#fifty shades of grey incorrect quotes | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

consistentlyshifting · 3 years ago

Text

I don’t know about it ruining anything but I did my English degree capstone course on derivative fanworks (fanfic, fanart, etc) and it’s actually had a palpable influence. Especially with the emergence of AO3 and less concern over copyright lawsuits. The romance genre is an easy area to look at for the influence of fandom, and off the top of my head I can think of a couple of popular series that were originally fan works (the Carry On series, Fifty Shades of Grey).

Here’s an article by a Harvard English professor for The New Yorker talking a bit about it. Hell, here’s a journal abstract about fannish work in the context of medieval literature.

JSTOR has a lot of really interesting papers on transformative works and their influence. I’d highly recommend a google search for more than I’ve linked here, because they’re fascinating. This one even has the quote “fandom is almost entirely embedded in mainstream culture.” And this one talks about how fandoms have been built by teen girls, and how they have influenced Hollywood.

Fandoms are also pretty prevalent in youth culture, more so than a lot of older folks realize, which I know first hand because I work with youth for a living.

None of this is claiming fanfic or fandom has “ruined society” or contributed to a lack of media understanding. That - I agree OP - is incorrect. Are there elements and influences that can and should be critiqued? Absolutely. But it’s doing the genre and the community a disservice to write it off as not influential just because you don’t think it influences your social sphere.

generally I think people on here just wildly overestimate fandom's general pull on the world. I see so many posts that claim fandom has ruined society's general ability to understand media and guys, this is a niche hobby. the vast majority of people, even the majority of online youth, have never read a fanfiction. you only think fanfiction is that influential if you're constantly on The Fandom Website.

#this is my passion #fanfic #fanworks #derivative work #nod blogs #it doesn’t matter if someone you know hasn’t read a fanfic #i guarantee their life has been influenced by fan content even if they don’t know it #also I’m not saying don’t acknowledge that being online is inherently an echo chamber but that’s a different discussion than this one

36K notes · View notes

spideychelle-romanogers · 7 years ago

Text

Full Masterlist

Important

Request to add yourself to the tag list: here.

The Making of Michelle Jones

Michelle Jones’ origin story told in five parts. Michelle as the girl in the chair.

Series Masterlist

Prologue: You Make Me Feel Good (Completed.)

Act 1: Guess I Need You. (In-progress.)

If Peter Had A Twin

Peter Parker has a dorkier, quieter twin named James who is desperately in love with a certain snarky bibliophile.

Series/Headcanon Masterlist

Other Spideychelle Headcanons & Fics

Heaven Lost An Angel: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

AU. Michelle is a depressed pop star, and Peter is an unemployed photographer who is offered the chance to be her assistant.

Cold And Broken Hallelujah: Part 1 MASTERLIST

Michelle and Peter 15 years after their break-up in college are still heartbroken over each other.

True Faces: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 TIMELINE CHEAT 1 TIMELINE CHEAT 2

Fifty Shades of Grey AU. 50 Shades is a problematic series about sex and BDSM. I was challenged to fix it. Challenge accepted. Michelle is a reporter for her university paper and CEO of Stark Industries Peter Parker is hiding a secret about the company.

Under my Umbrella: Part 1 & Part 2 & Sequel

Request! Peter loses a bet to MJ and Ned and has to dance for them while dressed in Aunt May’s clothes. LipSyncBattle!Peter, Ballet!Peter, Spideychelle, dom!Michelle, sub!Peter

Michelle is Definitely Not Pining: Standalone

Standalone sequel to Under My Umbrella. Peter Parker is ruining Michelle’s life. Spideychelle.

Peter Is Definitely Pining: Standalone

Continuing the genderfluid!Spideychelle series, Peter thinks he might be in love with Michelle.

Genderfluid!Spideychelle series: Part 1

Despite the risk of bullying and persecution, Peter and Michelle push boundaries as they navigate their new relationship.

All You Have To Do Is Stay: Standalone

Standalone. Michelle’s having a lot of trouble at home and it’s ruining her relationship with Peter. Spideychelle, tw: Emotional abuse.

Is The Truth More Important?: Part 1 Part 2

Peter Parker x Michelle Jones as Michelle Jameson, J Jonah Jameson’s daughter. Michelle’s family is struggling, and Spider-Man might be the solution to their problems. Spideychelle.

