#Transformative works policy

[senlinyu]

Hi!

I want to write a story similar to 'Manacled'. Not when it comes to plot and storyline. But more so the darkness of it. I tend to write a lot of happy endings. And I loved the K-Drama Scarlett Heart Ryeo. It destroyed me but I got angry and upset when she didn't meet him again in her time, reincarnated.

So I wanted to write a story where she did bump into him, but it's left open whether they stay together this time around. Just that they meet in her time. I never wrote it. But I want to know what the inspiration was for 'Manacled'? I get The Handmaid's Tale vibes as well. I'm so sorry if this has been asked. I just want to sort of get out of my comfort zone.

Anyone who wishes to is welcome to remix, podfic, translate, write meta about, make art for, or write in the same universe/fanon as any of my fanworks.

[anneapocalypse]

Transformative Works Policies and How to Make One

With the concern flying around about readers plugging fanfics into AI/chatbots/machine learning models, it might be a good time to bring up the concept of a transformative works policy for your blog, your AO3 account, and wherever else you do fandom.

A Transformative Works Policy is a statement of what you are and aren't comfortable with in terms of other fans transforming your fanworks.

Honestly I have no idea how widespread the AI thing actually is and how many people are just trolling, but it doesn't ultimately matter here. Unfortunately, there will always be bad actors who will disregard creators' wishes regardless of what you say, but fortunately, there are also a lot of well-intentioned people who might not know better but will respect your boundaries if you state them clearly. So a clear statement is a good place to start.

There are other benefits to having a transformative works policy! Most podficcers love being able to look and see that an author has permission posted. If an artist feels inspired to draw something from your fic, or a writer wants to gift you a fic about your OC meeting their OC, a posted policy can tell them if that's something you're okay with.

Some things a TWP can cover include:

podfic

fic remixes

art inspired by your work

fic inspired by your work

art of your OCs

fic of your OCs

borrowing your headcanons

translations of your fic or meta

Now's probably a good time to add AI/machine learning tools to that list, if you haven't already.

If you'd like to see an example policy, here's mine. Feel free to borrow and adjust to your preferences.

I do give permission for people to use meta or headcanons I've written about for a fic or other fanwork as long as you credit and link back to me for it. (And please tag me so I can see it!)

I do give permission for transformative works such as podfics, translations, illustrations, etc to be made of my fanworks (OCs included) by humans, under the condition that you give credit, link back to my work, and let me know about it so that I can come appreciate your work!

I do not give permission for any of my works to be reposted in their entirety on sites where I have not chosen to post them myself. 

I do not give permission for any of my fanworks to be fed into AI, machine learning tools, et cetera, in whole or in part, for any reason, under any circumstances.

[transformativeworks]

The OTW is Recruiting for Open Doors Technical Volunteers, Policy & Abuse Volunteers, and Tag Wrangling Volunteers

Do you know SQL and want to rescue at-risk fan archives? Do you want to help organize tags to help users find works in the Archive? Would you like to assist AO3 users by resolving complaints? The OTW is recruiting! Read more at: https://otw-news.org/2p9695zw

[numberonetribble]

Another practice dump! This time digital! + Piston!

[insurance-brokers-india]

What are the next steps after obtaining an insurance broker license, and how can you generate potential leads using Mzapp CRM software?

Congratulations on securing your insurance broker license! The journey doesn’t end here; it’s just the beginning of building a successful insurance brokerage. Here’s how you can proceed and leverage Mzapp CRM software to find potential leads:

Steps After Getting Your Insurance Broker License

Understand Your Market: Research your target audience (individuals, businesses, or specific sectors).

Develop a Business Plan: Set goals for client acquisition, revenue, and operational processes.

Build a Network: Partner with insurance providers and attend industry events to establish your presence.

Create an Online Presence: Build a professional website and maintain active profiles on social platforms.

Offer Value-Added Services: Educate customers on policies, claims management, and risk assessments.

