#YouTube shorts for Substack

[mehmetyildizmelbourne-blog]

How to Use the ILLUMINATION Substack Mastery YouTube Channel to Grow Your Audience 

Practical tips to upload your videos to our community channel as writers on Medium, Substack, and other platforms Dear Writers, As the media coordinator of ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications on Medium and Substack and also the owner of the Videos/Podcasts publication, I want to share this exciting opportunity with you. If you’re passionate about expanding your reach and connecting more deeply…

[jrtstories]

The Harrowing Truth

short story:

podcast:

youtube:

Patreon:

A short story where we delve into the mystery of a small town where inhabitants from different time periods, starting from the 1800s to the modern day, live. The town abruptly changes around them to the early 1800s, to 1950 neighborhoods, to modern-day asphalt and electronics, and so on. Individuals come together to learn about the unknown being that hunts the people.

This short story and podcast are free to read and listen to.

[slowchemicaljpg]

Read all about it

[whimsicaldiaeries]

my thoughts on LOUISE, the animation short film 𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒

A glimpse to the inherently disturbing and perverse system of sexual exploitation in the world of 18th and 19th century ballet

The film follows a seemingly young woman, presumably in her teenage years, named Louise. Right off the bat, we can see she’s spirited and playful— traits accentuated with her poorly-cut bangs and immediate loose hair, and portrayed with her interactions with her friends. Louise is ready to go straight home and rest, even when the backstage is bustling with all sorts of people.

When we venture deeper into the backstage, however, we catch a glimpse of what truly goes on behind the scenes— The backstage, where dancers should be resting, are instead brimmed with said dancers mingling with significantly older black-clad figures, presumably middle-aged men of high and/or noble standing. It evidently becomes more of a place of fraternizing, and cliques of girls dwindle down as more of them, instead, anchor their attention to these black-clad figures.

Louise gets approached by these sort of men, but rejects their advances and cuts conversations short. She doesn’t feel like “working” tonight, and would rather be in the comfort of her own bed. This is until Rose stops her in her hurried tracks, and is asked to pay her due by the end of the night. Louise immediately peeks outside the blinds, looking for someone, and it quite literally sheds light on what the backstage is, and is for.

It’s disturbingly almost reminiscent of a brothel, the room being filled with young & buoyant women intimately entertaining middle-aged men who look like they should have a family to feed (It’s abundantly clear they’re feeding themselves, instead. Mentally rolls eyes). There’s a tragical twinge of irony weaved in this system: Ballerinas, the ideal epitome of femininity— grace, beauty & purity in all its glory, and in extreme instances, virginity; are instead stripped under the perverse gaze of men who are supposedly noble. These ballerinas are viewed as wanton sex objects. But perhaps it’s the driving factor that entices these middle-aged men so much: the forbidden eroticism in the purity and youth they’re able to corrupt and have power over.

Girls adorned with warmer colored costumes, red, particularly, are much more skillful when it comes to handling their clientele. They’re given more attention as well, and exhibits a more straightforward and seductive demeanor, showing little signs of reluctance and timidity; a direct opposite of Louise’s disposition tonight, who is wearing green. This is further exacerbated when Louise sets out to find one of her benefactors, De Lucini, and accidentally stumbles upon a ballerina wearing a strikingly red costume becoming intimate with a gentleman.

In the middle of Louise’s pursuit, she halts in front of a mirror and pins her hair back up to a bun: a conscious decision to conjure and shape herself into more of how an idealized, stereotypical ballerina looks like— ready to perform once again for the entertainment, or this time pleasure, of these men.

It isn’t long until she bumps into Emile, an equally rich benefactor, so she decides to take him on instead.

This is where it suddenly transitions to an even more perturbing scenario. Their encounter is rough & passionless, showing little consideration for Louise’s comfort and solely focusing on the release. But what more could Louise do? She’s exploited in a society imposed with a debauched, misogynistic framework with no means to get out of it, and in fact, she’s “lucky” to have somewhat of a dignity stemming as a ballerina, her line of work being more aristocratically-inclined as opposed to prostitution in the red-light district. (But it doesn’t make it any better.)

What is particularly gut-wrenching is a scene that portrays their large hand difference, and it becomes evidently clear that Louise is none other than a teenager being taken advantage of, trapped in a nefarious power dynamic. That, and her malnourishment (whether it be for ballet or her lack of means to buy food)— or how they like to call it, petiteness. She is vulnerable, exposed, and there is nothing she can do about it. She needs this.