Why Peter Can’t Run His Hand Through Michelle’s Hair: Standalone

A comedic headcanon. Exactly what it says on the tin. Spideychelle.

Dear Peter Parker: A Dear Evan Hansen AU: Part 1

A full Dear Evan Hansen AU series. Peter is infatuated with Michelle J. Osborn as he faces conflict with her brother Harry, his best friend. When Harry dies, Peter finds himself inserting a narrative to Harry’s life to provide comfort to the Osborn family.

Peter’s Birthday: Standalone

Peter throws a birthday party for the first time in years when his life is changed by a mysterious, unlabeled gift.

Dark Times: The Series: Standalone

Alternate Future. After the death of Tony Stark in the Infinity Wars, Peter’s life has completely collapsed around him. Just as he is facing the greatest threat on his life, Earth’s mightiest heroes have all disappeared without a trace. It’s left to him, Ned and Michelle to save New York.

Take You With Me: Part 1

Spideychelle as Parents.

Making The Most Of The Night: Standalone

Michelle wants to knock a few experiences of her bucketlist before college and Peter just happens to be the ideal partner. (NSFW, smut)

Web Condom: Standalone

Peter decides his web might make a better condom than latex. Spideychelle tests out this theory.

Call Me Daddy: Standalone

Peter declares it’s creepy for anyone to call their partner daddy. Michelle decides to be a little shit about it.

SupLosers Incorrect Quotes: Part 1

Peter is doing his best to live a normal life after defeating Toomes and Michelle is complicating things. She forces her way into his narrative in a way Peter is neither willing or able to believe.

Can’t Keep My Hands To Myself: Part 1 Part 2

A series starter dedicated to Michelle having a nice ass and the fact that Peter is an ass man. Peter finally realizes his girlfriend has an amazing ass.

Other Headcanons

Gay!Flash: Part 1

Second person. Written from Flash’s perspective. A headcanon about Flash crushing on Peter and why he’s so mean to him.

Tom’s Reaction to Versace on the Floor: Standalone

Other

Song: Let Me Be Your Hero - Spideychelle song from Michelle’s perspective.

#spideychelle #peter parker #flash thompson #michelle jones #spider-man: homecoming #updates #update #headcanons #headcanon #original

256 notes · View notes

concretingprosdallastx-blog · 4 years ago

Text

How to Choose a Concrete Contractor in Dallas

How Hire A Concreting Company can Save You Time, Stress, and Money.

Subjected Accumulation Dallas. Exposed Accumulation Dallas and also Gold Coast and Ipswich. Finest prices and also excellent quality workmanship. Subjected Accumulation Concrete Driveways are preferred because of the long long-term nature of the product and also the attractive appearances you can easily obtain merely through choosing an accumulation that matches your existing landscape design and house colours.

With our revealed accumulation concrete services, you reach opt for the amount of exposure of the concrete, as properly as the amount and level of pebbles to become made use of to ensure that you obtain the appearance that you want (driveway construction). Exposed cement gets its title from its 'exposed' aggregate concrete area.

2020-3-21 Subjected aggregate. Exposed accumulation is among the lowest upkeep concrete surfaces you can easily opt for in Dallas. When your traditional concrete surface area is actually poured, it is actually typically refined off. Revealed accumulation involves subjecting the concrete blend and adding stone as well as pebbles to the interfere order to offer an even more appealing and also tough surface.

The Single Strategy To Use For Concrete Company

Subjected aggregate concrete is a best selection for all exterior living places due to the fact that it is actually both skid resisting as well as a best finish for hefty web traffic regions. 2020-3-20 Excel Concrete is a leading producer of pre-mixed concrete in South East Queensland Along with the full series of pre-mixed cement products, global technical sources, continually high ecological efficiency and a wealth of sensible adventure within the property field, it truly is a business that excels.

expos is suitable for make use of on outside regions, the much more greatly exposed surface is ideal for garages or even regions demanding additional hold. To include added measurement as well as individualise your venture, select any type of ... Left open aggregate. Examples of exposed aggregate can be actually located on this web site as well as full different colors graphes can be actually located using google searching the concrete distributors like -Hanson, Boral, Holschim Coloured cement Again various companies possess various colour arrays, examine their internet sites for examples Left open aggregate is actually consistently a prominent selection for cement driveways, pathways and walkways, outdoor patios and pool surrounds.

