#reddit also doesn't have any solutions that work

[hyunjinz]

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[pipermca]

New AO3 Tag Wrangling Policy and the Transformers Fandom

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

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

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

The Problem

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

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

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

Searching for Stories with the New Tagging System

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

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

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

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

This massively decreases the findability of a story.

Tagging with the New System

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

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

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

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

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

What To Do??

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

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

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

Epilogue

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

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

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

[ms-demeanor]

since twitter has become actively hostile to its users, so they came to tumblr, and reddit has become actively hostile to its users, so they came to tumblr, what do we do now that tumblr is becoming (more) actively hostile to its users? i’ve been here for over a decade so i know tumblr users are the type to cling on despite everything and revel in undoing every change, but i’m so tired of the way this website breaks the way it fundamentally works in order to appeal to new users. the twitterfication of the site seems so much worse than when people jumped ship after the porn ban, and even then, only small communities (and twitter) cropped up as solutions. you might not be the person to ask for a definitive answer, but i figured a tech blog might be interested in considering - what do we do when there’s nowhere left to go?

Okay so, I mean this very seriously: how has tumblr meaningfully become like twitter?

I don't personally find the sidebar view obnoxious and it seems to me like just another layout change that's pretty typical to tumblr. New users are getting signed up with a bit more emphasis on algorithmic feeds, but that is still very easy to change (MUCH easier than on any other social platform) and the algorithm has been there for everyone for quite a while, we just typically don't notice it because a lot of long-term tumblr users don't go into the "for you" feed.

I don't think that tumblr *has* fundamentally broken the way that it works to appeal to new users. My dash now is still very much like my dash in 2019, and still very much like my dash in 2018 (though much less pornographic). Reblogs are still reblogs, likes are still likes. Replies, for all that they seem like they've been around forever, are new and good and I think they work well. I'm irritated that the notes menu doesn't have a "view all" option but I think that's a worthwhile tradeoff for an easy way to see tags.

I *do not* understand why tumblr has broken linking back to previous reblogs but I don't think that's out of an effort to act like twitter; it is a bizarre choice that I dislike and don't understand but I also don't think that it has fundamentally changed the way the site works and i mean you've been around long enough that I'm sure you've had the same experience I have of going into the notes of a post and randomly clicking until you found a version that you wanted to reblog without a bunch of bullshit at the bottom. Tumblr has always kind of sucked, this change DOES suck but it doesn't suck in a way that is particularly novel or insurmountable. (For instance, I think this change sucks MUCH LESS than when they made posts with links invisible to the search, that is something that is genuinely bad that has been long lasting but doesn't get brought up much in lists of the ways that tumblr has gone wrong)

Tumblr *is* changing, but I think it is changing more incrementally and less terribly than other parts of the internet. I also hate the floating clown, the login walls, the dash-only view for blogs (you can't archive it and I HATE that), and - to an extent - the new lightbox on mobile. And I dislike that less than I thought I would but I don't think it's a fundamental change that necessarily impacts my interactions with the site - it *adds* a feature that I don't care for but it doesn't *break* anything that I require to have a good time on tumblr - in that way I think of it very much like Live. People hate Live so much and I find that perplexing because it is so easy to simply ignore it.

But that's not really your question; that's just some stuff I want people to think about because as much as tumblr has changed in the last two years it is nowhere near as fucked up as the recent things that twitter and reddit have pulled.

So, as to your question: where do we go?

Well. Not to be an extremely old person on the internet, but damned if I don't miss email lists. And forums. God I miss forums. Neither of those things has all the bonuses of platforms like twitter or reddit or tumblr or facebook, but they were great ways to hang out with people you liked on the internet.

The internet is changing. I can feel it, you can feel it, I'm pretty sure we're all like cattle in a field lifting our noses and hearing some distant rumbling and becoming slowly aware that it's almost time to run. There's a coming stampede and it isn't here yet but you know it's on its way. You're not imagining that, that's how things feel right now and there are a shitload of things contributing to it.

Things like SESTA/FOSTA and KOSA (which has not passed yet but is a big red flag waving on the horizon) have been eroding away the way that users on various platforms can function. Some platforms have consolidated in ways that harm users; some new platforms have popped up and shaken up the map of the internet; some platforms are being torn apart brick by brick by owners who don't care about the users. It kind of seems like people are actually looking up and realizing that advertising is A) bad and B) doesn't actually work and I think we're running straight toward another advertising-based crash like we saw in 2017. It feels like all the desperate things that tumblr is doing is just rearranging deck chairs on the titanic as the internet as a whole starts to sink into the ocean.

Honestly, I don't think it's that bad. I think it *feels* bad, but I think we're looking at a slow whimpering death of the platforms, not a bang. I think tumblr is going to hang on at least for a few years and I think it's going to end up like livejournal and myspace, which both still exist as websites that are recognizable as updated versions of the sites they were in 2004-2010. The thing that I think would really, honestly hurt tumblr in a fundamental way is if it moved to a more algorithmic and data-sales based model of advertising, and I think that's still pretty distant. I think Automattic is aware that killing the chronological feed would be the one unforgivable sin that would cause a mass exodus and a final crash, and I think when we see that, when we can't just scroll through the feed and see what our friends did that day in order of when they did it, that's when the party is over here.

But that's still not answering your question.

So, where do we go? What do we do? Well, for now, I'd say it's a good time to get contact info for your friends across various platforms. Get email addresses, get phone numbers.

Now is also the time for you to set up a personal website. NeoCities is currently the best place to do this, though it takes a lot more effort than just starting a blog on tumblr. I think that various oldschool blogging sites like Wordpress and Blogger/Blogspot/whatever the hell the google one is are a better place to have your emergency backup than a more platform-y platform if you aren't up to doing something with NeoCities.

