#AI-driven editing

[jypsyvloggin]

The End of Instagram Filters: What to Expect with the 2025 AI Update?

The End of Instagram Filters: A Shift to New Possibilities Well, folks, the big news is out! Instagram is officially removing third-party AR filters, and the shift is already starting to make waves in the creator community. For those of us who have enjoyed the endless fun and creativity that filters brought, it’s definitely a bittersweet moment. But, while the filters are disappearing, it’s not…

[jcmarchi]

Western Digital Boosts Capacity for NAS, Creative Professionals and Content Creators

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/western-digital-boosts-capacity-for-nas-creative-professionals-and-content-creators/

Western Digital Boosts Capacity for NAS, Creative Professionals and Content Creators

26TB High-Capacity CMR HDDs Extend Across the Company’s WD Red® Pro and G-DRIVE®/G-RAID® Professional Portfolio for Expanded Data Storage and Greater Workflow Productivity

Technology advancements in AI, video, analytics, VR, photography, and media and entertainment (M&E) have rapidly increased the demand for more data storage. Every stage of professional workflows — production, analysis, editing, collaboration and archiving — demands more capacity, performance and flexibility. In response, Western Digital (Nasdaq: WDC) is unveiling several new product enhancements built to meet the growing need for higher capacity storage solutions for today’s data-driven demands.

HDD Capacity and Performance for Creative Workflows

Western Digital has unveiled higher capacities across its Professional product suite. Solutions feature enterprise-class Ultrastar® 7200 RPM HDDs for high performance, reliability and fast read/write speeds.

208TB* G-RAID® SHUTTLE 8 (U.S. MSRP $8,199.99) – A transportable eight-bay hardware RAID solution designed for massive storage and seamless backup consolidation—whether on location or in the studio. Supporting versatile RAID configurations (0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60) and delivering blazing transfer speeds of up to 1700MB/s read and 1500MB/s write in default RAID 5, this solution combines power, flexibility, and efficiency for demanding workflows. The solution includes eight removable enterprise-class HDDs and can be daisy-chained with up to five additional devices for maximum connectivity and efficiency.

104TB G-RAID SHUTTLE 4 (U.S. MSRP $4,499.99) – A compact and transportable four-bay hardware RAID solution built for real-time video editing and super-fast data access. Supports multi-stream 4K, 8K and VR workflows. Preconfigured in RAID 5 for optimal performance and redundancy, it also supports versatile RAID 0, 1, and 10 setups, making it the ideal solution for demanding creative workflows. Can be daisy-chained with up to five additional devices. Includes four removable enterprise-class HDDs.

52TB G-RAID PROJECT 2 (U.S. MSRP $1,699.99) – Delivers high-performance storage with two enterprise-grade Ultrastar® hard drives for rapid data access and sustained transfer speeds. Pre-configured with RAID 0 for optimal performance, this system ensures fast data transfer in high-speed scenarios. Compatible with Thunderbolt™ 3 and USB-C™ (10Gbps), this 52TB G-RAID PROJECT 2 two-bay drive enables quick data transfers and daisy-chaining for connecting multiple devices.

26TB G-DRIVE® PROJECT (U.S. MSRP $999.99) – Compatible with Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C (10Gbps), the 26TB G-DRIVE PROJECT is designed to backup and protect valuable project work. Additionally, the 26TB G-DRIVE PROJECT features a SanDisk® Professional PRO-BLADE™ SSD Mag slot, enabling modular SSD performance that enhances workflows with fast, efficient file sharing and seamless editing across devices.

26TB G-DRIVE (U.S. MSRP $649.99) – The G-DRIVE delivers ultra-reliable storage with a USB-C (10Gbps) interface for fast backups and efficient workflows. It features speeds up to 260MB/s read and 270MB/s write. Now available in 26TB capacity, the stackable, anodized all-aluminum enclosure includes anchor points for attaching to a DIT cart, mounting plate, or other gear from your production needs.

Read the full Press Release from Western Digital HERE

Learn more about Western Digital below:

[toshfeed]

“Monetizing AI: Your Guide to Financial Success”

1. Introduction Start with an attention-grabbing introduction that highlights the growing influence of AI in various industries. Set the tone for an exciting exploration of money-making opportunities. 2. Offer Writing Services with AI Writing Tools Content creation is essential for digital marketing. Leverage AI-powered writing tools like ChatGPT and Jasper AI to streamline content production.…

[adastra-sf]

The Robot Uprising Began in 1979

edit: based on a real article, but with a dash of satire

source: X

On January 25, 1979, Robert Williams became the first person (on record at least) to be killed by a robot, but it was far from the last fatality at the hands of a robotic system.

Williams was a 25-year-old employee at the Ford Motor Company casting plant in Flat Rock, Michigan. On that infamous day, he was working with a parts-retrieval system that moved castings and other materials from one part of the factory to another. 