Louise looks anywhere, attempting to divert her attention to something else. To dissociate. Their hands, his shoes, his ring. His golden ring with intricate carvings, and perhaps what becomes of Louise’s resolve to endure for the money. It’s no doubt she has done this numerous times already.

After their encounter, Louise sits exhausted and dissociated in the dressing room. It doesn’t take long until all the other ballerinas come flying in, finally done with their work for the night.

The platonic intimacy that Louise and Josephine share is an unspoken consolation after a difficult night, relieving them from their hardships even just for a moment through little acts of support and understanding. The portrayal of nudity, which is often voyeuristic and perverse, is instead utilized as a sense of vulnerability and security among the friendship of these girls.

When Rose offers Louise a pack of green, yellow and red macaroons, the latter is hesitant in choosing a macaroon, but eventually settles for a red one, signifying her imposition to take on prostitution as a mean to live.

But what I find as saddening, is moments before Josephine and Louise’s last act of intimacy for the night, they walk out the doors with the composition inevitably separating them as Josephine is arranged to have a husband soon and leave the Garnier opera.

To sum this short film up, it’s unsettling yet tragically beautiful to watch. There are moments where intimacy is expected, but is instead met with not only the absence of it, but also with distaste and detrimental objectification. Though there are also moments of vulnerable and non-verbal intimacy, which is relieving to see, to know that even when these girls live in a harsh world, they at least have someone to depend on.

It depicts how ballet, which is supposedly a sophisticated art form and expression primarily for (but not exclusive to) women, has been corrupted as such that it now operates as a brothel and ultimately a man-dominated space. "Men’s club”, if you will.

My overall rating? 10/10.

[readmypaws]

Halloween Shortstory Coming Soon!

Tomorrow at 12pm PST I will publish my first Halloween short story set in the TGMP universe under the sister project "The Age of Raiders (TARP)". Keep an eye out for "Beware the Hárí" on Substack and Wattpad!

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

03/04-08/2025 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Vico Ortiz/OFMD Craft Fair Flash Sale!; David Jenkins; Rhys Darby; Taika Waititi; Con O'Neill; Samba Schutte; Vico Ortiz; Kristian Nairn; Anapela Polata'ivao; Rachel House; Tim Heidecker; Damien Gerard; Dominic Burgess; OFMD Craft Fair Follow Up; Save Our Queer Stories; Articles; You Only Frame Twice; Fan Spotlight; Love Notes;

= Vico Ortiz /OFMD Craft Fair =

Looks like there's ONE MORE Auction available from the OFMD Craft Fair. Check out these awesome items provided by Vico! They end March 9th, 5PM EDT! Check them out here!

Source: OFMD Craft Fair Final Auction

= David Jenkins =

Our Pirate/Chaos Dad has once again triggered some clowning by posting pictures of the Revenge with the text "How it started"

Source: David Jenkins IG

= Rhy Darby =

Rhys posted a short sketch from one of his recent shows!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rhys Darby (@rhysiedarby)

Source: Rhys Darby's IG

He also posted some tour BTS on his Paid Substack Video!

Source: Rhys Paid Substack

= Taika Waititi =

Taika recently posted a lot of his most recent directoral works on Instagram! Here's two I don't think I've shared before from other sources! You can check out the rest of the items he posted on his IG!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Taika Waititi (@taikawaititi)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Taika Waititi (@taikawaititi)

Source: Taika's IG

= Con O'Neill =

The anonymous winner of the Con O'Neill recording was absolutely amazing and shared the donation with the fandom! You can listen to the recording below. Thank you Anonymous Crewmate <3

Voice Source: veeagainsttheday's Bsky

Transcript Source: @blakbonnet's Tumblr / Roxirondell's Bsky

Speaking of Con, he posted a silly picture of him and Cooper <3

Source: Con's IG

= Samba Schutte =

Samba was out at the beach with his little one!

Source: Samba's IG

= Vico Ortiz =

Our darling Vico has been keeping us full of Madeleine Sami BTS lately! Two new ones are up on their Paid Patreon! OFMD BTS 1 OFMD BTS 2

Source: Vico's Paid Patreon

= Kristian Nairn =

Kristian posted a quick update! He's been out for conventions in London & Aberdeen recently and he's got some updates regarding Spektrum as well!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kristian Nairn (@kristiannairn)

Source: Kristian's IG

= Anapela Polata'ivao =

More interviews with Anapela for the Tinā film!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @tinathefilm

Source: Tinā The Film IG

= Rachel House =

Rachel back in Aotearoa and out with Whanau!

Source: Rachel's IG

= Tim Heidecker =

Our Doug, Tim Heidecker has a new episode of Office Hours Live up on Youtube!

