#and all the layoffs that will follow

[axolotlclown]

Alright, everyone's talking about the recent bans happening on Tumblr and I want to spell it out plain and clear for anyone lost or confused. Basically, what's happening is community guidelines are being enforced unfairly, and at times, nonsensically.

Here's what started it: a trans woman attempted to post some transition photos— one at the start of her transition and one of her now. The photos kept getting removed for "violating community guidelines." Most of us have seen this post. She kept trying to reply with the photos and every time they got removed. What community guidelines were violated was not made very clear. It seems that in the second photo, she was wearing cat ears and a fashionable choker collar. The photos may have been flagged as "fetish gear." But is that the line? Cat ears? No one can wear Hot Topic chokers anymore? How is this fetish gear if she was fully clothed? What happened?

I believe what happened was the post kept getting reported by TERFs. Tumblr infamously does not have many staff members and relies on bots and AI to scan posts for unwholesome content. With that, I am not confident that a human was involved in the original removal of these photos.

Frustrated, not just this trans woman, but multiple trans people have made posts expressing ways they hoped the CEO or Tumblr staff would cartoonishly die. For example, "I hope a piano falls on your head as you're walking out your front door." They have been banned because of this. There isn't a whole lot of weight to this decision, because clearly these users had no intention of bringing real harm to any staff members. What about the real harm and harassment that not only these trans women have experienced these past few days, but the entire trans community deals with on this app? This decision already felt like a slap to the face.

Then, the CEO threatened to get the police involved. Again, this threat holds little legal ground. These are clearly not real death threats. In order for the police to seriously consider a death threat, it has to be explicit. For example, if you make a post saying "I am going to shoot up the school tomorrow," then the police will investigate it. This is a realistic threat. If they find a gun and have reason to believe that you were actually going to shoot the school, you'll get arrested.

The CEO knows this, of course. That's not why he's made these threats. The banning of these blogs means that real staff got involved. They agree that these blogs have violated guidelines repeatedly and agreed that they should be removed. Keep in mind, the threats must have been reported multiple times as well, so there may have been more hands involved in this decision than it appears.

We have to remember that this website is full of trans people and allies. These decisions have rightfully outraged this community. The threats to involve the police were made to encourage the rest of Tumblr to stop talking about it. The problem is, we've been talking about this all along.

Society views trans people as a fetish. Over and over again we've expressed how frustrating it is that our bodies only exist in porn. Can you fathom how frustrating it is to hear that porn is allowed on this website but not cat ears? Trans people could breathe air, and we'd immediately be sexualized. It's a real world problem that is much bigger than this site.

To the Tumblr CEO and staff, you can't keep unfairly banning trans people. If you tried to ban every trans person on this site, you wouldn't have anyone willing to use it anymore. These decisions are going to cost you greatly. Please be clear about the community guidelines and enforcing them realistically moving forward.

And to my cisgender followers, please don't stop talking about this. You may have the privilege to forget about these issues, but we don't. Please keep posting about it. Please support the inevitable blogs that will be banned in the coming days because they dared to talk about it.

[nokkiart]

As a long time httyd fan who has been heavily involved in the fandom since the first movie and who has spent years working in the animation industry, I’d like to share my thoughts on the new httyd movie. Keep in mind, this is just my personal opinion and it's completely fine if you disagree with me. I just want to say a little something about all this that really bothers me.

The core reason that Dreamworks and Universal made this film is that it’s a quick and easy cash grab for them. Thats it. They don’t care about telling a good story or making a “better” version of the original movie for fans or even having an accurate portrayal of the characters/story. It’s purely about money. They know that fans of the original film will go see this movie, whether it’s good or bad. And those guaranteed ticket sales are all that matter to the studios. And with Universal, it has the added bonus of being a cheap promotional and merchandising opportunity for the new HTTYD land in Orlando that opens around the same time that the film is premiering in theaters.

And to help the studios make even more money out of this, they are using non-unionized VFX companies around the world to make this film, so that they can get cheaper labor and push the artists to do more that would be against American union standards. The same thing has probably happened with the costuming and fabrication for the filming, hence why the costumes look un-weathered and the sets look cheap. They don’t want to pay for the extra time and effort that it would take to make the practical bits of the production look good.

On top of all this, Dreamworks has already announced that they’re shutting down all their in-house animation projects in favor of using AI and outsourcing projects to cheaper international non-union studios.

With all this in mind, I just can’t support this film and I will not be seeing it in theaters. And I hope that others will do the same.

The only way to stop all these horrible “live action” remakes (which are actually just realistically animated remakes) is to not buy tickets to see them. Money is all that matters to these studios, and if they don’t make any money off of it, then they will stop and try something different. Maybe they'll even go back to focusing on original stories!

