damnhardwork

[damnhardwork]

I've seen a number of people worried and concerned about this language on Ao3s current "agree to these terms of service" page. The short version is:

Don't worry. This isn't anything bad. Checking that box just means you forgive them for being US American.

Long version: This text makes perfect sense if you're familiar with the issues around GDPR and in particular the uncertainty about Privacy Shield and SCCs after Schrems II. But I suspect most people aren't, so let's get into it, with the caveat that this is a Eurocentric (and in particular EU centric) view of this.

The basic outline is that Europeans in the EU have a right to privacy under the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), an EU directive (let's simplify things and call it an EU law) that regulates how various entities, including companies and the government, may acquire, store and process data about you.

The list of what counts as data about you is enormous. It includes things like your name and birthday, but also your email address, your computers IP address, user names, whatever. If an advertiser could want it, it's on the list.

The general rule is that they can't, unless you give explicit permission, or it's for one of a number of enumerated reasons (not all of which are as clear as would be desirable, but that's another topic). You have a right to request a copy of the data, you have a right to force them to delete their data and so on. It's not quite on the level of constitutional rights, but it is a pretty big deal.

In contrast, the US, home of most of the world's internet companies, has no such right at a federal level. If someone has your data, it is fundamentally theirs. American police, FBI, CIA and so on also have far more rights to request your data than the ones in Europe.

So how can an American website provide services to persons in the EU? Well… Honestly, there's an argument to be made that they can't.

US websites can promise in their terms and conditions that they will keep your data as safe as a European site would. In fact, they have to, unless they start specifically excluding Europeans. The EU even provides Standard Contract Clauses (SCCs) that they can use for this.

However, e.g. Facebook's T&Cs can't bind the US government. Facebook can't promise that it'll keep your data as secure as it is in the EU even if they wanted to (which they absolutely don't), because the US government can get to it easily, and EU citizens can't even sue the US government over it.

Despite the importance that US companies have in Europe, this is not a theoretical concern at all. There have been two successive international agreements between the US and the EU about this, and both were struck down by the EU court as being in violation of EU law, in the Schrems I and Schrems II decisions (named after Max Schrems, an Austrian privacy activist who sued in both cases).

A third international agreement is currently being prepared, and in the meantime the previous agreement (known as "Privacy Shield") remains tentatively in place. The problem is that the US government does not want to offer EU citizens equivalent protection as they have under EU law; they don't even want to offer US citizens these protections. They just love spying on foreigners too much. The previous agreements tried to hide that under flowery language, but couldn't actually solve it. It's unclear and in my opinion unlikely that they'll manage to get a version that survives judicial review this time. Max Schrems is waiting.

So what is a site like Ao3 to do? They're arguably not part of the problem, Max Schrems keeps suing Meta, not the OTW, but they are subject to the rules because they process stuff like your email address.

Their solution is this checkbox. You agree that they can process your data even though they're in the US, and they can't guarantee you that the US government won't spy on you in ways that would be illegal for the government of e.g. Belgium. Is that legal under EU law? …probably as legal as fan fiction in general, I suppose, which is to say let's hope nobody sues to try and find out.

But what's important is that nothing changed, just the language. Ao3 has always stored your user name and email address on servers in the US, subject to whatever the FBI, CIA, NSA and FRA may want to do it. They're just making it more clear now.

[damnhardwork]

haven’t watched the star treks in five million years but this is what happened in In The Pale Moonlight right

(credit to @/sweepswoop_ on twitter who drew the original Labru meme!)

[damnhardwork]

Hi there! Bloodletting and Unpunishable changed my brain chemistry. I was wondering if you had any RadioApple or AdamsApple fic recs you wouldn’t mind sharing?

OOOOOOOOOOOH okay so kind of a tough question. I am a bad fanfic writer and do not read as much fic as I probably could/should, mostly because I am hopelessly picky when it comes to anything longform. I've got basically zero adamsapple fic recs unfortunately, but there are a few radioapple ones that I would love to share!

first of all: the whole Hunger Pains series by @theaffablescamp, it would be absolutely remiss of me to go through a recs post and NOT name their work. they're a huge inspiration to me and every bit of their writing is perfectly on point for Alastor and Lucifer's voices. this particular series starts with Alastor accidentally eating a lust demon and making a deal with Lucifer to, yknow, ~help out. Alastor is exactly as thrilled about this as you think he is. (and Scamp's bookmarks are another great source of fic recs because they have excellent taste)

second of all: will you weapon your skin (feed the monster within) by FrostbiteFable. another sex pollen fic, and another that feels very right to me with regard to the characterization involved. sometimes I tell myself that I'm not picky about it!....but that's a lie, because I am. and this one is really good!

A Terrible Beauty by ReminciscentBells is also really good and has really interesting takes on Alastor's character specifically. I haven't read the rest of the series so I cannot speak to that, but that fic, at least, is great!

white rose (stained red) by deliciously_devient is pretty graphic with the injuries depicted, but I can't not rec it just for the damn religious metaphors and imagery used lol. it's so perfect with these two!

Both Halves of Himself by winterveritas. this is all smut. and it's good smut.

and thank you for the compliments, I really appreciate the kind words! :)

[damnhardwork]

We don't talk about Alastors advertisement for the hotel enough.

"NO TACKY CIRCUS DECOR! I PROMISE."

God, he had a bone to pick with Lucifer before he even met him-

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Popsicle day 🥰🥰🥰

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Too bad Avenue 5 got cancelled because now we won’t see Judd rename the ship Avenue X in the next season

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Today : Luci in Wonderland ~ 🤣

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Chapter 4 of Unhealthy Competition is now up on AO3!

[damnhardwork]

The OG bestieeeeeeeees back in the living world. Having a night out, plotting a murder. Normal weekend stuff, ya know

Decided to post some Hazbin art because it's practically the only thing that's been on my mind for the past few months. I have SO much stuff still squirrelled away in my files y'all would not believe

Individual versions of them under the cut cuz I really like how they turned out 😗

Reblogs are appreciated❤️

[damnhardwork]

Thanks @zaebeecee for recommending the perfect screenshot to do a redraw for featuring Biblically Accurate Human Alastor~

Any excuse to draw sock garters

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LMFAOOO

Art by sky_finance_

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Lucifer, speaking to Hell at large through the mic: Actually, Charlie can do whatever she wants, according to a study by Lucifer et al.

Alastor, shoving him aside: Hi, I'm et Al.

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Ever thought of drawing human al meeting his demon self? I wonder what he would think about the new look.

Now I did XD

[damnhardwork]

Look, I know we’re all intrigued by the concept of Alastor’s angelic wound being healed by Lucifer, but. He is from the 30s. Is there also a possibility that he’s just gonna do some cocaine about it

[damnhardwork]

The final chapter of Duck, Duck, Truce is now up on AO3

You can read it here:

[damnhardwork]

Chapter 4 of Duck, Duck, Truce now up on AO3

(because I finally went and got myself a Tumblr)

You can read it here: