#the email is through microsoft

[meerodi]

trying to go to college next year and currently the biggest hurdle of all of this is just, trying to get into. my fucking school email

[synthlet]

oh my god i am so fucking angry. my minecraft account ive had since minecraft was $10 was hacked and is permanently gone!! bc microsoft REQUIRED me to link a microsoft account, which i made JUST FOR MINECRAFT, and someone hacked into it and CHANGED THE SECURITY INFO 30 DAYS AGO and microsoft NEVER FUCKING TOLD ME. and literally every support team person is like. lol yeah if they change your security info its gone forever lol. GO FUCK YOURSELF I HATE THIS ALWAYS-ONLINE BULLSHIT LMAO!!!!!

[lightgaswaterelectricityrent]

Microsoft doesn't let you use a business account as the main owner of a pc running a home edition of windows which is fine, I guess, except when you try to log in with a microsoft business account it tells you the account "doesn't exist" and doesn't explain anything else at all for some reason. So if you're for example my mom and maybe my dad is insane and insists your email works through his small business license instead of in a normal way like a normal 68 year old homemaker would have then the first thing that happens when you try to set up your brand new computer is that it says your account, which you already have a very tenuous grasp on understanding, doesn't exist. and thank God your daughter is perfect and very helpful and understands everything...

[jesseweneedtocuck]

Not to be a boomer or anything but I absolutely hate multi-factor authentication. Cyber security blah blah blah whatever WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU NEED TO TEXT ME A CODE I JUST TOLD YOU MY PASSWORD

[genshin-impact-updates]

FAQs on Cross-Save Function Between Genshin Impact HoYoverse Accounts and Microsoft Accounts

Greetings, dear Travelers!

Genshin Impact is about to launch on Xbox Series X|S. Here, we will answer your questions about the cross-save function from five aspects: account linking, top-ups, bundles and limited-time rewards, Co-Op on Xbox, and friends.

��Account Linking〓

● Linking Operations

Q1: What is the cross-save function between HoYoverse Accounts and Microsoft Accounts?

A1: The cross-save function between accounts allows you to link accounts from two different platforms (your HoYoverse Account and your Microsoft Account) and share your progress as well as your in-game data between the two accounts. Once your qualifying Microsoft Account is linked to a HoYoverse Account, you will be able to log in on iOS/Android/PC using your HoYoverse Account, or on Xbox using the Microsoft Account linked to the same HoYoverse Account and resume your game progress.

Q2: How does account linking work?

A2: Travelers need to have a qualifying Microsoft Account, email account, or HoYoverse Account. After linking these accounts, the Microsoft Account and HoYoverse Account will share game progress.

*The HoYoverse Account is registered through an email account, and they are distinct from each other. When email account and HoYoverse Account are mentioned later, please pay attention to the differences.

Q3: What kind of account meets the linking requirements?

A3: If the Microsoft Account currently logged in on the device is not linked to a HoYoverse Account, it is eligible for linking. There are two linking scenarios:

1) If the Microsoft Account has not been used to log into a HoYoverse game before: The Microsoft Account can be linked to an existing HoYoverse Account that has game progress, allowing shared game progress.

2) When logging into the HoYoverse game on Xbox Series X|S for the first time and selecting Quick Resume, the Microsoft Account will be considered as already having HoYoverse game progress. In this case, it can be linked to an email account that has not registered a HoYoverse Account. This email will automatically register a HoYoverse Account and link it to the Microsoft Account.

This is under development and is not indicative of the final product.

Travelers, please note that the following cases are not eligible for account linking:

You cannot link an email account that has already registered for a HoYoverse Account with a Microsoft Account that has logged into a HoYoverse game. This is because once a Microsoft Account logs into a Hoyoverse game, it automatically registers a HoYoverse account, making it impossible to link it to another email account that already has a registered HoYoverse account.

Therefore, if Travelers want to link a Microsoft Account that has logged into a HoYoverse game with an email account, they must ensure that the email account has not already registered for a HoYoverse Account.

Q4: What do I need to do to link my accounts?

A4: Depending on which of the two cases below applies to you, the procedure you need to follow will be slightly different.

The two cases and their corresponding linking procedures are as follows:

Case 1:

I have game progress on other platforms and would like to link my HoYoverse account with a Microsoft Account that has not logged into a HoYoverse game.

Linking procedure:

On the Xbox Series X|S platform, using your Microsoft Account that has never previously logged in to a HoYoverse game, open the game for the first time. Follow the steps in the pop-up window to link your email account that has registered for a HoYoverse Account. This will link both accounts.

*IMPORTANT: The pop-up window prompting you to link your accounts only appears when your Microsoft Account enters the game for the first time, after you agree to the Terms of Service. You can only link an existing HoYoverse Account from this pop-up window. If you skip the pop-up, your Microsoft Account will log in to the game and register a HoYoverse Account, after which it can no longer be linked to another HoYoverse Account.

Case 2:

I have game progress on Xbox Series X|S and would like to link my HoYoverse account to play on other platforms.

Linking procedure:

Log in to the game on Xbox Series X|S, then go to Settings > Account > User Center > Link Account and link your Microsoft Account that is logged in to Genshin Impact to an email account that has not registered for a HoYoverse Account. After linking, your game progress will be shared when you log into your HoYoverse Account to play on the same server on iOS/Android/PC.

● Game Server Selection and PSN Platform Linking

Q5: What is the relationship between the HoYoverse account, HoYoverse games, and the game servers?

A5: A HoYoverse account can correspond to game progress across various HoYoverse games. Specifically, for a single HoYoverse game, it can have progress across multiple servers. For example, a Traveler's HoYoverse account in Genshin Impact can have progress on the Asia, Europe, America, TW, HK, MO servers simultaneously. Therefore, when Travelers link their HoYoverse account with other platform accounts, they should pay attention to the corresponding server relationships.

Q6: Which servers can be accessed on Genshin Impact from the Xbox Series X|S platform? Is there a correlation between the store region of the Microsoft Account and the Genshin Impact servers?

A6: The Xbox Series X|S platform can access the Asia, Europe, America, HK, TW, and MO servers for Genshin Impact. There is no correlation between the store region of the Microsoft Account and the Genshin Impact servers. Travelers can select their server based on their gaming preferences when logging into Genshin Impact on the Xbox Series X|S.

Q7: How can accounts for PSN and Microsoft Accounts share Genshin Impact game progress?

A7: If Travelers want to share Genshin Impact game progress between their account for PSN and Microsoft Account, they need to link both accounts to the same HoYoverse account.

Travelers should note that the store region of the account for PSN corresponds to the Genshin Impact servers, while the Microsoft Account allows for server selection. Therefore, it's important to confirm the server where the game progress is located during the linking process.

For example, if a Traveler's Genshin Impact progress is on the America server and their account for PSN corresponds to the Asia server, then after linking said account to the account for PSN and Microsoft Account, when logging in on the PSN platform, they will access the Asia server's progress, and the progress on the America server will not be available. However, when logging in on the Xbox platform, they can select the server themselves, allowing them to access the progress on both the Asia and America servers as corresponding to their linked accounts.