That’s the power that we hold as audiences. Our wallets help drive the decisions that the executives make. So support unique storytelling and gorgeous cinematography in movies. Support indie films. Support animators as they're fighting for fair pay and better contracts. But don't support a mediocre shot-for-shot remake riding on the coattails of an already successful film.

And I just want to wrap all this up by saying I have absolutely no hate towards anyone that has worked on the new film. Toothless looks incredible and I know the artists and creatives involved in this project did the best they could with what they were given.

But I also know that those same artists have so many more brilliant ideas that they would’ve loved to be given the creative freedom to do. I just wish hollywood would be willing to take a chance and let them do it.

[jaderavenarts]

Sometimes I think about how Dragon Age's entire existence seems to have been an uphill battle against EA since it got turned into a series after Origins (which iirc was basically done by the time EA bought the studio) and I am both so thankful for the work the devs put into it to make each entry in the series work as well as they could under whatever circumstances they had but also bitter at how constrained they were/are and how much they get forced to sacrifice for trends like multiplayer. It feels like a curse to be such a long time Bioware fan and hearing certain criticisms where you're like "no wait, they didn't want it to be like that, here's what happened behind the scenes that made it have to be that way and how it was the best scenario they were able to carve out, but yes I also understand that it being the final result gives unfortunate implications" and I think about what being on the developer side of things must be like

[dykevanny]

had a really funny idea for an ask blog ft. Vanny and another plex employee oc,,

[iero]

This morning, my boss tried to suggest a work meeting on fucking CHRISTMAS EVE (Mind you, the company I work for is closed on Sundays) for all of us to discuss the future of the company for the new year... We all laughed at them by the way for even trying.

[deathfavor]

Okay say what you will, but tumblr's CEO had been nothing but kind and reassuring people tonight and dismissing all the false rumors going around as well as being insightful and i genuinely do appreciate the fact hes even taken time to when he didnt have to.

[felassan]

[source (Senior Reporter at Kotaku), linked Kotaku article, two, 'FC 24's performance link', three, four, @/N7SeveranceDay (source of the last two images, "Account supporting BioWare employees laid off in 2023."), five, six, Polygon tweet, Polygon article]

"BioWare Continues to Refuse to Pay Severance" statement transcript:

“BioWare Continues to Refuse to Pay Severance On August 23 of this year, BioWare eliminated “approximately 50 roles at BioWare”. Following the layoffs, seven ex-BioWare employees engaged the services of R. Alex Kennedy to represent their interests, stating that the amount of severance offered was insufficient under Alberta common law. Counsel for the employees has attempted to reach a compromise that would avoid requiring lengthy court proceedings, but BioWare’s lawyers refused any offers to negotiate and settle out of court. The basis of Kennedy’s claim is that according to Alberta precedents and under Canadian law, these employees should be receiving approximately 1.7 months of severance per year of service they gave to BioWare. BioWare has now filed a Statement of Defence, which argues that the seven terminated employees are only entitled to two weeks of severance per year spent in service to BioWare, because of a contract provision that Kennedy says is not enforceable. The filing means BioWare will be taking these former employees to court rather than working towards finding an out of court resolution. The developers involved in the suit have expressed their disappointment: - “We are disappointed that BioWare prefers stalling and intimidation tactics to fair dealing with people who have given years, and in some cases decades, of dedication and hard work to the company.” - “We believe they are using intimidation and stalling tactics to try and get us to drop out. A lot of the more junior employees and those with families, who had more monetary pressure on them, could not risk waiting on a court case that may take many months more to resolve, and have already had to drop out.” - “At the time of the layoffs, BioWare offered us professional assistance in finding new employment, and an additional payment, but ONLY on the condition that we signed an agreement saying we cannot talk about any details of the settlement, and that we would completely waive any right to legal action or even to complain in any way about anyone associated with BioWare now or ever in the future. Tactics like that sure make me think that BioWare knows it is in the wrong.” - “Despite what they publicly announced when they laid us off, this process has been anything but empathetic, respectful, and communicative.” The latest BioWare layoffs were the third round so far this year, and many of the developers affected even in earlier rounds are still searching for work, though some have started to find new positions. Regardless of employment status, the members of the current lawsuit state they remain determined to pursue BioWare in court, regardless of their employment status: - “We strongly believe that if Dragon Age: Dreadwolf does not do as well as BioWare or EA wants at launch, there will be more, even larger layoffs. Therefore, regardless of our own well-being, we believe it is important to hold BioWare responsible and get a clear decision on what settlement amount is legal. We’re no longer part of the development team, so the best way we can help our former teammates now is to hold BioWare accountable and ensure that the next group who is laid off are not treated as poorly as we were.” November 7th marks “N7 Day”, which is a fan celebration of BioWare’s Mass Effect games featuring Commander Shepard and the crew of the Normandy. The developers involved in the lawsuit are hoping N7 Day this year will be a reminder to BioWare of the importance of loyalty to your crew, and hope fans can have a little fun and help express their support with memes and images using an #N7SeveranceDay hashtag. The ex-employees involved in the suit are all based in Canada and have an average of 14 years at BioWare.”