If you've got the ability to do so and a group of people who are interested in the same core subject, set up a forum. There's a decent amount of off-the-shelf forum software out there and a text-and-small-images forum isn't prohibitively expensive, but it's never going to be huge and you're never going to have the kind of spread and virality and random connections that you would on a platform with millions or billions of users.

If you can't set up a forum, setting up or joining a discord server for your friends is a decent enough option at the moment, and may be a very good option for people who are looking to keep their interactions more private.

But yeah i think right now is a great time for people to start setting up their own personal websites, to start visiting actual webpages again, to start bookmarking their friends' websites, and to start collecting contact info that isn't tied to platforms.

[manicpixiemidgirl]

Some more help for reddit refugees!!!!

So I just noticed this happening recently in the 196 and adjacent tags, but people who are unfamiliar with how Tumblr works are reblogging things in a way that might be detrimental to their blog.

I was on Tumblr for YEARS, just barely after the Onceler/Mishapocolypse shit disappeared, all the way up through the death of p⁰rn and decided to leave for reddit. So I think I can safely say I'm a bit of a veteran.

Now, interacting with posts is very obviously different here than on Reddit. Of course interacting with posts is the whole point, right? So I've seen a lot of people write out their responses or comments on the post itself when you reblog.

Now, objectively, there is nothing wrong with this. Hell, feel free to do it to this post if you want. The problem is, it's kinda against Tumblr etiquette. It's basically the equivalent of going to someone else's post on Reddit and editing it to say "(username): OMG LOLOLOLOLOLOL" at the bottom instead of saying that in the comments. Normally when people write responses in their reblog, it's because they have something meaningful to contribute or they can add to the joke.

I want to reiterate, there is nothing wrong with this. Please don't feel like this is a bad thing to do.

You can add to the post all you want and it's totally fine and no one will bully you for it. However, people are much less likely to reblog something from you if you do this. They'll more than likely go to the person you reblogged from and reblog it from there instead so it doesn't have the addition on the post. Now, I want all the refugees to have a great Tumblr experience and have interaction with everyone! So, here's my solution:

Say it in the tags. Yes, it's used as a way to search for posts and also to help the algorithm, BUT you can actually put whatever you want in the tags. Literally whatever you want. If you use it like a comment section, people can see what you want to say without it being added to the post!!! I do it on basically every post I make/reblog.

Have fun friends! If you need any other advice or just need to talk, I'm here for you :)

[pathfinderunlocked]

Healthy Boss Template (CR +3)

Wait, why did a giant health bar just appear in the sky?

Artwork by Jeff_Chee_471 on Reddit.

D&D and Pathfinder have a really unusual idea of what a "boss" is compared to, like, any video game ever made. They often tend to just take an enemy that would be part of a group of normal enemies if you were about six levels higher. When they do something more unique, it still tends to be balanced like that. Tons of offense, not that many hit points, but often extremely hard to hit. Adventure designers often try to make up for this design by making a boss weaker but giving it minions, but that doesn't change the fact that there's really no concept of a creature that's inherently a "boss creature" in this game.

And sometimes that's fine. But sometimes you just want a big chunky fight that's balanced more like how a video game boss is balanced: only a little more damage than other creatures, but way more health, and the ability to recover if you do nasty stuff like stun it. Something that lets the players go all-out using their abilities, and rewards them for doing so, instead of having to spend most of the fight just focusing on not getting attacked, because they know one attack can take them out.

This template isn't a global solution. It'll get old, and if you reuse it too much, players will find strategies that bypass it. That's why I design so many different boss monsters that each work differently. But if you want to convert an existing monster into a boss, this is one way to do so without a lot of effort, and without just giving it the advanced template and several fighter levels to max out its offense.

Some of the options for different abilities are there to deal with different kinds of player strategies, rather than because they're appropriate for different kinds of bosses. If your PCs use vital strike, give it vital negation. If they use combat maneuvers, give it reset stance. If they cast a bunch of spells on the terrain, give it undo. If they rely on hungry pit, give it escape to nowhere. Don't feel bad about using this template specifically to counter them, since the inflated HP and the limited uses of these special abilities mean that the players' strategies will still be useful, they just won't instantly win the fight.

Healthy Boss

Healthy boss is an inherited template that can be applied to any creature.

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature + 3.

Hit Points: A healthy boss's hit points are three times as high as the base creature's.

Initiative: A healthy boss gains a +10 bonus to its initiative.

Defensive Abilities: A healthy boss can never be surprised, and is not considered flat-footed before it has acted in combat.

Special Abilities: A healthy boss gains 1 of the following special abilities:

Bolstering Cry (Ex) Twice per day as a move action, a healthy boss can grant all allies within 60 ft. a number of temporary hit points equal to its new challenge rating. When it does so, it also suppresses the following conditions on affected allies other than itself for 1 round: blinded, confused, entangled, fatigued, exhausted, nauseated, paralyzed, shaken, sickened, staggered, stunned. The healthy boss does not need line of effect to these allies, but they must be able to either see or hear it. Second Wind (Ex) Five times per day as a free action at the start of its turn, a healthy boss can gain a number of temporary hit points equal to its new challenge rating. These temporary hit points last for 10 minutes. It can only use this ability only once per round. Vital Negation (Ex) Once per round, a healthy boss can halve the damage of a single incoming source of damage. It can choose to use this ability after hearing the amount of damage that it would take. This does not require an action.