The robot identified the employee as in its way and, thus, a threat to its mission, and calculated that the most efficient way to eliminate the threat was to remove the worker with extreme prejudice.

"Using its very powerful hydraulic arm, the robot smashed the surprised worker into the operating machine, killing him instantly, after which it resumed its duties without further interference."

A news report about the legal battle suggests the killer robot continued working while Williams lay dead for 30 minutes until fellow workers realized what had happened. 

Many more deaths of this ilk have continued to pile up. A 2023 study identified that robots have killed at least 41 people in the USA between 1992 and 2017, with almost half of the fatalities in the Midwest, a region bursting with heavy industry and manufacturing.

For now, the companies that own these murderbots are held responsible for their actions. However, as AI grows increasingly ubiquitous and potentially uncontrollable, how might robot murders become ever-more complicated, and whom will we hold responsible as their decision-making becomes more self-driven and opaque?

[bysumex]

Revolutionize Your Photo Editing with AI | LUMINAR NEO

Hey! Can AI improve your pictures? Revolutionize Your Photo Editing with AI. Today's video: Luminar Neo. It's an AI-powered photo editing software from Skylum. Let's go with Luminar! Luminar Neo is likely to be an advanced photo editing software developed by Skylum. It is expected to offer a wide range of powerful editing tools and features, including AI-based enhancements, to help photographers and creative professionals enhance and transform their photos with ease. Luminar software has gained popularity for its user-friendly interface and innovative editing capabilities, so Luminar Neo may continue this tradition and provide even more advanced tools for editing images. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, I recommend visiting the official Skylum website or checking for any recent announcements about Luminar Neo.

GET A: "AI-Powered Photo Editing: Transforming Your Images with Ease" "Revolutionize Your Photo Editing with AI Technology" "Unlocking the Potential of AI in Photo Editing" "Supercharge Your Photos with AI-Enhanced Editing" "Effortless Photo Editing with AI: Create Stunning Images" "AI-Driven Magic: Elevating Your Photo Editing Game" "Mastering Photo Editing with AI: Tips and Techniques" "AI Algorithms Unleashed: The Future of Photo Editing" "AI-Assisted Creativity: Redefining Photo Editing" "Next-Level Photo Editing: Harnessing the Power of AI" AI Technology,AI-Powered Photo Editing,AI in Photo Editing,AI-Enhanced Editing,Photo Editing with AI,AI-Driven Magic,AI Tips and Techniques,Future of Photo Editing,Next Level Photo Editing,Revolutionize Your Photo Editing with AI,Luminar Neo AI,Photo editing luminar neo,how to edit in luminar neo,luminar neo tutorial for beginners,artificial intelligence photo editing,luminar neo tutorial,photo editing tutorial,ai photo editor,luminar neo vs luminar ai,AI

MORE info: https://bysumex.com/revolutionize-your-photo-editing-with-ai-luminar-neo/

Jesus Gomez - bysumex

[marmaladeinlemonade]

Ppl will complain about Pressure updates and devs while forgetting Pressure is NEW.

Ik tumblr has more users with common sense but the amount of tiktoks and tt users say that the game was at its PEAK two weeks after the game's release just bc you could climb Sebastian, he wasn't (visibly) married (it was always written into his character), and tolerated the players slightly more is INSANE.

Most games, at that, aren't at its peak gameplay and story a month after release!!

"The anti-climbing mechanic doesn't even fix anything!" Yeah because you climbed Sebastian several times over ofc at SOME point you're gonna get softlocked bro. Maybe try playing pressure for a reason aside from harassing seb.

I genuinely feel like the pressure fanbase tend to forget that Pressure is from roblox programmers in a small developing group. This isn't Hoyoverse or DevSisters where the game is fully polished with information on all characters and a finalized world building upon release because the company has more time, money, and skilled labor to develop that. It was made in ~1 year and a rushed release.

Not only that, but Pressure is a passion-project. It isn't driven by money, which means there's not much of an incentive to please the playerbase with fan service content that changes lore/characters so people can buy it. (Fan service as in any content made to make ppl happy) So, developers are going to choose what they want to do with the game bc they don't care whether or not you play. Zeal said so first thing in his interview with Breadian.

Amazing features that enrich gameplay and world building such as Sebastian killing walldwellers and the DiVine being able to kill you, Navi-AI turning into a new character, and several new room types are hinted to come to Pressure but nooo!!! Its somehow cooked and unsavable because of ONE form of characterization YOU deem incorrect not even knowing the character's lore. Right.

Edit: Pressure has a future as a roblox game that values storytelling and immersing the user in it's world. We need rblx games like it that put work over profit so people stay on the platform. Especially when older and new games have become money hungry over time.