● Other

Q8: Can I unlink my Microsoft Account and HoYoverse Account after linking them?

A8: Currently, you can only unlink the Microsoft Account from the HoYoverse Account once. Travelers, please consider carefully before carrying out account linking.

Q9: If my Microsoft Account logs in to the game for the first time and the game closes unexpectedly when the linking pop-up window appears, will I still be able to carry linking out afterwards?

A9: If this happens, the linking pop-up window will still appear the next time you log in to the game.

Q10: After account linking, can I use my Microsoft Account to log in on iOS/Android/PC, or use the linked HoYoverse Account to log in on Xbox Series X|S?

A10: The above login methods are not supported currently. Regardless of whether the accounts are linked, please note the following:

1) Only HoYoverse Accounts and supported third-party accounts can be used to log in on iOS/Android/PC.

2) Only a Microsoft Account can be used to log in on Xbox Series X|S.

Q11: I already have HoYoverse game progress on my Microsoft Account. In the User Center, can I link it to an email account that has registered for a HoYoverse Account?

A11: Currently, a Microsoft Account with existing game progress can only be linked to an email account that has not registered for a HoYoverse Account. A Microsoft Account with game progress is counted as having registered for a HoYoverse Account, and cannot be linked to an email account that has registered for a HoYoverse Account.

Q12: How can I check the email account associated with my linked HoYoverse account?

A12: After logging in to the game, you can check your associated email account under Settings > Account > User Center.

Q13: Can one Microsoft Account be linked to more than one email account? Or can an email account that has registered for a HoYoverse Account be linked to a multiple Microsoft Accounts?

A13: Currently, a Microsoft Account can only be linked to one email. Likewise, an email account that has been used to register a HoYoverse Account can only be linked to one Microsoft Account.

Q14: My email has registered for a HoYoverse Account. After logging in to the game on Xbox Series X|S with a Microsoft Account, can I link said email account to the Microsoft Account via Settings > Account > User Center > Link Account?

A14: In this case, account linking is not possible. A Microsoft Account that has previously logged in to HoYoverse games can only be linked to an email account that has not registered for a HoYoverse Account.

It is recommended that Travelers use a Microsoft Account that has not previously logged in to a HoYoverse game and carry out account linking via the pop-up window that appears when first logging in to the game.

Q15: My email account has been used to register for a HoYoverse Account, but I've never logged into any HoYoverse game. Can I log in on Xbox Series X|S and then link this email account to a Microsoft Account under Settings > Account > User Center > Link Account?

A15: No. Currently, an email account that has been used to register for a HoYoverse Account cannot be linked to a Microsoft Account that has previously logged into the game.

Travelers can change the email address currently linked to their HoYoverse Account to unlink the email account from their HoYoverse Account, or use an email account that has not been used to register for a HoYoverse Account to carry out linking.

Q16: I missed the linking pop-up window that appeared the first time I logged in to the game with my Microsoft Account. Will this pop-up reappear? Can I still log in to the game on Xbox Series X|S and link my email account in the User Center?

A16: The pop-up window only appears when the Microsoft Account logs in to a HoYoverse game for the first time, after you agree to the Terms of Service. Please watch out for it, because it will not reappear if missed.

Q17: How do I enable the cross-save function between a Microsoft Account and a third-party account?

A17:

1) If the HoYoverse Account associated with the third-party account is linked to an email account: Using a Microsoft Account that has never logged into the game, please enter the game for the first time and follow the instructions that appear on the pop-up window to link the email account associated with your HoYoverse Account.

2) If the HoYoverse Account associated with your third-party account is not linked to an email account, please log in to the game using your third-party account, link an email account in Settings > Account > User Center > Link Account, then follow the relevant account linking procedure to link your Microsoft Account.

3) Currently, third-party accounts cannot be linked to Microsoft Accounts that has previously logged in to HoYoverse games.

Q18: How can I check my linked account for Microsoft Account?

A18: Log in to the game from any platform and view your linked Microsoft Account in Settings > Account > User Center.

〓About Top-Ups〓

Q1: Are Genesis Crystals or Battle Passes purchased on iOS/Android/PC and on Xbox shared between platforms via the cross-save function?

A1: After account linking, Genesis Crystals obtained on iOS/Android/PC and Genesis Crystals obtained on Xbox will be linked for the same account. This also applies to Battle Pass purchases. When switching platforms, the Genesis Crystals from different platforms will be displayed. Travelers can use these Genesis Crystals as per usual.

Q2: After linking my Microsoft Account, can I top-up Genesis Crystals on iOS/Android/PC for a HoYoverse Account registered on Xbox, or vice versa?

A2: Top-ups for a HoYoverse Account registered and linked on Xbox can be carried out on Xbox, the Top-Up Center website, and iOS/Android/PC.

〓About Bundle Rewards〓

Q1: How do I obtain the wind glider "Wings of Fate's Course Intertwined"?

A2: The wind gliders will be sent via in-game mail.

[Xbox Series X|S]

Collection Period: Permanently available after the Version 5.2 update (including future versions)

*The Version 5.2 update is scheduled to take place on November 20, 2024.

Log in to Genshin Impact on Xbox Series X|S and reach Adventure Rank 2 or above to receive the corresponding in-game mail.

The mail is valid for 30 days. Please claim it in time.

Each UID can only receive the reward once.

[Other Platforms]

Collection Period: During Version 5.3 (after the Version 5.3 update on January 1, 2025 – before Version 5.4 maintenance on February 12, 2025)

Log in to Genshin Impact on any platform and reach Adventure Rank 2 or above to receive the corresponding in-game mail.

The mail is valid for 30 days. Please claim it in time.

Each UID can only receive the reward once.

Q2: Can I still obtain the wind glider "Wings of Fate's Course Intertwined" if I log into the game on Xbox Series X|S after linking my Microsoft Account to a HoYoverse Account registered via iOS/Android/PC?

A2: Yes. Log into "Genshin Impact" on Xbox Series X|S after the Version 5.2 update – before Version 5.4 maintenance (11/20/2024 after the Version 5.2 update – 02/12/2025 05:59:59) and meet the above criteria stated in A1 above to obtain the wind glider.

Q3: Can I use the wind glider "Wings of Fate's Course Intertwined" on platforms outside of Xbox Series X|S (iOS/Android/PC/PS)?

A3: Yes, the wind glider "Wings of Fate's Course Intertwined" can be used on other platforms.

Q4: How can I obtain an Xbox Game Pass member Genshin Impact bundle?

After each version update of Genshin Impact, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members can log into the game on Xbox Series X|S to receive a bundle mail on their corresponding in-game account. Please remember to claim it in time, as the mail is valid for 365 days.

Bundle contents are as follows:

*Each Microsoft Account can only receive the corresponding bundle contents once per version.

〓About Cross-Platform on Xbox〓

Q1: Will Co-Op Mode on Xbox be any different after linking my account?