Using Mzapp CRM Software to Generate Leads

Lead Capture: Utilize Mzapp’s integrated forms and web tracking tools to capture inquiries from your website or social media.

Automated Follow-Ups: Set up personalized email and SMS follow-ups to nurture leads effectively.

Lead Scoring: Prioritize leads based on their interaction history, ensuring you focus on high-potential prospects.

Data-Driven Campaigns: Use analytics to identify what works and launch targeted campaigns.

Seamless Policy Management: Impress leads by showcasing how smoothly you manage policies and claims through Mzapp.

Why Choose Mzapp CRM?

Mzapp CRM simplifies lead management, streamlines operations, and provides insights into customer behavior, making it easier to convert prospects into loyal clients.

Learn more about how Mzapp can transform your insurance business here.

[afteriwake]

Transformative Works & Adaptation Policy / Disclaimer:

♦ The below permissions DO NOT APPLY to any AI-based or AI-assisted works. Do not use AI to do anything with my works or to create anything inspired by my works. NEVER enter my writing into any AI for any purpose, including your personal use.

♦ Anyone is welcome to create translations, podfics (audiobooks), fanart, gifs, graphics, comics, etc., inspired by my fics without asking for permission. You may use quotes from my fics in these.

♦ Anyone is welcome to write a remix or fanfic that's inspired by one of my works but stands on its own, without asking permission.

♦ If you want to write a fanfic based on my work that doesn't stand on its own, such as a spin-off, sequel, missing scene, completion of an abandoned fic, etc., please ask me about it beforehand.

♦ If you post your work on AO3, please use the "This work is a remix, a translation, a podfic, or was inspired by another work." option to link your work to mine.

♦ If you post your work on Tumblr, please put "@afteriwake" in your Tumblr post so I can see it and reblog it onto my blog.

♦ If you post your work outside of AO3 or Tumblr, please link to my original fic and tag/credit me.

♦ Anyone is welcome to print and/or bind my works for your personal collection (please let me see it, too)! This does not apply to binding fic for sale.

I do not own any of the characters used in my fanfic or graphics unless they are original characters created by me; characters belong to their respective creators. ⓒ 2018–2024 afteriwake All Rights Reserved.

[probablyasocialecologist]

All the takes are correct and yet they also miss the point. Yes, it was insane for the Democrats to think they could win by running a soulless candidate, without a shred of progressive policy vision, pursuing endorsements from neocon war-hawks everybody hates, while arming and funding a genocide, and belittling and crushing those who have enough morality to protest it. It is enraging that the Democrats are so smug and blind to this. But these are all just symptoms. The deeper reality is that liberalism has failed, liberalism is dead, and people urgently need to wake up to this fact and respond accordingly. It is a defunct ideology that cannot offer any meaningful solutions to our social and ecological crises and it must be abandoned. Democrats have proven over and over again that they cannot accept even basic steps like public healthcare, affordable housing, and a public job guarantee - things that would dramatically improve the material, social and political conditions of the working classes. And they cannot accept a public finance strategy that would steer production away from fossil fuels and toward green transition to give us a shot at a liveable future. Why? Because these things run against the objectives of capital accumulation. And for liberals capital is sacrosanct. They will do whatever it takes to ensure elite accumulation, it is their only consistent commitment. At home, they suppress and demonize progressive and socialist tendencies. Abroad, they engage in endless wars and violence to suppress input prices in the global South and prevent any possibility of sovereign economic development. The Democrats have done all this purposefully and knowingly, for my whole life, not as some kind of "mistake" but in full consciousness that it is in the interests of capital. And because liberalism cannot address our crises, and because it crushes socialist alternatives, it inevitably paves the way for right-wing populism. They know this pattern, and yet they risk it every time - this election being only the most recent example. They did it in 2016, when they actively crushed the Sanders campaign and sent Trump to the White House. They do it because ultimately they (and I mean the liberal ruling class here) don't really mind if fascists take power, so long as the latter too ensure the conditions for capital accumulation. They 100% prefer this to the possibility of a socialist alternative. So, progressives have to face reality. The dream of "converting" the Democratic party is dead. This is now a fact and it must be accepted. The only option is to build a mass-based movement that can reclaim the working classes and mobilize a political vehicle that can integrate disparate progressive struggles into a unified and formidable political force and achieve substantive transformation. This will take real work, actual organizing, but it must be done and that process must begin now.