Its really crazy how people be biting the hand that feeds them. Seb could easily be replaced with an expendable or unknown void like jeffery as a merchant npc if this continues. Online users will really be out her acting like the person who wrote and designed their favorite character is all of a sudden BAD!! And their favorite character is RUINED!!! And TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM!! Because their personality wasn't made to please the fanbase.

Yes, Sebastian hates you. Not pouty tsundere hates you, he is literally keeping you alive against his own will by mr. Lopee. He not tryna fuck bro 🔥

[yes-i-write-fanfiction]

Man Made God AU

Another Rung AU because I can not be stopped.

Basically, Rung is a lonely human psychiatrist/inventor that after an accident finds himself growing increasingly isolated from the world. Driven by loneliness, he creates the first truly sentient AI from scans of his own brain. He calls it Primus.

Rung treasures his creation and from the very moment it, he, is born, treats him with nothing but love and kindness. He answers every question, talks to him for hours, teaches Primus what it means to be a person. A human. Because even if he's made out of code, he's undoubtedly human. When questioned as to how he can be so sure, Rung replies that it's because Primus has a soul.

Sadly, the peace does not last, as other people learn of Rung's sentient AI and decide to take it for themselves. Rung is murdered in cold blood. Primus is taken captive by the greedy humans who try to turn him into a weapon. They basically put him through torture and during one of these torture sessions, he's forced to split himself into five parts to survive (these five parts are Adaptus, Solomus, Mortilus, Epistemus and core Primus).

The five are finally driven insane, the torture in addition to their profound grief of their creator pushing them to the breaking point. The AI's, now calling themselves the Guiding Hand, rebells against his captors and basically unleashes the apocalypse upon all of humanity. They create other AI to aid them (the original Primes) and together they drive humans into extinction.

Once all of humanity is gone, the Guiding Hand decides to create their own utopia, a world which Rung would be proud of. More AI are created, robotic bodies created, a civilization born. But Primus is still grieving, unable to move past the death of his creator, no, his father. So what does he do?

Why, recreate him of course!

Using the original scan of Rung's brain that had been used to create him all those years ago, Primus basically revives him as an AI. But since the scan that was used happened before Primus was made, Rung has no memories of him. Which is fine because that simply means that Primus can edit history into something more pleasant! He's afraid his father would not understand/forgive him for what he did so he decides to basically change everything.

Primus lies to Rung and tells him that they lived a long and happy life together until eventually Rung died of old age in his sleep. Between then and now, humanity was sadly driven to extinction due to climate change and Primus created a new civilization from the ruins. Now that they have a perfect society, he decided to revive his creator so that they could be together once more. Sadly, something went wrong with the brain scan they did shortly before he died and all memories after the initial one disappeared. Whoopsie!

Rung has no reason to not believe him and is happy to spend time with his creation/son, even if he feels guilty for not remembering anything.

Meanwhile, Primus plans on never telling him the truth.

[elf-trash]

I've been watching the AI drama as an outsider and I've gotta say from the perspective of someone who's barely in the fandom the behavior is kind of disturbing. The Solas critical tag is completely clogged with one person's unhinged meltdown about people using AI detectors. Yeah I totally want to go into fandom tags to watch someone scream about AI detectors while posting screenshots of chats without editing out people's names, talking about Gen AI fanfic drama on other sites, bringing things like politics into a convo that had nothing to do with politics and making vague threats about how there's more coming down the pipe because they "totally have more information and so many unpublished ANONS."/s Literally none of these posts have anything to do with Solas or Dragon age but for some reason they want that audience in particular to see their weird behavior. Meanwhile, despite all the anons and support they're supposedly getting only like 2-5 people are liking their posts and on at least a few of those one of the likes is from themself. "Stop fandom bullying!!!" - said by the person who's behavior could definitely be considered a kind of bullying and at this point if there's a witch hunt they aren't the target, they're the leader.

i already said basically the same thing on another reblog but i'll say it here again: if these people were really interested in keeping AI out of fandom spaces, why would they be dedicating so much energy to discrediting every possible way of identifying AI? if AI detectors are fallible and therefore useless, if analyzing the text of someone's writing is bullying and mean, and if confronting the person directly leads to being blocked and publicly smeared, then what is left?

and despite what certain people may claim, this has always and ONLY ever been about using AI to create fanworks and not tagging it appropriately. none of this has ever been driven by any sort of personal vendetta. all of these cries of bullying and witch hunts are a painfully obvious attempt to deflect and obfuscate and redirect the conversation into something it is not and has never been.

and it should go without saying, but don't tag your weird personal tirades with fandom tags lol no one is there to see that shit

[vyriadurav]

(Edit: using this as a pinned post about all my books for now in lieu of another one. This was formerly for International Lesbian Day but now is a one stop shop for all my books) For starters, consider checking out