A1: After account linking, we will add a cross-platform control function to Genshin Impact for Xbox. Travelers can use it to select Co-Op Mode preferences. When this function is disabled, there will be no differences in Co-Op Mode, and Travelers on Xbox and other platforms can play in Co-Op Mode together. When this function is enabled:

1) Players can only enter Co-Op Mode with other players on Xbox.

2) On the Co-Op Mode screen, players on Xbox and on other platforms will be unable to see each other's Co-Op Team information.

3) During Co-Op matching, a platform restriction rule will be added. If the host is a Xbox user, only users on the same platform can join the team. Players on Xbox will also be unable to join Co-Op teams where the host is playing on another platform.

Q2: Where is the switch for the cross-platform control function on Xbox?

A2: After logging into Genshin Impact on Xbox, go to the Paimon Menu > Settings > Other.

〓About Friends〓

Q1: When playing Genshin Impact on Xbox, how many Friends Lists will I have? Can I see my Friends Lists on both the Xbox platform and non-Xbox platforms?

A1:

After linking, there will be two Friends Lists, namely "Genshin Impact Friends" and "Genshin Impact Friends on 'Xbox.'" The "Genshin Impact Friends" list can be viewed from any platform, but "Genshin Impact Friends on 'Xbox'" can only be viewed on Xbox.

Q2: What is the relationship between the "Genshin Impact Friends" and "Genshin Impact Friends on 'Xbox'" lists?

A2: "Genshin Impact Friends" are friends added from within the game. "Genshin Impact Friends on 'Xbox'" are friends with a Microsoft Account who have played Genshin Impact on the same server. The two lists are independent of each other.

Any changes that you make to your Friend List on iOS/Android/PC will not affect the status of the "Genshin Impact Friends on 'Xbox'" list.

If you delete a friend directly from your Microsoft Account, that friend will be removed from the "Genshin Impact Friends on 'Xbox'" list, but not from the "Genshin Impact Friends" list.

If you remove someone from the blocklist on your Microsoft Account, no changes will be made to the "Genshin Impact Friends" list, including its blocklist.

Q3: Can I do things like chat and request to enter a friend's world from both the "Genshin Impact Friends" and the "Genshin Impact Friends on 'Xbox'" lists?

A3: You can chat, request to enter friends' worlds, and view their avatars from the "Genshin Impact Friends" list. You can view friend information or request to enter their world from the "Genshin Impact Friends on 'Xbox'" list.

Q4: How can I check the gamertag of "Genshin Impact Friends on 'Xbox'"?

A4: A friend's gamertag cannot be displayed if either of you is logged into a platform other than Xbox.

Gamertags are only visible on the Friends screen if both you and your friend are logged in on Xbox.

These are all the questions and answers to this FAQ.

If you have any further questions that you'd like us to answer, please contact us via the official Customer Service.

Genshin Impact's official Customer Service contact method:

Email: genshin_cs@hoyoverse.com

[edsmore]

***SUBMISSIONS CLOSED! THANKS TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED!***

LOOKING FOR PARTICIPANTS FOR CONLANGING STUDY!

Calling all conlangers! I’m Eddie (he/they), a conlanger and Master’s student studying applied linguistics. For my dissertation I’m looking to conduct some research on conlanging and the wonderful amazing people that do it! And if you want, you can participate in this research!!!

If you’re over the age of 18 and have made (or tried to make!) at least 1 language, you are eligible to take this questionnaire! And you don’t need any formal linguistics training or knowledge to complete it! I’ll also be conducting a few in-depth interviews (randomly selected), so if you’re interested in that part of the study as well you can indicate your interest in the questionnaire :-)

The questionnaire is on Microsoft Forms and split into two parts, so if you only have time/want to do the first one, it’s no big deal; Part 1 is more general (~15 mins), Part 2 is where you get to gush about a language you’ve made (avg ~20 mins)!

LINKS TO PARTICIPATE: Part 1, Part 2

DEADLINE: I’ll close submissions in June, but if you want to be considered for an interview, get it done by the end of May!

CONTACT: Casual or clarifying questions are welcome via tumblr (edsmore), but if you have more serious inquiries, you can find my university email on the information sheets located in the questionnaire forms.

(obligatory mention that this research is being officially conducted through the University of Oxford; information on data privacy/collection can be found in the information sheet provided in the questionnaire. The official flyer for this study with more information can be found here)

Of course this is all totally voluntary! If you’re interested, I hope to read about some of your cool languages soon!

[da-rulah]

I saw an aesthetic picture about spreading Satan through the Internet recently and it got me thinking about being the IT support at the ministry, and which papas and ghouls would be best and worst at technology. So now I obviously want to hear your thoughts.

(I think Primo would surprise us by being surprisingly proficient, sort of like how my grandma mastered email and Facebook in her 80s.)

I have discussed this at great lengths with my best friend, @her-satanic-wiles, and these are the conclusions we have come to. These include all technology and use of the internet and social media habits.

Please enjoy as much as we did - it was too much fun. This is long, so i've put a page break in.

Some 18+ content here, MDNI!

Primo

As you said, surprisingly proficient.

He learns very fast, intently listening to you when you explain email, Microsoft Word & Excel, and Facebook.

He doesn't get Instagram but that's okay, that's not his target audience.

Doesn't understand how the internet works... "So, is it floating around in the air, or...?"

But he does know how to work it, and how to use it.

Secondo

No patience for technology at all.

If it doesn't work how it should, it is immediately referred to as broken.

"Mostrami solo le mie email, pezzo di merda!" you'll hear him scream from his office.

If it is not broken, it soon will be. His frustration makes him violent.

Got the iPhone 4 when it first came out but it perished in a mysterious fire. He doesn't know how it happened. Stop asking him.

Has been through four Ministry issued keyboards and one monitor that saw violent ends.

Terzo

Not bad at technology at all, in fact learns very quickly.

However, the discovery of Internet Pornography set him back in his paperwork by about a week.

He takes casual nudes and sends them to everyone, like him sat on the toilet or just having got out of the shower. Just because he can.

Your phone keeps saving them automatically and you have to do a mass exodus of Terzo nudes at least once a week to save your phone memory.

When you delete them he sends you more out of spite.

Ends up with Malware on his computer all the time from scam emails that promise him 'hot single babes in his area'.

The kind of guy to go on Omegle to flirt with random people, maybe find someone to jerk off with.

Copia

Boomer.

He's bloody useless, it always makes him feel like a silly old fool.

The only thing he can do by himself is search YouTube for rat videos, because you've shown him a million times.

Types with the screen close to his face and with one finger.

FaceTime angle of a typical dad.

"Look at this!" and proceeds to not flip the camera because he doesn't know how so you just end up staring at his face anyway.

SHOUTS when he's on the phone, no concept of noise at all.

Always forgetting his passwords - you get phone calls asking what his password for this and that is every. damn. day.

How many times do you have to remind him his phone unlocks with FaceID?!

Got scammed by a Facebook ad and had to change all his credit cards.

