal skill damaged nearby enemies when she scores a kill. Her design is fine, if a little bland. Personality wise, she seems over-competitive yet fiercely loyal to Sakura.

Starting with this chapter, we have a prep menu, where we can choose which units to use and rearrange them on the map. We can bring our whole team in with us, so it’s a little pointless, but it's nice. Worth noting that you can have units start in pair up via this menu, unlike in Awakening where you had to pair them up after the battle started.

At the start of the battle, the chapter’s boss, a Cavalier named Silas, shouts out to Corrin that he’s her childhood best friend. She does not remember him even slightly. Okie dokie.

This map is decent. It’s a bit short, but it features a lot of good bottlenecks. The Dragon Veins can be used to open heal tiles, which is a bit pointless because you have two healers. When Silas and Corrin fight, he reiterates that they used to be friends. Corrin says that she can’t remember her past. And that confuses me, because I was under the impression that she got amnesia when she was taken to Nohr, which would have been before she met Silas. Unless he’s lying.

After the battle, Corrin refuses to kill Silas. She interrogates him about why he was so hesitant to attack them and he explains that, when they were children, he helped Corrin sneak out of the walls to have a picnic. The guards tried to execute Silas for this, but Corrin stopped them, because apparently guards listen to small children. Because of this, Silas feels he owes a debt to Corrin.

Question. Why was this random child allowed to play with the super secret hostage princess? Whatever.

Corrin eventually recovers a vague memory of Silas and asks him to join the gang. She explains that Garon is crazy and evil and that’s enough to make him swap sides. Silas is now officially the most sane character in the game. I mean, he should have probably realized this stuff before being sent to destroy a hospital for shits and giggles, but still.

Also, Silas mentions that Corrin’s favorite food is surf and turf. Perhaps this symbolizes how Corrin is stuck between both kingdoms? Or maybe it’s a random throwaway line. You be the judge!

At the end of the chapter, Saizo and a new character named Orochi show up, wounded, and report that Takumi and Ryoma have gone missing. Uh oh.

Team Corrin decide to help search for the missing princes. Sakura decides to come along, despite Corrin and Kaze’s objections. Silas also decides to come along and Saizo points out that he totally could be a spy or traitor. He’s a dick, but he is infinitely smarter than Kaze.

[nyerus]

MDZS  vs.  The Untamed

Differences between “Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation” (Mó Dào Zǔ Shī - 魔道祖师) and its live drama adaptation “The Untamed” (Chén Qíng Lìng - 陈情令)

(If you want to skip right to the differences, please see below the cut!)

I’ve recently fallen into the MXTX fandom by crying through TGCF and I’ve been delighted to see that I’m not the only one who’s been newly inducted. I've been seeing so much of the live action adaptation of MDZS, i.e. CQL, on my dash, and I'm so happy about it. After watching it, I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to make a post cataloging the differences between CQL and MDZS for those interested.  (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ The goal of this post is for two reasons: First, to help people who are totally new to MDZS and are starting out with CQL as their entry, and then reading the novel (or going to the donghua/manhua). This will hopefully help them get their bearings in regards to the fandom, so that they won't be confused when coming across certain content that isn't in the live drama. Second, this is to help folks who have already read the novel/etc to understand what's different in the live action, so when/if they choose to watch CQL, they aren't caught off-guard by any changes. (I won't get into the manhua/donghua in this post because it's already too long as it is.) Hopefully, this will also help bridge the gap between fans, so that we can have a fun and shared experienced over this incredible world brought to us by MXTX! This post is split into two distinct sections: one without any major spoilers, and one with spoilers. If you want to be as unspoiled as possible and just want to know the big differences between the novel and drama, please read only the first portion. The second //spoiler-filled// portion is divided into other major and minor differences, and is mainly intended for people who have experienced at least one version already. Additionally, if you are completely new to MDZS, there are things which may seem like spoilers to you, but happen in like the first page of the novel/in the summary itself (or in the first 10mins of the first episode), and will not be treated as such. I will do what I can to keep actual spoilers out of the first section….