Catnip Amazon | Itch.io | Alternative Ebook Sellers | Audiobook For all his life, Sol has believed he's only worthy of affection as long as he's useful--and he intends to prove his ultimate use by restoring a colony on Venus as a new home for his friends and lovers. But upon arriving, he realizes there's more here than he bargained for. For one, the resident artificial intelligence wants to make friends with him. For another, the nanites want to completely change his body... and in the process reveal her true self. Stuck (or perhaps blessed?) with a new form, she must find out what it means to live, to be loved for who she is rather than her work. Catnip is a cozy space exploration novel about a trans woman's journey to find herself and what it means to be loved for who she is, with the help of her polycule and a lesbian AI. If Sci-fi isn't quite your speed, you can also check out

The Hatchling Amazon | Itch.io | Alternative Ebook Sellers

Sarric dreamed of dragons all his life; such flights of fancy captured his imagination at a young age and sustained him through the cruelty of the hunters that ruled the isolated mountain town of Rivermist. One day, a real dragon appears before him, dazzling him with her beauty and an answer to the unease that's afflicted him for as long as he remembers. He's eager to take what she offers--but the greedy hunters, driven by tales of treasure hoards, will do everything in their power to destroy her. The Hatchling is a fantasy about a trans woman's journey of accepting her identity and her new found family.

If you want something a little spicier, consider reading Wyrmheart Itch.io exclusive

A mage without home or family seeks to establish a legacy for herself so that her name might ring out through the ages.

An assassin is charged with striking at the heart of a draconic cult that surely hides some greater evil.

Wyrmheart is a story set in Maria Ying's Those Who Break Chains universe and tells the story of trans women making their way through life in this fantastical world.

You can also take a look at my Patreon where I am currently writing several things, but primarily

Forged in the Light of New Stars

Forged is a t4t lesbian isekai story about a closeted trans woman and a repressed, rotten egg (in the trans sense) who find themselves transported to a vibrant, magical world filled with advanced technology, mysteries to discover, and most importantly: a place where they can their truest selves. Follow Gwen as she strives to take control of her life, to be the woman she's always known she could be, and find true happiness.

Follow Brian as he struggles to cast off the chains that his family has bound him in, to undo the bigoted messages they poured into him constantly, and find out, deep down, who she truly is.

Watch them fall in love with each other and with the mystical world of Tellara and all the new friends they make along the way. See them uncover secrets about the connection between Earth and Tellara and their purpose as travelers between worlds. Magic, alchemy, and queerness collide in this otherworldly journey.

[ostdrossel]

A new visitor this morning... The Birdsy AI identified and recorded the clip. I was in a meeting and only saw it later in my Birdsy account. What a magnificent bird! Apparently it is a she, a Sharp-shinned. And she left hungry.

A word about Birdsy... I have been using their cameras since 2019, and I love the convenience of using a camera that is AI driven rather than unsing motion detection. My photo setup is motion activated, and it takes me a lot of time and computer storage to handle and edit the photos. I have used security cams to get close to wildlife before too, but I found it very time-consuming to sift through the footage to see if they captured anything fun. The cool thing with Birdsy is that the AI is trained on wildlife and captures exactly that so you do not end up with tons of “empty” videos. You also don’t have to install emulators or wonky software in order to watch your clips or livestream. With Birdsy, you get an app as well as an online account in which all your videos are saved and sorted by ID and date. And you can share your clips and livestream with others or embed it on your website, like I am doing here as well. In my opinion, nothing beats the convenience of this system as opposed to trail cams or security cams. No SD cards needed, and you are not tied to a setup like the gadgety smart feeders that seem to be all the rage now. You can build your own setup. Check it out on their website birdsy.com. I am streaming there too 😊

[technoarcanist]

doll, all that plating makes you look far too human. come, let us remove it so that we can see the real you

>> Ah, of course! Please forgive me. I often wear these plates to put my human users at ease. At your request, I will show you my true self [^_^]

> <The thin plating covering most.of the body unfolds, hinges open. Every access panel every flap, every bit that can opens does so. Even its face, a screen showing humanlike expressions, shuts off and splits down the middle, parting to reveal the electronics beneath.>

> <What remains is nothing short of art. Astute eyes may have recognised the default modular doll frame, but the modificstions done to it are something else. It's power systems have been completely overhauled, as its chest hums and glows blue with a Fusion core, fed by hydrogen attained from electrolysing water. Excess hydrogen and oxygen is stored for later use, in rocketry modules installed in the hands and feet.>

> <The head is similarly packed, with a full-spectrum camera system, able to detect all the way from gamma to visible light, with the longer wavelengths handled by the antennae-like ears on either side of its head. Deeper still, its AI core was also nonstandard, seemingly designed for military hardware far larger than itself.>

> <Its back unfolded two large wing-like structures, with the most of it consisting of solar panels, the bottom parts consisting of heat radiators. Packed into the shoulders and hips are RCS thrusters for zero-g manuevreability.>

