#Let’s continue to support each other

[artandpic12]

I’m going to be going to sleep now, so Goodnight everyone 😊😴💤, see you all in the morning 😊. Let’s continue to support each other on here and on other platforms as well 😊, we even have each other’s backs as well 😊.

[the-golden-comet]

This is a HUGE win for authors on ao3.

This lore.fm app was gone about in all the wrong ways, and following the AO3 subreddit has been a treasure trove I took great glee in seeing when lore.fm shut down. Here are some of the highlights in those comments:

“Opt out” for authors was just a bad move. This person could have done an “Opt in” so that authors who WANTED to have their works featured, could reach out to this “company” and give the AUTHORS the choice. But that would’ve taken too much work, huh? /s 😒 Instead, the impetus was on the author to reach out and ask their works not to be featured. Poor choice.

The people who DID reach out to be “opted out” were met by passive aggression, as also detailed in the 3 minute guilt-trip video the emails shown on that subreddit from this specific person reeked of entitlement.

She addresses works of art and literature, innately human activities and culture, as content to be farmed, and to be consumed. This rubbed authors (like myself) absolutely the wrong way.

Any sort of monetary gain from fanfictions could threaten a lawsuit not just to podfics, but to OTW and Archive Of Our Own. The reason AO3 works the way it does is because these fanworks are being GIVEN TO US, by wonderfully creative authors, for FREE.

Unless it’s an original work on the archive, authors of AO3 do not own the IPs of the characters they write for, and therefore it is unlawful to profit from said franchises. Even if the ideas are completely unique and original. Even if the fanfiction is a Michelin 3 star meal, a perfect work that shines a wonderful light on the fandom, and sometimes outshines the source material, it’s still not a person’s IP and the site hosting it could be held liable if people were selling/profiting off of these fics.

These were just a few of the many great points on the subreddit. As a reminder: people post on AO3 because they want to volunteer their talented writing. People choose to display their talent on AO3 for no profit. These amazing works of fiction are a gift. Sites like AO3 are a gift.

Just like authors aren��t entitled to people reading their works, readers are not entitled to an author’s works. It goes both ways. We need to support each other by remembering:

It is an honor to have you read our fics. Thank you for all of your support on our works. We hope, as readers, you are able to continue reading them for free, supporting us, and doing so legally, so these wonderful story hosting sites don’t get shut down. 💫

Fandom friends, we have won the battle (although we definitely did not win the war).

Yesterday, I wrote this post about lore.fm, an AI scraping app that was being marketed as an accessibility tool. Now, the person that has been promoting this app decided, in the light of plenty of backlash, to backtrack and pull it down, as they "feel uncomfortable" with how authors reacted to it.

Of this video, it's very important to highlight a couple of things:

the video is 3 long minutes of guilt-tripping: she keeps repeating that her (and her team, whose existence wasn't disclosed until yesterday: this app was marketed as being a sole woman's pet project) wanted to do good and create an accessibility tool. This comes with the underlying layer that all the authors who rightfully decided to defend their creations are ableist and in the wrong. It's a manipulation tactic;

there is no acknowledgement of the fact that the app was created by a team that specifically works to create apps that generate AI stories;

there is no explanation as to where the money to fund this app is coming from, and we all know that, when you're not paying for the product, you are the product;

this is backtracking, not genuine conversation: since the other day, the videos promoting this app went viral on r/Ao3, and plenty of people began contacting team@lore.fm to ask for their works to not be included. Then, the news spread on Tumblr too. They originally thought they could get away with "legally" stealing as much material as possible, and had to cut the project short because authors were doing everything in their power to stop them. The decision to take the app off for "reassessment" doesn't come from the goodness of their hearts.

At this point of the conversation, I think it's clear that the entirety of the project was relying on the perceived naïveté of fanfic readers and writers, who are oftentimes seen and stereotyped as being silly teens and not adults with real jobs and real knowledge of the law. When they saw dozens, if not hundreds, of authors contacting them to ask their works to not be featured, some of them threatening legal consequences, they had no other choice but to backtrack.

