birklurks

[birklurks]

Surely, perseverating on your bitterness to this extent can't be fulfilling in any way. For your own mental health, give social media a break.

Surely, chasing fleeting boosts of self-importance and supposed "moral superiority" by sending passive aggressive (and weirdly inapplicable) anonymous messages to strangers on the internet won't fix the lack of relevance you evidently crave. For your own mental health, focus on yourself and building a real life of actual substance and objective achievement that you can be legitimately proud of instead of wasting valuable time wagging fingers at others for no apparent reason.

[birklurks]

Hi there <3 I went looking to reread and found you had removed and deleted anything. As sad as that makes me because I love reading your work and you’re very talented, I wanted to offer to take down the recording I started of Neighborly? If ever you choose to share your work again please do let me know, it gave me incredible joy to read, but I know as an author (although I’m not much of one lol) it’s the sharing there that’s important. It’s *your* work, your effort, yours to share or not share. Anyway I loved reading when you wanted to share and am very much here for anything else you want to share in the future!! But yeah, let me know if you want me to take down that podfic and I’ll get that done for you. Sorry for the rambling and thanks for listening (and for your contributions to fandom!)

Hi there @jennity-blogs,

Hope you're having a great start to the weekend.

First: thank you for having the courage to send your message OFF anon, I really appreciate it and genuinely respect you all the more for it. No joke, I sincerely mean that. That's not me being snarky, or trying to give you some backhanded compliment. I really mean it, because 99.99999999% of people on tumblr are abysmally unprincipled cowards who are incapable of being accountable for the things they ask or say. So, much respect to you for sending your message as an identified user.

Second: I am not the author of Neighborly. The author used to be known as "auntie thelma".

Third: You seem to really adore this au (as I did). Just wondering: did you ever leave the author reviews/comments expressing your love and appreciation for her work when this story was still publicly available?

Fourth: "But yeah, let me know if you want me to take down that podfic and I’ll get that done for you."

I don't know what auntie thelma's feelings were on how her transformative work products were shared/used, so maybe the following doesn't matter - but methinks it might have made more sense to ask the author whether she was comfortable with you recording a pod fic of her story and publicly posting it before doing it... instead of offering to take it down after the fact. Just a little food for thought.

Have a great rest of the weekend,

Birk

[birklurks]

And enforcing these common sense boundaries does not make one “cruel”, “bigoted” or “lacking” “empathy”.

Just because you understand someones behavior does not mean you have to excuse it. Compassion is not permission. It is one thing to understand the rationale behind someones actions, and another to excuse or sweep them under the rug.

[birklurks]

Hello! First of all, loved reading your work! I wanted to read your fic "Medicine", but I am asked to give a password. Can I read it if I have it?

Hi there @witchymermaid12 ,

Thank you for your message (and for having the courage to send it off anon!)

May I ask where/how you read my work?

[birklurks]

uchiharvno is gone from ao3 😭

Hi there anon, that is terrible news 😡. OBVIOUSLY, this horrible transgression is indicative of the fact that this author must be selfish, classist, racist, ableist, transphobic [insert every horrible _____ist under the sun].

If she was "nice" and "kind", she would know that just because she's the only person who put in any actual time and effort into creating her transformative works - that doesn't mean shit.

And it doesn't change the fact that her stories belong to EVERYONE, and therefore she has no right to delete her works from any platform and deprive the silent consumer masses from accessing them for free and doing whatever the hell they want with them. 😤

I mean, honestly. When will these fic authors learn to not be such horrible fascists?!!

It's not rocket science, being a fic author is simple: one just needs to sacrifice endless time and energy to write and post updates round the clock for our entertainment and enjoyment for absolutely nothing in return (because seeking even the barest common courtesy from consumers that costs nothing and takes mere seconds to give is an "entitlement unto itself").

JFC, it's not that hard. 🙄

[birklurks]

@vitariesocks I am assuming you are referring to whistleblower Jamie Reed, the queer, far leftist Missouri native whose startling accounts were disclosed to the public on or about February 9th of this year.

As a US citizen and federal taxpayer, I was appalled by Ms. Reed’s accounts and upon reading her public testimony - concluded that the disclosures made are more than serious enough to warrant a thorough top-down-inside-out investigation on the operations of this Missouri gender clinic. 

However, as with all issues - whether anyone believes me or not, I do not seek to drive any one specific agenda. I follow the facts wherever they lead me, and I am merely seeking cold hard objective truths. I want to do all of the due diligence I can to the best of my ability, and that includes a comprehensive review of your post.