Before jumping right into it though, I think it’s time to say that many of the differences in CQL are in large part due to the strict censorship laws that China has. Unfortunately, we just have to live with this fact. Thankfully for us, the creators of CQL have earnestly tried their best in keeping the major points and themes of MDZS in tact, and have really stuck to the spirit of the series. Kudos to them and the actors for their hard work!

SPOILER-FREE DIFFERENCES

There is no explicit romance between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji in CQL. They are literally called soulmates right in the CQL summary, and there are very obvious romantic undertones to their relationship in the drama—but there is nothing explicit on-screen. Naturally, due to censorship. While the novel has the two in an intimate (and very explicit) relationship where they end up literally married, the show tones this down to something more subtle. It’s still pretty obvious that they’re in love though. (Especially in the 20-episode wangxian special edition.) Also, they always seem to be sharing a room with one bed….

The plot is modified for CQL. In the novel, the plot revolves around Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji following an aggrieved spirit as they uncover the truth of what’s going on. In CQL, this was changed from the dismembered arm of said spirit to a sword, but it serves virtually the same purpose as it does in the novel. The other real major difference with the plot is that something known as “Yin Iron” is what drives a majority of the past’s plot. It has its origins tied to demonic cultivation, which I will explain more below. It doesn’t drastically change the actual plot itself, but does change some motivations, etc. This is not present in the novel.

Wei Wuxian is not the founder of demonic cultivation in the drama. Yes I know this seems whack. After all, the original novel is literally called Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation/Founder of Diabolism. But due to censorship laws, they had to change this. Wei Wuxian still uses demonic cultivation, and still invents many things (the compass, the spirit flags, the amulet, etc). He’s still shown as a prodigy—but demonic cultivation is a thing that’s been around long before the story takes place; it’s just that no one uses it except Wei Wuxian. The reason is the existence of the Yin Iron. It was something that was found and revered long ago, and is a source of dark power. Hence, why demonic cultivation already exists, but also why no one follows that path. The necromancy angle is also downplayed in CQL.

Wei Wuxian’s morality is somewhat different. Again, due to censorship restrictions. In the novel, Wei Wuxian is far more of a gray character who does some questionable things. He makes mistakes, there are things which are definitely his fault, and he has many things which he regrets. However in CQL, he is shown more as a victim of circumstance. He’s portrayed as a much more innocent character, who happens to be doing what’s right, and is just continually fucked over. He still does plenty of questionable things, but it’s less so than in the novel. In both versions, he is still Chaotic Good, just the novel emphasizes chaotic, and the drama emphasizes good. Also, CQL doesn’t really portray Wei Wuxian’s breakdown or deteriorating mental health before his death too deeply.

Wei Wuxian’s death in the beginning of the story is different. The novel is much more vague in this regard, and it is more drawn-out. I will return to this point later as well, in regards to spoilers. The live drama has a more… “peaceful” and quick type of death for Wei Wuxian, and given how it’s the very first scene that you see in the show, it may catch novel fans off guard. Still absolutely heart-wrenching though, especially when you see it play out in full later on.

The structure of the live drama’s narrative is different. While MDZS intersperses its main story in the present timeline with flashbacks (as do the donghua and manhua), CQL goes about it differently. After episode 2, CQL takes the viewer all the way to the past and goes through the entire timeline of events which happen leading up to Wei Wuxian’s death as seen in the first few scenes. From episode 3 to episode 33, you are firmly in the past only. Novel readers may find that this causes many things to be revealed quite early on. The change in structure is probably the biggest difference. From episode 33 and onwards, you are back to the present.

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji’s relationship in the present timeline is different to start out with. The novel has Wei Wuxian first operating under the assumption that Lan Wangji doesn’t like him. This eventually turns around, and deepens into a romantic relationship between the two. CQL on the other hand, has present-timeline!Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji having a much more tender relationship from the moment they meet again.

Wei Wuxian’s appearance remains the same after he is resurrected in the drama. While in the novel and other adaptations, Wei Wuxian takes on the appearance of Mo Xuanyu (who happens to look similar to a younger him, luckily enough), this does not happen in the drama. Probably done for convenience’s sake. It is never properly explained other than the fact that along with the soul-summoning spell, Mo Xuanyu did some other things to ensure that Wei Wuxian returned to what looked like his old body. (Some body parts snatching might’ve been involved.) Thus, Wei Wuxian hides his identity by wearing a mask.

