#FujoGuide

[essential-randomness]

I can't believe this is real and I'm physically holding it

(digital preview of @fujowebdev Issue 1 is shipping soon to our Kickstarter supporters 👀 )

[fujowebdev]

✨(G)IT'S DELIVERY DAY✨

The first issue of the Fujoshi Guide to Web Development has been drafted, edited, alpha-read, beta-read, possibly even omega-read—and starting today, it'll be backer-read!

After 18 months' work, the digital preview hit our backers' inboxes this morning.

As you can imagine, A LOT of work from A LOT of incredibly talented people went into making this day possible.

Our mission was not easy: creating an approachable and engaging learning experience for beginners with a technology as complex as Git? "Impossible!", many would say.

And yet, according to our beta readers, we succeeded in doing just that. So it's time for the penultimate test: put the digital preview in the hands of a slightly-broader public and find out if our backers agree with our betas!

As you can imagine, we're scared but excited 🫣

Thanking everyone who participated in this issue would fill the whole tweet, so here's the zine credits in the pics👇, featuring @essential-randomness, @enigmalea, @starfieldcanvas, @ymkse, @elendraug, @doubledeadstudio, @ikam177, @sgt-spank, @tarantasina, @a-brilliant-loser, @mappapapa and beyond!

Remember to sign up for our newsletter on to follow along with our progress, or sign up at the bottom of our site to get notified when Issue 1 is available to the general public!

And you can always get updates by following us here!

[xieliansbignaturals]

It’s him! Old Man Yaoi!

Character is from here: fujoweb.dev/characters

Inspiration (“why does “old man yaoi” sound like fujoshi santa claus”)

[fujostore]

✨MERCH HIGHLIGHT✨

Here's blast from our past: merch from the pre-FujoCoded, pre-FujoGuide era!

These clear acrylic phone/keychain charms featuring our beloved mascot Boba-tan have a variety of clips to suit your decorative whims. Grab your favorite today and jazz up your phone or keyring!

With art by @moksutinn and 8190!

Get yours now

...and support @fujocoded's mission to make the internet kinder, queerer, and more fun than ever!

[fujowebdev]

Congratulations to our FujoGuide Kickstarter art director and Gits' designer @doubledeadstudio for their indie, self-coded BL game making it to the top of itch.io's new and popular Boys' Love games!

Creating indie visual novel with tools like Ren'py (the one Jack used) is a fun way to get started with programming!

Support the game on itch.io and find Jack around the web on their team page.

Another Rose in His Garden (18+) is out now for Yaoi Jam 2024!!

[enigmalea]

Why I Contributed to FujoGuide

If you follow me here or mastodon you may have noticed that I've been reblogging/boosting a lot of posts for something called The Fujoshi Guide to Web Development (@fujowebdev). There's a good chance you followed me or know me from the Dragon Age fandom where I run communities, events, and zines and write fanfic, and you might be wondering why the sudden and drastic departure from my normal content. Why would a writer contribute to something related to webdev? Why have you stopped seeing thirst for Dragon Age characters and started seeing… whatever a FujoGuide is?

The answers to those questions (and more!) are below the cut.

My Coding Journey

I wrote my first lines of code in 1996 (yes, I'm old AF). It was the early days of the internet and tutorials for how to make your own websites were literally everywhere. You couldn't go more than two clicks without finding a how-to written in plain language. But it was painstaking and tedious. CSS didn't exist yet (literally, I started coding about six months before it was released) and even when it appeared it wasn't widely adopted or supported.

It was the "glory days" of Geocities, Myspace themes, Neopets, and Livejournal. If there was a cool site, you could use HTML and/or CSS to customize it. I honed my skills by coding so many tables character profiles for RPs, creating themes, painstakingly laying out user info pages, and building my own site.

Gradually, things changed. Web 2.0 showed up with locked down profiles and feeds you couldn't customize, free website hosts became more difficult to find, and point and click page builders became the way of the web. Shortly after, I took a long break from fandom; frustrated and disappointed with site closures, lost communities, and general fandom wank… it felt like it just wasn't worth it anymore.

I eventually came back, and when I did it meant customizing themes, figuring out how to create tools for my communities, coding tumblr pages (and learning they're not really supported on mobile), and looking at automations for my common tasks. One day, I woke up and thought, "I'm going to make a Discord bot… it can't be that hard."

So, I did it.

An Unexpected Friendship

About a month after I launched my bot to the public, I received a random Discord message from @essential-randomness. A friend had told her about my bot, and she was working on BobaBoard which needed volunteers. I was shocked. First, people were talking about my bot. Second, I wasn't a real coder. I didn't know anything! I just googled a bunch of stuff and got something working. I had no idea what I was doing.

She assured me it was okay. She was willing to teach me what I didn't know - and most of all, that she wanted my help. I took a day or two to think it over, and fatefully filled out the volunteer form. I didn't know if I could be useful or how I could be useful, but I wanted to try.

Programming Is Awful

In the years months that followed, I spent a lot of time in @essential-randomness' DMs complaining about programming… at least once I realized she wouldn't judge me. I was still very much doing things the hard way, taking hours to update a site to add a single link on all the pages. I knew there were easier methods, but I either couldn't find them or once I found them, they were filled with dense jargon which was terrifying.

"An all-in-one zero-javascript frontend architecture framework!" Is that even English? "A headless open-source CMS." Cool. Sounds good. "A full-stack SSG based on Jamstack extending React and integrating Rust-based JS." Those sure are words. With meanings. That someone knows. Not me, though.

I spent so much time looking at what sites claimed was documentation and losing my mind because I had no idea where to even start most of the time. With @essential-randomness' encouragement, I kept at it, experimenting with new things, and jumping in headfirst even when I had no idea what I was doing. And I was so glad. Where I used to struggle keeping one website updated, last year I managed to deploy and update 7 websites. Yeah, you read that right. It was amazing.

The new stuff made it all much, much easier.

An Idea Is Born

Meanwhile, we spent hours discussing why it was difficult to get fandom to try coding. Part of the barrier was the belief you must be some sort of genius or know math or that creative/humanities people can't do it. It is also partially coding communities being unfriendly to newbies and hobbyists; a culture which often thrives on debasing people's choices, deriding them for not understanding, and shouting rtfm (read the fucking manual) and lmgtfy (let me google that for you)- all of which are unhelpful at best and humiliating and abusive at worst. The tech dudebro culture can be unforgiving and mean.

The number of coding-based Discords I've left far outnumbers the ones I've stayed in.

We determined what fandom needed was a place for coders of all skill levels to come together to help and support one another; where they could learn to code and how to join open-source projects they love, and where they could make friends and connections and show off their projects whether they were new or experienced programmers.

And thus… Fandom Coders was born.

What About FujoGuide?

Of course, running a coding group and working on BobaBoard together means we spent a lot of time talking about the state of the web. We both lamented over poor documentation, jargon-rich tutorials, and guides which assume a baseline of knowledge most people don't have. What we needed to do was provide tutorials which start at the beginning… from the ground up (what is a terminal and how do I open it?) without skipping steps. What we needed to do was make those tutorials fun and appealing.

I don't remember exactly the journey it took to get us here if I'm honest. I have no clue who said it first. But I do remember I first started thinking about anthropomorphizing programming languages when we attempted to cast the languages as the Ouran High School boys… and again when I suggested we do a [TOP SECRET IN CASE WE DO IT] group project in Fandom Coders to help people learn about programming.

What I do know is that as last year ended, @essential-randomness became laser-focused on creating our gijinka and moving forward with FujoGuide… and I couldn't say no.

Okay, But… Why Contribute?

To be honest, it's not just that I was around for the birth of the idea. It's ALL of the things in this post - the culmination of three years of frustration trying to figure out what I'm doing with coding, of wading through dense documentation, of wanting to give up before I even start. It's three years of dipping my toes into toxic techbro culture before running away. All added to decades of watching the web become corporate-sanitized, frustratingly difficult to customize, increasingly less fun, and overtly hostile to fans who dare enjoy sexual content.

To sum all of this up, it's the firm belief that we desperately need a resource like this. Something that's for us, by us. Something that builds fans up, instead of tears them down; that empowers them to create for themselves and their communities what no one is creating for them. It is a project I'm deeply passionate about.

And I can't wait until we can bring it to life for you all.

[sgt-spank]

Hey there, I’m Sgt, and I’m the artist who brought ARIA to life in this project.

I joined the #Fujoguide project out of love for the idea of bringing Queer content creators together for a chance to make something fun and educational for people to better curate their own online spaces and experiences. Ms Boba’s drive for coming up with unique and interesting ideas is an exceptional talent, and I looked forward to working on a project that can help folks that struggle with textbook-style guides to have a better grasp on coding so that we don’t have to settle for the platforms created by social media bigwigs with pockets deeper than the Mariana trench.

This was a brand new experience for me, as this was the first time I ever had a chance to participate in a project quite this big with so many other wonderful creators who share the same goal. I’m a very visual learner, as are many people, and I feel like this project is such a good way to get folks like me engaged and focused on learning to code and create our own little personal corners of the web where we don’t have to follow anybody else’s rules. Not only that, but I was absolutely tickled to participate in something involving a lot of queer representation with a team of fellow queer folks from many walks of life.

The care and love that went into this project—and that will continue to be poured into this project—is so special, and I’m so happy to be a part of it. We have so many things still in the works, and we can’t wait to share more of our passion project with you.

Also, have you seen the gorgeous men? Absolutely incredible. All of them are hotties. Can you guess who my favorite is?

[holyscream]

[ROBOT VOICE] WELCOME TO VERSION CONTROL

It’s already the 7th where I live, so

Happy 10010th Birthday, Git! I don’t use you as much as I should anymore (or… at all, currently 🙇🏽) and I would like to change that this year. Let’s make it happen!

the fujoshi guide to web development: kickstarter · @fujowebdev

[mappapapa]

Sketches of Terminal, a character I designed that is appearing in the very real April 1st surprise project The Fujoshi Guide to Web Development. Learn more about what this entails on @fujowebdev and consider supporting the project on Kickstarter!

[reanimatedheart]

why i joined fujoguide

i joined this project because ms boba commissioned me to make a hot twink and i was like, "nice, i'd love to do tha!." only when i got on did i find out the whole scope of the project, and i was so thrilled because 1) this sounds like a fantastic educational resource, and 2) it's one i'd like to use myself!

finally, like boba-tan, i can learn how to code using the help of hot sexy men

[essential-randomness]

Enter the FujoVerse™

Starting 2024's content creation journey with a bang, it's time to outline the principles behind the FujoVerse™: an ambitious (but realistic) plan to turn the web back into a place of fun, joy, and connection, where people build and nurture their own communities and software. (You can also read the article on my blog)

The Journey

As those who follow my journey with @bobaboard or read my quarterly newsletter (linked in the article) know, the used-to-be-called BobaVerse™ is a collection of projects I've been working on since 2020 while pondering an important question: how do we "fix" the modern social web?

Obviously the joyless landscape that is the web of today is not something a single person can fix. Still, I loved and owed the internet too much to see it wither.

After countless hours of work, I found 3 pillars to work on: community, software ownership and technical education.

Jump in after the cut to learn more about how it all comes together!

Community

Community is where I started from, with good reason! While social networks might trick us into thinking of them as communities, they lack the characteristics that researchers identify as the necessary base for "true community": group identity, shared norms, and mutual concern.

Today, I'm even more convinced community is a fundamental piece of reclaiming the web as a place of joy. It's alienating, disempowering, and incredibly lonely to be surrounded by countless people without feeling true connection with most of them (or worse, feeling real danger).

Software Ownership and Collaboration

As I worked with niche communities "software ownership" also became increasingly important to me: if we cannot expect mainstream tech companies to cater to communities at the margins, it follows that these communities must be able to build and shape their own software themselves.

Plenty of people have already discussed how this challenge goes beyond the tech. Among many, "collaboration" is another sticking point for me: effective collaboration requires trust and psychological safety, both of which are in short supply these days (community helps here too, but it's still hard).

Education (Technical and Beyond)

As I worked more and more with volunteers and other collaborators, however, another important piece of the puzzle showed itself: the dire state of educational material for non-professional web developers. How can people change the web if they cannot learn how to *build* the web?

(And yes, learning HTML and CSS is absolutely important and REAL web development. But to collaborate on modern software you need so much more. Even further, people *yearn* for more, and struggle to find it. They want that power, and we should give it to them.)