For now, the issue is closed, but don't think it'll be forever. Know your rights, even if you're "just" a fic author, and defend yourself and your works too from these scummy companies that see us as nothing but machines that churn out material for them to steal and profit off of with no consequences.

[drenched-in-sunlight]

saying this as respectfully as possible but. Do not put fandom content creators on a pedestal. We are also just fans contributing to a community just as you are. We have boundary on our own work and that’s it. What I say is not and should not be considered sth the whole fandom should listen to. I’m just a normal ass person ranting about things on my blog. If it does not have a fandom tag for others to engage in, do not make it out to be me trying to start fights or addressing the whole community. Because it’s not.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, my art, my lore talk, is biased. I’ve never tried to hide that I view Marika a certain way and will always develop my theory following that base assumption.

Aside from translation stuffs and pointing out in-game items, everything else I say you can look at it, agree or disagree, and move on to form your own opinions. Just because I draw stuffs doesn’t mean you get to saddle me with responsibilities about managing fandom expectations. What the hell? I’m a fan artist, I’m the last person who you should look at for “leaderism” (?) WHAT?

I can and will be a hater in my own space, like I know sometimes other artists will just post their stuffs and not engage too heavily with fandom, and for a while I did try to do that here (because I’m already a dramatic ass on twitter), that’s just not me though.

You will get art and you will get my opinions as well.

[demigods-posts]

Hello everyone!

I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to address an issue that has recently come to light. Unfortunately, it has come to my attention that some of my work has been used without permission. While I understand that mistakes can happen, it's important to respect the creative rights of others.

I want to make it clear that I take the protection of my work seriously. I have already reached out privately to address this matter, but I believe it's important to also address it publicly. As creators, we put our time, effort, and passion into our work, and it's disheartening when it's not respected.

Moving forward, I kindly ask that we all uphold the principle of mutual respect and refrain from using each other's work without permission. I'm always open to collaboration and partnerships, but it's crucial that we do so in a respectful and mutually beneficial manner.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support!

Yours,

@demigods-posts

[bitchthefuck1]

you know what, I actually will talk about this because it's bothering me. The issue with focussing so heavily on syd and carmy's potential for a romantic relationship isn't that there's something inherently unintellectual about romance or whatever, it's that a lot of people seem incapable of doing that without immediately flattening the story and ignoring or intentionally misreading any and all nuance for the sake of that romance. Every scene suddenly becomes about how it impacts their relationship, every analysis is done through a romantic lens, every frame or line of dialogue becomes about finding some easter egg or hint that "proves" these people should start dating. Their dynamic is absolutely a fundamental part of this show, but if you can only see it as a will-they-won't-they, you miss so much of what the story is actually trying to say with these two.

There are good versions of this story where their relationship is romantic and there are good versions of this story where it isn't, but as soon as you decide them being together is "the point," you lose the ability to actually judge the story for what it is, not what you want it to be.

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

Bout to muse about something that is part headcanon part canon events

ㅤ

Tails is finally saved from his bullies by the (currently) small time hero he admires

Tails stalks follows his hero, uses his mechanical knowledge to improve Sonic's plane

While Tails follows Sonic around, even on dangerous journeys, the hedgehog keeps an eye out for the younger fox behind him, keeping him from being in too much danger

Sonic leads by example, demonstrating to Tails how to fight, and Tails runs maintenance on Sonic's plane and teaches him how to read

Soon enough, they become softly inseparable. Even if they can't adventure side by side (although they do more often than not), Sonic keeps contact with Tails whenever he can.

