#Shared principles

[cultural-derealization]

☝️👌🔊👂

Fact, not opinion.

Actions vs Words.

[galatoma]

The gay marriage was actually tommy's 30-day free trial (received several times over) for lgbt and now he's thought about turning it into a full membership

[irrevocablecondition]

we are incredibly blesseddddd in the harry potter fandom. no matter what era you are reading, there is such a wide array of fics for you to enjoy - such a multitudeeee of long-fics, aus, ships, tropes etc etc. we are so blessed to have this much to engage with.

but with that comes a lot of entitlement i feel. because there's more to "compare", there's more to call "the big fics" or "the best fics" and suddenly we're no longer blessed, because people don't appreciate fandom for what it is - a bunch of losers (affectionate) sitting in their rooms, writing fanfiction about wizards in their spare time, and sharing it with strangers online. rather it starts becoming competitive.

and 99.99% of the time, it's not the people writing these fics that start the comparisons and the competitions, it's those reading it. they'll publicly question why a fic has so many hits, they'll assume that fandom etiquette no longer applies just because a fic is popular, and they'll forget that these are people writing them, not just ao3 pseudonyms. they'll critique writing styles, get hung up on typos or grammatical errors etc etc. they'll start saying which piece of creative writing done by a person in their free time as a hobby is "worth it" and which ones aren't. and it's wild because they're the ones that have put these fics at the top. they're the ones that have decided these fics are the most worthy,,, and then they critique them?

and most of this is because of the hierarchy, absolutely. there's been a mass separation of readers-writers because people refuse to engage, and they start viewing themselves as "customers" receiving a "product" and they complain when it doesn't fit their standards. some of it is also the changing face of fandom spaces as they get big on more traction-based platforms like tiktok. all of it comes down to entitlement.

they start enforcing standards for fanfictions to live up to and start dictating what "good" writing is, as if that doesn't go against the very nature of a fandom space. a space where everybody's voice is heard and everybody has the same opportunity to create things (side tangent: this is not the time to be dictating what voices/experiences/talents deserve to be heard. free and open sources of literature are incredibly important right now. we often talk about the fact we hold fanfiction to the same standard as publit, which yes we do and that is not what we should be doing. but now we're starting to police it the same way publit is, and now is not the time. there is never a time tbh, but now when book bans are running rampant across the world? you want to decide which fics deserve to be read and which ones don't? hm).

and the worst thing is that not only are people critiquing the works we already have, but they demand more.

they'll say there's no more long-fics getting written, and then they won't go and engage with WIPs and encourage authors to continue, they won't start a fic until it's complete and then complain that nothing is complete. they'll say there's not enough fics for a certain ship, and instead of engaging with those producing them or encouraging love and engagement for them with others, they'll go into comment sections and hate on another ship. they'll say there's not enough of a certain trope and then they'll read one and go "hm. not like that" or not enough of a certain character and then go "actually i don't see them like this so this is written awfully".

most of all, they'll say that certain fics or ships have a ruined a fandom, and then they'll post things that go sooooo against what a fandom is, and just add to what is actually ruining wider fandom spaces - entitlement.

you are not entitled to long-fics, these are being written by people in their free time, and you refuse to engage with them as they're being written. you are not entitled to perfect grammar and presentation, fanfiction is for everybody and it is not a profession, it's a hobby. you are not entitled to the characterisations that you deem to be best, everything is malleable and you engage with what you like (better yet, write it yourself if you're so open to shitting on others. you do it then). you are not entitled to regular and consistent updates, you do not get a monopoly over this person's time. and you're going to see a lot less works over time if this is the way you treat them.

you are not entitled to any content in a fandom space, and no one is required to provide it for you. and most of all, your opinions and your characterisations and things you enjoy are not more worthy than anyone elses' - reading is subjective, we learnt this in primary school.

fandom is for self-exploration and it is self-curated. it's so self-curated and if you are having such a negative time in fandom because you can't find anything "good" or "worth it"? maybe there's some self-reflection to do as well. maybe you should sit and wonder why you feel entitled to things and why you feel the need to pit authors against each other or critique free works publicly, instead of wondering why other people are reading them.

we are so incredibly blessed to be in a fandom as diverse as this one with such an array of interpretations and such a wide spread of fics to choose from, but let's return to our roots and remember that - despite how many there are - everything is written by a Human Being. in their Free Time. For Fun.

and it's not fun to watch videos calling works bad get thousands of views and likes. you are not owed anything. and it is not okay to say these things just because "they'll never see it" - it says a lotttt about you as a person that there has to be some kind of impact for you to be kind.

it's like,,, would you go to a free bake sale and go "god i fucking hate red velvet!!!" and tell them they're doing a bad job, or would you pick up the chocolate cupcake you like instead and move on with your day whilst acknowledging that someone, not you but someone elseee, might like red velvet??? ykkkk??? you get me????

[tumatawa]

My old Tezuka phase is crawling back to me...

