#especially with the new wave of twitter users

[catgirlcrisis]

i hate to be chronically online but please dni if you are a space for bi lesbians or whatever they call themselves

[kulay-ng-banaag]

In the spirit of releasing all emotional debts on New Year's Eve, I’m going to open up about my frustrations regarding Desa aka dinosaurusgede aka the creator of Maaf.

For context, she made a Twitter account around the time that Himaruya properly introduced the newly canonized cast of SEA nations (Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia). Like many other fans, she rode the nostalgia wave in creating content of them. By this point in time, Maaf was more or less a “finished” story to her — whatever Hetalia/SEAtalia content she published from that point onward was not as a continuation of, nor even as a reboot, of Maaf (although she did mention entertaining that idea). For the most part, the newer works she uploaded on Twitter were independent stories and were not necessarily linked to one other either.

Regrettably, I cannot present the problematic page/s for a more thorough and guided scrutiny because she deleted her Twitter account. Unless someone out there saved them, and frankly I wouldn't know who did nor would care to find out, everything was lost to the void. I’m literally working on what was imprinted in my memory by spite, so I apologize if I misremember details.

This will include discussion of anti-indigenous racism and other issues pertaining to colonialism.

She had an IndoPhil story titled Trust Me? and it was inspired by a fanmade BruPhil AMV wherein Indonesia was manipulating Philippines into believing that he was married to Indonesia and not Brunei. Trust Me? kept that concept of a manipulative Indonesia; the key difference being that Indonesia’s motivation for it (in Desa’s story) was the mix of hurt over Philippines “losing his precolonial memories” — based on popularized misconceptions of early Philippine history — of and how that was “aggravated” by his Westernization™, made worse under the United States (350+ years in the convent getting ratio'd by 50 years in Hollywood is hilarious ngl).

That was a lot to unpack, but before we even get there:

Indonesia and Philippines were having a tender moment when HWS America (as in the Hetalia personification that is Alfred F. Jones) walks in calling out "MY LITTLE BROWN BROTHER!"

Indonesia entered his Joker arc because he recalled how HWS America dumped the Philippines in a human zoo at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. There was an explicit panel of Philippines in Igorot* dress and a painfully forlorn bearing.

What "triggered" Indonesia was when, after the flashback, Piri goes up to Indonesia and asks him if he's a Bolshevist 🥺 (the idea was PH being brainwashed by Red Scare propaganda). Cue kabedon moment from Indonesia, and basically a yandere walk down "memory lane."

I did not have it in me to finish reading that comic...

*Igorot is an outdated umbrella term for the upland indigenous peoples of Northern Luzon

Aside from the clearly intended shock value of that depiction, I was taken aback by the painful lack of objectivity on her part when it came to the reading of history. To be fair on Desa, she never specialized in history studies, so it was only courteous that we could not expect her to have as developed of a critical reading as trained academics of history. Unfortunately, that was precisely why I disagreed with the popular notion of Desa as both a great researcher and a great storyteller of her research — all the more when Maaf was just the mangafication of certain Wikipedia articles.

To be fair as well on Wikipedia, it was, at best, a satisfactory jumpstart into more in-depth reading, and we could give it the benefit of the doubt that revisions had since been made to at least some of the articles that Desa relied on while making Maaf (more than 10 years is more than enough time for change). Nevertheless, the articles themselves did not teach users how to scrutinize the sources — most especially the biases of the sources’ author/s — utilized in building up the information.

That mattered because much of the retrospect narratives about the St. Louis Fair had a tendency of raising awareness through the newspaper articles that covered the exhibition at the time. These chronicled the impressions of the visiting authors, who likely (and I say likely because we would have to more exhaustively discern their personal politics one by one) were biased in favor of the “benevolent assimilation” of the Philippines — and the sights that they beheld only validated it further. They did not, however, explain why these Philippine indigenous peoples were brought in in the first place — information that could have further cemented Desa's reputation had she truly spent the efforts, even while understandably juggling other commitments as we all do. Instead, she only perpetuated the habit of sacrificing the veracity of equally important, finer details to the bigger picture in order to sensationalize righteous fury against colonialism.

The 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair was also formally known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, giving away its purpose as a commemoration. More appropriately, it was the centennial anniversary (technically delayed by a year though) of the acquisition of French Louisiana, expanding the territorial bounds of the United States. Additionally, the point of a world’s fair was to showcase the achievements of a nation, and one could also think of it as the sale of a fever dream — what more for a fast-growing, fledgling power the likes of the United States, itself a former colony? On another note, the St. Louis World’s Fair was not the only one of its kind so no, the US is not that original lmao.

One could thus see how the inclusion of a dedicated exhibit to the newly acquired colony that was the Philippines neatly fit into the themes of a world's fair centralized on the US. It was all the more a paramount topic of debate, with prominent Americans the likes of Mark Twain (here are selected excerpts, but I highly recommend reading the entirety of his To the Person Sitting in the Darkness) publishing anti-US imperialism opinions, even after the endgame of the Philippine-American War essentially favored the pro-imperialists. While dissent from the American side at the time remains poorly studied AND THAT'S ON OVERRULE BY BIAS, we at least have a glimpse, if mostly obscure still, of its existence.

If we can assume that it must have indeed been a prominent discourse in America, loud enough to get the White House furrowing its brows, then it's plausible to understand how it was of utmost importance that the the Philippine exhibit was to be carefully — because, in a way, America had to sell itself as the "lesser evil" vs notable "rivals" — curated while still ultimately corroborating assimilation of the Philippines. Thus, enter Truman Hunt, the man who oversaw "the Igorot Village" of the St. Louis Fair, having won the hearts of the native Igorots for a powerful reason:

Section from Claire Prentice, The Lost Tribe of Coney Island: Headhunters, Luna Park, and the Man Who Pulled Off the Spectacle of the Century, New York, NY: Amazon Publishing, 2014.

While the cholera epidemic that occurred at the onset of the American Colonial Period was arguably the worst in the history of cholera epidemic management in the Philippines, I want to make it very, very clear that it was not the first and only wave that hit the archipelago. There had been a handful in the prior century alone — all of such magnitudes that it embedded a deep collective trauma; farmers refused to harvest their crops for fear of infection, tragically enabling famines and contributing starvation & nutrition deficiencies on top of a viral & swift killer (the experience of severe, rapid dehydration is such that one can fall dead within hours of infection).

Given such an imaginably harrowing experience (and it was an awfully painful topic to study as someone who got infected with and survived COVID-19 and has family working as frontliners), how could the natives turn away a stranger with such miraculous powers? Who knows how they comprehended it (e.g. a benevolent sign from heaven they must accept) because, unfortunately, we have yet to discuss preserved accounts on that matter, if any at all.

What is known, however, is that there were Igorots who were not just enamored by the "opportunity of a lifetime," but the selected lucky candidates clearly expressed their consent to participate:

More sections from Prentice, The Lost Tribe of Coney Island.

I will quickly add that, unfortunately, a few members of the Igorot delegation died from illness in making the trip, and Hunt aged like milk over the years (fell into the trap of capitalism in pushing for more subsequent exhibit trips, to the point that less care was extended to the Igorots and he was ultimately arrested for embezzlement). Given that our scope remains to be the 1904 St. Louis Fair, any signs of abuse inflicted upon the Igorots during their stay based on preserved photographs is simply not clear. To assume that they were in a pitiable state would be to enforce a presentist reading that might betray not just their memories & experiences but also their right to self-determination.

EDIT (01/02/24): A good example to demonstrate what I mean in analyzing photographs, here's an article on the author's personal, genealogical research into the Igorots — specifically, the Suyoc — who were at the St. Louis Fair.

It truly is ironic that a Filipino is making these points as if to defend the United States as a whole (no I am not, and if you think I do, lumayas ka). I agree that white people gawking over the peoples of the Philippines with such fascination that borders fetishism warrants all the eye-rolls. At the same time — and it is even more ironic that I am pointing this out as a lowland, Christianized Tagalog based in the metro (not just any urbanized part of the country) — there is a character of patronizing these indigenous communities in the unspoken assumption that their participation is the fault of their ignorance. Pay attention, once more, to the demographics that constituted the Philippine exhibit in the 1904 St. Louis Fair — what kind of "Filipinos" were included and who were left out? There were also Negritos*, Visayans, and Muslims from Mindanao (historically referred to as Moros) in the same event, yet we hardly hear about their experiences. Perhaps it might have to do with how they were considered "more civilized" than these upland groups.

*OUTDATED term (and please blame the Spanish for it); these are the Aeta.

I understand Desa's reservations against US imperialism and sympathies for communities marginalized by Western colonization. I just hope that I was able to clarify as best as I could why I was so taken aback in how she depicted the Hetalia personification of my country the way she did. I agree that, as far as I ever got to interact with her, she is generally very polite and kind. That's why I gave her the benefit of the doubt when she approached me in DM to apologize for how her narrative choice was offensive. As someone who despised red tape in academia, I tried to talk to her about how there were valid reasons as to why the American Colonial Period was considered a mixed blessing, even by PH historians.

Instead, she pulled a complete 180.

