#acorn.txt

[orange-orchard-system]

Hm... small concern when people treat “semi-verbal” as if very very similar to “non-verbal”. Terms not exact same in use! Non-verbal is easy understand — no speak? happen long time? Non-verbal! But semi-verbal is big term, broad term. No one clear way be semi-verbal!

Semi-verbal can be frequent lost speech short time, before get speech back, and repeat, like cooldown timer in video games. Semi-verbal can be perfectly fine speech but only with short/easy understand words and sentences. Semi-verbal can be simple, imperfect grammar, like we type here! Semi-verbal can be lots of things, including many problems at once or shift between problems with speak.

Worry people see discussion focused on replace “go nonverbal” with “speech loss” and get wrong impression of all speech or no speech. Not non-verbal folks’ fault! But semi-verbal not really known, and think many people who concern about change (esp. because they have problems talk that now feels like they’re losing words for) actually be semi-verbal, just not know. Important change terms yes, but would like more people include semi-verbal peeps (and ALL our variety) when talking about verbality. Not so simple just “non-verbal” or “fully verbal with only speech loss in big distress.” We here!! Please remember us

[xweetoxes]

if there are any other neopet kin out there i’d rlly like to meet u!!!!

[orange-orchard-system]

I've been seeing a lot of hate towards tone indicators recently. And like, I get it? Sort of? But at the same time, the primary argument seems to be "if I don't understand it immediately, it's useless", as if people are going to dogpile you for needing to google what something means if you don't know or don't remember. You don't have to memorize any of it!! Stop acting as if people are holding you at gun-point to list every tone indicator out there and what they mean!! If you don't want anything to do with them, just ignore and block people who use them!!

Also, everyone forgets it's not just an autism thing?? It wasn't made to be a disability aid, even if it's sometimes used like that. It's like. A general internet thing that popped up because lots of people – both autistic and allistic – have run into issues understanding tone through the internet. Moreover, it's not even an entirely new idea; it's like saying "btw" instead of "by the way". And the same issue of the same few letters being used to mean multiple things crops up with regular acronyms like that, too, as well as the problem of people not always knowing immediately what they mean, but I don't see people saying we should get rid of those and "just write it out" all the time... Tone indicators are just a specialized form of acronym and saying that people are "putting work on you" for the way they use acronyms to shorten their message while still keeping it as clear as possible is ridiculous.

Plus, again with noting how it's not just about autistics... Tone indicators help with anxiety. Stuff like "just rephrase your sentence!!" doesn't really help when your issue is worrying over how your sentence comes across; sure, you could rephrase your sentence to make sure your tone is clear, but now you have no idea if it comes across as too awkward or too stilted and needlessly complicated and now you're worrying over every word in your message, maybe even deciding that since you're so worried, you just shouldn't say anything instead, because everyone says the way you reassure yourself by adding a little indicator at the end of your sentence is ableist. In these cases, the tone indicators aren't about you. The aids that other people use for themselves aren't about you. And I think some autistic folk have way too big of an ego, assuming a general internet thing that helps many people is always and only about them, specifically.

Idk tho, I'm just pissed rn 'cause I see people insulting others for using tone indicators just because they don't personally find them useful. I get why some people don't like them, but if your dislike of them is reaching into egotistical territory where you lash out at anyone who decides they personally find them useful... I think you need to get over yourself.

[orange-orchard-system]

Every day I wake up and begin my morning ritual of smacking all new bot followers in the head with a broom

[orange-orchard-system]

The fun thing about this newest wave of bots is that I get to learn the word "untitled" in so many different languages!

I just wish I knew what any of the languages being presented to me by these bots are.

[orange-orchard-system]

I definitely use tone tags in a way to make sure people understand what I mean so it doesn't start a fight and it somewhat helps when you have trauma over not having control over your life. but since everyone has started this fighting I feel more anxiety that me needing to use a tone tag will upset people. they never do things to support my needs but I need to pay all of my energy towards theirs :/

Mhm. A lot of this fighting just... sounds really entitled. People justify attacking those who use/need tone indicators with their own lack of understanding or use for them, but the alternatives they offer can be equally as inaccessible or unhelpful, depending on what they are and for what reason someone uses tone indicators. The solution isn't to do away with tone indicators, it's to offer compassion and translation across different methods of communication, because no one way is going to work for everyone.