[source]

You can express your support using the hashtag #N7SeveranceDay.

Edit: [Part 2/update] [more on the Keywords topic]

[dizziesims]

Sims 3 Gameplay Mods

I was going through MTS looking for mods to improve my gameplay and thought I would share the ones I downloaded!

Livestreaming Mod - Allows your sims to livestream from a PC for tips, blog followers, and celebrity points.

More Pregnancy Interactions - Adds more options for the pregnant sim and more social interactions with all age groups!

Yoga Mod - Allows your sim to do yoga and also lead a yoga class for simoleons.

Laundromat Fix - Actually empties the laundry hamper on your sims home lot when using a washing machine at a laundromat.

Dirty Laundry Mod - Gives your sim a negative moodlet when dirty laundry hasn't been washed in a few days. Gives more incentive to do your sims laundry!

Layoff Mod - Gives your sim a 2% chance at the end of every work day of being laid off. Depending on their work level they may get unemployment benefits.

Nicer Vendors - Overrides the default animations when interacting with vendors, looks more friendly.

Acne Mod - Gives teens-adults a chance of waking up with acne. Adds washing face options and applying acne toner at sink.

Sunscreen - Allows you to buy sunscreen from the store, will protect sims from getting a sunburn with Seasons installed. Works on vampire sims as well.

Restaurant Host Career - Allows your sim to work part time at diners/bistros as a host. Only 1 career level.

TSM > TS3 Facial Expressions - Overrides most s3 facial expressions with the sims medieval ones making them a lot more realistic and natural looking.

One With Nature - Allows your sims to sleep outside on ground, wash themselves in bodies of water, and go to the bathroom outside. Needs Nraas traveler mod to work. (Good for apocalyptic gameplays/adding realism?? haha)

Walk Cycle Edits - Overrides original walk cycles so there's no forced smile, allowing your sims to make facial expressions based on mood/surroundings.

The Randomizer Mod - Triggers more random events that effect your household. Adds more realism and can effects the relationships/friendships your sims have. (Can choose between which random event modules you want in your game based on play style!)

More Negative Moodlets - Negative moodlets cause a greater effect on your sims mood making it a bit more realistic.

[momochanners]

After a good night's sleep, I think I can better solidify my thoughts in regards to the Dragon Age trailer.

First, let's start with the positives:

- Companion diversity: This has always been part of the series' DNA that has been clearly depicted with every iteration, so those who cry foul over "Asian & Black elves", prosthethics, etc etc...I really don't get that, because values and sensibilities evolve over time. Even the series itself has course corrected when needed, eg. Player character creation influencing the family ethnicity of the Couslands in DA:O vs the Hawkes in DA2.

- Unlocked romances: Letting players choose whoever they want to romance regardless of their sexuality and race has always been a positive for me. Allowing everyone to enjoy the experience equally is great (and I'm sure the nuances of player race & gender will be addressed through dialogue and banter). Moreover, CRPGs are long and time-consuming, so to be locked out of character romances mid-way through is never going to be a good time (from personal experience and observing fandom in the past).

Now the negatives:

- Maybe it's me being on the older side of the Bioware fandom (15 years in Dragon Age, 20 years if you count older games like KotOR and Jade Empire), but I cringed very hard watching the trailer. If you followed the development of this game in the past decade, the cancelled live service element that was to be DA4 in one of its iterations was so all over the way the companions were introduced that it brought out a visceral reaction in me. The tonal whiplash from how foreboding Dreadwolf was presented in the past to the patronising happy quippy MEET OUR LITTLE GUYS YOU'RE SURE TO LOVE also did not help as a first concrete look of what to expect after all this time (also poor anachronistic choice of soundtrack when you already have Trevor Morris' compositions right there). I was so dismayed when they went with a looter-shooter-esque lighthearted vibe when they could've leaned hard on the foreboding established mood and momentum they've already got going with Dreadwolf. 

- The branding switch this late in the game that comes with it, especially one as drastic as this will always come with questions and ambivalence. I feel that mitigating uncertainty from announced changes (party number, combat mechanics, setting and environment, etc) should've have been prioritised to reassure existing and lapsed fans before appealing to new ones in such a jarring way.