Everyone looks the same as they did when they were teenagers. Again, probably just for convenience’s sake. They spend a lot of time in the flashbacks so getting viewers used to one set of faces, and then changing everything would be jarring—and also expensive to swap out actors. So despite a 16 year gap, everyone looks the same with no aging. #cultivatingimmortality

The time gap between Wei Wuxian’s death and resurrection is slightly longer in the drama. It’s 16 years versus 13 years in the novel. Unsure of why the change, as it doesn’t change much apart from serving to make some of the kids older. Some kids’ ages are also slightly altered. It’s not a huge difference and it plays virtually no difference in plot. Also, I can’t confirm it, but everyone seems to start out older as well.

Xiao Xingchen, Song Lan, and Xue Yang are encountered much earlier in the drama. Before Wei Wuxian’s death, the three of them are encountered in Yueyang before the start of the Sunshot Campaign. The rest of their story plays out after Wei Wuxian’s resurrection.

Jiang Yanli, Wen Qing, and Wen Ning attend the classes at Cloud Recesses. This gives them a lot more screen time. Elaborated in spoilers below.

Wen Qing’s relationship with Wen Ruohan is more antagonistic from the start. Just like how Wei Wuxian is shown more as a victim of circumstance, so is Wen Qing (and by extension Wen Ning). Elaborated below.

The next section is spoiler-filled. It’s divided into two parts: major and minor differences. Turn back now if you don’t want serious spoilers for either CQL or MDZS!!!

SPOILER-FILLED MAJOR DIFFERENCES

After the dancing statue/Dafan Mountain incident — Wei Wuxian passed out, and wakes up in Cloud Recesses in Lan Wangji’s room. Both of them know™ already. Thus, Wei Wuxian doesn’t even try to pretend that he’s Mo Xuanyu in front of Lan Wangji, but he keeps up the appearance for other people until he’s figured out. This allows the two of them to have a very private relationship with each other.

Also lending to this, Wei Wuxian dies in a much different way in the drama, and dies knowing that Lan Wangji cares deeply about him. Thus why their relationship on his resurrection is so soft. He knew that Lan Wangji protected him and tried to save him until the very end, and is far more affectionate as a result.

Speaking of his death…. In CQL, Wei Wuxian chooses to basically swan dive off a cliff after seeing the horrors in front of him. It has a very lucid finality to it, and feels as though he has decided that only his death can bring peace, and so he falls back off a cliff—only to be caught momentarily by Lan Wangji. He eventually wrests himself from Lan Wangji’s grasp and falls to his death as Lan Wangji (and Jiang Cheng) watches in horror. The novel is far more vague and hints that he met a more gruesome end.

Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian essentially make up at the end of the drama—or at least end on decent terms by agreeing to put their past behind them and move on. Wei Wuxian wipes away a stray tear as Jiang Cheng cries in front of him in the temple. After everything is said and done, Jiang Cheng privately and quietly wishes Wei Wuxian well as he leaves with Lan Wangji.

Lan Xichen does not go into seclusion at the end of the drama. Despite his trauma, he’s relatively okay as compared to the novel. The drama doesn’t really comment on this aspect, to be honest.

In CQL, Jiang Yanli attends the classes at Cloud Recesses with her brothers. She is given extra interaction with Jin Zixuan during this. Yanli is in general given way more screen time in CQL. She is present during the destruction of Lotus Pier (she appears with Jiang Fengmian), and escapes with Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng to Yiling.

Similarly, Wen Ning and Wen Qing are also present for the classes at Cloud Recesses. This is where they first meet Wei Wuxian (and Jiang Cheng), instead of Wen Ning and Wei Wuxian meeting in Qishan later. This gives all of them a pre-existing relationship before the events at Lotus Pier. Jiang Cheng also harbors a tiny crush on Wen Qing for a little bit. #same

Wen Qing is handled with much more suspicion by Wen Ruohan and Wen Chao, and during the Sunshot Campaign, she is even locked up. She’s saved by Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng, but goes her separate way until Wei Wuxian encounters her again after becoming the Yiling Patriarch proper.