She said that — to a Filipino who condemned imperialism (no matter who started it), who also happened to study history as a profession, and was also a Hetalia fan who wants to explore Hetalia narratives differently from what was popularized. Half of the reason was because some fandom takes left a bad taste, like eating a dish with ingredients that even Gordon Ramsay would tell you shouldn’t go together; the other half was because I saw things differently and wanted to express it because why not?

I want to say it's not necessary to bring up something from a private conversation, but I will anyway to reiterate that my issue is not that she isn't nice. Bluntly, however, the way she said those words so formally did creep me out, but ultimately, my issue lies in how her biases have led her into making off-putting takes from time to time. I will not say more, but Trust Me? was not the only Twitter comic by Desa that got bombastic side-eyes.

And if only because Sukarno got dragged in, I felt compelled to briefly debunk that as well: even he initially viewed the United States in a very positive light: “The United States occupies a very distinguished part, a very distinguished place, in the hearts of the Indonesian people.” That was uttered in 1961, and it took a very specific historical context to instigate a complete shift by 1964:

Sections from Vincent Bevins, The Jakarta Method: Washington’s Anticommunist Crusade & the Mass Murder Program that Shaped Our World, New York: PublicAffairs, 2021, 121-123.

EDIT (01/02/24): Note that Desa was citing Sukarno's later sentiments in the late 1960s as her reason for characterizing Indonesia as such in her comic. However, the setting of the story was the late 1920s (Indonesia's visit was based on Tan Malaka's abscondence to the Philippines). I'd dare say the anachronism was not due to oversight but a deliberate choice in using a certain fictional character — namely HWS Indonesia — as propaganda for Desa's anti-Americanism.

It's definitely depressing to think about all the "lost" history & culture that thrived before the arrival of white colonizers. It's why I'm surprised that, for a fiction work, she didn't project all that anger onto Spain instead — it had to specifically be the United States. Was it because they basically cockblocked Philippine independence, even though Spain practically sold the Philippines to the US? The implication that Spain should be permitted to wash its hands clean of all accountability was an awkward message to convey.

I understand that nothing could be 100% accurate (I'm actually quoting Desa defending herself on that matter) in fiction, but the level of projection coming from a certain non-Filipino reading Philippine history was so silly. And again, how did it all justify the explicit depiction of HWS Philippines as an indigenous man in a human zoo? (END OF EDIT)

As my professors will also never tire of saying: you can disagree with a historian’s interpretations but you can never disagree with the evidence in themselves. You don’t have to morally agree either, and I can guarantee you that many Filipinos do not. I, myself, resented the endgame of the particular war that brought that period about in the first place. How dare, then, she said it was “not her place” to defend US imperialism, while granting herself the freedom to express her country’s feelings on the matter?

Oh, it’s all just fiction? I do not condone the subsequent treatment she received, but why then couldn’t she stop trying to “educate” NLID shippers? I do not know how both sides talked to one another, only that what caught me eye was: Why does everyone else have to respect her fiction while she gets to disrespect others’ fictions for not aligning with hers?

EDIT (01/20/24): Just to clarify further on that point — over a decade ago, she went ham in the comment section of someone's (APH) America x (fem!OC) Indonesia. That ship is not in my lore either simply because I follow a totally different route. To cut to the chase, she took that fanart very personally and infodumped on US war crimes that involved Indonesia.

I know Tan Malaka started the whole North Indonesia agenda, but come on, neither was it Desa's place to just treat HWS Philippines the way she did. An Indonesian schooling other Indonesians on ID history is not surprising, but an Indonesian schooling a Filipino on PH history? I'd be humbled if they had the credentials. She didn't and, unless she enrolled herself in a graduate program, she still doesn't.

By all technicalities, she can’t ship IDPH because the Philippine government was (unfortunately and grossly) complicit in the chain of events that led to the 1965-66 genocides in Indonesia. Yet, she does despite of that fact. We thus circle back to Trust Me? and how that was a manifestation of her stubborn refusal to acknowledge any nuances by projecting HWS Indonesia as a self-proclaimed savior of HWS Philippines from the beguile of US neocolonialism.

I empathize with her anger. I'm sorry that the US government by extent enabled what her family went through. I agree that it's not her place to defend them; in fact, she shouldn't. But when even the so-called "highest of Malay nations*" is worth her neutrality, how can she expect me to forgive her?

*That is literally what the Philippines is to her; I know this because she explicitly said so to me in DM. DO NOT ASK FOR RECEIPTS, I am not comfortable revealing that particular conversation.

I cannot — in fact, NO ONE SHOULD — afford to be neutral about Duterte or Marcos, etc., and for her to be so flippant about her privilege (by way of ethnicity/citizenship/cultural upbringing) to be neutral** about Philippine politics, while simultaneously NAGGING ON EVERYBODY TO RESPECT INDONESIAN POLITICS, is annoying at best and plain selfish at worst.

**Also explicitly said to me in DM. Again, DO NOT ASK FOR RECEIPTS.

(END OF EDIT)

I’m not Indonesian but I do not have it in me to politely accuse a native Indonesian of allowing their personal biases to misread their own history. As a Filipino, however, while I'm not surprised by the reductionist chronicling of the histories & cultures of the Philippines, I am at a loss for words over the continuing idolization for Desa & Maaf, when she was not the best and most reliable narrator, especially given her negligence in representing indigenous peoples through her comics.

I mean, guys, I'm not saying this as if the Trust Me? comic was the first and only instance when this was literally Maaf canon that sat comfortably in the internet for over a decade, and continues to be appraised as THE BIBLE OF HISTORICAL HETALIA.

EDIT (01/20/24 — originally added via a reblog): I cannot believe this needs to be said because this is the consequence of when Hetalia fans take their fiction too literally because creators have made careless takes.

There were SEAtalians joking about how the Yolngu are a dead people.

I repeat.

THERE WERE SEATALIANS JOKING ABOUT HOW THE YOLNGU ARE A DEAD PEOPLE.

(END OF EDIT)

So as 2023 comes to a close we enter 2024, I'd like to conclude this post with the following points:

At best, Wikipedia is a satisfactory jumping point, but please believe me when I say no historian will respect you for (over-)relying on Wikipedia. And given that anyone with a decent device & internet signal can access Wikipedia, Desa is just not a GOAT in historical research.

At worst, idolizing Maaf patronizes the work of historians. It doesn't help that PH historians have been targets of harassment because of dis-/misinformation campaigns. I bring this up because it's already bad enough to have to confront that reality outside of fandom spaces on a regular basis in standing our ground for more just historical truths. I hope that folks understand why that's a particularly sensitive struggle for me, and why receiving such comments like the one I shared above deeply hurt. She was not apologetic about that — and every time she would post about apologizing for the moments she has offended others, or when others compliment her for being so open-minded, I cannot help but feel bitter.

Other BIPOC — yes, not just other SEAsians and that's on literally drawing nations other than SEA — have spoken up on the matter. If you can talk about how you learned so much from Desa, you can also learn as much from other perspectives. I hope that in raising all of this, more SEAtalians understand that we risk othering non-SEA BIPOC.

The idolization of Maaf (and the creator in question) is personally far more off-putting than the problematic points of Maaf or any comic she has ever made, because I think she caved to peer pressure instead of learning to wield her fiction more sensitively without being too reliant of the opinions of those she has pleased. Not even Hidekaz Himaruya writes his nationverse characters like that — the one time I’ll admit that canon trumps fanon.

I’m not stopping people from liking Maaf or Desa anyway. I just cannot help but take issue with how the SEAtalia fandom feels less of a safe & inclusive community than it is a cult centered on one person — almost as if her fiction is unquestionable canon and anyone who disagrees gets the boot. Once again, I do not condone the subsequent treatment she received in retaliation, but frankly that's just not what I'm addressing here.

I'm also not saying it's wrong to give words of reassurance and validation to people you admire, only that some of you need to understand you're forcing a parasocial relationship with your idols. It may feel good to you, but please be mindful of the unwarranted pressure it imposes.

I apologize for dumping all of this at literally the end of the year. I want to let it all go in a manner that is clear, concise, and not overwhelming to digest. I do hope that my candid thoughts will push the fandom one step forward in critically consuming media without having to resort to crab-mentality tendencies — because it's been especially hard seeing the demeaning takes made about the Philippines in this fandom.

[5eraphim]

eras of tumblr i could give hour-long Ted Talks about

(only including eras i participated in, not what i’ve lived through second-handedly. these are what i personally remember seeing on my dash, i’m sure there’s plenty i missed. This is an ongoing list/not fixed/subject to future edits.)