Imagecrete Exposed is a fashionable alternative that executes for a lifetime without a life-time of upkeep. Made from leaving open several of the aggregates (sand and also small stones) in the concrete, it appears all-natural and also is actually slip-resistant, so it accommodates in seemlessly with every outdoor garden. Listed below's our cement garage list detailing the bottom lines to look at prior to you build a brand new cement garage.

Hire A Concreting Company Things To Know Before You Buy

Exposed aggregate. Instances of revealed aggregate can be actually found on this site as well as complete shade charts can be actually found via google.com looking the concrete suppliers such as -Hanson, Boral, Holschim Coloured concrete Again various companies have various colour variations, inspect their websites for examples Concreting Dallas for cement driveways, paths as well as outdoor patio jobs.

youtube

For Exposed Aggregate, Paving as well as even more If you require high quality paving or even concrete answers consisting of pathways, slabs, and garages in the Dallas place, you don't must look any sort of further than the expert staff below at Driveway Solutions Pty Ltd. 2016-12-29 Creative Concrete Constructions - Dallas's # 1 Commercial Residential Concreting Business, Specialising In Stamped Stencil Concrete Established in 2003, WR Concreting promotion solutions in each facets of concreting to Dallas and the encompasses - concrete company.

Our company can create in left open accumulation, grey, or even colour concrete. Imagecrete Exposed is actually a classy option that performs for a life time without a life-time of maintenance. Created coming from exposing several of the aggregates (sand and tiny stones) in the concrete, it looks all-natural and also is actually slip-resistant, so it fits in seemlessly along with every outdoor yard.

Not known Incorrect Statements About Concrete Company

Along with over 15 years with all components of residential and also commercial concrete building consisting of in-depth diggings, engineer made footings, ground and suspended slabs of all measurements. 2020-3-30 Are you planning to utilize left open concrete at home's outdoor or possibly your office outdoor? If of course, at that point you have picked the correct product for this.

You don't [] 2020-4-2 Subjected Accumulation concrete is actually put (minutes thickness typically 100mm, for driveways). Once the revealed accumulation is on the ground the concreter screeds the concrete, making up the area's levels as well as operate offs. An upward float is then utilized to smooth out all screed product lines and flatten the surface area (hire a concreting company).

Left open aggregate concrete is a prolonged variation of concrete in which you acquire pair of benefits one is actually the resilience as well as the 2nd is actually the charm. You don't [] Concrete and also subjected aggregate garages possess their very own advantages and disadvantages, so it is essential to recognize both to begin with prior to choosing which material you would just like for your property.

Hire A Concreting Company Can Be Fun For Everyone

After it is actually put, it is actually generally ravelled. Exposed aggregate concrete is actually a little a lot more complicated. Left Open Aggregate Concrete in East Dallas; Exposed Aggregate Concrete in Marsupial Aspect; Subjected Accumulation Concreters servicing Dallas. Shamrock Concreting Companies Sun Shoreline - hire a concreting company. Dallas. 4.6 (35 rankings) Tapped the services of fifty times on hipages. Seek a Quote Make an Enquiry.

If you require a concrete specialist with the very best turn-around time, is experienced with modern-day trends in concrete construction, uses high-quality products and machinery, and one who will leave the work area cleaner than he found it, call us today - (214) 234-2602.

We shall give you the very best at budget-friendly rates.

AAA Concreting 1201 Main St #400 Dallas, TX 75202 (214) 234-2602 [email protected]

0 notes

snarktheater · 8 years ago

Text

Stranger Than Fanfiction — An addendum

So, I have a Twitter account. I know I hardly ever mention it, and the link to it is easy to miss in the blog's theme, but it exists. I almost forget about it myself, because I am the kind of human being who does that. Ahem.

All this to say, it feels like a semi-miracle that someone actually replied to one of my tweets on the Snark Theater account (specifically, the one about my Stranger Than Fanfiction review, and like another semi-miracle that I noticed it within just a few hours and not…like, months later. And I guess that adds up to a full miracle, because my miracle math is flawless like that.

Let's have a look (Disclaimer: I do not endorse people reading this blog post going after this Twitter user, so please don't do that, guys.)

Transcript:

The book is a NY Times best seller so a lot of people disagree with you. "It ain't Shakespeare." I bet he laughs all the way to the bank!