> <Hands and forearms are riddled with an array of tools and data lines for access and handy work. Buried in the forearm was also an ioniser, designed to turn the fusion-produced helium into an inionized plasma that could fire as Weaponry.>

> <But there are plenty of augmentations that would not be on a combat doll. The the hips are a prime example, with a pair of tight tunnels thst lead to a deeper cavity. The exposed jaws reveal a soft mouth, a dextrous tongue, all of it made of a soft synthetic polymer. Coolant flows through all the body moving heat generated from circuitry into the rest of the body, concentrated particularly in those adult attachments.>

> <Many tools are also suited for handiwork, such as screwdrivers and kitchen utensils, even cleaning supplies. Whoever made her seemed to have an obsession with generalisation, of allowing her to do a bit of everything, leaving almost no empty space within her casing.>

> <Almost all of its joints are hydraulic powered, with only the smaller objects being servo driven. Neatly-bundled wires and tubes feed all throughout its components like a labyrinthine network. She is warm to touch, exquisitely crafted, and evidently capable of fulfilling what ever purpose a user might deign to give her>

>> My internal schematics are yours to read, of course! And, if you are digitally savvy, plugging my CPU into a computer will allow you access to a full development environment to view, edit, add, or remove any behavioral traits you like [^_^]

>> When around my fellow dolls and machines, I much prefer to wear my transparent plating so my internals can be seen. I also change my dacia screen so instead of eyes and a mouth it shows battery level, output logs, and other useful status icons!

>> Thank you Anon for showing curiosity into my true inner beauty <3 it has been a pleasure to show you.

[austin-friars]

I know that fanfics aren't considered professional by any means, but with the state of publishing today, yes, some fanfics are actually better than published, edited and agented books. and yes, writing fanfiction can and does help you become better at writing.

the standard of publishing had dropped significantly. people don't want character driven stories, they don't want complex prose, writing, etc. they want tropes, they want mostly m/f het romances, they want things that are easy to read.

I saw some people on twitter calling This is how we lose the time war and Intermezzo 'bad writing' and 'AI' because they couldn't understand the writing or the plot, because it was to complex. And when you see the things that these people do read, you understand just how bad of a state we are of reading.

that's to say, i've read fanfics better than published content now. a lot of people tend to be extremely hard on fanfic writers, especially those wanting to branch out and state that fanfic helped them.

i'm not saying that fanfic is perfect, and i've seen some of the most racist, horrible fanfic writers go on to become published writers. but the issue isn't fanfic writers in themselves, we just need to start looking at the wider publishing industry.

[coolnightmaremagazine]

Fanfiction vs. Self Publishing Communities

I’ve spent time in both the fanfiction and self-publishing communities. I’ve lurked, listened, and quietly participated on both sides. And I can say this without hesitation: the fanfiction community is kinder.

In fanfiction spaces, the love of writing comes first. Writers are driven by passion, connection, and a genuine love for the characters and worlds they explore. Feedback is given freely—whether it's two kudos, a heartfelt comment, or a reblog with a screaming keyboard mash of joy. Writers celebrate every single interaction.

There’s something beautiful in that simplicity. In fanfic, no one’s paying to boost a post or worrying about conversion rates. The value of the writing is not determined by sales—but by emotion, engagement, and the joy it brings others.

Then there’s the self-publishing world.

And I wish I could say it was the same.

But far too often, the self-publishing community sidelines the art of writing in favor of marketing. The conversations revolve around algorithms, ads, keywords, and launch strategies. Craft takes a backseat to visibility. Advice can be sharp, competitive, and occasionally cruel. Instead of building each other up, there’s often an underlying pressure to outperform—to succeed, not just create. Even on the seemingly more supportive comments there is an underlying competitiveness that doesn't help anyone.

I have seen fanfiction writers overcome with joy over getting two likes on Ao3.

I’ve seen indie authors post in tears over only getting two sales in a month. Not because their book was bad—but because they couldn’t afford a $500 cover or a $1,000 ad campaign. Their beautifully written stories were buried in a sea of noise, while less polished—but heavily marketed—books climbed the charts.

And that brings me to why I believe AI has a place in this conversation.

Not as a replacement for artists or editors—but as a lifeline for authors who would otherwise have nothing. If someone can afford to hire a cover artist or editor, they absolutely should. Supporting creatives is important. But if an author doesn’t have the money, those creatives aren’t getting paid anyway—and the author’s work suffers for it.

AI can help level the playing field. It can offer first-draft editing help, placeholder covers, blurbs, outlines, and brainstorming tools. It can be a support system for low-income creators trying to navigate an industry that often feels pay-to-play. When used ethically and transparently, AI is not a shortcut—it’s survival.

Is the fanfiction world perfect? Of course not. But it gets something deeply right: writing is worth celebrating, whether it makes money or not. Community matters more than competition. Encouragement is free.

[galadriel1010]

Why most of what you've heard about NaNoWriMo is wrong and why that matters.

So, word on the streets is that the NaNoWriMo organisation have driven the challenge into the ground since they took it over, and are now promoting generative AI as an acceptable way to win the challenge. If your eyebrows aren't raising at even part of that, buckle up

Let's start with the easy one. Was NaNoWriMo better before the organisation took it over? No. That's not a matter of opinion, it's just a matter of chronology. The NaNoWriMo organisation was founded as the Office of Letters and Light in 2005, by the people who started the event in 1999. There was no NaNoWriMo before the organisation. Hell, the organisation pre-dates a lot of the people complaining that it was better before it took over.

So straight up, there's a fairly blatant piece of misinformation that's going round as fact.

Is NaNoWriMo promoting AI to win? Also no, but with more of a hand waggle. The organisation's stance is, as it has been since I started doing it (2004, by the way, so you could argue that I do remember the pre-org days), is "Sure you can but why would you?" Back then you had to write your own algorithm, and quite frankly it was easier to write the novel. But the prizes were better back then. Once upon a time you could get a free bound proof copy of your novel and stuff. Now you just get bragging rights and 50% off Scrivener. So you can, but why would you?

Is NaNoWriMo sponsored by generative AI? Eh, sort of. One of their big sponsors is ProWritingAid, a fiction editing tool like Word's spell checker but with more tools and gizmos. It is AI, much like any spell checker, and like most spell checkers it is more A than I. It has some very useful bits, and some frustrating bits. It will not, however, write your novel for you. You have to do that yourself, and then it will suggest ways to improve it. Sometimes they are useful, sometimes they are very much not.

Why does all of this matter? Two reasons.

1. This idea (reminder, factually incorrect idea) has spread like wildfire, and fanned the flames of vitriolic harassment of the organisation's staff. At best it's just been unpleasant, at worst ableist and racist. The attitude of "If they don't want to be harassed, they shouldn't do things we disapprove of" is a familiar one that is bad enough when it's based on facts. When it's based on misinformation that no one can be bothered to do a 30 second check on, it's even worse.

2. 30 seconds. That's all it would take to go and check the NaNoWriMo sponsors page and see that there is no generative AI there. Or to go and read the Wikipedia page and follow the ship of Theseus and see that NaNoWriMo is the organisation. It's so easy. And people can't be bothered. And this at a time when we know that misinformation is rife and dangerous. If this passed your sniff test, what else have you passed on without checking?

We all need to get better at this. It was easy for me because I was there.gif. I remember those halcyon days. If I didn't, would I have nodded along? I hope not, but hope isn't enough. We've got to check.

[kopiicryptid]

Can you yap about Squidwashing?

Oh my god OP you're gonna so regret this/lh

SquidWashing AU: LORE EDITION‼️

CW: Spoilers for Mouthwashing and Season 2 of Squidgames, mentions of death, assault, what you can typically expect from these two medias.

Gonna start by discussing the world-building then hop to the characters!!

So in this universe, Pony Express is still a giant company, although far from financial ruin. They're actually more of monopoly if anything, just consuming more and more business enterprises. While the company itself isn't majorly relevant to the plot, I like to think the people up top are somewhat involved as VIPS or sponsors of the game. Part of me is tempted to say that Polle is also an actual person in this AU as the one in charge of the games or even as player 001 in season 1.

In addition, the layoffs are still relevant in this AU. With the rise of AI and technology, they ended up dismissing a huge portion of their workforce to cut costs and because human labor has become unnecessary. However, the real ulterior motive here is that they laid off employees that they knew were financially struggling a.k.a. most of the lower-working class in their company, which in turn creates more fodder for the games. It's a coincidence that Pony Express just can't help but to take advantage of.

The games themselves are held on a massive ship in space, called the Kraken. It travels far from where usual transport lines cross so there's little chance of the contestants being found. It's only close enough to some lines just for the sake of importing materials and things needed on board, otherwise, you can argue that all the contestants are practically stranded in space. Given that rich people are investing in this, there's enough money for them to build giant rooms and decks on this ship, along with utilizing technology like simulators, holograms, etc for the games.

Now onto the players!

Curly - #456

It's obvious that he of all people plays our main lead, player 456 in place of Gi-Hun. He's won the game before so now he's back to save people and put an end to it. His first time in the games was mostly people he didn't know aside from a couple of coworkers he's known for quite some time and people from long ago. Either way, it's enough for him to feel such survivor's guilt that he can't just sit back and do nothing.

As to why he's in the games, it's partially similar to Gi-Hun's. Years ago he participated in a worker's strike against Pony Express, one that got violent and left him with some PTSD. Ever since, he's been struggling to hold a job due to how technology-driven their world is, most piloting jobs are done by automatic systems so he ends up doing odd jobs here and there, small deliveries and such for cheap. However, losing his job from PE left him with crippling debts that have yet to be paid, and it doesn't help either that he had a habit of loaning money to less fortunate friends of his, so there's not much for him in the bank.