2015 gravity falls 

the rise of sexyman bill cipher 

depravity falls and putting 12 yr old characters in violent guro situations 

alex hirsch worship

billdip discourse

the diehard thirst for Gruncle Ford 

“i want to fuck that dorito”

2015/16 Black Butler

SebaCiel discourse

Grelle discourse (like, i don’t even know how to elaborate, but if you were there you would remember how people were fighting over her characterization in all different directions. Which is funny because, love her or hate her, she is barely even in the show lol)

The needlessly intense sjw vs anti-sjw/ fiction doesn’t effect reality/ shipping fighting

can’t quantify this, but i swear 80% of the fans were ex-hetalia fans 

Black butler 2 being either loved or hated, while book of circus was almost unanimously loved

the Scott Freeman incident...

no one giving a fuck about the female characters

Yana/Jay Michael Tatum worship

2016 Undertale

Sans undertale sexyman rise

the most raw video game soundtrack of all time

papyton

no one agrees how to draw undyne, but we all agree that she’s gay as fuck

(This is a personal anecdote, but i actually made a friend in highschool bc i drew undertale fanart on the board at latin class nd she added to it the next day, i added to it the next day and eventually we met up and it was so adorable)

“get dunked on”

2016-17 hamilton, heathers, great comet, dear evan hansen, be more chill musical theater insanity

rip tumblr user galactibun

The Hamilton craze breathing new life into the 1776 musical fandom

Most bizarre fanfic aus seen on tumblr thus far (hamilton)

The great comet Tony snubs

BMC and DEH blowing up, despite most fans only caring about the characters, totally ignoring the plot.

“Miku binder Thomas Jefferson”

No one giving a fuck about “The Hamilton Mixtape”

Gatekeeping fans who didn’t read war and peace or the ron chernow biography (i don’t think anyone ever gave a shit about the BMC orginal book which is SO FUNNY)

lin manuel miranda worship

real people fanfictions of actors/shipping them (especially hamilton!)

Key Figures include: Lin Manuel Miranda, Ron Chernow, Philipa Soo, Daveed Diggs, Ben Platt, George Salazar, Barette Wilbert Weed, and Mike Faist

2016-2017 the yuri on ice, killing stalking, kaikyu yaoi trifecta 

Yaoi take over

The anime fans collective salt over YOI winning anime of the year 2016

Not in this time period, but the Killing Stalking fans despising the ending en mass several years later.

Free! was also huge as the second season concluded not long before, but wasn’t receiving new updated in Realtime like the other three.

honestly? i mostly just remember people drawing some of the most beautiful fan art of the characters and not bothering to follow the plots

2015-2016 steven universe discourse peak craziness 

There are no words, looking back this all feels like a fever dream

Insane fan-theories (as in- even for Tumblr, these theories were very out there)

Pink diamond character derailment

“watching steven universe is the opposite of eating pussy” 

Gemosonas

fusion = sex???

“it’s over isn’t it” single-handedly inspiring some of the most beautiful fan art to come out of the show; "Stronger than you” def inspired much more fan-creations, but they were nowhere near as good imo

That terrible lily peet video that sent a tidal wave of fandom-fighting 

Concrete

Nicki Minaj guest appearance 

the porn avalanche predating the 2018 nsfw ban

My OG account got banned >:( (i never posted porn, tried to email support to no avail, I DID NOT DEVERVE THIS YOU NARCS)

50-50 mix of people posting lewd art and people posting links to find them as they migrated to twitter

“Female presenting nipples”

The return of the citrus scale (orange: PG/G, Lime: PG-13, Lemon: R, Grapefruit: X)

“Too Spicy for Tumblr”

Didn’t even stop the porn bots, mostly just screwed over artists and writers

IMO the peak of user v staff animosity

2020 hannibal

The small but loyal anthony hopkins defenders

Some of the most beautiful creative gore art

The moodboard to web-weaving pipeline

People being surprisingly respectful of fans who only watched the show, or who didn’t read Red Dragon/Silence of the Lambs, or where otherwise not invested in the greater overall Hannibal canon.

Manipulate, mansplain, malewife

Key Figures Include: Madds Mikkelson, Hugh Dancy, Anthony Hopkins

november 5, 2020

You just had to be there man, i don’t know what to tell you.

Key Figures include: Donald Trump, Castiel, Dean Winchester, Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Nevada, Georgia, Wisconsin and debatably Sherlock season 5

the 2021 coquette girl blogger era

Lana del rey worship

The ungodly amount of softcore porn

Gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss

Glorification of eating disorders, benzos, trailer parks, predatory men, age gap relationships, and so much more!

Teenagers blogging about Russian lit you know they never read

Waifblr

Still not sure to this day how much of this was ironic and how much wasn’t?? Or if any of this was self-aware???

Yes babe you’re so bambi, kate moss, diet coke, wellbutrin, dasha nekrosova, ballet, klonopin, trad cath, fawn, dior, sofia coppela, can you please shut the fuck up now?

key figures include: Lana del Rey, Daisy Randone, Dasha Nekrosova, Nina Sayers, Fiona Apple, Anya Taylor Joy, Sylvia Plath, Kate Moss, Kirsten Dunst (probably so many more, but this is just off the top of my head)

(bonus)

2015/16- My personal earliest memories of really getting into tumblr, and witnessing the tail-end of the Hetalia reign

2016- the end of Homestuck

2016- the epidemic of overwatch porn

2016- Does Jumin Han is gay?

2017- RWBY’s nosedive in quality from season 3 to 4, losing the majority of the fanbase

2018 Boyfriend to Death civil war (Gatobob v ElectricPuke)

2018- Detroit become Human drops and the robot-fucking gatekeeping 

2018- the Game of thrones/Endgame joint disaster ending melt down

2019- Sub-par Omens

2020- the Dead by Daylight community rioting when Pyramid Head’s ass got nerfed

2020- Cyberpunk 2077 is released and is torn apart almost instantly. Looking back by my approximations post were made up of- 10% people who were actually playing the games and enjoying themselves, 20% people who were playing the game and WEREN’T having fun, 55% People who never bought/played the game who were making up crazy glitches for clout, 15% hardcore pornography of characters you’d never seen before. (I’m quite salty about this bc I worked at GameStop at this time and had people constantly talking about glitches in casual conversation and I just know most of these bitches were LYING.)

20??- don’t remember the exact dates, but phase 3 marvel was un-escapable at this time

2020/21- Succession blows up

2022 Ghost bc blows up on tiktok, the fandom already sizable on tumblr only goes up from here

[corporationsarepeople]

Tucker Carlson's portrayal of the deadly Jan. 6 attack as a largely peaceful event on his prime-time Fox News show set off a dangerous new wave of social media chatter that includes death threats against Capitol police officers and Democratic leaders, according to experts who monitor extremism and a report from Advance Democracy shared exclusively with USA TODAY.

The segment that aired last week downplayed the violence at the Capitol two years ago, falsely recasting the Washington mob that breached the Capitol as an “orderly and meek” gathering of “sightseers.”

Carlson’s claims, which accompanied clips of Capitol security footage, drew an angry reaction from right-wing users who fired off threats on Elon Musk’s Twitter and in pro-Trump forums directed at politicians who have made public inquiries into the violence, especially the congressional Jan. 6 committee

Those threats came in far greater numbers than before the broadcast, according to the Advance Democracy report.

Jan. 6 riot:Hundreds of identifiable people remain free. FBI arrests could take years

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Crowdfunding extremism:Extremists raised $6.2 million on crowdfunding websites in 'heyday' of financing

On Twitter, posts relating to Jan. 6 using violent rhetoric increased fivefold from the previous week, the report shows.

The outpouring of violence concerns extremism experts, who said Carlson and Fox News are playing with fire by spreading disinformation that could inspire violence against the targets of their coverage.

"If there were an attack right now on one of the groups or individuals that was mentioned in Tucker's report — one of the dumping grounds for his ire — I would not be surprised at all," said Megan Squire, deputy director for data analytics at the Southern Poverty Law Center. "I mean, that's basically what we're expecting right now."

[planetofsnarfs]

Elon Musk is showing the world how radicalized he has become.

The billionaire, one of the most consequential figures to walk the Earth, spent another weekend swimming in the right-wing fever swamps of X — a bad habit that was apparent when his interview with Don Lemon was released Monday morning.

In the contentious interview, Musk equated moderating dangerous and appalling hate speech to “censorship,” bashed the press for legitimate reporting, assailed DEI programs without supporting evidence, skewered advertisers who fled the X platform last year and yet again gave credence to the racist Great Replacement theory, among other things.

To those not fluent in the intricacies of right-wing media, some of what Musk said may have sounded bizarre or even foreign. But in the right-wing fever swamps, where Musk is now deeply entrenched, these are the issues that animate the masses.

Musk’s comments on the premiere episode of Lemon’s new online show added to an unhinged 72-hour posting spree on X, in which the erratic businessman raged against the “woke mind virus” and said its “goal” is “the destruction of America,” agreed with a user who wrote “Fake News is the Enemy of the People,” said the press is “basically the [Joe] Biden cheering squad,” accused the news media of “lying” about Donald Trump’s “blood bath” comments, called NPR a “nice version of Pravda,” alleged Google “manipulate[s] their search results with left wing bias,” said the January 6 insurrection was “not a ‘bloodbath’ by any definition,” and argued that if there is not a “red wave” in November, “America is doomed.”

At this juncture, calling Musk a right-wing shitposter is no longer provocative. It’s simply accurate. And his ugly behavior is even more troubling because of the fact that Musk is enormously influential, casting a large shadow across multiple industries and doing billions of dollars’ worth of national security business with the US government.

In his ownership of X alone, Musk controls one of the world’s most important communications platforms, spitting corrosive venom into the public discourse at a faster speed than his SpaceX rockets hurtle into orbit.