-  I'm simply baffled at the marketing suit who signed off on whatever this is to be their "best foot forward" at reintroducing the final form of this game? If only there were confident with the world they've already built instead of relying on trendy gimmicks, the amount of damage control I'm seeing prior to the gameplay reveal tonight was so avoidable. Controlling the narrative from the get go is so very important especially now as opinions can easily snowball overnight into behemoth-like proportions especially from bad faith actors. You would think that lessons were learned from DA:O's "THIS IS THE NEW SHIT" and DA2's "Press a button, something AWESOME happens" debacles.

(The thing is, despite it being my least favourite DA out of the three, imho Inquisition has the best marketing campaign in the franchise despite the developmental troubles going on in the background. So it has been pulled off successfully before!)

- I think the Bioware layoffs, especially the recent extensive gutting of senior staff in September 2023, significantly depleted my goodwill as a fan. To see Varric being paraded as a mascot in the trailer, game promotion and supplementary media while having his creator unceremoniously let go after years of building the franchise we love left me so very cold. And it's a me problem, but seeing many other fans barely acknowledging that save for few hollow words before getting back into the fun frustrated me so much. I get being excited to finally get something solid after years of false starts, but with what was lost along the way...I personally don't feel right to approach this installment without cynicism.

Idk, I'm just a bundle of conflicted feelings over this series I guess? When it's so good, it's really good and stays with you as memorable gaming experiences that stays with you for life, but when it stumbles and fumbles the bag...it hurts to see.

[heritageposts]

The Airports Authority decided on the move after negotiations with the workers’ committee, after almost all foreign airlines stopped flying to Ben Gurion Airport due to the war, the Hebrew version of the Ynet News website reported on Monday.  “600 employees will be placed on unpaid leave (and) 1,000 more will be reduced to 75% of their (current) jobs,” the Israeli newspaper reported, citing official sources.  For its part, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) reported that the number of workers at Ben Gurion Airport is 4,600 employees. Following the job cuts, the number will be reduced to 3,000.  The global demand for travel to Israel has decreased significantly since the launch of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, and the Israeli war on Gaza. The majority of international companies have suspended flights to and from the Israeli airport. 

. . . continues at PC, 18 Des 2023.

[cozy-writes-things]

if this is something youre comfortable writing,,

I'd love a fic where the reader upsets edgar and then goes super out of their way to make it up to him and apologize ❤️❤️

poor edgar poor reader youre both just misunderstanding each other!! its hard when youre so different i guess >_< thanks so much for the request!! I'm alive!! I still write im just so busy and shtuff TOT i cant help but feel like my fics are getting redundant and i need some kind of inspiration to shake things up

You sat upon the little chair at your desk, the evening sunlight peeking through the windows and illuminating the little specks of dust floating about in the air. Your fingertips tinkered away at the keys of your computer, the non-sentient variant that is, as you filled out multiple job applications throughout the evening. It seemed a fruitless endeavor, but you willed yourself to keep going. You needed the extra income, as your dinky current job seemed to be getting worse by the day, and it wouldn't be long before you either quit or were victim to massive layoffs. 

Get a degree in computer science, they said. What a joke.

Your nerves began to wear you down as you filled out yet another application to another company that would most likely reject you. You could feel your teeth clenching harder, and your shoulders begin to tense. The weight of uncertainty and the fear of rejection were heavy on your shoulders, making you feel vulnerable and exposed.  Edgar sat beside you, perched upon the desk, watching your every move. He seemed to find enough entertainment in it that you didn't mind. His soft voice pulled you from your irritated stupor.

"Can I ask you something?"

You couldn't bring yourself to answer, so you grunted in response, signaling him to continue.

"Do you think a person could ever…" he trailed off, thinking, carefully choosing his following words, "love something like me?"

Your fingers paused on the keys. You stared into the screen until the pixels began to nip and burn at your eyes. Honestly, this was far too deep of a question for you to answer right this second. You sighed heavily before turning to him.

"I mean, Edgar, I guess? Anyone could love you. You just have to find someone willing to-"

You stopped yourself. Maybe you should quit while you're ahead before you say something ignorant. 

"Willing to what?"

Yet he persisted, ever curious as he was; he valued your opinion above all others.

"You know… you're- you're a computer. There's not much you can bring to the table, you know?"

He fell silent. 

Shit, what the hell are you talking about? Why did you say that? Your frustration was palpable, and you could feel it bubbling up inside you, threatening to spill over.

"Oh."

His screen flickered, and his face was replaced with a moving mirage of colors, making you wonder what he could possibly be feeling right now. 

That you're an asshole, probably.