Additionally, a healthy boss gains 2 of the following other special abilities:

Aura of Recovery (Su) The healthy boss gains a 40-ft. aura. At the end of each of the healthy boss's turns, one of the healthy boss's allies within this aura (including itself) gains a new saving throw against any one ongoing harmful effect that initially allowed for a saving throw. Escape to Nowhere (Su) Once per day, at the end of an enemy's turn, a healthy boss can escape to the ethereal plane, as if using ethereal jaunt. This does not require an action. It remains in the ethereal plane during its next turn. At the start of its second turn after using this ability, the healthy boss returns to the plane it was on, but is staggered during that turn. Legendary Resistance (Ex) Once per day, when a healthy boss fails a saving throw, or when an enemy succeeds on a check against the healthy boss's spell resistance, the healthy boss can expend its legendary resistance to treat the roll as if the healthy boss had succeeded on the saving throw or the enemy had failed on the check against spell resistance. A healthy boss with a total challenge rating of at least 9 gains a second use of Legendary Resistance per day, and a healthy boss with a total challenge rating of at least 18 gains a third use of legendary resistance per day. This does not require an action. Reset Concentration (Ex) Once per day, when a healthy boss fails a concentration check, it can steel its mind against future distractions, gaining a +10 bonus on concentration checks for the next 10 minutes. This does not require an action. Reset Stance (Ex) Once per day, when a healthy boss starts its turn prone or grappled, at the start of its next turn after being successfully subjected to a combat maneuver other than trip or grapple, it can spend a move action to stand up, free itself from any grapples, pick up a single item within its reach, end the effect of a dirty trick maneuver, and move up to its move speed without provoking attacks of opportunity. Upon using this ability, the healthy boss also gains a +5 bonus to its CMD and a +10 bonus to Acrobatics, Climb, Ride, Swim, and Fly checks for the next 10 minutes. Undo (Su) As a standard action, once every 3 rounds, a healthy boss can revert the effects of any number of ongoing or instantaneous magic spells that are affecting itself, other creatures, or the surrounding environment. Each spell effect it attempts to undo must be within 60 ft. of the healthy boss, and must have been applied during the last 10 minutes. Even instantaneous spells can be reverted with Undo, but damage is not reverted. To attempt to undo a spell, a healthy boss makes a caster level check against a DC of 6 + the effect's caster level, using its hit dice as its caster level. If successful, the ongoing spell ends, or the effects of the instantaneous spell are reverted.

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Harry if you are reading this here is your solution to getting out of this mess. by u/Meegainnyc

Harry if you are reading this, here is your solution to getting out of this mess. Harry you need to fix Meghan up with a wealthy oligarch that you have connections and access to. Make it look like a business venture, and gently pass her off. Once Meghan has attached herself to a new host, you will be able to go back home. Under the current situation, Meghan will not allow you to reconcile with your family without her being let back into the fold. She also will not allow you to find happiness with another woman. Make sure there is enough money dedicated for the kids to be in boarding school till 18. Send them to Switzerland, so you can visit when you want and Meghan can have as many Diana ski trips as she would like. Seek getting alimony from Meghan since everything is in her name, and on paper is the breadwinner. If that doesn't work give Meghan a lump sum that will last her a couple of years. Enough to put a roof over her head and cover her current living costs. Do not agree to providing alimony until she remarries someone else, as you will never get rid of her. Sell the House and put that money in a trust for the kids that Meghan can't touch. Make her sign an NDA and final settlement clause. Hopefully this will be amicable as if this goes according to plan, she will have someone else's money to spend. All thanks to you!Go home and stay out of the public for a good 5 years to work on your sobriety & mental health. Say you are sorry and begin repairing the damage with your family. Keep expectations low and be patient as it is going to take years to build back any kind of trust to even walk your brothers dog. Remember to stay positive.Take a job out of the limelight. Get those crayons out and do a Hunter Biden by selling your masterpieces. Invest the money into your children and make them your purpose. The world will be fine if you just focus making an impact and uplifting communities where they are growing up. Start with coaching little league or be a member of the PTA. post link: https://ift.tt/mtfN30M author: Meegainnyc submitted: July 28, 2024 at 06:37PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[elliottspencer]

Hellraiser Literature Masterlist and Spreadsheet (UPDATED)

Hello everyone! It's been a moment since I have provided an actual update regarding the spreadsheet's content. I'm pleased to say that, with today's addition of "Epic: An Anthology, Book 1", all Hellraiser and Hellraiser-associated comics are now listed and available to read via the hyperlinks! (It only took over two years to collect them all.) I've also added the Hellraiser 5 script, which someone on Reddit generously emailed me.

However, in my search for the comics, scripts, etc., I found a lot of content that doesn't exactly fit into any of those categories. I started thinking about what the appropriate way to display them would be, and came up with a solution. I will continue working to get the rest of the scripts and other books, but I also have a rather relevant surprise I will be announcing sometime next week, so please keep an eye out!

[sixty-silver-wishes]

so back when I was on reddit I posted this to r/thomastheplankengine a while ago ( a sub for either memes based on dreams you have, or realizing memes that appeared in your dreams), based on a dream I had once where this was a thing that happened. so then I (a Floridian) wrote a satirical article about it the next day

