#am i a crotchety old 'get off my lawn' lady if i think that people driven away from ao3 bc they can't figure out how to search properly

[firelxdykatara]

Honestly, I have very little sympathy for people who bypass the big, in your face 'FIND YOUR FAVORITES' section of the homepage that lists all media types and naturally draws the eye to go straight to the tiny little search bar that is squished into the upper right corner of the page. There's nothing intuitive about going for the ao3 search bar when the home page offers a way to start off narrowing your search results by genre and then immediately by fandom if you click one of the easily-offered links.

It may just be because I'm from a different era of the internet and so clicking around pages to figure out how things work is already my first instinct but it's just. So, so simple. Two clicks! If kids these days can figure out how to do TikTok or whatever they can figure out how to use ao3 most effectively too.

But it does.

[dewitty1]

I'm not not dave but I'm also not dave. hi! you don't have to publish if this offenses you but I wanted to say I like your blog very much mostly. Only for the way you talk about being old, you are not so old? But you make it like its a bad thing and that makes me discomfort because my auntie does the same thing and something shameful and my mother believes it. I think you should be kind to older people and yourself! I'm sorry, english is not my first language, thank you! 💕💕

LOLOLOLOL!!!!!  Hello Not Not-Dave! I’m sorry it makes you sad that I talk badly about being old. It makes me sad to be old. I don’t want to be old. I feel really old on this site a lot of the time. Mainly because there are so many danged whippersnappers here! UGH GOLDAGNAB KIDS!!!! *shake my non-existent cane madly, and mutters under breath.* Get off my lawn!!!!

It’s weird because I was just thinking yesterday, that I’m 48, but I still feel so young inside my head, you know? Like I’m still 18 in there, lol… Goofy I guess…

Seriously though, I am mostly being sarcastic and poking fun at myself when I talk about being old, because, let’s face it, is 49 (I’ll be 49 next month. YOU ONLY HAVE A LITTLE WHILE TO PLAN FOR MY BIRTHDAY GUYS!!! It’s on April 4th! Mark your calendars now!) really that old? No, I guess it’s not in the grand scheme of things. Considering I just learned yesterday that my maternal grandmother died when she was only 67. I still can’t wrap my head around that. She looked so old when I last saw her., and she was maybe my age-ish or not too far from it. I guess that what a lifetime of alcoholism and abuse will get you. Wow. SORRY! This got a little morbid there, and I didn’t mean for that to happen.

Okay, so I’m not really that old,but damn does my body feel it? Sometimes. Do I need to take better care of myself? Yes, most definitely. Am I going to stop poking fun at myself for acting like an old geezer? Probably not, lol.. I will try not to make it seem like being old is bad, because its not. Being old can be bad ass. Many of my favorite ladies are older women (in no particular order of bad assness, lol):

Maggie Smith (83) Ultimate bad ass lady!

Helen Mirren (71)! Definitely a bad ass!

Julie Andrews (82)! Love her! 

Betty White(96)! “My mother always used to say, “The older you get, the better you get. Unless you’re a banana.” — From her book If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t)

Judi Dench (83)! Love her! So fabulous!

Angela Basset (who is only 59!!!) Looks AMAZING!!!

Julianne Moore! Adore her! (only 56!)

So there”re just a few of my faves, Not Not-Dave anon. There are lots more lady actresses I love, but this post is already too long! So, yes, growing older, and hopefully wiser is not a bad thing. You’re right about that. I still don’t dig it, though. I probably won’t stop complaining a bit about it either, because I’m just bitchy about stuff. That’s just my nature. I’ve never been mellow… Sorry… I hope you’ll still stick around! I’ll make an effort! No promises, though. xoxoxo Signed, Crotchety Carey