Jason Hickel

[senlinyu]

Hi, Sorry if this has been asked before but I couldn't find an answer to this.I would like to ask you if the Manacled translations can stay online? I am one of the translators of your story. I've taken off the Hungarian version from AO3. But there are many Hungarian Dramione fans who would like to read it. Can I still share it with them?I would like to thank you for this story. I wish you all the best. I’m looking forward to the publication of Alchemised. Thank you.

At the moment I’m not asking for any translations to be taken down because it’s somewhat at the discretion of my translating publishers. At the moment a few have said they have no issues with the translations remaining up, and others haven’t said anything on the matter. So that may change and evolve in the future, but at the moment I’m not making any requests on the matter.

[ao3org]

We've temporarily disabled the ability to request a new account invitation as a preventative measure due to a spam attack. If you already have an invitation, you can still use it! However, anyone currently in the queue will not receive an invitation until we turn it back on.

Additionally, we have temporarily disabled the form on the Technical Support & Feedback page and taken the Policy Questions & Abuse Reports page offline. Anyone attempting to access the Policy Questions & Abuse Reports will receive an error page about being blocked from archiveofourown.org, but don't panic -- this is not the case! It's just the default error displayed by Cloudflare. You can continue to access the rest of the site as normal.

Lastly, the Organization for Transformative Works' donation page -- which is hosted by a third party provider -- is currently offline due to a DDoS attack. This is the only donation form the OTW uses, so please be cautious of scammers impersonating AO3 or the OTW to solicit donations. We are unable to take them at this time.

July 11, 2023 - 23:50 UTC

[pipermca]

New AO3 Tag Wrangling Policy and the Transformers Fandom

Edit in the event people come back to the original post: Please do not email AO3 about this issue. See their response about this issue!

(This is a long one, folks, but I think it's important.)

A new tag-wrangling policy on AO3 has the potential to create some massive confusion and chaos in the Transformers fanfic community, with regards to fandom tags. There is a Reddit post about it here with a focus on anime fandoms, but I want to give some concrete examples for the Transformers fandom on why we DO NOT WANT this, and why I think it's a horrible idea.

The Problem

Basically, AO3 is looking to get rid of the "All Media Types" fandom tag across the board, either by dismantling them or just not maintaining them. The Transformers - All Media Types tag has been an all-purpose tag that you could select when your story doesn't fall into any one specific continuity. Additionally, all most (see below) TF continuities on AO3 are considered a subtag of the Transformers - All Media Types tag. For example, if you look at the link above for all works in the All Media Types tag, you will see fics that are also tagged ONLY with Transformers: Animated, because it falls under the All Media Types tag.

One exception: With the upcoming Transformers: One movie coming out imminently, there will likely be a big influx of stories tagged with Transformers: One. In fact, there are several already. However, it hasn't been linked to the larger Transformers - All Media Types tag yet. I wasn't worrying about it though, because I know these things can take time.

With information about this new tagging policy, however, I'm now wondering whether it'll EVER get linked to the All Media Types tag. If that happens, and when more continuities are developed in the coming years (since you know Hasbro loves creating new universes) this has the potential to cause massive confusion when looking for stories to read.

Searching for Stories with the New Tagging System

So let's say the All Media Types fandom tag isn't accurate anymore, because it no longer includes ALL of the continuities (such as TF:One). You will need to include ALL the Transformers continuities when browsing for TF fics.

How many tags is that? Well, here are all of the tags currently listed under the Transformers - All Media Types tag:

Note that this doesn't include Transformers: One since it hasn't been categorized yet.