You make some very serious allegations that are obviously intended to discredit this whistleblower, who came forward not only with her verbal accounts - but emails and other written records (the vast majority of which have apparently NOT been made public to date so as not to compromise the Missouri Attorney General’s active investigation, something that is common practice in U.S. administrative inquiries of this nature).

Can you kindly provide concrete evidence for your claims that this whistleblower’s accounts are nothing more than “conspiracy theories” that are being:

“...promoted, supported, and funded by white nationalist hate groups” and, is being 

“...legally represented by a recognized anti-LGBT hate group” and, that 

“all of her claims are unsupported by reality or science.”?? 

Specifically, which “claims”?  What “science”??

Thank you very much in advance for your time.

There is so much more I could say about this, but there is not enough room. Remember to check with reality rather than believing conspiracy theories promoted, supported, and funded by white nationalist hate groups.

Missouri is proposing 20% of the nation’s anti-trans legislation this session. Gender-affirming care for young folks is on the edge of being criminalized (so much love to trans friends in states where that has already happened).

Please keep up with the anti-trans legislation in your state and combat it. There are lives at stake.

Transphobes do not touch this post.

Image ID: a 10-image cartoon comic featuring Joey, a boy with short hair.

Image 1: Joey, upset, gesticulates towards an open laptop. Text reads: The reality of St. Louis trans kids. Last week, a former (non-medical) employee of Washington University’s Pediatric Transgender Center was featured in a viral article about how the clinic was “rushing” kids into medical care and “mutilating” us. Every single thing she said was a lie, but the media loves it. Footnote reads: I wouldn’t give any more attention to this, but it is immediately endangering the lives of trans people. Missouri has launched a state investigation and is actively attempting to criminalize gender-affirming care based on conspiracy theories.

Image 2: Joey points to a map of the United States where Missouri is singled out, and a map of Missouri where St. Louis is indicated with a star. The text reads: The Transgender Center, located in St. Louis, Missouri, has been the target of hateful attacks from the far-right state legislature for years. It is part of Washington University Hospital, a branch of a prestigious private university.

Image 3: A younger Joey injects his T shot in his leg while someone takes a photo. Text reads: I can tell you that everything in the article is false because I received care at the Transgender Center beginning at 16 years old. My medical transition has brought me nothing but joy. What a gift it is to be trans!

Image 4: A younger Joey sits on a couch and stims with a tangle fidget toy. Text reads: No one is “rushed”. I sat on many waitlists, had to have 6 months of specialized gender therapy and a diagnosis of gender dysphoria before even being referred to the Center, and I was denied as “not ready enough” by an endocrinologist the first time I finally got an appointment. Footnote reads: If you’re curious about what it looks like to be a trans kid, I did another piece on that! Check out tinyurl.com/transkidscomictumblr.

Image 5: A colorful map of the United States shows how many states have a Negative Gender Identity Policy Tally and how many states have criminalized gender affirming care. Joey holds a credit card. Text reads: St. Louis’ Pediatric Transgender Center is the only one in the region, meaning the waitlists are extremely long. Plus, no one in the only industrialized country without free healthcare is getting medical care for fun. Many American trans folks have to fundraise for our care.

Image 6: Joey, distressed, sits on a couch while talking on the phone. The person on the other end says: “That’s me!” Text reads: This former employee spoke about specific cases, and patients have been able to identify themselves. She shared our private medical info and called us horrifying.

Image 7: This is split into two panels. In the first, Joey holds up a box of condoms and a packet of birth control pills. Texts reads: She especially hated trans men such as myself, saying that trans ideology was destroying “girls”. She lamented about hormones making us “sterile”, which is a complete lie. We trans mascs have to actively prevent pregnancy. In panel two stands a doctor. Text reads: Every time I had an appointment at the Center, doctors reminded me: Remember: testosterone is not a contraceptive! Footnote reads: The wonderful Erin Reed wrote a breakdown debunking all the lies in the article. See tinyurl.com/erinreedmissouri.

Image 8: Joey, masked, sits at a circular table with his brother, an unmasked boy with fluffy short hair. Joey’s brother is showing him his phone. Text reads: Major newspapers continue to platform these complete lies because they bring in engagement and money. The Washington Post tracked down my little brother’s personal cell phone number to try to get in contact with our mom – the president of an organization supporting trans kids in Missouri. Freaky, right?

Image 9: Joey, looking disgusted, leans against a door frame while talking on a cell phone. Text reads: But no one wants to talk with me, the adult who medically transitioned at this clinic as a minor and has not “desisted” in six years. The Washington Post reporter, who didn’t know anything about trans people, talked with me for 20 minutes and used a sentence of mine in an article about “both sides of the debate”. She didn’t mention that this former employee is being legally represented by a recognized anti-LGBT hate group, nor that all of her claims are unsupported by reality or science.

Image 10: Joey looks angry and gesticulates. Beside the drawing are two photos of Joey, one of him happy in front of a trans flag, and the other of him drawing up testosterone to take his first T shot. Text reads: There is no debate. There are trans people, and there are people who want us dead. There is truth and there are conspiracy theories. Where is my viral article in a major paper?

Published Feb 16, 2023. End ID.

[birklurks]

Your fics are getting re uploaded and shared on Discord Servers.

I'm going to take my birklurks "cap" off for this one.

I'm not surprised. It's the reason why I ended my private reader's circle a few years back (I had anons message to let me know that: (1) they got their hands on my fics through someone in the reader's circle, (2) they were emailing them to everyone they knew, and (3) they would never stop doing whatever it takes to make sure that my "racist" and "ableist" "gatekeeping" would “fail”. 🥴

Their reason being: fanworks "belong" to everyone, and I (the sole writer and only person who sacrificed valuable time and effort to create my transformative works) have no right to dictate who accesses my fics and what anyone does with them because the "community" owns them.

This response baffled me at first, but not anymore. Admittedly, it took me a minute to make the connection, but after I did - everything fell into place.

 After all, the idea that private ownership of anything must be eradicated and cannot exist in favor of purely communal ownership of everything is a core Marxist communist tenet. And seeing how so many people on tumblr are self-professed "Marxists" and "communists", this all makes sense now.

Plus, I too have received unsolicited offers from others on Discord for access to fics that I know the respective authors purposefully deleted, like Mizuage by Tintinnabula/Sakura Haru (among others). So, I know it happens.

Of course, that doesn't make it right.

Still, the reality is that anyone can (and most definitely do) disrespect and wholly disregard artist and writer wishes and guidelines regarding their transformative works all they want because there are no consequences at all whatsoever for doing so (and if the communications I’ve had with AO3 staff are any indicator, that is by design).

The bottom line is: my older fics may be passed around by unprincipled people on Discord or elsewhere, but my 3 works in progress (and 2 finished fics that were never published, along with future works that are currently in outlining) will never be shared online unless/until there is a platform for fanworks that actually bothers to take creator concerns into account as well. And that also includes completed fanart that I commissioned for these fics, as well as completed commissioned fanart for stories written by other authors. 

At any rate, thanks for the heads up anon (although, maybe it was intended to be more of an “own” than any kind of useful notice 😂). Either way, hope you have a great start to the week!

- Birk 

[birklurks]

And, why do residents of certain cities in states like New York have to pay city taxes, on top of municipal taxes, on top of BOROUGH taxes, in addition to the TWO tiers of property taxes they pay AFTER paying all of the aforementioned state income and sales tax?? 

THEY WON’T EVEN STOP TAKING FROM YOU AFTER YOU’RE DEAD. 💀

I am 100% serious. They will literally tax some people after they die via estate taxes and the suite of taxes various jurisdictions charge for funerary services, etc.

This is outrageous. Obviously, the legislators who wrote the United States Tax Code and state and local tax codes were never privy to the *sterling* “education” that only fandom can provide. 

If they did, they would know that nobody owes anyone anything, and 

“…what makes communities work best is allowing space for different kinds of people to be welcome there.”  

That must necessarily include able lurkers that don’t contribute anything (but of course, are fully entitled to “be part of” their communities and reap any and all associated benefits and rewards).

Anything less is unacceptable toxic gatekeeping!! 🤬

NOBODY should be compelled (by law, or otherwise) to pay any taxes or make any kind of contribution (no matter how minor) towards any collective and/or public initiatives and services UNLESS👏🏻THEY👏🏻FEEL👏🏻LIKE👏🏻IT👏🏻.

ALL forms of lurking (in any and every community setting) is valid, perfectly fine and above all - an inalienable RIGHT.  

Don’t let any fascist tell you otherwise. 😤

[birklurks]

Birka, my dear, nobody is arguing your right to lurk?? 😭

Great!

Because of course I have every *right* to endlessly consume, enrich myself with, and fully enjoy, the fruits of everyone else's valuable time and extraordinary labor for ZERO personal effort (not even the occasional exercise of a basic common courtesy that costs nothing to give).