= Damien Gerard =

Father Teach, aka Damien Gerard, is blessing us with more kitty pics!

Source: Damien's Bsky

= Dominic Burgess =

You know who else loves to bless us with cat content? Our dear Jeffrey Fettering, Dominic Burgess!

Source: Dominic's Bsky

Dominic posted some pictures from his trip to Transformers Con this weekend!

Source: Dominics Bsky

== OFMD Craft Fair Follow Up ==

Hey crew! Looks like the folks who ran the Craft Fair could use some help with putting together the rest of the cost of shipping for all the winners. If you have a few dollars to spare, they'd love your help meeting that need! https://ko-fi.com/ghostalservice

Source: Momebie's Bsky

== Save Our Queer Stories ==

The folks over at @savequeerstories shared more information about @adoptourcrew and how to help support OFMD! Thanks for keeping us on your radar friends!

Source: SaveQueerStories Bsky

== Articles ==

Fabulous news! Pink News featured the fandoms Craft Fair! At the time it was posted only $85K had been raised, but it's already over $100K now!! So many trans kids are going to get the help they need because of you crew! Article Here

Source: Pink News IG

== You Only Frame Twice ==

There's a new Fan-Frames project going on! This time folks are looking for people to help with a fan-made animatic project to illustrate David's OFMD Christmas/Valentine's Special! Interested in joining them? Check out their bsky for more info! You can also sign up here!

Source: You Only Fram Twice Bluesky

== Fan Spotlight ==

= Mossgroves =

The first up on the Fan Spotlight for the OFMD Craft fair is the absolute legend @mossgroves! She was so incredibly kind to donate this amazing Painting of our boys! If you aren't familiar with Moss's work, please take a moment to check out her incredible art here on their linktr.ee! Her work is one of the first fanarts I'd seen in this fandom and it really blew me away and peaked my interest in OFMD!

= Jillian S =

Another one of our dear crewmates, @jilliansauers makes beautiful ornaments and necklaces (I have one of her Messages In A Bottle and it's awesome!!) She donated these two wonderful pieces to the Craft Fair! Also in case you didn't know-- Jillian also does such amazing things for this fandom day to day (she helps keep track of the donations we've made as a fandom, reaches out to everyone and sends love, is always keeping an eye out for new cast members on the various platforms, and so much more)-- she's a treasure! You can find Jillian over on Bluesky!

== Love Notes ==

Hey lovelies. I know this week has been a bit of an emotional roller coaster! The 3 year anniversary of OFMD was on 03/03 and then the 1 year anniversary of David telling us 'officially' there was no renewal was on 03/07. I remember that day really well. I remember crying at my desk for hours while I tried to work. I remember streaming OFMD with several crewmates trying to find some assemblance of calm. It's hard to believe it's been a whole year. The renewal campaign efforts were so intense those first few months, and then David's message hit us all like a ton of bricks. But you know what? You all still kept showing up. Whether it was for renewal efforts, menacing WB execs, supporting your fellow crew financially or emotionally, raising money for marginalized groups, for cast & crew in their continued endeavors--- you kept showing up. That's what community is. We show up for each other. I know the craft fair has been a big topic for several weeks now, and I'm loving every ounce of it because look at what it's done. Over $100,000 for trans youth, our sibs that are currently being targeted by so many people in the US and across the world. I know we can't afford to spend that much money all the time, but it's so incredibly inspiring what you all can do when you band together. Please never forget the power you have, individually, but especially as a crew, as a community. We rally together so well because this crew is kind and loving and even when we have our inter-fandom squabbles, we still come together when things are most important and make magic happen. I hope you know how proud we all are of you lovelies. I hope you all are proud of yourselves for the immense impact you made on so many lives, just by being kind.

Rest well, remember to hydrate, and take some time for you.

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A post shared by bailey (@anxiety.positive)

Source: Anxiety Positive Instagram

[ofmdrecaps]

08/28/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Rhys Darby; Taika Waititi; Con O'Neill; Samba Schutte; Guz Khan; Leslie Jones; Nathan Foad; Bronson Pinchot; Connor Barrett & Brian Gattas; Fan Spotlight: OFMD Colouring Pages; Never Left Podcast Raffle;

== Rhys Darby ==

New line up information for 'Rhys Darby's Saying Funny Things Society' on Oct 1st in Largo LA!