You will potentially have to have 40 or more different fandom tags in your search, just in case the author tagged their story with something you weren't expecting.

This massively decreases the findability of a story.

Tagging with the New System

The email response from the Tag Wrangling group (see the linked Reddit post above) seems to be a bit flip in the response to the user's concern. "...encourages creators to tag with the media they intend."

While I appreciate what they are attempting to do, this policy change feels like a solution in search of a problem, especially in larger fandoms with multiple continuities, versions, and media types that are all cross-pollinated in both canon and fanon. While I'm focusing on Transformers fandom, imagine a creator in the DC comic universe writing a story that incorporates bits and pieces from a dozen different reboots.

For example, let's say that I am writing a fic about Ratchet. I am using the setting of the original G1 episodes, but I also am using the characterization of him as a bit of an old man grump. That characterization originated in the Animated continuity, but I want to incorporate bits of pieces of his other characterizations as well (old friend of Optimus from TFP, Ratchet ran a faction-free clinic like he did in the War for Cybertron series, he's got a Decepticon boyfriend like in IDW1 - or maybe even Cyberverse, etc.)

With this new tagging structure, I might potentially have to tag the story with ALL of those continuities. So instead of just slapping down the "All Media Types" tag (and maybe one other fandom tag that matches the characters as best I can), I'll have to analyze my story and try to figure out how best to tag for the characters I used.

And what if you're doing a completely AU version of the story? For example, a humanformers story, or merformers? Using the All Media Types tag along with a Alternate Universe - Human or Alternate Universe - Mermaid tag worked perfectly, since you weren't writing the story to fit into one specific continuity. But now, that might not be an option.

What To Do??

The first thing I would suggest is to contact AO3 (using the Feedback and Support page) and let them know (nicely) that you think this is a horrible idea. Give them some examples on how you use the All Media Types tag to find stories to read, or to help you tag a story. People outside of the Transformers fandom don't always appreciate how absolutely tangled the continuities can be with each other, and providing examples might help them see why this would be a really messy change.

Readers: Be aware that when you are looking in the All Media Types tag, it will no longer show newer continuities. And if AO3 starts dismantling that tag like they suggested they are doing, be aware that some stories won't show up in that tag like they used to. You can also create and then bookmark a custom search page that includes all 40+ continuities. REALLY annoying, but it's a workaround.

Writers: Until they start dismantling the All Media Types tag, ALWAYS ALWAYS tag your stories using Transformers - All Media Types... Especially for newer continuities. This will be especially important if you are writing a Transformers: One story. Right now, anyone who is only browsing the All Media Types tag will not see a story tagged only with Transformers: One. Make sure you're aware of how tags work and how they can affect the visibility and findability of your story.

Epilogue

Ugh. That's a lot of words for a long-weekend Saturday. And maybe I'm overreacting a tiny bit. But my work involves information architecture, and this change just absolutely baffles me. It's almost as though they want to make it harder to find stories. Considering that AO3 won a Hugo partially because of its fantastic tagging system, this change seems like AO3 is doing its best to shoot itself in the foot.

When you have a square hole, a round hole, and a rectangular hole… Yeah, you DO want each peg to go in the "right" hole. But if all of the pegs fit in the square hole, who cares? You got the job done.

I love you @ao3org, but please reconsider this change... Especially for IPs that are as old and are as varied as Transformers.

[simkhira]

New Year, New Save File ✨

Simkhira’s Small Town Save File is inspired by my little hometown in Southeast, USA. For this save, I wanted to create a world that caters to all of my favorite gameplay styles (country core, university core, legacy core, etc.) in a nostalgic way that made sense to me. Over the past couple of months, I have been able to transform Willow Creek into something that I am really proud of. I hope you all enjoy the lots, the backstories, and the small town political lore just as much as I do.