Glad to know we see eye to eye on this @yummygreentea ~! 🍵😉

[birklurks]

Hi Birk,

I just wanted to say that I agree with the asker of your last ask, and the tone of your answer was what prompted me to send this.

We've interacted briefly in the past, and I know we've probably not seen eye to eye because of that, but I've followed you and genuinely enjoyed your engagement in the Naruto fandom (even though it's a fandom i tend to lurk on the outskirts of, my main interests lie elsewhere). That being said, it has been saddening to see how bitter you appear to be when discussing the fandom now. Surely this aggressive bitterness isn't sustainable? I do understand the comment debate - and I'll admit I probably don't have much of a stake in it because I live in very small fandoms - and I respect you for sticking to your guns and your beliefs. I wish that this was done with a little less open hostility that at times seems to come across like an attempt at making others feel guilty for how they participate in fandom (whether this is intended or not).

I'm truly sorry if someone has at one point made you feel like the way you engage in fandom is wrong. I really am.

Hi there @temporary-dysphoria​ 👋🏻,

Yes, of course I remember you! 🤗

You are the person who wrote this post based on your... whimsical, interpretation and application of “copyright law” (which was actually rife with unsubstantiated fear mongering hyperbole and misinformation 🥴).

BUT, I genuinely (no joke) have to hand it to you - when I respectfully reached out to ask you for citations to back up your fanciful claims, at least you were honest enough to admit that:

"The original post was done in 10 minutes based on my memory alone and a quick google search". 

So, kudos to you for that! Although, you also said you would get back to me about my request for weighted authorities and substantiation... (which of course, you never did... probably because they don't exist 😬). 

So unfortunately, you're batting a 0% average here when it comes to credibility.

That being said, I never assess any person based on a one-off interaction. So, let's see what you have to say. 😊

(Birk reading... scrolling... reading some more..... DONE.)

_________________________________________

Ahhh, so this is another one of "those" asks.

To start, the thing that never ceases to surprise me about people on Tumblr is how singularly focused they are on "tone" or how something is “framed” rather than the actual SUBSTANCE of what is being said. Which I know is silly, because the reason for this is excruciatingly obvious: 

In the context of fandom, folks send me asks like this (making lackluster attempts to try and spin my posts as indicative of some sort of degenerative “bitterness” that is supposedly “saddening”), because they cannot honestly, competently, and rationally address what is really going on without acknowledging the ridiculous, rude, and highly inconsiderate nature of the behavior I am unabashedly mimicking without any “uwu” sugar coating.

I mean honestly, what about my tone really prompted you to send this ask? 

Does one person plainly stating the glaringly obvious (albeit, quiet) parts out loud, and holding up a mirror to the realities of silent lurkership make you that uncomfortable?? 

And most importantly - why can you freely lurk, but not me??

“I wish that this was done with a little less open hostility that at times seems to come across like an attempt at making others feel guilty for how they participate in fandom (whether this is intended or not).”

This is genuinely puzzling.... “open hostility”?? 

Are you serious? 😦

All I’ve ever done over the past 5 months is hold up a mirror to the glorious nature of voracious silent lurkership for what it objectively, FACTUALLY is. 

I am an “equitable” silent lurker now. I get everything I want, when I want it, how I want it, and as much as I want it at the expense of everyone else’s extraordinary labor, sacrifice of time and effort… for absolutely nothing in return. 

That is just a fact.

If you think the statement (or mere reflection) of a glaringly obvious fact = “open hostility”, I seriously question how you could possibly communicate in any context with other rational adults (in any setting other than a carefully hyper-curated 100000000% validating internet echo chamber).

As for my posts coming across as “an attempt to make others feel guilty” - huh??

Why is that on me?? All I’m doing is holding up a plain 1:1 mirror here. 

If people feel guilty or uncomfortable by what they see in that mirror, maybe they should think about why that is. That’s on them.

Because I sure as hell don’t feel guilty. Far from it. Why should I, when fandom has unequivocally taught me that nobody owes anyone anything??

So of course I’m having a ball!! As a fellow lurker - aren’t you??! 💃🏻🥂✨

As for this odd blurb:  

“I'm truly sorry if someone has at one point made you feel like the way you engage in fandom is wrong. I really am.”

What a weird (and frankly, inapplicable) sentiment to express to someone who is just existing and having the time of her life enjoying the endless benefits of effortless silent lurkership no differently than you do. 🤔

But you know what - if sending me thinly veiled, patronizing fake platitudes make you feel better, then by all means go to town, I guess.🤷🏻‍♀️

At any rate, once again -  I do genuinely respect the fact that you had the balls to send this ask as an identified user. It’s more than I can say for the overwhelming majority of unprincipled cowards in my inbox.