Mianmian is shown to be a part of the Jin sect in CQL, and is close to Jin Zixuan. She renounces her ties to Lanling Jin after everyone starts hating on Wei Wuxian.

Mianmian is also encountered in episode 1. She and her family replace the random farmer family they meet once they leave Gusu (for the second time) on their way to the Burial Mounds. The timing of this may also be different. This is because there is no real “epilogue” that takes 3 months later, like the final chapter of MDZS.

Mo Xuanyu was not ostracized for the same reasons as in the novel. In the novel, he’s also thought to be insane, but was thrown out because he supposedly “harassed” Meng Yao (i.e. had romantic feelings for him which were found out and he was driven out of Lanling). In CQL, he was thrown out for “harassing” Qin Su, but in actuality was only trying to reveal the truth about her husband, and was thrown out as an excuse to get rid of him before he became troublesome.

During the hunt in Phoenix Mountain, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian have a heart-to-heart, and establish that they do, in fact, care for one another. (I’m pretty sure they use the word soulmate here, but the subs are like “lifelong confidante” lol.)

The origins of the bunnies is different in CQL, and is tied to Lan Yi—an ancestor of the Lan clan (the one who invented Cord Assassination). Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji find a cave in Gusu during their classmate days, which holds the spirit of Lan Yi. There, she reveals information about the Yin Iron and that she is guarding one piece of it. After all this, Wei Wuxian looks after the bunnies after taking them out of the cave, and as he leaves Cloud Recesses, he leaves them in the care of Lan Wangji.

The Gusu Lan sect is less rekt in CQL, as many of them are able to hide away in the aforementioned cave during the destruction of Cloud Recesses. Su She, then a disciple of Gusu Lan, betrays them by telling Wen Chao that the others are hiding in the cave. He’s summarily kicked out. In the novel, he’s the one that tries to rat out Mianmian when they’re facing the Tortoise of Slaughter. (He is still the one who casts the hundred holes spell on Jin Zixun.)

SPOILER-FILLED MINOR DIFFERENCES

In CQL, after his 33 lashes, Lan Wangji goes into forced seclusion for 3 years first. And then his 13 years of playing Inquiry start. Extra depressing, but it doesn’t change anything else.

The ghost baby that Wang LingJiao sees is replaced with a dismembered eye. Still gory. Don’t really know which one is worse…….. Her death is definitely less gory in CQL, though.

The Stygian Tiger Amulet was made of the strange weapon found in the Tortoise of Slaughter in both the novel and drama, but in CQL, said weapon was actually a fragment of the Yin Iron.

CQL shows a few scenes of Wei Wuxian when he first gets tossed into the Burial Mounds.

Lan Qiren is the head of the Gusu Lan sect, all the way through the story in CQL, including the end. Lan Xichen is never referred to as the sect leader.

Gusu Lan's rules are a little less strict in CQL. And co-ed classmates and cultivators seem to be the norm.

This post is certainly not 100% complete, as it’s just what I managed to pick up as I watched/read and remembered to note down. But if you have questions or comments, please reach out to me and I’ll do my best to answer! I hope this is as accurate as possible, but since I’m flying off memory...  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Take care, all! Feel free to drop into my DMs and scream with me!  ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ✩‧₊˚

[mostlysignssomeportents]

#8yrsago The Filter Bubble: how personalization changes society

MoveOn co-founder Eli Pariser's new book The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You is a thoughtful, often alarming look at the dark side of Internet personalization. Pariser is concerned that invisible "smart" customization of your Internet experience can make you parochial, exploiting your cognitive blind-spots to make you overestimate the importance or prevalence of certain ideas, products and philosophies and underestimate others. In Pariser's view, invisible, unaccountable, commercially driven customization turns into a media-bias-of-one, an information system that distorts your perception of reality. Pariser doesn't believe that this is malicious or intentional, but he worries that companies with good motives ("let's hide stuff you always ignore; let's show you search results similar to the kinds you've preferred in the past") and bad ("let's spy on your purchasing patterns to figure out how to trick you into buying stuff that you don't want") are inadvertently, invisibly and powerfully changing the discourse.