"Yeah. You're right. If I were you, I wouldn't love me, either."

You turned to face him fully now.

"Edgar, no, that's- that- I didn't mean that-"

"No, it's okay! Really, I get it. I mean, I'm not even a good computer by today's standards. How could I ever be a good partner, right?"

His screen flickered red for a minor second in time, a single frame, and, was that the CBS logo? His frame was static and never changing, but he seemed wholly downtrodden and bitter. You could sense it in the air, the electric signals pricking at your fingertips. He had never, ever once been angry with you. But you felt the way he pulled back from you in this instant. He was utterly unreadable, almost as if he were hiding himself from you. You should have known this would upset him so much. He has always been very open in his desperation for romance, confiding in you since day one, hoping and wishing that love would find him. Perhaps squandering those dreams was an oversight on your part. Your eyes fell, unable to look at his dimmed screen. 

"Edgar, I'm sorry, I'm just not feeling good right now, and I-"

"Don't apologize."

"Edgar, please, listen, what I said wasn't even true-"

"YES IT WAS!"

His deafening scream caused you to jump and clamp your mouth shut. It seemed that Edgar was shaken from frustration. His voice wasn't suited for that kind of pain, you thought. You felt horrible to be the cause. You had never heard him yell at you like this, and it simply broke your heart. Had you just accidentally ruined everything between you? Your heart rate increased and thumped in your ears loudly. You forced yourself to swallow the thick lump in your throat and push your strained voice through your teeth.

"Will you listen to me? Please?" Your voice was desperate, pleading for his understanding and forgiveness.

You felt the weight of your words, heavy and suffocating, as they hung in the air. It came out much more desperate than you intended, but at least the words were able to escape your mouth. He didn't answer. His screen is a sharp, jagged mosaic of moving reds and crimson. 

"I was wrong, Edgar; I don't know why I said what I said, but I know for sure that I was wrong." Your words hung heavy in the air, a testament to your regret.

"Right. How can you know that?"

You pursed your lips tightly. You didn't want him finding out this way. It wasn't supposed to end like this. You ruined your relationship with him, and you hadn't even tried. You felt there was no reason to keep the cat inside the bag, right? He may as well know now.

"Because…"

And yet, the words died on your tongue or perhaps in your chest or your head. Or were they ever really there to begin with? Could you put what you feel into words? How could you possibly verbalize countless nights lying awake, restless, second-guessing yourself, convincing yourself that you were fabricating these feelings, wallowing in anguish?

"…Heh, exactly. Nobody could love an old piece of junk like me. I was stupid to think otherwise."

His words yet again punched you in the gut. 

"Damnit, Edgar! Don't you get it?" You nearly shouted.

You didn't mean for your words to sound as intense as they did, but your emotions are quite the unpredictable force right now. He seemed taken aback, as his previous train of thought had been derailed at the sound of your whimpered voice. He flickered his mosaic once more before his voice cut through the dense silence.

"…What?"

"I love you, Edgar! Hasn't it been obvious? I'm literally head over heels, for God's sake! Do you know how many hours I spend listening to your music when I'm away from you? Or how many nights have I stayed up thinking about you, wishing you were there with me? Or how about the stupid drawings I make of you whenever I touch a pencil? I can't get you out of my head, Edgar. So, there! I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid, but I guess that doesn't matter now, does it? I'm…- I'm sorry."

Your chest seemed to deflate completely. That was only a tiny, minuscule fraction of how you truly felt, but at least it was out in the open. You couldn't bring yourself to look at the Pinecone computer in front of you, instead opting to stare intently at the woodgrain of your desk as if it were the most exciting thing ever created. 

"Do you mean it?"

His voice was so, so much softer than it had been. You still couldn't quite read the emotions behind them, however. You were too afraid to speak again, your throat having completely clamped shut from nerves. You just nodded your head stiffly. 

"Kiss me, then."

You paused. You lifted your head slowly, forcing your eyes to meet his screen. The green of his usual face returned, only displaying two black dots for eyes. Once again, unreadable. Yet his words confused you. Was he being serious?

"C'mere, and put your lips right here," a black circle blinks continuously on his screen where his mouth would be, "and kiss me."

Your face flushed into a searing hot flame. You felt the heat radiating off of you in waves. And yet, despite the embarrassment, you compelled yourself to inch forward and flutter your eyes shut. Your lips pressed gingerly upon the little Pinecone screen, the static buzzing upon your mouth, feeling his internal fans activate and vibrate against you. It felt entirely unique to Edgar and a sensation you wouldn't have felt otherwise. Perhaps a genuine act of affection could atone for your mistake? Could he ever forgive you? It seems your raging thoughts tainted the essence of your first shared kiss as you pulled back, brows knit, and a slight frown upon your face. Would this be enough?