Source: Rhys Darby's Substack (free version)

If you're not already subscribed to Rhys' Sub Stack, please do, there's some fun content there, including Bill Napier videos and daily drawings by Rhys! This weeks Bill Napier Weather Report

Source: Rhys Darby's Substack

Rhys and Rosie's son Finn's band "Great Big Cow" has a new music video out on youtube! Wanna support the Darby family? Check it out!

Source: Great Big Cow Youtube

== Taika Waititi ==

Looks like Taika's gonna be at Eden Park on 09/29/24 for the Haka Record event!

Source: Taika's Instagram

== Kristian Nairn ==

New Article about Kristian Nairn's book -- as well as a mention of OFMD! Thanks @adoptourcrew for the share!

Source: Adopt Our Crew's Twitter

== Con O'Neill ==

Con recently performed "An Invocation" by Ben Tufnell! Thanks @ringasunn for sending the info my way!

Source: Ben Tufnell's Instagram

== Samba Schutte ==

Samba out with his beautiful baby <3

Source: Samba's Instagram

Next up in Samba land-- the absolute sweetheart Katrina aka kmostran over on twitter was kind enough to share her birthday gift with the rest of the us! Samba did a quick cameo for her, and talked about all our clowning <3 Happy belated birthday Katrina, and thanks for spreading the love!

Source: Katrina aka kmostran on twitter!

== Guz Khan ==

BTS of Man Like Mobeen!

Source: Guz Khan's Instagram

== Nathan Foad ==

Nathan keeping us all on our toes with laughs and love!

Source: Nathan Foad's Instagram Stories

One of Nathan's Projects-- 'Dope Fiend' is heading to Denmark for the Mix Copenhagen (LGBTQ+) Film Festival from Oct 25-Nov 3rd!

Source: SungazerProduction Instagram

== Leslie Jones ==

Leslie rocking a SERIOUSLY slick white suit for The Daily Show!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Leslie Jones (@lesdogggg)

Source: Leslie's Instagram

== Bronson Pinchot ==

Bronson's back with more Ned Low shorts! Not sure why but it wont let me share it properly-- so you'll have to visit on instagram here.

Source: Bronson Pinchot's Instagram

== Conner Barrett & Brian Gattas ==

Our darling Hornberry, and Siegfried celebrated 18 years together on September 27th!

Source: Connor's Instagram

== Fan Spotlight ==

= OFMD Colouring Pages =

Our friend @patchworkpiratebear is back with more OFMD themed Colouring Pages!

Source: Patchwork Pirate Bear's Tumblr

= Never Left Podcast Raffle =

Are you a patron of Never Left Podcast? Would you like to be? Well nows the time to support your favorite podcast by joining their patreon! They're giving away one of Ed's Emerald rings!

Source: Never Left Podcast Instagram

== Love Notes ==

Since I am fading fast tonight lovelies, I'm going to go ahead and replace tonight's Love Notes with goofy Moo Deng memes, hopefully they make you smile like they did for me <3 Sending so much love your way, hope you are making it through the weekend safely (especially you folks getting hit by the hurricane). Please reach out to the crew if you need some help loves <3

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A post shared by Danielle Peterson (@hollabackcards)

Source: Tulip Season on Tumblr

[nowheresamsaucex]

TIKTOK ALTERNATIVES

YouTube Shorts

Lemon8

Substack

Clapper

Triller (you can transfer your content from tiktok!)

Neptune (it's not available for download yet, but you can be a beta tester)

CAPCUT ALTERNATIVES

Davinci Resolve

Filmora

Veed

Clipchamp

Inshot

[faeriemarie]

(a very late) shiftmas catch-up 🎅🏾🎄

1. christmas caroling

your love’s like by sabrina carpenter - because it reminds me of my bf; von dutch by charli xcx - i’m shifting back to summer 2024; anything ha vay has ever released - her music videos are exactly my aesthetic and what i strive to look like

2. gingerbread houses

my house is a very boring suburban row house. but i still like it. i live with my mom and my sister, but i’ll soon move into my dorm at uni and live with my cr roommate. fav part of my house is my bedroom (obvi) and fav aspect of my dorm are my posters — i have george harrison and romeo & juliet (1968)

3. eggnog

drama going on in my dr? literally me and that i get crushes on too many people. i break up with my gf, have two crushes, and start dating my bf all in the span of a few months 😔

4. sledding

my friend group is my cr friend group. our favorite thing to do is go to local theatre shows and spend nights at karaoke. we go to a local diner after to eat sides and drink milkshakes that are way too big.