They strengthen each other's weak points. Where Tails lacks in raw strength, Sonic makes up for it with experience and speed. Where Sonic lacks in firepower, Tails has a machine, a gadget, or the technical know-how to take one. Sonic often rushes into danger, fighting without thinking too hard, but Tails' specialty is strategizing or making plans, and he's one of the few who can slow Sonic down enough to make sure he's prepared. And where Sonic supports Tails by being a force of nature, someone who can roll with the punches and execute one of Tails' plans with complete trust or faith, Tails also supports Sonic by understanding what he cannot, by crafting plans when Sonic is at a loss for how to proceed. They have such unwavering faith and trust in each other's abilities now.

Where Sonic is a hero, Tails is his own kind of hero, saving the people only he can save, helping in the ways only he can help. They support each other. They look out for each other. Even if Sonic is a force on his own, or Tails can go on solo adventures, they're more effective when they're together.

And no matter how things change as they grow, the people who come and go, the two of them are a constant. Sonic and Tails, ever at each other's sides.

[miradelletarot]

If you feel like you have to walk on eggshells around your friends or else they'll abandon you, those aren't your friends, that's just toxic. I do my best to curate pockets of the fandom that are mature and drama free. Fandom is meant to be an escape from life and a source of joy and community. You absolutely deserve that experience and I hate that people are taking that away from you when you need it most. Don't be afraid to drop what isn't serving you, and take a break if you need. But if you ever want a place to talk bg3 stress free, I'll be starting a discord server for naughtybg3confessions soon and you're certainly invited. I've always been fond of your blog, and I feel like the fandom would be missing out without you in it. Not to guilt trip if you really need a break, ofc, do whatever you feel is right. But know that there are people here who care and accept you no matter what! And it sounds like you're going through a lot, so if you ever need to vent or just want a distraction, hit me up any time.

I do hope it's ok to answer this publicly. Bc truly, it means the world to get messages like these.

I've actively taken these last few days to weed out the people that were causing me stress, and removing myself from the more toxic spaces. It's helped me realize that the "problems" are focused on certain social media sites (we all know which ones...) and any spillover onto Tumblr basically gets ignored. Which is hilarious. Everyone on here just gives the ol' thumbs up, and moves on bc we don't want or care about the drama. Frankly, that's fantastic. Since I've taken out the trash as it were, I'm doing so much better. 😊

I've decided I'm just gonna live on Tumblr for fandom things (and the occasional irl nonsense lol). I'll save my main Twt account just for Twitch streaming stuff. ✌️

Also, I'll HAPPILY take an invite to the discord when you're ready! It sounds like it'll be a fun time! 🎉

Again, seriously, thank you. You and so many others on here have truly been so supportive and caring. I'm glad my blog brings you joy, and it really warms my heart that y'all see this as a nice space to visit 🥰💖

[worldsbiggestnerd101]

just saw someone i follow reblog a post that called bi lesbians/mspec lesbians bigots… checked the dni of the person who made the post and sure enough they’re an exclus. needless to say the exclus has been blocked and that person i was following has been unfollowed. kill the cop in your heads y’all, it doesn’t fucking matter what terms someone uses for their identity. and bi women were also considered lesbians before terfs kicked them out. so.

[altruistic-meme]

Hi, thank you for that post about us in the South. As a queer and disabled southerner it means a lot to see another person put it into words but also to get that reminder that we have a community here.

hey, its no problem <3 i promise you we're out there and we aren't going anywhere. it's a scary time for sure, but our communities have been through scary times in the past and we will make it just as previous generations have.

if no one else has your back, i promise you that i do. right now, we need that more than ever.

[t-u-i-t-c]

Shinobi 46: The Last Shuriken Appears!

[berry-hwa]

Being an artist is truly an experience of terror and anger as the thought of computers taking over our jobs one day constantly hangs above our heads

[catandkittenliker]

I’m going to be going to bed now, so Goodnight everyone 😊😴💤, see you all in the morning 😊. Let’s continue to support each other on here and on other platforms as well 😊, we even have each other’s backs as well like always no matter what 😊.