Hoo boy. Well, on the plus side, thank you, Twitter user gobbledguck, for reminding me about a crucial point I completely missed in my original review. Let's discuss. And I'm warning you in advance, this is probably going to be a little rambling. More than usual, I mean.

Now, I'm not talking about the tweet in general. "But if popular, how can it be bad?" is a question to which I've had a definitive answer for five years now: Fifty Shades of Grey. We live in a post-Fifty Shades world and popularity has been thoroughly debunked as a measure of quality.

So I'm not going to argue with the fact that the book is a best-seller, especially in the case of this specific book, which, in case you forgot, is written by a person who has millions of pre-established fans for something that has nothing to to with writing and who would buy anything he puts out there. Including, reluctantly so, this guy right here typing this blog post. I did not mention having a celebrity crush on Chris Colfer as a joke. It is well documented.

With the ritual self-depantsing out of the way, let's talk about the actually interesting thing in this tweet, and the one that actually ties back into the book. The (incorrect, but let's ignore that detail) quote. Let's put it back in context, which is from page 2 of Stranger Than Fanfiction.

Naturally, when it first premiered the critics treated the show [Wiz Kids, the fictional show protagonist Cash Carter stars in] like a piñata. […] However, with each fatal blow Wiz Kids only received more attention. People tuned in to see the "absurdity" for themselves, but they were not repulsed as promised. Audiences found the show's campiness to be rather charming, its unique underdog spirit resonated with them, and a global phenomenon was born. No, it wasn't Shakespeare, but on the bright side, it wasn't Shakespeare.

The low-hanging fruit response to this tweet is pretty simple. They are, after all, referencing the fact that the show is terrible, in the book's own text. It is beloved, but even the book's protagonists admit in hindsight that they don't like the show for itself as much as they like it for the community it gave them. (Which is pretty comparable to Chris Colfer's own Glee).

But let's not reach for the low-hanging fruit, because I think choosing Shakespeare of all points of comparison to be incredibly interesting. You could rephrase that last sentence of the quote as "it wasn't high art, but on the bright side, it was accessible." Which is funny to use Shakespeare for that, who…you know, made low-brow entertainment. Yeah, Shakespeare's popularity didn't stem from him writing stuffy, obscure stuff that only a tiny amount of elites could understand. It came from him writing (mostly) good stuff.

There's this weird trend these days to present critical acclaim and commercial success as antithetical, and I don't really get it. Or actually, I do, but the anti-intellectualism it derives from is kind of scary to me and I'm already planning an essay of sorts about anti-intellectualism, so I'm not sure I want to examine it in detail right about now.

The point is: anyone who criticizes something is immediately dismissed as wrong, a buzzkill, or in this specific case, fighting in vain against an overwhelming tide. It's become common to glorify being panned by critics, and it makes me wonder: what exactly are the ambitions of the people doing that?

I mean, look at Chris Colfer. What's his motive for writing this book? Is it to make money, as is implied by our Twitter user above saying he'll be "laughing all the way to the bank" at my little review? I have some serious doubts, considering he's already pretty successful. Is it because he had a story to tell, and wanted to tell it? If so…why would he consider critics to be the enemy? Wouldn't it be preferable to listen to them and strive for the best version of that story you can tell? Is it because he wanted to send a message about LGBT kids (Sam and Joey, sort of Topher), kids from toxic family environments (Mo and Joey), kids raised by single parents (all but Joey)? Then, once again, why not listen to people telling you your message might not really convey as well as you thought it would?

Of course, this is all hypothetical, and reviews aren't really meant for the author anyway. I don't expect Chris Colfer to read my review of his book, nor do I really want to, because I'm writing for potential readers, not for him. I'm talking about the attitude to dismiss critics and present a dichotomy of quality entertainment (here symbolized as "Shakespeare") versus enjoyable entertainment (i.e. Wiz Kids or the book itself). Not just because it doesn't apply to me personally (to paraphrase Lindsay Ellis on her Top Ten Guilty Pleasures video—which is apparently off Youtube at the moment—"no, I don't want to turn off my brain, I'm using it"), but also because it doesn't really seem to apply…in general.

Again, take Shakespeare. Am I supposed to just agree that it's adapted so much because people hate it? Every teenager in love sees themselves as Romeo and Juliet because that play is just so inaccessible and stuffy and high-brow? Yeah, right. (And that's without getting into a debate on whether Romeo and Juliet is a romance, a cautionary tale, or a mix of the two; it's still a pretty well-made play regardless of how you read it)

In fact, it's pretty easy to find things that are good and extremely popular, because it tends to be what survives the test of time (like, you know, Shakespeare). It's not universal, and it doesn't mean you personally have to like any of it. I hate Emile Zola's books and most of the music made before I was born, and for all I've defended him, I'm not a super fan of Shakespeare. But it doesn't mean I can't see the quality in all those things, or the fact that they had some pretty wide appeal, both then and now.

So that dichotomy is bullshit. What about the idea that critics themselves are wrong? You know, the idea that critics are a tool of the status quo rather than a measure of quality. Recently, you see that a lot whenever people criticize anything enjoyed by teenage girls (and not unreasonably so). Except…then you have to consider your definition of a critic. After all, to quote an overused phrase, everyone's a critic. All it takes is having thoughts about a thing. And in the Internet age, once can share those thoughts pretty easily, regardless of how much institutional power they hold. There's a reason this is a blog, is what I'm saying.

Point is: saying any criticism is automatically wrong by virtue of being criticism (so long as you have mass appeal) is a pretty weak counter-argument. And it feeds into a culture where critical thinking itself isn't encouraged, because you don't want to be one of those critics who just can't have fun and enjoy things, do you?

Look, I'm not mad at Twitter user gobbledguck for their reply. I'm not going to say I don't care since…you know…this post exists…but I'm not mad about it. It's symptomatic of a larger, self-perpetuating problem. Which this book is part of, by virtue of this quote, and, in a larger sense, all of Cash Carter's "how dare people criticize what I, a highly public figure with a huge influence on impressionable minds, do while in the public eye" speeches. Which Chris Colfer is a part of too, by virtue of writing this book as a highly public figure with a huge influence on impressionable mind, and publishing it for consumption.

So no, I'm not mad at that Twitter user, but I am mad at this book for participating into a culture that makes that tweet a possibility, and allows this user to go on without questioning their own biases.

I feel like there's probably a better rant about anti-intellectualism and the rejection of all critics in me. Hell, I feel like there's a better rant about it in relationship with this book. But, well, this is a hot take on a tweet. Maybe I'll even regret it in a few days. I've had a streak of regretting some of my recent posts and all.

But what I'm pretty sure I won't regret is the main point, the tl;dr as we are used to saying here on the Internet: "No, it wasn't Shakespeare, but on the bright side, it wasn't Shakespeare" is more or less equivalent to admitting you have no interest in writing (or reading) a good story, and honestly, I feel kind of sad for you and your admitted creative bankruptcy.

Now I'll get off my high horse before someone points out to me that that Twitter account has all of four tweets, and the other three are dedicated to shipping Chris Colfer with his co-star, and I'm probably being played by a troll and/or falling on deaf ears with this one. Reviews aren't meant for the author anyway, and I suppose this is no exception.

Okay, that should be enough self-deprecating humor that this post doesn't come across as too insufferable. Now I'll go back to bitching about a popular TV show or something.

#stranger than fanfiction #chris colfer #anti intellectualism #criticism #critical thought #critics #attacking the critics #young adult #ya books #books #young adult books #book reviews #ya #reviews #book #book review #review #st: book reviews

10 notes · View notes

moonlightfanfics · 8 years ago

Text

FAQ (sort of)

I thought since I've been away for a while, I need to reconnect with you guys so here's some stuff I thought you'd like to know about me😋

(It’s extremely long so it’s all under the cut!)

Name: Maya

Nickname: May-May

Zodiac sign: Leo

Where was I born: England

Where do I currently live: US. (That’s why in my writing I alternate between American spellings and English spellings lmao). Also my accent is fucked ahaha

Book/series I reread: Hunger Games Trilogy

Books I have yet to read: Game of Thrones & HARRY POTTER

Aliens or ghosts: Aliens

Favourite song: I have too many so I'm just gonna do my top 5 (not in order)

Ed Sheeran - Sing

Chris Brown - Forever

The Weeknd - Earned It

Aaliyah - More Than A Woman

Jennifer Lopez - Love Don't Cost A Thing

The last person who hurt me, did I forgive them: In terms of like boys, erm yes, kind of