And now for the Ghouls...

Rain

He's VERY good with tech.

Quiet little genius, knows all the keyboard shortcuts and phone tips and tricks going.

Others ask him for help a lot, and he gets such a sense of pride when he can help them, swishing his tails and smiling to himself as he's helping.

Rain is also in charge of Copia's computer. He built it, fixed it, and cries every time Papa does something he shouldn’t to it.

Swiss

Technology conspiracy theorist.

He is terrified of tech, thinks it's listening to him all the time. Alexa is a demon he doesn't trust and his phone is an old Nokia he uses for emergencies ONLY.

That Nokia is also his weapon that he throws at people's heads when they piss him off. Which happens entirely too often and has caused some damage...

Mountain

Always up to date with the latest tech, never misses a launch.

He keeps leaving his second-hand phones in places Swiss will find them to trigger his technophobia and paranoia.

"DO THEY BREED, OR SOMETHING?!" Mountain is snickering outside his dorm listening to the chaos he's created.

Phantom

TROLL.

Chaos maker, through and through.

He is a serial redditer. The havoc he creates on there is diabolical, honestly.

Goes on Omegle to troll people.

He came across Papa Terzo one evening. They both agreed to never speak of what he saw ever again.

Plays on Swiss' technophobia along with Mountain.

He even created a cruel "conspiracy mode" on the Alexa that plays dramatic music, changes the lighting and shuts the window blinds in Swiss' room whilst Alexa tells him "I'm here, Swiss. I see everything."

Sodo

Has absolutely no interest in the internet or technology whatsoever.

Serial text forgetter. Sees you've text him, ignores it. Promises to get back to it. Never does.

When it comes to guitar tech though, he'll chew your ear off for hours. He knows EVERYTHING.

Ask him a question, but be prepared to be stuck there for approx. 45 minutes while he explains it in great detail with tangents you didn't ask for.

Aurora

Very good with tech, specifically social media.

Basically the social media manager of The Ghost Project.

She loves tiktok, makes them regularly. but it gives off 'Illegal Disney' vibes... Total crack.

Papa had to stop her making them and tell her to take them down.

Ask her about dance challenges - she knows them all.

Cumulus

CANNOT BE BOTHERED.

Why does everything take so long? Typing and everything... so much effort.

So she's a voice note kinda girl.

And they can be full blown podcasts, she talks and talks and talks....

Always takes Mountain's old phones after Swiss has been spooked by them. She hasn't bought a new phone in 6 years. Mountain is none the wiser.

Cirrus

Has a basic understanding, but feels guilty asking for help from IT support.

If an error message pops up, she'll panic and call Aurora.

"No but it says Error 404... WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?!"

Queen of cat videos. Falls asleep to 10 hour loops of rain storms on YouTube.

[penny-anna]

i bought a flat this week.

was off work sick last thursday/friday with what turned out to be the beginnings of a bad cold but at the time i was just like 'oh no why am i so tired is this the return of the Mystery Fatigue'

let's backtrack for a second!! back when i had the offer accepted on my flat my solicitor suggested october 6th as a move in date and i was like sure that works (this was around the beginning of september). then i didn't hear anything from them for many days and then i started getting major dry eye problems that became all consuming so i didn't get around to chasing them.

anyway!! tuesday last week i get an email from my solicitor like 'hi are you still able to complete friday' and i did not have the headspace to deal with it so i didn't reply

Wednesday my solicitor calls like 'hi. we need to know if you want to complete friday'. i'm like 'actually i'm really not feeling well this week, could we postpone'. she calls back a few minutes later like 'they cannot postone'. at this point i'm still thinking that if i get a decent night's sleep i'll feel better so i tell her i'll deal with it in the morning.

Thursday i feel spectacularly worse. have to get up to go to an appointment with my optometrist. almost start crying in their office bcos i'm just so exhausted. (he seemed weirdly unfazed by this?? looking back i wonder if he thought my eyes were hurting or something and didn't realise that i was holding back tears gfhglj) call out sick from work.

plan is to take a nap and then look at the documents my solicitor sent over but she calls me again like 'hi. sorry to bother you i know you're sick but can we complete today' so i'm like ah shit ig we're doing this now. please walk me through exactly what you need me to do here. 'we just need you to send us the money'. yeah i can do that. i've never made a payment this big before tho.

(i'm buying w money inherited from my mother so even for a flat purchase it's an unusually large amount of money)

'oh yeah you won't be able to that online. *pause* are you well enough to go to the bank?' i am tired enough that going to the bank will suck but not so sick i cannot go to the bank.

i had gone fully back to bed. spurred on by sudden wave of adrenaline, get out of bed and dressed and get the bus into town to the bank.

my bank closes at 3pm weekdays and by the time i get that it's about 1:45. explain the situation. turns out that to make a payment this big you need a sit-down meeting with a member of staff and they are booked solid till 3. 'can you come back tomorrow at 9:30 when we open' *dying inside* yes. i can come back tomorrow at 9:30.

go home. remember that i'd told my manager that i'd call her at 9 to let her know if i'm going to be working (i will defo not be working & she knows this) which will be tricky if i have to leave at 9 to go to the bank. have a pretty interminable IM conversation via microsoft teams about this wherein i suggest i message her first thing and call a bit later and she isn't going for it. eventually agree to call at 9 just so i can end the conversation and go to sleep.

Friday morning end up calling my manager from the bus. get to bank. whole thing takes a full 30 minutes so yeah i can see why they couldn't fit me in thursday afternoon ghfdljkfhdj. i'm so so tired. they have to go over a whole fraud prevention statement with you. 'you should be aware that scammers can pretend to be your solicitor'. me, exhausted: okay what if just this one time. a scammer is pretending to be my solicitor.

make the payment. go home to sleep finally.

later in the afternoon get another call from the solicitor. 'hi we have the keys you can come get them whenever'. oh yeah i'd been so caught up in trying to get them the money i'd kinda forgotten about. actually getting the flat.

(side note at no point was i planning to move in on 'moving day', an advantage of being a first time buyer is that i don't have to & i want to redecorate the place which is easier while it's empty)

initially say i'll come in next week but then realise that ideally next week i'll be back at work (i am not but anyway) so i might as well go now. it's pushing 4pm so will need to head out ASAP.

eyes are very dry and itchy from sleeping all day but fortunately i just (on a recommendation from my optometrist) bought a thing called a facial sauna which is a very weird contraption but does work extremely quickly.

pack my eye drops and also a peanut butter sandwich to eat in my new flat (why not) and go get the keys.

arrive at the flat. on inspection realise that the envelope i've been given seems to contain the most random assortment of loose keys. eventually identify an actual set of keys.

put my key in the lock of the flat door. abruptly hear a cat meowing, somewhere very close by.

previous owner had cats (plural) (i know this bcos i saw them when i was viewing the place). have a sudden moment of panic that i've somehow wildly misunderstood the whole situation and that she and her cats are still in residence.

look down. there is a very large, very fluffy white cat standing next to me, looking up at me as if expecting to be let in.

'you can't come in. this is my house.'

make my first mistake: think that if i open the door i will be able to prevent the cat from entering.

cat goes straight on into my flat.

i'm now pursuing the cat from room to room saying 'hey! hey you can't be in here! this is my house!'. the cat doesn't give a shit for obvious reasons (it is a cat)

i might have considered just shooing the cat outside and shutting the door but have arrived at an IMO not unreasonable concern. cat seemed very determined to enter this flat in particular and is now roaming around as if looking for something. previous owner had multiple cats and moved out AFAIK today. i have heard stories about people accidentally leaving cats behind when they move.

at this point it's 4:55 on a Friday. call my solicitor and explain the situation. ask if she could pass on a message to the seller's solicitor. unfortunately they have already closed for the week so it will have to wait till Monday but she will do her best.

decide the next course of action is to see if the cat has any ID. the cat is wearing a harness & collar so might have a tag with an address. make my second mistake: pick the cat up.

the cat does not have any ID on the harness. the cat does NOT like being picked up. cat gets very squirmy and then begins scratching me. cat manages to break my skin through a hoodie.

i put the cat down. the cat hisses at me. this is very rude considering that it is in my house.

head across the landing to see if the people opposite are missing a cat or, failing that, know their neighbours well enough to recognise the cat. there's no answer.

however!! i hear a voice down in the stairwell that sounds like it could be someone calling out a cat's name. 'hi!! is someone down there looking for a cat?' no answer.

look down the stairwell. on the ground floor there is a very large fluffy brown cat wearing a harness. !!!!! that is my cat's friend!

retrieve the cat from my flat (fortunately it just follows me out) and head downstairs. am met partway up by the cat's owner.

'oh thank god is this your cat'. it is her cat. apparently she had opened her front door to let them out into the garden and it had wandered off. 'i just moved in today it came into my flat'.

she is very apologetic. cat is unrepetent.

go back inside. call my solicitor's office. 'hi was it you i spoke to just now about the cat' (I told 2 people about the cat) 'no i just answered the phone because it was ringing. what cat.' 'can you tell *solicitor's name* that i have found the cat's owner. she will know what you mean'.

problem solved!! time to eat my peanut butter sandwich. :)

[cauli-flawa]

Hey all:

I found an interactive news article from February about the exploitation of the Congo.

This is what fuels our electronics. From what I know, Apple, Google, Tesla, Dell, and Microsoft are all profiting off of this.

A "green future" should never be fueled by cruelty.

Here's what you can do:

Visit Friends of the Congo, a credible organization that raises awareness.

Raise awareness through posts and reblogs.

Save The Children

Rescue.org

Avoid buying vapes, Teslas, electric cars, Apple products, etc. If possible, email or send a letter to those companies renouncing your support.

I don't have much, sorry. If possible, please add on. Thank you.

[qqueenofhades]

coming from one of those "born in mid 2000s and is now suddenly an adult, making everyone feel old," people, do you have any resources to learn how to bullshit your way through getting a job with zero experience. cause i cant even put like "babysitting" or anything since covid prevented literally any teenage-typical jobs and i kinda dont know what to put on a resume beyond the university im currently attending and the high school i graduated from. and they still dont teach you this in school even though we've complained for years 😭

Okay my chilluns, listen up. This is how to bullshit your way into a basic 1-page resume even if you think you have absolutely dum-dum-diddlysquat to put on it. I completely feel you, as it's hard as hell to get a job even in the ordinary course of things, and especially when everything seems to want 10 years of experience and a bachelor's degree (and still pays like shit). But you gotta be persistent anyway. So here follows the step-by-step guide of How To Resume:

Open a new Word (or other word-processing software of your choice) document.

Pick a nice, professional-looking font (for the love of God, no Comic Sans). Times New Roman is fine; you don't have to overthink it. My own CV is currently in Perpetua, because it's a nice serif that looks crisp and a little different, but it is still clean and readable. Garamond or Cambria or other starter typefaces are fine too. Make sure it is the right size, usually around 12pt.

Put your full name at the top, centered, in BOLD CAPITALS. Increase the typeface size a few more points on this, to make it stand out and to make it take up space.

Underneath this, in regular-sized text, put your contact information: mailing address if you're comfortable sharing it, or if not, at least your phone number and email address. Use a school email if you have it, and not some weird/in-jokey personal email.

Start a new paragraph. In a slightly smaller font (italic if you want to make it look classy) write a few words about yourself. This should be something like I am a [Major] student at [University] looking for a part-time, entry-level position in [sales, retail, office, etc]. A [year] graduate of [High School] in [City, State], I am [prompt, reliable, detail-oriented, mature, friendly, etc] and a hard worker who is eager to gain experience and positively contribute to your business.

Start a new paragraph. Change the alignment from Center to Left. Create a new heading in bold underline labeled Education.

Under this, fill in your education (college first, followed by high school). Include the institution name, city, and state, the year you graduated or expect to graduate, any honors or awards, any extracurriculars, any grade-point averages if they're good (i.e. 3.0 and above), and your expected major in college.

Start a new paragraph. Create another heading: Experience.

This is where you put absolutely anything you can think of (in chronological order, most recent first and counting backward). Did you volunteer for something ever in your life? Put it down! (Title of work, dates, location, brief description of work). Did you do yard work for someone for a weekend? Put it down! Were you (or are you) part of a student club or organization in high school or university? Have you organized or taken part in any local initiatives in your community or neighborhood? Put it down! Basically, absolutely any kind of work, paid or unpaid, that might be relevant, regardless of how long it was or when it took place.

Under that, put the new heading/paragraph Skills and Interests.

Have you worked with Microsoft Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Adobe, Photoshop? Put it down! People love that shit! Do you use social media and/or know how to work it better than the average grandma? Put 'er down! You get the idea. Think of anything in your daily life that can be put in Job Language and then see if you can do that. You are in university; do you have any projects, papers, or other things that you're proud of? Have you successfully managed a (gasp) group project? Do you make any kind of art? Are you a registered voter who has taken part in civic/political organizations, drives, or events? (If not, REGISTER TO VOTE! This is your angry grandmother speaking). All of that can go down. Even if it's not job experience per se, it's life experience and shows that you are someone who is engaged with the world and working to gain more.

Last paragraph and heading: References. Ask a few trusted adults who know you well and aren't related to you, such as a favorite high school teacher or a university faculty member/degree advisor, if they'd be willing to serve as referees. Put down their full names, titles/place of work, email addresses, and phone numbers.

Voila! You have a full page resume, probably even a little more if you're lucky. Proofread, make sure the spacing is even and the alignment is right, it doesn't look weird, the text is a consistent size, it's all the same color, there are no glaring typos or grammatical errors, etc. etc. Save it as a PDF.

Boom. Done. You are now a Job Hunting Maestro.