[artandpic12]

I’m going to be going to bed now, so Goodnight everyone 😊😴💤, see you all in the morning 😊. Let’s continue to support each other on here and on other platforms as well 😊, we even have each other’s backs as well like always no matter what 😊.

[cauterisen]

i hope kimiko is having a wonderful international women's day

[mogai-sunflowers]

this will be a bit of a long post but i ask that you please please read the full thing if you want to know more about Sudan- i feel like not enough people ACTUALLY know what's going on in Sudan. a lot of people have a vague idea that a 'war' and genocide is going on, but it's important to know the specifics as well.

there is extremely little coverage of Sudan from non-Sudanese sources, and even those that DO cover it often paint it as a war between two different generals for power over a country- and to a certain extent, without context, that IS what's happening. for those unaware, the two 'warring factions' in Sudan are the official Sudanese military- the SAF (Sudanese Armed Forces) and the RSF (Rapid Support Forces).

in April 2019, during the Sudanese Revolution, Islamist dictator Omar al-Bashir was deposed by the SAF in response to a mass wave of revolutionary organizing, protests, and sit-ins. Immediately after, the TMC (Transitionary Military Council) was established, with SAF general inspector Abdel Fattah al-Burhan being appointed as the chairman. for a brief time, protestors engaged in negotiations with Burhan, and many believed that he was being ernest in his promises of a true civilian democratic government- but it soon became clear to protestors that he was not actually taking their demands seriously, so demonstrations once again intensified. on June 3, 2019, it was under Burhan's command that the Khartoum Massacre was committed, killing 118 protestors while they were participating in a sit-in at the military headquarters in Khartoum.

as the next few months went by, agreements came about to dissolve the TMC and form a Transitional Sovereignty Council based on a draft of a constitutional declaration. it was supposed to be that a military official would be the chairman for 21 months, then transitioning to a civilian chairman for the next 18 months- but Burhan staged a coup in October of 2021, and dissolved the council and effectively turned the Sudanese government back into a military junta, which was the cause of further protesting.

i want to emphasize the crimes and horrors of the SAF because they are often forgotten in these discussions due to the absolute atrocities committed by the RSF. there is no good guy here- both the SAF and the RSF are vying for dictatorial power. so let's talk about the RSF.

headed by genocidal war criminal Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known more widely as "Hemedti", the RSF formed around 2014 due to reorginization of the Janjaweed militias- which were the militias that formed across the Darfuri regions of southwestern Sudan to suppress demonstrations against Bashir's oppressive and racist regime which carried out the first genocide of Massalit and other ethnically non-Arab peoples across Darfur in the early 2000s. so to be succinct- the RSF has direct roots in dictatorial suppression of Sudanis protesting against ethnic cleansing, genocide, and oppression.

for around a decade, the RSF and SAF were different factions of the Sudanese military- both have their roots and a pattern of supporting dictatorial violence and anti-Black genocide. and, on April 15, 2023, these two dictatorial Arab-colonialist powers began fighting out of the blue. fighting has been most intense around Khartoum, the central state and capital city of Sudan, where now an estimated 35% of its residents have been forced to flee, with the rest trapped in the middle of an active war zone.

the RSF has been actively continuing the genocide of non-Arab Darfuri Sudanis that its predecessor the Janjaweed committed 20 years prior. they have been consistently launching attacks against Massalit villages in Darfur and El Geneina. Recently, they have completely ethnically cleansed several Massalit villages, killing hundreds in each one of them. in addition, they are committing so many other war crimes, like sexual violence, blocking access to humanitarian aid, occupying civilian homes and kicking the residents out, along with blatant ethnic cleansing campaigns, mass murder, and targeting of civilians.