Pariser marshalls some good examples and arguments in favor of this proposition. Students whose teachers believe they are stupid end up acting stupid -- what happens when the filters decide we're dumb, or smart, or athletic, or right wing, or left wing? He cites China and reiterates the good arguments we've heard from the likes of Rebecca McKinnon: that the Chinese politburo gets more political control over the way it shapes which messages and arguments you see (through paid astroturfers) than by mere censorship of the Internet. Pariser cites research from cognitive scientists and behavioral economists on how framing and presentation can radically alter our perception of events. Finally, he convincingly describes how a world of messages that you have to consciously tune out is different from one in which the tuning out is done automatically -- for example, if you attend a town hall meeting in which time is taken up with discussion of issues that you don't care about, you still end up learning what your neighbors care about. This creates a shared frame of reference that strengthens your community.

Pariser also points out -- correctly, in my view -- that filtering algorithms are editorial in nature. When Google's programmers tweak and modify their ranking algorithm to produce a result that "feels" better (or that users click on more), they're making an editorial decision about what sort of response they want their search results to evince. Putting more-clicked things higher up is an editorial decision: "I want to provide you with the sort of information whose utility is immediately obvious." And while this is, intuitively, a useful way to present stuff, there's plenty of rewarding material whose utility can't be immediately divined or described (I thought of Jonah Lehrer's How We Decide, which describes an experiment in which subjects who were asked to explain why they liked certain pictures made worse choices than ones who weren't asked to explain their preferences). When we speak of Google's results as being driven by "relevance," we act as though there was a platonic, measurable, independent idea of "relevance" that was separate from judgment, bias, and editorializing. Some relevance can't be divined a priori -- how relevant is an open window to Fleming's Petri dish?

There were places where I argued with Pariser's analysis, however. On the one hand, Pariser's speculation about the future seems overly speculative: "What if augmented reality as presently practiced by artists and futurists becomes commonplace?" On the other hand, Pariser's futures are too static: He presumes a world in which filtering tools become increasingly sophisticated, but anti-filtering tools (ad-blockers, filter-comparison tools, etc) remain at present-day levels. The first wave of personalization in the Web was all about changing how your browser displayed the information it received; the trend to modular, fluid site-design built around XML, CSS, DHTML, AJAX, etc, makes it even more possible to block, rearrange, and manage the way information is presented to you. That is, even as site designers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the way they present their offerings to you, you are getting more and more power to break that presentation, to recombine it and filter it yourself. Filters that you create and maintain are probably subject to some of the dangers that Pariser fears, but they're also a powerful check against the alarming manipulation he's most anxious about. Pariser gives short shrift to this, dismissing the fact that the net makes it theoretically easier than ever to see what the unfiltered (or differently filtered) world looks like with hand-waving: the filters will make it so we don't even want to go outside of them.

I don't believe that anti-filters or personal filters will automatically act as a check against manipulative customization, but I believe that they have this potential. The Filter Bubble is mostly a story about potential -- the potential of filtering technology to grow unchecked. And against that, I think it's worth discussing (and caring about, and working for) the potential of a technological response to that chilling future.

The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You

https://boingboing.net/2011/05/23/the-filter-bubble-ho.html

[zdbztumble]

More Ranting (Mild to Moderate KH III Spoilers)

So I’ve just finished the Caribbean level.

I meant what I said before - for the sheer charm of seeing Sora lose himself in a world and act out childhood fantasies, only the Halloweentown/Christmastown world of II compares. It took the game forever to let me have a solid run at the mechanic of taking the helm of a pirate ship, but once it did, I was in heaven. I spent far more time than I needed to sailing around and swimming underwater. The sense of an open world rife for exploring that that set-up creates, and the design of the underwater areas and the islands, is delightful. And I love that you acquire Ariel as a Link; having her as a battle partner was one of my favorite things in KH I, and having her reduced to a less-than-stellar musical level was one of my least favorite things in KH II, so her turning up here, and in this way, was a very pleasant surprise.

But...the plot of this game keeps finding new ways to drive me insane!