If you get an interview, you don't need to pretend that you have tons of experience or that you're something you're not, but you can present what you ARE in a positive light anyway. Don't apologize for yourself or play yourself down pre-emptively; be confident about yourself and what you can offer. You're a college kid looking for your first part-time job, COVID prevented you from a lot of normal teenage work experience, you're willing to work hard and learn new things. Here's your resume. What would be a good time to talk again.

Good luck! I believe in you.

[imsobadatnicknames2]

Microsoft's two factor authentication bullshit is getting so fucking wild that now I need to have a whole fucking app on my phone just to be able to log into my work email on my computer.

Sorry but if entering my fucking password doesn't immediately log me in but instead gives me a numeric code that I have to copy into an app on my phone and then entering that code prompts me to confirm my identity by either using the fingerprint sensor or entering my phone password then guess what. I'm gonna end up checking my work email a lot less often. Sorry if I miss an important email maybe consider using an email service that doesn't make me jump through five million hoops to log in.

It's not like we NEED this level of security I'm a fucking English teacher I'm not gonna have sensitive state secrets in my email inbox or some shit ffs. At this point what's even the point of having fucking password in the first place.

[mariacallous]

A new lawsuit brought against the startup Perplexity argues that, in addition to violating copyright law, it’s breaking trademark law by making up fake sections of news stories and falsely attributing the words to publishers.

Dow Jones (publisher of The Wall Street Journal) and the New York Post—both owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp—brought the copyright infringement lawsuit against Perplexity today in the US Southern District of New York.

This is not the first time Perplexity has run afoul of news publishers; earlier this month, The New York Times sent the company a cease-and-desist letter stating that it was using the newspaper behemoth’s content without permission. This summer, both Forbes and WIRED detailed how Perplexity appeared to have plagiarized stories. Both Forbes and WIRED parent company Condé Nast sent the company cease-and-desist letters in response.

A WIRED investigation from this summer, cited in this lawsuit, detailed how Perplexity inaccurately summarized WIRED stories, including one instance in which it falsely claimed that WIRED had reported on a California-based police officer committing a crime he did not commit. The WSJ reported earlier today that Perplexity is seeking to raise $500 million is its next funding round, at an $8 billion valuation.

Dow Jones and the New York Post provide examples of Perplexity allegedly “hallucinating” fake sections of news stories. In AI terms, hallucination is when generative models produce false or wholly fabricated material and present it as fact.

In one case cited, Perplexity Pro first regurgitated, word for word, two paragraphs from a New York Post story about US senator Jim Jordan sparring with European Union commissioner Thierry Breton over Elon Musk and X, but then followed them up with five generated paragraphs about free speech and online regulation that were not in the real article.

The lawsuit claims that mixing in these made-up paragraphs with real reporting and attributing it to the Post is trademark dilution that potentially confuses readers. “Perplexity’s hallucinations, passed off as authentic news and news-related content from reliable sources (using Plaintiffs’ trademarks), damage the value of Plaintiffs’ trademarks by injecting uncertainty and distrust into the newsgathering and publishing process, while also causing harm to the news-consuming public,” the complaint states.

Perplexity did not respond to requests for comment.

In a statement emailed to WIRED, News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson compared Perplexity unfavorably to OpenAI. “We applaud principled companies like OpenAI, which understands that integrity and creativity are essential if we are to realize the potential of Artificial Intelligence,” the statement says. “Perplexity is not the only AI company abusing intellectual property and it is not the only AI company that we will pursue with vigor and rigor. We have made clear that we would rather woo than sue, but, for the sake of our journalists, our writers and our company, we must challenge the content kleptocracy.”

OpenAI is facing its own accusations of trademark dilution, though. In New York Times v. OpenAI, the Times alleges that ChatGPT and Bing Chat will attribute made-up quotes to the Times, and accuses OpenAI and Microsoft of damaging its reputation through trademark dilution. In one example cited in the lawsuit, the Times alleges that Bing Chat claimed that the Times called red wine (in moderation) a “heart-healthy” food, when in fact it did not; the Times argues that its actual reporting has debunked claims about the healthfulness of moderate drinking.

“Copying news articles to operate substitutive, commercial generative AI products is unlawful, as we made clear in our letters to Perplexity and our litigation against Microsoft and OpenAI,” says NYT director of external communications Charlie Stadtlander. “We applaud this lawsuit from Dow Jones and the New York Post, which is an important step toward ensuring that publisher content is protected from this kind of misappropriation.”

If publishers prevail in arguing that hallucinations can violate trademark law, AI companies could face “immense difficulties” according to Matthew Sag, a professor of law and artificial intelligence at Emory University.

“It is absolutely impossible to guarantee that a language model will not hallucinate,” Sag says. In his view, the way language models operate by predicting words that sound correct in response to prompts is always a type of hallucination—sometimes it’s just more plausible-sounding than others.

“We only call it a hallucination if it doesn't match up with our reality, but the process is exactly the same whether we like the output or not.”

[patrol-partners-batphandom]

We Begin!

Hi! Welcome to the Patrol Partner event’s Tumblr! My name is Jayden, and I’m one of the mods here! There’s also Dusky, and Chimary, as well as Gil from the Batpham discord! This message is an explanation of how the event works, what it is, how to participate, etc. while it isn’t required for you to read, I encourage you to at least skim through!

What is it?

Patrol Partners is a co-authoring event! The event spans the entire month of July, with sign-ups . The event is run by myself, Dusky, and Chimary, with Gil from the Batpham discord helping us run things!

Who can participate?

Just about anyone who wants to! In order to sign up, you must fill out the form, which can be found on the Patrol Partner’s discord server. You can get an invite by one of two ways, one is by already being a member of the Batpham discord, the other is by sending us an ask. Sign-ups close on the 20th of June, and partnerships will be announced no later than the 30th of June!

When is the event?

Sign-ups will be open between May 25th - June 20th, the event takes place during the month of July; starting on the first and ending on 31st, and all writings must be submitted on or before August 8th.

Where does the event take place?

Any fandom space! You can post anything you write for the event anywhere you’d like, so long as your partner(s) agree to it. The actual event will be based out of discord and Ao3, with the actual writing process on either google docs or Microsoft word. The only rule is that the mods (mentioned above) must be able to view the story while it is in progress, and be able to contact you easily without any personal information being leaked (i.e. phone numbers, full names, personal or work emails, etc.) 

Partners

For partnering, most of you will be assigned partners at random! You will notice a few questions about partners on the sign-up sheet, and that’s mostly what we base partnering off of. We’ll look at your answers, and group you with people we think you’d both be compatible with, and learn from. In the event that you would like to work with a specific person, we can also try to make that happen!

IMPORTANT

Please keep in mind during all of this that this is our first time running an event like this, and that everything may not run smoothly. If there is an issue or a question you would like to take up with a mod/runner, our Tumblr asks will stay open. There will also be a discord server opening mid-may, where you can talk to other people interested in the event, ask questions, and eventually talk with your partners!

HOW TO ACCESS THE PUBLISHED WORKS

Here is a link to the official Patrol Partners Ao3 collection!

All fics added will have the tag ‘patrol partners event 2033,’ whether on Tumblr or on Ao3.