Please continue reading for more details and download information:

What’s Included in Version 1:

Willow Creek

21 Lots (5 Community Lots / 16 Move-In Ready Residential Lots)

17 Households (50 Sims / 64 including animals)

All of the Sims have relevant careers, skills, lifestyles, public reputations, likes and dislikes, gender preferences, romance preferences, turn ons and turn offs, relationship dynamics, defined walkstyles, and defined voices.

Disclaimer: I own all of the EP's, GP's, SP's, and Kits.

Custom Content (Included):

This save file contains 1GB worth of custom content. I have included these files in the download to save any hassle. If the game opens and says you are missing content, no you are not. I have play-tested this save file using only the files included and did not find any issues.

Required Mods (Included):

More Selectable Icons Mod by @zerbu

Willow Creek Clickable Mod by @awingedllama

Working Elevators Everywhere Mod by @littlemssam 

21 Calendar Days Instead of 28 Mod by @littlemssam 

The calendar mod allows the game to have 12 weeks in a “year”. So, each week is a “month” (i.e. Week 1 = January, Week 2 = February, etc.). The calendar holidays have been created according to this method. Recommended Mods (Not Included):

707 Nature Replacement Mod by KHippie

Grannies Cookbook Mod by Littlebowbub  Disclaimer: The restaurant in Crawdad Quarter will still function without it - however, I have included some menu items from Grannies Cookbook.

Sim Spawn Overhaul Mod by Lotharihoe

NAP Policy Overhaul Mod by Kuttoe

How to Install Save Files:

Make a backup of your “Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/Saves” folder.

Download the file, unzip, and place the file in your “Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/Saves” folder.

If you already have a file with the same name, change the slot number to a number that you don’t have. (i.e. change Slot_00000000d.save to Slot_00000009d.save)

Once you open your game, you will see “Simkhira’s Small Town Save V1”. Open it!

Once opened, “Save As” to create a copy of the save file for your own gameplay.

If the game says that you are missing custom content, no you aren’t. I have double-checked.

Lastly, enjoy and have fun!

Inspiration: 

I want to say thank you to all of the amazing save file creators who inspired me throughout this process. Some of my favorites include (but are not limited to) @folkling, @wolfxdreamersims, @coolpuppy12, @florwal, @awingedllama, and more. 

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!

Download (Google Drive)

[ellipsus-writes]

Write anything in Ellipsus.

The internet’s a little dystopian right now, and writers (rightfully) have concerns about how their writing might be monitored, scraped, or censored by the tools they use.

That’s why we’ve clarified our privacy policy and terms of service—so you know exactly where we stand on privacy, creative freedom, and writer-first (and pro-transformative works ❤️) policies.

Nothing’s materially changed, but the language is clearer. Here’s the short version:

Your data is yours. We won’t access it, sell it, or misuse it. Ever.

Write what you want. We’re a writing tool, not a gatekeeper. We don’t host, don’t police, and we strongly believe in creative freedom.

You’ll always be in the loop. If anything big changes or we need to adapt to better safeguard and serve our writers, you’ll hear from us first.

We want Ellipsus to be a safe, confident home for your work—no matter what you’re writing.

Want to hear about the latest updates as they happen? Join our Discord to follow announcements and share your feedback.

- the Ellipsus Team XO

[transformativeworks]

Five Things GenreCat Said

In Five Things, GenreCat discusses tips on how to get tickets processed quickly, going through emails labelled spam, and MXTX. Read more at: https://otw-news.org/2p86u2r3

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Ideas Lying Around

I'm on a 20+ city book tour for my new novel PICKS AND SHOVELS. Catch me in DC TOMORROW (Mar 4), and in RICHMOND on WEDNESDAY (Mar 5). More tour dates here. Mail-order signed copies from LA's Diesel Books.

I get a special pleasure from citing Milton Friedman. I like to imagine that as I do, he groans around the red-hot spit protruding from his jaws, prompting howls of laughter from the demons who pelt him with molten faeces for all eternity.