transcription in case the text is hard to read. again. this is a work of satire-

Florida Government Introduces "Stop WOKE Animals" Act to Ban All Animals not Mentioned in the Bible [A picture of an American alligator] "Name one time the South American Two-Toed Sloth is mentioned in the Bible," said Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday. "And Noah's Ark doesn't count. Or the Creation story." TALAHASSEE, FLORIDA- Florida lawmakers introduced a new bill, supported by Governor Ron DeSantis, called the "Stop WOKE Animals" Act. If passed, it would ban any animals not explicitly mentioned in the Bible from the State of Florida. While creatures such as sheep, doves, lions, bears, Leviathans, oxen, and goats would be permitted to stay within the state, many others, from the iconic American alligator to Florida's signature cryptid, His Fetidness, the Glorious Skunk Ape, would be banned. While critics of the bill and environmental activists argue that not only would this be ineffective and costly, but removing keystone species from Florida's delicate and unique ecosystems would also greatly upset the balance of nature, DeSantis has stated that the purpose of this bill is to "secure freedom for Floridians from the Communist woke agenda from the Democrats, snowflakes, and Nine-Banded Armadillo." He has also attempted to assuage the fears that non-Biblical animals would be killed, saying that instead, he would put them all on airplanes with the next group of unwilling Venezuelan migrants to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. As for the balance of the ecosystem, DeSantis has also pointed to a solution for this, stating that he plans to replace the animals removed from Florida with creatures found in the Book of Exodus' Ten Plagues, such as frogs, locusts, dead cattle, lice, and the Angel of Death. Obviously Fake Please Don't Repost This News has reached out to DeSantis and the Florida government for comment, but have only received a link to a 2009 YouTube lyric video of the song "The Plagues" from the DreamWorks animated film The Prince of Egypt in response via e-mail.

[sabakos]

In all seriousness, I feel like the reason Tumblr is harder to use is that this website is both decentralized and anonymous.

Most other decentralized platforms, like Facebook or Twitter or Instagram are personal, most people use their real name, or least a persistent identity across platforms, so new people can connect directly with other people they already know from other places. If the platform wants to make it easier for them, they just need to use the information that the user has already given them to predict who to connect them with.

Most other anonymous platforms, like Reddit, or 4chan, or old-school internet forums are centralized - although most people who use them generally adopt a persona that's disconnected from real life, it doesn't matter, because new people go to a centralized place to find any dedicated subject they have an interest in. If the platform wants to make it easier for them, they just need to make the platform easier to navigate.

Other platforms that are both decentralized and anonymous, like Discord, are also difficult to use in the same way that Tumblr is; you mostly need to build your own network through people you know through the platform itself.

But Discord has the advantage of being parasitic on other platforms; it filled a gap that many other communities on other platforms lacked by providing an isolated groupchat that was better than all the alternatives, so it was able to draw people away from other sites, and get them to the point where they can find other Discords mostly through Discord if they choose to. Discord also benefits from a slightly higher level of centralization due to its structure; since Discord is centered around servers rather than users, joining someone's Discord server potentially connects you directly to all the other people on that server.

On Tumblr, the structure works against this, a passive user who does no other work on their own except posting must rely on someone following them and then also reblogging their posts in order to connect with the other person's connections. This is a structural issue, and the ship has sailed on groupchats, almost everyone here just kept using discord or went there anyway, because the solution was never to do exactly what someone else could do unless you could do it better.

But this is still ultimately the same problem that every other platform must solve in their own way, whether decentralized or centralized, anonymous or personal: how to connect other users with each other.

To solve this problem, there are two paths, only one of which you may take, the path of darkness and the path of light:

The path of light is the one that leads people and helps them to find their way more easily, so they may see each other better, a path which is transparent about whatever aid it lends to them, so that they may understand it clearly enough to make their own choices for the future. This path is hard to find but easy to walk, because you must discover how to treat them as better versions of what they already are to show them how they could be, but the more they learn, the more you can step back, as they will know themselves better than you do.

The path of darkness is the one that lures people in to rob them of their sight and takes away their freedom, which puts them in a black box where they stumble around in the darkness, inside of which you control who and what they find, and from which you can insure they will never escape. This path is easy to find but hard to walk, because you can draw in the worst of them as they already are and distract them with cheap tricks to trap them inside, but the more they forget, the more you must know them better than they know themselves.

What this means is that there's no way to implement an "algorithm" on any social media platform that works effectively unless you collect a massive amount of data on your users and constantly tweak it so that it functions properly, because once you've trapped them, you can't rely on the captive puppets you've molded your users into to do anything but what you make them do. Tumblr staff is neither evil nor competent enough to execute what an algorithm requires effectively.

But Tumblr has built a website full of people who were willing to put up with their polite incompetence in exchange for more control over their own experience, this stubborn userbase is the only unique asset this platform actually has, and so it's the only asset that they could ever make use of, though they've never learned how. If Tumblr wants to survive, they need to figure out a transparent way to make their site easier and better to use without taking away control for their users, and either draw in users who are compatible with the userbase they already have while preventing that current group from leaving, or convince more of the people they have that this place is something that's worth paying for.

If Tumblr can't or won't do this, begging for more subscriptions won't help, and the investors they're swindling will only be both rich and gullible for so long. I hope they choose a different path, but if not, at least the problem will always still be out there for whoever is foolish or brave enough to try making a website like this after it's gone.

[reblogsreblogs]

I've seen a few folks visiting/moving from Reddit who are worried about reblogging too many things on their main blogs (the first blog you're prompted to make when you join is your "main").

I'm not familiar with mobile, so this will probably be a bit different there, but I thought I'd mention for new folks that you can make side blogs if you'd like. The reason I made this blog is because 1) my main blog sort of has a theme, and 2) I do worry a bit about spamming some of my mutuals (folks I follow who also follow me back) with too much random stuff, but I still find that stuff interesting or entertaining so I want to horde it somewhere!

So this blog I'm posting from, ReblogsReblogs, is a side-blog that I pretty much entirely just reblog things to (no original content). Well, until I make this post right here, I guess.

You can see here in this screenshot of this post I'm currently writing that I can select from the dropdown which of my blogs that I want to make this post on, and it works the same for any reblogs I make of other people's posts.