In fact, as users of the platform once called Twitter know all too well, Musk’s posts often find themselves to the very top of the home feed. That is because, according to reporting from Zoë Schiffer and Casey Newton, engineers were forced to build “a system designed to ensure” his posts do well on the platform he owns.

To make matters worse, Musk appears to be growing more intolerant of other viewpoints. While elevating right-wing extremists, he simultaneously seeks to destroy trust in credible news sources.

Once upon a time, Musk welcomed having a media personality like Lemon on the X platform. Not so much anymore.

On Monday, after his interview with Lemon was posted online, Musk trashed the former CNN anchor, calling him in various posts a “stupid asshole” and saying he is “just a bad guy, plain and simple.”

“He’s not used to having to answer to anyone,” Lemon said in a Q&A with People’s Jason Sheeler, “especially someone like me who doesn’t share his worldview, who doesn’t look like him.”

In effect, Musk has become self-radicalized on the very website that he was forced to purchase for $44 billion, sliding deeper into the darkest and most unsavory corners of the platform that has served to only reinforce his own worldview with an echo chamber of conspiracy theorists and ego-stoking sycophants that regularly fawn at his every move no matter how outrageous or preposterously false.

All of it dished up by an algorithm designed to regurgitate it right back to him. Unfortunately for the rest of the world, Musk is hell bent on taking everyone else down there with him.

[wolfgabe]

Spoutible a few months later

Okay a few months out and I can really safely say Spoutible really is the best Twitter alternative out there. I also would like to point out some obvious misinformation I have seen going round. And give a bit of an update on my own personal experiences as well as what has changed.

The site is perfectly safe. The claim that your data is being stolen and leaked is all bullshit. I have yet to see any signs that my information has been compromised and the information Spoutible asks you for is relatively basic stuff.

The claim that Spoutible is hostile to romance authors is also complete BS since there are a good number of romance writers over on Spoutible that have posted with no issue.

Spoutible is a scam is also fake. You cannot tell me that the whale is a scam when the person behind it has been highly up front and transparent about the various issues and working to address them. Spoutible being largely funded by donations right now makes sense considering it lacks a proper advertising model and has yet to attract the support of any major advertisers. They don't even force you to give money either. Donating is completely optional.

Yes I will acknowledge the site has some bugs still but that's to be expected for any new platform really and they have been working on fixing them as fast as they can.

I don't really understand why people are throwing a fuss over Spoutible's stance on porn considering its basically identical to virtually every other social site out there. In case you didn't know Spoutible's TOS was crafted based on the input of users during the beta period and they made it clear they didn't want porn

I have seen people complain about too much political content or how it feels like a left wing echo chamber but there being a lot of politics right now isn't surprising considering a lot of first wave Spoutible users were political journalists and commentators who migrated over from Twitter. If you are wondering why a lot of Spoutible feels very left centric a lot of it likely has to do with the fact that I think many aren't used to being on a platform where more balanced political discussion doesn't have to worry about being constantly drowned out by right wing trolling and disinformation.

And personally, I think it is important Spoutible be allowed to grow as a platform for news and political activism with how much of a right-wing disinformation cess pit Twitter is rapidly devolving into. Its probably no coincidence that I am seeing many journalists jumping ship to the whale right now. Also, here's a tip dont be afraid to check the explore section and remember to look for accounts that match your interests. I can't help but notice a trend/pattern of people coming over to Spoutible just to start shit on purpose knowing they will likely be banned just so they can then run back to Twitter and proclaim how Spoutible is unfairly censoring its users.

What elevates Spoutible above sites like Twitter is that they actually have shown they are taking moderation seriously. I remember earlier a bunch of people showed up Spoutible just to spew racist crap and they all got bounced right away. You would never seen that sort of enforcement over on Twitter. Giving people more tools at their disposal to help cut down on harassment, trolling, and bullying goes a long way in making Spoutible a healthier and more inclusive platform especially for the more marginalized groups such as LGBTQ people.

And now as for what has improved, what I like, and what could be fixed.

Video uploading is now available although still a bit buggy at the moment.

For artists and content creators Spoutible now allows you to monetize your content for free. No fee required. Just click on the red gear on your profile and look for the monetization options. Tips, donations, and subscriptions are all possible.

Still no app but I believe it will be launching soon.

More gamer people are needed which hopefully won't be much of problem if they can get the major gaming companies on board

Image upload limit way more generous than Twitter

I am really enjoying the far stronger engagement on my posts.

Need more companies on board but they are getting there. I think the first major company joined Spoutible today. It was Leap Frog.

Spoutible needs more celebrities and high profile figures. Getting someone like the POTUS would do wonders for raising its image.

Right now I think its highly premature to claim Spoutible will flop just like all the other Twitter altenatives considerings its still relatively young as a platform and still has much potential for growth. I feel I cannot stress enough that Spoutible really is the best Twitter alternative out there. It doesnt have the stability and security problems of HIVE nor does it suffer from Mastodon's server based bullshit and gatekeeping problems. The whole platform was perfectly designed to make migrating from Twitter as painless as possible so once again I will encourage people to give the whale a chance if they are tired of the bird.

[system-of-a-feather]

I'm at the very beginning of my recovery (literally was just diagnosed back in January this year), and personally I just generally present as one person in my everyday life and am only overt about my parts in online spaces. I'm worried that this means I'm faking my disorder, but I do generally struggle with dissociative symptoms a lot. How can I ignore anti-recovery sentiments and am I wrong for going by a "singletsona" for lack of a better word?

Oh congratulations on the diagnosis. I'm sure its overwhelming and it might not feel that way right now because its probably confusing and a bit overwhelming, but its such a good first step into sorting things out and recovery so, if it's been rough, just know its the start to something pretty aight. Either way, welcome to the general struggle of the online DID recovery peer group.

I'd like to start first and foremost to just hand wave at the concerns of you being "wrong" or faking or anything of the sorts. There is no wrong way to have your disorder and if you are diagnosed - I doubt you are faking; that said, I totally get the feeling. My first word of advice is to try to not worry too much about how other people present their disorder and their experiences cause the presentation of DID and what not is EXTREMELY varied and the online presentation of DID is always going to be skewed by the nature of the internet and anonymous platforms. If you are on discord servers or tumblr, the people you are going to be interacting with are likely personalities that would ALSO use discord and tumblr and my (completely unfounded beyond personal experience) opinion is that I think a lot of discord / tumblr users tend to enjoy presenting themselves as a variety of clear and overt parts more than the average person with DID does.

There is generally a large pressure (both when I was new into figuring it out and from what I've heard from other people) to have parts present overtly ESPECIALLY online and while that has some of its benefits in recovery, it can also be a bit of a redherring / distractor / put some pressure on individuals to present in a way that isn't natural to them for the sake of "looking like everyone else" and "presenting correctly".

Just know, above anything else, however you experience your symptoms is always inherently truthful and how you present your symptoms has little to do with the authenticity of your disorder and diagnosis.

If you don't align with other presentations of DID that you see online, it just means that you don't have the same experiences as the other people you are looking at, nothing more. I've seen a lot of people with DID that don't even identify as systems or don't even identify as "different people / parts / alters". Unfortunately, they are a pretty quiet group usually just because "not being a system" and "not being distinct people" is not as easy or engaging to talk / write about than the alternative.

TLDR; Don't sweat the differences you have between your experiences and those that you see online (youtube, tiktok, discord, tumblr, twitter, etc). Regardless of what differences you experience from the apparent norm has no reflection on your validity beyond a "huh interesting and wack how differently things present". Your experiences with your disorder are inherently true experiences with, ya know, your disorder.

Beyond that, I also want to say its extremely normal to present just as one person off of the internet. Whether that is "parts acting like one part", actively trying to keep the disorder unknown and private to most, or just genuinely not feeling like you can navigate your parts and identify them irl; its EXTREMELY normal and typical with DID especially in the earlier stages of recovery.

DID is a covert coping mechanism and off of the internet, there is a lot more judgement and risk posed with showing signs of mental illness and DID is a very personal and complex disorder that has very specific implications. It's important to keep it on some level of a need-to-know basis, at least when you are first figuring it out, just as a safety precaution irl.

Online I think it is ALSO still important to be a little wary, but the mostly anonymous nature of the internet and inherently dissociative-nature of socializing online makes it easier (for better or worse) to kind of navigate that complex expression and its easier to find corners where its not as risky / as much of a risk of judgement for presenting as a multiple / plural / system. Comfort, safety, anonymity, dissociation, etc play a large role in how symptoms and expression within systems present itself so both on a social level (mentioned above) and on a genuine symptoms changing level, in my experience, I find a lot of people do present a lot more overtly online than they do IRL.

As for ignoring anti-recovery sentiments, I honestly just recommend liberally blocking people and liberally taking breaks from DID / plural communities. I think being part of those communities can be extremely helpful in learning things and sharing resources and advice on navigating the complexities that come with having DID and there is a lot of good advice and good people out there + it is very helpful in normalizing living with DID and the idea that you can very much live a happy and successful life with the disorder so I really don't want to sound like I'm saying "just dont interact online lol"

But being on DID communities too much can kind of cause you to be detatched from your own experiences and blind you from recovery methods and ways of presenting that are not standard in how DID is usually depicted online. It's one of those things that in moderation can be extremely helpful in your recovery, but can also very easily become a way of getting stuck so, my best suggestion is just to take regular and liberal breaks and to like... never go an entire year without taking a solid break from the community.