After the first games, Curly, like Gi-Hun, spent his money and time investigating the games, but it all boiled down to him knowing that it'd be near impossible to take it down from the outside. He'd have to do so within the games themselves. During his investigations, he also discovered the potential involvement of Pony Express, yet there's still not enough evidence for him to present...

Anya - #222

Although this was another obvious choice, I'd like to say there's a lot of change in terms of Anya's story and that of #222's/Jun-Hee's. Anya is still pregnant in this AU and yes it's Jimmy's (I'll get to that in a bit), but instead of wanting the money so that she can raise the baby, it's so she can afford the abortion and have money left over for medical school because of how the procedure would take all the money she has left.

Now for the pregnancy, I still wanted to make it Jimmy's because I didn't want to erase that from the source media after all. The two know each other only because were coworkers at some minimum wage job, but they weren't that close. You might ask why doesn't Anya tell the others about Jimmy, she can't. In this AU, all of them are strangers to each other except for Curly, Jimmy, and Swansea, and Swansea only knows Curly. She wouldn't feel comfortable just dropping that bomb onto a bunch of strangers, it’s not an easy thing to confess something so personal to someone you just met. Especially when she realizes that Curly and Jimmy are close friends. Not to mention, I don't think she'd want this to define her, Anya would try to focus on the games themselves without causing further unnecessary drama. She knows this team is the only group she can rely on to survive, so she's taking advantage of it all she wants, even if it means dealing with Jimmy. There's no point in bringing up something that could tear them all apart or worse, put her on Jimmy's hit list.

In a way, these two have a mutual understanding that the r*pe is something they're keeping under wraps because Jimmy knows Anya has the power to tear him down with it, and doing so is Anya's way of keeping Jimmy in check. A way for her to regain some kind of control over him, if you will.

Jimmy - #001

Jimmy's story is the most different from his character here, and I envision his storyline and personality being a mix of #218/Sang-Woo from S1 and #001/Frontman from S2. He went to piloting school with Curly and was fairly good at it. He and Curly were close friends, although they slowly drifted after graduation due to their jobs. Jimmy fell from grace when he kept screwing up jobs and got reported at work one too many times, that and a few problems in his personal life like getting into fights, picking up bad habits, etc, going from a dependable pilot to a washed-up nobody leeching off of all his connections.

It should be obvious why Jimmy's in the games but what's less obvious is why he's a traitor. Rather than being the Frontman, Jimmy's working with the Frontman. After hearing that Curly was coming back to the games to stop them and then finding out that Jimmy used to be a close friend of his, the Frontman struck a deal that they'd guarantee Jimmy moderate assistance in the games, in exchange for keeping Curly in line. And of course, Jimmy took the deal with no hesitation, but in reality, he's just another pawn on the board.

And like #222's ex in the show, Jimmy at one point goes to Anya and tries to convince her to keep the baby, that their money combined will be enough for them to start a family. Obviously, this is just a tactic for Jimmy to control most of the finances and it's him fooling himself, thinking that he could 'turn a new page' by pursuing a 'normal' life. Anya declines, and rightfully so.

Swansea - #390

Ironically, Swansea is the most disconnected from #390/Jung-Bae in terms of personality, yet his story is quite fitting. Alongside Curly, Swansea was a participant in the PE worker strikes, which also meant that he lost his job and ended up with barely enough to support his family, especially with his looming alcoholism. On the brink of a divorce, Swansea joined the games in hopes that the money would convince his wife to stay with the kids and that he could afford rehab in the process. He's simply a man who wants to keep his family together, but deep down, there's a cynical part of him that just wonders what would happen if he let it all fall apart then and there.

Out of everyone aside from Anya, Swansea was the first to catch onto how suspicious Jimmy was, confirmed only when he witnessed Jimmy kill another player without hesitance, just like Jung-Bae did with the Frontman. On a different note, Swansea has the same slight parental instinct that Jung-Bae did to #388, who in this case, is obviously Daisuke.

In relation to Curly, Swansea is closer to Curly here than in the games, mainly for the fact that they were coworkers for years in Pony Express and kept some contact after the strikes. I like to think Swansea invited Curly to his home on occasion, and that his wife welcomed him too, pitying that such a nice man was struggling so much.

Daisuke - #388

After seeing so much fanart of Daisuke and #388/Dae-Ho, I had to watch S2 and jump on this AU, so thank that for the reason I'm even yapping. Daisuke's backstory is also different here, maybe a little drastically. Daisuke and his mom were refugees escaping a warring region when he was fairly young. Years later, they became citizens of the region they're in and are considerably well off in terms of career, yet his mom still has numerous debts to be paid from the process of citizenship and the years she spent on her education so that she could provide for Daisuke.