5. snowman

my fit inspo pinterest boards

6. stockings

my family is lowk the worst but i wanna keep in the trauma that makes me me. my favorite family member is my cousin jessica who’s one year older than me and my closest friend since birth. we spend christmas with my mom’s immediate family

7. candy canes

this is so toxic and shallow but literally looking at myself in the mirror and finally being beautiful and skinny. i need it like i need air to breathe

8. mistletoe

ahhh my s/o is named petro and i love love love him (scripted him myself too). he’s weird like me and likes old things so we go antiquing and visit museums. where i am a more 1960s filmmaker poet girl, he’s a total renaissance man who plays cello and oil-paints and is basically a chess grandmaster. we bask in our similar loserdom and it’s great

9. snowflakes

headcanons in my dr: my mom was the beauty when she was younger and everyone wanted her, my younger sister actually likes and admires me though she’d never admit it, my super religious best friend is a lesbian, i am my history professor’s favorite student 🤭, my boyfriend’s parents believe we’ll get married

10. icicles

my occupation is an amateur multi hyphenate: writer-director-actor-animator among other things because i can’t pick a hobby to save my life. primary job is being a uni student though. favorite aspect is having freedom to study what i want while pursue a career in entertainment. least favorite aspect is having to rely on my mother

11. tree skirt

found out about shifting from a random intriguing subliminal when i was in the sub community. first dr was an improved cr and current dr is a different improved cr. some things never change, even after 5 years

12. ornaments

objects in my dr but not my cr? my whole ass stop-motion set that’s beautiful and professional even though i made it alone in my childhood bedroom

13. sleigh bells

greatest privilege of all is my lifa app. the universe bends to my will with the click of a button and i can control anything i want :))

14. cookie cutters

i haven’t thought about this much honestly because i’m not big on scents

15. elf on the shelf

main wingman is always my cousin. she loves trying to set me up because she generalizes my type too much (thinks any random white boy will work for me 🙄). but she’s cool and somehow always has a new bitch which makes my job really easy. when we hang out we either go to the movies (my choice) or to a party (her choice)

16. wrapping paper

i like scripting in bullet points in either my notes app or a google doc. i’m very concerned with dates so a lot of my script is taken over by timelines

17. gift tags

my camera roll in my dr

18. snowballs

i want to make short films with my friends and get absolutely nothing done because we’re too busy cracking jokes and having dance parties

19. mittens

i make short films on my youtube channel and post short stories on my substack. i also watch a lot of movies (like 600 a year) and love to read classic literature.

20. ice skates

art museum dates with my boyfriend!! we could spend 5+ hours in MoMA and 8+ hours at the Met and it would be perfect to me

[kastelpls]

i hate social media

hello tumblr, i make interactive fiction titles and yuri visual novels and i used to write about japanese subculture media.

Completed Titles (from latest to oldest):

Ah Lim’s Chicken Rice, #01-08A - Everyone loves your chicken rice. Slice-of-life horror.

Chinese Family Dinner Moment - You haven't even had the chance to tell your parents you've gone vegan...

I MUST EAT CHILI OIL - I miss her mapo tofu.

June 1998, Sydney - Your family is moving in, whether you like it or not.

Their Time in This World - A fantasy/adventure game where you restore time to people in need

Hanna, We’re Going to School - ghosts | slice of life | trauma

Ongoing Works:

I Became Gay From Translating My Roommate’s Short Story - A mediocre translator burned out by capitalism.  A writer who has only been published once in her entire life. They meet as roommates and develop a relationship that is perhaps much more than love.

Other Works of Interest:

Mimidoshima - a blog covering a lot of random things inside Japanese media and elsewhere. people seem to like it.

Minidoshima - a substack newsletter successor doing something similar. has more articles on critical distance including their best articles roundups, so surely it must mean something.

Amelie Doree’s YouTube - i’ve collaborated with her on a bunch of videos on the history of japanese visual novels and more. you can especially blame me for the Barcode Fighter video.

Other Social Media:

cohost - tfw my tumblr for fancy people account also appears on critical distance for some reason...

mastodon - i just post esoteric game dev and interactive fiction thoughts there. follow at your own peril.

IFDB - i post reviews there once in a while.

[vensre]

Forgive me if I already asked you this (my memory is terrible), but where might one start with the works of P.G. Wodehouse?

You may have, but there's recent advancements in reading/watching the Jeeves and Wooster series at least, so there are new answers!

There's a substack going called Letters Regarding Jeeves that distributes the short stories in bite-sized form.

And the YouTube to watch is this one! It's remastered and the quality is very good.