What am I most afraid of: Deep sea, I have a huge phobia

A good quality of mine: Good listener

A bad quality of mine: Hold grudges

Actor/Actress I trust enough to watch whatever they're in: Actor/s - Sebastian Stan, Evan Peters. Actress - Emma Stone

Favourite season: Spring

Am I in a relationship: No

Something I miss: Watching the twilight saga for the first time lol

My best friend: I have like six, no joke

Eye colour: Brown

Am I excited about anything: Going on vacation this summer

My current obsession: Evan Peters bc American Horror Story

Someone I love: Parents

Someone I trust: Not many

Favourite TV shows as a child: H2o, That's So Raven, Drake & Josh, Wizards of Waverly Place

What do I think about the most: This isn't to be fake deep lol but I'm always thinking about equality, racism etc. I'll just be studying and my mind wonders to it idk why

Do I have any strange phobias: Dogs, I am absolutely terrified of them, oh and also bridges

Favourite hobbies: Going to the gym

Last book I read: It's been an embarrassingly long time since I last read a book, fifty shades of grey. I'm constantly reading fan fiction though

Last film I watched: Friends with Benefits

Superpower I wish I could have: Telekinesis

When do I feel at most peace: When there are no upcoming tests, finals etc

Do I sleep with lights on or off: Off

What is my song of the week: Ed Sheeran - Shape of You

Afraid of heights: YES

Pet peeve: Incorrect grammar

Have I ever had a friend turn enemy: Luckily no, the minimum time I've known one of my best friends for is four years. The longest is 14 years

What is my current desktop picture: A skyline

What fictional universe would I like to be a part of: Harry Potter

Something I worry about: This seriously keeps me awake at night, the idea that I'm not going to get a good job in the field I'm interested in, I'm not going to marry someone who I think is the perfect match for me and that I'm not going to be able to have kids

Scared of the dark: YES

Can I sing: Yes

Something I wish I could do: Shut off my emotions

Where do I want to live: On an island by myself

Do I have any pets: Yeah, a fish lol

Early bird or night owl: I can be both

Story behind my last kiss: One of my friends house party, drunk, big mistake

Favourite genre of music: Hip-Hop

Who is my hero: The person who invented earphones

What makes me really angry: Racism/inequality fucking boils my blood

Kindle or real book: Real book

Favourite sporty activity: Dancing

What was the last thing I bought: Ben & Jerrys lmao

How tall am I: I'm tiny, 5"4

Can I cook: I'm a fast learner

Can I bake: Yes

Do I have more girl friends than boy friends: Yes

Sexual orientation: Straight

Last time I cried: This morning, watching Obama leave the White House

Guilty pleasure: Cookie dough ice cream

Favourite youtuber/s: E and Gray

Favourite game/ app: MARIO Run

Favourite number: 7

Am I religious: No

Do I like space: Yeah, but if I think about it too much it scares me

Do I like deep ocean: HOLY FUCK NO

Am I much of a daredevil: Hahaha no

Do I like clowns: Its not a phobia but I don't like them at all

Do I admit when I'm wrong: Unless it's to my parents, yes

Am I bad loser: No

Forest or beach: Beach

Am I good liar: Yes

Do I talk to myself: A lot

Hogwarts house: Gryffindor

Am I very social: Yeah

Do I keep a journal/diary: No but I am going to start asap, my mom suggested it to me cos she wrote in hers for years and she said it helped her so idk

Do I believe in second chances: Unfortunately, my dumbass never learns so yes

Do I believe people are capable of change: Yes

Have I ever been underweight: Yes

Am I ticklish: I am sooooooo ticklish

Have I ever been on a plane: Yes

Do I have any piercings: Just my earlobes and my nose

Do I want children: Yes, so so much

What makes me nostalgic: Listening to early 2000's music

What colour mostly dominates my wardrobe: Black and gray

What do I hate most about myself: My boobs

What do I love most about myself: My boobs

How old am I: 16

One of my favourite quotes: I can't remember who said it but it's always stuck in head - "if you fall in love with two people at the same time, choose the second one, because you wouldn't have fallen for them if you really loved the first person"

Have I learnt from my mistakes: Ahahaha hell no, still making the same dumb ones:)

Do I dream: Yes, and they're weird af

An experience that has made me stronger: It has also made me more aware and woke, just my ex in general