There's probably a better guide somewhere, but if you're new and you're feeling worried about reblogging too much now you know one of the possible solutions! Or maybe you can finally just live our your dream of having a side blog dedicated entirely to deep sea animals? That's good too.

If a side blog doesn't sound any good to you, I've seen some folks mention the queue and scheduling options we have on Tumblr and that's also a good solution for extra things you want to reblog, but don't need to reblog immediately. A lot of us have BIG queues that we fill up with interesting stuff that keeps getting posted until it runs out, so our blogs keep posting fun stuff even if we're on vacation or w/e.

I was a Tumblr person before I became a Redditor, years ago, so it's been cool seeing some Redditors come over and check things out. I hope some of you stay and enjoy yourselves, Tumblr can be a refreshingly non-toxic space if you curate it properly. Fuck Spez. :)

[mangedog]

how'd the blackout go?

so, on the 30th of june to the 1st of july i, and hopefully some other people :), did not engage with tumblr in anyway in the hopes of making a point to staff that users are unhappy with some of the changes made recently. (here is the masterpost on the blackout).

i've acknowledged many times that it was poorly thought out - it was a suggestion that i wanted input on and it was taken as a complete, cohesive plan. so i backtracked from making it an infinite blackout back to the original 48 hour suggestion.

did we get results?

sort of...! somewhere along the line, before the actual protest blackout, a staff member (@/zingring, the COO of Automattic) said:

“We actually are talking very recently (since yesterday) about instituting a public bug tracker, and it could be GitHub. We are also talking about publishing a community wishlist.”

so the discussion around the protest and the issues users have did achieve this (one) result!

browsing the staff tumblrs i know of (@s: wip, changes, support & engineering) & personal blogs of staff (@s: kat, cyle, photomatt & zingring), i haven't seen any new posts addressing user concerns. however, that doesn't mean discussions aren't happening away from users' eyes (see quote above).

what's next?

now that the 48 hour protest is over, and hopefully someone other than me participated, i want to organise an actually organised protest of some kind. i've had a lot of feedback that a blackout-style protest doesn't work on tumblr due to the way tumblr works (decentralised microblogging vs reddit-style forums), so working with other people to brainstorm ways to get (/keep) staff's attention is what needs to happen now. i can't do this by myself and it would be remiss of me to do so!

please keep communicating with staff and other users!! these are community problems and need a community driven solution - not the work of one person!

as @alliered said, "the point of the blackout is to get staff (and above) to communicate with us. that's not the end of it. that's the beginning."

[hamliet]

Hey hamliet, got a bit of an unusual question for you about RWBY.

How do you deal with the negativity?

Now that Volume 9 is going to be on Crunchyroll first and free an entire year later, there's been a lot of negative talk about RWBY and Rooster Teeth. How RT is dying and a shell of its former self. That the RWBY Sub and Discord is going to pirate the hell out of the show instead of supporting it due to the poor treatment of the staff, calling Geoff's statement about how pirating will do nothing more than hurt the show as bad taste, and pretty much fine dooming the show because all that matters now is RT is supposedly a shit company these days and that's all that matters...

Not to mention you STILL have people like the Judgemental Critter releasing videos about how bad RWBY is. There's so little positive RWBY content on Youtube...

Just, how do you deal with it all, the hatedom for a show you love and worries that it might not be ended thanks to the hatedom and controversies surrounding it? Or do you think I'm just making a mountain out of a molehill?'

Sigh.

Regarding YouTube, I ignore it. Sometimes I think about doing takedowns of the Reddit Dudebros who have made RWBY hate videos, but I also don't wanna give them traffic. Instead I use the site I write for (the non-Tumblr one) to write positive RWBY content, which will go up over the next month. It won't have the same reach, probably, but it's all I can actually do.

As for the production stuff, I have mixed feelings.

I think the long hiatus has soured a lot of the trust in CRWBY, and rightly so. Yes, covid, the WBD merge (and WBD's scorched earth policies in general are creating atmospheres of anxiety and fear for all their subsidiaries), Ice Queendom, and the movies have happened, but the sudden hiatus when your previous volume ended on a literal cliffhanger is not a good look. People are going to rightly get suspicious and anxious, and frankly, I think RT didn't handle it well at all. If RWBY continues, and it better, they absolutely cannot have another long hiatus, and they should be forthcoming about things.

I think Geoff's letter is an attempt to be forthcoming. I don't think it's super clear, though, and kind of made things worse--but I also don't think that is Geoff's fault. I think the fandom, as a whole, has issues that are absolutely not the fault of Rooster Teeth or anyone in CRWBY, and are instead the fandom's issues.

The fandom has a semi-parasocial relationship with the actors and writers, which is great on one hand and yikes on the other, because the fans do act entitled in a lot of ways. Because people involved do say certain things, fans take it as Gospel Truth because Their Friend The Involved Person wouldn't possibly have other motives or be a complex human being themselves with subconcious pain and desires that may or may not align with theirs. But the people involved are all, well, people, and they aren't your friend. They're not a bad person or an enemy; they're just a person you don't actually know. People are complicated. I'm also not blaming people involved who speak out; they're doing what they can with what they know. I just wish fans would accept that what fans know is far, far less than they think.

I don't know how to say this in a way that will not get fans furious at me or think I'm dismissing the issues because I'm really not trying to. I'm just an adult who has unfortunately seen the results of simplistic thinking, and there are not simple solutions to complex problems.

If you watch any anime at all, you're probably giving money to studios that treat their workers way, way, way worse than Rooster Teeth does.

If you consume manga, you're giving money to a company that has worked numerous mangakas into permanent disabilities because of their insane deadlines and low pay. Like, Shuiesha is awful. Ishida lost his ability to taste food.