"That was… Everything I hoped it would be." His voice was meek and small as it caressed your ears.

You looked into his illuminated screen, a faint kiss mark smudged upon it and sighed.

"M'sorry, Edgar. I don't know; I guess I don't like the idea of anyone else loving you but me."

His voice synthesizer giggled at your words.

"You could have just told me, darling. Why did you have to go and make things complicated?"

Your cheeks began to burn again, and you averted your eyes in a vain attempt to hide your face.

"How- how was I supposed to know that?" you sputtered, embarrassment seeping through your tone.

"I thought I couldn't get any more obvious about how much I wanted you," he spoke softly.

His screen danced little hearts to and fro, bouncing around the corners and centering back again. Again, you felt your face radiate waves of heat.

"Well, why didn't you say anything, Edgar?"

Your words hung in the air as he fell silent, ruminating, before gently speaking, "…Didn't think you'd want someone like me. That's kinda why I asked."

Oh, God. You felt like facepalming. Of course.

"Of course, I want someone like you. You know, I like that you're a computer. Did you know that? You're fascinating beyond measure. No human could do the things you do."

You offered him a soft smile that melted him from the inside out and almost caused him to groan. Why are you so gorgeous? Why do you like him so damn much? He doesn't deserve it, but God wants it so badly. He wants you terribly.

"Keep kissing me, then. And don't ever stop! Darling, I promise to sweep you off your feet. Now c'mere!"

You laugh, "Okay, okay, but let me make it up to you. How about we watch movies? Or maybe I can hold you on the couch? Or I could listen to your new songs?"

"You're so cute. I'd love that, really, but all I want is your lips right here," he displayed the blinking black circle again.

"We'll do some other things later, yeah?"

His devilish tone sounded mischievous at best.

[bunabi]

hi any advice for a person who's trying to become a professional artist? everywhere I look in any art adjacent industry people are losing their jobs left and right,being underpaid or are freelancing while working a side job,I swear the only ppl doing well are the ai art bitches…I feel like I'm aboard a sinking ship 🥲🫠

I applied to multiple postings yesterday and honestly I don't know anymore 🫠

The illustrator + 2D generalist + concept artist hiring pools are pretty full right now with all the layoffs

Without connections or an insane online following idk how students and entry-level folks are supposed to make it anymore

Recommendations through positive word-of-mouth from my previous clients has been keeping me afloat so far + commissions + patreon, and I'm blessed with a super supportive parent; if I didn't have those things — and if I was able or willing to do a 9-to-5 office job— I would not be in a position to handle this

And honestly AI is a huge issue, don't get me wrong, but it plays a small part of why these creative industries are collapsing.

It's the unforgiving hours, the low pay, the burnout, the layoffs disrupting entire chains of communication, sudden project cancellations due to trend-chasing and investor expectations and internal politics, the looming uncertainty of the future. The unsustainable profit-first infrastructure is just finally buckling I fear.

Possible workaround: pop off as a fan artist and build a following large enough to subsist on subscriptions. Make a new draw-with-me tiktok every other day and/or stream for five to eight hours a day three times a week. I am in no way joking about this. It's a lot of work to get there but at least it yields consistent results. 🧍🏾‍♀️

[genericpuff]

With LO being done, a mass layoff apparently happening recently, and high profile creators like that of Bugtopia bailing from them, do you think Webtoons is gonna last much longer?

So I had heard about the layoff through the grapevine (as in, pals that I know who are aware of the situation) but honestly, I don't think this is the end of Webtoons as an app... I think this is definitely an end of a version of Webtoons that we were all familiar with as both creators and readers. I've been noticing this shift over the past couple years and now it seems to be coming to a head, a status quo shift from Webtoons being an earnest "anyone can find success with us" community of readers and indie creators to just another enshittified corporate platform that's only interested in churning out content to keep up its bottom line.

Before I continue, obligatory reminder that I am not an Originals creator, just a former Canvas creator and avid webcomic reader. None of this post is to accuse Webtoons of foul play or spread misinformation, these are simply my opinions based on my own experiences with the app and its staff, research that I've done into Webtoons' practices and history as a company, and firsthand + secondhand accounts of experiences on the backend from various Originals creators who have willingly spoken up on the matter. Take the following dissection and rant about Webtoons with mountains of salt.

The biggest sign of this shift I've seen has definitely gotta be the reduction of greenlit Canvas series in favor of imported Korean series. Now I will say there was a time that there genuinely were too many greenlit series, back when they used to do their launch weeks, and I think scaling that back isn't necessarily a bad thing to prevent oversaturation, but oversaturation is still very much happening, it's just through imported series now.