If I were immortal, what would I do?: I'd learn every language in the world

If I could get away with any crime, what would I do?: Shoot Donald Trump

Love or money: Money

Love or career: Love

If I could time travel, where would I go: I'd find out who really killed JFK

Zombies or vampires: Vampires

Dragons or wizards: Wizards mate, Harry Potter n all that

Do I judge a book by its cover: Unfortunately, yes, I'm working on it though because I've been proven wrong so many times

Have I ever had my heart broken: Yes, it was messy

Do I like my handwriting: I love it ahaha

How do I handle anger: Really bad, I cry and cry and then I turn into an emotionless monster, so yeah really badly

Was I named after anyone: Yeah the poet Maya Angelou

Do I use sarcasm a lot: Ahaha yeah, I get it from my mom

What TV character am I most like (personality): Bonnie Bennett - The Vampire Diaries

Favourite fictional character: Jon Snow - Game of Thrones

This was soo long but wayy overdue. If you actually read all this thank you so much!!

#questions #ask me anything #ask

8 notes · View notes

mavwrekmarketing · 8 years ago

Link

A few weeks ago, Dries Buytaert, founder of the popular open-source CMS Drupal, asked Larry Garfield, a prominent Drupal contributor and long-time member of the Drupal community, to leave the Drupal project. Why did he do this? He refuses to say. A huge furor has erupted in response not least because the reason clearly has much to do with Garfields unconventional sex life.

More specifically, Garfield is into BDSM. Even more specifically, hes a member of the Gor community, an outr subculture of an outr subculture, one built around a series of thirty-odd books by John Norman which are, basically, John Carter of Mars meets Fifty Shades of Grey. Essentiallyas I understand ita community who are interested in, and/or participate in, elaborate (consensual!) sexual subjugation fantasies, in which men are inherently superior to women. I know all this because of Garfields lengthy public response to his ouster, self-deprecatingly titled TMI about me:

Yes, I am one of those people Despite the total lack of evidence that alternative lifestyle cultures offer any harm to anyone, there is still a great deal of prejudice and bigotry regarding it someone, I do not know who, stumbled across my profile on a private, registration-required website for alternative-lifestyle people that information made it to the Community Working Group (CWG), who concluded there was no code of conduct violation present for [them] to take any action on in my first contact with Dries, he asked me to step down from Drupal Drupal has been the cornerstone of my career for the past nearly 12 years Dries wouldnt budge on me leaving, including making it clear that it wasnt an option, but an instruction informing me that Id been summarily dismissed from my position as track chair and as a speaker at DrupalCon, per [my] conversation with Dries here I am, being bullied, harassed, and excluded because of my personal activities, which I dont even publicize much less advocate for in tech circles.

Buytaert (who is also co-founder and CTO of Acquia, a Drupal platform which has raised ~$175 million over the years and has been struggling to IPO for a few years now) retorts:

when a highly-visible community members private views become public, controversial, and disruptive for the project, I must consider the impact all people are created equally. [sic] I cannot in good faith support someone who actively promotes a philosophy that is contrary to this any association with Larrys belief system is inconsistent with our projects goals I recused myself from the Drupal Associations decision [to dismiss Garfield from his conference role] Many have rightfully stated that I havent made a clear case for the decision I did not make the decision based on the information or beliefs conveyed in Larrys blog post.

Sigh. This sad mess is something of a perfect storm of Code of Conduct conflicts. It is one which raises a number of interesting questions. It also raises several quite boring ones, so lets get them out of the way:

Does this matter? (Isnt this just prurient clickbait?)

Is it OK for an open-source community to ban/ostracize a member for being involved in BDSM, or other forms of unconventional but consensual adult sexual behavior?

More generally, is it OK for an open-source community to ban/ostracize a member purely because their belief system perhaps better described as a complicated fantasy milieu in which they happen to spend their personal time was doxxed?

These questions are boring not because they are unimportant, but because the answers are so obvious: yes (no), hell no, and hell no.

Ill unpack the first: open-source communities/projects are crucially important to many peoples careers and professional lives cf the cornerstone of my career so who they allow and deny membership to, and how their codes of conduct are constructed and followed, is highly consequential.