If you wanted to get your hands on one or more books or listen to audiobooks, the omnibus is called The World of Jeeves, the first novel is The Inimitable Jeeves (pictured, check out this cool cover!), and my own favorite book of the series is called Joy In The Morning. 💕

[ecogirl2759]

Shadowbound's 1st Anniversary!!

So, the 26th of November (4 days ago) was Shadowbound's first publication anniversary! I'm unfortunately a little late with this illustration, but I got it done and still want to celebrate! Kinda proud of how it turned out ngl lol

There's actually an accompanying short story to this image! If you want to know what kind of cake they're eating, then go over to Storm's Writing Spot on Substack, or wait for the YouTube read-through / speed paint video to drop later today! I promise, it's a great read!

Please read the book it's so good and I have no one to talk about Blaze with--

[ladybird-scribbles]

On the Death and Rebirth of Third Places

As is typical of the constant content cycle of the 2020s, recently my social media feeds became filled with discussions on the ideas of "Third Place" and "Third Space". This first began as a screencap of a Twitter thread, then video essays on YouTube, and SubStack articles on the loss of third places and the loneliness epidemic of today. Therefore, I decided to undertake a deep dive of these phenomena...

What is a Third Place?

Oftentimes third places and third spaces are confused, and used interchangeably, however occupy different meanings. We can attribute the concept of the Third Space to post-colonial critical theorist Homi K. Bhabha, who describes it as a metaphorical space of negotiation.

Paraphrasing Bhabha, the three forms of Space can be summarised thus:

First Space - direct spatial experience, physical spaces, such that can be measured

Second Space - spatial representation and the abstract

Third Space - the liminal inbetween, where ideas and people blend together.

The Third Place comes from a similar root concept, but focuses more on the physical space and activity rather than on the abstract. Originally coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg in The Great Good Place (1989) each Place is defined as such:

First Place - the home, someone's refuge, nest, and point of closest connection with others

Second Place - the workplace, where people spend most of their time

Third Place - congregational neutral ground, a mix between First and Second places that is both and neither.

Traditionally, the Third Place would be a community hub such as the church, or the local pub, as well as leisure spaces such as the library, sports grounds and social clubs. One might also consider shopping centres, cafes,

Hostility in Third Places:

A tweet by Salem @aWildSalem on Twitter - (who uses third space as the term rather than third place, but means the latter)

"People really built a society with no third spaces, made it illegal or unsafe to be outside, and then blamed phone use for making teenagers depressed. I've had this conversation with multiple parents. They want the phones to be the source of the problem because they don't want to admit that we have created a physical environment that is hostile to teenage existence."

It seems clear to me that this does not solely impact today's teenagers, but the entirety of society. Third spaces these days are typically either commercial or digital, both of which sets limitations on users and connections. A coffee shop could be considered a third space, however you still need to purchase something, e.g. a coffee, in order to justify using the space. Public parks are often home to hostile architecture discouraging lingering and loitering - decorative sculptural benches that become uncomfortable after a short period, or no seating at all, have become increasingly common in public spaces to discourage rough sleepers, which not only makes the space intentionally hostile to homeless people, but also to disabled people and to the elderly, who need spaces to sit. Therefore these public spaces become less appealing and more threatening for a significant number of citizens and these spaces limit opportunity for connection as we are pushed away from them.

On the flipside, in recent times there has been a growing an argument that social media is the new Third Place to combat the loss and degradation of physical Third Places. Arguably this can only apply to forums such as Discord, where curating an online community, rather than pushing products and services, is seen as the goal. Discord started as a server platform for gamers, with voice, video, and chat functions, creating a digital communal space like a club would but without the physical and spatial presence of said clubhouse - bringing people together from all across the world over shared interests who may otherwise have never met. Friendships and relationships blossom in the digital realm in ways that were not possible before the internet and instant communication. During the Covid-19 pandemic, digital third places became for many people the only communal space they could occupy without risk, as public spaces required social distancing and limits on numbers, and there was the ever-present risk of coronavirus. Forums and servers continue to provide safe spaces for communities who might otherwise be treated with hostility in the physical world.

The issue with this is that by not having visibility in the physical world, these communities can be pushed further away from it and further into online-only interactions.

Public Space and Performance

How much does your performance affect your perception of the space around you?

The Second Place is centred entirely around the idea of Performance - the workplace is where you are your most productive: creating, manufacturing, providing in order to earn a living and sustain yourself, in the hopes of more freedom as you work up the chain of command. This constant productivity also demands constant performance - in the service sectors, one must be polite, approachable, knowledgeable, well-dressed. For women this can mean a face of makeup and a structured bra, for example.