[birklurks]

It's genuinely been sad seeing how bitter you've become. You're not accomplishing anything useful by giving us that attitude, not for artists, not for writers, not for the people who already make an effort to comment and not for the ones who don't comment for whatever perfectly fine reason.

Wow @fifi-la-fumeuse, I'm confused.

Bitter? Who's bitter?? 🤔

I'm having the time of my LIFE. The number of fanworks I've ripped through over the past 5 months is INSANE and I haven't lifted a finger or otherwise done a damn thing to access any of it for FREE.

Which is no different than the way the vast majority of consumers here consume fanfics and fanart. Not to mention the limitless AO3 downloading sprees I've been enjoying for the first time ever!!

Why is it okay for everyone else to silently lurk, but not me??

Especially now that I know consumer engagement has never really been a thing. Plus, didn't you know that the "healthiest and most satisfied creators” 🤡 create for themselves and they'll keep doing this until the end of time whether anyone engages with their work or not?? (Except, apparently, all of the beloved writers we know who left fandom and deleted all of their works on the way out. yeah just ignore those folks they don’t count because reasons.🥴)

"You're not accomplishing anything useful"

That’s funny, I wasn't aware that I was supposed to be "accomplishing" anything for anyone else’s sake by “participating” in fandom.

I thought the only point was to squeeze maximum enjoyment for MYSELF out of fanworks (that other people create) whilst personally expending ZERO effort.

Why must I "accomplish" anything through my consumer habits??

Can't I just silently enjoy my fanfics and fanart without any aim other than to endlessly enrich myself at the expense of everyone else's hard work?? 

Isn't the perpetuation of MY personal (effortless and limitless) enjoyment a "perfectly fine reason" not to bother engaging with the fanworks I consume?? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding what you're trying to get across here artist-san, but this was frankly a weird ask.

Talk about "not accomplishing anything useful".

Although, I will say - I genuinely (no joke) respect the fact that you had the balls to send this ask as an identified user. It’s more than I can say for the overwhelming majority of unprincipled cowards in my inbox. 

[birklurks]

🙃

Hi dear, I read many of your ff about sasusaku and I LOVED them so much I wanted to re-read them again (for what I think was the 9876th time) but I can't find them anymore :'( Did something happen?

Anyways, I just wanted to tell you how much of a talented and hilarious writer you are (and how much I adored your description of Shisui)

Thank you so much for reading this <3

xoxo, a big fan

Hi there @classicistaanonima,

Thank you for your kind message.

I got sick of the ridiculously abysmal hits to engagement ratios on my fics so I deleted all of them a while back.

Of course, I still write fanfics (and if you were a member of my past private reader's circle, or a mutual here, or someone who ever left me a review in the past (because yes, I kept track of every single review I've ever received 😉) I'd be happy to share them with you privately.

I realize that user names for folks can be different across platforms, so I was wondering if you were someone who ever left a review for me before.

If so, please let me know what username you left the review under.

Thanks,

Birk

[birklurks]

A full time salary and residence?? Are you fucking kidding me??

This is the equivalent of an artist expecting something in any specific quantity or form for their work, which is an improper kind of entitlement in and of itself. 😤

Everyone knows that the “the healthiest and most satisfied creators” (aka the “good” artists) “prioritize their own experience in creating” 🤡, rather than seeking anything they value in return for their extraordinary skills, artistry, time and effort.  

A salary?? 

A roof over their heads?!! 

HOW DARE any creative expect to be compensated like this when they aren’t even entitled to a brief “thank you” note that costs nothing to give and takes 3 seconds to type. 😡

Only a shitty, entitled, lesser artist would have the audacity to seek anything at all in return for their work.

Obviously, the moron who wrote this tweet never had the pleasure of being part of any fandom. 

Because if they had, they would know that in life - NOBODY OWES ANYONE ANYTHING (except, of course, creatives who should sacrifice extraordinary time and effort to create things everyone else can enjoy for absolutely nothing they value in return.) 😤

[birklurks]

Did auntie thelma deleted her fics? I tried looking for neighborly again and it was gone 😭

Hey there anon, she sure did (a while back, actually).