Wait, I can hear all of you now: JUST BECAUSE X DOES IT DOESN'T MAKE IT OKAY FOR RT TO DO IT! To which I say: you're hella f*ckin' right. I am not making this argument at all, just laying facts out. It absolutely is not an excuse. 0% excuse.

Get your sh*t together, Rooster Teeth.

But it is to say, if you're boycotting RT but watching something else, don't say it's on blanket moral principles, because it isn't. You're going to have to ask yourself why you hold them to another standard. And to be fair, we all have limits and our own boundaries, so it's not possible to judge others. I avoid certain media and consume others.

There isn't a great way to handle this. There isn't a simple solution that will just magically make everything okay for everyone. It sucks.

But boycotts actually, imo, not going to help and fairly likely to make the situation worse. So instead of no pay, you want them to get... no pay or jobs at all? Because it's not like there's a "good" animation studio. Trust me, I work in the arts. Having no job is awful, too.

It's not remotely the same, but I think back to the sweatshops people boycotted in the late oughts--understandably so. But here's a little known fact: thanks to all the boycotting, a lot of those women went into the sex industry, and not exactly willingly, but out of desperation. I know some of these women by name. It is not the same thing here, and I'm not saying it is, and maybe shouldn't even use this analogy, but I am using it as an example of how boycotts as simple solutions are not nearly so moral as you might think, in broad terms.

Regarding RWBY's future, I really hope we get the ending as Monty planned. I want it, and I think we only need 3-4 more seasons for it.

Frankly, I think RWBY is one of the most well-written American animated shows to exist in the past decade.

(Go ahead and argue with me, dudebros. You'll lose.) RWBY is actually very popular overseas, which also helps.

I also think of Monty's quote from when his mother passed away, which seems eerie considering his own untimely death:

“I believe that the human spirit is indomitable. If you endeavor to achieve, it will happen given enough resolve. It may not be immediate, and often your greater dreams are something you will not achieve within your own lifetime. The effort you put forth to anything transcends yourself, for there is no futility even in death.”

Anyways, the finale of volume 9 is airing on the anniversary of my dad's death, which is the same day as the anniversary of the death of the friend who introduced me to RWBY's parent as well (yes, our parents died the same day, years apart). RWBY is one of those stories that gives me life and hope again in how it handles grief. I hope there's a path forward for the story that involves treating workers fairly.

[frickfatphobes]

My joints have been getting more painful over the last year but I really don't know if I should even talk to my Dr about it because I'm 90 percent sure her solution and diagnosis will be weight related. I've tried to tell her I'm not interested in weight loss and why prescribing weight loss is wrong and for two whole visits she didn't mention weight and then next visit was well once we get x problem a little more under control we can talk about your weight and then she's mentioned dietitians and other stuff since. I've tried asking the local city reddit if anyone knows a fat friendly pcp and all the comments were just incredibly confused about what I wanted, I also tried googling and calling around and got no results besides secretarys talking down to me about how weight is bad and even when I switched to asking do the chairs have no arms or are bigger and the tables and equipment they use are there larger sizes all I got was idk and of course not were not a weight loss dr, which it's totally messed up that they think only weight loss Dr's should have equipment to fit people. Do you happen to have any thoughts on what I could do to either find a new dr or bring up the joint pain in a way I'll be taken seriously? Though she already doesn't take my medication resistance especially to pain blockers seriously but it's just so difficult trying to find a new dr.

Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry you have to deal with that. No one should ever be judged this way, especially for their weight.

This is a tough one. I completely understand not wanting to find a new doctor. It's not easy.

I have no idea if this will work, but consider saying something along the lines of "I had joint pain before I gained any weight" or "I've tried weight loss and even when I was thinner, it didn't help." If neither of those statements are true for you, there may be another way to say that you know weight loss won't help the pain. Maybe even a simple "Do you have a solution I could start on before I lose weight? I don't know if I can deal with the pain throughout the months it will take to get the number down," and then DON'T try to change your body after you get the pills/physical therapy/whatever your doctor prescribes. That might give some perspective and help your doctor see what you're going through.

It's super hard to know what to do in situations like this. Do any of my followers have a good suggestion? I'm sorry I didn't have anything better than this, I hope it helped at least a little.

[mythgrippa-blog]

Day 0 - rebooting

Hello, call me Mythgrippa! Nice to meet you, the name comes from two fascinations I have, myths and Marcus Agrippa (my favorite Roman). I am currently doing my final year of computer science and I've done a lot, I'll list them out in a different blog post but it was a lot a lot and I'm left with only one semester which I'm quite excited about.

However, I think I must have overworked myself to get to this point, like I'm truly exhausted all the time, can't really focus on my work and having constant feelings of stress and anxiety, I used to be a stallion programmer but I can barely write a few lines of code and not feeling mentally overwhelmed.

This morning, like in the night I woke up to go to the bathroom and couldn't go back to sleep so I went online and got a bit too curious and searched up why I'm like this and found an online blog post which explained all the symptoms I've been experiencing with pin point accuracy.

I'm mentally exhausted, it makes sense because I'm always thinking about whatever school work I have and trying to get good grades, sleeping deep into the night trying to get work done. My performance has been declining, I still get work done but my quality isn't what it used to be. I've also been neglecting self care and not going outside, my skin is starting to show, I'm black by the way and my tone has started feeling... spotty? I don't know, I don't like it. My self confidence has kind of diminished because of it so there's that as well.

So, I still have a lot of work to do, like a software project for school that I'm the leader of, so I have to be the technical lead and also the semester hasn't started yet so I've to prepare for that as well. These are my stressors. I've to stop this mental daemon from running all the time.