This blog itself had like a year or two hiatus I think back in like 2018 or 2019. Breaks from the community, in my experience, is the best way to make sure you get the most benefit with the least harm.

[theaudientvoid]

how to find people to follow on tumblr.hell, a guide for the perplexed

So, with reddit and twitter in the process of self-destructing, this blue hell site is receiving a wave of new users, many of whom have the question "Wait, I'm supposed to actually follow people? How do I do that?" Well, here's your guide, written by a thirteen year Tumblr veteran.

So, the first thing you need to find is the search bar. It should be at the top of your dash, and look like this:

Type a thing that your interested in, but don't press enter. That'll take you to the search function, which doesn't work. You should see a thing that says "Go to #search term" in the drop down menu. Click on that.

You have now discovered the wonders of tags. When people on tumblr make posts, they have the option of attaching tags. People who are interested in a subject can find relevant content by viewing the appropriate tag.

There are two ways to view a tag: latest and top.

If you are a little baby who needs to have content spoon fed to you, then feel free to pick top and the algorithm will vomit up a bunch of inane dribble for you to consume. But don't stay up to late, especially on school nights. And don't forget to have Mommy and Daddy tuck you in at night.

Assuming you're an adult though, what you want is Latest. This will give a chronological feed of posts made on the site tagged with whatever tag your searching for. Start reading. For small or even medium-sized fandoms, it is very doable to read an entire tag every day. Find content you want to see. Follow those people. Block the ones you don't want to see. Rinse. Repeat.

There are too ways that the tag viewer displays content. Either in a normal vertical feed, or haphazardly arranging a bunch of cluttered shit onto your screen. You should see the following icons near the top of the page.

Click on the one on the right to get the non-cluttered view.

[mariacallous]

Journalists have been declaring Twitter dead for nearly a decade. Observers see flagging user numbers or feel an amorphous, grim vibe shift and pounce, often prematurely. But this week, everyone is fretting and monitoring. As of this writing, Elon Musk appears poised to finalize his Twitter acquisition, and there is, both inside and outside the company, an apocalyptic feel to the ordeal.

At Twitter’s headquarters, in San Francisco, Musk is doing things like wandering around the lobby carrying a porcelain sink (for content purposes) while simultaneously trying to convince employees that he will not, as previously reported, cut 75 percent of staff. One current Twitter staffer told me that “the bootlicking is next level” as anxious employees greet Musk in the hallway, unsure of his plans for his new company and their place in it. Outside the company, power users are mulling plans to bail, and sharing a report that Twitter is already on life support. My timelines are full of earnest eulogies for the platform or fears that it will turn into a 4chan clone once Musk takes the reins. People are waxing nostalgic, sharing greatest-hits threads of good tweets. Dara Lind, a reporter, summed it up succinctly, noting that the whole thing has “big, big last-night-of-camp energy.”

It seems foolish to try to predict what a mercurial person like Musk—who loves to troll and to float ridiculous ideas in public—will actually do to the platform. But it is impossible to ignore that his tenure is an inflection point for the company and, perhaps, for the 2.0 generation of social-media companies, which have been battered by misinformation, a techlash, and changing online behaviors. Platforms and networks rise and fall and even die out naturally—just look at MySpace—but there’s not much precedent for what’s happening with Twitter: A culturally resonant and politically influential platform could, quite suddenly, flame out as the result of new ownership.

Naturally, this has led me to wonder, and to ask those with experience at large platforms, what could Elon Musk actually do to kill Twitter?

Those I spoke with agreed that Musk likely couldn’t flip a proverbial switch to destroy the platform immediately. Any harebrained, Muskian idea for a new feature couldn’t get implemented overnight. One former senior employee I spoke with also argued that high-profile, controversial decisions (like the reinstatement of Donald Trump or Alex Jones) would certainly drive some people off the service but would be unlikely, on their own, to cause a mass exodus. They cited past mass-quit movements like #DeleteFacebook and #DeleteUber as historical analogues, suggesting that it’s pretty hard to get huge numbers of people to log off as part of a moral stand. That said, Twitter already appears to be hemorrhaging power users, and it’s unclear how much more the platform can take.

But Musk could certainly kneecap Twitter via inept management. If he really does cut a significant chunk of Twitter staff, that would cause an organizational nightmare. Even if one assumes there’s bloat in the company, former employees argued that Twitter could still lose all kinds of institutional knowledge in the shuffle. That institutional knowledge would be useful in a crisis—the kind that social-media companies have all the time, such as when high-profile users go renegade, or the site goes down, or traffic unexpectedly surges. Those I spoke with were especially worried about losing site-reliability engineers and members of the internal trust-and-safety team, which handles content moderation.

Even if Musk’s cuts don’t affect these departments, his ownership could possibly trigger a wave of resignations from employees in key infrastructural roles.

“These sites—no matter how talented the engineering organization—are often held together by a series of fragile, legacy systems, the precise functioning of which is only truly known to a few people,” Jason Goldman, a member of Twitter’s early team, a former board member, and the company’s former vice president of product, told me. “Without even factoring in nefarious intent, it is easy to imagine scenarios where big mistakes happen because of the kind of disruption Twitter is about to endure. The exact nature of the mistake is impossible to predict, but the increased likelihood of a mistake happening is a reasonable assumption. And it’s more likely to be from some small error that compounds than it is from the large decisions that often end up in the spotlight.”

Sources described a few nightmare scenarios that could legitimately hobble Twitter, which is still used by more than 200 million people every day:

1. Outside hackers and/or hostile foreign governments focus their hacking efforts on Twitter. Because of the massive layoffs and org-chart chaos, Twitter is unable to adequately address the attacks, causing catastrophic breaches, loss of personal information, or extended outages.

2. A stripped-down trust-and-safety team is unable to deal with government subpoenas or complex law-enforcement requests. A bare-bones team might, for example, accidentally assist outside efforts to identify anonymous dissidents and activists in foreign countries.

3. The trust-and-safety team is unable to stop coordinated efforts from fraudsters orchestrating low-level scams. Similarly, a strapped trust-and-safety department is unable to combat or monitor child-sexual-abuse material, sex-trafficking efforts, nonconsensual pornography, and copyright violations.

4. An inexperienced engineer pushes some buggy code and part of the site’s functionality goes down, but the people with expertise in that area of site reliability are not there to help restore it.

5. Musk does indeed roll back Twitter’s content-moderation rules and reduces tools for monitoring and reporting abuse on the platform. As Kate Klonick, an associate professor at St. John’s University Law School who studies content moderation, argued recently, a lack of speech governance, or a dismantled trust-and-safety apparatus, will result in a bad product, less engagement, lower ad revenue for the company, and, ultimately, more radicalized communities.

These scenarios are hypothetical, but they illustrate a truism about platforms: They do not run themselves. They are made up of humans, many of whom have complex jobs overseeing niche parts of the social network, much of which is unseen to the average user.

One former trust-and-safety engineer for a large social network told me that many elements of the job that seem boring or straightforward are actually incredibly fraught, like how to define and take action on different kinds of spam. Trust-and-safety officers in charge of such efforts aren’t just dealing with Viagra ads or crypto-scam bots; they’re figuring out how to handle bulk messages from legitimate political organizers exploiting the platforms for mass messaging. As one person put it, there are good actors and bad actors and also “spammy but not necessarily malicious businesses trying to get you to buy things in between, and all those things can look very similar to machine-learning models.”

Those with trust-and-safety experience at the platform told me that a big percentage of the job is dealing with the messy edge cases that are difficult for a computer to decipher. Programs might be able to address specific product quirks if a user files a clear help ticket reporting an obvious problem. “But if I wrote in, ‘My account has been hacked because it “accidentally” liked a porn tweet on 9/11 and I’m U.S. Senator Ted Cruz,’ that’s going to be a lot for a computer to unpack,” Brian Truebe, a former Twitter trust-and-safety professional, told me over email.

“A lot of things humans say and do are only easily interpretable/decoded by other humans,” he continued. “And when all speech is happening in a few places, those few places need more humans to review, not fewer.”

Reactionary tech figures such as Musk like to imply that content-moderation teams act as a kind of thought police. But these teams largely work on protecting users’ privacy, complying with laws, or keeping the site from becoming overrun by the kind of spam that no human wants to encounter. “To really have a robust security-and-abuse team, you need a massive amount of actual humans to respond and filter things that need to be filtered out,” Southey Blanton, a systems technician who worked in trust and safety at MySpace, told me. Blanton said that cuts to his team led to a skeleton crew of moderators, who had to rely on imprecise AI tools to get rid of bots and spam—which led to many legitimate human accounts getting banned as well. “Overall, a social-media site is under attack, as well as being overwhelmed, basically 24/7, 365,” he said. “I am fully convinced that if Musk does what he is saying he will do, it will be an absolute shitshow.”