Who knows why, but either way - she must not be a "good" person because HOW DARE she delete all of her fics when they belong to EVERYONE?!! 😡

I know (yet another) talented and beloved author leaving the fandom and deleting all of their fics on the way out might hurt in the short term, but don’t worry because "Fandom finds a way". 🤡🥴

[birklurks]

Hi there anon, you're not imagining it but I only lurk now when it comes to fandom.

Happy new year,

Birk~

[birklurks]

So you liked it and it was good but still blacked it out? You realize this just makes you look petty right?

Hi there anon 👋🏻,

I'm guessing you're referring to this. If so, why is that petty??

I exclusively lurk now, remember??

And beyond that - people need to make up their fucking minds.

Isn't this what fandom has always wanted??

For YEARS now I have routinely fielded complaints about how it was “wrong” to show "favoritism" to some people and not others; how it's "not fair" that "big authors" get all of the attention and newer writers/ "hidden gems" don't get the same treatment from me (which is dead stupid wrong and wildly inaccurate, but whatever).

People have accused me of seeking “clout” by reblogging/promoting only "well-known" writers and being "selectively" supportive to only “my friends” and commissioning fics and fanart from the "same group" of "popular" content creators, and that it was “unfair" to commission more than one work of fanart for the same story or the same author.

(Yes, for anyone who happens to see this - you read that correctly. I've had asshats tell me, a total stranger, how I should spend my personal post-tax discretionary hobby budget 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡 ).

And of course, who can forget this charming moron and others like him/her who’ve railed at me for the “unfair” way I used to budget my monthly ko-fi contributions, because apparently - it “isn’t right” to contribute to some creator ko-fi’s and not others. 🤬

It took me a few years to finally figure this crap out, but now I understand that the message has always been PAINFULLY OBVIOUS:

“I don’t get the attention I think I deserve, so no one else should get attention, either.”

So, their insecure, salty and pathetic selves finally win. They are, at long last, getting their “righteous” way.

I’m an “equitable” lurker now, and won’t be promoting or featuring or boosting any specific fic or work of art on my blog. This way, no story or fanart gets featured, and puts every content creator in the exact same position (= now they all get NOTHING from me!! 🥳)

Because “EQUITY” requires us to force equal outcomes for everyone.

It’s the only way to make things “fair”, right?? 🥴

So stop whining.

[birklurks]

I hope I’m not misreading your posts as slightly facetious? They come off that way a little and it just seems like you’re trying to make a point by it, I’m just not sure what it is that you’re looking for. Do you want that author to apologize and take back what she said? I don’t think that you… don’t think that supporting authors and artists is important, and this is more supposed to demonstrate how bad it would be if all fandom wasn’t supportive? I just don’t understand what the endgame is

Hi there anon 👋🏻,

Sorry I missed (what I’m assuming) is a follow-up to an earlier ask. (If it’s not, and you’re a different person, please scratch that~)

"I just don’t understand what the endgame is”

What do you mean “endgame”?? I already secured the mother of all “endgames”.

In the past, engaging with the art and fics I enjoyed cost zero money and was comically low-effort, but now I literally don’t do anything, and I still get to fully enjoy the extraordinary benefits of everyone else’s labor, time and effort.

What could possibly be a better “endgame” than getting everything I want, when I want it, as much as I want it, and exactly how I want it for absolutely NOTHING?? It’s how the vast majority of consumers in our fandom do it, so why can’t I?? 

Especially now that I know that commenting has never really been a thing in the history of fandom, that the “healthiest and most satisfied creators” 🥴 (i.e., the *good* ones) write for themselves, that lack of reader engagement won’t stop writers from writing, and we can treat these concerns for what they *actually* are: whining that can be taken with a “grain of salt”.

Do I want that “author to apologize and take back what she said”?? No, of course not. Why the hell would I?!?!?!!?

She generously took time out of her busy schedule to impart her history and valuable knowledge on the ways of fandom to me, and in doing so made my experience as a consumer first and foremost a trillion times more convenient than it already was. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

There is no reason why my lurkership should ruffle any feathers or cause confusion in any way. What I do now is no different than how the vast majority of consumers in our fandom enjoy fanart and fanfics - and in my case, I actually have the sage words of a bonafide fandom veteran to justify and legitimize my endless voracious silent consumption. 😇

All of our fandom writers who whine about feeling demoralized, unseen, and unappreciated should follow the shining example of this kind, selfless and truly virtuous author and stop expecting anything they value for their extraordinary efforts. 😠

Instead of being entitled, problematic and wasting their time complaining about baseless nonsense, they should be writing even more free content for deserving silent consumers like me. 😤   

CHOP CHOP, WRITERS!!