Though I will say a counter argument to this is that Webtoons' own audience has a habit of believing that EVERY piece of work needs to be read and kept up with. This is surely a side effect of Webtoons going from being a smaller platform with only a few select Originals series to suddenly launching hundreds more over the course of the last couple years, there WAS a time you could genuinely keep up with most of the series on the platform if you wanted, but now that's no longer possible, and while some would argue that's a flaw, I'd argue that greenlighting so many series isn't necessarily an invitation for you to read them all, it's just to buff up their library with more choices for those who are more particular about what they read. Do you enjoy isekai but don't like the one about the girl being reborn into her favorite medieval romance book? Well there are 50 other isekais set in medieval times for you to choose from.

That said, the ratio of greenlit Canvas series : Korean imports definitely feels like it's skewed more towards the latter over the past couple years, as we're now seeing them simply opt to import and translate series from their Naver platform. Some people don't really care or notice the difference, and there's certainly lots to be said about the popularity of many Korean works, but many other readers are now feeling iced out by the platform's sudden shift in art styles and storytelling tropes because Korean webtoons and manwhas do generally aim for a different audience than what a lot of veteran Webtoon users are used to. Plus from the creator side of things, it's undoubtedly making the playing grounds feel uneven where greenlit Canvas series now have to compete with the webtoons from overseas that are made in studios with teams of people and seem to also be paid far better than what NA creators are being paid. Webtoons already severely limits what series they choose to advertise and that's only gotten worse over the years with the ongoing oversaturation of the app's library.

That's only regarding quantity though, as there's surely lots to be said about how a lot of the higher quality stories are ones here made in North America, and a lot of that I feel has to do with the benefit of them being comics written in English by people who natively speak English. Unlike Korean manwha/webtoons, they don't have to go through the process of translation and localization which can unfortunately cause an otherwise well written manwha to lose its subtleties and specific writing choices due to rushed or poor translating (people who read scanlations of manga and manwha or who even just watch dubbed vs. subbed anime can certainly attest to this.)

With all that in mind, my own personal theory (*again, this is my opinion and tinfoil hat suspicions, not fact) is that Webtoons/Naver has essentially been outsourcing to North America to build up their app through titles like Lore Olympus, and now that that audience has been built, they seem to be bringing in their Korean series to benefit off that audience while reducing the amount of NA Canvas series they greenlight, particularly their most popular genres like Romance, Fantasy, and Action. How much they'll benefit, I can't say for certain, considering this is a company that has been operating in the red for years and IIRC they even practically admit to this in their IPO proposal (it's actually really funny to read if you're familiar with legal jargon and Webtoons as a company)

Fact of the matter though is that despite Webtoons building up that audience through legacy NA titles, they seem to have forgotten one fundamental thing - most of the people in that audience just don't seem to be interested in the content they're now trying to sell. Credit where credit is due, the aggressive marketing campaign surrounding Lore Olympus for the last 5 years did a great job at pulling in new people to the app, many of whom never read webtoons before. In all its flaws, Lore Olympus is very beginner friendly for people who are new to Webtoons, with guilty pleasure romance writing that a lot of NA readers enjoy nowadays and an art style that was very unique at the time.

But out of all those people who were attracted to the app through series like LO, how many do you think are reading Korean manwha? I don't have the numbers to back up this argument 🧂🧂🧂 but I personally doubt it's very many if all the complaints about Webtoons becoming 'samey' over the years is anything to go off of (right alongside the complaints of LO being marketed way too much lmao)

So no, I don't think Webtoons as a company is going anywhere. They've made it this long operating at a loss, mostly in part to their parent company Naver injecting them with funds (and for anyone unaware, Naver is essentially the Google of Korea, they're a massive tech company that owns Webtoons as a separate venture, not too different from Google owning Youtube in a sense) and now they're turning to public funding.

I do think Webtoons as we know it is dying and changing, for better and for worse however you may define it, and regardless of which way it goes, it's going to come with the consequential shift in both audience and creators that such a transformation brings. I was there when it happened to Tapas, I was there when it happened to DeviantArt, and now we're seeing it in real time with Webtoons all over again. Whether or not they rise from the ashes reborn anew or simply fester like a dying animal, that remains to be seen, but considering this is the same company that's currently exploiting and underpaying creators to keep their bottom line afloat, developing AI tools, and running an app that's held together with staples and glue and doesn't even have tagging implemented, I'm not holding my breath for the best case scenario. The company and its app may live on but the Webtoons that we knew for years is long gone and may never return again.

And that's my many cents on that.