One of the most frustrating things about the story of KH III so far has been the way that the new Disney worlds have been used, and the role Sora plays in them. Nostalgia might be coloring my memory and judgment to some degree here, but I feel that KH I and II both did a much better job at blending Disney elements into the original material. The confederation of Disney villains appear to be the chief antagonists for the first two-thirds or so of KH I, and Maleficent becomes a third faction, acting against both Sora and Organization XIII in KH II. And when these games chose to utilize the actual plot of one of the movies, they adapted that plot to fit the KH story.

Take Agrabah, for instance: Aladdin already has the lamp when the action comes to Agrabah, his wishes are made in response to the actions of the Heartless instead of what happens in the movie, Jasmine’s actions and whereabouts are modified, and Jafar’s plotting and scheming tied to the confederation of Disney villains. In action, and in dialogue, things are changed to accommodate the KH story, and to make room for Sora to play an active role in the goings-on of that world. I would say that that holds true throughout KH I, and for most of KH II.

In KH III? Sora might as well not be there. Not for the Tangled and Frozen levels, anyway. Whatever his interactions with the characters for those films are, he’s ultimately absent for every major story moment that comes from those films. At best, he’s a spectator. But he plays no role in reuniting the sisters of Frozen, or any real role in helping Flynn rescue Rapunzel. This is especially frustrating in the Arendelle level, because the game itself offers a perfect opening for Sora to have greater involvement. He recognizes, in the divide between Ana and Elsa, a similar issue to his friendship with Riku. Had Sora been allowed to meet up with Elsa again, and to have her in his battle party, the two of them could have discussed this in cutscenes, Sora could have been on-hand to facilitate the sisters coming together in some way, and he could have been a part of the final scene of the level instead of just watching it. But that wasn’t done. What’s more, for all the cutscenes of Organization XIII members taunting and plotting, no major events from either film are modified to reflect this that I can recall. The pretext that the Organization is interested in these princesses as back-up lights is easily lost amidst more important, and more confusing, plot threads, leaving one to wonder why they’re bothering at all.

(You’ll notice I said that this applies to the Disney worlds; being a persnickety purist, I still maintain that Disney and Pixar are separate spheres of fiction, and that Pixar movies shouldn’t be in a Disney crossover series. But, talking with @echidnapower the other day about this game, I have to concede that, so far as integrating into the larger KH world and giving Sora something meaningful to do, both Pixar levels are better-written than their Disney counterparts, although I really didn’t need the Toy Story level to throw in yet another take on duplicate worlds and replicas.)

The Pirates level is an improvement in some respects on this. Sora is actually present for the climactic battle, and Davy Jones himself, and the Kraken, are made boss battles. But much of the material is still lifted wholesale from the movie itself, without meaningful changes to the dialogue or the action to accommodate the KH world, or the censorship and abridgment done to the story of At World’s End. The destruction of Beckett is left as a cutscene when it could have been a boss battle; I’d gladly take a Heartless-consumed Endeavor over the first pass at the Kraken. And while it’s believable that Sora would be upset that Will was stabbed, that moment doesn’t play very well when Sora spends virtually no time with Will and Elizabeth in this game. Again, the game itself provides an opening for this, though not as explicit a one as in the Frozen level: Elizabeth has gone from a damsel in distress to a “swasbuckly” (thank you Goofy) pirate, just as Kairi has gone from the damsel in distress to a (nominal) Keyblade wielder. Sora could have recognized that connection; he was reminded of his feelings for Kairi by much less significant material in KH II in more than one world. Of course, the amount of material between Will and Elizabeth that was cut from the story doesn’t help things either.

With all that said - Jack, and Mike and Sully before him, giving as good as they get from Organization XIII and actually dispatching its members in cutscenes (temporarily, I’m assuming) is a very welcome touch. And however infuriating the plotting is, and however stiff some of the dialogue can become, the dialogue for Jack in this game is spot-on. Every line fits in perfectly with his established character from the films, and the VA is miles above the one from KH II.

I’ve been told that some of the things I don’t like come together at the ending of the game; I must be past the halfway point by now, so I suppose I’ll see soon enough...