[officiallyluni]

I don’t know how TSSM managed to do it, but somehow they not only gave us one storyline that tackled the topic of addiction in a way that was understandable towards their younger targeted audience, but they gave us two.

And just whenever people talk about the representation and portrayed attitudes towards mental health issues in other adaptations of Spider-man I’m just reminded of how much immense respect I have for TSSM for both deliberately choosing to outright address such mental health issues like addiction and being able to do it with such sensitivity and acknowledgment of the underlying gravity of such issues that they end up doing it well.

[incomingalbatross]

I'm trying out another kindle unlimited author, recommended by a friend from school, and currently I am halfway through the first book of a trilogy trying to process "why don't I care about this protagonist" into something actually halfway analytical.

I think there's SOMETHING there about the difference between a powerless character (fine and cool) vs a passive one (hard for me to get invested). Even or especially if the character has the power to DO very little, I think creators need to show them caring about things! Making judgments! Having internal lines drawn or goals their limited choices are driven by!

But this MAY just be my definite personal bias toward liking characters who enter the scene with strong moral convictions.

[hualianisms]

feng xin gets seen as someone who's subservient and a blind rule-follower but he didn't really quite come off that way to me in the novel. if he were a total rule-follower he wouldn't cuss with such vulgar words all the time in heaven - but he clearly doesn't care about social etiquette in heaven or elsewhere. he talked back to xie lian on multiple occasions. when xie lian threatened to break up their friendship in book 2, feng xin's response was to laugh and insinuate that xie lian wouldn't survive a day without feng xin. clearly talking back to xie lian. he even punched xie lian in the face in book 4. he disagreed with xie lian's actions in book 4 when xie lian began to do things like nearly kill an innocent mortal just for insulting xie lian, bc this goes against feng xin's own moral compass.

i personally don't see him as a subservient rule-follower but as someone who deeply respects xie lian for xie lian's principles and moral compass (which feng xin agrees with bc they align with feng xin's already-present strong principles of his own). it's not blind following but deep respect out of having shared principles.

[gritsandbrits]

Shows that i think are set in the same universe

(also in the same verse - the 1994 Reboot, acceleracers, loonatics unleashed and teen titans)

[oifaaa]

Trying to explain to my friend that I don't like Pinterest bc it's full of stolen art without giving away that it's also a personal hate since my own art has been put on Pinterest in the past without my permission and I hate that so much

[diyasgarden]

if you're an american who lives in a place where your reproductive rights may be on the line and use a period tracker, please delete it. i'm not the first person to say it, nor will i be the last, but i will repeat it for hours if needed. this is the time to delete it.

with the results of this election (specifically in congress) many have already acknowledged the effect it will have on access to abortion in this country. rightly so, but it is important to remember that this isn't a solitary issue. at the core of the abortion debate, is an inherent discussion on the self-autonomy of women's bodies. the republican's party disguises it's qualms with this autonomy as qualms on abortion, a procedure which they know draws up strong sentiments across political, socioeconomic, and racial lines. by creating legislature that bans abortion, these states are crafting a legal basis to go after any procedure regarding women's health. you may think this is point of view is extreme, but it's a process we've already seen unfold when alabama threatened the right to ivf earlier this year. banning abortion has never been the end goal, but simply a starting point.

do what you can to take care of your health. and if that means deleting anything that could comprise you, please do it. many of these apps have been instructed to share their data with the state and some already have. it is simply not worth the risk.

and please know that regardless how it may feel right now, there are doctors who stand with you. doctors who will work for you. if you are blessed with the ability to pick your healthcare provider, be intentional with it. find these doctors because they are the ones who will have your back more than any politicians ever will.

[a-very-tired-jew]

I was just reminded that the art collective Forensic Architecture exists and once again I’m disgusted.

For those of you who don’t know, it’s a collective of various artists who play at forensic science, conduct “forensic investigations”, and then make art exhibits of their “results”. Their reports and exhibits will make statements such as “the evidence shows that X is linked to Y” but the statistical output that they share will show something like a 5% confidence in the match.

That's right. They make art exhibits of their "investigations".

You want to talk about fandomizing tragedy? Making “forensic investigations” into art exhibits is the bougiest version I can think of, and it's only to serve an echelon of people who enjoy that kind of stuff. If any of the people in this art collective had a background in forensic science they would have taken ethics courses that would tell them how horrid putting on an art exhibit like this actually is. You don't honor the victims by putting on an art show for the rich and powerful to gasp and faint over so that you can fundraise for your next show.

Their founder has even stated that they’re not in forensics but “counter-forensics” and "counter-investigation". They eschew the practices and norms of the scientific community for telling their own version of investigative “truth”. They’ve even gone so far as to quote post-truth philosophies in their work and the controversial Nietzsche quote about there being no facts, only interpretations. Both are dangerous philosophies to hold in forensic science as it presents the evidence as subjective rather than objective. This is why they're an art collective and not a forensic science research group as they purport, they're rejecting objective scientific outcome for subjective interpretation.