We return home to our First Place - makeup is wiped off, bra cast aside and discarded on the back of a chair, to be rediscovered tomorrow in a wild rush. We unmask into comfort after providing a Performance from approximately 8am to 5pm, depending on what "work" looks like. Longer, if we have to work overtime or face a lengthy commute.

Therefore, the Third Place is an inbetween of the two - we are naturally expected to behave well as this is a public realm, but how we present ourselves should be to our own comfort levels.

What intrigues me about these topics is not only the death of the Third Place, but the blurring between First and Second Places. Growing up, the idea of somebody working from home was a rare one - my father, a notable exception who worked from home before it was cool, still has his home office in the tiny box room I had once called mine as a toddler (the room still has the same blue carpet and the same farm animals dancing around on the wallpaper). He has worked from home for around 25 years now, and for most of that time, he was the only person I knew of who used home as a workspace. This all changed with Covid-19 and the pandemic - universities rushed to put their students into online learning, workplaces shuttered and sent employees home with laptops to eke out existence on the kitchen counter, surrounded by everyone else at home trying to do the same thing. Pure chaos, perhaps?

However, four years on hybrid working is a highly sought-after job attribute, and people appreciate the flexibility it gives them to avoid as much commuting and to spend much-needed time with loved ones. However, this has come at the expense of home privacy - where does "work" end and "home" begin if you are operating in the same series of rooms day-in, day-out? Does working from home make it harder to switch off from work-mode, and vice-versa? Working from home removes a significant chunk of the performance that office work requires - by this I mean dressing well, platitudes about how peoples' weekends were, listening to the standard radio station rather than playing your own music - although this can look different for everyone - however it also removes some of the connectivity that we need as adults which is harder to come by than when we were at school. In school, you made friends by proximity. In adulthood, that method of friendship seems far more rare. Some people may find their "work bestie" and it blossoms into true friendship, others see work colleagues as people they share a building with and that's the extent of it. Add to this hybrid working, and we see colleagues less frequently and have less chance to make meaningful connections with them. Gone are the conversations clustered around the water-cooler... and sometimes working from home means the only conversation someone might have is a five minute Teams call pushing for a project, where the receiver ends the call and thinks "That could have been an e-mail."

This all feeds back into the growing loneliness epidemic - loneliness was declared a "global public health concern" in the tail end of 2023. Covid-19 has accellerated what was already a burgeoning issue before the pandemic as we were de-socialised over a series of lockdowns.

Much of what I am exploring in this thinkpiece feeds back into each other in a loop - pushing people away from physical Third Places causes hostile environments which pushes people further away, for example. Children not having space to play can lead to lonely, isolated young adults who don't know how to connect in the real world.

On the other hand - I have hope that despite the odds communities persevere and grow, creating new Third Places for people to congregate. I am lucky enough to live in a town with a thriving craft scene, multiple book clubs, and a clear community spirit that has been evident for decades and that the town itself is very proud of. Believe me, it makes a massive difference.

FURTHER READING / VIEWING: - https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/architectural-community/a10494-third-spaces-in-architecture-edward-soja/

Chapter 4, Section 4.4 and Chapter 5 in Foucault for Architects, Gordana Fontana-Giusti, 2013

Mina Le - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqjpuUJQFcM - "third places, stanley cup mania, and the epidemic of loneliness"

NotJustBikes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvdQ381K5xg - "The Great Places Erased by Suburbia (the Third Place)"

Elliot Sang - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ku9csXhvJY - "Nowhere to Go: The Loss of Third Places"

[tirfpikachu]

heyyyy i'm still sickly but feeling emotional today, like. wow. some of you in my askbox i wish i could hug so, so tightly and warmly and have a really cozy deep talk in front of a fireplace together. please i want y'all to know that you're always welcome to reach out! tumblr DMs get glitchy for me so I might ghost accidentally but you can always poke me again and again with a stick. it's a lot easier to talk in DMs on discord @ bunnyrats or on twitter @ nuancefem.

at this point i feel like the only way i can express the love i feel for the nuancefem community is by turning your comments into scrungly lil mini comics or videos or something???? y'all are the reason i'm still stubbornly staying here despite all the threats and personal insults i've faced the past 2+ years. my assistant [redacted] will be doodling stuff on my behalf soon!! if you have any story about real events you've been through that peaked you in not just a radfem way but specifically a nuancefem way that you'd like to see turned into mini comics or even a short animated video please send them my way! i've been racking my brain like freaking crazy trying to use all the awesome skills of the people around me to uplift this community at a realistic pace for my very low income. i love you sm gyns 🫶

any financial support given will go towards giving bigger giftcards to the lovely artists and writers working on various nuancefem projects!