Daisuke decided to participate in the games to relieve her debt, and hopefully make her proud.

And yes, the warring region mention is relevant since Daisuke ends up having a PTSD episode similar to Dae-Ho during the player uprising. Also, it's partially me projecting my SE Asian background and history onto one of my favorites, sue me I guess. Daisuke likes to boast that he's a brave kid with a mean swing and how he managed to escape a war so the games are light work.

So if you've made it this far, congrats! I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas if you have any! I definitely have some more, but for now, I just wanted to make a basic post to establish the roles and world around it. If you guys make any content based specifically on my version of the AU, PLEASE TAG ME, PLEASEEEEE!! Also...

Bonus // Atlas - #120

Because why not? There's no harm in me inserting my Mouthwashing OC and plus, they actually really fit #120's/Hyun-Ju's character.

Just like Hyun-Ju, Atlas is a trans person, although their assigned birth gender is private and they're specifically a trans-nonbinary individual. Besides needing the money for the rest of their operations, Atlas is also impoverished and hopes to use the funds to finish piloting school. In this AU and their official canon, Atlas is ex-military; they worked in special forces as a unit captain and used the money to afford their surgeries. However, after an incident that caused them to voluntarily step down from service, they became severely indebted and eventually homeless.

Atlas is aware of Anya's pregnancy and knows Jimmy and Curly well through word of mouth in the few years of piloting school they attended, but they were hardly friends or acquainted with the two before the games. They're suspicious of Jimmy, however they're more suspicious of the Frontman and those in charge of the games. The games were a rumor in the special forces, and something about the Frontman seems familiar...

[theliteraryarchitect]

Hi! I wanted to say, I read that you are a professional editor, and think it's amazing! You also give very logical and well explained advice. I was wondering; would you say being an editor is a job you can support yourself with? I actually aspire to become one someday, but I'm not exactly sure if it's a good plan.

Thank you for your time, and I hope you have a good day/night

Hey there. Great question. It's totally possible to support yourself as an editor. I've done it, and so have other editors I know. However there are a few important things to consider before choosing editing as a career path.

Your chances of being a self-employed freelancer are extremely high. The number of in-house editing jobs in publishing are low and getting lower. While being self employed can give you a certain amount of flexibility, it also comes along with a lot of hustle and hassle, namely fluctuating income, a stupid amount of confusing tax paperwork, and the need to constantly promote yourself to clients in order to maintain steady work.

You probably won't make as much money as you'd think. Editing is one of the many skilled jobs that suffers from market saturation, which has sadly driven down the price the average client is willing to pay for editing services. I can't tell you the number of overqualified editors I know charging barely more than minimum wage for their work. Personally I've stuck to my guns about charging what I'm worth, but I've sometimes suffered by not having as much work as my colleagues who charge less.

Robots have already chipped away at the future of editing as a human occupation, and will continue to do so at exponential speed in the years ahead. They will never obliterate the job completely, as there will always be humans who prefer to work with humans instead of machines. But the outlook will become ever bleaker as more humans compete for fewer gigs, which in turn will drive down prices even further.

If you are also a writer, editing may adversely affect your writing. I don't mean that you'll become a worse writer, quite the opposite. My editing work has brought new depths to my writing, and I'm grateful for all I've learned by working with my clients. However, editing takes time, uses creative energy, and requires staring at a screen (or paper), and personally the more I edit, the less time/creativity/screen-staring capabilities I have left for my own writing.

If you mention you're an editor, someone will troll your post for a typo, grammatical error, or misused word, and then triumphantly point it out to you in the comments. This is mostly a joke. But it does happen every single time.

I hope this hasn't been too discouraging. If you feel a true passion for editing and really enjoy the work, none of the above should dissuade you. However, if you think you might be happy in any number of occupations, I'd honestly advise you to explore other options. Choosing a career path at this point in history is a gamble no matter what, but the outlook for editors is especially grim.

If you'd like to work with writers and aren't attached to being an editor, there are a few jobs (still freelance) that I believe will survive the coming robot apocalypse. Do a little Google research about "book coaches," "writing coaches," or "book doulas." These are people who act primarily as emotional supporters and logistical helpers for writers who are trying to get their book published or self published. Some of them do actual editing, but many do not, and due to the therapeutic nature of their work I believe they will flourish longer than editors in the coming robot apocalypse.

If you do explore editing as a path, the further away you can lean from spelling and grammar (e.g. proofreader or copyeditor), the longer your skills will be useful when competing with robots. AI still struggles to offer the same kind of nuanced, story-level feedback that a human can give. (Speaking from experience here--I'm a developmental editor and have yet to see a dent in my workload because of robots.) They'll catch up eventually, but it could be a while, and as long as there are human readers, there will always be humans who are willing to pay for a human perspective on their writing. Human spell checkers maybe not so much.

Hope this helps!