but don't think that this is a 'civil war' as many are calling it. a civil war is an internal dispute, but this is far from that. both the SAF and the RSF are supported by external powers, namely the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Russia, who all provide funding to these groups IN EXCHANGE FOR SUDANESE RESOURCES LIKE GOLD AND OIL. this is, ultimately, not just some random war between two different military groups- it is a war funded by and for foreign colonial powers who have a vested interest in colonizing Sudan for its resources. as an example- the UAE's- and especially Dubai's- infamous gold and jewelry industry, is only made possible by the fact that the UAE illegally smuggles 80% of Sudan's gold- they fund this by sending weapons AND SOLDIERS to the RSF. Several of the gold mines in Sudan are owned and operated by the Russian government.

all of this, both the 'internal' AND the external, colonial aspects of this war and genocide, has led to the world's current WORST humanitarian crisis. not only do LOW estimates place the total murdered in the past year at 150,000, but out of Sudan's population of nearly 47 million, over half (25 million) are in severe need of humanitarian aid, and of those 25 million, over half are children. fighting between the RSF and SAF has lead to severe blockage of aid, and the UN's initial proposed budget of $1.5 billion in April of 2023 has not only not increased to accommodate the severe worsening of the crisis, but ALSO has not even been funded 20%.

2.5 MILLION PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO STARVE TO DEATH IN SUDAN BY THIS FUCKING SEPTEMBER. THAT IS LESS THAN 2 MONTHS AWAY.

additionally, due to both western colonization and the Sudanese governments' deliberate cutting of internet access across the entirety of Sudan, there is a huge lack of the proper infrastructure for generating awareness and spreading videos and info from on the ground in Sudan. this means that not only are people unable to effectively crowdfund support to leave, but they are also barred from accessing social media to spread awareness, and they're unable to contact loved ones outside of Sudan most of the time.

also, Sudan is HUGE- in order for displaced people to escape fighting, they usually have to walk, on foot, for hundreds of miles, often across literal deserts, with extremely little access to water. there has also been a surge of internally displaced people dying due to illness and scorpion stings in displacement camps. 70% of Sudan's hospitals have stopped functioning entirely. and even if they DO make it to a neighboring country, most of the options there are just as bad, if not worse- Egypt is extremely anti-Black, and doesn't allow work permits to most Black refugees, meaning they are relegated to being houseless and jobless if they go to Egypt- and westward in Chad, there is also crisis with food and resources, so the government of Chad quite literally can not materially support anymore Sudanese refugees. In South Sudan, there is also conflict, war, and crisis, and in Ethiopia, where the genocide is taking place in Tigray, the government is extremely hostile to Sudanese refugees. there are currently more than 6,000 Sudanese refugees stranded in the forests because of the hostilities they faced while in UNHCR camps.

and everyday that we're not doing something, this genocide, war, and humanitarian crisis is getting worse. doing something starts with being educated. i urge y'all to look more into this, don't just take what i'm saying and roll with it- truly learn and listen to Sudanese activists on this. i highly recommend following these accounts on Instagram:

@/red_maat , @/bsonblast , @/sudansolidaritycollective, @/forsudaneseliberation, @/darfurwomenaction, @/liberatesudan, @/zzeirra, @/yousraelbagir, @/modathirzainalabdeen, @/sdn.world, @/nasalsudan, @/sudanuntold, @/kandakamagazine, and @/almigdadhassan0

IF ANYTHING I'VE SAID IS INACCURATE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

i'd like to spread this post for some education. could you reblog this @decolonize-the-left @incorrectmadrigalfamilyquotes @homoidiotic @heritageposts @el-shab-hussein

@fairuzfan @palipunk @silicacid @sissa-arrows @apollos-olives @

@northgazaupdates @our-queer-experience @intersexfairy @genderqueerdykes

[nikoco11]

too many dreams cut short 🍉

bashar is just one of many palestinians you can help continue their lives, dreams, futures, but time is running out and every second counts.

please support him here

life is tiring and hard, so please lets do what we can to take care of each other. RT, share, talk, draw, boycott - do whatever is accessible to you!