I really, really hope I dont have to unpack the two hell nos. But in case I do, let me quote this excellent blog post from Nadia Eghbal:

In the past, Dries mightve kicked Larry out because BDSM is a threat to family values. Today, leaders like Dries kick Larry out because BDSM is a threat to gender equality. Unfortunately, the end result is the same Beliefs are not actions. We cannot persecute people for what they believe, no matter how much it disgusts us, and simultaneously maintain a free and open democracy If diversity is our dogma, call me spiritual, not religious. I still pray for the same things as you, but I wont be at the witch trials.

Which is brilliantly put and I hope settles the previous questions. However. The Garfield Situation also raises two questions which are far more complex and interesting:

Under what circumstances, and via what kind of due process, is it OK for communities to publicly condemn people for secret reasons?

Is it OK to ban/ostracize community members for (legal) behavior which occurs entirely outside the community?

Obviously sometimes organizational decisions have to be made based on information that must remain confidential, for legal or ethical reasons. But if youre making such a decision, you really have to do so in the right way. What is the right way?

Probably something close to the opposite of what Buytaert and the Drupal Association did. Even if their decision was correct, which currently seems at best suspect, their complete lack of process transparency, and Buytaerts vaguely worded hinting-without-really-saying-anything statement, makes it very hard to have any faith in it.

Their accusations are so vague nonexistent non-accusations, really that Dries & co. could surely have told the community substantially more (indeed, anything) about Garfields problematic behavior, if any, without revealing sensitive information. For instance, they could have said theyd received reports of threats, harassment, or coercion by Garfield, if any such reports existed. They have said nothing of the sort.

(For what its worth, a well-informed source of mine reports: Its worth noting that a handful of women who worked with Larry did not report harassment or abuse from him in the workplace. We cant know for sure if he committed offenses, but if there were allegations or even rumors of his mistreatment of women we would be having a very different conversation right now.)

They could also have cited which elements of the Drupal Code of Conduct he violated, if any. They have not done so but theyve expelled him anyhow. Isnt that Code of Conduct, and its associated Conflict Resolution Policy, supposed to be what dictates the rules of behavior and interaction in the community? Doesnt overruling that written code with arbitrary decisions made for secret reasons reveal that in practice it is an irrelevance with no actual weight or importance?

I reached out to Buytaert in the hope of clarification; he did not respond.

Its hard not to get the impression, from the little that we do know, and the manner in which it has been miscommunicated, that whats actually deemed unacceptable here is that Garfields kink has spilled outside of his personal life i.e. that his real sin is that he was doxxed. Which, as noted, is firmly in hell no territory.

It is of course entirely possible that this impression is incorrect, and that Buytaert and the Drupal Association have done the right thing. But they have offered no evidence, no arguments, and no reasons for their decision. It seems obvious to me that they have a moral obligation to their community to do so. You cant ban people without at least sketching the outline of what it is they did wrong. Just trust us is not enough

especially since it also seems possible that the CTO and co-founder of a heavily funded pre-IPO company has participated in expelling a man from what his been his professional community for the last twelve years, ignoring that communitys own Code of Conduct and Conflict Resolution Policy, because it was decided he was guilty of, essentially, thoughtcrime; that no real accusations have been made, and no allegations of problematic behavior have been cited, because none such exist.

A third plausible scenario, based on the tea leaves of Buytaerts phrase actively promotes, is that Garfield has been banned for expressing views outside the Drupal community which are deemed unacceptable inside. This is not a new issue in the open-source world: I wrote about it last year, in the context of Curtis Yarvin and Opalgate:

Should communities accept people who hold repugnant views, as long as they dont express them within that community? Or should they be expelled, because its assumed that their views influence their community work in a negative way, or because their presence makes other people feel unsafe?

Personally, both answers make me feel deeply uneasy. Humans are messy, complex, and contradictory; human interactions are that squared; the results are so complex and context-sensitive that they often need to be judged on a case-by-case basis, rather than by any hard-and-fast rule.

although in those cases, the views in question were clearly expressed publicly, not privately, and were not intended as part of any BDSM fantasy world. Does that apply here? Who knows? Certainly not the Drupal community.

Its impossible to judge the Garfield situation, because all we are permitted to know is that it has been prejudged for us, by people who refuse to tell us anything about either their evidence or their decision process. It is, however, very easy to judge whether the people who have made and communicated this decision are, by the way they have done so, actually serving their community. And that answer is, once again, Im sorry to say: hell no.