#don't be like this person

[icypantherwrites]

So I received this absolute gem of a comment today. /s Ironically enough, contrary to this "person's" writing, they did in fact seek out this story (given that its been finished for several months and is quite far down on my profile at this point) and they did in fact spend the time to read a 50,000 word story given that they opted to leave this hateful, vitriol spewed comment on the final chapter. Not sure how that's actively avoiding but take a look for yourself. The comment has already been deleted as trying to respond or reason with people like this is a waste of my energy and sanity.

I'm going to go ahead and give a quick analogy to this situation that maybe a few more people can identify with rather than just fellow creators so you can see how hurtful words like this are. Someone (the author) throws a party. For the sake of structure we're going to call it an open house party where people can come and go as they please without any set activities or timelines. A person (this commenter) arrives to the party. They don't bring a host gift; perfectly fine, the open house is free and open to everyone to enjoy and celebrate (in this case enjoy a like fandom together) regardless of how long you've known the host or how close you are to them (in this scenario the person had left a single line comment on a single work in 2021 and that was the only interaction they'd ever had, just to set the scene further).

This person comes in and doesn't seek out the host to say hello or let them know they've arrived. They spend their entire time at the party eating and drinking and having fun. They leave without ever speaking to the host to say thank you, what a great time they had/are having, great party. They're a ghost. Maybe, maybe, the host caught a glimpse of them in the crowd (leaving a kudo or a bookmark) but otherwise they came, they partied, and they left without ever even acknowledging the host's effort, time, or energy spent to put on the party. It sucks and the host is hurt but there's nothing they can do.

But then, in this scenario, the attendee reaches out after the fact to send a scathing text to the host about all the things wrong with the party. The host had run out of their favorite food, the drink selection was poor, there weren't enough chairs to sit on, the music was too loud. They literally have to have the last word of hate and cruelty and stomp all over a free event that was put on for them to enjoy without any expectations except the polite and kind thank you for hosting, had a great time. Quite honestly, who the fuck does that? This person, apparently, and they are unfortunately far from the first I've encountered.

So to all of this, if you are someone who is so offended to an author saying something in their notes like "please don't read and run," or "if you enjoyed the story I'd really appreciate hearing from you in the comments," or "please share a little love with the author and leave a comment," or "this was a really hard story for me to write, it'd mean a lot to hear from you," and have to react in the above way of spending all that time to spew hate when they could have easily just left a 'enjoyed the story' or even just walked away with a kudo (or not) ... then please don't read my works. I don't have the energy any more to deal with just hateful, cruel people, and I don't want them reading my works about support and teamwork and being there for each other. I don't honestly even know why they'd want to when clearly those sorts of messages are at odds with their personal beliefs.

It costs nothing to be kind. And while I would love for everyone to write detailed comments with favorite scenes and parts and feedback, I appreciate just as much the person who says "thanks for the story" and leave it at that because at least they took the few seconds, a single moment, to give back to that author after reading their time and effort and energy. And if you have nothing nice to say, then don't say anything at all and just walk away. Better to be a ghost than someone who actively seeks to hurt others.

Between comments like these and all the AI-stuff still floating about I have really been waffling between setting my AO3 to logged-in users only. I'm trying not to do that as I know there are many who don't have accounts for one reason or another and this is how they are able to access my works, but it's becoming a more distinct possibility. I really hope I don't have to resort to that. Please don't make that have to be the only outlet I have left to protect myself (although, this was a logged in user so even that isn't foolproof.)

If you read this and want to help make a positive difference, go out there today and spread some love. Leave a comment -- short and sweet or super detailed, whatever you feel comfortable with doing -- on story you read today. Tag a favorite author in a post. Draw fanart. Compliment someone in person on their smile. Do a random act of kindness. Donate to a favorite charity or help someone in need. Please, please help put kindness back into the world because right now, at least to me, it just feels very very dark and it definitely needs some more bright lights.

[lesbxdyke]

I could think of no better way to share the news than this!

So when I was 17, my cat went missing and I'd given up hope of ever seeing him again.

Until on Monday, 27th of May, 2024, my friend sent me a FB post asking 'isn't that your mother?' about the person named on the microchip.

Here he is! 16 years old, and found safe, twelve whole years after he went missing!

Yesterday (Tuesday the 28th of May, 2024) I went to the rescue that had him, and I reclaimed my boy, renaming him Artie! (He'd originally been called 'Cat' because my mother and I couldn't decide on a name)

He's home safe with me now, currently inhabiting my bathroom and purring up a storm every time someone goes in there!