[apaintedmaypole]

my fannish weaknesses

There was a conversation at Escapade this year about the diminishing use of the term "slash." (See link for a recap.) In this and another panel, there were conversations about what identifying as a "slasher" has meant at various times across the past 40+ years. Remember when, ages back, there used to be fights over whether something could even be "slash" if the couple was already canon? And now, here we are, watching ship wars fought over what gets to be canon. Speaking for myself, part of the joy of slash has always been the charge and energy that came with the act of slashing something. Historically, for me, "slashing" implied queering a text, sexing up a text, and playing with a canon. While I never only read fic for pairings that weren't canon, that project of reading into/against a text has certainly been a big part of the fun. All of this is to say, at Escapade Lola conspired to introduce me to Guardian. (Which, I mean, let's be real. I'm a very easy target for that show.) And, of course, in the month since Escapade, I have watched every episode, watched multiple meta and explanatory videos on YouTube, and started reading the translation of the original BL novel on Wattpad. The thing is, for me, at least 50% of the appeal of Guardian is the fact that the Guardian I'm a fan of doesn't exist outside of fanon. It will always be this censored webseries that references the original BL novel just enough to be both maddening and fascinating. It's like Yuri on Ice, where the show can't actually directly show anything, but everyone making and watching the thing knows exactly what's happening. With Yuri on Ice, I found that experience more frustrating. However, that act of not showing it, the dodge, is a huge part of what makes Guardian so compelling to me. For me, the next 50% of Guardian's magic comes from the other ways that censorship policies have altered the story. The original novel is about Chinese gods, mythical figures/tropes, and the supernatural. Many of these are things that can't be shown on television. So, instead of ghosts we get aliens. Instead of powerful monks to fight the supernatural enemies, we get scientists concocting things in labs. And, most importantly, we get a whole different context for the first meeting of our two male protagonists. All of this means that the web series is riddled with holes and inconsistencies. Which means its a brilliant text for fans to work with. There are so many strange gaps to fill or glitches to explain. There are 10,000 years of fictional history to play in and the fact that the canon is a heavily modified adaptation means it is already inherently an AU. It feels tailor-made to be fannish about. At least, it does for me. :D I'm comparing my experience with Guardian to my experience with my current favorite TV show, The Magicians. The Magicians is queer, it has characters and friendships I adore, but I have no real interest in slashing anyone on the show. If I was going to write fic about The Magicians, it would probably be gen fic exploring things we don't get to see/know. Or epic side-plots where Margo and Elliot go off together and just feel exasperated with everyone and everything in Fillory. All of this is reminding me how much power there is incomplete and/or unfulfilling canon. I'm not saying I don't want my pairings to be canon-- I have several pairings I follow which are technically canon. However, if I'm going to read/write fic, I think I need the canon to be missing something and for the fic to be filling the gap.

[Crossposted from here.]

[wavemains]

Ios shadowsocks

#Ios shadowsocks software

#Ios shadowsocks code

#Ios shadowsocks license

#Ios shadowsocks free

Shadowsocks, however, is based on a proxy protocol called SOCKS5 that secures the connection using an AEAD cipher-roughly along the same lines as an SSH tunnel. However, regular proxies are notoriously unsafe: there’s no good way to secure the connection, for one, and generally speaking, most sites can figure out quite easily that you’re using one. Using a proxy means you go from the ISP to an unblocked server and then to the site you want. If the authorities want to block a site, the internet service provider (ISP) is usually told to prevent access to its IP address. In a regular network connection, like the one you’re likely using now, you connect to your internet service provider’s server and then to the website you want to visit.

#Ios shadowsocks code

He also was forced to delete the code on GitHub and he had “no choice but to obey.” He added that “I hope one day I’ll live in a country where I have freedom to write any code I like without fearing.” In 2015, however, Clowwindy left a message on a GitHub thread stating that the police had found him and had asked him to stop working on Shadowsocks and, presumably, ShadowVPN.