If you're lucky enough not to know about Friedman, here's the short version. Friedman was a kind of court sorcerer to Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Augusto Pinochet, and other assorted authoritarian, hard-right leaders who set us on the path to the hellscape we inhabit today. But before Friedman rose to prominence and influence, he was a crank. Specifically, he was a crank who dedicated his life to rolling back all the progress of the New Deal and re-establishing the Gilded Age:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/06/the-end-of-the-road-to-serfdom/

In his crank days, people were justifiably skeptical of this project. "Milton," they'd say, "people like New Deal programs. They like the minimum wage, the 40-hour work-week, and the assurance that they won't be maimed, poisoned, burned alive, or otherwise killed on the job. They relish a dignified retirement, quality education for their children, and the assurance that no one is starving to death in their country's borders. People like national parks! They like Medicare! They like libraries, museums, and reliable weather forecasts! How, Milton, do you propose to convince the vast majority of people that they should settle for being forelock-tugging plebs, groveling before their social betters for the chance to scrub their toilets?"

Friedman had an answer: "In times of crisis, ideas can move from the fringe to the center in an eyeblink. Our job is to keep good ideas lying around, in anticipation of that crisis."

When the oil crisis hit, when prices spiked in the USA and abroad, Friedman seized his opportunity. The years following the oil crisis saw a violent political revolution in which organized labor, social justice movements, and the political opposition to oligarchy were crushed under police batons and the guns of Pinochet's thugs. The world was transformed. Left parties like UK Labour were remade as austerity-pilled neoliberals (not for nothing did Margaret Thatcher call Tony Blair "her greatest accomplishment," and it took Bill Clinton to pass a welfare "reform" bill that was too extreme even for Reagan to get through Congress).

Friedman was a monster.

But.

He had a hell of a theory of change.

When prices spiral, when people can't pay their bills anymore, when their retirement savings are wiped out, anything is possible. The oil crisis wasn't Jimmy Carter's fault, but the voters still delivered a Ba'ath Party-style Republican majority in 1980. The covid shocks weren't the fault of the world governments that presided over pandemic inflation, but they were creamed in the ensuing elections.

Let's talk about Trump's tariffs here. Trump's goal is to force a re-shoring of the American industrial capacity that was shipped to low-wage, low-regulation corporate havens around the world after the Reagan revolution. The pandemic provided a vivid lesson about the problems with long, brittle supply chains where all the slack has been extracted and converted to dividends and stock buybacks. That kind of system may work well – at least to the extent that it keeps Walmart's shelves full of cheap goods – but holy shit did it ever fail badly. Re-shoring is a good idea, as are other forms of pro-resiliency industrial policy.

But re-shoring doesn't happen overnight. As we saw during China's covid lockdowns, when one supplier ceases to ship goods, other suppliers can't spring up overnight to take up the slack. China itself became a manufacturing powerhouse thanks to extensive state support and planning, and it took decades. That kind of patient, long-run, planned process is the best-case scenario (and it still caused wrenching dislocations to Chinese society). Simply throwing up tariff walls and demanding that industry figure it out – amid the resulting economic chaos and the political instability it brings – isn't a plan, it's a disaster.

Redistributing the means of production around the world is a necessary and urgent project, but it won't be advanced through Trump's rapid, unscheduled mid-air disassembly of the global system of trade. Tariffs will cause breakdowns in neoliberalism's fragile supply chains, and the ensuing chaos – mass unemployment, shortages, political rage – will make it even harder for countries (including the USA) to rebuild the productive capacity vaporized by 40 years of neoliberalism.

This is our oil crisis, in other worlds: a moment in which a belligerent superpower's ill-considered monkeying with the underpinnings of global production will cause chaos, the crisis in which "ideas can move from the periphery to the center" in an eyeblink. If Steve Bannon can call himself a Leninist, then leftists can call themselves Friedmanites. This is our opportunity.

Or rather, it's our opportunity to seize – or lose. Governments are defaulting to retaliatory tariffs as the best response to Trump's tariffs. This is political poison: making everything your country imports from the USA more expensive is a very weird way to punish America for its trade war. Remember the glaring lesson of pandemic inflation: a government that presides over rising prices will be destroyed by the electorate.