I'll be doing slow introductions between him and my current cat to give them the best possible chance of living in harmony!

Here's some pictures of Artie once we let him out of the carrier:

[captainjonnitkessler]

Sometimes I wish we would start calling out the performative radicalism on this site for the poser bullshit it is. "Remember, it's always morally correct to kill a cop!" "Don't forget to firebomb your local government office!" "Wow, it sure would be a shame if these instructions on how to make a molotov cocktail got spread around!"

Okay. But you're not killing cops or firebombing government offices. You are posting on a dying microblogging website to a carefully-curated echo chamber that has radicalized itself into thinking that taking the absolute most extreme position on any subject is praxis but that anyone discussing the most practical way to effect actual change is your sworn enemy. You do not have the street cred OR the activist cred to be talking about killing cops, babe.

[wildbasil]

things haven't been great but i think they will be. eventually 🌻🌼🩷

[callisteios]

hii i recently fell in love with movies again so i made a uquiz where you can find out which actor would play you in a film about your life.

[mrtequilasunset]

Listen man, you guys can't be like "you guys need to be normal about asexuality" and then turn around and get weirdly judgemental when you find out someone doesn't have sex by choice. Like that's weird that some of you do that.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Hey now, Let her cook!

[uncanny-tranny]

I think so many people are so deeply alienated from themselves that they have no clue how to exercise their free will and autonomy. For some, this alienation runs so deep that they are afraid of their own autonomy and humanity. It is completely understandable why one would have those feelings, but it can be worrisome.

I want to help others who feel this way, so here are small things I have done to exercise my free will:

Add "guilty pleasure" songs to playlists and actually listen to them (I have a ton of late 1990s-early 2000s music I listen to now proudly that I never listened to in the past out of shame)

Getting the décor item, bath set, bed spread, ect. in the patterns you like, even if it's "childish" (I got a dinosaur-themed wastebasket from the kids' décor section and I adore it)

Taking a new route to get to a place you go to often

Eat dessert first

Celebrate well, and often

Collect things that are "odd" or don't seem like an "acceptable" thing to collect (somebody on my "for you" page collects dandelion crayola crayons and it was so cool!!!!!!)

Incorporate one new piece in an outfit you wear frequently (e.g., a new chain, a necklace, ribbons, bracelets, ect.). Challenge yourself to add onto the outfits if you feel up for it.

Sing along to songs without worrying that you sound "good" or your intonation is completely accurate

Read a book from a genre you weren't allowed to read as a kid (comics, thrillers, mysteries, anything!)

Walk without having a specific destination or goal

Pick up a new craft without expecting yourself to master it or to ever be "good" enough. Get your hands messy.

I don't want to shame anybody for not feeling as though they have free will or that they are exempt from exercising it. However, I wanted to give ideas so that you might read this list and find your own ways to express your intrinsic autonomy and will. You deserve to be a person, to feel alive, not just living. That is what our lives are for.

[thesaltyace]

Y'all I did NOT know this about Harris, and I think it's really critical that we all listen and understand as we approach this election. Video at the end.

This creator's video describes how progressive Harris was as a prosecutor -- actively going against the grain to the point she was accused of being soft on crime. Accused of being a social worker, not a prosecutor. She calls it being smart on crime. She's pushing for systemic changes to give real pathways to reintegrate incarcerated folks back into society and prevent their past from continuing to haunt them moving forward.

"Kamala's a cop" is a catchy dismissive response usually used to shut down conversation rather than add nuance. But this kind of reform is ESSENTIAL to work towards a present and future that treats incarcerated people with value.

I fell for it in 2020 and have thought "Kamala's a cop" without further inspection since - and I'm sobered by the realization that (you guessed it!) I'm not immune to propaganda.

A better system only follows liberal democracy, because library democracy allows for exploration of better systems. If authoritarianism takes hold, it will not allow for the exploration of better systems. We will have to fight tooth and nail just to try to get back to liberal democracy, and I suspect we could not achieve it in our lifetimes.

Harris isn't perfect. But she's a hell of a lot better than many leftists have led me to believe. Don't let perfection be the enemy of good. Don't let perfection be the enemy of harm reduction.

We can either help elect Trump and usher in authoritarian fascism, or we can help defeat him and pull things back in the direction we want to go. Not liking the choices doesn't absolve you from participating and doing the most good you can with the options available.

I'll link the original video in the replies. The original video has captions if you need them.