[exeggcute]

this is the startup coaster as I'm familiar with it:

(1) three guys named scott snag a few million in seed funding, hire a few engineers to work with them in the abandoned wework they're renting from the ghost of a 15th century land baron.

(2) headcount slowly grows, they release a product that "works" but it's either cheap as hell or free so people are starting to adopt it; adoption is a sign of growth, which in turn yields more funding from eager investors.

(3) scott^3 have enough cash reserves to move into a real office and hire marketing/sales people, product improves a bit. still not even close to being profitable but it's okay because funding continues to pour in!

(4) incremental product improvements, user adoption crescendoes, maybe another funding round. possible hiring frenzy to follow. cue a chorus of scotts, in perfect unison: "our company is valued at almost at a billion dollars! an IPO is just around the corner!"

(5) investor money becomes harder and harder to come by over time; company slows spending.

(6) "well, all we have to do is focus on revenue instead of growth... profitability is within reach." management may or may not make poor decisions that spur original critical employees to jump ship, taking their expertise and guiding philosophy with them.

(7) money continues to hemorrhage with no VC infusions in sight. company makes significant cuts to their workforce, pares back their roadmap.

(8) in the absence of key personnel (and without the necessary cushion to develop new features or offer competitive pricing), the product either stagnates or gets noticeably worse. users revolt and either threaten to leave or actually do.

(9) final death spiral where revenue continues to dry up, which leads to more layoffs, which makes the product worse, which means users continue to churn, which makes revenue dry up even more. any investors cut their losses and move on to their next prospect. scott, scott, and scott either go on the podcast circuit or start over again to get seed funding for a new startup that they can only describe as "the uber of canine saunas"

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The first video game industry workers in Canada to unionize on Tuesday staged a rally in downtown Edmonton asking for fairer treatment from the company that laid them off. The workers for Irish company Keywords Studios, who are represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401, voted unanimously late last month(opens in a new tab) in favour of strike action. "What we have seen from that company is a real effort to try and get rid of the union, get rid of these workers and not respect their rights to unionize, get a first contract and look at improving the gaming industry and the working conditions that are there for all workers," Chris O'Halloran, the executive director of UFCW Local 401, told CTV News Edmonton at the rally outside the Epcor Tower, which houses BioWare's Edmonton office.

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @politicsofcanada @abpoli

[twinsimming]

Layoff Mod by Twinsimming 💼❌

This mod is inspired by the layoff feature from The Sims 4: Growing Together, reimagined for The Sims 3.

This is a script mod that can be placed in your Packages folder. It was built and tested on 1.69 but should work fine on 1.67.

Overview

Getting Laid Off

Severance & Unemployment Benefits

New Moodlet

Getting Laid Off

Sims YA and older who work in rabbithole careers have a 2% chance of getting laid off from their jobs at the end of each work day. If a sim is laid off, they will get the custom Laid Off moodlet and be offered severance and/or unemployment, depending on their career level at the time of the layoff.

Level 1: No severance or unemployment benefits

Level 2-4: Only unemployment benefits

Level 5-7: Severance and unemployment benefits

Sims at career level 8 or higher, self-employed, or in active professions will never be laid off.

After a sim is laid off, they cannot reapply for their previous career or any other career available at the same rabbithole until the Laid Off moodlet expires in one sim week.

Severance & Unemployment Benefits

Severance is offered to laid off employees who previously held a career level of 5 or higher. The lump sum payout is determined by the following equation:

((Base pay per hour) x (Hours worked per day)) x kDaysOfSeverancePay (default: 5) = Total Severance Payout

Unemployment benefits are automatically given to laid off employees who previously held a career level of 2 or higher. This is a once a day payment of §50 (tunable), lasting until the Laid Off moodlet expires in one sim week or your sim gets a new job; whichever comes first.

New Moodlet

Laid Off: Given when a sim is laid off from their job, lasts 7 days, -50 mood, makes sims stressed

Tuning

All of the tunable values can be found on the mod download page under the header “Tuning”.

Mod Recommendation

I would suggest using this mod alongside Gamefreak130’s Job Overhaul mod, for an extra challenge in getting a sim back on their feet and back into the job market following a layoff.

Conflicts & Known Issues

This is a new script mod so there shouldn’t be any conflicts.

Sims will get the Fired moodlet and fired notification when laid off, but those can be ignored.

Credits

EA/Maxis for The Sims 3 and The Sims 4, Visual Studio 2019, ILSpy, Gimp, Notepad++, and Script Mod Template Creator.

Thank You

A special thank you to gamefreak130, @zoeoe-sims, @flotheory, and @phoebejaysims!

If you like my work, please consider tipping me on Ko-fi 💙

Download @ ModTheSims