There's a much better alternative, one that strikes at the very roots of American oligarchy, whose extreme wealth and corrosive political influence comes from its holdings in rent-extracting monopolies, especially Big Tech monopolies.

Tech giants are the major factor in US economic health. Take Big Tech stocks out of the S&P 500 and you've got a stagnant market punctuated by periods of decline. Superficially, US tech companies have different sources of extraordinary profit, but a closer look reveals that they all share the same foundation: Big Tech makes the bulk of its money in the form of monopoly rents, backstopped by global IP treaties.

Apple and Google take a 30% cut of every dollar spent in an app, and it's a felony to jailbreak a phone to make a new app store with the industry standard 1-3% transaction fees. Google and Meta take 51% out of every ad dollar, and publishers and advertisers are locked into their ecosystems by abusive contracts and technological countermeasures. HP charges $10,000/gallon for the colored water you put in your printer, and third-party ink and refills violate the anti-circumvention laws the US has crammed down the throats of every country's legislature. Tesla makes its fattest margins by renting you features that are installed in your car at the factory, from autopilot to the ability to use your battery's whole charge, raking in monthly fees from you and anyone you sell your car to – and the reason your mechanic can't just permanently unlock all that DLC for $50 is the IP laws that your country agreed to enforce in order to trade with the USA. Mechanics pay $10k/year per manufacturer for the tools to interpret the error codes generated by your car, and the only reason no one is selling a $50/month universal diagnostic service is – once again – US-originated IP laws that came in a parcel with trade agreements that gave your country's exporters access to US markets. Farmers pay John Deere $200 every time they fix their own tractors, because the repairs won't work until a technician comes out and types an unlock code into the tractor's keyboard – and bypassing that unlock code is a crime under the laws passed to comply with international treaties.

These aren't profits – they're rents. It's money Big Tech gets from owning a factor of production, not money it gets from actually making something. The app maker takes all the risks, but Apple and Google cream off 30% of their gross income. Big Tech's profits are almost an afterthought when compared to its rents, the junk-fee platform fees and farcically expensive consumables. For tech firms, capitalism was a transitional phase between feudalism…and technofeudalism:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/28/cloudalists/#cloud-capital

America's robust GDP figures are a mirage, artificially buoyed up by the monopoly rents extracted by US Big Tech, who prey on Americans and foreigners:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/02/18/pikettys-productivity/#reaganomics-revenge

But foreigners don't have to tolerate this nonsense. Governments around the world signed up to protect giant American companies from small domestic competitors (from local app stores – for phones, games consoles, and IoT gadgets – to local printer cartridge remanufacturers) on the promise of tariff-free access to US markets. With Trump imposing tariffs will-ye or nill-ye on America's trading partners large and small, there is no reason to go on delivering rents to US Big Tech.

The first country or bloc (hi there, EU!) to do this will have a giant first-mover advantage, and could become a global export powerhouse, dominating the lucrative markets for tools that strike at the highest-margin lines of business of the most profitable companies in the history of the human race. Like Jeff Bezos told the publishers: "your margin is my opportunity":

https://www.marketplacepulse.com/articles/the-cost-of-your-margin-is-my-opportunity

In times of crisis, ideas can move from the periphery to the center in an eyeblink. Many of us have spent decades organizing and mobilizing against these extractive, dangerous, destabilizing abuses of technology, where the computer-powered devices we rely on for everything are designed to serve their manufacturers' shareholders, at our expense. And yet, these technologies have only proliferated, infecting everything from insulin pumps and ventilators to coffee makers and "smart" TVs.