Klonick echoed the sentiment. “Language and the meaning of language always evolves, but on the internet, that happens a billion times faster,” she told me. “And if what online speech governance does is manage the harms of how people communicate, it has to be constantly working and changing. It’s not like an oil change.”

Even under leadership that values moderation, Twitter isn’t exactly known for peace and harmony. There are numerous reasons for this. The tech journalist Ryan Broderick suggested in his newsletter that “Twitter has never been able to deal with the fact its users both hate using it and also hate each other,” and that the platform’s architecture causes such frequent context collapse and infighting that its least aggressive and obnoxious users tend to leave or just lurk. If Twitter is struggling with this now, imagine the impact if Musk does decide to turn the platform into a maximalist speech Thunderdome. The truth that the anti-“woke” warriors refuse to acknowledge is that the economic success of platforms depends on thoughtful, swift content moderation that strikes a balance between open dialogue and chaos. This morning, in a letter to advertisers in which he used the bloodless, platitudinal language of a veteran social-media executive, Musk wrote that Twitter cannot become a “free-for-all hellscape.”

Most of us understandably think of technology platforms in abstract terms. When tech titans like Musk or his text-message friends wonder what all those employees at Twitter are doing, they are, quite foolishly, looking at a social network as if it were a basic piece of machinery. “There’s often a supposition that sites like Twitter must work like a car; maybe they need some routine maintenance every year, but under the hood they mostly just work,” Goldman, the former Twitter VP, told me. But Twitter isn’t a car; it’s a living, breathing, dynamic entity.

Living, breathing things do one thing quite reliably: They eventually die, for all kinds of reasons. They die of natural causes, or because of direct harm. They die because of unforeseeable events. Musk very well could kill Twitter out of malice or hubris, or through calculated, boneheaded decisions. But one possibility seems more likely than others. If Twitter dies at the hands of this billionaire, the cause is likely to be tragically banal—neglect.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Armageddon to wet lettuce: The phrases that defined 2022

Agence France-Presse, 5 December 2022

PARIS — A year of extraordinary upheaval, from the war in Ukraine to catastrophic natural disasters, AFP looks at some of the words and phrases that have defined 2022.

ARMAGEDDON 

With the war in Ukraine and increasingly strident threats from Russian President Vladimir Putin, the specter of nuclear warfare is stalking the globe for the first time in decades.

"We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis" in 1962, US President Joe Biden warned in October.

Experts warned of the most dangerous situation they can remember, with fears not limited to Russia: North Korean nuclear saber-rattling has reached new heights, with the world bracing for a first nuclear test since 2017.

LONDON BRIDGE 

At 6:30 p.m. on September 8, Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth II had died, bringing to an end the longest reign in British history and sending shock waves around the world.

For 10 days, Britons paid respects to the only monarch most had known, following a carefully choreographed series of ceremonies.

The program of events, famously codenamed "London Bridge", set out in minute detail every aspect of the protocol -- down to BBC presenters wearing black ties.

In the event, she died in Scotland, meaning special provisions came into force -- Operation Unicorn.

LOSS AND DAMAGE

World leaders and negotiators descended on the Egyptian Red Sea port of Sharm el-Sheikh for the latest United Nations summit (COP27) on tackling climate change.

After a fractious summit, widely seen as poorly organized, a deal was clinched on a fund for "loss and damage" to help vulnerable countries cope with the devastating impacts of climate change.

Behind the institutional-sounding name lies destruction for millions in the developing world.

The COP summit was hailed as historic but many voiced anger over a lack of ambition on cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

WOMAN. LIFE. FREEDOM. 

The chant screamed by protesters in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman arrested by the Tehran morality police.

Protesters have burned posters of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and women have appeared in public without headscarves, in scenes scarcely imaginable before the uprising.

The demonstrations have lasted 3 months and appear to pose an existential challenge to the 43-year rule of the clerical regime.

BLUE TICK

The tiny blue tick (it's actually white on a blue background), which certifies users on Twitter, became a symbol of the chaos engulfing the social media platform in the wake of its $44-billion takeover by Elon Musk.

The mercurial Tesla boss announced that anyone wanting the coveted blue tick would have to stump up eight dollars, only to scrap the plan hours later.

A month on from the takeover, Twitter's future remains up in the air, with thousands of staff laid off, advertisers leaving, and its "free speech" platform hugely uncertain.

ROE V. WADE 

In an historic ruling, the conservative-dominated US Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 "Roe v. Wade" decision that enshrined a woman's right to an abortion.

The Supreme Court ruled that individual states could restrict or ban the procedure -– a decision seized upon by several right-leaning states.

Protests erupted instantly in Washington and elsewhere, showing how divisive the topic remains in the United States.

The overturning of "Roe v. Wade" became a critical battle in the US mid-terms in which candidates in favor of abortion rights won several victories. 

QUIET QUITTING 

One of the "words of the year" in Britain and Australia, the phrase refers to doing the bare minimum at work, either as a protest against your employer or to improve your work-life balance.

The trend, which has sparked debate about overwork, especially in the United States, appears to have surfaced first in a TikTok post in July.

"You're not outright quitting your job but you're quitting the idea of going above and beyond," said the post which went viral, drawing nearly a half-million likes.

WET LETTUCE 

As Liz Truss approached the end of her chaotic and short-lived tenure as British prime minister, the Economist weekly mused that her effective period in office had been "roughly the shelf-life of a lettuce."

The tabloid Daily Star leapt on the idea, launching a live web cam featuring said vegetable -– complete with googly eyes -- next to a picture of the hapless Truss.

Her premiership lasted just 44 days and featured a mini-budget that collapsed the markets and generated extraordinary political upheaval. In the end, the lettuce won.

TOMATO SOUP 

Environmental protesters seeking to draw attention to the role of fossil fuel consumption in the climate crisis hurled tomato soup at Vincent Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" painting at London's National Gallery in October, touching off a series of similar stunts.

Since then, activists have smothered mashed potato on Claude Monet and glued themselves to works by Andy Warhol, Francisco Goya and Johannes Vermeer.

For some, the campaigners are heroes bravely drawing attention to the climate emergency.

For others, the attacks are counterproductive and lose force by becoming commonplace.

A4 

Protests erupted in China, initially over COVID restrictions but later widening to broader political grievances, posing the greatest threat to the Beijing authorities since 1989.

The demonstrations became known in some quarters as the "A4" protests as protesters held up blank A4-sized sheets of white paper in a sign of solidarity and a nod to the lack of free speech in China.

© Agence France-Presse 

[astrologicaldiary]

Saturn transit in Pisces : New age of spirituality

I want to talk about this Saturn transit in Pisces. When I first heard the astrologers from TikTok about this transit, I didn't actually care for it... Maybe because I was consumed and overstimulated, but I didn't quite listen carefully of what is the meaning of this transit. But I remember when I was scrolling on Twitter, I saw a post of another Twitter user who screenshots of an Instagram post of Kalis Uchis saying that we as a collective should be careful of how much alcohol we are consuming in our bodies, then I think she said that she stopped drinking alcohol... This is just a summary of what she said, and if you don't know who she is... my friend, you are missing out

Then I followed an astrologer on Twitter, and they captioned the post as the embodiment of Saturn in Pisces... I wasn't quite confused about this, but I know I'm seeing the pattern and seeing the waves of people shifting their beliefs surrounding religion.

Literally today, I watched a video of Kelly Stamps. She's a popular YouTuber, and I love her channel and her vibes. Believe it or not, she had helped me to be comfortable being alone and she made me laugh while we were all quarantined at home. But anyways, she posted a clip of her celebrating Easter, and I guess it made some of her followers pissed.

She created a new channel called " whataburgerqueen" ( just love her sense of humor), and she went on a rant about how her followers on the Youtube space were calling her conservative and shocked to see that she's a Christian... That really lost me because the United States' main religion is Christianity, so I usually assume everyone is Christian especially for me being a Muslim. So when I hear people saying that they didn't she was a Christian, as a Muslim, I don't usually share my religion with anybody because to be honest *some* people are weird and they asked too many questions. I'm like go google and leave me out of it! So I usually keep it to myself, but now you know. To get to the point, Kelly was saying that we are living in a world with no grace and a low vibrational society. And she also stated we are living in a society that cares about money, getting things fast, and not trying to reflect more on certain things. I agree with her too!

She also said that this will be her new era embracing her Christian values and other things that truly matter without worry about clicks and followers...

With this transit, I predict the collective especially the influencers, celebs, and other public figures are going to praise their faith out loud, and there's nothing wrong with it! But I fear there could some religious supremacy happening or people thinking that they are better worshippers than others. Mind you, my sister who doesn't pray and doesn't fast as often, she is listening Islam podcasts and she's working on repairing her faith in Allah ( it means God before you panic!).

I feel like we are going to be seeing a rise in people working on their faith. Now the negative side of this, there are going to be evil people who use religion as their power source to shame other people who are not as traditional as the holy book. For example, we are seeing white Republicans trying to ban drag shows and controlling and alienating transpeople...

I'm curious how this will impact the society we live in, but these are all my opinions and I ain't no professional astrologer ( maybe I should....but we will never know).

I'll talk to you soon.