Hi, Dusky here with some last minute info! We will have posts once or twice a week until the event starts with more info as well as FAQ answers! But before I go, and because I know it will be asked, the tag "Patrol Partners Event 2023" tag is the official event tag and we will have an AO3 collection set up July 23rd for early posters.

FAQs

[demifiendrsa]

Bethesda Softworks will close Redfall developer Arkane Austin, Hi-Fi RUSH and The Evil Within developer Tango Gameworks, as well as Alpha Dog Games and Roundhouse Studios, according to a companywide email sent out by Microsoft Gaming president of game content and studios Matt Booty this morning.

Full email

Today I’m sharing changes we are making to our Bethesda and ZeniMax teams. These changes are grounded in prioritizing high-impact titles and further investing in Bethesda’s portfolio of blockbuster games and beloved worlds which you have nurtured over many decades.

To double down on these franchises and invest to build new ones requires us to look across the business to identify the opportunities that are best positioned for success. This reprioritization of titles and resources means a few teams will be realigned to others and that some of our colleagues will be leaving us.

Here are the changes going into effect:

Arkane Austin – This studio will close with some members of the team joining other studios to work on projects across Bethesda. Arkane Austin has a history of making impactful and innovative games and it is a pedigree that everyone should be proud of. Redfall‘s previous update will be its last as we end all development on the game. The game and its servers will remain online for players to enjoy and we will provide make-good offers to players who purchased the “Hero” downloadable content.

Alpha Dog Studios – This studio will also close. We appreciate the team’s creativity in bringing DOOM to new players. Mighty DOOM will be sunset on August 7 and we will be turning off the ability for players to make any purchases in the game.

Tango Gameworks – Tango Gameworks will also close. We are thankful for their contributions to Bethesda and players around the world. Hi-Fi RUSH will continue to be available to players on the platforms it is today.

Roundhouse Games – The team at Roundhouse Games will be joining ZeniMax Online Studios (ZOS). Roundhouse has played a key role in many of our recent game launches and bringing them into ZOS to work on The Elder Scrolls Online will mean we can do even more to grow the world that millions of players call home.

With this consolidation of our Bethesda studio teams, so that we can invest more deeply in our portfolio of games and new IP, a small number of roles across select Bethesda publishing and corporate teams will also be eliminated.

Those whose roles will be impacted will be notified today, and we ask that you please treat your departing colleagues with respect and compassion. We will provide our full support to those who are impacted in today’s notifications and through their transitions, including severance benefits informed by local laws.

These changes are not a reflection of the creativity and skill of the talented individuals at these teams or the risks they took to try new things. I acknowledge that these changes are also disruptive to the various support teams across ZeniMax and Bethesda that bring our games to market. We are making these tough decisions to create capacity to increase investment in other parts of our portfolio and focus on our priority games.

Bethesda remains one of the key pillars of Xbox with a strong portfolio of amazing games and thriving communities. As we look to the future, there is an impressive line-up of games on the horizon. In 2024 alone we have Starfield “Shattered Space,” Fallout 76 “Skyline Valley,” Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, and The Elder Scrolls Online‘s “Golden Road.” As we align our plans and resources to best set ourselves up for success in this complex and changing industry, our teams across Arkane Lyon, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, MachineGames, ZeniMax Online Studios, and the Bethesda publishing and corporate teams will be well-positioned to build new IP, explore new game concepts, and expand on our existing franchises.

—Matt

Messages from each studio

Arkane Austin

Tango Gameworks

Alpha Dog Games

[extratrrestrial]

TYPEFACES I THINK THE MOBSAI MAIN CAST WOULD USE

Decided to be insane and come up with some headcanons on the typefaces each character would use. Please shout at me about it on the psychohelmet forum if you get the chance. I've copied and pasted the headcanons under the read more for your viewing pleasure.

I wanted to share my headcanons for the different fonts (using this term very generally) each of the mobsai main cast would use (if we are imagining that they were given free rein to do so for some reason, and also that they wrote using a latin alphabet, obviously) which I just made up off the top of my head right now.

Anyway, here we go:

Mob - Calibri

I think this one makes a lot of sense, just off the bat. I really don't think Mob would be a serif sort of guy, he's too plain and unassuming for that. What better than to make him a very default font. I honestly don't think you can even get more default than calibri. It even sounds a little lame when you say it. Despite that, it's a pretty dependable font, it appears everywhere, and I would argue is very powerful due to its universality and legibility on any-sized devices. But don't just take my word for it, here's what Microsoft has to say about it: "Its proportions allow high impact in tightly set lines of big and small text alike. Calibri’s many curves and the new rasteriser team up in bigger sizes to reveal a warm and soft character." I would argue that this clearly reflects Mob's welcoming character and desire to understand and empathise with any number of characters within the show.

Reigen - Arial

Again, I do feel like this just makes sense to me. Reigen is also a real sans-serif sort of guy, he's the greatest psychic of the 21st century, he's spice city's bro! Arial I feel is also a little more professional than calibri, while still being quite similar in appearance, which I feel reflects the influence Reigen has over Mob's character and development within the story. Described by Microsoft as an "extremely versatile" typeface, especially "for display use in newspapers, advertising and promotions", I think this works well for Reigen's character. It's also a pretty dyslexia friendly font, which I think would be a fun fact he'd shoot at Mob.

Dimple - Papyrus

This one was a little tricky. I wanted it to look dated, considering Dimple's been dead for some time, while also being a little flashy to reflect his desires for godhood. I settled on papyrus because, well, look at it. It's definitely what I'd consider a meme typeface (which I think is fitting for a sentient fart, honestly), but it's also loud without being too out there, and a popular and fun font to use. It's unapologetic and real, which I think Dimple represents as a character, and the complete opposite of a font like calibri. It also looks good in green.

Ritsu - Times New Roman

Ritsu is absolutely a serif guy, through and through. He's always on that 12pt Times New Roman shit, even if he's just writing a casual email to someone. Ritsu is someone who takes things seriously, and has a reputation he wants/needs to uphold. I'm sure he read somewhere that TNR (I'm not writing that shit out again) was the professional font and just made it his whole personality or something. It looks good, so I'm not complaining. I've also heard that TNR is a good font to make study notes in, because you remember it better (I think this was a myth uni students used to tell each other though) but I'm sure he stands behind this fact wholeheartedly.

Teru - Blackadder ITC

Just listen to what Microsoft has to say here in its overview of this font: "Blackadder ITC font is an elegant, yet menacing display face is perfect for theatrical uses and scare tactics." Not only is it elegant and swirly, but works well with his flashy appearances and fashion choices throughout the show. It's impressive and makes a scene when it appears, and walks the line between impressive and gaudy very well for someone as in-TERU-sting as Hanazawa. I do think he'd switch around fonts a little, but this would be his favourite for sure.