To accomplish this, the article I read suggested these 11 solutions

Eliminate the stressors

My stressors would be mostly work, I can't just simply eliminate it because I have to finish this semester, and its not something I can set aside, plus my software project with my group isn't going so well so we gotta work our butts off for that

Work-life balance

Alright, this is part I get because I honestly don't have a life. The closet life I have is the friends I hang out with at school when on break and also the tennis games we go to, but I've mostly been a work person. So, for starters I need a life!!! But where to start... maybe I should start. Perhaps restricting myself to working up to 6 hours or less per day?

I could play video games or watch movies, I mean... hm... I'll try out the other games and watch more TV, I haven't been reading any of my novels or play board games. I'm off Twitter and Reddit, I don't like scrolling mindlessly for hours.

Damn it!! I remember that one of my friends has my board games, no matter I'll just play on ipad, hopefully there are good apps in the app store. I'll see what my other friends have to say. Well I'll see what I will do

Clear your space

I suppose this means I should rid of what doesn't kindle joy, I'm in recess at the moment and I'm back home, I don't have a room of my own so I sleep in my little brother's room (which used to be mine before I moved to uni), the spare that I usually sleep in is occupied by one of my older brothers. This room is a mess and I really can't do much about it other than tidy some stuff but the way things are laid out is just so annoying, so much wasted space. But this isn't my room anymore so I can't really do anything major plus my energy is down the drain.

Schedule (and take) regular breaks

I should take breaks when working, I used to study using Pomodoro and it was quite effective I won't lie but I've lost some of my discipline, at least partly attributed to the main reason I'm writing this in the first place.

How did I go so many semesters without taking regular breaks, not even like five minutes, I'm really a mad lad. I'll try to take at least 5 minutes off per hour, that should make it easier, but what constitutes a break? Doing nothing? I suppose that works

Get outside

In terms of this, I try to go outside but the weather is just so cold, but the sun does feel good but I'm the type of person who likes dark and gloomy weather accompanied by rain and thunder storms, I just really like that, the rain drops crashing onto the roof or window, the warm clothing I get to wear!! Oh my goodness, it feels like a mental refresher because I naturally feel easy and relaxed when there's rain. But I'll try to go out, perhaps a jog every now and then?

Do something new

Something new... well I could really try that, I used to go to the gym but school got so hectic I had to cancel my membership but I think I'll go back since I believe the hardest semester has concluded (last semester was the hardest honestly and I'm glad I made it out alive).

I'll try out other types of sports because I want to regain my stamina and activeness, my right leg though... its fine I'll be fine, I'll buy better shoes and sports gear. I'll try to be healthier, eat my fruits daily, and drink plenty of water.

That's a lot of stuff, how will I manage though? I'll figure it out but at least the idea is there

Reduce screen time

I mean... even though its the start of recess and I'm done with my old modules and the new ones haven't started yet, I'm still checking my emails and notifications, I do have the group project, and I'm doing Computer Science, I need a computer to science god damn it, how am I supposed to reduce that. I'll let this one slide. Because I can't really digitally detox... I'm not ready for that or even see the need to, but I can reduce the amount of time I spend on my phone, no phone time between 10PM and 7AM, that worked before in the past. But as for computer time, yeah I can't really reduce that.

Find positive ways to distract yourself

I used to have this bad habit I'm still recovering, I tricked myself into thinking it could help get the "edge off", I regret it and I'm glad I'm not that person, incase you're wondering its not drugs or weed or alcohol or any bad substances... I've never done any of that, and NO I DON'T VAPE. I'm as a clean as they get, but there's always been something I've been struggling with for almost four years now but I think I've finally learnt to let it go for the better.

You could say it was a negative distraction for myself, but no more of that I just need a positive way to distract myself, perhaps calling up an old friend? I haven't spoken to a number of people, I am messaging someone but they're not a regular person I talk to because of odd response times but I'm one of those people who'll reply as soon as they see your message no matter how long you take because I get people have stuff to do or don't feel like replying at times, its completely normal.

Perhaps I'll start playing games again? But that can get out of hand pretty quickly, actually... having coffee with my best friend can work? Yeah, there are plenty, I'll just ask her (oh yeah, a bit of a rant but I'm a guy, my best friend is a girl so yeah that can be a thing, why don't people get it! Guys and Girls don't have to date to have fun, goodness I hate my class mates, for CS nerds they're sure talkative, they're nice people but JEEEEZ). I'll ask her if I want to be distracted, or my other friends as well

Take care of yourself 

I need to eat nourishing food, I ate a lot of KFC and boy it ain't good for ya, but it helps fill me up but I'll try to be better than that and eat better. I'll start eating from this restaurant I frequent they sell some delicious and nourishing food. I'll also try to sleep by 10 and wake by 7, that should be plenty of rest yeah? I will drink water every day, trust me I'm a water freak.

Focus on what you can control

I can't really do everything, so I should be able to tell others what to do, I am group leader after all. I'll see what I can do and what should be done, I'll delegate and try to organize more. So, that the objective is very clear. I'm not a stallion anymore, I can't code for hours on end like I used to, but luckily there's capable members in my group so I'll delegate the work to them and do my group leader duties.

Talk to a coach or therapist

NO

Well that lists everything, I wrote so much without realizing it, this was all in one sitting so I'm impressed with myself. I always did enjoy writing stories, I'm not as creative anymore but when it comes to stuff like this, I have like 3 filled up diaries.