[metaowl]

$OWL Crypto Coin: The Future of Long-Term, Utility-Driven Cryptocurrency

In the fast-paced world of cryptocurrency, it can be easy to get lost in the sea of coins and tokens vying for attention. However, one project that has been steadily making waves is $OWL Crypto coin. Developed by a team of experienced project developers, $OWL is not just a flash in the pan, but rather a long-term project with multiple utilities.

CA : 0xBb20976a8908b0d05821feAe25c02e93DEa33da1

One of the key features that sets $OWL apart from other cryptocurrencies is its liquidity locking mechanism. This ensures that the value of the coin is protected and not subject to sudden fluctuations. This can provide peace of mind to investors, knowing that their investment is secure in the long run.

$OWL Channel:

Twitter : https://x.com/MetaOwlToken

Telegram : https://t.me/+MXPNY91vraU2OGJk

Website : https://metaowls.app/

But that's not all - $OWL is powered by the innovative Meta Owl platform, which gives it a sturdy foundation for growth and development. This platform allows for seamless integration of new features and functionalities, ensuring that $OWL remains relevant and competitive in the ever-evolving crypto landscape.

To become the leading platform for AI-powered innovations in the cryptocurrency space, driving the next wave of technological advancements and user-centric solutions with a vison to eliminate scams in Crypto wold, to make a secure trade and project management environment.

To integrate cutting-edge web platform integrated with blockchain to enhance security, efficiency, and overall user experience in the crypto world. Focused to eliminate Crypto scams, especially in Marketing and Other service provisions. Providing a verified group of Crypto Service providers to serve the project owners securely.

Meta Owl is a Utility token created with great long term vision and mission. It’s not a one day meme token, that hikes and die while developers sell their share.

$OWL token, projects focuses on entering into most CEX listings, during its journey, where by its Developers are not into one day millionaire scam projects.

We charge only just 3% Tax , which is our means of returns, that will be utilised for the further development of this Project.

Every investor will surely have equal opportunity to earn 100x profit, the only thing they have to follow is buy and hold. And buy and average.

In addition to its technical specs, $OWL also boasts a huge marketing campaign that has been turning heads in the industry. With collaborations with digital marketing experts, $OWL has been able to reach a wider audience and build a strong community of supporters. This bodes well for the long-term success of the project, as a strong community is often the key to sustainability in the world of cryptocurrency.

Overall, $OWL Crypto coin is a project with a lot of potential. With its focus on long-term growth, multiple utilities, and strong marketing efforts, it is well-positioned to make a lasting impact in the crypto space. Investors looking for a project with solid fundamentals and promising future prospects should definitely keep an eye on $OWL.

[savefilescomng12]

Watch Yasemin Viral Batman Viral Video on Reddit and Twitter – XVIRAL

Watch Yasemin Viral Batman Viral Video on Reddit and Twitter

Recently, a video featuring a young woman named Yasemin dressed as Batman has taken social media platforms Reddit and Twitter by storm. The video showcases Yasemin performing various heroic acts in her neighborhood, such as helping an elderly person cross the street and rescuing a stranded kitten from a tree. Her altruistic actions, coupled with the unexpected Batman costume, have captured the hearts of netizens worldwide.

On Reddit, the video quickly gained traction within hours of being uploaded, with users praising Yasemin’s kindness and creativity. Comments flooded the thread, commending her for spreading positivity and joy during challenging times. The subreddit where the video was shared saw a surge in subscriptions as more users wanted to engage with uplifting content like Yasemin’s. Similarly, Twitter users shared the video extensively, using hashtags like #YaseminBatman to ensure it reached a wider audience. Celebrities and influencers joined the conversation, amplifying the video’s reach and making Yasemin an overnight social media sensation. Retweets and likes poured in, turning her into a symbol of everyday heroism and community spirit. Yasemin Viral Batman Viral Video on Twitter Yasemin’s viral Batman video on Twitter has become a prime example of how a simple act of kindness can resonate deeply in the digital age. The video, which shows Yasemin embodying the iconic superhero to perform acts of goodwill in her neighborhood, quickly garnered attention on the platform. Twitter users were captivated by Yasemin’s sincerity and the positivity she exuded while wearing the Batman costume. The video’s popularity soared as users retweeted it with heartfelt messages, praising Yasemin for her selflessness and creativity. Memes and fan art celebrating her actions further fueled the viral spread, creating a community around her uplifting story. Celebrities and organizations also contributed to the viral wave, sharing the video to their followers and encouraging others to emulate Yasemin’s example. The Twitterverse embraced Yasemin as a beacon of hope and inspiration, demonstrating the platform’s ability to amplify acts of kindness and foster a sense of unity. Yasemin Viral Batman Viral Video on Reddit Yasemin’s viral Batman video on Reddit has sparked a wave of positivity and admiration within the platform’s community. Posted initially in a subreddit dedicated to uplifting content, the video quickly gained momentum as users resonated with Yasemin’s acts of kindness and her unique choice of attire. Reddit users praised Yasemin for her initiative in bringing smiles to her neighbors’ faces, highlighting how her portrayal of Batman transcended mere cosplay to embody the spirit of heroism in everyday life. Discussions around the video focused on the power of small gestures and community bonding, reflecting Reddit’s inclination towards meaningful content that inspires and uplifts. The subreddit where Yasemin’s video was shared saw a surge in subscribers and engagement, with users expressing gratitude for the positive content amidst the usual stream of news and discussions. Comments flooded the thread with anecdotes of similar acts of kindness, turning Yasemin into a catalyst for spreading goodwill across the platform.

Yasemin Viral Batman Viral Video Trending Yasemin’s viral Batman video has become a trending topic across social media platforms, captivating audiences with its heartwarming narrative and unexpected heroism. The video’s popularity surged as users from diverse backgrounds shared and reshared it, propelling Yasemin into the spotlight as a symbol of compassion and community spirit. The video’s success underscores the public’s hunger for uplifting content, especially amidst challenging global events. Yasemin’s choice to don a Batman costume not only entertained but also inspired viewers to consider how they can make a positive impact in their own communities. The trending hashtag #YaseminBatman continues to gain traction, ensuring her story reaches new audiences and continues to inspire. Lessons to Learn from Yasemin Viral Batman Viral Video Yasemin’s viral Batman video offers several valuable lessons for viewers and aspiring content creators alike. Firstly, the video highlights the profound impact of small acts of kindness, demonstrating how simple gestures can resonate widely in the digital age. Yasemin’s decision to dress as Batman shows creativity in spreading positivity and joy, proving that unconventional approaches can be highly effective in capturing attention. Secondly, the video underscores the power of authenticity in storytelling. Yasemin’s genuine desire to help others shines through her portrayal of Batman, making her actions relatable and inspiring. Content creators can learn from her example by prioritizing sincerity and meaningful connections when sharing their stories online. Lastly, Yasemin’s video illustrates the potential of social media to amplify positive messages and foster community engagement. By leveraging platforms like Reddit and Twitter, Yasemin was able to reach a global audience and spark conversations about kindness and empathy. This serves as a reminder of the internet’s capacity to unite people around shared values and inspire collective action. Yasemin Viral Batman Viral Video Social Media Handles For those looking to follow Yasemin and her viral Batman video journey, her social media handles provide a direct link to ongoing updates and community interactions. On Twitter, you can find her under the handle @YaseminBatman, where she continues to share stories of goodwill and positivity. Her Reddit presence can be explored through the username u/YaseminBatman, where discussions and fan interactions thrive in dedicated subreddits. These handles not only connect Yasemin with her growing fanbase but also serve as platforms for ongoing dialogue about kindness and community impact. Followers can engage with her content, share their own stories, and participate in initiatives inspired by her example, creating a ripple effect of positivity across social media. By leveraging these platforms, Yasemin has turned a viral moment into a sustained movement for goodwill, proving that social media can be a powerful tool for spreading positivity and inspiring positive change. Source link Read the full article

[nniccolx]

Week 11: Digital Citizenship and Conflict: Social Media Governance

welcome back to nn’s blog ˙✧˖° 🌐 ♡₊˚

Hello my lovely peeps! Today, we’re diving into a juicy topic that's super relevant in our digital age – Digital Citizenship and Conflict: Social Media Governance. Now let’s dive into it!

Hello my lovely peeps! Today, we’re diving into a juicy topic that's super relevant in our digital age – Digital Citizenship and Conflict: Social Media Governance. Now let’s dive into it!

So, what’s digital citizenship? Imagine it as being a good neighbor, but online. It’s about being responsible, respectful, and aware of your actions and their impact on the digital community. With the rise of social media, our digital footprints are more significant than ever.

A real quick question -ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

Have you ever seen a fight on Twitter or a troll causing trouble in Instagram comments?

As for me, I have seen this before. It’s like the wild west out there sometimes. This is where social media governance steps in. Imagine it as the cop in town, setting rules and ensuring everyone be nice.

Social media platforms like Facebook, X, and Instagram have their own sets of community guidelines. They’re there to keep the peace, but enforcing these rules is not that easy. Remember the chaos during the US elections, or the spread of misinformation about COVID-19? These instances highlighted the urgent need for better governance (Guess, Nyhan & Reifler 2020).