It's time for a global race to the top – for countries to compete with one another to see who will capture US Big Tech's margins the fastest and most aggressively. Not only will this make things cheaper for everyone else in the world – it'll also make things cheaper for Americans, because once there is a global, profitable trade in software that jailbreaks your Big Tech devices and services, it will surely leak across the US border. Canada doesn't have to confine itself to selling reasonably priced pharmaceuticals to beleaguered Americans – it can also set up a brisk trade in the tools of technological self-determination and liberation from Big Tech bondage.

Taking the margins for Big Tech's most profitable enterprises to zero, globally, will strike at the very heart of American oligarchy, and the hundreds of millions tech giants flushed into the political system to put Trump into office again. A race to the top for technological liberation benefits everyone – including Americans.

Truly, it would be a rising tide that lifted all boats (except for oligarchs' superyachts - those, it will swamp and sink).

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

https://pluralistic.net/2025/03/03/friedmanite/#oil-crisis-two-point-oh

[cognitivejustice]

Restoring Indigenous aquaculture heals both ecosystems and communities in Hawai‘i

For generations, native Hawaiians have understood that their aquaculture systems, fishponds known as loko i‘a, serve as nurseries that seed fish populations in surrounding waters. For the first time, a team of scientists from the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) have modeled this feat of Indigenous science in a study.

“We are using science to translate ‘ike kupuna, or Indigenous knowledge, into policy,” said study co-author Kawika Winter, an ecologist at HIMB and He‘eia National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR).

“The value of this paper is that it’s one of the first, if not the first, to really show that there are ways to do aquaculture in ways that benefit the system around it.”

In partnership with He‘eia NERR and Paepae o He‘eia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to stewarding the He‘eia loko i‘a, an ancient Hawaiian fishpond enclosing 36 hectares (88 acres) of brackish water, the team simulated different restoration scenarios in Kāne‘ohe Bay on O‘ahu Island based on a simplified food web. The study found that restoring more of the bay into fully functional loko iʻa would grow fish populations not just within the ponds, but across the bay.

“Aquaculture has a really bad reputation for basically destroying areas around it, but those are commercial approaches to aquaculture that aren’t holistic in their thinking or values-based like Indigenous management,” Winter said. “Rather than ensuring the health of the system, commercial aquaculture is concerned with maximizing profits.”

Winter attributed the success of the loko i’a design to Indigenous thought processes: “Indigenous thinking is operating within the opportunities and constraints of this system and figuring out a way to make things abundant within that context, sometimes even increasing abundance beyond natural levels.

Restoring ecosystems and relationships

Since co-founding Paepae o He‘eia in 2001, study co-author Hi‘ilei Kawelo, a sixth-generation Hawaiian from Kāne‘ohe Bay, has witnessed thousands of volunteers transform the He‘eia loko i‘a.

With the ongoing restoration, Paepae o He‘eia has seen both the aquatic environment and participants’ well-being improve with increased access to traditional foods, strengthening their relationship to place, and fortifying their family and community relationships. “For me and for a lot of our employees, this is one of our outlets, if not our primary outlet for exercising aloha ‘āina [love of the land],” Kawelo said.

“‘Āina is so important, because it is a term for a system that has the nature and its people in an inseparable reciprocal relationship,” Winter said. “The concept is core to this work because it’s about getting back into a way of thinking where there is no separation between the lands, the waters and us.”

While the overarching goal of Paepae o He‘eia and other fishponds is to revitalize Hawai‘i’s extensive Indigenous aquaculture system, Kotubetey said he knows the work may take generations.

[cubbihue]

Is there a reason you sometimes draw Timmy with a crown and other times with his hat? Can they only wear one head item at a time or does Timmy just prefer to not wear the crown unless at work?

Yup!! Fairies can't hide or remove their crowns, so they opt to transform it into their desired head wear! As a result, they can only wear 1 head object at a time, be it either hat, helmet or crown. The Pixies are the one Court who loves Crown fashion the most!!!

Timmy reserves his crown for strictly work, such as meeting Jorgen under a professional setting, or pitching a policy change to the Fairy Council. He doesn't like how it shimmers above his head. The pink hat is just.. most familiar for him. Even if he can't place why.

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