You can go to the group's website and they have profiles on all of their team members. Almost every person is labeled as a "researcher", but once you click on their profile it quickly tells you that they're an artist, designer, activist, or some combination of the three. No mention of any scientific background whatsoever. That indicates their ability to actual conduct forensic science research is not great as they don't have any training or education on the methods involved. In fact, their entire program and personnel are out of an arts college with no science programs or faculty outside of anthropology.

That's weird, right?

A group that supposedly made a new discipline of forensic science, according to them, has no members with actual backgrounds in forensic science or scientific disciplines relating to it?

None of the team member profiles detail any scientific background that would be relevant to forensics outside of a few people with engineering and computer science degrees. Neither of the aforementioned disciplines typically train you in forensic practices anyway unless you take certain courses. Because these profiles are public you can go and checked LinkedIn profiles and find the CVs for each member as well. Guess what? No forensic science or relevant scientific backgrounds listed there as well.

But for some reason this art collective has received funding from governments and NGOs for "creating" a new discipline of forensic science. They're a "trusted" source for forensic investigations. That's worrying. That's terrifying.

I'm a forensic scientist and to make an objective field based upon methodology and empirically supported practice into one that is subjective and throws out the empirical aspects is terrifying. Everyone should have klaxons going off in their head whenever they see Forensic Architecture's name appear in a publication. I've reviewed a few of their "investigations" and they are rife with bad practice, manipulation, and misinformation. In fact, it appears that they present their work in art exhibits more than they testify to it in court due to their methods being questionable and their intent being not to help the investigation but to be a "counter-investigation" that can be judged by the court of public opinion. What do I mean by this? In many of their investigations the collective does not actively have personnel at the scene. Meaning they are not getting first hand physical evidence and measurements. Now, it's not always possible to be there personally and as such you rely upon crime scene techs, investigators, and other personnel to collect this stuff. Typically if you're a consultant or outside firm you are getting the evidence after it has been collected for analysis. You want the physical evidence in your hands as much as possible so that you can analyze it properly. Sometimes you have to request going to the scene yourself to get the measurements and evidence you need. The worst type of evidence to receive is honestly digital images of the scene as you are now having to analyze something a general investigator, who likely does not have specialized training, took a picture of.

In situations where you cannot have the physical evidence for analysis and you are left with only photographs then a forensic expert should be tempering their responses and conclusions. You cannot confidently come to conclusions based simply on looking at photos. This is something that is hammered home repeatedly in forensic programs and professionals.

In the case of warzone crime scene analysis, as FA typically does, they are, typically, not collecting evidence first hand from the scene, nor are they receiving evidence secondarily from actual trained investigators (when they are there first hand they also rely excessively upon expensive technology instead of best practices). They rely upon third party photos and satellite imagery to do their analysis.

Time and time again, forensic experts who rely solely upon digital photos and media to make their analysis get ripped apart by a good lawyer. Being confident in conclusions based upon photographs is the easiest way to lose your credibility. But again, the art collective playing forensic scientist primarily puts their work in art exhibits where they are not scrutinized by experts. Hell, I don't think I've ever seen them present at one of our professional conferences nationally or internationally (I would love to be a fly on the wall when that happens).

And finally, if this was an actual credible scientific group that produced credible investigations and had created a brand new field with methodology that stood to scrutiny there would be publications in the forensic journals detailing this. Especially from the "creator" of the field Eyal Weizman.

Guess what there isn't?

But in the end all they’re actually doing is crime scene reconstruction from people who want to cosplay as forensic scientists.

(for more reading on the group see this article that highlights issues with FA from another perspective https://www.artnews.com/art-in-america/features/forensic-architecture-fake-news-1234661013/)

[it-came-autumnally]

Girl.... what do you mean ending.... only a few lines ago you just said you're only eleven years old :')

[iwonderwh0]

AI is used in many harmful ways, but when it is FINALLY used for something actually useful and actually helpful that proves to be more effective than human alternatives in some usually inaccessible assistance like accessibility tools, it should be fucking celebrated for once instead of being criticised out of a habit of hating everything with the word ai in it.

AI is a tool that is not inherently evil. Language models aren't represented by as a whole by catastrophic failure of google summaries trained on some trash sources and generative ai like midjourney whose entire existence is a big copyright violation. Language models aren't limited to commercial giants like those owned by openAI and Google that require huge computational power to run, some can run on a local machine like a laptop and are open. They're getting more effective with less computational power needed over time as they improve. Did you know that? If not, now you do.

[rayewarrrd]

the talos principle 2 experience in a nutshell

[renegadephilosopher]

if you go to the Aristotle page on the SEP this is for some reason given as a proof for homonymy 🥺why are they the example. this is cute nevertheless. theyre going on a picnic. theyre opening a... joint account at a bank??? okay sure ❤️whatever you say ❤️

[torschlusspanikattack]

told a friend i would rather struggle and suffering forever than an end to history and especially any non-human agent slop terminus

not sure if i endorse biting the bullet on this but the worldview they were endorsing was so bleak