[liquidstar]

Yes, Greece still exists, we didn't all die 2000 years ago. Yes, people speak Greek. You people are so fucking stupid for real. So many of you claim to love ancient shit but can't even acknowledge the actual living culture of the people whose mythology and classics you romanticize. You keep leaving annoying comments about how you just forget Greek people still exist, thinking you're being quirky because you love ancient stuff soooo much that you forgot about the people it came from. You think about it so little you don't even realize that an actual Greek person has to read this shit, making it clear how little you actually care about the culture beyond the romanticized (and westernized) mythology. Don't claim you love Greece, don't use our mythology anymore if you can't acknowledge that we're still around without making it about how little you think about us. It's mind boggling that you'd think a Greek person would read this and think you're anything but obnoxious. Explode.

[inkskinned]

because sometimes there are invisible tests and invisible rules and you're just supposed to ... know the rule. someone you thought of as a friend asks you for book recommendations, so you give her a list of like 30 books, each with a brief blurb and why you like it. later, you find out she screenshotted the list and send it out to a group chat with the note: what an absolute freak can you believe this. you saw the responses: emojis where people are rolling over laughing. too much and obsessive and actually kind of creepy in the comments. you thought you'd been doing the right thing. she'd asked, right? an invisible rule: this is what happens when you get too excited.

you aren't supposed to laugh at your own jokes, so you don't, but then you're too serious. you're not supposed to be too loud, but then people say you're too quiet. you aren't supposed to get passionate about things, but then you're shy, boring. you aren't supposed to talk too much, but then people are mad when you're not good at replying.

you fold yourself into a prettier paper crane. since you never know what is "selfish" and what is "charity," you give yourself over, fully. you'd rather be empty and over-generous - you'd rather eat your own boundaries than have even one person believe that you're mean. since you don't know what the thing is that will make them hate you, you simply scrub yourself clean of any form of roughness. if you are perfect and smiling and funny, they can love you. if you are always there for them and never admit what's happening and never mention your past and never make them uncomfortable - you can make up for it. you can earn it.

don't fuck up. they're all testing you, always. they're tolerating you. whatever secret club happened, over a summer somewhere - during some activity you didn't get to attend - everyone else just... figured it out. like they got some kind of award or examination that allowed them to know how-to-be-normal. how to fit. and for the rest of your life, you've been playing catch-up. you've been trying to prove that - haha! you get it! that the joke they're telling, the people they are, the manual they got- yeah, you've totally read it.

if you can just divide yourself in two - the lovable one, and the one that is you - you can do this. you can walk the line. they can laugh and accept you. if you are always-balanced, never burdensome, a delight to have in class, champagne and glittering and never gawky or florescent or god-forbid cringe: you can get away with it.

you stare at your therapist, whom you can make jokes with, and who laughs at your jokes, because you are so fucking good at people-pleasing. you smile at her, and she asks you how you're doing, and you automatically say i'm good, thanks, how are you? while the answer swims somewhere in your little lizard brain:

how long have you been doing this now? mastering the art of your body and mind like you're piloting a puppet. has it worked? what do you mean that all you feel is... just exhausted. pick yourself up, the tightrope has no net. after all, you're cheating, somehow, but nobody seems to know you actually flunked the test. it's working!

aren't you happy yet?

[beemovieerotica]

Hey... so there now appear to be AI-generated science articles on .org websites that are giving biologically incorrect "facts" on basic, for-children topics

The title is "Are There Freshwater Octopus Species?" which should be an incredibly straightforward thing to answer: No.

The article starts out decent:

"Despite their many fascinating features, there is no evidence to suggest that octopuses can survive in freshwater environments."

Cool. Okay. Next section.

"While most people associate octopuses with the ocean, there are some species that can survive in freshwater environments."

Wait. What?

"Freshwater octopuses belong to the genus Amphioctopus, which includes several species that are found in brackish water and estuaries. These cephalopods have adapted to life in freshwater environments and have been observed in rivers, streams, and even hydrothermal vents."

NO NO NO.

One species of freshwater octopus is Amphioctopus aegina...Another species, Amphioctopus marginatus...

THESE GUYS LIVE IN THE OCEAN. [Scrolls 2 more sections]

Freshwater octopuses are still a topic of debate among scientists. While some researchers claim that they do exist, others argue that there is not enough literature to support their existence.

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[bixels]

me too, luna.

[callisteios]

i made a character uquiz. i 100% promise you that you will get a character you know AND like

[apollos-olives]

before october 7th this blog was a meme page btw.