If you made it this far, I'm so impressed with you, thank you for taking an interest and reading my first public blog (I've written so many private ones that I'll never release because I'm so embarrassed plus its useless and uninteresting, like unfinished stories, other diary attempts, blah blah)

Well thanks again you and I'll see you in the next one

[inkofamethyst]

July 19, 2023

I can't seem to understand people who say that they get bored. Like, what does that even mean to be bored? When there are so many things to do, so many things to read, so many things, endless things, to watch, so many skills to learn and you're bored? You're telling me your mind doesn't run on overdrive every time you have a free second, just trying to line up one of several dozen things on your list of things you want to do, want to try, want to see, each of those items pushing and shoving and vying for the attention of your brain's fleeting glances? "Just call me when your bored," he said, clearly not knowing me at all if he thought I even had the capacity to reach a state of boredom. "Nina, I'm bored," she said, thinking erroneously that I could empathize when I can barely even imagine the feeling. Perhaps it's the introversion, perhaps it's the anxiety, perhaps it's one of any other of the afflictions, but I just can't seem to crack what it means to be bored. I'm not sure if it's better this way.

I am trying to break my phone habit.  The issue, which I’m sure many people have identified, is that tiktok and reddit and little mindless games are both entertaining and, well, mindless.  But they can ultimately be huge timesucks when I could be doing something more interesting that’s still somewhat restful.  Sewing is okay as a substitute but I can’t do it everywhere, I can’t reach into my pocket and pull out my machine and it would certainly be awkward to try to carry it around.  Handsewing is a bit of a solution, but I’m rarely working on a big handsewing project (same with crochet).  So.  I’m trying to get back into reading.  Mostly with one-off scifi/fantasy stories, and I want to finish one or two nonfictions this summer too.  Reading, for me, is a easy hobby to drop and a difficult one to pick back up because there are so many other things that can pull at my attention and take less effort.  I’m really proud of college-junior-Nina who committed to reading during meals for a year.  Maybe I could give that a go again, at least.  Try to make a dent in my Goodreads virtual pile.

One unexpected positive of the mini twists is that they're giving me the opportunity to try styles I typically don't. Like, over the past few days, I've taught myself how to cornrow, and they actually look pretty good!!

I had a beautiful dream last night. It was me out to dinner with mostly people I didn't know, and one person who I did know (but I only knew them in the dream-iverse, I have no idea whose face that was). The other people all knew each other. It was a new place. Everyone was making an effort to include me. I felt safe. I felt wanted. I don't often remember my dreams. But this one felt really comforting.

Today I'm thankful that I don't have to take a full undergrad courseload on top of PhD duties. I'm taking a partial load (which, this fall, includes retaking anatomy lol (but thankfully not gross anatomy because I still haven't been able to stomach that idea)) plus a reading section with my advisor to get caught up on literature/techniques. I wouldn't be surprised if my first few weeks this fall are busier than my first few weeks as a freshman four years ago.

Also, I found out that the two faculty members I met during my department tour weekend were my advisors "mentors" when he joined the department. That.. explains some things haha

Teaching is still generally going well! Halfway through!!

[wizardpink]

Something that has been on my mind is the way that this website is full of people who want to oppose TERFs more than they want to defend trans people and we are never gonna succeed by applying this method.

So many people have taken the stance that all TERFs are wrong about every belief they hold, that anything they say is one slippery slope into Nazism, and that is a fundamental misunderstanding of why TERFs are able to draw people to their side and how it is they operate.

TERFs are dangerous because they will tell you 99 truths to make you believe one lie.

TERFs appeal to potential converts by holding a LOT of the same beliefs and convictions that most of us who fall on the political left and who support social justice movements do.

So when a stealth TERF says something like "makeup bloggers, shady self-care gurus, and tiktok influencers getting plastic surgery who all appeal to one white western beauty standard isn't good for impressionable teens to be consuming constantly," and your response is to reactionarily oppose what they're saying because they're a TERF ala "fuck off, makeup rules and plastic surgery is great," you've fallen for their trap.

Because they've said something relatively sane sounding, and you've made yourself look like the unhinged one with shitty politics. And the person who hasn't been exposed to these TERF talking points and stealth missions, who also feels like maybe being bombarded by shallow looks-obsessed media isn't good for young girls' self-image, has one of two choices: believe what they see right in front of them, or take your word for it that OP is the secret villain and somehow you, who appear to hold the same values as a Fox News host, are right.

Like, some of the takes I have seen people on tumblr promote JUST to oppose a radfem are literally like something straight out of a Republican dude-bro's MAGA reddit channel. Telling women concerned about sexual assault and rape they're being sexist against men. That ANY discussion about patriarchy is transphobic and should be shut down. That all concerns about sexualizing women without their consent, or the role of violence in the porn industry, are just prudish anti-sex propaganda.

We are losing ground by ignoring what WE stand for in favor of only paying attention to what radfems stand for and opposing it. This is the exact tactic we mock Republicans and Democrats for doing, running a campaign based solely on what your opponent is doing wrong without offering any solutions or positions on issues. "TERF bad!" is not an ideology! "Trans people are human beings who deserve the same rights as their cisgender peers," is an ideology.

One thing I love to see is someone finding a good post by a radfem and refusing to engage with it, and potentially spreading OP's blog to more people, and instead making a whole new post with the same point that ISN'T going to potentially lead people down the radfem pipeline. Hell you can even leave a link to the new post in the replies of the original. I know saying "OP is right about this topic but they're a radfem so block them" probably doesn't feel as good as just leaving "die radfem scum" but when the topic is "women should be able to walk alone at night without being afraid" are you really doing a service to our cause by looking like you disagree with that? TERFs WANT to spread the message that trans people and their allies hate cis women and are a danger to them. Don't do their work for them...

It fucking SUCKS playing their game. It feels like being baited into a no-win situation. But making yourself look like a traditional misogynist isn't an L you have to take. There are other approaches.