Once again, technical aspects aren't the only ones that matter. Any large-scale effort needs many skills that society doesn't equip us with. If we want to change how the web looks, we must teach, teach, TEACH! If you've seen me put so much effort into streaming, this is why :)

And obviously, while I don't go into them in this article, open source software and decentralized protocols are core to "this whole thing".

The Future

All of this said, while I've been working on this for a few years, I've struggled to find the support I need to continue this work. To this end, this year I'm doing something I'm not used to: producing content, gaining visibility, and putting my work in front of the eyes of people that want to fight for the future of the web.

This has been a hard choice: producing content is hard and takes energy and focus away from all I've been doing. Still, I'm committed to doing what it takes, and (luckily) content and teaching go hand in hand. But the more each single person helps, the less I need to push for wide reach.

If you want to help (and read the behind the scenes of all I've been working on before everyone else), you can subscribe to my Patreon or to my self-hosted attempt at an alternative.

I deeply believe that in the long term all that we're building will result in self-sustaining projects that will carry this mission forward. After all, I'm building them together with people who understand the needs of the web in a way that no mainstream company can replicate.

Until we get there, every little bit of help (be it monetary support, boosting posts, pitching us to your friends, or kind words of encouragement and support) truly matters.

In exchange, I look forward to sharing more of the knowledge and insights I've accrued with you all :)

And once again, to read or share this post from the original blog, you can find it here.

[fujowebdev]

Need webdev help? Send in your questions!

As part of Saturday's update, we announced the next stream in our "Let's Build our Website!" series, which explores how Astro can help anyone create the website of their dreams!

For this next session we're tackling some light basics of programming (specifically tailored to what you're likely to encounter while using Astro), but, more importantly, we want to help solve your problems!

If you've encountered issues while trying to build your website, if some webdev concept or syntax still eludes you, or if you have any question(s) about how to approach a programming journey, let us know before or during our stream on Friday September 15th at 3PM PDT (timezone conversion) on Twitch! We'll answer them during the stream and publish the recording later on!

[fujocoded]

After a short break, we're back...

...and just in time for Valentine's Day!

Our monthly newsletter for February has a lot of exciting news about stuff we've already accomplished (including our first con adventure ☝️) and prospects for the future.

Highlights include

How our first con experience at Escapade went

Big improvements and structural changes at FujoCoded, LLC

News on our soon-to-be-sold FujoGuide Vol. 0.1 covering Git

Where we're at on other resources we're working on: more quickstarts, additional articles, and further volumes of FujoGuide

Big plans for our Bluesky and ATProto work

...and more!

On top of that, a certain annual event is nearly upon us, so...

...we’re in need of artists who are taking commissions!

Drop us a line if any of these sound like you, or, if you know someone who can, send them our way! You can reach us at our "artist business card drop-off form", which we keep in our pocket for these and other long-term opportunities.

Be sure to also check out our Monthly Store Promo!

[xieliansbignaturals]

"Pspsps," Terminal whispers, holding out his hand. The little black cat sniffs it cautiously. "Come here. I won't hurt you."

The cat meows and headbutts his fingers, beginning to purr. Terminal smiles and strokes its head. Soon, he's coaxing it onto his lap, where it begins to make biscuits on his apron.

"You're so loud for such a tiny little thing," Terminal tells it over the sound of its purrs. "Look at you. You're -"

The back door slams open, and Git pokes his head out. "When's dinner, gramps?"

The cat jumps from Terminal's lap and dashes into the bushes. Terminal reaches futilely after it, then turns a furious gaze on Git.

Wisely, Git holds up his hands and scoots back inside.

[context]

[chemicalcain]

i have been thinking so so much about the fujoshi guide to web development. i cannot get catboy git out of my head. unfortunately this has manifested as a desire to bully him, so i drew him getting neutered! HOPE YOU ENJOY @fujowebdev

bonus:

[cmdonovann]

i had a minor surgery recently (not a big deal, dont worry) so ive been cooped up in bed to recover the past few days doing various terrible sketchbook doodles to keep entertained. heres one that i decided was good enough to color! featuring some characters from @fujowebdev 's ongoing kickstarter :3

i would like them to kiss, your honor

also, heres the original sketch :3c