Serizawa - Roboto

This one was also hard, and I'm not sure I did him justice. I think, given Serizawa's lack of real-life experience outside of a terrorist organisation as well as his time online, I wanted to go with a font that was professionally acceptable, but still a bit of an outlier. Roboto is also the default font on android devices, and all other google services, which I figured would reflect the 'shut in' phase of his life. It's sorta plain, but does the job and follows the rules without asking too many questions. I think if we were talking specifics, he'd be Roboto Mono.

Tome - Courier New

I need to preface this explanation by saying I love Tome. More than almost all of the characters in this show. She reminds me a lot of myself as a kid. This one's personal. Tome is obsessed with proving the existence of aliens, or any sort of extraterrestrial and paranormal activity. She starts the Telepathy club to research these phenomena, she's absolutely committed (apart from in that one episode) to show the world she's right, to have her friends take her interests seriously. I think she'd want to use a font that was interesting to look at, while still being serious-enough to reflect her passion for pursuing the truth. She probably watched the X-Files as a kid and really wanted to type up some legit-looking reports on the unexplained. No I'm not projecting.

Shou - Comic Sans MS

I mean, what did you expect. He uses Comic Sans for all his reports and thinks he's the funniest guy ever for doing so. He also just likes how it looks, I think he'd be into superhero comics and would love to make any work he does look similar. Not only is it a funny text face, Microsoft also calls it "useful" due to its readability. I think that definitely mirrors Shou's extraversion and his role as a helpful figure, both to Ritsu and to his father at the conclusion of his arc. I also bet he logs on to Toichiro's desktop sometimes and changes his default email font to comic sans too, probably makes the fantastic five or whatever they're called piss themselves with laughter. Also a frequent Wingdings user, for sure.

Toichiro - Futura

Guess I have to put him in here too, since I talked about Shou. I chose Futura here for what it stands for, a purely geometric and efficient typeface which I feel reflects Suzuki's ethos of wanting to be the best and creating a world where 'supreme beings' rule over normal humans. The progressive feel Futura has here becomes skewed, not towards a bright future but towards a descruction of the old order and a rebuilding of an ESPer-led world. An incredibly popular font, which I feel is all about appearances and precision, it wants its letters to stand in line, breaking away from the old 'grotesque' style of former sans-serif fonts. Do you see my vision?

Sample of their fonts below:

[ipleadbritney]

Directors cut: anything you wanna share from “scenes from a social media admin” or “love you, bye” because I’d love to hear about your process writing social media AUs! You make them flow together so well 😊

Thank you for this!! More info on director’s cut here

I’m so incredibly awed by the support my social media aus have gotten. I love writing them, and I’m super happy people love reading them, too. Funnily enough, writing love you, bye and scenes from a social media admin are SUCH different experiences. This is mostly me yapping, btw.

love you, bye

initial concept

fic started from another wip of mine

i really wanted lando to say “i love you” absentmindedly to oscar on the phone then proceeds to panic about it

i was sort of lurking actively on f1twt (i’m not anymore) during this time so i thought hey, why not just do a smau

writing/draft

speedran this in like 2 or 3 hours, which is the SHORTEST i’ve written anything ever (apart from drabbles)

i draft mostly everything in bullet points (like how i’m writing this)

i knew i wanted the following: news article, tweets, emails, tumblr post

the texting part i was unsure of, but i’m happy with how they turned out

i have placeholder names/handles for the accountz then go back to look at my recent bookmarks to see which fics i’ve loved recently. my brain got wiped thinking of handles so i just got inspired by other fics (AND THERE’S SO MUCH TO BE INSPIRED FROM IN LANDOSCAR FICS)

i wrote the beginning, middle, and ending of this in one-go and they mostly stayed the same

structure

in terms of structure, i didn’t follow much for this love you, bye. it’s a fairly short fic

but i did know i wanted the tweets to carry most of the narrative

we see posts chronologically

first, we see the news article for the info-dump, then everything else follows

specific inspiration

here’s my list of fic references

special shoutout to this tweet, which was inspired by nyoomfruit’s love you with the lights on (olivia’s the name of oscar’s kid. in the tweets, she goes from being a brocedes child of divorce to two loving dads)

fun facts

in the fic, the tumblr post is by “time-in-the-tangerine”. i didn’t have a tumblr back then. life imitates art

scenes from a social media admin

initial concept

it was supposed to be a third pov, some random pr dude who suffers bc of landoscar antics

the first part i ever wrote was the to do list

but the idea wouldn’t take flight

i only started grinding for this after seeing how much people loved love you, bye and how much i loved writing it

i knew i wanted it to have something love you, bye didn’t: pictures, more unconventional formatting, MICROSOFT TEAMS CALENDARS???

turned the random pr dude to lando himself

writing

from writing to publishing, it took me 2 months

i wanted to sprinkle some tropes in this one but gave up halfway through (their first meeting being a whole oh-god-there’s-only-one-bed)

i collected a bunch of initial pics i wanted to put, then wrote scenes around them. i mostly wrote around pictures, which is. not optimal. but hey!! finished it, didn’t i?

this took me so long to write because i didn’t know how i wanted their relationship to progress

all i knew was that our perspective is lando’s phone. like. HIS ACTUAL PHONE

structure

i definitely made a more conscious decision to break up different formats in between each other

every few tweets you get something new

unlike love you, bye this one took place across months. i had a rough time conveying time passing. suspension of disbelief is needed, so sorry

specific inspiration

here’s my list of fic references

david malukas got dropped from mclaren so i wrote him being a quadrant athlete. pato's also there as this bundle of bright energy. an ode to "canon" landoscar. because pato and lando really are just. look at their podium shots. golden boys for a reason.

i wanted lando and oscar to pass around that white mclaren hat like they can't just buy another one.

random pictures i think that capture the fic's essence (wag lando during bahrain testing in his beanie and osc merch, probably)

characters

ooooh so for this one, i knew i wanted lando to leave mclaren at the end. he has quadrant, he still has all that passion and creativity. he would always leave, and being with oscar both complicates and simplifies it. also, he's a “conflict of interest”.

also how can he live his full wag-lifestyle if he's under zak brown's payroll????

most of lando and oscar's development happens off-screen, which is deliberate. we see lando's phone, but we're skipping through milestones with him and oscar. they're happening off-screen, off-phone. trust.

imagining oscar falling in love with a media staff is. something. it all hinges on that first meeting, that late-night conversation. daniel and him have a wildly different dynamic from him and lando (“canon”), and i think talking with someone young and driven is good for oscar's soul.

In conclusion, I don't write SMAUs. The demons write SMAUs through me. I think of one good scene then write everything else around them. In love you, bye, it's the phone call that triggers everything else. In scenes from a social media admin, it's the pictures.

I love args (in theory, I rarely follow along with any of them because I get overwhelmed) so I love playing around with unconventional formats. More often than not, I CUT content from my drafts. Less explaining, more theorizing. I look at smaus as snapshots, where most of the story happens outside the readers’ reach. Part of it is laziness, though. Formatting shaves years off of my life.

Thank you for letting me yap through the director's cut. If any of you have any more specific questions about my smaus or fics, the ask box is open 😉