if you donate or have donated $10cad or more in the past lmk and you'll get a lil custom icon next to your name in the server and a little custom doodle version of you at the end of each zine/video!! ^_^ i want to give you access to my future premium articles on substack and youtube too because holy shit y'all kept me literally alive at my worst!!!!!!! i appreciate you so freaking much. just send a screenshot of ur kofi receipt/history my way! you don't get to choose ur art exactly but it shall be based on your visible interests in some way >:]

[cindylouwho-2]

RECENT SEO & MARKETING NEWS FOR ECOMMERCE, AUGUST 2024

Hello, and welcome to my very last Marketing News update here on Tumblr.

After today, these reports will now be found at least twice a week on my Patreon, available to all paid members. See more about this change here on my website blog: https://www.cindylouwho2.com/blog/2024/8/12/a-new-way-to-get-ecommerce-news-and-help-welcome-to-my-patreon-page

Don't worry! I will still be posting some short pieces here on Tumblr (as well as some free pieces on my Patreon, plus longer posts on my website blog). However, the news updates and some other posts will be moving to Patreon permanently.

Please follow me there! https://www.patreon.com/CindyLouWho2

TOP NEWS & ARTICLES 

A US court ruled that Google is a monopoly, and has broken antitrust laws. This decision will be appealed, but in the meantime, could affect similar cases against large tech giants. 

Did you violate a Facebook policy? Meta is now offering a “training course” in lieu of having the page’s reach limited for Professional Mode users. 

Google Ads shown in Canada will have a 2.5% surcharge applied as of October 1, due to new Canadian tax laws.

SEO: GOOGLE & OTHER SEARCH ENGINES 

Search Engine Roundtable’s Google report for July is out; we’re still waiting for the next core update. 

SOCIAL MEDIA - All Aspects, By Site

Facebook (includes relevant general news from Meta)

Meta’s latest legal development: a $1.4 billion settlement with Texas over facial recognition and privacy.  

Instagram

Instagram is highlighting “Views” in its metrics in an attempt to get creators to focus on reach instead of follower numbers. 

Pinterest

Pinterest is testing outside ads on the site. The ad auction system would include revenue sharing. 

Reddit

Reddit confirmed that anyone who wants to use Reddit posts for AI training and other data collection will need to pay for them, just as Google and OpenAI did. 

Second quarter 2024 was great for Reddit, with revenue growth of 54%. Like almost every other platform, they are planning on using AI in their search results, perhaps to summarize content. 

Threads

Threads now claims over 200 million active users.

TikTok

TikTok is now adding group chats, which can include up to 32 people.

TikTok is being sued by the US Federal Trade Commission, for allowing children under 13 to sign up and have their data harvested. 

Twitter

Twitter seems to be working on the payments option Musk promised last year. Tweets by users in the EU will at least temporarily be pulled from the AI-training for “Grok”, in line with EU law.

CONTENT MARKETING (includes blogging, emails, and strategies) 

Email software Mad Mimi is shutting down as of August 30. Owner GoDaddy is hoping to move users to its GoDaddy Digital Marketing setup. 

Content ideas for September include National Dog Week. 

You can now post on Substack without having an actual newsletter, as the platform tries to become more like a social media site. 

As of November, Patreon memberships started in the iOS app will be subject to a 30% surcharge from Apple. Patreon is giving creators the ability to add that charge to the member's bill, or pay it themselves.

ONLINE ADVERTISING (EXCEPT INDIVIDUAL SOCIAL MEDIA AND ECOMMERCE SITES) 

Google worked with Meta to break the search engine’s rules on advertising to children through a loophole that showed ads for Instagram to YouTube viewers in the 13-17 year old demographic. Google says they have stopped the campaign, and that “We prohibit ads being personalized to people under-18, period”.

Google’s Performance Max ads now have new tools, including some with AI. 

Microsoft’s search and news advertising revenue was up 19% in the second quarter, a very good result for them. 

One of the interesting tidbits from the recent Google antitrust decision is that Amazon sells more advertising than either Google or Meta’s slice of retail ads. 

BUSINESS & CONSUMER TRENDS, STATS & REPORTS; SOCIOLOGY & PSYCHOLOGY, CUSTOMER SERVICE 

More than half of Gen Z claim to have bought items while spending time on social media in the past half year, higher than other generations. 

Shopify’s president claimed that Christmas shopping started in July on their millions of sites, with holiday decor and ornament sales doubling, and advent calendar sales going up a whopping 4,463%.