#Ios shadowsocks free

The protocol was a huge success and clowwindy kept working on it for several years, as well as developing a free VPN called ShadowVPN. Shadowsocks was developed by a Chinese programmer only known as “clowwindy,” who put the initial commit (a version of a program or script) on GitHub in 2012. However, before we go into any more detail, let’s first go over where Shadowsocks comes from. Not only is using Shadowsocks free, it also hides traffic a little better than VPNs do. In fact, Shadowsocks is so good at getting past China’s blocks that there’s a good case to be made for it over another tool, virtual private networks (VPNs). RELATED: What to Expect from the Internet in China It’s used widely in China by people looking to tunnel under the Great Firewall-the digital barrier that keeps the Chinese internet “safe” from foreign influence-as it’s completely free, though you’ll need some tech know-how to set it up. Shadowsocks is a connection tool that lets you circumvent censorship. Let’s see what this protocol can and cannot do. Not only is its name intriguing, it also promises to get you past any blocks safely. If you’re looking to escape internet censorship, one interesting option is something called Shadowsocks.

#Ios shadowsocks license

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program. See the GNU General Public License for more details. This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

#Ios shadowsocks software

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. To view the source codes or build your own apk, please refer to: To setup your own server, please refer to: Ģ. Visit our project site for more details: ġ. Open source implementions in python, node.js, golang, C#, and pure C. Avaliable on multiple platforms, including PC, MAC, Mobile (Android and iOS) and Routers (OpenWRT).Ĥ. Low resource comsumption, suitable for low end boxes and embedded devices.ģ. Bleeding edge techniques with Asynchronous I/O and Event-driven programming.Ģ. *NOTE: You may need to unisntall and reinstall the app, after upgrading to 3.x or above.*ġ. It will help you surf the internet privately and securely. Shadowsocks is a high-performance cross-platform secured socks5 proxy.

[voxxvindictae]

An Important Realization About Minecraft’s Upcoming Chat Censor

For those that were unaware, Microsoft is looking to implement chat censoring into Minecraft, essentially trying to take control over moderation that should be in the hands of the server owners. In talking with a friend of mine, I learned that their approach was more rushed than I thought. We know that the censor gets applied to offline play as well for some reason, and that it banned the word “night” for containing the string “nig” But the reason why is what’s interesting here:

The way Microsoft implemented their blocklist was by storing it entirely on the client side as an unencrypted json file. That’s why it affects offline play: their implementation was rushed, which resulted in offline censorship and some faulty Regular Expressions (which is why the word “night” gets flagged for containing the string “nig”). This means that — in its current implementation — you could just overwrite the blacklist file to evade the censor.

But wait, There’s more.

Given that it is likely Microsoft doing this for some reason (pressure from parents, make the game more marketable, etc.) it is likely that their primary concern was their bottom line, which means that there are likely NO HUMANS moderating the bans.

Now, Here comes the fun part:

Their implementation was so rushed that there could be a security vulnerability somewhere, possibly even one that could allow remote code execution or SQL injection.

All someone would have to do is modify the blacklist to make it check for a string containing the right escape characters (those would depend on the architecture of the servers and what language is being used to parse everything) and a payload (wether that be an SQL query, some script, or a base64 encoded version of DOOM) then just… play online and say something that contains the string. That report will get flagged (because you told it to flag that string) and sent off to some moderation server. It will interpret the string not as a text string, but as CODE, thus executing the payload on the target machine.

Now a disclaimer: I have very little way to verify that this is possible. It may be the case that there are filters on Microsoft’s end that sanitize the inputs, or they might grow their brains past the spinal column and make an actual implementation, or any number of factors that I didn’t consider.

But I figure that every additional person that knows that this vulnerability could exist, is one more person that could be the one to make Microsoft come to regret making a chat censor in the first place.

A word of warning:

My first thought upon discovering that this may be possible was to cause harmless chaos. However, not everyone will be so nice. This vulnerability —if it is indeed present and able to be utilized — could be very dangerous.

It could allow an attacker to access the databases on Microsoft’s servers, giving them access to troves of private data.

It could be used to steal sensitive records, passwords, and accounts.

It could allow bad actors to hijack the authentication servers, shutting down multiplayer for EVERYONE.

So for legal reasons, I do not suggest that you hack Microsoft unless you know what you are doing, both in terms of security (preserving anonymity) and/or legality (getting their permission to do some penetration testing).

But It’s not like I can stop you. I’m just saying this to make sure I don’t get held liable. I can’t fight if I’m locked up. And neither can you. So be careful.