Take Twitter as an example. It has a reputation for sometimes failing to deal with hate speech and harassment. But in recent years, they have put their efforts to counter these problems, implementing stricter regulations and even banning high-profile accounts when necessary (Matamoros-Fernández 2017). Meanwhile, Facebook’s struggle with fake news has led to collaborations with fact-checkers to flag false information (Tandoc, Lim & Ling 2020).

Now, let’s dive into the world of entertainment, where digital conflict can be just as intense.

In 2016, Tzuyu from TWICE received a huge wave of online hate simply because she held up a Taiwanese flag on a TV show. This simple act was seen as a political statement, leading to intense backlash from Chinese netizens. Tzuyu, she's only 16 at the time, had to apologize publicly, showing how online conflicts can impact individuals deeply and quickly escalate due to nationalistic sentiments and lack of digital etiquette (Kwak & Kim 2017).

The Straits Times reported the news about Tzuyu apologize for waving a Taiwanese flag

Similarly, Jennie from BLACKPINK is another example. She’s been at the center of various online hate campaigns, especially due to her dating scandals. In 2021, when rumors surfaced about her dating G-Dragon from BIGBANG, she received a barrage of negative comments. These online attacks highlighted the dark side of social media, where privacy is often invaded, and personal matters become public spectacles. The relentless scrutiny and hate can take a toll on mental health, showcasing the need for better social media governance to protect individuals from harassment (Chae 2018).

Dating rumors about BLACKPINK's Jennie & BigBang's G-Dragon

What about us? As a user, we play a crucial role too. Practicing good digital citizenship means calling out misinformation when we see it, reporting abusive behavior, and promoting positive interactions. It’s about creating a space where everyone feels safe and respected.

So, what’s the takeaway? Social media governance is essential for maintaining a healthy digital environment.

"As digital citizens, it’s our responsibility to contribute positively and hold these platforms accountable."

Now after finishing my blog, what's your thoughts on social media governance? Share your stories in the comments below, I'd definitely like to hear about it!

Stay tuned for my next blog, bye!

Reference

Chae, J. 2018, 'Re-examining the relationship between social media and happiness: The effects of various social media platforms on reconceptualized happiness', Telematics and Informatics, vol. 35, no. 6, pp. 1656-1664.

Guess, A., Nyhan, B. & Reifler, J. 2020, 'Exposure to untrustworthy websites in the 2016 US election', Nature Human Behaviour, vol. 4, pp. 472-480.

Kwak, H. & Kim, J. 2017, 'A cultural critique of the fandom around K-pop idols', International Journal of Communication, vol. 11, pp. 2570-2590.

Matamoros-Fernández, A. 2017, 'Platformed racism: The mediation and circulation of an Australian race-based controversy on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube', Information, Communication & Society, vol. 20, no. 6, pp. 930-946.

Tandoc, E.C., Lim, Z.W. & Ling, R. 2020, 'Defining “fake news”: A typology of scholarly definitions', Digital Journalism, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 137-153.

[unogeeks234]

ORACLE APEX GARTNER

Oracle APEX: A Gartner-Recognized Force in Low-Code Development

Oracle Application Express (APEX) is a low-code development platform included with every Oracle Database. Noted for its speed, versatility, and power within the Oracle ecosystem, APEX is making waves in the world of enterprise application development – and the experts at Gartner are taking notice.

Gartner Peer Insights “Voice of the Customer”

Gartner Peer Insights is a platform for verified user reviews of software solutions. In its “Voice of the Customer” reports, Gartner highlights vendors that consistently receive outstanding customer feedback. Oracle APEX has repeatedly earned the “Customers’ Choice” distinction in the Enterprise Low-Code Application Platforms (LCAP) category.

What does this mean? Simply put, customers who use Oracle APEX are overwhelmingly positive about the platform’s value and capabilities.

Why APEX Appeals to Developers and Businesses

Here’s what makes Oracle APEX so compelling, especially for Gartner’s discerning analysts:

Rapid Development: The low-code environment and visual tools enable developers to build enterprise-grade applications with exceptional speed and efficiency.

Scalability: APEX applications can gracefully scale from small departmental solutions to massive deployments with thousands of users.

Security: Built on the robust Oracle Database, APEX benefits from Oracle’s industry-leading security practices to safeguard data and applications.

Cost-Effectiveness: As part of the Oracle Database, APEX adds exceptional value without additional licensing costs.

Strong Community: A passionate community of APEX developers share knowledge, provide support, and continue to drive the platform’s evolution.

Typical Use Cases: Where APEX Shines

Oracle APEX finds applications in many areas of business and software development:

Extending Existing Systems: APEX can rapidly add custom functionality to Oracle packaged applications (like Oracle E-Business Suite), breathing new life into legacy systems.

Bespoke Business Applications: When off-the-shelf software doesn’t quite fit an organization’s unique needs, APEX provides an agile platform for building tailor-made solutions.

Data Visualization and Dashboards: APEX is excellent for turning raw data into actionable insights by creating interactive charts, reports, and decision-support dashboards.

Is APEX Right For You?

If any of these resonate with your organization’s needs, APEX is well worth considering:

You heavily use the Oracle Database and related technologies.

You need to develop custom web applications quickly and cost-effectively.

Your developers have SQL and database experience (and ideally, some web technology exposure).

The Future of Oracle APEX

Oracle demonstrates ongoing commitment to the APEX platform with frequent updates, new features, and improved integration across the Oracle Cloud. As low-code technologies continue to transform the development landscape, Oracle APEX looks poised for continued success.

You can find more information about  Oracle Apex in this  Oracle Apex Link

Conclusion:

Unogeeks is the No.1 IT Training Institute for Oracle Apex  Training. Anyone Disagree? Please drop in a comment

You can check out our other latest blogs on  Oracle Apex here – Oarcle Apex Blogs

You can check out our Best In Class Oracle Apex Details here – Oracle Apex Training

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[jcmarchi]

Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection Is Off To A Rough Start On PC

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/star-wars-battlefront-classic-collection-is-off-to-a-rough-start-on-pc/

Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection Is Off To A Rough Start On PC

Update, 03/15/24:

Following the rough launch of Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection, which is an HD port combo of the original Star Wars: Battlefront and Star Wars: Battlefront II on modern consoles and PC, developer Aspyr Media says it’s working to address issues and increase network stability. 

Shortly after the game’s launch on March 14, players across all platforms (but especially PC), experienced server issues preventing them from getting into matches as well as other connectivity issues like disconnects, rubberbanding, and more once actually in a match. The result was a wave of disappointment from players excited to play these classic multiplayer games. Now, a day later, Aspyr has acknowledged the issues and is working to fix them. 

“We’d like to thank the Battlefront community for their overwhelming support and feedback for the Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection release,” an update from the studio reads. “At launch, we experienced critical errors with our networking infrastructure. The result was incredibly high ping, matchmaking errors, crashes, and servers not appearing in the browser. 

“Since launch, we’ve been working to address these issues and increase network stability, and we will continue our efforts until our network infrastructure is stabilized to prevent further outages.”

Aspyr encourages player to report bugs, errors, or unexpected behaviours to its support team via this request form. 

The original story continues below…

Original story, 03/14/24:

We learned last month that Aspyr Media was developing Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection, a remastered port combo of Star Wars: Battlefront and Star Wars: Battlefront II, first released in 2004 and 2005 respectively. This collection is now live but it seems the game is having a rough start at launch, especially for PC players. 

The viral tweet below posted to X (formerly Twitter) early this morning is indicative of many of the problems PC players are experiencing with the game: 

-10,000 people playing on launch night. -Only has 3 servers that have 64 slots for a total of ~200 players. -Multiplayer doesn’t work otherwise. -Price Tag of 35 USD

Jesus Christ I am so disappointed this is robbery, don’t buy Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection pic.twitter.com/JB7oCTHzgh

— seb 🦝📕 (@sebbaku) March 14, 2024

Replies to that tweet highlight some of the other issues players are apparently running into: zero options to party up with friends and a lack of expected quality-of-life improvements (@damnitbobbywhy), rubberbanding (@SoCalZork), and more. However, some players are saying the biggest issues, like a low amount of servers and an inability to actually get into matches, were fixed within two hours of launch. 

Over on the Star Wars Battlefront subreddit, dozens of users are posting memes about the game’s launch, discussions about connectivity issues, and more. One user posted a screenshot of them downloading the original Star Wars Battlefront games on Xbox (through backward compatibility) to play instead of this collection, while another says this re-release is “hands down the word video game I have ever paid money for.” It’s clear players on that subreddit are not happy with Aspyr’s Battlefront collection. 

On Steam, the game, which has a price tag of $35.01, has a “mostly negative” rating after 1,407 reviews – 21 percent of the reviews for the game are positive.

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Now, players absolutely have the right to be upset about a $35 game they paid for and are seemingly unable to play at launch, which is doubly unfortunate when it’s clear a lot of these players were excited to jump in right at launch. But, there’s a good chance Aspyr is already working on fixes for the collection and ideally, a week from now, nobody is running into the issues Day One players are experiencing. That’s still not fair to Day One players but if you’re a fan of online games like this, you know rough launches aren’t all that unusual, as unfortunate as they can be. 

Are you experiencing issues in Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection? Let us know in the comments below!